I LOVE a fake dating trope, but this book was not what I expected at all. I thought it was going to be a romance novel with Hollywood glamour, and it was more of a relationship that was toxic at times due to alcohol abuse. While the synopsis mentioned Ethan’s struggles with alcohol, I just assumed that was going to be in the past when he was grieving the death of his friend. However, his alcoholism plays a major role in the book, making it hard to read at times.

I got 81% through the book and decided not to finish it. The alcohol abuse was just a little too much for me and this was not the light, fun read I wanted it to be. Maybe if I had been better prepared going into the book, I would have enjoyed it more.

I loved this book! It was a solid rom-com book about Hollywood with some heavy subject seamlessly weaved in. I loved the character's banter and chemistry. I was hooked from page one and couldn't put it down. It reminded me of another book about a fake Hollywood relationship--The View was Exhausting--in the best way possible. I would recommend this book to any one who enjoys rom-com books, the strangers-to-friends-to-lovers troupe, or books about Hollywood.

When I read the blurb and saw the cover I knew I had to read this book! I love a good fake dating trope. Add in a Hollywood spin and I was hooked from the beginning, falling absolutely in love with these characters. But what starts as your regular comfort-read romcom - light, fluffy and slightly predictable - quickly goes much deeper into some heavier topics. I love how this author wasn't afraid to show real life difficulties and struggles and didn't completely glamorize the Hollywood life. This book ended up being so much more than I expected and I absolutely loved it! What a fantastic debut and I'll for sure be hoping for more releases from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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How to Fake it in Hollywood definitely wasn't what I was expecting, but in a good way. I went into this book expecting a lighthearted fake-dating book, and got something much more layered.

On top of the fake dating, the characters have their own struggles, and I really enjoyed the way Wilder handled them.

This book was not what I expected. Typically when I see covers like this I expect a light hearted Rom-Com and that was not what this book was. The story line was intriguing but the characters lacked the chemistry I need in a romance

5 stars!! This book caught me off guard. I was expecting a cute rom com and this was so much more. I wasn’t expecting how deep this book went. I loved the characters. I loved how serious it got and how they over came it. How accountability made me love this book even more. Ava Wilder books will be an automatic buy from now one.

The heroine pees after sex which automatically makes this a five-star book for me. This is a fun rom com that deals with heavy topics like the pressure of expectations, addiction, and grief. Fake dating is a favorite trope of mine and it worked so well here!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A talented Hollywood starlet and an established but reclusive A-lister enter into a mutually beneficial fake relationship. After reading the summary, I was expecting to read an entertaining rom-com. Instead it is a love story that does a good job of handling some hard, touchy subjects. Overall this is a good read with good character development.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review.

I would rate it a solid 3.5.

Just finished HTFIIH last night and wow. This book gave me all the feels: warm fuzzies, swoons, smiles, laughs, tears, heartache... you name it. I love that this book tackled tough subjects. There were so many uncomfortable moments that really added depth to this book. It was great watching both characters grow, but separately and together as a couple. Will definitely be picking up more from Ava Wilder!

Grey and Ethan, both Hollywood stars agree to enter a fake relationship in order to boost their images to the public eye. If they break the contract it will cost them a million bucks. Ethan doesn’t make it easy for Grey and just when it does seem to become smooth sailing they get caught up in a scandal started by the paparazzi. I wasn’t sure how the book would end, it was a slow burner which included lots of built up tension and some spicy scenes. While funny and light at times the author worked in some dark and complex struggles that both of the characters faced and overall it was a much better read than anticipated. I’ll be recommending this book this summer!

“Being around her felt like parts of him were being switched on that he’d never known existed. It petrified him.”

Let’s start with the top tier trope: Fake Dating. Two Hollywood stars who enter into a fake relationship at the behest of their publicist to boost their images. I am OBSESSED with it.

Ethan & Grey are both very layered and flawed characters, and their story had so much heart. I constantly felt myself rooting for them, together and alone.

Not a just a rom-com, this book also looks at the darker side of fame and coping mechanisms. I liked Ethan and Grey’s banter early on as they fought their interest in each other. As things got real, it got darker and full of angst. I liked the main characters and the story overall.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I really enjoyed this book! I never read a book with celebrities liked this and enjoyed it as much as this one: will definitely be reading more from this author!

I absolutely loved this book. Ethan and Grey's relationship had so many layers and their connection was so meaningful and fun to read about. I loved Ethan's development and I also liked how Grey wasn't quick to trust him again. It felt real and I liked how they didn't get a 100% perfect ending. Great read overall!

I went into this book expecting a cute rom com. I got that, but with so much more emotion and hard topics. This book does contain addiction and alcoholism. It shows the struggle of it a bit and how it can affect relationships. The author created an atmosphere in this book that was so realistic. It was just fantastic. It showed human growth and how sometimes you have to make the hard decisions. I just absolutely loved it. I loved the characters and their relationships. I loved the Hollywood aspect of it. I highly recommend this!

This was a fun slow burn rom-com read between Grey and Ethan, who are both trying to get careers back on track. Both are former Hollywood movie stars that have been in the tabloids lately, and not for good reasons. Their publicists concoct a crazy idea that they should "fake" date and perhaps churn up some positive news for once? Will they fall for one another, or will one of them take the other down?

I enjoyed reading this book and it made me wonder if any Hollywood relationship was real or if most were made for the camera! LOL.

This is not your light-hearted rom/com despite its use of tropes (fake dating, forced proximity). There’s more emotion and depth as well as some intense subject matter: addiction, invasion of privacy, death of loved ones.

This is a slow burn romance with lots of tension.

Grey is an actress coming off of a successful series but she’s hoping to get a movie she’s writing with her best friend made and struggling to get meetings with the right people. While she’s waiting to hear about a blockbuster film she’s up for, she’s restless and spends most nights alone. She is set up with Ethan who needs some positive publicity as he’s planning to make a comeback after been a teen star and successful actor, writing a script and starring in a film with his best friend, Sam who died tragically. Ethan’s marriage ended and he’s been hiding out, getting drunk ever since.

This is partly a story about redemption and partially about grief and loneliness and the dark side of fame. There’s romance but not comedy. I’d say this is women’s fiction with open door scenes. It’s tough not to root for Grey and Ethan. The conversations they have seem real, even the snarky ones. The side characters are diverse and lovely, adding to a rich set of relationships in Grey and Ethan’s lives. I particularly appreciate how Ethan’s ex is portrayed. I’d read a spin off book about her finding love after her divorce from Ethan! I loved her!!

I read this quickly, and found myself needing to know what happened. The only reason this isn’t 5 stars is that I wish I’d had a little more of the healthy relationship rather than just the epilogue and in that the pacing felt off. I wondered if there was more and chapters were cut.

I don’t think the cover does this justice, at all. I don’t dislike it but I find illustrated covers don’t always reflect the serious content.

4.5 stars

Grey Brooks is struggling to find work now that her hit teen drama show ended but has been unsuccessful. When the opportunity arises to audition for a life-changing role, Grey will do anything to help her chances of landing the gig-- even if that means agreeing to let her publicist set her up in a fake relationship. Ethan Atkins was once a Hollywood heartthrob. But after a nasty (and very public) divorce, substance abuse issues, and the tragic loss of his best friend and creative partner, Sam, Ethan has taken a step back from the limelight. Ethan has always wanted to make the last film he and Sam had been working on, but before he can, he needs to clean up his act and show the world he's stable. It doesn't take long for the gossip columns to latch on to Hollywood's newest It couple, but will Grey and Ethan be able to keep up the charade once real feelings start getting involved?

My biggest takeaway from this was that I kind of love the celebrity romance trope. I haven't read much of them, but what I have I've enjoyed. I liked the characters and thought they had great chemistry. I liked getting a little peek behind the scenes of Hollywood, and how the characters handled what was thrown at them. At times, this felt less about the romance and more about someone knowing they've reached rock bottom and deciding to get help. I liked watching Ethan realize it was finally time to face his grief and addictions, and Grey supporting him was sweet. That said, I think there was a smidge too much drama in here that led to way too many conflicts. One would happen, and you'd think that was it, but then you'd get hit with another, and then another. It made the story feel a lot longer than it is. Aside from that, I enjoyed it.

How To Fake It In Hollywood has several very popular tropes like fake dating, age gap, celebrity romance and dual POVs. I was drawn in primarily by the promise of fake dating and the amazing cover.

Fake dating is one of my absolute favorite tropes - I love when the couple is forced into awkward or hilarious situations while trying to keep up the ruse. We didn't get much of that in this book though.

I liked this book. It was just very different from what I expected. I went in thinking it would be a fun and glamorous celebrity romance book. Yet the book is actually pretty heavy. The male MC struggles with grief, depression and alcoholism throughout the majority of the book. Typically in a romance book I'm eagerly awaiting the Happily Ever After. But here it felt like I was anxiously awaiting for a bomb to go off.

If you like a romance book that deals with serious topics or celebrity life then you will like this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC. How To Fake It In Hollywood will be out on June 14!

Rating: 3.75

How to Fake it in Hollywood was a great contemporary romance debut. I did enjoy this book overall as there were some heartfelt, amusing and enjoyable moments.

However, it was definitely not as lighthearted as I had originally expected, as there were some heavy topics and elements throughout the story. So I would recommend just checking the content and trigger warnings before reading.

It is dual POVs of the main characters and has the fake dating and age gap trope, which I enjoyed.

The overall premise was quite entertaining with the celebrity and Hollywood aspect. The discussions around PR stunts, a celebrities privacy and the downside of fame were well explored and written. Again, the story and the main characters dealt with a lot of heavy and heartbreaking issues so it definitely wasn’t a romantic comedy but more of a contemporary romance.

The main characters storylines and self-growth were definitely well written. They each had some emotional journeys and I really just liked how they both sought out professional help and took their time to heal.

The romantic development between them while a bit slow and underwhelming at times was still quite enjoyable. They did have some heartwarming, amusing, angsty and spicy moments. I just would have like more communication between them.

I will also say that the last few chapters did feel somewhat rushed, as I would have liked just a bit more of the hero’s recovery. The time jump just felt like an easy fix to be honest, but the epilogue was quite heartwarming.

Overall, just a great and enjoyable debut from this author.

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