This was cute! I didn’t love it but it wasn’t bad. I thought the plot was pretty interesting and I liked that the fmc was in her 30s. I’ll def check out Swift’s next releases!

This was a cute, quick rom com and I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. I felt like Jason was really relatable to what we are told celebrities are like today. They can put on the charm when needed, are often misunderstood, and sometimes turn to alcohol in hard times. Emily was a little immature to have a daughter in some aspects to me. I enjoyed the big celebrity falls for not very well known author view. They were really cute together and I just knew there had to be foul play when those pictures were shared.

Celebrity Crush by Christy Swift is a fun and fast-paced read about Emmy Ellison, a romance author whose bestselling book is being turned into a movie. The twist? The movie’s lead actor, Jason, is the real-life inspiration for her fictional hero. To drum up PR, they team up for a fake dating scheme that quickly turns into something more.
The premise is great, and there’s lots of humor and pop culture references that add charm to the story. However, the connection between Emmy and Jason feels rushed, and their relationship is more about lust than building a real bond. I struggled with both characters at times, especially Emmy, who can come off as a bit immature. Jason, too, doesn’t fully win me over, and some of their actions felt a bit selfish.
Overall, it’s an entertaining and lighthearted read, but the lack of character depth and slow-building romance held it back for me. If you’re in the mood for a quick, steamy book with a bit of celebrity sparkle, this might be a fun pick.

᪥ 30+ MCs
᪥ Banter
᪥ Insta Lust
᪥ Pop Culture References

Celebrity Crush by Christy Swift
Emily Ellison is a romance author and on her way up the New York Times bestseller list and her book has been optioned for a movie. Promotional plans for hyping the book and movie have the secret Hollywood crush she wrote into the story set up with a fake dating scheme. Emily is so excited to meet her crush and she gladly goes along with photo shoots and more.
Jason Connor has been an actor for years and has had continued image problems. He’s asked to meet and pose for photos with the author that used him as her hero in a book. He’s flattered and more than willing to play along with his agents advice to make a romcom come true. At least as much as the public will know. But he finds himself falling for Emily and he’s not sure how to handle all the feelings.

🎧 I alternated between an ecopy and an audiobook copy of this book. The audiobook is narrated by Andrew Eiden and Stephanie Willing. Both do a phenomenal job with their POV chapters including emotions, and character voices. From apathy to joy the enthusiasm of a good story came through making it entertaining to listen to as it progressed. I think these two narrators made a great pairing for this romcom. I listened at 1.5 for a standard conversation speed.
The audiobook narrators made the characters come off the page making it my preferred format. The podcast characters were a bit over the top but it’s Hollywood.

A romcom crush from page to screen and from writer to actor. A clean, feel good read with engaging banter. Definitely an author to watch.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.

the concept for this one was really fun - small-time author, emmy ellison publishes a book inspired by her real life celebrity crush, jason connor. the book is picked up by a movie producer, with jason as the main male lead & emmy's #celebritycrush intensifies - but is it mutual or just a PR stunt?

i enjoyed this one - it was a decently quick read with some fun twists throughout. there were a lot of little nerdy easter eggs & references to past movies/stars that were neat to find. i liked that emmy's character was a little odd & sarcastic.

there were some parts that came across as a bit much, but i think that's just how the insta-love trope works. i really liked the inclusion of interviews & blog posts - they were nice way to breakup the text & i felt they also gave context to the characters.

overall, it was entertaining - i think a movie adaptation could be fun.

liked this book. I think it had a neat premise and setting. This was definitely a fun comfy rom com. Though predictable, there was a few interesting twists and turns to keep things interesting.

I am not a huge fan on insta love but I felt it myself slightly warming to the idea during this book. I did want a little more from the conflict overall as everything just happened very fast. I think there was a good deep dive into celebrity life and the pressures / chaos that comes with it. I enjoyed to duel POV and how it showed real & flawed main characters.

I had a decent time with this book. The leads Emmy and Jason had great chemistry. I loved the way the book opened with the talk show and revelation of who Emmy's secret celebrity crush was. The biggest downside was being able to see the eventual conflict being set up from a mile away. Something that could easily be resolved with a conversation but instead the characters don't actually talk. Back to the plus side I really enjoyed Emmy's relationship with her daughter and friends. This is my first Christy Swift book. I would be interested in trying another book from her to see if it worked a little better for me.

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

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.💫5 (2.5 Stars)
Steam: closed door, just kissing

This was an okay read. I enjoyed the first bit and loved the hugging contests ect,however my loving of this changed fast.
The miscommunication trope was way overdone. I wanted to scream at both characters to just talk. I didn’t feel the romance but did laugh a few times. I enjoyed some moments so giving. this 2.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley, Hachette Audio and forever for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Celebrity Crush by Christy Swift in quick, rapid-fire thoughts.

-sneak inside the book publishing world with Emmy Ellison
-peak behind the celebrity curtain with Jason Connor
-witty and clever banter
-actual funny moments
-all the pop culture movie references
-both main characters have a child
-fade to black steamy scenes

Audiobook notes: Andrew Eiden (cough, cough, cough, aka Teddy Hamilton) was exactly the voice needed for Jason; sassy, smug, and sexy all came across! (I may have had some excitedly explicit language during his opening chapter!) Stephanie Willing was perfect, too! Quirky, relatable, and endearing - a wonderful choice to voice Emmy!

This is such a fun and funny read that's a bit nerdy!

Thank you NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Hachette Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

Unfortunately, this was a major miss for me.
The blurb and tropes had a set up for success, but this fell so flat on many levels.
Not only were the MCs unlikeable, all the way to the point where I was not rooting for them in the third act break up. They were wildly immature. But this read like someone took a bunch of pop culture references and plugged them into ChatGPT and toss them on a wall to see what sticks. Also the TikTok dances and social media references read like someone trying to be current with the younger generation, but the characters are in their 30s with kids.

Amazing romcom romance with that right amount of spice in it.

Loved the caracters, story and everything else.

Really enjoyed!! The writing made it a quick read and I loved the characters. I was immediately drawn in! The angst leading up between Jason and Emmy was great and the closed door romance epicures perfectly! This is a book that I would love to see on the big screen!!

"Celebrity Crush" was all the sweet and swoony rom-com without the spice. It had the infusion of the hashtags and TikTok influence, which kept it relevant for younger readers but the FMC and MMC are both single parents (which likely appeals to some of us 'older' readers). The FMC is also an author, and who doesn't love a 'book about books'!!?? This is a fun, romantic read that kept me interested the entire time. 4 stars! *I received a complimentary ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This is exactly the type of book that I love to read. I loved everything about it: Emmy and Jason, the supporting cast, the writing, the pacing, the plot, everything! Also all the references and name drops are a millennial’s dream!

I’ve never read anything by Christy Swift before but now it’s a name that’s swiftly moved to the top of my must read authors. Can’t wait to see what’s next!!

I really wanted to like this book as the premise seems really cute. It had a lot of potential but there were a few things that I felt got in the way:
- both characters weren't super likeable to me but that could be their own self loathing and selfishness
- relationship was confusing even for us as readers. There seems to be mainly physical chemistry with the readers, which led to some funny scenes (photoshoot and party). Emmy does seem to really care about him, more than a crush but the relationship development felt off and sometimes rushed, given a lot of it seemed physical and then when there was the realization of emotions for Jason it was about how she benefitted him somehow vs what he admired about her... It kind of came off as being codependent
- this might be judgey of me but for someone who wants to have more time with his son, he seems to use a babysitter a lot
- also, I'm not sure what was up with Emmy's whole "I want to make it in LA" but it was really vague and I recall thinking "to do what? What does that even mean?"
- ending seemed really rushed given a lot of twists coming in, and they were good twists for a celebrity romances

Some things I enjoyed:
- I do love that Jason loves singing and dancing, which makes for some fun scenes
- Val and the Hunger Games references. Love them and him!
- Family cuteness. Gotta love the kids!
- the whole concept of the show. Super creative!

Thank you for the advanced copy

Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️

Fake dating your celebrity crush? Where do I sign up?!

I loved the author's approach to a relatable, realistic, and funny FMC in this so much. I was laughing out loud in several different moments of this book and the FMC's voice captured me and kept engaged. The Hollywood element was cool to read about and I felt like I was learning so much about the industry that I didn't know about. The mixed media elements integrated with the story beautifully and created an amazing storytelling element since it was centered around the Hollywood scene. I also enjoyed the focus on single parenting? It was a surprise I didn't know going in, but I loved by the ending. I would love to see the other voice Christy Swift brings to the romance comedy genre in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Pub) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This wasn’t for me but I’ll still be happy to recommend. I am probably not the target demographic as the characters felt really immature to me.

What a fun, adorable debut rom com! Emmy is such a relatable FMC, and Jason was so swoonworthy. I had the best time reading these two.

I liked this book. I think it had a neat premise and setting. This was definitely a fun comfy rom com. Though predictable, there was a few interesting twists and turns to keep things interesting.

I am not a huge fan on insta love but I felt it myself slightly warming to the idea during this book. I did want a little more from the conflict overall as everything just happened very fast. I think there was a good deep dive into celebrity life and the pressures / chaos that comes with it. I enjoyed to duel POV and how it showed real & flawed main characters.

I absolutely loved all the deep cuts and pop culture references throughout. There were a few marvel references that had me cackling.

#cute #romantic #funny There's an old saying that if you meet your idol you'll be disappointed, they turn out to be human after all. Emmy gets lucky and Jason turns out to be human but in no way a disappointment. I like the idea of an influencer plot; I haven't run into this before. She does such interesting things. My Instagram is mostly about my dog. Emmy is having the most amazing time, a published book that becomes a movie, a chance to get to know the stars of her favorite show, Lost Star Dance Troupe Saves the Universe. Is that a hysterical name or what; a kids show set in outer space with dancing astronauts. Jason got into a bit of trouble when he wasn't happy with his life or himself. Very understandable. He's not having an amazing time. We get a look into what being in the spotlight does to your personal life and how hard Jason has to work to keep the press from trashing him. It messes with his mind making him paranoid but he's actually right. Poor guy. I enjoyed the book from start to finish.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing and Hachette Book Group.