This is a very entertaining romcom. A romance writer is thrilled when her book is going to become a movie. She has said the male lead was written about her secret Hollywood crush. While promoting the book she divulges who her celebrity crush really is and he is then cast in the movie. After this happens she is thrilled as her book moves higher up the NY Times bestseller list. As Emmy and Jason embark on a relationship - as this is a romcom- I did at times find it too fast and inauthentic but they ultimately made a great couple. There were great secondary characters and some entertaining dialogue throughout the book. Overall an enjoyable read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I like romance, I like Hollywood stories...this seemed like a winner to me. Unfortunately, I just couldn't connect with the two lead characters, so I just didn't care whether they wound up together or not.

Long Story Short
Emmy is a romance author who told the world that the lead in her new book was based on her real-life celebrity crush. During the book press tour she meets the aforementioned crush, Jason. They both develop feelings for each other, but he is trying to move past his reputation as a Hollywood playboy, bad boy while she uses him to generate press for her book and tells herself it's ok since a big celebrity could never develop real feelings for her. Can true love prevail? Of course, and it does so in a rather odd, all-is-forgiven ending.

The Good
I liked the snippets in between chapters in which two Enews-type reporters discussed Emmy and Jason's relationship. Those were funny.

The Bad
As I mentioned, the characters were hard to connect with.
I didn't understand what type of space/dancing show Jason starred in. I'm assuming it was based on some show I'm not aware of...?
When has a book ever been released and then a movie was written, filmed, edited and released within the same year?
Emmy kept hiding the book from Jason to avoid him reading that she included a traumatic experience for him in the book. Like, no one else would have mentioned that to him???
Emmy was the villain in this book, yet Jason forgave her after one night of her taking care of him and then had to coordinate a flash mob to win her back. Huh?
So Emmy and Jason's ex share a baby daddy. That's going to be awkward at family events.
One of their major conflicts was who released the pictures of them making out in the hot tub. Then it was glazed over and we find out later the babysitter (who we met once, maybe twice?) leaked them? I felt like that whole thing needed to be cleaner.

Overall Takeaway
This book was not for me. I give it a D.

Freaking fantastic.

I loved this book so much! It's truly the epitome of a romcom and was the most fun to read/listen to -- I had the book & audio so I did both. The narrators, Andrew Eiden and Stephanie Willing, really do our MCs justice and I found it so easy to listen to them for hours at time without even realizing it. They truly brought the characters to life -- and the snippets of podcasts, vlogs, shows, etc. were AMAZING. I still hear the giggles from Isla and Amil when I think of the book! Very over the top, but very fitting. The pacing is perfect and they really pull off both the humorous scenes and the tender, heart wrenching ones. 10/10 recommend the audio if you enjoy that format!

Now onto the book itself. Christy Swift mastered the will they won't they, celebrity x fan romantic comedy! I love that this is a romance book about a romance book that's being turned into a film, and I think it's only right that this book also be turned into a movie so that we can really appreciate it (: The banter is a lot of fun, even when they aren't on the best of terms, their barbs still hit, making it a super quick read/listen. Both Emmy and Jason are single parents, bringing a bit more vulnerability to their characters and definitely some potential barriers to any ideas for an easy romance or fling. Their kids are a big part of their story and are woven in perfectly with just enough presence for the reader to feel like they know them and care for them and to show how each character is as a parent without preventing more serious adult only scenes that build the romance. And the side characters! I love Emmy's best friend and Jason's castmates. They all had so much personality and were really there to support the MCs. The ending has me hopeful for a book two about two certain side characters...

It's a really cute book for fans or pop culture, celebrity romance, reformed bad boys, and a bit of Hollywood drama. I highly recommend Celebrity Crush to all the romcom readers out there and anyone who's looking for a good quick read to end the month on a high note! Or if you're looking for a good book to delude you into thinking you too can find the love of your life in your celebrity crush😝

Thank you Forever & Hachette Audio for arc and alc via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked the overall concept of the celebrity fake dating/implied dating! If you’re someone who enjoys pop culture references this book is full to the brim with them!
I thought the narrators did a really nice job and they really helped bring the story to life! Overall this was a quick and easy read!


Tropes:
~celebrity x writer
~single parent
~closed door
~fake dating

Thank you Forever for an arc of the book and audiobook!

When I saw the FMC was an author I definitely wanted to read this book. Emmy ends up working with Jason to promote her book. Emmy struggles a little with Jason’s “Hollywood-ness” and I think that definitely made her relatable. Jason definitely had more to him than what Emmy expected!

Jason was sweet and I really liked their banter.

This is a closed door romance and I enjoyed the pop culture references.

Overall it was cute and entertaining read.

Not sure how to feel about this one. Closed door, only kissing was detailed. Pretty good storyline overall. Some of the Hollywood aspect of it was a little cringe. Dropping names of real celebrities in there was my cringe factor. And then just the way the third act breakup went down followed by how they came back together…..I don’t know. You read it and let me know why that just wasn’t my favorite but I didn’t hate it either. I loved their playful banter and her optimistic personality. The author did a good job of blending them together to complete one another. Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

“When I’m with you, I can just be happy. You make me feel like someone who deserves to be happy.” 🧡

Unfortunately, I was not crushing on CELEBRITY CRUSH by Christy Swift. This is marketed as a celebrity romance with fake dating - but…it wasn’t? While yes, our FMC is an upcoming author and our MMC is a famous movie/TV star - they spend most of the book resisting fake dating, so we are really left with…implied dating? Unsure what to call it.

What you do get is a single mom/single dad romance with older main characters - but you also get a bit insta-love and slightly stalkerish vibes from our FMC? It was just awkward and one-sided for so long, that the romance felt forced and a bit contrived? And I simply was not rooting for it.

I typically LOVE celebrity romance - and I wanted to love this book; however, I ultimately did not love either character, the romance itself, or the overall “save their reputation” plot.

I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook - and I did enjoy the narrators; it has two for the dual POV and they both do an excellent job at bringing the characters to life - particularly when the two are at each other’s throats.

Emmy Ellison is on her way to be a best selling author. When her book is optioned for a movie, she's elated that Jason Connor, her real life celebrity crush and the basis for the male main character in her book, is hired for the movie. PR really wants to hype things up, getting Emmy and Jason to play into a relationship. It's all fake for the public, but neither one expected it for real in private. Emmy did her research on Jason for her book character. She knew just about everything there was to know, even the most obscure. As she gets to know Jason, she realizes that some of his public persona is greatly sensationalized. When those parts of the book come to light, it might just crush the budding relationship.

I alternated between reading and listening to this story. Stephanie Willing and Andrew Eiden brought this story to life. If not for the option to listen and get to know the characters through the narrators' voices, I may have given up early on. Great narrators capture the true personality of the characters and hook me right into the story.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

This was a cute and silly romance read. It was funny, entertaining, and ended really nicely. I would read more by this author.

Thanks NetGalley and authr/publisher for giving me an ARC of this book!

This was a cute and silly romance read that had emotional depth to it. It was funny and entertaining and ended really nicely. I would read more by this author.

Thanks NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Christy Swift for giving me an ARC of this book!

4.5 stars
I was provided this ARC by NetGalley.

Our FMC, Emmy Ellison is an author and is on TV to promote her book that is based on one of four men on her favorite show, Lost Star Dance Troupe. To Emmy’s surprise, the TV host brings them on the show and forces her to say who it is.

It is none other than, Jason Connor, the bad boy of Hollywood – or so everyone thinks. Jason has a few years of bad life luck and is currently dealing with a divorce and trying to coparent his son. Emmy’s admission of her crush and the response to his appearance on the show has given him an idea. What if they continue this “relationship” to help promote the book and the subsequent movie that is being made.

The book goes back and forth between their two POVs and current life situations. Jason’s POV finds him in the middle of a bad interaction with his ex girlfriend , mother to his son. She continues to come on strong to him and he continues to push her away. Then she drops the bomb that she will be working with him on the Celebrity Crush movie. He is not happy about this.

As the two begin to promote book sales and start to drum up excitement about the upcoming move, they head to LA for a photoshoot. Emmy is very awkward and is having a hard time getting comfortable with Jason and his hot body. She impulsively steals his sandwich running around the pool with it & then she jumps into inner tube, he jumps in too without shirt. She feeds him sandwich, all the while the photographer is shooting. The final photos show him looking at her really sweetly.

Their continued PR tour finds their paths crossing frequently and puts her back into the Hollywood scene that she left 12 years ago very abruptly. She told no one why she left so suddenly but the fact is that she was pregnant with her daughter and the father was a big film executive that treated her awfully so she wasn’t going to stay in his world.

She decides to spend a couple of days in his house with him and his son so they can create social media content to continue to promote the film. They continue to feel their pull towards each other but Jason is worried that she will see him as taking advantage of her to better is image. He has sworn off relationships for this very reason – people taking advantage of each other.

The way their lives continue to intertwine and they come to trust and rely on each other is something new for both of them. Of course, we have experience a third act break up but it is so central to the story and the way it resolves is really good too. There is very little spice in this book but it is not needed. The story that is created for these two is enough to keep you engaged throughout the entire book.

I did an immersive read with the audiobook and the narrators did an excellent job of bringing this story to life.

#CelebrityCrush
#NetGalley

3.5 stars. i enjoyed the premise and what a great debut but it was a bit too insta-lovey for me. i liked that it was a closed door with great banter. i was able to go back and forth between audio and e-arc. i would definitely read more of this author’s work!

Emma's book about a celebrity crush is being made in to a movie, starring Jason, the crush himself. Will he live up to expectations? I liked how it was told from both points of view.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫
Celebrity romance has all the makings of a fun celebrity romcom. It follows Emmy Ellison an author and social media manager and Hollywood star Jason Connor. Emmy’s romance book #CelebrityCrush has everyone trying to figure out who her celebrity crush is. An opportunity to promote her book presents itself where she not only gets to revel who her crush is, but gets to meet him too! Jason’s career is at risk and this is the perfect PR stunt to help his career.

Emmy and Jason were cute together. They had fun banter and I liked how their love story unfolds. While this book is meant to have the elements of fake dating, it felt a bit more like insta-lust.

I enjoyed the side characters especially Jason’s costars. The inclusion of a celebrity gossip show between chapters that talked about the rumours surrounding our characters was fun. I also enjoyed all the nerdy pop culture references.

I didn’t connect with Emmy as much as I thought I would because who hasn’t had a celebrity crush and entering a fake dating situation with said crush would be like a dream. I felt at times she became a bit of a villain in the story and I felt for Jason more than her. This could be a me thing but it was hard for me to root for her when I felt like she was the cause of a lot of drama. Overall, it was a fun read. -D

Read if you like:
▪️Author heroine & famous actor hero
▪️Single mom & single dad
▪️Celebrity romance
▪️A book about a book
▪️Nerdy pop culture references

Thank you so much to Forever for the complimentary copy!

This book is out now!

Ugh. I wanted to love this SO badly! On paper this is exactly the kind of book that I love but for some reason it just wasn't clicking for me the way I thought it would. And I thought pairing it with the audio which is narrated by Andrew Eiden and Stephanie Willing would help but it only help with making sure that I finished the book.

"Hollywood isn't really a place, after all. It's a universe. A universe I desperately want to belong to."

And maybe I missed it but it just seemed like one minute Emmy is put in the hot seat to admit who her celebrity crush is and next minute Jason was the crush and boom they are dating? I know Emmy was helping him with his social media image but it just didn't feel real? I was hoping for more of a built up? More flirting? Something to make me feel connected to the characters.

As I mentioned I paired my reading with the audio and sadly even with Andrew Eiden (Teddy Hamilton) doing the MMC's POV it did not help much. He made it at least somewhat enjoyable. I am unfamiliar with Stephanie Willing prior work but I would listen to her again. They truly saved me. I feel like I am making this sound like a really bad book. It's not. I wanted so bad for things to click for me but it just hadn't.

I would read this author again as this was a debut so it could possible be that first book jitters.

I recommend this if you like books with social media influencers and Hollywood!

3.25

3.5/5

Celebrity Crush by Christy Swift was a good debut novel. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators Teddy Hamilton and Stephanie Willing were swoony and made the story! There were some funny moments throughout the story.

Read this if you enjoy:
-Celebrity romance
-Author FMC/actor MMC
-Single mom
-Single dad
-Insta-love
-Miscommunication
-Social media influencing
-Hollywood setting

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Cute Rom-Com

Quick, cutie little romance. I can’t believe she came out and told him! I was hooked from the beginning. This might be a little less believable than some of the other rom-coms, but it was still enjoyable.

What I loved:
Emmy was pretty funny
Jason was a very sweet guy
Some wild things happened

What I didn’t love
I’m not on Tik Tok so I don’t really understand that lifestyle of randomly dancing
The conflict got pretty mean at some points

Overall, this was a fun short read. I think I would have liked the audiobook better, perhaps some of the podcast interviews would have played better than reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

this was just ok. I found myself not getting super into it or feeling a ton. Didn't feel a ton of depth. it was a nice, quick and easy read!

Imagine you wrote fanfic about your celebrity crush and it got published, and then you met him and decided to fake date him for PR…. Obviously everyone involved would catch feelings!!! That’s CELEBRITY CRUSH by Christy Swift!!! I really enjoyed reading it, minus a smidge of fatphobia that was really unnecessary if I’m being honest.

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! I am always a sucker for fake dating! I know it's always the same formula, but it's always so good! Definitely worth the read!