4.5 Stars
I’m learning I really enjoy reading romances with deeper storylines and How to Fake it in Hollywood really hit the spot. Ethan is a recluse actor looking at potentially making a comeback into the spotlight and Grey is looking for her next role after her long-time running show has ended. Their mutual agent brings them together for a PR relationship, but immediately both sides notice an instant attraction.
I knew this was a fake-dating trope but I wasn’t expecting the all the challenges they would face. Ethan and Grey are full of depth and insecurities just like “normal” people and aren’t immune to the dark side of the acting world. This is a perfect example of right people but wrong timing. On a brighter note, the back and forth banter between Ethan and Grey was well written and their chemistry was definitely steamy. I loved the build-up of “when are they finally going to get together” and the waiting paid off. Overall, a solid debut from the author and I would recommend this one if you’ve ever thought what it would be like to date you childhood celebrity crush.

Wilder totally captivated me with her debut novel that I highly recommend.

I was extremely excited to read this novel (which is why it made my hottest summer reads of 2022 list!) because I love a good fake relationship, and I wanted to see what the added Hollywood aspect would bring to their relationship dynamic.

I was anticipating a fun, flirty romance with posed interactions for the paparazzi for a cute summer read.

What I got was even more, an even richer reading experience than I expected.

A Slow Burn Romance with the Hottest of Tension

I sat down with this novel and devoured it in two days because I just couldn’t put it down. This story totally wrapped me up and I needed to see what was in store for these two characters.

Ethan and Grey are two Hollywood actors in need of a turnaround in their careers. Grey’s teenage TV series has ended and she’s trying to break out into movie roles to showcase her talent but just can’t get the gigs.

Ethan is a Hollywood heartthrob that has been out of the spotlight for 5 years ever since his acting/directing partner passed away.

He’s content to stay secluded in his home and drown his depression in a bottle but he still has their final project left unfinished.

Leave it to their joint publicist to propose a fake relationship to boost both of their cred in the public’s and Hollywood’s eyes.

Wilder does a fantastic job setting the stage with these two characters from the start and gave the perfect first meeting.

I felt like I knew and could picture Grey – her ambition, her struggle and her love of acting.

Ethan also jumped off the page as someone who has been struggling to find his purpose again after suffering a loss.

But the two of them together had sparks from the start. I loved how Wilder depicted their fake relationship as the greatest slow burn romance with them hardly even talking to each other behind closed doors initially.

By the half-way mark in the story, their chemistry and the tension between them was intense and I was so ready for them to just get it on already!

A Story with Gravitas
While I wouldn’t describe this as a sad or dark romance, it does have a heaviness to it that I wasn’t expecting.

Grey has some family issues and some confidence issues when it comes to Ethan and his feelings perhaps because of his fame, their age gap or her relationship history with her ex.

She has some great one-liners when she’s deflecting or trying to change the tone of conversations which I loved. She came across more mature to me to the point that the age gap really wasn’t an issue.

Ethan however was the character that seemed to own the direction of this story.

While I don’t have any personal experience dealing with alcoholism, I think Wilder did a fantastic job weaving this topic into this storyline in a realistic way.

“I don’t know if he ever really loved me. I was just something else to be addicted to. To lose himself in. Postpone the midlife crisis a little longer, or whatever.”

I hurt for both Ethan and Grey at what this was doing to them and their relationship but loved how Wilder continues their story for a fantastic happily-ever-after.

If you’re looking for a well-written romance with a great story and fantastic characters that will grip you, stir up feelings and deliver a wonderful slow burn story, this is the romance for you.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Grey and Ethan’s romance was SO steamy. The sexual tension between them and the push and pull was so well done. I also liked that them finally being together didn’t magically fix all their problems and they both got the help they needed to be the best versions of themselves.

I started this book hoping for a light and fluffy rom com. But what I got was so much more. It dealt with some pretty heavy topics. And highlighted the effects of substance abuse.

As a person in recovery, I felt like I was reading representation that captured a lot of my own feelings I experienced in sobriety.

I really loved this book. And I’m glad I got the chance to read it.

It took me a minute to really get into this story, but when I did, I loved it. At first this seemed like your typical love story that stemmed from a fake relationship- but that is not all it is. There is so much character development, and so much more to the story than just falling in love with one another because of fake dating and forced proximity. I really loved Ethan- for putting himself first above all. I enjoyed this book a lot, and I'd definitely recommend this to any friend!

this book was really good and i enjoyed especially the beginning, when grey and ethan start fake dating, their banter and bickering. they were both attached to and intrigued by each other immediately. this book was also a surprise because i wasn't expecting the tone of it to be so heartbreaking at times, especially when it came to ethan's pov. the story also went into a different direction than i expected but i still flew through it, it was just so easy to read but when i finished reading it i realised that i probably had too highe expectations about it because i found myself detached from the characters (but it's probably more of a personal taste thing). overall, i really recommend it to fans of fake dating and actors romance.

arc provided by netgalley and random house publishing group - ballantine.

i will post this review on goodreads on 7th june.

How to Fake it In Hollywood reads like a blend of women’s fiction and romance. Two actors are set up in a PR relationship to boost both of their careers, but actually end up catching feelings. It has a lot of depth, similar to Seven Days in June. The characters are realistic and flawed. I read this book in one sitting, wanting to know how these characters ended up. The cover is misleading - while it seems like a typical cartoon cover romance the content does not match. A lot of the relationship dynamics in the book are unhealthy due to addiction and just general trauma. I would have liked to see more of the healthier aspects of their relationship, particularly in the last part of the book.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings; drug abuse, alcohol abuse, mentions of childhood abuse.

So, far warning, I almost didn’t finish this book about half a dozen times.

For the majority of the book, Ethan is an addict, and at times, an absolute asshole. The relationship between he and Grey isn’t a healthy one, for the majority of the book.

I personally would have preferred to spend a little more time with the Ethan we get to see towards the end of the book, but instead we mostly just get to see him drunk or high, and then we get a glimpse of a sober version of him.

I loved the glimpses we did get of that version of Ethan, of that version of Ethan and Grey as a couple. It’s just not enough to balance out the amount of time we spend on the unhealthy dynamic.

This is a debut novel, and I’d definitely check out future books by the author; the writing is very good, it’s just the storyline doesn’t necessarily work for me.

4.5 stars! I absolutely devoured this book. I read almost the entire thing in one sitting on a plane and I can't remember the last time I got sucked into a book like that.

This had truly everything I could ask for-- famous people, fake dating, age gap, dual POV and a serious master class in tension. I really liked both Ethan and Grey and though they were not without flaws, they were fully developed characters with great chemistry. The tension in this is so so good-- not super explicit steam but the buildup reminded me a lot of the Roommate by Rosie Danan.

This book has unfortunately gotten the cartoon cover treatment which I think will definitely be misleading to people. I had seen other reviews saying that it was quite dark in parts and so went in accordingly, but this is definitely not the cutesy rom com that the cover suggests. I really enjoyed the book overall but had expectations to match, which I think is an important part of the experience.

That being said, I thought it was very thoughtful how Wilder handled difficult topics like alcoholism, fame and pressure. This has been one of my favorite romances of the year and I can't wait to see what Wilder comes up with next.

This is one of those books you need to go into completely blind. The first half reads like a great romantic comedy, there's a fake celebrity relationship and tons of banter and then the second half sweeps you into deeper emotional side of our main characters the entire time weaving in nods to modern celebrity gossip. Read this in two days because I just could not put it down, plus I'm convinced Ethan was inspired by Ben Affleck!

I've always loved books centered around Hollywood and acting, and How to Fake it in Hollywood ticked off that wheelhouse item for me.

Grey Brooks is looking for her next big role after her six-season TV show has come to a close. When her publicist comes to her with an offer to date Ethan Atkins, an incredibly famous actor who has lied low for the past couple of years, as a PR stunt, she accepts. Ethan and Grey are now contractually obligated to hang out together and make public appearances, and start to fall for one another.

While How to Fake it in Hollywood has similar beats to a typical romance novel, it didn't feel to me like it stuck strictly to the romance novel script which I really appreciated. The characters felt like real people to me, Grey struggling with her career and Ethan struggling with the death of his close friend and heavy alcoholism. I also appreciated the deviation from the "vengeful ex-wife" trope that can tend to happen in these stories, Nora was a delight and so supportive of Grey!

If you like fiction about Hollywood, fake-dating, and age-gap romances, I think you'll like this book! Trigger warning for alcoholism.

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

This was an angsty yet cute fake-dating-plus-age-gap trope book. I don’t usually like age gap books but I felt this one didn’t have a huge enough age gap to be a major setback.

Grey is a 27 yo television actress and Ethan is 38 yo movie actor that is coping with some loss by drinking and addiction (aka barely coping). Their publicist concocts this fake dating scheme to get them both some good press and they, of course, fall for each other along the way.

I enjoyed the characters but I didn’t really see the chemistry between Ethan and Grey. I liked the dual narratives and the background scenes of Hollywood.

If you’re into fake dating and Hollywood fiction, this might be a good read for you. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars. I really loved this book and I wish it wasn't over!! I loved how Grey and Ethan met and were forced together and how it ended for them. Though it wasn't easy, it was swoony, steamy and romantic. I loved the growth that both their characters went through during the story and I wanted more. I keep thinking I can just pick the book back up and keep reading even though I finished. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book a lot. What I thought would be a super fun read was indeed fun, but also gritty and emotional. I immediately became engrossed in this story and loved these characters. The writing is so good - I can’t believe this is a debut for Ava Wilder.

I loved this journey that Grey and Ethan went on- fake dating for publicity to help restart both their careers- but things got real very quickly. Things also got spicy!! 🌶🔥

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

TW: Substance abuse.

Grey is a thirty something tv actress who gets set up by their publicist to be fake dating mega-super star Ethan. After the death of his best friend and the breakup of his marriage, Ethan's life has gone off the rails and he needs some good PR to get his public life back together. The problem is, Ethan is not committed to helping himself. With Grey as his fake girlfriend, can he rehab his image without pulling her down too? Will they fall in love for real and will it work out?

I do love a mortal/celebrity pairing and this one was fun. I really liked Grey and her friendships and career goals (yes, a woman can have goals!) Her relationship with Ethan did at times frustrate me (but I think it was supposed to.) Themes about media and celebrity and different jobs in the film industry added to this book and my enjoyment. It does have some spicy scenes but they were necessary to the book.

This is a fun rom com plus and would be a good addition to your summer reading list.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

I loved that this wasn’t a cutesy rom com but had real emotions and angsty characters. Written with heart! Great debut!

Grey Brooks was on a successful show for years, but after it finished, she is floundering. Ethan Atkins used to be at the top, but now is an alcoholic recluse. Put together as a PR couple, real feelings develop.

I loved this book. The grumpy male MC with a sassy female MC was such fun and I was truly invested in the relationship. There were some moments that made me nervous that it was heading into A Star Is Born territory. If you like pop culture and behind the scenes/celebrity topics, this is a great read.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love a celebrity romance (not to mention fake dating?!). And I'm always excited for new writers of this genre. This book didn't disappoint on both of those fronts.

Even though I sometimes felt worried/anxious about the toxic nature of their relationship (TW alcoholism), I rooted for both Grey and Ethan and their relationship. More than that, these characters stayed with me for days later, as I often felt myself thinking about them and their story!

A great summer read. Think a happily-ending A STAR IS BORN.

Highly recommend!

I loved this book so much! The slow burn, the angst! The way Ethan cared so hard for Grey. I loved how strong Grey was and stood her ground with Ethan every step of the way. This was such a good book. Absolutely adored it

Fake relationships and celebrity romance are just my thing right now. Give me all of it and I will be happy all summer. How to Fake it In Hollywood is the story of Grey and Ethan, two stars at different stages of their career who need a little publicity. Together, in a PR based "relationship" they should be able to boost their images and get their career moving again. Personal struggles, grief, trust issues and so many things are brought to the surface as they become friends and their forced proximity brings them closer.

It was heartbreaking. It was fast paced. It kept me reading way later than I should have because I knew I needed to know how things came together or I wouldn't sleep. I still feel a little attached even now. This was not a light and easy celebrity rom com. This has depth and heart and sadness and will be in my heart and mind for quite a while.