I really liked it!

Gray is a moderately famous actress who has just finished a series that she had been working on for many years; Ethan is an actor who was very famous years ago, but after the death of his best friend he fell into alcoholism and withdrew from the public eye. Both of their careers are stagnant and with the desire for a comeback, an agent they have in common introduces them and proposes to start a fake relationship to put them in the spotlight of the public and thus, once everyone knows who they are, come back to their respective places and careers.

Gray doesn't trust no one, she's direct and intelligent; Ethan is sullen, depressed and sometimes stupid.

I loved the whole story. I have read few novels that take place in that realm of fame, popularity and Hollywood, but with this one I really felt that the characters were real. Harassment from fans, zero privacy, social pressure, excesses, the idea that everything can be solved with money, the arrogance of those who live these lives, all very well portrayed.

I loved the way the love relationship developed, how one gave in to the other, how the VERY STRONG tension was built until finally made them both succumb to the other. Something remarkable about the author: she knows how to make sexual tension between two characters.

The character development of each one is impeccable. Sometimes I was frustrated by their decisions but if I looked back on their personalities, their past and lifes, I understood that it was the logical action based on their experiences, traumas and fears. I LOVED very much that it was not a "we solve everything with the power of love" novel; the way of showing Ethan's alcoholism was very realistic, Gray and her reaction to that alcoholism, first thinking that "she must heal it" and then accepting that no one can help him more than himself.

There is a lot of drama, a lot of "social media gossip" about them, problems with fame and money, a lot of romance and an excellent evolution of each plot thread.

Highly recommended ♥

thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the arc!!

this was so much more than it marketed itself to be and for that, I loved this book. when a romance is more than just a romance and is full of angst and emotion and makes you both root for and hate the main characters, that’s just the best thing. definitely a new favorite.

This story was not for me the characters got on my nerves which caused me to dislike the majority of this story. This story follows Grey an up and coming actress that’s having trouble getting new jobs. Greys agent comes up with an idea for her to fake date a well known actor . This is when we meet Ethan a slightly older actor who reputation is in tatters after his best friend dies, Ethan finds relief in the bottom of a bottle. We follow the two as fake dating turns into something more.

I really wanted to like this book it has all of my favorite romance tropes but I hated the characters. Ethan got on my nerves from the beginning which just caused me to not care to much about what was happening. I feel like there is an audience for this book and some may enjoy it. I would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I wasn’t expecting the depth from the one! I definitely know that romance has depth, I’m just saying this one caught me off guard. I really liked it & would round up to 5 stars. I love celebrity romances and appreciated that the third act breakup was a huge real life issue. My first book by Ava Wilder and I’ll definitely read more! CW: alcoholism & addiction

Man oh man is the male lead a complex and flawed character. Ethan is hard to fall hopelessly in love with but man does he have a redemption arc. As someone who loved an addict and then lost that addict, I worry these books can be triggering but I will say Ava handled this so beautifully. I feel in love with this angsty journey from the get go and would absolutely recommend this to someone who wants a more emotional read!!!

Great story and love that it was not your typical romance story. I would love to read more by this author.

thank you for my advance copy in exchange for a fair review.

Ethan and Grey have very different paths but need each other to to fix their lives

They decide to go public with a fake relationship that they're just too good at being fake at.

The perfect PR stunt of a fake relationship that gives you a little behind the scenes action and ends up turning real.

The characters work so well together

The cover is gorgeous.

I just reviewed How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder. #HowtoFakeItinHollywood #NetGalley

This was an amazing and completely engaging. I was invested from the very first chapter. The characters were complex. The plot was original.

I requested this book as a "fun" read, but it quickly turned in to one of my favorite books of the year. I read this one in about 24 hours, that's how entertaining I found it. The first half was silly and light-hearted (publicity stunt/two actors in a fake relationship), and it had more sex scenes than what I usually read, but I think the author wrote them well (not cheesy). The second half gets more serious and deals with alcoholism and toxic partners. I really enjoyed this read.

4/5 stars

When Grey Brooks is desperate to keep her career going her publicist comes up with an idea to fake a relationship with another actor who also needs the publicity, Ethan Atkins. As their relationship grows to the public so does the one behind the scenes.

The characters were my favorite part of this book. I loved the backgrounds and the complexity that was built around them. This isn’t just a feel-good romance book, it had drama and ups and down which i loved.

Grey and Ethan and their relationship was just amazing to me. The romance in this book gave me the same feelings that all of Emily Henry's romances give me and I was SO hooked! It is also worth noting that the Palm Springs scene in this is quite possibly my my absolute favorite sex scene of all time! It just had the perfect amount of tension leading up to it and emotion and I JUST LIKED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK A WHOLE LOT!
Wouldn't change a thing and was so thrilled that I was given the opportunity to review this book through Net Galley!

Oh how I love a Hollywood romance! This one had a lot of depth and tackled some tough topics but still gave me all the swoony feelings. It didn’t have the humor or banter I usually love to although I enjoyed it wasn’t a top pick for me.

This was such a surprising fun and emotional read. I enjoyed the characters and the trajectory of their relationship. Hollywood was a fun backdrop in the story. Looking forward to more books by Ava Wilder.

This book was everything! the two main characters had so much chemistry and I was rooting for them the whole time.

A fun romance read. I was three quarters into the book when I feared it was going to turn into A Star Is Born rewrite, with Ethan taking his life and leaving Gray to carry on. Happily, it had a happy ending proving once again we can’t fix others. It has to come from within. I like to read about strong women characters and this book didn’t disappoint.

I really wanted to like this book, i mean who doesn't like the fake dating trope ? because well I do I like the whole process f the characters falling in love and the yeaning for holding hands and more. Buuuuuut I was just not able to get into the story, there was a lot of little things that I did not like and the good parts were just not enough for me.

I suppose that I should start with the good things, I liked the fake dating... because of the reasons I mentioned before. I was ok with the age difference but only because she was over 25, I don't think it would have been ok for Grey to be with someone so much older than her if she was younger. Considering the issues that he has even for her someone who is older would have a hard time dealing with, specially if you are just in the beginning stages of a relationship. The writing was good, it was pretty quick and easy to read so everything kind of moved a long. oh and before I forget, the one bed trope was also there sooooo that was a plus for me.

Now for the things that I did not like... I did not like how everything happened quickly with their relationship. Ethan basically ignored her for a while at the beginning and there she was for some odd reason wanting his attention. But it wasn't odd because she already like him and knew about him while he didn't know anything about her prior to them meeting. The thing that bothered me the most is that Ethan was an alcoholic that was allowed to act however he wanted. Sure it fits the whole Hollywood stereotype that top Hollywood actors sometimes go on benders and that people turn to bad habits when horrible things happen to them. But that was not totally what bothered me.. what bothered me was that he had an ex wife who had been there with him through it all and kids. He had a whole family but it was a random girl who be barely knew that caused him to change. Talk about insta love …

Sometimes insta love is great but only if it makes sense.. in this story I was just not able to feel like their relationship was strong enough for him to change the one bad habit that he has for a gf. why didn't he change for his kids? if he was drunk half of the time, why was he allowed to have his kids around him. His ex wife was probably my favorite character, she had the best personality and deserved way better than having to take care of his ex husband.

I think that I would have liked the story more if it had been lighter on the trauma, I was expecting a rom-com.. something light that would be a quick read. And yes it was a quick book to get through but I also think that it tried to be a bit more than it should have been.

This book was literal perfection. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, just read it!! 10/10 would recommend!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book!!!!

I had a hard time reviewing this one. I enjoyed most of it. The characters were likeable and well developed and they had struggles and things to address, opportunities for growth for sure! I wanted to watch them work through those struggles, see the hard fight to keep things stable. I am not a fan of the time jump.

I really enjoyed this book! I was immediately brought in by the cover and could not wait to read it. I tend to gravitate toward romance generally and love Hollywood style books, such as Daisy jones and the six. I love the realistic aspects and the way sensitive topics were handled with care. I do think the fake dating aspect could have been a little better but over all I’m really happy I read this

TW: alcoholism, grief, and mental illness

How To Fake It In Hollywood uses the fake-dating trope masterfully. This book revolves around Grey, a teen show star looking for the next stage of her career, and Ethan, a A-lister who wants no part of the spotlight anymore. Ethan’s trapped in a grief and alcohol spiral after his best friend’s death. Grey agrees to the fake relationship to land her dream. Their relationship formed due to close proximity, but featured so many genuine romantic gestures.