I really enjoyed this book! I really liked the story and loved the characters. I would have liked to see Grey and Ethan fake date a little bit more, it felt just a little rushed, and the dates they did go on were a little vague. Overall I did really enjoy this story though. I feel like with romance stories like this there is sometimes a jilted ex or jealous friends, and we did get one awful ex, but the other characters were great and I liked that Nora wasn’t just Ethan’s ex-wife, she was apart of the story. The book does cover some pretty heavy topics (alcoholism) so keep that in mind before reading.

This book was AMAZING. I didn't have super high hopes and assumed this would be a light, fluffy cute rom-com. It was actually a really honest portrayal of a realistic relationship that goes through struggles on both sides. I'm so glad I read this book and have recommended it multiple times already. FIVE STARS!

Love a good fake dating to falling in love. Characters were fun and well rounded. Good balance of romance and drama.

Fake dating, dating a famous person and a dash of angst, three things I am a sucker for in books! I really enjoyed reading this one.
Grey Brooks is a former child star, still trying to pay her dues and get her career to take off. But when her publicist suggests dating the mega-famous and now borderline reclusive Ethan Atkins as a PR stunt, she is less than enthused. She takes the meeting though because she’s just a bit curious about her former celebrity crush. What ensues is a firework-filled fake relationship…that might not be as fake as they thought?
I think this book balances a few things out pretty well. It has the banter and the romance but it doesn’t gloss over the serious reasons that Ethan’s life fell apart and how it might affect his relationship with Grey. I liked that the angst wasn’t overdone though because that can weigh down a story. I also liked that Grey wasn’t a shrinking violet. She doesn’t just let things slide all the time or try to smooth things over.
I did not like Ethan’s ex for most of the book because I felt like she overstepped several times (even though she wasn’t usually wrong). I’m not sure that the author did that intentionally but I was feeling protective of the two main characters in relation to Nora. By the end, I warmed up to her though.
I wish Grey had more friends around in certain parts of the story. But I think that just shows that I was rooting for her pretty quickly.
Overall this was a very satisfying read for me.
There were a couple word choices here and there that I didn’t love but it was nothing too egregious. The chapters were a really nice length (not crazy long) which made it an easy read.
I found that this book and Taylor Swift’s music went well together. Anytime I listened to Taylor it got me in the mood to read more about Grey and Ethan. I would recommend this book to fans of “Eversea” by Natasha Boyd or to anyone taking a beach vacation this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
TW for substance abuse, child abuse, and private pictures being published without consent.

Grey Brooks is a talented, up-and-coming Hollywood actress looking for her next project. Ethan Atkins is a reclusive Oscar-winning, A-list actor looking to make his comeback after dealing with a high-profile divorce, drinking problems, and grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend. Their mutual publicist gets them to agree to enter into a fake relationship to overcome some rough patches and revitalize their careers - except they find out that they actually have some pretty incredible chemistry.

The fake dating story is an often-used trope in writing and has varying degrees of success. For me, How to Fake it in Hollywood nails it, creating two characters and intersecting storylines that kept me reading late into the night. I really enjoyed this character-driven story, which turned out to be much more raw and realistic than I had anticipated. The dialogue felt real and the sexual tension was on fire.

But can we talk about that book cover? It certainly does not match the emotional depth of the story, nor do either of the faces resemble anything that imagined for Grey and Ethan.

Regardless, this was a solid, un-put-downable read for me - I encourage you to add it to your reading list when it is released in June. I think this will make a great summer beach read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an early copy of this book in return for my honest review.

O.M.G. This book!!!! The spice....the steam.....the crazy romantic drama! I can't get over it. This book could not have come at a more perfect time for me. I needed to get over a small reading "slump" and this book did it for me. I love how "up to date" Ava wrote this story in. I felt like I was really watching a movie play out in my head and rooting for Grey Brooks the entire time. If you love fake tropes, then this is the book for you. Don't sleep on this book!!!

I liked this book! A fun fake' dating trope for two actors who both need a reputation or career boost get set up by their shared publicist. I thought the romance tropes were done really well and never felt forced as a reader. Grey and Ethan both had their internal struggles but while Ethan's were clearly outlined in the book, Grey was a really guarded character, not only to Ethan, but to the reader and I never got a good sense of her true self, which put me off her a bit.

My biggest complaint with this book was that I felt it was too long, I wanted the ending to happen before the epilogue and I actually wanted it to not have a happy ever after.

I was immediately intrigued by this premise and Grey and Ethan were easy to fall in love with no matter how dysfunctional one of them was being.
I wish we had seen more of Ethan interacting with his kids but I loved the almost dual POV of their feelings for each other.
Right when I thought I knew how this novel would end I admit my jaw dropped right before the “epilogue”.
It was fun trying to imagine who this couple would be in real life (I initially thought of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds).

How to Fake It In Hollywood by Ava Wilder is what I would call a rom-dram novel with a splash of comedy & spice about two celebrities doing a PR fake dating stunt that may eventually become more. There’s also a little bit of age gap romance with some grumpy/sunshine as well. This romance deals with some very heavy topics but I think it handles them realistically & with grace: I would recommend checking trigger warnings before reading this.
I could see the toxic behavior of the spoiled movie star being unlikeavle, but because of his history & the imperfecrnsss of human nature, I was rooting for his redemption arc & his love story. I feel like it accurately depicts the complexities of dealing with an addiction along with the intersection of grief and trauma. There’s also the intricacies of the entertainment industry & the highs & lows of being a celebrity.
This story packs an emotional punch. It was not at all what I expected but I enjoyed the writing style & the depth of the characters along with their growth.
I absolutely loved the ending & it made the emotional roller coaster so worth it!
If you are in the mood for a interesting Hollywood celebrity romance that deals with emotionally complex characters & stories, I would check out How to Fake It In Hollywood by Ava Wilder.
This book comes out June 14, 2022!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: This book contains &/or mentions addiction, drugs, grief, death, harassment, stalking & alcoholism.

I will post my review on my Instagram (titaniumtammyreads) & TikTok (titaniumtammy) about a month before publication. & I will post my review on Amazon & Barnes & Noble on the day of publication.

I thought going in it was going to be a really fun rom com but it ended up dealing with some really intense issues! I loved the chemistry between Grey and Ethan and loved how the author dealt with the really tough issues. I read it in one long afternoon and really enjoyed it! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I loved this book. I felt such a range of emotions from both Grey and Ethan. Ethan has been through the ringer, but he also has a lot of demons from everything that has happened to him. I feel like he felt like he didn't deserve anything good or anything that would make him happy. Grey also has been through a lot and goes through a lot in a short time. Bottom line, this is a definite must read for me.

A PR-stunt and becomes so. much. more??? Check.
Characters that feel so real you root and hurt for them??? Check
A journey of self-growth??? Check.
Fun banter??? Check.
Behind-the-scenes gritty, not so glamorous Hollywood??? Check

Absolutely loved it??? DOUBLE CHECK.

It’s hard to capture my feelings about this book. On one hand I LOVED it and enjoyed the fast paced romance but on the other hand, I was frustrated with how things kept going.

Both characters endured SO much but had SO much growth. It hit close to home a few times and I loved the realness of each character. There was a lot of hard topics discussed in this book and the author did a great job at working through those things.

I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as much as I had hoped, but overall I really liked this read.

My reviews will be posted on good reads, Instagram, and tiktok July 1st. Reviews on retailers will be posted on release day.

3.75 stars.

I was definitely duped by the illustrated cover on this one. This cover has no right to be so cute when the premise and the basis of this book is soooooo heavy. I was expecting something light and tropey and fun and flirty. Ya know. Oooo we are fake dating and we are kissing but is it fake?! Eeeeeee! Cause we are faking it in Hollywood and we are both actors HOW DO WE KNOW ITS rEaL?!

No. That’s not this book.

There is a one bed scenario but it didn’t make me giddy like it would normally. Probably on the basis of the heavy subject matter on this book. Grief, alcoholism, parental neglect, etc. etc. etc.

Am I taking off a star because I felt a little ambushed by the subject matter? Possibly. I think if I’d been better prepared I would have enjoyed it more, but that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. I just need to know ahead of time what I’m getting myself into. I’m expecting CLo’s The Unhoneymooners level of hijinx and humor and I’m getting CLo’s Love and Other Things instead. Both great books, but I just need to know what to fracking expect! AND THE BLURB SAYS FOR FANS OF THE UNHONEYMOONERS WHYYYYYYY?!

I’m having a hard time coming up with words with how I felt about this book. Here’s some random thoughts, do with them what you will:

I read this book really fast, that’s good for something right? The writing was good and kept me engaged.

There’s an age gap. Idk how I feel about it.

I was a little shocked they said “I love you,” thinking, “Wait you do?” Shouldn’t I know they’re in love before they know? Me the intelligent romance reader I am?

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I’m happy for the HEA. Happy for the heroine because MAN did she get crapped on alot in the book.

Idk about this one. It was good. But, and I hate to say but, Idk how I felt about it as a romance. For me personally I like to get swept up in glances and quick banter and good humor. I like to feel like these characters are SO HAPPY WHEN THEY ARE TOGETHER THAT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS THEY CANT BE APART. This book is more…realistic love? That sounds lame and I don’t mean that. It’s more…practical? Straight forward? Less flirty happy go lucky and more serious? It’s two people that have been set up for their careers and just sort of find themselves in love. And there are a dumpster truck full of issues that have to be resolved before the HEA.

It’s good.

It’s a good book.

And this is a terrible review lol. Am I selling anyone on this book at all?! Here let me try again…

Read this book because it’s good just be prepared for it to be heavy!

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher, review is my own.

I fell in love with the story from page 1. Grey is smart and funny and relatable and Ethan pulled so hard on my heartstrings. I loved everything about how their relationship developed and found the end wholly satisfying. It was a perfectly executed fake-dating story!

The book deals sensitively with heavy themes about grief, alcoholism, and addiction, all while offering readers a compelling, swoony, angsty romance full of all the will-they-won't-they that makes fake dating such a great trope.

I can't wait to read everything else that Ava Wilder writes

I loved this book, I wanted to know what would happen between Grey and Ethan so bad I felt like I couldn’t put it down. Fake dating is one of my very favorite tropes and this is an interesting twist on it! I especially loved how this book seamlessly paired romance with heavier topics.

I loved the dynamic between Ethan and grey. If you love the Hollywood glam and fake dating then you’ll love this! Also the spiciness is too much I was squirming and jaw dropping with the details.. one of my favs of reading romances. Overall a really easy, good read! Can’t wait for it to come out to the public! Thank you so much for allowing me to read this (:

The title and book cover sucked me in immediately. This was a very easy read. I loved it. It had the perfect amount of relatability that didn’t generate the typical eye roll effect I usually have when reading about the rich and famous. The characters, despite their fame and overzealous bank accounts, were endearing and likeable. I enjoyed every aspect of this book. It covered deeper topics such as depression, toxic family, and alcoholism. It was a romance without being overly sweet; perfectly balanced. I can’t wait to explore more novels by this author.

What an amazing debut, one that kept me up all night. Initially, I had expected something that would be fun, but then I saw Beach Read was a comp and I knew I’d have to buckle in for something heavy.

And boy am I glad I did. TW: alcoholism from our alcoholic hero

What I’m really happy about, and what makes this such a five star read for me, is that the issue isn’t brushed under the rug. It gives them problems, so when the usual third act break up comes, it isn’t because of the usual miscommunication trope; it’s because of something deeper. And through it all, I love how Grey stands her ground and respects herself, even through her love for Ethan.

3.5 stars

I feel like what I was expecting from the blurbs and what I got were different as well as the first half and second half of the book.
That being said I liked Grey and Ethan. I was in it for the fake love story to real love story. The quips and tension were entertaining.
I didn't mind the deeper topics that came out later either. They made the relationship feel more realistic and like they would make it as a couple.
I do wish the two parts of the book were a little better blended, instead of feeling like I was reading about two different couples. It doesn't feel like part one Ethan and Grey had enough time to want to work through the big problems part two Ethan and Grey found themselves in, they were all lust and tip toeing around other feelings for the majority of their relationship.