I was very surprised to have enjoyed this book so much. It was a fun lighthearted book that made me laugh while dealing with real issues. I loved the characters Grey was a very powerful women strong woman who knew and got what she wanted. I had a great time reading this book so thank you to the publishers and Net galley for allowing me to read this book.

You know it's good when you rave about it hours after finishing it to friends.

HTFIIH is a book that seems simple based on the cover - two actors in Hollywood, fake dating to help their careers. What comes next is a little bit of a whirlwind: lust, love, destruction. Maybe I'm a sucker for everything that this book features, but I appreciated the fact that the characters were both easier to picture and had more of a 3D quality - I found that part of the reason I was so into the book was that I could actually understand the characters. In some books, I struggle to understand the choices characters make, because it seems so wholly unrealistic - here, while I wonder if I would make their same choices, I can understand how they came to their decisions.

This is easily a book that I would bring along for a day at the beach, a plane ride, any situation where I could use a solid distraction for a few hours.

I intend to post my review on other websites closer to publication date!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Down on her luck child actor, Grey, is tired of not booking roles while reclusive and troubled long time actor, Ethan, wants his come up. Here’s where the publicist steps in with a scheme to bring them both into the lime light, together. Will sparks fly when a PR relationship toes the line?
Stepping into this I thought it was just going to be a cheesy romance with some cute little laughs. I was surprised at how emotional and funny I found this book to be. Grey and Ethan had chemistry flying off the pages. Reading Ethan’s struggles with addiction and grief were devastating and but so well articulated. This mountain of triumph made the story so much more meaningful and endearing to myself as the reader. I’m so very pleased I had the chance to read this one!

I thought this was an amazing fake dating book! It had great tension and earnest moments, but still felt like a light hearted read. Would definitely recommend!

There is a lot to like about this, but it also fell into a sort of pattern I've had very mixed feelings about lately -- a book with a bunch of fairly serious content, that may or may not feel like it has been dealt with .. enough? Entirely successfully? But in a fun! cartoon cover.

What worked? The writing itself was engaging, the characters were pretty well drawn, even if a lot of the character and setting work seemed to be building off some "filed off serial numbers" rather than development -- Cafe Gratitude and others all make brief appearances under different names but with pretty defining characteristics. Is that meh or realism? I'm not sure!

Let's start off by saying, I love this book.

We follow Grey Brooks and Ethan Atkins through a PR relationship that turns into a real relationship (but not without some drama).

I loved Grey's character. She was strong and independent and wasn't afraid to call Ethan out on his BS. She was a very relatable character in the sense that even in her late 20's, she wasn't sure what would come next and she was really figuring out what was important to her and how to get where she wanted to be.

Ethan had his demons but also knew that no one could fix him but himself.

I loved that the characters felt real and raw. With the topics the book lead us through, it would have been easy to make Grey a character with a savior complex and paint Ethan as someone who wouldn't own up to his issues.

Overall I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a good Romance novel that has some depth. I cannot wait to see what else Ava Wilder comes out with.

This was a really cute and enjoyable book. Hollywood romances can be pretty fun and I'm glad this wasn't too dark and depressing. While it was a bit darker than I expected, it was still fun and enjoyable. The fake dating aspect of the book was good and I liked how the author touched upon the topic of privacy during a part of the book. While I wasn't that sold on how fast they fell in love, I still enjoyed Grey and Ethan's relationship and banter. I was a bit disappointed with the last three chapters of the book but it didn't ruin the book for me. Overall. it was a fast and easy read, I had a good time with this book!

Read this if you:
•love a fake dating trope
•love a little steam
•love complex family dynamics
•if you loved watching “A Star is Born”

This book truly had something for everyone. I read it quickly and enjoyed it! Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 14

Romance readers, GET READY! But really, there's no preparing for the brilliance that is Ava Wilder's HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD. Wilder proves to be a master of craft and character, drawing you beneath the glamorous Hollywood lights and immersing you in the vulnerable, raw, wildly romantic hearts of our leads: Ethan and Grey. Every page had me racing to read the next as each heart-gripping plot point unfolded. This is a steamy, swoony, heart-touching read worthy of infinite stars, and one I won't soon forget. Count me first in line for all of Wilder's works.

The cover is what got me. It makes you think it's gonna be an easy, light read. But I should have remembered that it deals with Hollywood and nothing in Hollywood is ever that simple. I really liked the fake dating scenario and the way it played out in the story. It felt like we were behind the scenes of how most fake couples work. I enjoyed reading about each of the character's lives and how things seem to work in Hollywood. I appreciated that both characters were relatable with developed arcs. Once Ethan's faults are revealed I knew the story would become more heavy but it made it feel more realistic. The love between the two MC's is sweet and made the story enjoyable. I wish some of the side characters played more of a role. Her BF only seemed to pop up when there were problems. I liked the unlikely friendship she has with another female character in the story instead of the two women being at odds with one another. Overall, I would say this book is a solid read.

CW: death, alcohol abuse

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I really did enjoy this story—I'm a sucker for a fake dating story!—but this is definitely a case of the cover not matching the story. I thought I would be reading a fun rom-com, but How to Fake It In Hollywood is much angstier than that. Alcoholism, drug use, addiction, [off-page] death...I wasn't expecting that. There is definitely some humor, which I appreciate, and I think the author did a fantastic job of balancing heavier topics and issues with some lightness. Once I got over the initial shock of the angst, my only issue is that I felt like so much happens off-page. A new chapter would open with something along the lines of, "a month went by, and we did this, this, this, and this." I would have loved to see those things as well! Still, this is a great book (and I still love the cover).

I was given a free ARC of this from NetGallery and Random House Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to start off by saying, I expected this to be a more lighthearted, more like other books about this topic but with older characters. Let me tell you, it definitely has its dark moments, please make sure to read trigger warnings before picking this up.

The writing style in this book isn’t my favorite, I felt like the characters names were repeated too much in the beginning and something felt a little bit off about it, not as natural. It’s not something that turned me away from the book, I still enjoyed the story Ava wrote.

I liked some of the more realistic aspects that was thrown in, though there some are parts that weren’t actually likely to happen. Ethan and Grey aren’t perfect, they have an amazing chemistry, but they still struggle. They both have so much to work out with their pasts and it was just nice to see their growth.

I really enjoyed the side characters too, especially Grey’s best friend, Kamilah and Nora. I would love to see more into their lives but I’m not sure what could be written about them, maybe their struggles in their relationships or just a light fluff romance.

All and all, I liked the book, but I think the way it was written took away from the story for me. There was definitely a lot of potential here and I am up for reading more of Ava’s books if I get the chance.

I really loved this book and the story to it. It starts as a fake relationship that leads to a good and healthy relationship but of course it has to go through its struggles. I loved how the characters interact with each other and the sarcasm that Grey has with Ethan. Towards the end I specially loved the way that Ethan makes sure he seeks help to pull himself together and goes after what he loves the most, Grey. Overall I love how this book went from light to dark to overcoming everything! #netgalley #howtofakeitinhollywood

I'm ashamed to say that I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I just read an ARC yesterday by Elisa Sussman called "Funny You Should Ask", and the poignancy of this book hit me at the same level. Grey and Ethan are such dynamic and complex characters, and I love their chemistry together. I also adored Nora and she was a nice breath of fresh air, especially in Grey and Ethan's relationship. I was worried at first that Ethan was just going to suddenly get better because he was with Grey, but I'm so so glad that's not the way the story panned out. This book dealt with loss and grief and strained relationships in a really beautiful way, and I cannot give this book higher praise. Such an amazing read and Ava Wilder should have a long and successful career if this was only her debut novel, and it was already THIS good.

I was definitely expecting a lighthearted romcom with this one. And it ended up being much heavier than anticipated. I loved the fake dating and it was overall a good read. Thanks so much for the opportunity.

I’ve been feeling like reading a romance lately so I figured why not dive into this one! The cover is awesome and I really liked what the blurb had to offer. Fake dating? A trope I have previously enjoyed and also tend to request/read books with it, haha. Although this book didn’t check all of my boxes, I still found enjoyment in it and finished it rather quickly.

The book is told from two point-of-views, Grey Brooks and Ethan Atkins. I am very much a fan of dual perspectives in romance books because I want to know what both parties are thinking in terms of their love interest and even what motivates them. I thought that the author did it nicely and had both characters dealing with turmoil outside of their “fake” relationship. The turmoil does tend to have more page time and development than the relationship. It’s one reason I didn’t fully connect with their relationship, but I at least liked seeing where their arc went with the turmoil.

Since this is about celebrities, there is a lot of drama that comes with it! I am not usually one for the drama but it does work well with these characters, their job, and the setting. I actually liked a lot of it which surprised me.

Overall, this was a fun read. I wish that it had been longer to get more development between the two and to have the side characters feel more present, but I did like what it had to offer nonetheless. If you want a quick read with fake dating and the one bed trope, I’d say give it a chance!

Rating: 3.5 stars

A spicy romance novel, that I naturally don’t know if I would have picked up but I’m so glad that I was approved for it ty to @netgalley . The books spice goes from 🌶 to 🌶🌶🌶🌶 once you get 1/3 of the way through. Great story, relatable characters and an interesting ending.

Grey and Ethan are actors trying to find their next move. When their PR rep suggests they start a fake relationship to get them back in the spotlight, Grey and Ethan might get more than they originally signed up for.

To be honest, I had low expectations of this book. I have read many books about fake Hollywood couples recently and I expected this to be another one of the same. Even with a similar premise, this story felt fresh. As their backstories unfold, Grey and Ethan develop into complex characters. I appreciate how relatable Grey felt even though her life is nothing like mine. Unlike other books with the glitz and glam of Hollywood being the driving motivation for the characters, these ones just love films, acting, and creating. I highly recommend this as a fun, spicy read.

What a pleasant surprise! The tone of this book does not match the title or the cover art. It has much more depth than I was prepared for and tackled substance abuse and the dark side of being famous while still being able to call itself a romantic comedy.

I think this book highlights the importance of choice in a relationship; meaning that you shouldn’t *need* the other person but you should actively choose them to be a part of your life. Grey and Ethan had to figure out who they were as independent individuals before they could be in a healthy relationship.

This book is for anyone who is looking for a romantic comedy with more substance and less fluff.

Grey is a child actor turned starlet looking for her next move. Ethan is an Oscar winner turned recluse after the death of his best friend and writing/directing/acting partner (the Ben to his Matt). Their publicist decides that a fake relationship would be just the thing to kickstart both of them out of the rut they're currently in. But what happens when sparks start flying and nothing seems so fake anymore...

I really enjoyed this book and felt the chemistry between Ethan and Grey. However, I really disliked the trope of "I'm a grown adult but I'm just going to run away because I'm scared of falling in love". Come on. I mean, I get it. We need some tension or this would be a 100-page love story. But running away from a potential relationship like this is something I would expect to see in a young adult book, not a story about two grown ass adults. But overall I really enjoyed this book. 4 stars.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.