Lilah and Shane play a madly in love, but kept apart, couple on the hit paranormal show, Intangilble. In real life, though, they loathe each other. So, it was a good thing when Lilah left the show to make a movie and see what else was out there. But the film was a flop, and Lilah wasn’t getting any work because of it. So, when the producers approached Lilah with an offer to return to the show, she wouldn’t turn it down, even if that meant working with Shane again. But Lilah and Shane realize that maybe their hatred towards each other was more than that (thanks to a risque photo shoot). What will they do? Will they give in to their feelings? Or won’t they?

When I wished for Will They or Won’t They, I was on a huge contemporary romance kick. I hoped I liked the book because the blurb seemed rather bland. Unfortunately, I feel the same way now that I have read the book. This book didn’t create any strong feelings for it either way.

The medium pacing of Will They or Won’t They did suit the book. This pacing allowed Lilah and Shane to recount their past relationship (working and personal) on their own and with the therapist. There was some lag toward the end of the book, but since it was the end, it didn’t affect anything for me.

Will They or Won’t They takes place mainly in Hollywood, with a brief scene in New York City and a chapter in Canada. I was disappointed that the author mostly kept to where the show was filmed, convention centers and hotel rooms. I would have loved to see more of those cities and where they filmed in Canada.

The main storyline in Will They or Won’t They are Lilah and Shane’s love/hate/love relationship. The author did a great job of giving Lilah and Shane’s backstories in a way that didn’t seem forced. I could see a behind-the-scenes romance blowing up and causing issues. I could also see a producer wanting his main stars to get along and send them to couples therapy. But, once the book started focusing on the present day, I began to feel “meh” about it. The storyline seemed to be Lilah and Shane rehashing stuff from their past. Also, I wasn’t a massive fan of how their romance ping-ponged back and forth.

I didn’t care for Lilah. She came across as a neurotic pain in the butt who was also a bit of a diva. She self-sabotages almost every relationship she has had (and she admits this at one point in the book). But, at the same time, I felt terrible for her. Growing up, she had a horrible home life that caused her severe anxiety. Her mother got her into acting to overcome it, and things took off. I also felt how she treated Shane was pretty crappy, both past and present. Now, he was no angle, but she took it to another level.

I had no real concrete feelings for Shane. For most of the book, he came across as bland. He went out of his way to needle Lilah (the whole donut scene at the beginning of the book stands out the most to me). I did guess what his real feelings were reasonably early in the book and guessed what he would do with those feelings.

The romance angle of Will They or Won’t They bored me. While I like secret romances, I wasn’t a huge fan of theirs. How can a relationship flourish if they never go out together and always have sex? It can’t, and in the long run, if this were real, I would say they didn’t have a chance long term.

The end of Will They or Won’t They was pretty standard. The author surprised me with a twist towards the end of the book. The author explained the twist in the epilogue, and I was back to feeling “meh” about the characters.

I would recommend Will They or Won’t They to anyone over 21. There is language, mild violence, and sexual situations.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell, NetGalley, and Ava Wilder for allowing me to read and review Will They or Won’t They. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Lilah and Shane are stars of a popular TV series who have undeniable personal chemistry and secretly dated during Season 1. Their relationship is broken by Lilah's insecurities, taking its toll on the show and on their coworkers. Lilah leaves, but after a failed movie career, she comes back to the show for a final season. What remains is a "will they or won't they" about their happy ending. I loved this story of true love!

My poor heart...how to you leave a reader battered and bruised and also filled with bursts of joy? I personally have no clue but Ava has the recipe. I've heard that How to Fake It in Hollywood is similarly if not more...so it's going on my TBR immediately.

Lilah is hard to love sometimes (aren't we all) and at times, it drags the story out. Shane's selflessness is a little much at times, but the greatest thing about them both is how human they are (minus when the supernatural TV part is at play).

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Will They or Won't They in exchange for my review.

WILL THEY OR WONT THEY - AVA WILDER

4⭐
PLOT Lilah Hunter returns to her sucessful TV show Intangible for the final season in. Which her character finally gets back together with Shane McCarthy's character. But coming back for Lilah means being close to Shane a biggest reason why she left the show..they have a history a d undeniable chemistry but their hatred for each other is very strong and in order to make the show a success they will have to play nice and this can bring them closer than ever.

MY THOUGHTS -
As a romance, this book has been treated very differently as both MCs are flawed and dealing with their anxieties and insecurities which being in spotlight becomes difficult.
The character development and both their growth was amazing esp liked their honest communication esp in the present.
This was quite a slow burn and angst filled story mixed with alternating timelines and I really enjoyed the couple's counseling sessions where both understood each other's issues .
I just felt the ending could have been better ..it was not what I was expecting.
Check this book out if you enjoy
Celebrity romance
Second chance romance
Enemies to lovers
Slow burn angst filled romance
Mental health representation.
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Back for season nine of their paranormal prime time show, clashing costars (and former lovers) Shane and Lilah are working together for the first time in several years after Lilah’s failed attempt at movies. As the season goes on, their hatred for each other begins to thaw and the reader really starts to see why the title is named: will they or won’t they? Their history is angst-filled - this is such a slow burn and I LOVED it. I recommend this to readers of romance who love a second chance, forced proximity, and fans of Abby Jimenez and Lucy Score!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the advanced digital reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

Will They or Won't They? Ava Wilder

That is the main question on everyone's minds about Lilah and Shane who are leads on a supernatural hit show. The will they or won't they in this case is whether they can be in the same room without killing each other. Lilah and Shane had a secret relationship when their show started 9 years prior but then ended with tattoos and a bang. They worked together for years before Lilah left the show for bigger fish to fry. Now she is back for the final season and they are at each others' throats. Will they work everything out before the finale?

The characters are thought out in this. We are able to see everything that went down in the past with flashbacks in this dual POV. It is fun in this book because you kind of see the point that both of them have about the other. I did prefer Shane overall but understand Lilah's story. She suffers from GAD(generalized anxiety disorder) and as someone with heavy anxiety, I totally got how she let her anxieties get in the way of a lot of things between them. The anxiety was not excused away and I appreciated that. The side characters were fun and I kind of wish I could get a story about one of Lilah's Hags friends.

The book made me laugh in places and get indignant about how some people act in the world with actors. I felt for these characters and enjoyed the book overall. The twist at the end got me good. I think Ava Wilder did a fantastic job and I would love to read her other book now and look out for future books(maybe about Annie, hint :))

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House-Ballantine, and Ava Wilder for the e-ARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.

Thank You Netgalley for an eARC of the book Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder,
Publication date : June 27th 2023

I really enjoy the story and there banter between the two main characters I loved.
I love everything about this book.

Lilah and Shane for the win!

Lilah Hunter knew that she would get an icy reception returning for Intangible’s ninth and last season when she had left after season five. Lilah seeing Shane McCarthy, her former co-star again was going to take all of her acting skills because they hadn’t been on good terms since season one when their quiet dating off camera ended badly. Lilah and Shane have to play nice for the cameras especially when they are frosty off camera but they still have a long way to go dealing with their breakup. But what happens when they realize that some of their originally feelings are still there?

I loved how the author totally to the reader behinds the scenes in making a television show showing it is a lot of hard work!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Listen, there are just some books that you like while reading, and are engaged but you probably won’t think about much after. That is Will They Won’t They for me. Great beach read.

It’s basically if Dan and Serena (Gossip Girl) hooked up the first season and then hated each other after due to a host of issues. Serena finally left to make a terrible movie and had to come back for the final season of Gossip Girl. For her career, and also because the show only works with Dan and Serena (but in this book Lilah and Shane) headlining.

I stayed up way to late reading this novel as I couldn't put it down. This celebrity, second-chance love story is a coming of age for two former TV stars who needed to grow-up to find what the heart desires.

Lilah and Shane's journey through fame was a mess. They were young, naive and unsure how to be in love. They bickered instead of talking, and used their hook-ups to mask their struggles in Hollywood. Now many years later, they are back together on the TV for one final hooray. The tension thats spanned years is instantly back, and they are forced to finally communicate. The confessional of their hardships and misunderstandings is their only hope to salvage their broken hearts. Everything about this book was fabulous from the beginning to the end.

Wilder has a knack for writing flawed and angry characters that I love. I look forward to reading future works by this author.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the complimentary copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would give this 3.5 stars. This was my first read by Ava Wilder, and I generally enjoyed it. I liked that both Lilah and Shane were complex characters, and there was so much tension between them. I am also impressed by Wilder's commitment to the celebrity relationship trope. Plus, I appreciate reading a romance novel where the main character has anxiety. I found aspects of the ending unconvincing and was frustrated by a couple of the interactions between the protagonists, but these didn't detract much from the overall experience and I would ultimately recommend.

Content Warnings: discussions of anxiety disorder, panic attack (on-page)

Lilah and Shane’s chemistry is instant and undeniable. Everyone sees it, especially the casting directors for the upcoming sci-fi tv show Intangible, making them the obvious choice for the show’s will-they-won’t-they power couple. The casting decision ultimately thrusts private, closed-off Lilah and instantly lovable Shane into the public eye. While fans speculate about their characters, Lilah and Shane turn to each other — the only other person who could possibly understand what it feels like to lose all sense of anonymity overnight. As the ratings ramp up, so do their feelings for one another. But, as Intangible’s meteor continues to climb, Lilah and Shane’s relationship, in true Hollywood fashion, spectacularly crashes and burns behind the scenes until after 5 seasons of torture, Lilah leaves in search of greener, Shane-free pastures.

Flashforward to season 9, and Intangible is coming back for one final season, and the network has the surprise of a lifetime planned for fans. It turns out Lilah’s character, Kate, isn’t quite as dead as they thought. And neither are the feelings both Shane and Lilah have tried to hide — from the public, from themselves, and from each other — for all these years.

Just as she did in her freshman novel How to Fake it in Hollywood, Wilder builds larger than life characters worthy of celebrity obsession. Her writing feels like the behind the scenes look into the lives of Hollywood’s most exclusive celebrities that fans crave — the characters are larger than life while also serving as the best representatives of the “Stars! They’re just like us!” Magazine spreads all millennials poured over in Us Weekly and People. Wilder peels back the glamorous layers and shows us all the things celebrities probably wish they could airbrush: their emotional insecurities, idiosyncrasies, and flaws — the things that actually do make them just like us.

Will They or Won’t They has all the best things that make a friends to lovers to enemies to friends to lovers: dual timeline, therapy representation, longing hugs and hand holds, and amazing banter.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dell / Penguin Random House for the e-ARC! Wilder’s quickly and consistently became a must-read for me — so much so that I bought the physical copy of the book, too!

Lilah and Share are co-stars on a television show and have an on and off-screen romantic interest. They finally act on the interest, but it ends brutally after a few months leaving Lilah and Shane enemies. After their fifth season together, Lilah leaves for a promising lead in a major film. After the movie flops, Lilah is back on the TV show for its final season. There's only one problem, Lilah and Shane will once again be co-stars forcing them to work on their working relationship. Will they be able to fake their relationship on screen and will old feelings crop back up?

I loved this lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story. I found myself so frustrated with Lilah in her inability to open up to Shane, but the author did such a good job creating a background for Lilah and Shane that I understood her character flaws. I really liked the slow climb of Lilah and Shane building back their relationship over the course of the season. It was almost a slow burn, but with the flashbacks to nine years ago the book flew by and I finished it within 24 hours. The ending left me shocked!! 4/5 loved this book.

”In one version, she glanced back at him, making sure he was watching. In the other, she didn’t bother. Three and a half years later he still wasn’t sure which one was worse.

Can’t believe everything I’m about to say.

At first I thought this was going to be a miscommunication trope (and there is some of that), but no. It’s a he falls first and harder trope. And ya girl was here for it!

Books that are in the same world as Will They or Won’t They usually have all these cliches that irk me, and I find myself usually hate reading them, but Wilder had a way of keeping the classic romance vibe alive and fresh. She managed to pull off a book with the perfect balance of banter, backstory, and believable chemistry.

The witty banter between Lilah and Shane was never too much too. You know how authors often make that the characters whole personality and then there’s no depth beyond that… well this just gave the characters the extra little bit of personality to pull you in. Oh, and I have to let it be known the two leads have actual conversations!!!! It’s not just them talking about their romance! Amazing right?!

I loved the pull between the past and present. How the story flowed. The build up and the take backs. It just worked for me. Also the spice was the perfect amount and perfectly placed throughout.

My favorite part and the thing that shocked me the most, was how funny this was! The jokes were so perfectly timed. The Lean Pockets and Redbull joke coming full circle had me dying!! All of it just felt authentic. Scenes and dialogue felt real. The kitchen scene with Shane and his mom… perfection! Everything seemed so well thought out.

My only real criticism is the last like ten or so pages I didn’t love, besides that I have no real complaints.

I went into Will They or Won’t They not expecting to like it, but always happy when a book proves me wrong.

4.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this authors previous work, How to Fake It in Hollywood, so I was excited to receive an eARC for this new release. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations and I felt myself struggling to become invested in the characters or their relationship. I do think the anxiety representation was really well done in this novel.

Shane and Lilah are co-working actors of a long-running major network TV show. After leaving the show, Lilah returns for one final farewell season to help restore her career options. After ending their relationship 8 years ago, Shane and Lilah have nothing but animosity towards one another and are now forced (once again) to work closely on-screen.

You may like this if you enjoy:
- celebrity romance
- second-chance romance
- anxiety representation

Ultimately, my biggest disconnect with this book was that I found both characters unlikable and I found the ending to be manipulative. I'm not sure how else to describe it without giving away too much.

Rating: 4/5
Steam: 3/5
Warnings: anxiety, panic attack (on page), family tensions
Tropes: second chance, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, jewish representation

Thank you to Random House, PRH Audio and NetGalley for access to these advanced copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

Welcome back to the land of Hollywood told by Ava Wilder. After a stellar debut, I was so thrilled to read her second novel. Ava writes forced proximity so well and Will They or Won't They was not exception.

I really enjoyed the flashbacks in these books, seeing the characters through both evolutions of their relationship. I loved the use of counseling sessions to gain a glimpse into their journey. There was so much sexual tension and pinning between these two, you could feel it.

Can't wait for what Ava gives us next!

I really wanted to enjoy this book - and was so excited to receive an ePub file - but unfortunately, I had to DNF around 25%. I couldn't get into the storyline or connect with the characters in any way, and the chapters were really long and drawn out. I really enjoyed How to Fake it in Hollywood, so I thought for sure I would enjoy this one as well. Based on some reviews I've seen on Goodreads, I might be the minority on this one. I think the right reader may enjoy this book, but that reader isn't me.

Two co-stars play on screen love interests but their personal history is a bit more complicated. When they reunite to film the final season of their TV, the set is tense and they must figure out how to work together again.

I enjoyed this one overall, though it took me a bit to get into at the start. There were so many references to Lilah and Shane's explosive past but it took a while to reveal what actually happened.

Once we got some more of their back story and saw them warming up to each other I really enjoyed the pair. We get to see where it all went wrong and that they both had some growing up to do. With the dual points of view we got to experience their mutual attraction and care for one another, and I loved their tender moments holding hands or confiding in each other.

Recommend picking this one up if you like:
- Hollywood setting
- Second chance romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Slow burn

I could not put this book down. I love an enemies to lovers, but also misunderstood but also celebrity drama romance!!!! Ava Wilder is turning into a must read I am loving her Hollywood storylines.

I thought this was a cute love story with a surprising amount of depth. I have read several books lately with this nostalgia show troupe and I thought I wouldn’t be as interested but Ava Wilder build a lovely set of characters in complex situations. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review and I honestly highly recommend this delightful novel on your vacation this summer.