PUB DAY REVIEW // WILL THEY OR WON’T THEY

3/5

While I throughly enjoyed ‘How To Fake It In Hollywood’ this one was very meh.

I love the celebrity trope - but this was boring to say the least…

It was very hard to connect to Lilah & Shane. The story was written in third person, and I personally do not enjoy to read romance books where the emotion is not portrayed from their perspective. This book would have greatly benefited from a dual pov.

The story lacked a lot of romantic substance. I was waiting for a warm & fuzzy feeling…but it never came.

The title truly defined this book - there was so much back and forth…I was wondering will they or won’t they the entire book lol

Nothing problematic, just a very average read.

head to my stories to see my ‘will they or won’t they’ playlist!

SIMONE SAYS READ THIS IF YOU LIKE

enemies to lovers
second chance romance (ish)
jewish fmc
celebrity trope
hollywood setting
anxiety rep

thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for a an honest review

This is the perfect second chance romance. And it’s wonderful! The character development felt very realistic to me in that there’s not just one ah-ha moment or complete personality transplant. And the anxiety rep was well done albeit not totally the main focus (which is nice to have as well). I honestly just did not want to put this down because I loved them so much and I was ready for them to figure it out. And unlike some other second chances I appreciated the pacing and times when tension would finally break. The dynamics of the setting and their background was also interesting. The enemies to lovers vibes has their banter for these two off the charts and I just overall loved it. Read it, listen to it, either way you cannot go wrong!

**ARC review**

I loved this book! Will they or won’t they followed two actors who had a brief relationship that ended poorly and then were forced to work together for another 4 seasons of the show they were co-starring in. The drama is cranked up when they come back together for one last season of their show and have to navigate a working relationship while working out the hurt they are still carrying around from their past. It was so unlike anything I have read! The chemistry of Shane and Lilah was off the charts, and the banter was hilarious! I have never read anything by Ava Wilder before but I’m about to go back and read her whole catalog!

Lilah and Shane are costars on a hot tv show, and they hate each other. But, they didn’t always feel this way, which makes things…complicated. This book was a slow start for me. I almost gave up and added it to my DNF list but I’m glad I didn’t. A solid 3.5.

A cute back story of two castmates, Lilah and Shane, who have a relationship that has a bad ending but when they are reunited, who knows what will happen! It was an enjoyable read from start to finish, although their stubbornness frustrated me at times - all part of being drawn into their story. Big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC for a. Honest review!

Oh my goddddd. I could gush about this book. What a whirlwind. This is the perfect second chance romance. If you’ve ever read a romance especially second chance and just wanted to yell at the characters GO TO THERAPY. Guess what, they do!!! And it’s wonderful! The character development felt very realistic to me in that there’s not just one ah-ha moment or complete personality transplant. Having a somewhat prickly, tough shell main character especially for the female character was something I loved seeing. And the anxiety rep was well done albeit not totally the main focus (which is nice to have as well).

I honestly just did not want to put this down because I loved them so much and I was ready for them to figure it out. And unlike some other second chances I appreciated the pacing and times when tension would finally break. The dynamics of the setting and their background was also interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. This had me tearing up at the end it was wonderful!

Will They or Won't They was a good second book by Ava Wilder. While I didn't love it as much as How to Fake it in Hollywood, I did enjoy it. I do think some parts got a little too long which started to take me out of the chapters and at times, I would've liked more of a backstory for Lilah and Shane and the things they were going through while shooting previous seasons of the show.

Shane's storyline throughout the book was one I enjoyed more than Lilah. I thought both of them needed to communicate with each other much better, but I felt more for Shane while reading. Their chemistry at many times felt off and almost like it was a manner of convenience for them to be together, instead of them actually liking each other.

I loved this book. Ava writes with so much emotion and there’s something about it that draws me in. The banter and the very fine line between hate and lust was done so well. There were many one liners that had me gagged (in a good way) a bit which is not something I can say about a lot of books!

Thanks @prhinternational for this ARC!

Lilah Hunter e Shane McCarthy e estrelaram a série de sucesso Intagible. Na frente das câmeras os dois são completamente apaixonados um pelo outro - pelo menos seus personagens são; já nos bastidores, a história é completamente diferente. Anos atrás, Lilah decidiu sair da produção e agora, convidada para participar da última temporada da série, ela e Shane terão de encarar novamente os sentimentos mais uma vez.

Ava Wilder, mais uma vez, mergulha nos bastidores da fama, revelando que nem tudo são flores nesse mundo glamoroso. A narrativa em terceira pessoa alterna entre Shane e Lilah, permitindo que o leitor mergulhe nas perspectivas de ambos, tanto no lado pessoal quanto no profissional. Além disso, há alguns capítulos que nos levam ao passado, onde testemunhamos a relação conturbada e intensa entre os dois.

Shane é uma pessoa de personalidade fácil, que rapidamente faz amizades. No entanto, por dentro, ele carrega inseguranças, principalmente o medo de deixar de lado sua única grande oportunidade em busca de outros projetos e acabar falhando. Lilah também enfrenta suas próprias inseguranças, que são agravadas em certos momentos devido à sua ansiedade. Agora nos seus trinta anos, ela está ciente de como a mídia e a fama podem ser cruéis com as atrizes nessa idade.

A química e tensão sexual entre Lilah e Shane saltam das páginas do livro. É uma montanha-russa de emoções acompanhar o desenvolvimento dos dois durante o livro. Muitos dos problemas do passado e do presente surgem de uma falta de comunicação, medo de se abrir e se mostrar vulnerável. Felizmente, eles estão dispostos a conversar e enfrentar esses obstáculos juntos, visto que ambos amadureceram desde a primeira vez que se envolveram.

Eu juro que estava morrendo de medo de como a autora iria solucionar tudo, mas quando chegou o último capítulo eu estava gritando aos quatro ventos de como tudo finalizou. Foi uma ótima sacada e nada que seja muito bizarro ao que foi apresentado na história.

As with How to Fake it in Hollywood (which I adored) this is not an easy breezy rom com. It is a heartfelt and angsty romance with the characters each having their own insecurities and struggles.

Shane and Lilah met when auditioning to be the two leads of a tv show and their chemistry was off the charts both on and off screen. Years later, they are again thrust back together for one final season. The problem is, now they can’t stand eachother. Told in both the past and present timelines, I was so invested in what happened in the past and how it was impacting them now. This has a lot of fun banter and arguing and I just love a celebrity based romance so, if you do too, I highly recommend.

We’ve got a celebrity romance/second chance romance/enemies to lovers and I could not put it down. Seriously, I read it in one day.

It’s no secret that I absolutely LOVED Ava Wilder’s debut novel How to Fake it in Hollywood. And once I heard about this one I couldn’t wait to get my hands (or ears 😉) on it!

This one follows two Co-Stars, Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy, as they navigate their past together, while filming the final season of the show they were casted on.

It’s a second chance emotional roller coaster of a romance, in the best kind of way. The enemies to lovers vibes has their banter for these two off the charts and I just overall loved it. Read it, listen to it, either way you cannot go wrong!

As I was reading it had picturing on screen couples I couldn’t wait for them together, and had me thinking of the couple on the show Bones.

Review & Happy Pub Day!

(Swipe for Summary)

Tension is high, chemistry is strong – I was hooked immediately! Enemies to Lovers is my favorite trope, and this did not disappoint. The characters have depth, and a lot of growth throughout. I was rooting for them from the beginning. Lots of drama, lots of laughs, and it was spicy - I read this so fast, could not put it down!

My first Ava Wilder book, and I can’t wait to go read How to Fake It In Hollywood.

Check this one out if you like:
- Celebrities
- Enemies to Lovers
- Second Chance

Thank you @Netgalley and @Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine for this ARC!

🎬 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙒𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 🎬
𝖠𝗏𝖺 𝖶𝗂𝗅𝖽𝖾𝗋

Talk about a tension filled, angsty romance read and from the very beginning! This is a true lovers to enemies to lovers romance. This was nearly a one sitting read, I could not put it down. I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of this book from @netgalley and @randomhouse . Will They or Won’t They releases June 27, so preorder it now or look for it on shelves of your favorite bookshop next week!

The story takes readers on a rollercoaster ride through the lives of Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy, two co-stars whose on-screen love is a stark contrast to their off-screen animosity. The story revolves around the final season of the beloved paranormal TV show, Intangible, where Lilah and Shane's characters are finally set to unite romantically. However, their personal relationship history and unresolved issues threaten to derail not only the show's ending but also their own futures.

The push and pull between them, filled with snarky banter and electric chemistry 🥵, kept me turning the pages, desperate to see how their complicated relationship would unfold. Lilah and Shane are wonderfully complex and flawed characters. Their personal growth throughout the narrative is what makes this book special, as they confront their past mistakes and learn to trust again. The emotional journey they undertake, both individually and together, tugged at my heartstrings and left me rooting for their happiness.

A delightful enemies to lovers romance. I loved the fun banter between Shane and Lilah and also loved the ending.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lilah and Shane are the leading actors on the show Intangible. They exude chemistry on screen and off. After Lilah leaves the show, she returns for the final season, picking up where she left off.

I liked the story fine - I think I’m just not that into the second chance romance trope. This book, like many that follow the trope, is all about not communicating and while I know that’s not always easy, it’s even more frustrating to read in a book. While I didn’t necessarily like either character, it was entertaining!

This is my first Ava Wilder book and I am sure to go back now and read her debut novel. What a sweet and fun read! The second chance romance, banter, Hollywood setting, and chemistry all made this book such a quick read. Wilder did a wonderful job at giving the reader insight into the characters careers and personal struggles. Wonderful summer read!

Will They or Won’t They

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book will be available to everyone on June 27th. I think I have officially decided that most celebrity romances are not for me. This book started off really well, and I was enjoying it, but eventually, it felt slow. I feel that there was too much information about their future careers and it felt too repetitive for me. I lost a lot of interest during these parts. When the FMC and MMC were together, the tension and banter were great and those parts were fabulous, but the rest of the story wasn’t sticking with me. The writing is great though! This would be a good choice if you like celebrity romances, actors, and a super slow burn.

Lilah and Shane both caught their big break when cast for Intangible, a near instant hit supernatural drama.
While the show might have teased the characters’ ‘will they or won’t they’ for years, they themselves burned hot and fast aaaand then quickly out.
Their on screen chemistry might have stayed off the charts, but after five seasons their personal relation has soured and they were at constant odds.
When a big movie opportunity opened up for Lilah she jumped at it, leaving the show. She’d expected stardom but instead it tanked.

Now she’s back for the ninth and final season, but there is no warm welcome waiting for her. She’s dodging resentments and trying to gain favor, but it’s a struggle. It’s no picnic for him either, with her return bringing back what went wrong and distracting him from figuring out what’s next for his career.

It’s looking like the writers might be finally giving them a happy ending on the show, but what about Lilah and Shane?

Even though it was frustrating at times that the characters just wouldn’t communicate I have to admit it made sense why they were holding back. The back and forth between them was enjoyable to read, and I really liked where things ended up for them both.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC
(This is also the happy endings book club pick for July)

I. Loved. This.
Truly one of the sweetest romcoms with sooo much incredible banter. This was such a fun, quick read that really had me wondering how it would end right up until the end; I was a little stressed around 95%.
I loved Lilah and Shane. They were so well-rounded and just such realistic characters. This author did an amazing job at describing anxiety and panic attacks — one of the most spot on representations I’ve read to date.

A beautiful second novel by Ava Wilder, Will They or Won’t They explores the pressures of a Hollywood career and the relationships that form because (or in spite) of a need of understanding.
This second chance romance follows Lilah and Shane’s discovery that despite every roadblock, their happily ever after offscreen is inevitable.