This book was nothing special. It was a nice and light read. But I would definitely not recommend it with all the other great reads out there.

Finished How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

This one was so good. It has a few tropes in it, a good plot and a little bit of spice. Just a well rounded romance.

Basically- romance between actors Grey and Ethan and how they navigate a fake relationship when they have actual feelings.

I'm here for all the fictional drama in this one.

Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely LOVED this romance! It touched upon some really tough topics, like alcoholism, but the author handled this with grace. I loved the smut in it as well and the fact it included some of the best tropes out there (one bed, age gap, mutual pining) made it so much better. 5 stars, and definitely going to read this authors future books!

How to Fake it in Hollywood melds some light-hearted favorites (fake dating, Hollywood glitz, "let's get it out of our systems") with some heavy counterpoints (substance abuse, grief after the loss of a best friend) to create an emotional concoction. Grey is a stalled-out actress struggling to find her next role after the end of her six-season teen drama comes to a close. Ethan is a former A-lister whose life slid into obscurity and oblivion after his best friend died years ago. When their publicist suggests a contractual relationship to jumpstart two languishing careers, they reluctantly agree. The chemistry is there, but both are wary to let their guard down, even in a fake capacity. A long weekend turns steamy turns disastrous when images of the two make it to the tabloids without their permission. Can their fledgling bond survive?

(I think it's too dramatic to end that paragraph with a rhetorical question, but I'm leaving it there. Come at me.)

So there was a mountain of potential here. I admire the author for taking on some thorny issues for our characters. Even better, the story flies in the face of tropes where a romantic partner can cure a person's ills. In a pointed, realistic counterargument, these characters have to look within and seek professional care to get what they need. The romance is something they want, something that's worth it, but it's not the air they breathe or the solution to pre-existing traumas. Ethan's internal battle and Grey's challenge in how to respond are lifelike, even brutal in portrayal.

What was honestly weird was that the romantic plot didn't live up to the personal journeys for me. The romance comes on suddenly, something that never fails to perplex me, and the pending drama lurks like an impatient demon on their shoulders, ready to fuck shit up in a big way. Final act timing is so touchy. A long, drawn-out fight or breakup can feel funereal, killing all vibes. But a rapid implosion that somehow manages to undo itself without much fuss feels unnatural, a form of emotional whiplash. In this case, a time jump seems wise given the level of troubles on hand. It evades both aforementioned problems but also leaves a lot unaddressed, out of sight, out of mind. It left me conflicted. I think I would have liked a bit more at the end post-makeup to see how they could move forward healthily and consider some of the lesser but still persistent issues they will still face. It's fair to leave it a bit open-ended, but I felt the loose ends tugging at my mind in unpleasant fashion.

If you like high-profile romance with fame and glamour or if you like heavy, emotional arcs that send characters directly to therapy (do not pass go, do not collect $200 or a glass of bourbon), you'll find high-impact content here. Thanks to Dell for my copy to read and review!

With echoes of 'A Star Is Born' and other dramatic Hollywood behind-the-curtain stories, this romance dives deep into the harsh realities of fame and creativity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC that I took forever to actually read it. I was not a huge fan of the age gap when the book started but was able to move past it pretty quickly. The end with the time jump was much better than I thought it would be and I did enjoy seeing Grey and Ethan evolve as characters and then come back together. It felt middle of the road to me where I enjoyed my time with it but I don't feel the need to come back at a later date but definitely NOT a waste of my time.

Ava Wilder’s highly anticipated debut novel is a full fledged romance/women’s fiction novel about relationships, love, dealing with past traumas and so much more. Wilder’s characters are rich in depth, with struggles and insecurities anyone can fall victim to. The dialogue, and specifically the banter between the two main characters, was a treat. I also adored all of the other supporting relationships in the book including those between Grey and her best friend Kamilah, Ethan and his ex-wife Nora, etc. This was a very enjoyable, fast paced, steamy and romantic book and I became very emotionally invested, Highly recommend.

When her long-running show comes to an end, Grey is determined to keep her career going. With a role on the line, she agrees to a scheme. She’s now going to need to fake a love affair with a Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity too.

Ethan has gone through a high-profile divorce, is struggling with drinking, and struggling with the death of his best friend, now he wants to be left alone. But, to produce the last movie he wrote together with his partner, he needs to clean up his image and the affair with Grey might be just that.

This really had everything I wanted. I was certain that I would have a wonderful time, and I did, but there were a few things that made it fall a little flat.

I really loved Grey. She was feisty and never going to take any shit from Ethan. It was excellent to see. She really cared about her career and was eager to see it move forward.

Ethan had his moments, but it was clear to see he needed a lot of help. Not only with his alcoholism, but dealing with the grief of losing his friend as well as the divorce. We got to see a few moments of what he could be like, but for the most part we see him struggling.

Together, their relationship felt pretty insta-lovey. On top of that I don't feel like they really had enough moments to really get to know one another. They communicated horribly. The second half of the book seemed to drag followed by feeling rushed. Their relationship didn’t work for me at all.

There was a lot of commentary that I enjoyed. How invasive being famous can really be from the paparazzi and press to crazy fans, etc. There was a lot of good commentary on how damaging that can be.

The first half of this book was strong for me. While the second half was weaker, I do believe this was a good debut. I could see a number of people really enjoying this book. I’m very interested in seeing what this author does next.

This book was way different than I expected but not in a bad way! I went in expecting a cute little Hollywood love story and came out with so much more than that! There were so many tropes I loved and I just really loved how emotional everything was!

#bookreview How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

I received an eARC of this book and then didn’t get around to reading it til I grabbed my library’s copy 😂🤷🏼‍♀️ but all opinions are 100% my own.

😍the good stuff😍
- Fake relationship trope! Yes, I adore this trope. Obvious from the title, but they’re an actor and an actress faking a relationship for publicity. What’s not so obvious? She’s like 11 years younger than him; she had a crush on him in high school aka had his poster on her bedroom wall 😂; he’s the experienced/talented/already got an Oscar guy that’s on a downward spiral.
- HEA, of course, this is a romance after all.
- All the stuff between them getting together and HEA is where the meat is at. He’s an alcoholic and is stuck in his grief over his bestie dying. She’s an actress without work and it’s driving her a little crazy. They have a ton of sexual chemistry and sexual tension. 🔥🔥🔥🔥
- A good relationship between ex-spouses. Nice to see. Especially for their children’s sake.

🫢my complaints🤫
- All of the really good improvement of the characters happens off screen behind a “16 months later” time jump. I would’ve liked to see a little more of that.
- The ending felt rushed. I enjoyed the epilogue, though.
- This illustrated cover kinda creeps me out 😂

☺️the tropes☺️
- Famous one/not so famous one.
- Age difference
- Fake relationship

⚠️the warnings⚠️
- Alcoholism is very prevalent because of Ethan’s issues.
- Some issues with handling grief.
- Drugs.
- Co-dependent relationship.
- Discussion of past relationship ending with cheating. Neither of main characters in this story were the cheater, she was cheated on previously. Trust issues.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Grey needs publicity for producers to deem her relevant enough for big movie roles. Ethan needs publicity to clean up his image to produce a movie he wrote with his deceased best friend. A fake relationship is what neither of them want, but both are convinced they need. And of course, fake dating isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Not only do they have to face growing feelings, but the relationship brings some of their own personal demons to the forefront.

This book is hard for me to rate and review. I didn’t dislike it. Unfortunately, like many, I think this was a problem of mis-marketing. If I’d known this would be a bit more serious and much less light-hearted than the cover or synopsis makes it sound, I would have saved this read for a different time and it could have easily been a solid 4 stars for me. The chemistry between Grey and Ethan fell a bit flat for me. And while I appreciate romances dealing with some deeper issues and not being complete fluff, Ethan’s alcoholism was a tough slog for me sometimes and I got so annoyed with how Grey responded to it.
This was still a quick read for me. I didn’t hate it and I can see how some people would enjoy it, but that’s not the most glowing review. Ultimately, I was wanting it to be another “The View Was Exhausting” as their synopses had many similarities, but I’d recommend that book over this one every time.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader’s Copy.

I don't know why celebrity themed contemporary romances hit the right notes for me, but this is no exception

HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD by Ava Wilder was a surprisingly delightful take on the fake-dating trope and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Wilder tells the story of Grey and Ethan, both of whom have much to gain by a fake romance in the public eye,. Both Grey and Ethan are complex, believable and lovable characters who grow throughout this lovely story. HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD takes a few romance tropes I love - fake-dating, hate to love - and turns them into a story that will leave you smiling, Grey and Ethan have great chemistry and Wilder's writing is completely enjoyable. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC which I received in exchange for my honest review!

How To Fake it In Hollywood
By Ava Wilder

I was surprised to see how much I enjoyed this rom/com with a fake dating trope – I figured, okay this was going to be another one of those types of romances, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Between Ethan, a reclusive Hollywood A-lister with a bad reputation, and Grey, a child star looking to spruce up her career, it seems getting these two together will solve a lot of their problems.

What I got from this is not just a sizzling romance with great chemistry, but more than that with the themes that really enveloped these two characters – but addressed in a very sensitive way and weaved into the story line well.
This gave a rich depth to the characters background and back story.

I enjoyed this read – with great steam, chemistry, and a swoon worthy romance.

Ava Wilder's "How to Fake it in Hollywood" introduces us to Lucy-er Grey, a young in life-but possibly aging out of Hollywood, actress and Ethan, a well-known but following tragedy, currently out of the game actor. Grey and Ethan, both clients of well-known publicist, Audrey, are both in need of a career boost, Audrey's solution-a mutually beneficial fake romance.

As with all fake relationship tropes, it is only fake in the beginning.

This book was a good read. I wanted to love it more than I did, but I was not disappointed. There are some pretty deep topics dealing with grief, substance abuse, and spiraling out of control, while all are things I am not oppose to reading in general, they aren't something I usually expect in a rom-com.

w o w. Was NOT expecting the depth that this book took! I always go in blind and when this one took a turn in the opposite direction of light and fluffy romCOM I was pleasantly surprised! The characters were so dimensional and I loved their chemistry!

While I'm a sucker for fake dating I'm not the biggest fan of hollywood romances so I was a bit skeptical going in, but this exceeded my expectations! I think Grey and Ethan had really good and believable chemistry, but I think my favourite thing about this book was how unexpectedly angsty and deep it got? This book deals with heavy themes so I definitely recommend checking trigger warnings before reading. I can't speak to the accuracy of the addiction representation, but I was thoroughly impressed with how well grief was represented. These heavy topics were handled with care and respect in my opinion.

This book was a breath of fresh air to a very popular trope, which is hard to do in romance. I look forward to reading more of this author's work and rereading this book in the future. It's easily one of my favourites from this year and one I highly recommend!

This is a new to me author and this ended up being so much better than I expected!

I thought the chemistry between the main characters was the highlight of the book and I found myself excited for their next scene together.

The dialogue was well done and while there was a little more angst than I expected, I really loved this one!

Omg I loved this!!! Forced dating that turns into real love with characters that both have stuff to work through. I though this was great :)

I really enjoyed this but it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I thought this would be a fun, light beach read, and while there were certainly elements of that it had a lot more depth. Grey is a fun character and it was great to see her come into her own as the book progresses. Ethan was likable as well for the most part and hard not to root for. I’d give this 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!