How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder is a romance novel about an up-and-coming actress Grey and a disgraced well-known actor Ethan. They both need a boost to their acting careers, so they begrudgingly start a fake relationship. However, they end up actually falling for each other. Is it really that easy though? Or will complications derail their relationship? I enjoyed how this story wasn't too light and fluffy, and it actually dealt with real relationship issues. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I went through a phase where all I read for 2 months were cutesie rom-coms. This was one of them. My favorite thing about How to Fake it in a Hollywood is the way that Ethan and Grey interacted with each other. It felt like I was reading about real people and not a figment of Ava Wilders imagination. I absolutely adored this book and definitely suggest it to anyone else on a rom-com binge.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC! I I heard so many great things about How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder, so I was very excited I had a chance to read it!

I'm a huge fake relationship trope fan, so I knew I would really enjoy this book. The story definitely went deeper than I was expecting a fake celebrity romance was going to, but I think it made the story so much more interesting than other books with similar themes.

Our MCs - Grey Brooks (actress and former teen soap star) and Ethan Atkins (award-winning actor and divorcee) are brought together to hopefully help each other's careers which starts their unique and slow-burn relationship.
As they navigate their growing feelings for each other, Ethan struggles with his substance abuse issues and Grey struggles with her confidence in a brutal industry.

Overall, this was a fun and quick read with interesting/flawed characters while still giving us a HEA - would definitely recommend it!

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
I was really intrigued by the blurb. Hollywood stars fake dating to boost their respective careers? I’m here for it. The chemistry between the two MC’s wasn’t as magnetic as I was hoping, but I loved the first half of the book. There were so many cute moments between the two but after the whole weekend away, it lost me. I really liked Grey more than Ethan. He was a bit problematic for me. Although, I did eventually enjoy his character development towards the end. The author did an amazing job of including everyday life struggles throughout the story, including substance abuse and grief.

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
There was a bit too much drama towards the end of the book, that really isn’t my taste. And of course the miscommunication tropes which I don’t care for all the time. ETHAN GETTING OUT OF THAT CAB! Ugh, that pissed me off more than I would like to admit 😂

Overall this was a really cute book. And I haven’t read anything where both celebrities were fake dating each other and I thought for the most part that it was done very well.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Ava Wilder for this copy in exchange for my honest review.
3w
bcbookbell𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
I was really intrigued by the blurb. Hollywood stars fake dating to boost their respective careers? I’m here for it. The chemistry between the two MC’s wasn’t as magnetic as I was hoping, but I loved the first half of the book. There were so many cute moments between the two but after the whole weekend away, it lost me. I really liked Grey more than Ethan. He was a bit problematic for me. Although, I did eventually enjoy his character development towards the end. The author did an amazing job of including everyday life struggles throughout the story, including substance abuse and grief.

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
There was a bit too much drama towards the end of the book, that really isn’t my taste. And of course the miscommunication tropes which I don’t care for all the time. ETHAN GETTING OUT OF THAT CAB! Ugh, that pissed me off more than I would like to admit 😂

Overall this was a really cute book. And I haven’t read anything where both celebrities were fake dating each other and I thought for the most part that it was done very well.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Ava Wilder for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book thinking it would be a light and breezy romcom based on the cover and I was so wrong. This is a story of recluse man and unemployed woman who both sign a contract to fake date in order to boost their celebrity status. It’s pretty predictable from the very beginning that the duo will fall in love but not without some twists and turns along the way.

I rated this a 3 star read because I enjoyed the rawness and complexity of the characters as well as the sunshine v grumpy trope. I also loved the overall theme that you first have to love yourself before you can love another. As I said earlier, it was overall predictable but I felt they should have encouraged each other to stop drinking and go for their goals. Lastly, their communication wasn’t always the greatest, which in the beginning made sense but towards the end, should have taken better shape.

Rating:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice:
🌶

TW:
-alcoholism
-drugs
-death

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heavy on the rom, some com (mostly in the first third), and very angsty. I will read anything about famous people fake dating (or just dating in general lol) but this one missed the mark for me :(

It felt very much like Grey was having a whirlwind romance with a teenager trapped in a 40-year-old man's body lol. And then halfway, the tone of the book changes and Ethan's problem with drinking becomes an overwhelming issue. Now, you KNOW I demand my romances to not just be solely about the romance, so that's not why I feel iffy about it. I think ... how the conflicts were written and explored didn't match the vibes this story was trying to give off.

ANYWAY I won't lie, it was entertaining and I never wanted to put the book down. But Grey and Ethan were not good for each other and they both need to do some healing. As we all do. But separately.

Grey Brooks’ success as the star of a teen drama has not translated into a successful acting career as an adult. Ethan Atkins was highly successful, but following the death of his best friend Sam, Ethan’s acting career and his marriage crashed and burned in an alcohol-fueled depression.

Grey and Ethan have the same publicist, who comes up with the idea of having Grey and Ethan fake a romantic relationship as a way to bolster Grey’s career and revive Ethan’s career. Neither one is particularly excited by the idea (even though Ethan was Grey’s tween celebrity crush), but they each decide they have nothing to lose. The fake relationship does not get off to the best of starts, in large part because of Ethan’s attitude and his assumption that Grey is only using him to advance his career. However, she also challenges him in a way few people have.

A weekend getaway will change their relationship dramatically but will have repercussions that will potentially ruin everything. Ethan will have to come to terms with his addiction and with his regrets about the past. As he is trying to get his life back on track, things are starting to look up for Grey, who has developed a friendship and later business relationship with Ethan's ex-wife, Nora. Grey and her best friend Kamilah have been working on a screenplay but had yet to gain sufficient appropriate interest, which will soon change. Kamilah and her partner Andromeda are two of the most creative and enjoyable characters in the story; while their role is somewhat limited, it is ultimately very consequential.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Up-and-coming celebrity needs to get her name out there. Enter seasoned celebrity with bad press in need of redemption. Now you've got a fake dating situation, in the public eye... nothing could go wrong right?!

This book is ALL OF THE FEELS. I loved that Grey was young but stood her ground, knew what she wanted, and didn't accept anything less than what she deserved. This book is NOT an easy rom-com read; it's deep and sad and very dark in certain parts. It approaches some really difficult topics so definitely check TW before reading.

With hints of fake dating, sort of enemies to lovers, a little bit of a slow burn, a lot of doubt, and ultimately so much romance, I absolutely adored this book. What a STUNNING debut novel by Ava Wilder!

I read this one quickly at the end of July and honestly, I don’t remember much. From what I do remember, the relationship between Grey and Ethan was toxic AF. I didn’t read the synopsis of this one, just saw lots of glowing reviews and requested it from Netgalley (story of my life). The synopsis says Ethan struggles with grief and his drinking. That’s putting it mildly. I am a child of alcohol addiction, both of my parents were alcoholics but have been sober for 15 years come January. I never really considered alcoholism in books to be a possible trigger for me, but this book put that to the test. I might’ve disliked it as much as I did given my history, but I wanted to shake Grey and yell quit enabling him!!!
This is a debut novel and the writing was done well from what I remember. I burned through it quickly, I was intrigued by the story and where Grey and Ethan’s story was going. I was super happy to see Ethan’s ex wife never painted as a villain, and honestly, the only mentally clear person in this book. I can’t stand the whole evil ex wife/baby momma plot. I do see why people enjoyed this book, I think if I didn’t have a personal traumatic experience surrounding alcoholism, maybe I could’ve enjoyed this too. Just wasn’t in the cards for me.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Genre: RomCom
Tropes: Fake Dating, some forced proximity/one bed
TW: Loss of a best friend, alcoholism

📖 Read if you like 📖
✌🏼Dual POV
🎬Celebrity romances
📃 Fake dating trope
🫶🏻Realistic romance
🌶 Spicy scenes
🐘Heavier themes: grief, depression, alcoholism, etc.

My Thoughts:
How to Fake It In Hollywood is a fake dating RomCom, where two celebrities make an agreement to date each other to improve their social status - however, a long weekend of forced proximity takes their relationship to the next level. However, it is not all sunshine and rainbows. Grey and Ethan are torn apart time and time again, and I felt like this book gave a realistic spin on a happy ending. I loved the central theme it brought up: you must love yourself before you can love another. This was a wonderful book, and I'd definitely recommend it!

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House - Ballentine for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Celebrity romances are officially in and How To Fake It In Hollywood is a fun addition to the genre! The premise of this book was so interesting and the set-up really caught my eye. A fake romance between two actors is set up by a publicist and lots of tension ensues. Grey and Ethan both have their own reasons for agreeing to this fake dating set-up. Grey is looking to jumpstart her career after her long-running show is ending and Ethan needs to fix his image. I really felt for Ethan and wanted him to get help for his grief and alcoholism. It was sometimes a tough read to see him go through his obvious pain.

How to Fake It In Hollywood is a heavier celebrity romance that readers of Emily Henry will love!

The premise is so fun. I enjoyed this book. Wilder’s novel was cute and clever and the cover and title were so eye catching. As a fan of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren, I found this book to be in a similar vein and I am always a fan of a fake dating trope.

This book! When I tell you I didn't think a book about celebrities could get so tangible or real-world...

Grey and Ethan are set up by their publicists for very different reasons. They are pretty instantly attracted to each other, but I think as celebrities it kind of fit, it didn't feel fast or forced. The fact that sexual tension and romantic gestures could exist while they still "hated" each other because they were forced into dating for their careers - it was so fun to be thrown right into them being sweet with each other as an act (while knowing they were going to fall head first!). I don't want to spoil anything because I feel like the last thirty percent could have been even more enjoyable for me if I didn't already know where it was going, but it was still well done and gut-wrenching and sweet.

I don't think I'd recommend it to just everyone, but if you enjoy romance novels and the "fake-dating" trope, and don't mind celebrity culture too much - I think this one will do it for you too!

Huge thank you to Random House-Ballantine and the author for the complimentary review copy of this book!

I loved this one! Such a fun read, and the characters were both struggling with real issues. So swoony!

Another delightful book that I adored enough to acquire a finished copy! This would have been a cover buy if not for the excellent synopsis, too.

Here's what you need to know going in: the cover is a touch deceptive. There's a dark undercurrent to this book that I personally found refreshing. A lot of celebrity romances ignore the temptation and pressure of that environment, and it was nice to see two people struggle to find a happy ending amidst their own demons. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Content warnings for substance abuse.

3.5 / 5 stars.

I love a fake dating romance, and this one was fun as the two main characters are famous and in the spotlight. While the romance was nothing super special, I did appreciate how the topics of substance addiction and grief were approached in the story—not easy topics to tackle. This enhanced the story and definitely improved my overall impression of the book itself and the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

When Grey Brooks was a teenager, she had a poster of heartthrob Ethan Atkins on her wall. Now an actress trying hard to find her footing after the end of her long-running TV show, when Grey’s agent suggests she engage in PR relationship with Ethan, she thinks it might be just the boost her career needs. Ethan, on the other hand, has been happy out of the spotlight, as the ghosts of his past: the loss of a close friend, addiction, and a notorious divorce, haunt him. But he’s not quite ready to fully bury his career.

(Guys, this is a romance novel, so) what starts as a stunt just might become more than what was in the fine print. *wink wink*

It’s taken me a while to write this review, because while I really loved this book, It’s been hard to… reconcile positive feelings + PR stunt. While I’ve been finding myself deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole of Hollywood stunt culture since reading Evelyn Hugo, the things I’ve learned have generally been heartbreaking, especially related to forced/glass closeting.

But on the other hand, I LOVE fake dating as a trope. And since both Ethan and Grey’s reasons for stunting are career, rather than identity, focused, and both had autonomy to agree to or pass up the arrangement, I’m going to lean into it.

Wilder’s debut novel adds to one of my favorite things that’s happening in romance; characters with baggage who have to learn to manage it before they can get a happily ever after. Wilder doesn’t give her characters a free pass here- she makes them do the work, and the HEA is uncertain here enough that some readers who prefer their romance to be more escapist might want to look elsewhere.

Wilder addresses autonomy and privacy within celebrity culture, grief and loss, and addiction with nuance and realism. Readers should definitely look at content warnings for this one. Loved the depictions of boundary-setting, positive therapy rep, and the vibes. This was a really strong debut, and I’m so excited to see what Wilder writes in the future!

Grey is a child star trying to revitalize her acting career. Ethan is a mega star turned recluse who is trying to claw his way out of a dark depression after the death of a close friend. Their mutual publicist decides the best thing for both of them is to put them into a PR relationship. This is one of my favorite fake dating set ups that I've read in a contemporary romance! Grey and Ethan have to spend a lot of platonic time together to sell the story...until it becomes not so platonic. What could else could possibly happen when you have two super hot people who are contractually forbidden from sleeping with anyone else?
At its core, this book isn't like the traditional celebrity romance. The conflict isn't related to the pressures and complications of fame, but rather Ethan's ability to grapple with his demons and allow himself to be happy. The cartoon cover is deceiving, this book is emotional and gut wrenching and will probably make you cry. Grey and Ethan are two lonely people who need each other, no matter how their relationship started.

Not really a trope I particularly like, but I decided to give it a try. Didn't like the characters, nor the romance between the two. The synopsis deserves credit for gathering my attention. 3 stars

Grey Brooks is looking for the next step in her acting career and Ethan Atkins is looking to redeem his reputation in the public eye. So their publicist sets them up as a fake couple to help them both.

This book touches on some really dark themes. Unfortunately I don’t think any of those are really followed through on or treated with the seriousness that they should have been. But the romance was sweet and the celebrity dating story allowed me to overlook some of those things and enjoy the story.