I am a sucker for a celebrity romance and I loved this one. The audio with Therese Plummer is incredible too. Can't wait to read more from this author.

A good rom-com that actually had some serious depth to it. It was refreshing read, that pulled me in from the get-go, both Ethan and Grey were characters you could root for but also human.

I was so excited to get this book because of the hype surrounding it but for me it didn’t hit as hard as I was hoping!! I enjoyed the story and loved how real it felt with the emotions, relationships but something about the pacing of the book just felt so incredibly off to me!! Overall, this was an enjoyable quick read but sadly not my absolute fav!!

This book is super exciting and entertaining. The angsty drama just hit. This isn’t as light hearted as you expect it to be so beware heavy topics throughout

2.5 stars

Liked: fake dating troupe, flawed characters, alcoholism and rehab rep

I didn’t love or hate this book. I don’t think it was for me. I didn’t think the romance and chemistry was there, so it was hard to root for the love interests.

I liked the reason the two individuals were thrown together for this PR stunt, but I just couldn’t like Ethan. I get his alcoholism stemmed from trauma, but it’s just not something I am a fan of in books. I did, however, enjoy the spicy scenes, and the way Wilder incorporated the pressures of the spotlight into the story.

Read this book in one sitting; safe to say I am OBSESSED!!! The character growth in this novel is incredible as this book is more than your average romance book. It tackles serious issues that make the book even more powerful. This is a slow-burn and fits perfectly given the topic matter, overall an incredible debut novel from Ava Wilder!!

Special Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute read. It was angsty, funny, real, and emotional. I loved getting to see the different sides of the characters and the author did a great job of peeling back the layers. Would recommend!

I have been loving the "celeb love" trope, and How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder does it with particular panache. She's up there with Nora Goes Off Script, which was a fav of 2022.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Sooo this was definitely less of the cutesy romcom that it appears to be by the cover and was more of an emotional ride. So with that considered it is definitely not what I expected but that was not necessarily a bad thing. Overall I thought that this book was good and it was an enjoyable read for me.

Ethan Atkins and Grey (Emily) Brooks enter a fake relationship after signing a contract as a PR stunt to help both of their acting careers.

Grey and Ethan have chemistry and sexual tension right from the start of their “relationship.” Grey is a driven character, and she wants to get her big break win Hollywood. However, she doesn’t want the stardom to impact her way of living. Ethan on the other hand became an A Lister early on in his career and you can see how that impacts his life in the book. Ethan is a mess and doesn’t deal with any of his issues until it’s almost too late.

While this is a rom-com, it does tackle some heavy topics. So be sure to check the CW/TW.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The first half was so sweet and I loved it! The second half took a then from a cute romance to a series women’s fiction. I missed the beginning and the love I had for both characters. A solid 3 stars

I love a good fake dating love story and this one didn't disappoint. I loved the chemistry between Grey and Ethan even if they were just acting with each other in the beginning. Although there were some heavy elements mixed into the story I do think we need more stories that dive deep into mental health especially with what's happening in the world of Hollywood lately with some of its stars. Overall I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more by Ava in the future.

Honestly, this book is IT. The cover, the plot, the writing. Please read TW if that's your thing because this does touch on some important topics. The perfect amount of swoon and angst.

Edit: *I'm back to say this is my FAVORITE book of 2022. The angst, the spice, the ALL OF IT. omg. I'm clearly still very much thinking about it.

I absolutely LOVED this book! How to Fake It in Hollywood gets five stars from me! I couldn’t put it down. Fake dating, grief, love. This was so much more than a love story. Grey is a Hollywood starlet that needs a boost in her career. Ethan is a former Hollywood heartthrob that needs his image cleaned up a bit if he ever wants to produce the movie he wrote. Reluctantly they enter in to a PR stunt romance that everyone believes. What could possibly go wrong?

This is a book that I know I’ll read again and again! It was beautifully written and I am now a forever Ava Wilder fan! Definitely read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ava Wilder, and Random House/ Ballantine for this arc!

**edited to add that I’ve now read over 200 books this year, and this is probably my Favorite out of all of them!

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

This book was a pleasant surprise for me! I went into this thinking it would just be a fake dating story but it ended up being so much more. Grey is trying to reset her acting career after not finding the success she hoped for after her teen drama ended and Ethan is trying to improve his image after falling out of the spotlight after the death of his close friend when they start a fake relationship for publicity. Their chemistry was fantastic and I loved their banter has they tried to resist their attraction to one another.

This book is the perfect example of the right people but the wrong time with Ethan struggling with his mental health and addiction issues while Grey was trying to figure out how to help. But you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. I loved watching how these characters grew throughout the entire story. I really loved the side characters, especially Nora. I loved the friendship Nora and Grey were able to create.

I think this book is more of a romance than a rom-com because it dealt with some pretty serious issues throughout the story. This was a great debut and I look forward to Wilder’s future books! Overall, this was a 4.5 for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dell and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first half of the book -- while we truly dove in and got to know the characters! The fake dating and instant attraction made this book very interesting -- but I did get taken out of the book a bit by some of the details being inaccurate.

While I enjoyed it, I'm probably not the target audience. I look forward to seeing what Ava Wilder does in the future!

3/5 stars for me.

I loved this book! I was really shocked by this -- I've worked in the entertainment industry and I think a lot of stories about celebrities get it wrong. But this book got so much correct that I never found myself being taken out of the story by inaccuracies.

I loved Grey as a narrator so much. She was fascinating, and I loved the choice to have her be a TV star struggling to find her footing in Hollywood now that her breakout role has ended and maybe pigeonholed her a bit. And Ethan! What a great love interest. Their relationship and mutual respect and admiration was so clear on the page. I fully believed their love story, even if at times I was yelling at Grey to run for the hills. This is one book where a third act breakup makes absolute sense -- Ethan needed time to heal.

I am still thinking about this book, even weeks later. I will absolutely be reading future books by Wilder!

Fake dating between two actors, Grey and Ethan, to as a way to help both of their images and status.

I thought this book was very charming, quick witted, and perfectly took us along for the ride during a PR stunt turned complicated situationship.

I didn’t love how some of the heavier topics were handled in the beginning, i.e. a very successful actor dealing with alcoholism where everyone around him will do anything for him except have an honest conversation with him. But perhaps that is just Hollywood, baby. I appreciate what the author was able to convey and accomplish in a fast paced/engaging book. There are times I wanted more, but overall really enjoyed this and think others will as well.

Thank you net galley for the e-arc!