Jason is Emmy's celebrity crush and the subject of her NYT bestselling book, #CelebrityCrush. It is veiled portrayal and easily comes out that Jason, who is a TV superhero Hollywood star, is who her novel is based on. Emmy's dream comes true when her agent sells the movie rights and Jason's part will be played by Jason. To add to the truly miraculous fantasy, Jason and Emmy will do marketing together for the film. And they play up their relationship for the cameras. So we have forced proximity, insta-love, single mom/dad as our main tropes.

For fans of Tessa Bailey, similar tropes, similar character-types and spice level.

This book had a lot of heart but I didn't love either of the main characters, they came across as whiny and entitled and simplistic. I could do without his chapters that kept describing her "muscular and curvy" body and her suntan. Her internal dialogue referred a lot to his "rock hard body"- I dont know, it was just heavy on the lust language. I liked the book a lot until around 30% but the conflicts were contrived and it went downhill from there.

I would read another book by the author and liked the setting but this one wasn't a big win.

Audiobook narrators did well- particularly the performance of the male narrator, I found it easy to follow. This story does have good pacing so it lends itself well to the audio format.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC. Book to be published 2/11/25.

I got hooked immediately on this story. A writer meets her celeb crush and her dreams come true?! Yes please. Loved the chemistry between the two characters and truly wished that was me, meeting my celeb crush. 4.5/5

If someone had told me I would enjoy the audiobook version of Celebrity Crush more than the ebook version, I'm not sure I would have believed them. But listening to Stephanie Willing and Andrew Eiden bring Emmy and Jason to life was extra enjoyable. The Dual POV narration and the comedic timing of both narrators really enhanced the story, including the parts of the story that were told in media formats (like video transcripts or podcast clips.) It was easy to tell chapters apart, and the voices were distinct enough that it was cohesive to track which characters were speaking at any given time. While I missed the little doodles, I enjoyed finding a deeper appreciation for the supporting characters in Jason and Emmy's lives.

Does Celebrity Crush play out in an endearingly Y/N-esque fashion with Jason and Emmy? Absolutely. Did that make it any less enjoyable? Not in the slightest. This fade-to-black romance had some great tension, some great side characters, and definitely had me laughing out loud on mutliple occasions.

Emmy is an author with dreams of Hollywood. She’d lost her first chance when she was younger, after an unplanned pregnancy paired with a ruthless producer who crushed her dreams.

But she’s back nearly a decade later with a preteen daughter and a bestselling romance called Hashtag Celebrity Crush which is being made into a movie.

There’s a lot of hubbub about who the book is based on, who her celebrity crush is.

Meet Jason, costar on a popular sci-fi television show, a reformed cad and bad boy with a young son and hopes of turning things around.

He’s the crush.

But when the public leans into the crush Emmy has on him, they also lean in, even though Jason knows that his public image needs to be squeaky clean if he wants to keep his job.

But when Emmy gets it into her head that he’s using her, she decides to take some for herself as well - and everyone goes down in flames.

ONE CONVERSATION. They just needed to have one conversation, but both are too juvenile to broach the elephant in the room.

Yikes this one was problematic.

The FMC is immature and stalker-y, admittedly using Jason to further her career. Meanwhile Jason is barely redeemable. He ruins her career in a selfish tantrum, his impulsiveness alienating the reader. His character arc isn’t an arc at all, it’s a straight line that runs into a brick wall. Both characters are dishonest and kind of awful.

And while this is advertised as fake dating, it’s more like insta-lust, and honestly doesn’t work. It also feels icky using their kids as props.

There are some cute pop culture references and nerdy banter, but these two would have worked better as friends looking to straighten out their deeply flawed lives than potential lovers. Lots of celebrity name drops, a funny “fat Thor” joke, mixed media presentation, and lots of influencer vibes, which gave it texture.

The audio does the best it can with the material it was given. This is a pass for me.

A very cute and funny celebrity/non celebrity type of romance story. It is a closed door romance as no explicit scenes but that did not take away from my enjoyment of this book.

Emmy is a wanted to be actor turned writer. She has written a book based on her Celebrity Crush from a show her and her daughter watch.
Jason is a famous actor who is struggling with his public image.

These two need each other for different reasons and decide to be “friends”. This progress from there. This book is cute, corky and a fun listen. I would recommend it to a friend for sure. Loved these narrators! Dual narration done well!

I thought this was super cute! Nothing super special but I did like it! Thank you to Hachette for the free audiobook!

I usually reserve one star reviews for offensive books but this book makes my blood boil so, here we are.

First, don't come for me, I did not like Teddy Hamilton. There..I said it.

Okay, spoiler time.

First, the FMC is awful. She comes off as an immature celebrity stalker. She's written a book about an IRL celebrity and added real life, personal details. Gross. There are many instances that I hate about her interaction with him but at the point that she's in his house, with his kid (meeting for the first time, ICK), she's still referring to him as the celebrity crush. Like a trophy and not like a person. Gross. She literally uses him for clout and admits to it.

Secondly, she's a mom....who never has her kid....who is meeting a man and his kid for the first time in his apt and taking care of the kid...so many red flags. As a mother, she should know better. Especially because neither of them are in a relationship or really considering it. Also, he's not even desirable as a man. He's not redeemable.

I hate the social media/pop culture references. They always cheapen books for me and these were too much. The FMC was obsessed with social media. Then the name dropping of real celebrities in the book was too much. And I hated all the mean girl podcasts and characters. Women can be more than villains for other women.

Ugh, the third act breakup. Come on.

Also Thank God and Tom Hanks is ...something


OHMYGAWD SHE TOLD HER BABY DADDY ABOUT HIS KID LIKE THAT.

Okay, the one star is warranted.

In this closed-door romance, author Emmy has a best-selling romance titled #CelebrityCrush where the MMC is based on her real life celebrity crush, Jason. They get thrown together during publicity for the book and later when Jason is cast in the movie based on Emmy's book. Can Emmy convert this crush into something more?

(Real) author Christy Swift is a very funny writer with lots of quippy dialog. Narrators Stephanie Willing and Andrew Eiden are great, really bringing the characters to life and making Swift's writing even funnier. This is kind of an E(verybody)S(ucks)H(ere) situation with two deeply flawed characters, and a major plot driver is one character's deception of the other. However, they ultimately manage to learn some valuable lessons and turn things around. The well-developed supporting characters also add a lot of charm to the book.

Emmy Ellison is becoming a celebrity in her own right after writing a best selling novel and landing a movie deal. It is inspired by her own celebrity crush and as part of the promotion she gets to meet him on a national talk show. Also he is going to be the star of the movie so it makes sense to build up the pair by using social media. It is helping her book sales and it is helping tv star Jason get over some image problems. Much of them are of his own making.

The book is at its best when the couple are bantering with nerdy film and pop culture references. Emmy’s hard working, funny and enthusiastic. She genuinely wants to help Jason. And she is fan-girling from the start wondering if they could be something real. I think it is a stretch to say the book is a fake dating trope. When they meet he is still on and off with his girlfriend, who is the mother of his three year old son. Jason is the weak spot in the story. It is hard to feel bad for the successful tv/movie star with a bad PR problem. I get that he is lusty for her but that didn’t translate to feelings for me. I also thought both of their kids were side props to the story.

The author can write funny but I wasn’t sold on the romantic relationship. The grand gesture was cute but again comes after he intentionally tanks his and her career in a selfish snit. There was zero thought to other people who worked on their movie or how his impulsiveness impacts their careers and lives. I alternated between reading and listening to the story. And can recommend either depending on your preferences.

3.5/5
Thank you so much to Forever and NetGalley for the advance listener copy of Celebrity Crush by Christy Swift.

The premise for this one was really great. Emmy writes a book which is becoming a bestseller. At the beginning, she is put in a position to identify the celebrity crush that her book is based on, Jason Connor. After the reveal, she ends up working more with Jason and the two soon find themselves being drawn more and more to each other.

I was excited to check out an advance listener copy of this book. While the ALC didn’t end up adjusting much of what my review was from the eARC, I will highlight that the narrators do a really phenomenal job with this story. If you enjoyed this book then you'll really love how the audiobook narrators bring the story to life!

🎧4⭐⭐⭐⭐.5🎧

This book is witty!
I really enjoyed Emmy Ellison’s character. She is passionate about her work and her family, and it shows. She is high-energy but not overbearing. I wanted to be her friend.

What would you do if you wrote a book about your celebrity crush and then you got to meet him? I think she held herself very well and let’s not mention it happens on TV!

Jason is struggling with social media only seeing the dark sides or seeing things skewed and running with the wrong story. It’s affecting his work and jeopardizing his employment, so he needs to turn it around ASAP.
When Jason meets Emmy something about her, he is just drawn to. Just as she is to him.

The podcasters in this book were funny and harsh, but I get it they needed to see all sides or just pick a side and root for that person.

Their story was fun and if I am honest a page-turner for me. I didn’t want to press stop.
The narrators Stephanie Willing and Andrew Eiden bring us all the charm and nuance giving these characters just the right voices.

I kind of feel like a bait and switch with the blurb. I thought I was getting a fake dating book. Instead, it was two people attracted but told to not lean into it. Kind of the opposite. It kind of threw me off for the entire book.

It was overall an okay read. I am not into sci-fi anything, so all of the references to sci-fi movies and shows were distracting.

This is a debut author. I'd read another of her books. While I still overall enjoyed it, the things I didn't love (the bait and switch of the trope and the sci-fi references) are specific to this book, not her writing.

<spoiler> I hate that nothing come to be of the one cast member basically sabotaging the relationship by getting in their heads. </spoiler>

Andrew Eiden and Stephanie Willing narrate. I always love Andrew Eiden's narrations. I will say that the podcast sections were SUPER annoying.

I received an advance audio book in exchange for an honest review.

📖 ARC/ALC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @readforeverpub and @hachetteaudio for an early copy of Celebrity Crush by Christy Swift. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.25/5
Release date: February 11th, 2025

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214175072-celebrity-crush?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=0nZtkj7Zvi&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑


Celebrity Crush is a light and fun celebrity romance novel. It centers around Emmy, a debut author and social media influencer, who meets Jason, her celebrity crush who inspired her novel and stars in the movie version of her book. But Jason is on the fence of having his celebrity image entirely ruined, and Emmy agrees to help him repair it, if only to gain more fame.

Emmy and Jason’s insta-lust didn’t feel exactly natural, but I really enjoyed their banter. There were some hiccups along the way, but their eventual romance is sweet, though I feel like Jason needed a little bit more character growth, on the other hand, Emmy was quite relatable, and her quirks were hilarious – she’s the com in this romcom! Though it is sort of the central them of the book, it could have also gone without a ton of the social media references, which didn’t really make me connect with the characters, but I did enjoy the snippets of tweets and vlogs included in the pre-chapters.

I really enjoyed the audiobook though! The narrators really gave life to the characters!

This is a promising debut novel. If you’re a fan of celebrity romances, pick this one up when it releases on February 11th!

This book was so fun and sweet.

Emmy is an author and she based her romance novel off of her celebrity crush, Jason Conner. Now Jason is starring in the movie adaptation of her book and they embark on some classic fake dating for their PR tour. Things don’t always go as planned though…

Read/listen if you love:
Hollywood rom-coms
Fake dating
Single mom x single dad
Famous person x normal person
Bookish romances
Baby mama and baby daddy subplots
Clean romance

The audiobook was fantastically narrated by both Andrew Eiden and Stephanie Willing (dual POV). Highly recommend checking out the audio version!

I’m pretty sure i’m the wrong demographic for this book. It was a lighthearted romcom about Emmy who is an author who writes a book about her celebrity crush, Jason who is an actor. They meet on a talk show and then start working through publicity stunts together to promote the book and movie.

This book is for you if you like closed door romance, cheesy jokes and an easy read.

The love story felt very rushed and I would’ve like to seen it be built out a little more. I also did not connect with either of the characters. I really wish I enjoyed this more!

The narrators did a great job with the material they had!

Thank you Hachette Audio and Forever Pub for the ALC.

I have some majorly mixed feelings about this one. On the plus side, it’s a fun story about wish fulfillment and what happens when all your dreams come true. On the other hand, the characters are, at times, pretty terrible to each other, and it’s genuinely painful to read. I don’t mind flawed or unlikable characters for the purpose of character growth, but the depth of characterization here just wasn’t enough to make it worth the discomfort.

Just to make sure we fully “sandwich method” this review, I loved the clever interludes between chapters showcasing a relevant YouTube video, blog post, or media interview—such a unique way to give more dimension to the story!

Overall, a quick and mostly enjoyable read. If you love celebrity romances, I highly recommend this one.

Read for:
* Celeb/normal
* Wish fulfillment
* Single parents
* Glitzy Hollywood vibes
* Books about books

Audio: Andrew Eiden (a.k.a. Teddy Hamilton—one of my all-time favorites!) performs Jason’s POV, bringing him to life as brilliantly as any of his characters. Emma’s POV is performed by Stephanie Willing, a less recognizable name but a similarly talented performer! I loved how you could actually hear her smile when Emma is indulging in a happy memory or just genuinely enjoying a moment. Highly recommend the audiobook!

4.75

As a huge fan of Romcom's, Celebrity Crush was an instant listen for me, especially since Andrew Eiden narrated it! I’ve been a fan of his voice for a while, and he completely brought the character of Josh to life. He portrayed him perfectly—his voice was the perfect match for Josh’s charming yet slightly guarded personality, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else voicing him.

I ended up devouring this audiobook in a single day because I was so hooked. I caught myself daydreaming several times about how this could totally happen in real life! The story itself is a total dream come true for anyone who has ever daydreamed about their #CelebrityCrush! Emmy Ellison, a romance writer, is balancing the excitement of a movie deal, a potential spot on the bestseller list, and the chance to date the real-life inspiration for her book’s Hollywood hero. It has the kind of plot that feels like a romance writer’s wildest dreams come to life! I know it would be mine! The fake dating trope, which is one of my favorites, was a lot of fun to follow, especially with all the twists and turns as their chemistry started to feel more and more real, but they constantly tried to deny it.

What I loved most was how the story truly felt real with all the pressures of fame, the CONSTANT ups and downs of social media, and the way that both Emmy and Josh had to figure out what was really important to them—success, love, or something in between the two. The romance itself was sweet and full of chemistry between Emmy and Josh that was undeniable and made the book even more fun to experience.

The only thing keeping me from giving this a full 5 stars is that I felt like the ending wrapped up a little too quickly. I love a good ending that gives us a lot of detail of their HEA, but honestly, I had such a great time with the rest of the book that I was still very satisfied by the ending.

3.5 stars. Super entertaining story about a rom com writer and her inspiring celebrity crush. Not only does he star in the movie rendition of her book, but he also stars in the love story that is her life. Perfect amount of past drama being brought into their present day and a few little turns I wasn’t expecting.

Emmy was charming and endearing and I was rooting for her to find the love she was searching for especially after an enticing hug and then a follow up hug competition. The book is closed door but it does mention sex that happened behind said closed door. This one had a bit more chemistry than I typically expect from closed door romances and I wouldn’t have minded if they opened the door 🫣

Hachette is typically my favorite for audiobooks. Both narrators were perfect and the voices I expect for a romantic comedy audiobook.

Thank you to Net Galley and Hachette Audio for the ARC.

I was shocked by this book and how funny it was. I dont know why but when I read the description I didn't think it would be.

Quick Summary: A stars and lovers romance

My Review: Celebrity Crush by Christy Swift is a 2025 romance.

About the Book: "A romance writer’s wildest dreams—the bestseller list, a movie deal, and a date with the real-life inspiration for her Hollywood hero—are all within her grasp if only she can hold it all together."

In My Own Words: A writer meets her crush. They share a connection. Unfortunately, circumstances and unspoken truths interrupt their Cinderella story.

About the Audiobook: This novel is narrated by Andrew Eiden and Stephanie Willing. This tag team worked so well. They voiced the characters in such an entertaining way. From the leads to the hashtag gossip queens, they had me thoroughly entertained the entire time. This was my first introduction to both; I look forward to hearing more of their work in the future.

My Final Say: I absolutely adored this story. It was lighthearted and funny. It was emotional and sweet. It was a fluff and stuff that worked in just the right way. I loved how both characters were flawed and imperfect. I appreciated that they were both able to grow. The conclusion of it all was perfect. #yay

Other: Readers who enjoy contemporary romances with a bit of glitz and glam will like this one.

Rating: 4.75/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: 💖
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Audiobook: Yes
Narration: +

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Hachette Audio | Forever), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for granting access to an audio ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. It was a pleasure to review.