When I pick up a new book, I want to read something that is going to make me think and make me feel. I want strong character arcs that bring depth and growth throughout. How To Fake It In Hollywood could have easily been a surface level story about two actors fake dating to get ahead in their careers, but thank goodness it wasn't. This book is full of emotion, steam, and struggles. The characters felt incredibly real and even though they were messy and a bit broken, I wanted them to find their happily ever after.

How to Fake It in Hollywood is a slow burn, steamy fake dating, age-gap romance. It follows actress Grey, who is completely lost in her career after her last show ended. After her publicist suggests a fabricated relationship with her pre-teen crush, Ethan Atkins, who has been near reclusive after the death of his best friend five years ago. The pair keep to their contractual obligations to benefit their perspective careers, but when the forced proximity leads to sparks flying, Grey and Ethan must decide if their feelings are true or if it's just something to keep them busy until their next big break comes along.

I cannot begin to articulate just how much I loved this book. How to Fake It in Hollywood was raw, emotional, and steamy. I loved every trope and the slow burn sexual tension between the pair was incredibly well done. Their first few interactions adorably awkward as the two fight their attraction and try to find their footing in the new reality they share. Both feel as though there is an imbalance of power and they are paranoid of each others' intentions, which leaves them slow to trust. Yet once they let their guards down, the book is full of tender, emotional moments full of true vulnerability.

Ethan was an absolute mess for most of the book, yet my heart continued to break for him. He's been wallowing in his grief for the past five years, depending on alcohol to numb the pain. He has heavy demons to fight and lacks the confidence to pull himself out of his destructive ways. His recent divorce has left him feeling broken and he's unsure of what his path forward should be when it comes to his career. When he meets Grey, he's terrified of his feelings for her.

Grey was an amazing heroine. Strong-willed and gritty, Grey wants to be seen as an equal in the business and strives to push for more with her work ethic. Grey is the perfect match for Ethan, even though he fights their chemistry at every turn. She calls him out on his shit and is unafraid to rock the boat to help Ethan to become a better version of himself. I loved how she didn't try to "fix" Ethan, but rather wanted to support his struggles so the true Ethan, the one buried underneath the pain, can emerge.

How to Fake It in Hollywood is a phenomenal debut novel full of heart. I loved the pacing of the story, especially how unconventional the last 30% of the book was. Unafraid to delve into heavy topics, the book broaches grief, alcoholism, and toxic familial relationships with care. Do not sleep on this book!

I’m pleasantly surprised with this book.

It had a lot of depth, and it was so well-written. I was surprised it was a debut!

I found the “behind-the-scenes” vibes so entertaining.

My only gripe with the book is that I feel like it’s being marketed as a rom-com. I think that’s incorrect.

This book gave me Walk the Line movie vibes. Is it about a romance? Sure. But it’s also about fame, grief, and alcoholism. The cover is cute, but I think a cover with a moodier, darker tone would’ve done more justice to it and maybe reach the right audience.
Just my opinion.

Anyways, I will definitely read another book by this author. It was so good!

Thanks to net galley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Adult romance, mild spicy, moderate issues, perhaps unrealistic resolution. Not a bad book but also not my favorite.

This book was so cute!! The characters were really well developed, and the story came together really nicely. While I would’ve loved to have more focus on the female main character’s struggles, it’s a 5 star for me and definitely one I’ll be rereading in the future

I did a bad thing. I went on a NetGalley request spree and ended up with a mountain of ARCs to read. There's a silver lining, though - I found an absolute gem of a summer romance in How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder.
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The story starts how you would expect: Grey is an upcoming actor who recently finished a decades-long run in a successful teen drama and is looking to take her career to the next level. Her agent pitches a long-shot idea: a fake relationship with Ethan, a reclusive A-list star who needs to clean up his reputation.

The story follows the plot lines you would expect from a typical fake-relationship romance: fake dates, forced proximity, arranged paparazzi photos, and a faux-romantic getaway to Palm Springs. Everything follows the typical blueprint, but there is an undercurrent of raw emotional connection between these two characters that I couldn’t get enough of. So much so, that I’m not even sure I would put this in the typical romance category. The story touches on many difficult topics, from emotional trauma to guilt, deep grief, and addiction.

That's not to say that this story is all doom and gloom! The writing is spectacular and downright hilarious at times. The Hollywood setting adds a bit of glitz and glam, perfect for a summer read.

While there were some things I would have loved to see more of in the pages (emotional healing, reconciliation), I did love this book. It was sweet, spicy, and much more emotionally mature than other romances I’ve read recently.

If you're looking for a funny, steamy, and emotionally raw read this summer, look no further!

What’s your favorite trope when it comes to a fake relationship? Do you love when he falls first? Or are you more of a faking-it-in-public fan?

Many thanks to @NetGalley and @RandomHouse for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#HowtoFakeItinHollywood @avawilderwrites #NetGalley

DNFed it due to the fact that I found the whole dynamic a little toxic and though I could understand Ethan’s pain and all, I just didn’t want to put myself through the remaining half. Grey was okay, if a little inconsistent at times. But like I said, I didn’t finish it so maybe the later half is better. It just wasn’t for me

This was a disappointment. With no chemistry and little development, I just could not become invested in these characters or their relationship.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Good read but not excellent. I did find myself rooting for this couple to make it work. It almost became predictable but not in an overly bad way.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

How to Fake It in Hollywood will give you a fake to real relationship. There's something about people jumping into a fake scenario - whether it's dating, engagement or marriage - that puts a smile on my face. Mostly because it never ends up being truly fake.

In this, you will meet Grey and Ethan. She's been a star since a kid, but her career is in a current slump. She's constantly looking for a life-changing role, but she ends up losing to another actor or actress. So, she can only hope for the best when she agrees to a fake dating scheme proposed by her publicist.

Enter Ethan. Now he's a hot freaking mess. After his divorce, he barely sees his kids and barely does anything else with his life. If he's not drinking, or grieving, then he's usually tied up in his bat cave at home doing absolutely nothing. He could be working on his movie script but instead finds himself at bars drinking away the pain.

Well, until he also ends up agreeing to the fake dating scheme. From the very beginning, I liked these two. He was definitely a smug asshole to her, but Grey didn't take that shit one bit. Which, yes, surprised the heck out of him because he's famous. Well, more famous than her that is. It honestly doesn't take long for feelings and sexual tension to come into play. One could only hope for things to go a bit further when they are on a date-cation.

Long story short, lots of drama unfolds between them and everything else. At one point, I was really frustrated with what was going on because Ethan clearly needs help. Yet, everyone just kind of carries on with their life until he finally decides to do it himself. Which took freaking forever in my opinion.

In the end, they made up and it made me happy. I sort of wanted more groveling, but I can't be mad at the overall outcome. Definitely happy that I got the chance to dive into this and can totally see it becoming a movie one day. Whether it's on Hallmark or in theaters.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (very descriptive sex scenes)
Trigger Warning: alcoholism, divorce, death of a loved one, body shaming mentioned briefly

Grey Brooks is hoping to land a big movie role after a lackluster few years as an actress. That's why her publicist proposes a fake relationship between Grey and A-List actor Ethan Atkins. He's been out of the spotlight for five years after his divorce and the death of his best friend. Pretending to date could help give both of their careers a much needed boost. At first they're determined to keep things professional, but that proves to be difficult as they spend more time together. They quickly get more than they bargained for when they're unable to deny their growing feelings while also facing past demons and the pressures of living in the public eye.

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Ava Wilder! Most fake dating tropes are found in romantic comedies, but this read more like a Colleen Hoover type book with its heavy themes of alcoholism, overcoming grief, and the pressures of being a celebrity. Although it's a fastburn, there was plenty of drama to keep things interesting. I really only felt the story drag a little near the 75% mark. Grey and Ethan had a bit of a rough start as they both seemed to be irritated by each other, but they quickly developed a steamy chemistry while also slowly opening up to one another. It was hard to see Ethan struggle with drinking, especially near the end, but I like how Grey handled it. The end of the book wrapped everything up really well without being too easy, and Grey and Ethan both showed growth as individuals. If you like romances that deal with heavy themes, then I would definitely recommend checking this one out!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In this story of enemies-to-lovers, two actors with careers that have seemingly flatlined are pushed together to brings things back to life. What I love about this story are the developed characters and the layers to their relationship. The love, fear, and pain that is involved in a relationship when at least one party is an alcoholic was very realistic. Reading this story felt validating for me on a personal level.

Bonus: The author uses a balance of fantastic vocabulary and witty banter throughout.
Can’t wait to see this one adapted for the screen (*nudge nudge* producers).

I adored this book! First off, the cover alone is amazing - it drew me in immediately! I poured through this book in a couple of hours. It was real & raw, very romantic and full of witty banter. The fake dating trope has quickly become one of my faves. Ethan & Grey were wonderful couple. Their pain & histories were real, raw and vulnerable. They were each their own person - complete with their own pain, histories and flaws. They didn't need each other, but they chose each other. This was well paced, and I loved the ending. It wasn't your stereotypical Hallmark-esque, picture perfect ending. While it was a happy ending, the tension and frustration was realistic. I thought all the side-characters were well fleshed out, and I loved Nora & her relationships with both Grey & Ethan.

Overall this book, was sweet, realistic and very enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley, RandomHouse & Ava Wilder for an ARC of 'How To Fake It in Hollywood'.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for gifting me this ebook (via NetGalley) for review; How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder is a strong contemporary romance, one that I enjoyed more than I expected in terms of depth and simply feeling very pulled into the story. I simply could not put this one down, I found Grey to be a really engaging character and was impressed by thoughtful and well developed themes on the (mis)treatment of young women celebrities in Hollywood, themes on addiction with Ethan's story, and strong secondary characters that allowed for the story to touch on themes of friendship, grief, and family. I also appreciated that a lot of the narrative moved into Grey having her own pathway in her career, of her seeing and taking openings and chances, and for having a strong, never passive, voice in her relationship with Ethan. This was simply a really enjoyable, surprise big hit for me and I think this will be a popular summer read. I look forward to the next work from Ava Wilder, I am a fan!

Recommend for fans of Funny You Should Ask, Birds of California, and Emily Henry's books; these are all to me examples of strong romance books that also have narratives that give emotional depth to the main characters and allow for the individuals, not just relationship, to stand out.

Oh, how I wish I liked this more. I'm all for fake dating novels, but this just felt like two books combined into one without fully realizing either. Grey and Ethan's relationship was cute but underdeveloped, any problems between the two or development happened off page, and the third act felt disjointed from the first and second. The book went from a story of two actors fake dating for publicity to a story about alcoholism and unresolved trauma. Personally, I would've appreciated a bit of warning regarding that kind of storyline for personal reasons but that's neither here nor there. Unfortunately, I overall thought this was a bit underwhelming as a whole and not particularly memorable.

**3,5 Stars**

I very much enjoyed this heartfelt debut novel; the story was raw, angsty, and witty. Grey and Ethan were interesting and complex, and the dual POV gave readers a deeper understanding of their struggles, motivations, and desires.

Grey and Ethan's fake relationship was carefully scripted with strategic outings and overnights, which was a fun take on the fake dating trope. This helped them get to know each other and while the agreement was a way for them to keep a line drawn, it was also a part of what made things real, because it forced them to spend time together.

Where the book fell short for me is that it felt like the author tried to include too many storylines, leaving all of them slightly underdeveloped. A lot was thrown in but not fully explored or resolved. Grey had a complicated relationship with her mom, but apart from a couple strained interactions, nothing really happens between them and it didn't feel like any kind of closure was reached. Ethan was struggling with a lot of personal demons but at times it felt like we weren't getting the full picture or the roots of some those demons weren't completely explored.

This was still a very well-written and lovely debut romance that I would recommend to others and I look forward to more from this author.

Wow, this story was marvelous. How to Fake it in Hollywood is about Grey Brooks, a 27 year old struggling actress who had some success from a few roles (such as a long term run on a teen tv show), but who was largely unrecognizable. After rejection after rejection and not getting any work for quite awhile, she was left with a career that stalled and needed reviving.

Then there’s Ethan Atkins, former heartthrob when Grey was a teenager (he’s older) but he’s now a washed up actor with an addiction to alcohol and preference for living like a hermit. He has a final project that he feels is his duty to complete in order to honor his late best friend & two little girls he would love to spend more time with, but none of that can happen if he can’t prove he has his life together.

When Grey’s and Ethan’s agents come up with a plan to have them fake date each other for a period of 6 months to revive their public image, both parties are hesitant, but both parties also feel sparks flying almost immediately. This is a fake dating story, but one that definitely stands out amongst the rest.

There’s always a formula to fake dating stories and can feel repetitive after awhile, but this story was so much more than what meets the eye. It had heart and soul. It wasn’t all about them ultimately being together, it was about each of their individual journeys to respect and love themselves. You can’t truly love other people unless you love yourself first.

Both characters were wonderful & their flaws were so completely human. No matter what mistakes either of them made; they felt real. Ethan and Grey also had wonderful dialogue and a lot of sexual tension oozing from the pages, which is always enjoyable to read.
Ava Wilder created a masterful story that was truly unpredictable, and I fell in love with it.

If you enjoy reading about Hollywood drama and scandals, fake dating romances, second chances, age gap relationships (a lot of times I even forgot there was one), and a story of redemption and growth, then you’ll love this story.

This incredible story will be available as of June 14, 2022, and I would like to give a huge thank you to Ava Wilder, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Big thanks to Netgalley & Random House Publishing - Ballantine for this arc of How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder! This is out on 06/14!

Two Hollywood stars needing a reputation boost get together via PR cupids and fake a romance fit for the tabloids. I was invested in the way someone would be who dreams of getting with their childhood crush who's poster may or may not still be up in their childhood bedroom (lookin at you Usher). I was so happy for Grey getting that for herself, fake or not. These two characters had so many layers to their personality and reasons for what they were doing it was hard not to want them to succeed. Towards the middle I started to feel like I wasn't believing it anymore though, and it got a little too good to be true, and then right around then it started turning around. Ethan is going through it. He was probably my favorite character in this book. I thought his character growth was top notch and pretty realistic. The way the 2nd half of this book sort of blows up actually made this for me because it kept me wanting more when I probably should've been like alright get on with it.

The pacing of this story actually makes sense, the conflict makes sense, and the ending...makes sense. I thought this would be more romcommy and I think thats when I THOUGHT it was dragging but really it was just about so much more than being funny, cute and quick. I loved that by the end.

TW(s) for alcoholism, grief, substance abuse, privacy violations

A PR stunt puts together seasoned actor thinking about a comeback Ethan Atkins with actress Grey Brooks, who is searching for her next part, in a fake dating situation as they help to bolster each other’s reputation in How to Fake it in Hollywood. This was a lot heavier a read than it’s adorable cover leads you to believe, but the writing is lovely and the characters are so endearing. This book tackles addiction as Ethan battles the loss of his friend from years ago with alcohol. His addiction is difficult, he has so much work to do for himself and such a desire to be loved, and his journey is well done, although I did want more from him in the end in terms of seeing his perspective. And Grey is so wonderful. She’s funny and full of spunk and attitude and I just really rooted for her. I also loved their chemistry together and their banter. It was fun and quick and really entertaining! I loved the side characters too, they added so much to the growth of the main characters and they felt well developed and I was just really invested in the lives of all of these people. It is well paced and captivating and just a really enjoyable read!

Fake dating. Close proximity. Spicy scenes. Scandal. A little bit everything for your romance reader and I absolutely loved it!

This book was the perfect representation of life after loss and dealing with sobriety. The twist and turns has me very engaged and the ending nearly had me shedding a tear