This had all of the makings of a great romance but ultimately fell flat for me.
I mostly enjoyed the banter between Jason and Emmy, but at times the way they spoke felt very immature. Emmy's entire personality revolved around wanting to be famous and feeling not good enough to fit into Hollywood, but putting herself out there as an influencer.

There were looooooots of pop culture references (specifically to TikTok) and while that's fun for a bit, it also leaves the book open to being outdated very quickly (the Renegade was mentioned many!!! times and I can't tell you the last time I've seen that dance being done).

I was tempted to DNF quite a few times and I'm not sure what made me stick it out, but the ending didn't deliver so it was disappointing.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A book about a debut author writing about her celebrity crush and it going viral sounded like such a fun premise. This book had some fun moments but it fell short on a few things for me:
- characters were a bit immature. I mean Emmy was upset that her crush didn't like her posts. Let's be real, celebrities probably have publicists that maintain social media and to focus on that seems petty
- their attraction was just too insta for me
- I don't understand when a writer gives 2 characters the same names. Why make it confusing for the reader, it's not that tough to think of another name.

I think this felt just a bit immature for me to love.

Thank you @readforeverpub @netgalley for a copy of this book.

The premise for this book sounds right up my alley, but I’m DNFing at 20%. I could tell from the first chapter alone I wouldn’t be into this, but I wanted to give the book a chance. I gave it seven chapters, and it just didn’t work for me, from either a writing or plot perspective. I was confused by the constant sci-fi references and found the voice grating. I mean, the MMC looks up the FMC’s book and thinks to himself, “I think I grew an ovary just looking at that cover art,” which… ugh. It felt very sexist and gender essentialist.

There are no stakes, but there *is* an abundance of ableist language (words like “moron,” “idiot,” “stupid,” “lame,” and “psychotic”). It’s 2025! Can we not?

If I’m actively thinking about what I want to read next and keep checking how much time is left in the book on my Kindle, that’s a sign to quit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Emmy Ellison is an award winning romance author who loves happy endings and just loves love. She decides to get involved with a celebrity but she finds it hard to be involved in fake dating plot with a famous person.

Hashtag wtf did I just read?

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book and it unfortunately did not deliver for me. I’m still a little confused where exactly the romance started and where it was supposed to lead because there are so many missing key elements to make me like the couple.

The aspect of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood? Cool. A little annoying with the overdone influencer stuff but whatever. The constant celebrity name dropping though? Too much. I’m a huge Marvel fan but please, enough with all those name drops.

What I really didn’t like were the main characters. Emmy was such a stalker and it was not cute at all with her celebrity crush. And to expect so much out of him without them knowing each other? What? Please tell me also what conversation they had that made them fall in love with one another? And then a miscommunication third act breakup?! I hated it. The ending was just off too and did not enjoy.

Overall, I’m not the demographic for this I believe. Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I love a celebrity romance so much and was so excited when forever sent me a copy of this!!!

It was all around just such a fun time. If you are someone who has a celebrity crush, or had one as a teen (most of us), you need to read this!!! If you enjoyed Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman, I think you’ll enjoy this!!

I didn’t get the sci-fi references, but that didn’t hinder my experience! I loved the plot and how the story progressed. I loved the romance between the main characters, and I loved that they both were parents and could bond over that.

I really enjoyed my read of this! (And it’s also closed door!!)

The 2025 Debuts keep on blowing my mind! Christy Swift's Celebrity Crush had everything I could want in a romance--witty characters, epic banter, and nerdy references (it's an utter tragedy Firefly got cancelled so soon).

Christy did an amazing job at showing the ups and downs of falling in love. The more I read, the more I fell in love with Emmy and Jason, the main characters. They were both so relatable!

I loved the multimedia aspect of the book with the transcriptions of Emmy's videos, gossip shows, and the videos of Emmy and Jason going from friends to something more. I definitely cheered on Emmy and Jason as I read the book. Also, Sean, one of Jason's casemates, had be cackling at the end.

Make sure to pick up a copy of Celebrity Crush on 2/11 (or preorder it now as it's one of the best ways to help promote a debut author)!.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The first chapter hooked me on this delightful rom-com. Writer Emmy Ellison comes face to face with her celebrity crush. It just so happens he’s the man who she base her first book hero on. This book is like a perfect hug! The chemistry between Emmy and Jason is *chef’s kiss.*I couldn’t put this story down, and finished it in one afternoon. Thank you to Forever for the opportunity to read an early copy.

This book was really enjoyable!! Christy Swift does such a great job weaving an intriguing story that readers will fall in love with like I did!! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance books!!

OBSESSED does not even begin to cover how much I loved this book! I was hooked from the first chapter and could not wipe the smile off of my face for a majority of this book.
Celebrity Crush is 100% my favorite celebrity romance I’ve read. It was witty, swoony, and real all at the same time. I loved the dynamic between Emmy, a new author adapting to fame, and Jason, her celebrity crush with some serious image issues.

Emmy and Jason both have amazing character development throughout the story and well-executed pasts that influence their behaviors. I thought each was flawed just enough to be realistic but still get our happy ending.
I was rooting for them both so hard and fan-girling over their romantic relationship! The chemistry was off the charts and translated even without any on-page spice!

The interview and social media clips interspersed throughout the chapters were fun and added an outsider’s perspective to our main characters. I will definitely be following Emmy’s angry yoga routine when I need it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 38%…based on the premise, this had so much potential. I found the main characters Emmy and Jason to be extremely immature and this read more of a young adult novel than contemporary romance adult.

Celebrity Crush by @christyswiftbooks is for fans of the Disney movie Starstruck, What You Do to Me by Rochelle B. Weinstein, and the Hannah Montana movie.

WHEN I TELL YOU THAT I LOVED THIS BOOK, I love it in upper and lowercase letters. 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ bcs of a certain female I want to punch.

It features a romance writer and her celebrity crush. Emmy is a social media marketing queen who knows how to target audiences. Jason is a performer and actor who does not have the best media reputation. When they are suddenly in a situation together and meet in person, Cupid arrives and so does trouble. (Oh and did I mention the single-parents trope)

This book is so so good!! It has the perfect mixture of Gen Z and millennial references. And if you’re someone who wants to work in the entertainment and music industry like me, it’s got all the juicy stuff. It even references people in their 20’s and 30’s within the romantic scenes. And not to spoil anything but if your screen time on YouTube is over 8 hours a day plus podcasts and interview time, this is the book for you!

What a fun rom com! I loved the pop culture references and how relatable these characters were. Even though it was closed door, the book kept my attention the whole time. I love there was so many layers to these characters. Great writing and character development! Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!

Celebrity Crush is the first book I’ve read by Christy Swift and is fun and light rom com.

The story revolves around romance writer Emmy Ellison, who writes a book that’s inspired by her celebrity crush Jason Connor’s real life. Jason Connor is a Hollywood actor who has a troublesome past and is trying to be a better man for his son.

During a PR television interview, Emmy gets to meet her Hollywood crush, Jason, who later on agrees to play the leading man in the movie adaptation of Emmy’s book. Both Emmy and Jason agree to do some PR together as a couple in order to generate buzz on Emmy’s book and Jason’s upcoming movie. However, they don’t anticipate having real-life chemistry together.

I thought that the relationship between Emmy and Jason was very sweet. You can’t help but want these characters to have a happily ever after. The only thing I would have liked was a bit longer of an epilogue so that we could have seen how the characters’ stories unfolded more into the future.

Overall, I think this book was a lighthearted and entertaining read. I also really liked all the pop culture references!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

🦇 Celebrity Crush Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD Who was your first celebrity crush?

🦇 Author Emmy Ellison is a sucker for a page-turning happy ending, but she’s no longer counting on one for herself. If she stays focused on her career goals instead of her love life, she just might find success. When her secret celebrity crush (the real-life inspiration for her romantic hero) accepts the starring role in the big-screen adaptation of her book, she’s determined to team up with a fake dating scheme—now that he needs some good PR of his own. Ideally, she can ride the wave of popularity to the top of the bestseller lists. But when the harsh spotlight of fame exposes the truth, will they try to turn their on-camera chemistry into a real-life relationship?

💜 All right, romance readers. Get ready to kick your feet, giggle, and stay up all night reading, because you're in for a treat. Christy Swift's Celebrity Crush is a dazzling debut filled with:
✨ Instant, sizzle-worthy chemistry (delish)
✨ Fun, engaging witty banter (and loads of flirting)
✨ Drahh-maa
✨ Nerdy pop culture references (and so much name-dropping)
✨ So much dancing
✨ Overcoming imposture syndrome, expectations, and self-doubt
✨ Engaging, grabs-you-and-never-lets-go-prose
✨ Layered FMC and MMC; relatable, flawed characters (um, hi Jason, can I get a hug?)
✨ Social media, vlog, and news inserts that show an outside perspective
✨ I want more of Val and Josie, who were both fab

💙 I wish certain reveals would have been held onto a little longer, to build suspense, and that Jason's realization that he was wrong hadn't come out of nowhere.
💜 Celebrity Crush is fun, messy, heart-felt, and captivating. If you're looking for a romance where the characters actually grow, grab this one on February 11!

✨ Rating:
🦇 Characters: 4/5
🦇 Plot and Pacing: 5/5
🦇 World-Building: 4/5
🦇 Romance: 4/5
🦇 Mystery/Suspense: 3/5
🦇 Tone/Prose: 5/5

🦇 Recommended to fans of XOXO, All the Feels, and Will They or Won't They.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🎬 Celebrity Romance/Hollywood (Writer/Actor)
📚 Forced Proximity
🎬 Dual POV
📚 Closed Door
🎬 Single Parents
📚 Winty Banter
🎬 Nerdy References
📚 Debut

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #CelebrityCrush

💬 Quotes
I swear, if someone told me the world would end in a fiery blaze of pain and destruction unless I tore my eyes away from him, I’m still not sure I could do it.

“I’m bulletproof, too,” I whisper. “Do your worst.” The smile widens. He sweeps me off my feet and into his arms.

“I’ll always choose you, Jason Connor.”

I wanted to introduce you all to her because she’s my celebrity crush. Every time I see her, I get all sweaty and swoony. I know it’s hopeless because she’s way out of my league. In fact, she’s already told me to get lost, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Loved the idea of this book! Emmy Ellison, an author trying to make it in Hollywood, writes a book about her celebrity crush & then gets to meet him! Between a book tour & a movie deal, Emmy finds herself struggling between getting her book to the #1 spot & being a good person. Her celebrity crush has a reputation & long history with women, and is having a difficult time choosing between restoring his image & giving into what he wants.

Debut author & I absolutely loved this book! I’ve never read a book like this where the FMC is an author who writes about her celebrity crush & then gets to meet him! It was a cute story & I loved the main characters. They kept me laughing & I couldn’t put the story down! It was such a fun read & I’m secretly hoping for an interconnected series!!

Will definitely be reading more books from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, Christy Swift, & Forever Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Celebrity Crush was a quick read. I enjoyed Swift's humor. This book had some funny monologues and moments. Possessed baby was hilarious! I was surprised by how layered the MMC, Jason, was. Although he had his moments (I wasn't a fan of how he acted in the third-act), Jason was realistic and relatable. I didn't fully connect with the MFC, Emmy. She was a little too goofy for me. I found her a little cringey. I had a difficult time connecting with all of the social media/pop culture references. Sprinkled throughout the book were podcast segments and vlogs. Over time, they started to feel old, especially Emmy's social media posts. Emmy and Jason's relationship was okay. I liked the chemistry between them! I did struggle with the instalust and quickness of their relationship. I wish we got more of an epilogue with their exes. Jason's castmates were fun! Val and Josie could have been developed more. The Hollywood setting was decent...I was surprised the author included actual celebrities in the book. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever.

Yes!!!! #celebritycrush is so good. The hug contest! The dual POV. The quirkiness of the main characters.

I loved this, couldn't put it down. I want to have a book for each of the Lost characters. I think the way everyone rallied for Jason was amazing. I think Emmy showed how hard it is to make it in Hollywood. And I loved how there was a mix of celebrity cameos!

Thank you to Forever for the ARC! This was such a fun one and a fast and sweet romance! This one had a similar vibe to How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ave Wilder, which was a book that I also loved. The storyline is very different but, if you enjoyed that one, I think you'd love this one! Its perfect for people who love celebrity romance, unexpected matches and a happily ever after. I will be looking for more books by Christ Swift in the future. The only thing I will say, is that I wish there was just a tiny bit more depth in their love and connection, which is why it was a 4 star and not 5. That being said, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it. See below for a synopsis. This one comes out on February 11th!

Emmy is the author a romance novel that is based on her real celebrity crush. As a social media influencer, one of her posts having people guess that identity of he crush goes viral. This thrusts her into the spotlight and allows her to meet her real life celebrity crush and even pushes her book to become a best seller and then a movie. He accepts the leading role and it allows them time to get to know each other and form a connection. I really liked this one!

Another celebrity romance that can't be missed.

Author Emmy Ellison's latest novel is about to get a movie adaptation, and her secret celebrity crush (also the real-life inspiration of her book's romantic hero), Jason Connor, accepts the starring role. She's determined to team up with a fake dating scheme-now that he also needs good PR of his own.

From the beginning, I got hooked on Emmy and Jason's romance. Emmy is a bit of a celebrity fanatic especially when it comes to Jason. When she mets him, its all her fantasy come to life. She is his biggest fan-I mean she wrote a romantic hero inspired by him! Jason is Hollywood hunk with kind of a bad reputation. (I think he is just a bit misunderstood). When he meets Emmy, it definitely gives him an ego boost, and he also finds her refreshing. I wouldn't say this was a fake dating trope since they did not agree to fake date. There was a lot of scheming though and confusing feelings, especially when there are things on the line. Jason had his reputation to think about, and Emmy was trying make most of her new found fame.

There were some parts that I think could've been executed better, but otherwise the story wrapped up nicely.

>> Celebrity romance
>> Forced proximity
>> Single-parents
>> Pop culture
>> Drama