This title couldn't be more perfect for everything contained in this book. The drama, the angst, the banter, the time jumps, it all took me for a ride I was not prepared for but enjoyed every second of. Lilah and Shane have amazing chemistry they just can't deny it no matter how hard or long they try. I always love a good anxiety rep, and Ava Wilder did a great job. While it wasn't as light as I thought it was going to be, Will They or Won't They is an excellent read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the early copy!
Pub date: June 27

Celebrity and second chance romance is the the PERFECT combo and I think Will They or Won't They executed it super well! I was a big fan of Ava Wilder's How to Fake it in Hollywood, so I was so excited when I got this ARC!

Will They or Won't They is about Lilah and Shane, two young actors who appear alongside each other in what becomes a massively popular TV show. The instantly connect but something happens after the first season that sours their relationship and leaving the two costars to absolutely despise. After a few seasons, Lilah decides to leave the show to pursue other projects, but they're both thrown when she returns many years later for the show's final season.

I really enjoyed mostly everything about this book! I loved all the tropes that were included, the characters were fun, the banter was hilarious, and I liked that it was dual timeline (kind of) without jumping around too much. My ONLY complaint with the story was the reason they broke up to begin with. I think with second chance storylines, the "break up" is incredibly important and has to be believable to why these two characters stayed apart for so long and I don't think the reason behind Lilah and Shane hating each other was believable. I understood one side of it... but I genuinely don't see Lilah's reasoning for harboring the grudge that she did. BUT beyond that, I truly loved and enjoyed this book!

Read if you like:
- celebrity romance
-dual POV
- second chance romance
- flashbacks
- anxiety representation
- lovers to enemies to lovers
-slow burn
-workplace

4.5 stars!

This one was almost a 5 star for me, it just dragged on a bit too much with the miscommunication issues. I didn't mind the will they/won't they of it (it was expected based on the title), I just didn't appreciate the miscommunications.
Overall though, the chemistry and tension between Shane and Lilah was flawless. I even put in my notes at one point "the tension!!!"

Two of my favorite moments were the fun little pop culture references (the RHONY Dorinda Medley "not well bitch" GIF mention and a nod to the P&P Hand clench in chapter 14. These made it so fun and felt like it was set in the Hollywood world.

There was a moment for 2 pages in the epilogue where this book almost dropped from a 4 star to a 1 star for me... LOL. But then it worked itself out and made me love the way it resolved even more.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gah! Where do I start with how to even review this book?!? Ava Wilder can literally do no wrong, and is at the very tippy top of the mountain of writers who have perfected the SLOW BURN. Will They or Won’t They was just absolute perfection when it comes to the slow burn, and also stringing along the tension of enemies to lovers. Frankly, I was very disappointed it had to end and it could have been 1000 more pages long and I would have been here for it all the way. Lilah and Shane were absolute *chef’s kiss* – like I have nothing bad to say about either of them and lived for their banter and interactions throughout the entire book. I absolutely LOVED this book, including the flashbacks to their original relationship and was screaming when they finally just accepted their true feelings for one another. Ava Wilder knocked it out of the park again, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book she writes – instant purchase author – 100% will buy anything and everything that she publishes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Ava Wilder and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

This was my first Ava Wilder book but certainly won't be my last. The banter, the steam, the REALNESS. Like literally I haven't read a romcom in such a long time where the characters felt truly human. Lilah and Shane are flawed as fuck and I love it. I enjoyed reading about 2 actors reconciling after a friends with benefits scenario gone wrong. Sometimes it just isn't the right time for a relationship, because lord knows that 20 somethings need some time to mature. All of the TV industry elements incorporated felt so realistic, especially the closeness that forms in a cast after working together for so long. And oh my god, the THERAPY. That doctor is doing the lord's work.

Also can confirm that the hate-sex scene made my asexual libido flitter flutter a little, it was damn hot.

*Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Lilah and Shane are back together again for the final season of their hit tv show, Intangible. Lilah’s career needs a boost after exiting the show years earlier to star in a movie that flopped. Shane has been on the tv show from the beginning and things are boring. Can they work together and keep things professional after a nasty split nine years ago?

One thing this book did really well was the mental health representation! The characters entered counseling to work through issues and resentment and I think it was a wonderful addition to the book! It focused on the need to communicate feelings in order to have a healthy and productive working relationship. I loved that!

This book had some good moments but I found both MCs to be unlikeable. They did not have the growth that I would have liked to see. And it dragged, a super slow burn. It took me 2 1/2 weeks to get this one read, so it’s safe to say I was not invested emotionally or highly entertained. I wanted to laugh more than I did. This just did not hit the marks for me.

Read if you like:
🎬 second chance romance
🎬 couples therapy rep
🎬 workplace romance
🎬 slow burn

As someone who enjoyed "How to Fake It In Hollywood," Ava Wilder is back at it with a celebrity romance that I enjoyed! WToWT will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea. Why? Our FMC is unlikeable and flawed but I think that's what truly made the story more appealing imo.

This is a second chance romance between who celebrities who are polar opposites in terms of personality and in no ways near perfect. Our FMC is a brash and assertive actress who does not wear her emotions on her sleeve. Whereas the flip coin is our MC who exudes a bit of golden retriever energy - a people pleaser who is a bit insecure in his own skin. I loved the snippy back and forth between the two and how they were both unapologetically themselves from start to finish. In regards to the romance, I think it was well-done. Even if you love one another, the timing may not be right. When you're younger, you're still navigating who you truly are and forever seems like such a daunting commitment. So I loved how realistic and nitty gritty the process was for the MC and FMC - had to really work on themselves first before fully committing but also they worked on it together. How rather than changing for one another - they were understanding and accepting flaws and all. There were a few frustrating moments of the characters being obtuse but hey that's real life.

Read if you like:
· second chance romance
· enemies to lovers, opposites attract
· dual timeline & dual POV
· open door romance
· celebrity romances
· couples therapy!
· snippy banter

Also Ava, you really got me with the ending... had me sweating for a few seconds and making sure my % on my Kindle was accurate for that twist. Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for allowing me to receive this eARC.

Loved loved loved this book. Ava Wilder does not disappoint. Love her celebrity romances. This kept me turning the pages

Sassy, sexy and surprisingly emotional story of an actor couple told over a ten year period that they worked on a show together. Funny and tender in parts, certainly spicy and left me wanting to know how their lives continue.
4/5 stars

Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are the stars of the hit paranormal TV show Intangible, Lilah and Shane spent years pining for each other onscreen . . . until Lilah ditched the show at the end of season five in hopes of becoming a movie star. After a flop movie, she’s back to film the much-hyped ninth and final season, in which Lilah and Shane’s characters will get together at last. But coming back means facing one of the biggest reasons she left: Shane. Ever since their secret behind-the-scenes fling imploded at the end of season one, the two of them have despised each other. Now reunited on set for the first time in years—with the world’s eyes on them and their post-show careers on the line—they’ll have to grit their teeth and play nice. But under pressure to give Intangible’s fans the happy ending they’ve been waiting for, Lilah and Shane are forced to get closer than ever. And if they’re not careful, they might just get blindsided by one final twist: a real-life happy ending of their own.

I really enjoyed this book! This was a great push and pull relationship. With a title like "Will They or Wont They" It's pretty obvious what the premise is about. We've got a second chance celebrity romance with side of enemies to friends to lovers. This story had lots of tension and angst. We get dual POV and 3rd person narration(which isn't always my favorite perspective). I loved the dual timelines of Lilah and Shane throughout the seasons. You could see where the miscommunications came in, in a realistic way. I liked that Lilah was culturally jewish and had Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I thought that back story was substantial and relatable. Shane was just such a precious hero. I wanted nothing but the best for him even in the darkest times. Also it was really fun to see this all set in the background of fame and Hollywood.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 6/27

This was a true enemies to lovers book.

While yes, I wasn't a total fan of Lilah (Shane, however, was amazing), I think it played out well that while they came to eventually like each other again, their redeeming behaviors and personalities also lightened up.

This is my favorite kind of romance novel. No baby names or terms of endearment. It was straightforward and smutty, awesome, and bingeworthy.

The timelines did confuse me for a bit. It was hard to keep track of the past and the timing when we were in the present. Also the show they were on, I don't know why I struggled to follow the plot and what exactly happened when Lilah left, and all the way up to when she returned. I guess it doesn't matter as a whole, I just wish I was able to follow along with the Intangible storyline.

The ending felt a bit longwinded, and when I realized I still had 15% left, I was like oh wow. What else is there?

BUT! As I said, the romance was PERFECTION. That photoshoot, the flashback of them hooking up in the trailer, OH MY GOODNESS it was too good.

I do think Lilah will be a difficult character for readers to love. She came around for me for sure, while I loved Shane the whole way through. The miscommunication was luckily resolved early on, but I wondered why that was even an issue if it wasn't looming over them the whole book.

This was definitely will-they or won't-they territory. Sometimes it was frustrating how obtuse both Lilah and Shane were being about their feelings for each other.

For romance readers who love the inside scoop on their favorite celebrities, this novel will be right up your alley. Two onscreen lovers navigate the ups and downs of finding love in real life all while filming the culminating season of their beloved TV show.

Absolutely loved this book! I love a great second chance romance and this did not disappoint. It was full of angst and tension and, true to the title, an ongoing question of will they or won’t they. So well written with a dual POV that was perfectly executed. I’ve already recommended it to so many friends and they truly can’t wait for it to come out in a few weeks.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Ava Wilder for the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this one. It was written in a third person voice which off the bat I’m not a fan of. However I loved how effortlessly LGBTQ rep was included in the book!

This book definitely lives up to its title, the tension definitely went on and on…and on…and on. Lilah’s anxiety definitely made her feel more relatable, but at times her tough gal, I’m putting up a high wall because I don’t feel that I don’t feel lovable wound up being exhausting.

I feel like so misogynistic disliking FMC, but I feel like she was the common denominator for most of their issues. They both said things that weren’t great, but I felt like the fight like teenagers not the 30+ year olds they are. Her insecurities aren’t a good reason to take out her garbage on other people. Seems like she needed to be in therapy much more regularly.

I love a good character arc riddled with growth, but I just didn’t see that from her. It felt like things got rushed into without having the appropriate conversations. They just jumped into it and almost immediately out of it. Emotional whiplash much? I’m not convinced they were a good match for each other. Like Ian Malcom said in Jurassic Park, “yeah, but they were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.”

Ava has always said she writes characters that can be unlikable. While I agree, particularly with WTOWT, I also thing that “unlikeability” comes from the fact that her character make very real choices.

In romances, characters make some annoying choices but they are often choices with a rose gold filter. Over quick, easily fixed and smoothed over.

While I enjoy that kind of story (because real life and real humans cause enough headaches) I think Ava does a really, really good job at writing REAL feeling characters.

Do Lilah and Shane (mostly Lilah) drive me bananas most of the book because of her emotional unavailability, irritability, self sabotage, and lack of trust? YES. Is that literally the most relatable list of characteristics? Unfortunately, yes.

These two are so back and forth, are they together are they not? What the hell are they thinking and what’s going on?! I mean, it’s called “Will They Or Won’t They” for a reason. And isn’t that exactly the messy back and forth we see in Hollywood?

I know how hard it was for Ava to write this one. You did it, girl!

Thank you RHP/Ballantine and Netgalley for this free review copy!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. 2 spicy chili peppers

Shane and Lilah are on again off again lovers and enemies who are thrown back together for the last season of their hit TV show. Their chemistry and animosity for one another is still at an all-time high following their last meeting 3.5 years ago. Now they have to figure out how to move ahead together and move on after the show wraps.

I was hooked on this story from the beginning, with bits and pieces of their history woven into the current timeline. Their chemistry was palpable and I enjoyed a behind the scenes look at TV production.

Tropes: slow burn (in current timeline) lovers to enemies to lovers, celebrity romance

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for allowing me to receive this eARC.

This is my third book in a row that deals with a couple who were on a tv show in the past, had a falling out, and are now supposed to pretend like everything is fine during their reunion.
You'd think I would get sick of this but I LOVE it.

Will they or won't they was a such a fun book to read. The enemies to lovers and second chance romance tropes are my absolute favorite and Ava Wilder did such a good job making this believable. I spent my entire Sunday reading this book, the two main characters chemistry was so palpable and the intimate scenes and script were very well written.

I also really enjoyed the way that the book dealt with anxiety and showed the lengths that people go through to be able to succeed in their careers and relationships all while battling crippling anxiety. Very believable and relatable.

Highly recommend this book, thanks Random House and netgalley for the ARC!

This is Ava Wilder’s second book after absolutely knocking it out of the park with her first book, How to Fake it in Hollywood. I went in with high expectations and initially I thought I was going to love this one more, but unfortunately I didn’t.

I really enjoyed that she once again wrote a romance plot around Hollywood stars, I will never get enough of that, but it was super repetitive. Lilah and Shane meet at their audition for a tv show and there is instant chemistry. So much so that they are chosen for that fact alone since they’d be the on screen “will they or won’t they” pair, hence the name.

They end up in a steamy secret romance until it goes wrong. Now it’s years later and Lilah is back to reprise her role for one final season, and upon her return we learn how much her and Shane despise each other now.

We get flashbacks, some alternating POVs (within the chapters and not as designated chapters, which isn’t my favorite) and we have some intense toxic behavior & animosity.

The first few chapters had me HOOKED. It got hot & full on high tension very early, but it ended up fizzling for me. This got very repetitive for me and by the late middle I just lost a lot of interest.

I loved Shane & his humor, but Lilah was extremely unlikeable in my opinion. She had issues, and I fully understand that, but I just never enjoy miscommunication plots. Everything that was done was rooted in some kind of miscommunication.

All in all, the spice was there, the open door scenes were awesome, Shane was wonderful, and the first few chapters were so good. The repetition, sheer miscommunication, and pacing just made this feel off to me.

I did however enjoy the ending & I loved how she finished the story, but this entire book really was a non-stop will they or won’t they story that fell kind of flat for me, and there was no epilogue which I think we could have benefited from.

✨ Read this if you love: second chance romances, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, Hollywood romances, mental health representation, and romance books with open-door scenes. ✨

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be published on 6/27/23!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Ava Wilder, and NetGally for sending me an ARC copy in exchange from my honest review.

"Will They or Won’t They" tells the story of Lilah and Shane, former co-stars turned lovers turned enemies. A second chance comes along when Lilah returns for the final season of their hit television’s show.

I really enjoyed the Hollywood setting, Lilah’s strong group of friends from her first job, the side characters in the show and the descriptions of life on set and in promoting the show. Also, we get then-and-now spice.

But wow, these two really hate each other. This was such toxic relationship it was hard to imagine how they could recover from it. As the story unfolds, we learn the reasons behind both of their actions and neither one has behaved well (but one behaved a lot worse than the other). It took them long time to communicate about their past and reveal their vulnerabilities.

I appreciated the mental health struggles Lilah is facing (generalized anxiety disorder) but there was a lost opportunity here for greater understanding and acceptance. Lilah was so mean and selfish that it was hard to like her or understand her. She also kept quiet about it for so long. This got better after the halfway point, but even so, she was still frustrating until the last few chapters.

Shane’s unwillingness to do something new was understandable and I really wanted him to grow out of it. He always took the safest route. I wanted him to stretch himself. All he wanted was her, but she was so abhorrent to him, it was hard to believe he would remain so in love with her.

Overall, I would give this 3 stars. Hollywood stories are fun and there are so many good supporting characters in this one. And truth is that most relationships don’t wrap up their issues quickly or neatly. Wilder does a great job of showing us their thoughts and motivations. Lilah and Shane may be Hollywood, but their relationship is more realistic than most romance novels.

This is an enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance with a Hollywood setting and drawn out miscommunication trope.