A great debut book from the author. This book's premise is about fake dating in Hollywood to boost both Grey and Ethan's career. This book is romance with heavy topics such a dealing with grief and alcoholism.

I enjoyed seeing both of their individual journey and growth in the story and love their chemistry.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
I devoured this book in one day!! The story line being set in Hollywood was an instant hook for me. The characters were written so well that the story felt incredibly real. I felt like I was reading a behind-the-scenes retelling of true celebrities. With the behind-the-scenes theme though, serious tops of grief, alcoholism, privacy violations, and women’s issues in the industry were unfolded throughout the book. However, I did not mind that at all. It gave the story so much depth than just a summer romcom.
I do wish the cover design was different. I did not think that the artwork of the characters on the front did the book justice, but that is just my personal taste. I have no doubt that this book will be a summer favorite for readers this year!

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Randomhouse Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Grey Brooks was on a long-running teen soap, but now is struggling to find work. Her publicist thinks the best way to get her attention that could lead to a role would be through a fake relationship. The fake boyfriend is none other than Ethan Atkins, Hollywood heartthrob who has been in seclusion since a tragedy in his life. Seems simple enough, go out to some coffee shops, events, be photographed coming and going from his home. They're both actors after all. But what neither of them expect is the chemistry they each feel. Ethan believes he is no good for anyone and doesn't want to hurt yet someone else. Grey sees how distant he is and doesn't want to get tangled in his mess. But can they avoid it while spending so much time together?

This book took me through all the emotions. I love a good fake dating trope, and this one was done very well. How to Fake It deals with tragic loss, estranged family, alcoholism and addiction, and does so with respect. I am always a bit weary of a book featuring problematic drinking, but this one was on point, painting a very realistic picture of alcoholism. That being said, the whole book wasn't heavy, it was somehow light, and the first half was full of palpable attraction you could feel through the pages. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of fake dating, celebrity romance, addiction representation, and steamy open-door romance.

This book was a perfectly complex fake romance trope book. Complex as in Grey and Ethan are complex characters trying to figure out how to best move forward in their film careers after some career stagnation.

CW: substance abuse

Grey and Ethan was a perfect example of a couple that didn’t make it at first but worked on themselves before having another go at their relationship. Both of their self growths, learning what they wanted (in life and their relationship) and having healthy boundaries made me really want them to succeed.

Ethan as a character was a bit annoying because Grey and others kept trying to connect with him, but because of his alcohol dependence he didn’t care or notice efforts being made. I’m happy that Ethan did make an active effort at recovery before pursuing Grey again.

4/5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The opposite of cliche romance!!! This book had me hooked, and romance is so not my thing, yet the dark and twisty Hollywood romance really rang true! I just wanted more development and intrigue between the two main characters and more spice and more goofy moments so that that peak love could’ve left me feeling moreee. This book made me feel a lot of things, I just needed a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
This book was really interesting. It kind of reminded me of the newer A Star Is Born movie, but with a happier ending. I thought both characters were well developed. I think this might be because of the close third-person point of view but with dual perspectives. I thought Grey was super relatable even though she was a semi-famous actress. While I found the characters and their relationship super interesting, I did find myself skimming through some of the prose. I'm not sure if I wasn't super interested or if I just didn't love the writing style. I didn't love the format of the epilogue because I felt like it wasn't totally reliable (going to leave it at that because I don't want to spoil anything).

Read This If:
•Enjoy the fake dating trope
•Had a celeb crush when you were younger

Thoughts:
This book… you guys are going to love! I am a sucker for the fake dating trope, but this was so much more than that. This was not your typical fake dating romance book in my opinion. It got very deep and sometimes a little dark. Ethan & Grey had great banter and chemistry, which I loved. But they also were very complex people on their own. I loved the evolution of their characters. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, I had a stupid grin on my face while reading, my jaw hanging open at some parts, and just completely heartbroken at times.
 
I really enjoyed this reading this one and recommend! I will def be purchasing a physical copy of this one!
 
Thank you @Netgalley & @randomhouse for this advanced copy!

Check out the trigger warnings before reading this one

Definitely a good book, I enjoyed it, I loved the journeys of the MCs, and there’s a lot to enjoy here.

I can't believe that this is Ava Wilder's debut! There's so much about this book to love and it makes me excited to look forward to her future books.

The mood of this book can be summed up in one word: angst. And that's not a bad thing! I had forewarning from a friend but based on the cover I'd been expecting a lighter rom-com feel. This is so not a rom-com.

Grey and Ethan are just such great MCs from the beginning. Ethan is just surrounded by a cloud of grief that he can't pull himself out of, even 5 years after the death of his best friend. Grey has her own baggage stemming from her oh-so-Hollywood mother who controlled her child-star career and money for far too long. What I loved about them is that none of this was brushed aside - they were dealt with head on and Hollywood was not shiny and perfect. We got to see some of the many imperfections. I like messy characters and this author delivered.

The book also deals with serious addiction issues - Ethan cannot stop drinking and it gets worse and worse throughout the book. It's not hidden and is a major issue. I appreciated the way it was handled.

I loved the ending (no spoilers!) a whole lot but there is a part right before the ending that I wish was expanded a bit more so that we could have seen what happened more in depth there. But beyond that, I really loved this book.

CW: off page child abuse in the past, toxic parental relationships, off page death of friend, grief, alcohol and drug abuse, gross invasion of privacy

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

OTD: What's your favorite TV show?
My A: GREY'S ANATOMY (seasons 1-11) and SVU
.
I'm not going to lie, I chose this book on NetGalley specifically for the cover. I love the amazing covers we've been getting with romance novels the last few years, and this is no exception! That being said, it wasn't my *favorite* book.
.
I had to stop around 60% through and just skim around to see if things picked up or got better and I just couldn't get into this one. The two main characters have ZERO chemistry. It was almost a little buzzare when he told her he didn't have feelings for her and her immediate thought was something along the lines of... oh he SO wants me. The vibe between these two was just... Off. 🤷
.
That being said, there's nothing bad about this book and I think plenty of people will really like it! There's some interesting topics tackled and sides of the celebrity life I think we normal people sometimes forget. The ending was nice, I just wish it'd been a little longer so we could see more growth.
.
BLURB:
Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen soap has her (unsuccessfully) pounding the pavement again. With a life-changing role on the line, she's finally desperate enough to agree to her publicist's scheme... faking a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity, but for very different reasons.

Ethan Atkins just wants to be left alone. Between his high-profile divorce, his struggles with drinking, and his grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, he's slowly let himself fade into the background. But if he ever wants to produce the last movie he and his partner wrote together, Ethan needs to clean up his reputation and step back into the spotlight. A gossip-inducing affair with a gorgeous actress might be just the ticket, even if it's the last thing he wants to do.

Though their juicy public relationship is less than perfect behind the scenes, it doesn't take long before Grey and Ethan's sizzling chemistry starts to feel like more than just an act. But after decades in a ruthless industry that requires bulletproof emotional armor to survive, are they too used to faking it to open themselves up to the real thing?

Grey and Ethan are both actors who need a boost to help them get back into the spotlight. Obviously, the solution that their PR agent comes up with is that they have a fake relationship! Get some pictures taken of her going into his house at night and leaving in the morning, go on a couple dates, a red carpet visit, and then break up after six months or so and move on with life!

Of course, that's not exactly how things turn out. The two both end up developing feelings and neither of them are happy about it.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Grey and Ethan were both well thought out characters who had great supporting characters around them. Fake dating is so much fun to me, but usually kind of hard to believe, but these two getting set up makes perfect sense to me and watching the highs and lows of their relationship made me want to root for both of them (even when they were making some really dumb choices).

The book also spends time discussing important issues! Ethan struggles with grief over the death of his best friend, alcoholism, the impact of an abusive parent in his childhood, and trying to co-parent with his ex-wife (who, just to be clear, is incredible. It's possible Nora is my favorite character). Grey experiences sexism, invasion of privacy from paparazzi, was cheated on by a co-star boyfriend in the past, and has a fraught relationship with her mother due to her being the "breadwinner" of the family from such a young age. They've both dealt with their fair share of trauma, and watching the two try and communicate and do what they can to be good for one another is honestly beautiful.

3.5 stars! I liked this book. I enjoyed the writing and thought it was good. I love fake dating so I was excited to read this. I liked the tension between Grey and Ethan leading up to them getting together, but I wish there was more of that. It was also a heavy book at times, so be aware of that and look up trigger warnings. If you want to read a book that’s not just a light, fluffy rom-com and deals with some difficult things, this is the one for you!

Such an amazing debut from Ava Wilder. This book has everything. It's sexy, heartbreakingly romantic, and touches on heavy things with such thoughtfulness and grace. I was rooting so hard for Grey's success and Ethan's sobriety. They fought so hard for their happy ending and I absolutely loved going on the journey.

Fake dating is one of the oddest romance tropes--and one of the few that actually works better when combined with a celebrity romance, because at least it is somewhat plausible. And this is one of the more plausible fake-dating celebrity romance stories I've seen. More akin to The View Was Exhausting than something like The Decoy Girlfriend by Lillie Vale or Lucky Star by Susannah Nix, this book follows the fake turned real romance between two celebrities, big-name star Ethan Atkins who has become a recluse since the death of his best friend, and up-and-comer teen drama star Grey Brooks. While neither is sold on the idea of fake dating, they each agree for their own reasons--including an undeniable attraction to each other.

This book gets dark at times, and trigger warning for substance abuse, stalking, and privacy violations, but it seems to more accurately portray the ups and downs and nitty gritty of Hollywood (but what do I know--I live a normal life on the East Coast). It's a bit more epic romance than romantic comedy, but I have no problem with that and rather found it a refreshing change of pace. The writing is beautiful, the characters complex, and the plot relatively logical. And, of course, there's steam, celebrities, and fake dating. What more could we want in a romance?

Thanks to Ballantine Books for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

This book was wonderful. It was a fantastic debut novel from Ava Wilder and I hope she keeps writing because I will read everything.
It was way more than just fake dating for the sake of some good PR. Grey is looking for her next big thing, but after not working after her long running series ended she needs something to help elevate that. Her publicist suggests she starts a relationship with an A list actor, who has essentially been in hiding for the last 5 years and also needs some good attention, so they can really help each other out. With a role that could really change her life, she agrees and so does Ethan.
Ethan wants nothing to do with anyone. Ever since he best friend died in a car accident 5 years ago, Ethan’s basically been a shut in. He’s deeply depressed and grieving without really grieving. He keeps so much inside and he doesn’t have anyone to talk to, but he likes it that way.
The first half of the book is just them trying to figure the other out, and the tension was SO GOOD. Ethan is older and Grey watched and obsessed over him when she was a teenager - so really this is her dream come true. And Ethan clearly wants more than just their contractual relationship but he knows that he can’t have it nor does he deserve it. But the more Ethan’s true self comes out the more she realizes that he has a lot more going on than he’d like anyone to know.
There was a lot of depth in this story - depression, grief, alcoholism, the result of child acting, cheating and now NOT glamorous Hollywood can really be. I thought it was all written well. It was clear that Ethan was struggling but for a while, when things were good with Grey, so was he until he had to really deal with his issues. And Grey was trying to hard to help him the whole time, but without him wanting her help it was impossible. And Grey had to realize that.


Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! It comes out June 14, and I cannot wait for everyone to read it!

I’ll post this to my Instagram ARC highlights which is always available. I’ll post it on the release date of June 14, and add that link as soon as possible. It is also available on goodreads, Storygraph and BookBub, which is also linked.

Love, struggles amd Hollywood drama. I enjoyed reading Grey and Ethans story. Young actress meets childhood Hollywood crush in an unexpected way. Navigating boundaries and trust limitations. I felt the author did a great job addressing a few struggles between the couple and showing a more realistic approach towards one of their biggest hurdles.

This was so boring. The characters had no chemistry. The dude had a ~tragic backstory~ (sorta?) and the woman had the personality of a cardboard cutout. It was just so...mediocre.

3 ★

“You were wrong. It’s you. It’s always been you.”

¿Un libro que habla sobre una relación falsa entre 2 estrellas de Hollywood? Obvio que lo voy a leer.

Para poder mantener su carrera a flote, Grey Brooks es convencida por su publicista a estar en una relación falsa con Ethan Atkins, la superestrella que por un fatídico accidente lo pierde todo. Pero, conforme van pasando más tiempo juntos, descubren que quizás la relación no sea tan falsa.

La verdad que la primera mitad del libro estuvo interesante y bien desarrollada. Sin embargo, el drama de la vida de Ethan consume demasiado la otra mitad del libro y hace que la trama se sienta repetitiva y cansina. Además, que el desarrollo del personaje no toma un buen rumbo, se vuelve un poco tóxico consigo mismo y destructor.

Felizmente, quien salva el libro es Grey, el personaje me gustó bastante, pero me hubiera gustado que la autora se centrara un poco más en ella que en Ethan, porque en sí muchas cosas a ella no le pasan y hasta un punto la sentí aburrida. Es un personaje que sabe lo que quiere, sí me hubiera gustado que hablen de la relación con su madre, ya que sentí que no cerró completamente ese aspecto de su vida y solo se dedicó a ser el soporte de Ethan.

Pero bueno, ha sido una lectura entretenida y me ha gustado, hubo algunas escenas interesantes que no vi venir, pero que suelen pasar en Hollywood. Creo que este libro lo podrían leer si les gustó cualquier libro de Christina Lauren.

Don’t let this cute cover convince you this is a light rom-com. This thing was heavy. We had alcoholism, unwilling publication of private photos, a deep depression spiral, and just a whole bunch of pain.

Overall, I enjoyed it. Their chemistry was super hot especially since it started from an agreement in a PR office. I was proud of Grey the entire book for standing up for herself no matter who was dumping on her.

Her career was wildly important to her but she managed to find and maintain important female friendships that weren’t related to the main love storyline and I really liked that. I don’t feel like some books I’ve read recently would pass the Bechdel test. This did with flying colors.

Pub date: 6/14/2022

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.