Unfortunately, I actually DNF'd this book at 28%. There were a lot of heavy topics that I wasn't quite expecting and one of them ended up being a little triggering for me. I was expecting a much more lighthearted/romcom type of book.

I would definitely check trigger warnings for this book! I've seen excellent ratings enjoyed the writing style. Ultimately, it just wasn't for me.

How to Fake in Hollywood was a sweet romance that also dealt with some pretty hefty topics. A contractual romance between MC's Grey Brooks and Ethan Atkins leads to love, heart ache, and self discovery in this sweet adult romance. Grey, down on her luck after her long-running show comes to an end, agrees to fake date former Hollywood heart-throb, Ethan Atkins in an attempt to make her name more recognizable and finally get her, her big break. Ethan, on the other hand, is just trying clean up his image after the tragic death of his best friend left him wallowing in drugs and alcohol leading to a messy divorce and lost custody of his two daughters. The two are instantly attracted to one another but try to keep the other at arms length because to give into those desires means opening their hearts to feelings neither of them are quite ready for yet. How to Fake it in Hollywood is a refreshing take on the fake-dating trope in which, alongside paparazzi shenanigans, candle lit dinners, and romantic vacation getaways, the author also shows us the messy, and sometimes tragic, struggles of addiction, and that sometimes love just isn't always going to be enough.

4.5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

How to Fake It in Hollywood was a journey of emotions for me. From the flirtatious frenemies to lovers' banter to being overwhelmed with emotion by both characters' past and present trauma to it all crashing down and breaking my heart! And finally ending on the happily ever after that each character deserves as well as the reader. I can appreciate that this book did not feel like it wrapped up quickly at all and really dived into each character learning to heal and become understanding of one another. If you are looking for a book that leads you through a fake-dating PR stunt Hollywood romance with an emotional roller coaster and a splash of steamy goodness, then this book is for you!

Content Warnings: < alcohol and substance abuse, death of a loved one (past), grief, invasion of privacy, brief mentions of body shaming (past), and open-door/graphic-sexual content. >

This is the kind of book that has all the tropes to grab your attention, and the story to actually back it up. I was surprised by how deeply this book went into some issues—namely Ethan's mental health issues and alcoholism, and ultimately the book was made better by not ignoring the dire consequences of its stakes. There were a few arcs I would have liked to see paced differently, but overall I genuinely enjoyed and fell in love with this star-studded romance.

HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD is the story of two actors, a younger starlet trying to find her path after a career made in a teen soap opera, and an A-list actor who's been out of the game for 5 years following the death of his best friend and his divorce. To help both their careers, they make a deal to pretend to date for six months. And because this is a romance, they fall in love. I'm a huge fan of the fake dating trope, and I loved getting to read through Grey and Ethan insisting that they weren't going to fall for the other, while doing just that. I was a fan of their romance from the beginning, and I'm a fan of it still.

There was one issue that I started to have as they started to fall was the wealth of personal issues, and the distance created between their actual lives. However, these aren't skated over. There are a wealth of heavy themes, grief, addiction, invasion into private lives, etc, and all of them were given weight within the story. Ethan's struggles with grief and addiction are painful and intense at times, but they aren't ignored. Really, my only actual issue is how quickly it seemed that Grey moved past all of it. But the happy ending is there, and oh so satisfying, individually, romantically, and as Hollywood stars.

Though they weren't a huge part of the story, I want to briefly talk about the supporting characters in this book that truly brought it to life. For the most part they felt fairly well developed and I loved getting a peek at the side plots like Kamilah and her pop star partner, Andromeda X, Ethan's ex-wife Nora creating her own production company, and Kamilah and Grey's work on their own movie script. And honestly, I'd love to see more of these characters (as well as Audrey and Renata), in the future!

At the end of the day, while this certainly isn't a light romance, it is a thoroughly enjoyable one. With well explored characters, and an ending that made me cry, this is definitely one to keep an eye out for.

The premise of this romance sounded great, but I didn't feel like the two lead characters had genuine chemistry together.

Hello friends! I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder from @netgalley , and I’m excited to share my thoughts! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 out of 5 stars!!

I really enjoyed this book. We follow Grey Brooks, a B-list actress trying to catch her big break as her publicist sets her up with a fake relationship with Hollywood super star turned recluse Ethan Atkins.

With things quickly heating up between them, Ethan struggles to deal with his past while Grey struggles with the present implications of their relationship. Will Grey and Ethan be able to navigate the press, their past, and their budding romance? I think so 😏

While I’m not famous and hope I never am, this book gives an exciting glimpse into Hollywood life, and what it means to struggle with your demons amidst constant public scrutiny. The limelight isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be- and how you deal with it can make or break you.

A big thanks to netgalley and @randomhousepublishing for the chance to read this eARC!

(To be posted on instagram June 9, 2022 closer to the publication date @navarro_books )

How to Fake It in Hollywood deserves all the hype I've seen and more! It's been such a long time since I've been entirely captivated and totally engrossed in a book. This celebrity romance that starts off with fake-dating is filled with so much heart, pain, and tension. It is so beautifully written and I love that we get to see two individuals fall deeply in love and navigate the complexities of grief and addiction together.

This book absolutely broke my heart and then put it back together, and I so wish I could read it for the first time again. It has definitely got to be one of my favorite reads of 2022. I mean I loved it so much that I immediately pre-ordered my own copy after finishing the ARC.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC!

5⭐
PG-13 for a open door, not graphic romance

Okay maybe I'm just figuring it out now, but I think I really enjoy famous people relationships?? Or just grisly misunderstood famous actors that are charming but also need to work on themselves??

Grey is just trying to hit reset on her acting career and Ethan is trying to improve his image when they start a fake relationship for publicity, but they can't help it if they're attracted to each other. Their chemistry was off the charts and I loved their banter as they tried to resist one another.

This book was such a classic case of right people but wrong time as Ethan struggled with alcoholism and mental health while Grey tried to figure out how to help. But the reality is that you can't fix someone who doesn't want to be helped. I loved watching these characters grow and find what made sense for them. Ava Wilder threw in the right level of tension and challenges as well as some awesome supporting characters--Nora and Kamalah rock!

If you enjoyed Funny You Should Ask or always wondered what it would be like to date the actor you had a crush on at 16, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up.

Content warnings for alcoholism, drug abuse, grief and mental health challenges.

This book was not for me. I like a little romance, but this one got pretty intense pretty quickly. I liked the dual narrative, I found that interesting, and I wanted to know how everything played out, but at a certain point it was just too much for me to handle.

Actors Gray and Ethan are paired up in the hopes that their fake relationship revives both of their stalled careers.

Fake dating ✅️
Enemies to lovers ✅️
One bed ✅️
Snarky banter ✅️

Everything you could ever want in a rom-com right?

Well... just as I expected Gray and Ethan to ride off into the sunset, they hit a road bump that steers them way off course.

I did not expect this to get as deep in the emotions as it did, but I absolutely loved it. It was raw and real and messy, and just so perfect.

So if you're looking for a fluffy rom-com, this isn't it. It is SO much more. 🙌

Thank you for the advance copy

Ok guys this book was everything I wanted it to be and more! I went into this expecting a cutesy, light rom com and while it delivered on those parts, it carried quite the punch. This book dived into some pretty deep topics that will hit home for a lot of people.

All in all, we’re following Grey a 27 year old actress who is out of work and a little lost.
We also follow our hero Ethan who is a struggling screen writer. What better way to bring them both back into the spotlight? Fake dating. Yes you heard me right. Ava Wilder brought back the fake dating and it’s done well. I really enjoyed these characters and felt that even though they are pretty high profile in Hollywood, they are real people with real struggles.

Definitely check this one out if you’re in the mood for a deeper rom com, with really authentic main characters.

THANK YOU to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for my ARC copy!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⬜
Title: How to Fake it in Hollywood
Author: Ava Wilder
Genre: Romance
Setting: Los Angeles, California / New York City, NY
Month Read: May 2022
Book Type: E-Arc!
Publication: June 2022
Publisher: Dell
Pages: 368
*Thank you to Dell Publishing and Netgalley for my Advanced Reader Copy. I was not paid or influenced to give this review, all thoughts are my own.


TRIGGER WARNING-
Alcoholism / Sexual Content / Grief / Drug Use / Depression


"Control is a hard thing to come by in this business. Whenever you think you've gained some, it usually turns out you've just given it up from somewhere else."




Review:
I'd love to start with how shocked I am that I got this from Netgalley, and how much I really enjoyed this book that I knew little to nothing about. I thought the characters were well written, the motivations seemed super realistic, and the romance wasn't as run of the mill as you'd expect. The supporting cast of characters really balanced the novel out quite nicely, as well.

I really liked Grey, who reminded me of someone like a Rachel Bilson, or Katie Holmes, and Ethan, who I kept screaming BEN AFFLECK at. I loved the setup of the relationship, neither of them wanting to be there, and the gradual bursts of affection from them both. I loved that Ethan was an alcoholic recluse and not really the leading man persona, and definitely NOT put together at all. He has his reasons, as you'll find out when you read the novel, but his arc was important, and I love that nothing gets figured out in 5 minutes.

A well rounded ensemble can really make or break a novel, and Grey's pushy publiscist, and mom-like manager really were bright spots for me. Both characters were so different, and both played their parts perfectly. I loved the scenes they were in, as well as some other great supporting characters like Ethan's ex wife, Nora. The dynamic between Nora-Grey-Ethan was really great to me- I love supportive ex-partners. I also loved that this book had some LGBTQ representation, and that it wasn't really a big deal at any point.

I'd definitely recommend giving this a shot, especially as it's release coincides with beach days and summer! Grab a copy and you're sure to finish it in a day or two- perfect for summer reading days.

I cannot believe this is a debut! This book has all the charm and wit of a seasoned author. This book gets into some deeper subjects (alcoholism, grief), but it is still so sweet, and genuinely funny at times. A lot of the reviews mention the heavier subject matter, but I did not find it overwhelming, and the subjects were handled with care. It was still overall a lighthearted read. I love a book with Hollywood insight and glamour, and this book fits the bill even though the characters still feel down to earth. Grey in particular is a fabulous MC, and you really root for her throughout.
I cannot wait to read everything by Ava in the future. Highly recommend this book for an engrossing poolside/beachside read. 4.5 stars

⭐️⭐️

I wanted to love this one, I really did. It has some of my favorite tropes - fake dating, one bed, age gap - but in the end there were too many problematic things for me to overlook. This book was deceptively heavy and was a bit longer than I think it needed to be. If it ended around the 65/70% mark I think my rating would have been a bit higher.

There were a lot of small, cute moments that did make me smile while reading, but after thinking about it, ultimately, it felt like the book glorified a co-dependent relationship that truly wasn’t healthy for either MC. Ethan is very clearly an alcoholic, yet it is never discussed until the last about 10% of the book. Rather the people in his life choose to ignore the issue and pass it off as him dealing with the grief over the loss of his best friend.

The ignorance of Ethan’s addiction really didn’t sit well with me. Overall, I think if the author dealt with the sensitive subject matter included in a healthier way it would have been a much stronger novel.

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

I thought this book was super cute. I loved the main characters, especially Ethan. The idea of media stars and how it influences life was really good to me. I like how the book covered the topic of divorce.

This is definitely one of the better romances of the year! When faced with Hollywood celebrities, you don't instantly think this would be an emotional, poignant romance, but it is. The characters had depth, and there was mental health rep, as well as an honesty about grief and alcoholism. You cannot help but root for both Ethan and Grey, knowing they deserve their happy ending together! Happy to recommend this to the adult staff here in school!

this one had me in the first half but ultimately fell flat. fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I really enjoy a Hollywood setting. I love a tortured hero and I thought that between Ethan having to work through his grief and Grey taking on double standards, this would be a new favorite. the beginning of this book drew me in quickly; between a great premise and characters that are great to read from, it was the perfect escape. but by the 50-60% mark, it felt too reliant on Ethan and Grey's physical attraction to each other instead of actual chemistry. the pacing felt way off with us skipping whole chunks of time. I think using those periods in between major plot points to better develop their emotional relationship would've done this book wonders.

while I can excuse meh relationship development, what really turned me off was the way Ethan's alcoholism was handled. I appreciate heavier topics and storylines in a romcom but didn't love the way it played out. I think by the end, the book seemed to shift away from romance and, combined with the fact that for the majority of the book it wasn't explicit whether Ethan had a problem, it made it feel uneven. I would've preferred that they address the alcoholism earlier/made that the main point of conflict instead of a second one.

I won't be picking up a copy for my shelves but it's clear that Ava Wilder is talented and I'll definitely be reading from her in the future.

This was everything I wanted it to be! This book fell right into that same sweet spot as Beach Read where there is so much depth, but there is still humor and sweet moments. However, this is definitely a book where I am glad I read the content warnings and went in with my eyes wide open, so I'd suggest the same for anyone else that comes across this title.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book for review.

Goodreads review posted 5/31/2022: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4538297561

I read this entire book on a camping weekend and was hooked. It really helped keep my mind off of my uncomfortable sleeping surface and kept me up late into the night (thank you long-lasting Kindle battery and backlight!). I really grew to love Grey and Ethan together, even though I wasn’t sure I would at first. It’s hard to say much without giving things away, but I really like how certain topics were managed in this book, including toxic relationships, forgiveness, and how we can recognize and combat the messy parts within us. I definitely recommend to fans of fake dating romance!

The thing that made this book lose a star for me were a couple of sexual descriptions and what I feel to be a rather high use of the f-word. I’m just not a fan, but I know it doesn’t bother most.

This was really cute and I really enjoyed it. I wish the beginning had a bit more push and pull (it was slightly more insta-love than I would prefer) but overall, I loved the two main characters and the journeys they were on. I would definitely read more by this author.