An underrated starlet and a reclusive A-list star enter into a fake dating arrangement with the goal of benefiting their careers: boosting Gray’s stagnant career and staging Ethan’s comeback after five years out of the spotlight. They soon realize the extent of their chemistry and connection, and we see them navigate the complications of their unexpected, very real romance.

The book begins with all the hallmarks of a classic fake dating story. However, it becomes clear about halfway through that the trope won’t be the defining element of the book and you’re in for a more character-driven story.

We’re introduced to the MC’s issues early on: Gray trying to overcome being typecast while dealing with the sexist and superficial nature of Hollywood. Ethan continues to struggle with grief after his friend’s death five years ago and the addiction-riddled, self-destructive path it led him down.

As the MC’s relationship develops, the true depth of Ethan’s issues comes to light. Wilder effectively depicts the selfishness of addiction, while keeping you invested in his character so you don’t end up hating him. She also artfully illustrates the experience of those around him: the pain of loving an addict, the struggle to establish boundaries, and the helplessness of caring for someone consumed by grief.

I was impressed (and relieved) how Wilder addressed complex issues without leaving me emotionally drained (I’ve been burned too many times by that!) Her writing style draws you in and keeps you fully immersed in the story. There’s real angst, but it’s balanced well with substantial character development, dry humor, banter, and palpable chemistry and steam.

I really enjoyed this book despite feeling a bit misled by the romcom-esque cover. I’m pleased to say Wilder still delivered a great read, regardless of my initial expectations. I wish the last 15% of the book had unfolded a little differently, but that being said, the final scene and epilogue do give a well-deserved sense of closure.

I highly recommend this book! Be sure you add it to your summer TBR and grab it on June 14 when it hits shelves!

How to Fake It in Hollywood includes all of my favorite things in a book; fake dating, celebrities and the rumor mill. I really enjoyed the story of Grey & Ethan and their unique needs for a publicity stunt relationship. I loved that the author was able to explore the different nuances between men and women’s relationship with celebrity itself and fans' relationship with celebrities. This is not just a light, easy romance read. Some of the characters are working through some dark and deep experiences, so make sure to check the content warning before reading. The relationship between Grey & Ethan did feel rushed at some points, but I was fully invested in the characters and the story that it didn’t take anything away from the story for me. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to my friends and followers!

I devoured this book! A PR stunt that becomes so much more? Sign me up! It was so much more than a romance. This book tackled alcoholism, grief, insecurity and learning how to deal with those lingering thoughts in your head.

We meet Grey who is really trying to bring her acting career to the next level and Ethan, a Ben Affleck if Matt Damon died tragically. They have an instant spark after being set up by their publicist in hopes that their relationship will propel them both into the spotlight. Their connection is undeniable and the journey only starts there before we are thrown into a whirlwind.

LOVED THIS BOOK!

I cannot say enough about how much I loved this book!
This story was perfectly written and executed, with perfect character development. The author made you fall in love with the characters as they fell in love with each other. But I think the reason I loved this book the most, is how the characters worked through their issues. Not only did they work on them together as a couple, but they realized at what point they needed to figure things out on their own. It’s not always realistic that every couple can work through their problems together, which was why this story was so beautiful. Ethan and Grey didn’t need each other to be the best version of themselves, they chose each other to help them. And to get to that point, they needed time alone to resolve some deep rooted issues. Easily one of my top reads of 2022, I can’t wait to get my hands on this physical copy in June! If this is Ava Wilder’s debut novel, she has immediately made her way to being an auto-buy author for me.

How to Fake It In Hollywood grabbed from the very beginning and never let me go. I obviously knew the set-up- a fake romance for publicity- but I didn’t know how much depth this book would have. Without giving too much away, Grey and Ethan both have past trauma and issues from their families, and we see a lot of talk about substance abuse and learning to trust yourself and your partner. This book was the perfect combination of a fun romance and a book about becoming the best version of yourself for yourself.

I had this at 5 stars originally, but the more I ruminated on it upon finishing, the less stars I thought it deserved. There was nothing explicitly bad about How to Fake It in Hollywood; I found Grey and Ethan to be charming and entertaining, but their chemistry felt...rushed? Forced? Meh? I know as an enemies-to-lovers you're gonna get from A to B, but I felt the author just hurtled both characters from really disliking each other to being absolutely obsessed with each other; the slow burn lacked finesse. Additionally, I'm not a person who requires trigger warnings, but I was surprised to find how much this book circled around alcoholism. It didn't bother me, I just felt for what was touted to the reader as a fun little forced dating rom-com, it was a bit serious. Overall I really enjoyed this first novel from Ava Wilder and will definitely be reading her future writings!

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine publishers for this ARC!! My review is 100% my own honest thoughts and opinions.

How to Fake It In Hollywood truly gives us the best of the best when it comes to fake dating. We all have that celebrity couple we’re convinced is purely for PR and now Ava Wilder has taken that idea and ran with it. It was a quick fun read with great characters and a great message.

Grey Brooks was a strong main character with much to love. I did find I wish we had a little more information on her background. Her character felt extremely untrusting and alone and although there was family trauma I never felt like we got to the root of that. Ethan Atkins was obviously flawed and messy and we spent a lot of time focused on his addiction issues. Grey and Ethan really grew in to themselves as a couple and I loved that Wilder showed that Ethan needed to grow on his own first before he and Grey would ever succeed. (And don’t get me started on Palm Springs okay)

The side characters in this book were incredible. I especially loved Nora for taking Grey under her wing. Kamilah was special and I even loved Mia and Lucas even though we didn’t get to see much of them other than a few paragraphs.

Read if you love a fake dating trope, celebrity theories or blind item Tik Toks. Or if you just want to read a really cute book.

This was a very fun, but also surprisingly deep, romance novel set in Hollywood. Grey, an actress who has been out of work for a year, and Ethan, who became a recluse years ago but still maintains legendary status, decide to fake-date for publicity in order to get their careers back on track. It starts out as a fun journey, and continues to be entertaining throughout the novel, but there are some deeper elements, including discussion of alcoholism and the exploitation that takes place in Hollywood. I really appreciated these elements because they made our characters and their interactions so much more reflective of a modern day celebrity, rather than having everything be happy-go-lucky. Again, because of these real-life elements, the relationship progressed realistically and didn't seem insta-lovey or incomplete, but well-rounded and well-developed. I would highly recommend this one!

Going to this, I assumed it would be your typical fake dating trope story. While it definitely was that, Grey and Ethan’s story was so much more. Ethan and Grey’s relationship was complicated but amazing. I loved seeing Grey’s relationship with herself and her friends develop. Ethan’s character arc had me holding my breath because I was sure he would never get it together. The romance was great, the spice was on point, for me, and the story was endearing. I would definitely recommend this book to others and am so glad I read it!

Give me a romance with celebrities and I’m all in before you even tell me more, I’m not sure my Hollywood obsession will ever go away.

From the synopsis: A talented Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-lister enter into a fake relationship . . . and discover that their feelings might be more than a PR stunt in this sexy debut for fans of Beach Read and The Unhoneymooners.

So celebrities AND fake dating?! GIMME. Don’t let the cute cover fool you, this had some depth and explored some darker subject matter too. Sure, it had plenty of LA glitz and movie star glam but really it was much more than that surface level stuff. Grey and Ethan do not have an easy road to their HEA, the author really makes these two work for it, but the ending was SO worth it for me. I also appreciated that Ethan was an ass for a large part of the book, oftentimes the male hero in a romance is too perfect for words, which is fun. BUT seeing one with some serious issues that aren’t solved overnight was refreshing and ultimately more satisfying for me. I’m super impressed this is a debut and can’t wait to see what the author does next

I don't want to hurt the score of this one so I am giving it a five, but want to let you know that there was a glitch with my advanced copy and it downloaded fine, but when I went to read it-it says license has been issued by an expired certificate. This is odd because it's not even in my expiring soon category and is still a month from being published. Thanks for sending it and I hope it's an isolated incident so you get some feedback!

This book is exactly what I wanted / needed it to be and then some! I cannot believe this is a debut novel. I love a book with real characters - real people that you can’t help rooting for and this book was the perfect example. We love grit, growth, and giggles. THE BANTER TOO!! Omg, that’s how I knew I was going to rate this 5 stars. I loved the development of the characters throughout and, while this book does touch on some darker, more sensitive subjects, Wilder handles them with Grace. I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Ava Wilder’s How to Fake It in Hollywood has some pretty big problems for me from a romance-reading perspective but the chemistry & connection between leads & the author’s writing style kept me reading even as I was feeling unsettled by the state of their relationship itself.

The biggest issue for me is that lead Ethan Atkins is an alcoholic who doesn’t seek professional help until 90+% of the book. Of course his alcoholism has had a big effect on his relationship with fellow actor Grey Brooks, who has her own issues & behaviors to work through (& in my opinion, also could have benefited from therapy).

So much of their relationship is complicated/damaged/threatened by alcoholism & their own unique issues associated with it & I would have loved to have seen the characters do the necessary work earlier in the book, & on page. When the reconciliation comes I’m supposed to take on faith that things will be different & better without seeing them do the work.

I have doubts about the couple moving forward, particularly because Grey’s own heavy drinking isn’t addressed & how that might affect Ethan’s own sobriety.

But in terms of what I liked, the writing style is easy, the convos between leads (when Ethan feels up to it) are flirty & also sweet, & the portrayal of friendship feels sincere & real.

This could have been a great romance for me, I think—there’s potential there—but it doesn’t work for me to have such a crippling issue not handled until the closing pages & without having the benefit of “seeing” it for myself.
3.5 ⭐️. Release date: 06/14.




CWs: Grey was cheated on in the past. Drug use in present & references to it in the past. Heavy drinking. Paparazzi took photos of them having sex without their permission & published them. Grey kisses someone else when they’ve implicitly broken up. References to parental abuse. Parental manipulation.

​ID: a white hand holds up the ebook in a greenhouse.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. How to Fake It in Hollywood hits shelves on June 14!

I struggled with how I wanted to rate this book because I honestly thought it would be a higher rating. The writing is pretty easy to get into and you have the familiar romance tropes of: grumpy/sunshine, age gap, strangers to lovers. Even with the easy writing, Grey and Ethan's relationship felt very forced and lacking something. They didn't really have any witty banter or an awkward scenes to help bring that chemistry forward. Instead we are left with an almost cringeworthy relationship.

The biggest thing that had me dock stars is how the author glides over some pretty dark topics. I thought that I was getting a fluff rom-com but this book talks about alcohol abuse, depression, grief, etc. I wished the author chose one avenue and stuck with that.

Are we getting a rom com? Then tailor back some of the darker aspects and add in more humor.
Are we getting a deep story? Then add in the dark aspects but try not to add too much banter.

his was such a miss for me. Wow. I really really wanted to like it…

Fake dating? Check. Fame? Check. One bed? Check.

But when it came down to it this book had a lot of really dark elements, almost flippantly thrown in there. Grey’s complicated relationship with her mother (which never got resolved btw), alcoholism and substance abuse, some serious gaslighting and manipulative behavior, vanity, depression, grief through loss of a loved one, divorce and custody battles, co-dependency… you name it and honestly, this book had one or more characters struggling with it.

I thought this would be a light, fun, playful fake-dating romcom but instead it was really heavy.

I was OBSESSED with it and these characters for the first 60% of the book… then, after their little PR stunt of a vacation and the ensuing conflict/resolution I felt like the book should’ve ended there. Instead, we proceed to the problematic 40% at the end. With another big implosion and subsequent resolution that seemed way too quick and way too tidy for the caliber of conflict.

As a whole I did not enjoy Ethan or Grey as they both had issues and very little on page chemistry… I cant tell you the number of times I read “companionable silence” UGH *snooze!* Ethan was super complex and had so much to unpack (all of which were super problematic) and Grey was so shallow and extremely vain… most of chapter 2 was her admiring herself and trying discern what other people think of her.

Overall, I do not recommend. But as always, do your research and read the more glowing reviews as well.

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

“This shouldn’t be about repairing what is broken. It should be about creating something new. Something beautiful. Together.”✨

*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was Ava Wilder’s debut book and WOW did it blow me away! This book not only has an incredible romance between two well-developed MC’s, but also realistic character growth and touches on some hard subjects.

I loved the slow burn of the romance between Grey & Ethan and LOVED the chemistry and sexual tension between them. Their connection was undeniable and I felt so invested in their story.

Read this book if you like:
- faking dating 👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻
- actor/actress romance 🎥 ❤️
- spice 🌶
- age-gap romance
- fun banter

This was such a fantastic debut & I CANNOT wait to read the next book by Ava Wilder!!!

Thank you Dell and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of How to Fake it in Hollywood. I absolutely loved this book so much! I loved Grey and Ethan so much. I will be definitely buying a copy when it comes out.

At first glance, this book seems like a fun, light romcom but this book packed so much more. This is book was an emotional journey that left my heart aching at time for all of the characters.

Grey Brooks is just finishing her lengthy stint on a hit teen soap opera and struggling to be taken seriously and get some good new projects. Ethan Atkins is a former Hollywood star and Oscar winner who after several personal tragedies just wants to hole up in his house and be left alone. Ethan and Gray have the same publicist who decides they both need a PR boost and what better way than to pair them together for a fake dating scheme to put them both on the map. While they are both awkward and hesitant at first, they soon realize that they chemistry they are supposed to be faking is more real than they both care to admit. But will past traumas, new scandals, and the pressure of the industry be more than they can handle?

All I can say about this book is WOW. It was an emotional journey from beginning to end. Ethan's character especially is dealing with some demons that the author really beautifully describes so that at times your heart just aches for him. This book has:

*fake dating;
*Hollywood celebs and all that comes with that media attention;
*the "let's just get it our of our system" moment (which never works ha ha);
*sweet moments between Ethan and his 2 girls;
*example of a good relationship between co-parents/ex-spouses
*scandal, intrigue, and heartache.

I went into this book totally expecting a fluffy fake dating rom com and left with a huge appreciation for Wilder's ability to write such heavy topics as the ones addressed in this book with grace, care, and dignity. I thought Books and Ethan were fun to read and had so much chemistry.

I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author! This is a great debut you don't want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley and Randomhouse Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

CW: child abuse (off page); addiction (on page); loss of a friend, past; car accident, past.

✨ARC Review✨

Grey and Ethan are two actors with careers that have somewhat fizzled. They are convinced to “fake date” as a PR stunt for a career boost, but it turns into more.

This was a debut novel for this author, and although I did enjoy it, I didn’t absolutely love it. The pacing felt slow, and I had a hard time staying engaged. It didn’t feel like one of those books that hooks you immediately and turns into a binge-worthy read that you don’t want to put down. With all of that being said, it had redeeming qualities as well including nice banter, sexual tension, and good character growth.

Read If You Love:
-fake dating
-grumpy x sunshine
-slow burn
-sexual tension

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 (3.5/5)
Steam Factor 🔥🔥/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this eARC! How To Fake It In Hollywood is out June 14th!

A fun, well-written romance that makes full use of a few of my favorite tropes - fake dating (and for once done in a way where it actually makes sense!), celebrity romance, and that delightful classic, only one bed. I found the plot and pacing were strong, the characters well-developed, and both the jokes and the angst landed - but I ended the story thinking these two shouldn't be together, for all their sizzling chemistry, and that isn't really the attitude I want to end a romance novel with. I just felt their issues (let's be clear, mostly his) couldn't be resolved quite so easily, and a 16-months-later conclusion doesn't make up for the fact that they'd probably both be better off working on themselves alone rather than as a couple. Still, a fast and enjoyable read, and I'll certainly keep an eye on Ava Wilder's work in the future!

CWs: Alcoholism and other substance abuse, grief, privacy violations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.