Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book was cute from start to finish! I enjoyed so many parts in this, and if you like the traditional rom-com type of story, this is definitely for you!

TW: Alcoholism, loss of a loved one

Grey Brooks is determined to make her mark in Hollywood. After starring in a popular long-running teen soap and some smaller movie roles along the way, she is ready to propel herself into her career and acquire more serious roles. To do so, she accepts her publicist’s proposal in faking a relationship with Ethan Atkins, a Hollywood heartthrob who has been off the map for years following a string of reckless situations. Both having their own reasons for befits of the publicity, the two sign the contract and make their “relationship” public. In the beginning, Ethan is reluctant, he just wants to be left alone as he is still recovering from the grief and loss of his best friend. However, something about Grey sparks something in him that he believed to be long gone and soon enough everything they are meant to be faking is feeling all too real.

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This was a steamy romance with some TENSION. I really enjoyed this story’s take on a fake dating troupe and the very real and important subjects it touches on. I flew through the beginning of this one, I loved Grey and Ethan’s chemistry and to see their relationship evolve, you can truly see how she gets through to him and vice versa. The story focuses on some dark subjects such as Ethan’s struggle with the loss of his best friend and his alcoholism and the grotesque invasion of privacy by the paparazzi. A little past the half-way mark, the story seemed to drag on a little and the romance kind of took a back seat which I did not particularly mind I just wish we could have gotten some more on Grey and Ethan working on their relationship together. I really enjoy Hollywood set romances and this one was right up my alley, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This title is now available for purchase!

I loved this book. It was the perfect amount of hilarious and sweetness. I will definitely be re reading it in the future.

Fake romance to real romance? If we had to pick a favorite trope, this might be it! I thought Wilder's How to Fake it in Hollywood was delightful and the fantasy of any woman - actress or not - getting to date your childhood actor crush? The DREAM! Beyond being wildly romantic, with a good amount of steam, it also dealt with some seriously heavy topics with a deft and sensitive hand. I'm eager to see what Wilder comes up with next.

Grey Brooks's acting career is floundering now that her long-running TV show was canceled. She will do just about anything to keep her career afloat. Ethan is also a famous movie star, but he just wants to check out of the world after his best friend and partner died. With both their careers in turmoil, their publicists think it would be a great idea if the two pretended to be romantically involved. It could help both their careers. But what happens when two hot heads collide? And what happens if they actually do fall in love? This story was a fun jaunt through the world of Hollywood and what can make and break a career. Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC. I really enjoyed it. 4 stars.

This book had everything I love--fake dating, only one bed trope, and our main characters are two Hollywood actors. And there's something about Hollywood stories that is truly a guilty pleasure of mine.

From the jump, this book completely enraptured me. I couldn't put it down; I was staying up late to see what would happen next, and picking this book up was my first thought in the morning. It's been a while since I've been hooked by a book like that, and it felt great.

Despite my extensive love for this story, it's a little difficult for me to articulate exactly what it was about this book that I loved so much, but I'll do my best.

First, the characters. Grey and Ethan were both deeply flawed, realistic characters, and I adored them both. They both made plenty of mistakes throughout the book, but neither were unlikable characters by any means. And their romance was written incredibly well; the tension between them was insane.

For this being a debut novel, and an arc, I was endlessly impressed with the writing. The descriptions really painted a picture without over-explaining, the pacing was wonderful, and the dialogue was witty and realistic.

As I reached the end of the book, I wondered if my rating was going to decrease just slightly to 4 stars, but after some thinking, I've decided to keep it at 5 stars. Although it was difficult to see the separation between Grey and Ethan and see how much their characters were struggling, it was the right path for this story. Giving these two a simple, easy, happy ending wouldn't have been realistic in any way. Ethan was still struggling with his addiction and his confidence, and Grey needed to work through some personal issues as well. Wrapping a simple bow on the story would've been an incredible disservice; by the end, I really enjoyed seeing the entire arc that these two characters went on, and I loved the book as much at the end as I had at the beginning.

I definitely highly recommend picking up this story, and I can't wait to see what comes next from Ava Wilder!

TW: Addiction, alcoholism, drug use, depression, death of a friend (off-page), grief

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There has been something about traditionally published books that have not captured me lately, I feel as if all the tropes are not refreshing, they feel tired and done and repetitive, as much as I love the fake dating trope I did not feel the chemistry between these two and I didn't feel a connection to the female or male MC's at all

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC copy in exchange for a review

I love how so many things happened in the book. I could not keep myself from the book because it was so good

Ava Wilder gives us a hot story about two actors who are set up by their publicist to fake date and mutually boost their careers. Grey is mature and generous and I appreciate that overall, she doesn’t take much crap from anyone. Ethan has issues. BIG, BAD issues. But with Grey he is sort of beginning to see the light. There are lots of triggers and I like that Wilder doesn’t just jump to the ‘they found their OTP and all there problems have now disappeared’ like plenty of old romances do.
A very well written, highly enjoyable contemporary romance. Loved it.
Thank you Dell and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love the fake dating trope and this book delivered! It was fun, steamy, dramatic, and ultimately not the super light hearted rom com I expected from the cover (it talks about some of the darker aspects of Hollywood/life in the spotlight) yet was still the perfect read to devour on the beach. Addicting.

An actress is trying to get her name out in the lights. An actor has a rep to fix. Both agree to a fake relationship to hopefully help them shine. In the end love wins for real. It was a good, I felt like it dragged at times.

Wow, I really loved this book. Not only was it a great romance book (Fake Dating, Grumpy/Sunshine) but there was some depth to the storyline and was unpredictable for me in the best way. Once I started, I couldn't put it down and read it in a day.

Some spicy (hot salsa) scenes.

Thank you to Ballentine & NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really fun read. It was nice to see the progression of Ethan and Grey's story. Not your typical romantic comedy as the author keeps you guessing until the end and it felt really realistic as it happened or could happen. Would recommend for others to read. There are topics within the book that could be hard for some- alcoholism, estranged parents, death of a loved one.


Thank you Net Galley and Random House/ Ballantine for an ARC in return for my honest review.

Fabulous take on the Fake Dating trope that was so much more than you usually get. Layered complex characters deal with big issues and a romance that spans the times. Some slow burn, but when it heats up damm is it HOT

Wgile it did take me some time to get into I enjoyed this book. This was a good beach read. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview.

Thank you NetGalley and Ava Wilder. I thought this was going to be cut and dry based on premise and beginning. This book was so much deeper. I loved the character development and steamy encounters. Solid Summer read! Add to the beach bag!

I usually stay clear of "celebrity" or fame involved books as I've never really been interested or liked them enough.

When I was offered to review this book I thought, "maybe this will be the one?" And unfortunately it wasn't.

It's still a good read. I did not like our hero, I have no feeling towards him other than he is not good enough for our girl Grey. He's an ass and imo not a very reliable father. 🙄

I still appreciated the character arc and growing we got as well as Grey getting everything she wanted and deserved.

I really loved this book and I'll definitely be reading more of Wilder in the future! It's always hard being in the spotlight but this book set it up really well! I felt all the emotions.

This was a fantastic fake-dating romance. I absolutely flew through it and found it to be right in the sweet spot of lighthearted romance with great characters.

Release Date: June 14th 2022

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Grey (though I kept reading it as Gary) wants to continue acting but since her tv series ending she continues to get type cast. She has a chance to get a completely different role. She needs some good PR and pronto. Ethan has too much PR but not the good kind. Between a messy divorce and drinking to numb the grief caused by the loss of his creative partner he’s a mess. When their publicist proposes a fake relationship, they agree. After all how hard can it be to #fakeitinhollywood ?

I enjoyed this book! The characters has great backstories and reasons to enter into the faux relationship. My biggest complaint was all the angst. I’m down for some but the amount cause this book to drag for me. It’s definitely not a re read but it’s a fun beach book.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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