Yet another strong debut that will have me following Ava Wilder for future books, How to Fake it in Hollywood is a solid venture into the celebrity lives of two Hollywood actors. Child actor Emily “Grey” Brooks and former A-lister Ethan Atkins contractually agree to a dating publicity stunt, hoping to improve their desirability and visibility in the cut throat Hollywood scene.
Instant attraction has these two navigating the awkwardness of attempting to be seen in public very much in love, but also figuring out how to tamp down that attraction in private as they learn each other. How to Fake it in Hollywood isn’t just your average fake-dating hijinxs trope; it is infused with real world problems, namely alcoholism, loss of a long-time friend, divorce, and family trauma. Grey and Ethan are forced to handle these issues under the confines of a paparazzi scrutinizing lens and attempt to see if what they have is more than just contractual.
I would hesitate to say this is a rom-com although there are definitely some laugh out loud moments, but more so a modern-day romance with characters attempting to discover who they are and how to love in their scrutinizing society. I immediately liked Grey from the start and found her frankness and openness refreshing. Ethan is a categorically attractive older wisened actor that has a slight Peter Pan complex, made more so by the fact that he has hidden himself away from the public eye for several years after the death of his friend Sam. I found myself wishing and hoping these characters would make good decisions, but then found myself rooting for them even when they didn’t. This book was excellent at building expectations and asking the reader to trust in the promise of a happy ever after (while putting you through it emotionally in the meantime!) Although kind of an insta-love match, the chemistry between Grey and Ethan seems very believable as he was her teen idol and she is the breath of fresh air he doesn’t expect. The slight electric current running throughout their exchanges only gets sharper as Grey and Ethan get to know one another better. I also found myself loving Nora, who redeems all ex-wives everywhere from being the vengeful petty type. She seriously seems to have loved Ethan and wants him to be better and she doesn’t hold it against Grey as his Nora 2.0.
Wilder has something special here, taking on a fake-dating, one-bed trope and infusing it with a dose of reality. Not always shiny or squeaky clean, I felt that How to Fake it in Hollywood was a fresh take on the romance genre, asking the reader to accept character flaws and trust in Wilder’s process. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Reminded me too much of ‘The View is Exhausting’. If you’ve read one book on fake dating in Hollywood for publicity, you’ve read them all, right? Admittedly there was more substance in this book. A lot of talk about substance abuse, emotional damage and getting over trauma is included in the book. While I liked the character development of the male MC, the female MC was pretty stagnant throughout. A mediocre read for me.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a good read on a rainy day. I read it in one sitting.

Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen TV show 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: fake 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, struggles with drinking, and grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend.

I enjoyed the progression of them starting to spend time together, to forming a friendship to wondering if there could be something more. I liked the characters and really enjoyed the chemistry. I would love additional books about other characters in this book!!

How to Fake it in Hollywood completely took me by surprise - an easy, funny read turned into the most intense sexual tension ever to be written. Author Ava Wilder captures the heart and souls of actors-with-emotional-baggage Grey and Ethan, with great character development and story arcs as they navigate through finding new love and heavier themes of addiction and survivor’s guilt. An enjoyable take on fake dating/enemies-to-lovers tropes, with a peek behind the glamour - How to Fake it in Hollywood is sure to please.

Wow. This was somehow everything and nothing I expected this book to be- in the best way! This story was so deep and real, dealing with issues that real people face. The relationships in HWTIIH were so beautiful in their own way, whether they were friendships, romantic involvements, exes, etc. There was just so much to love here!

What a good debut by Ava Wilder! I had only heard positive things about this one, so I was dying to get my hands on it and see for myself. I do have to say, it was heavier than I expected, so I had to adjust my mindset a little way into it. The tension between Grey and Ethan was palpable! The progression of their relationship felt very natural. I wish we would have seen more of Ethan's life during those 18 months at the end of the book-- even snippets of it. I knew when I got 90% in and there were still things to work out that I was going to be left wanting more. I just feel like we deserved to see him happy and healthy after going through his trauma with him for the whole book! And that we didn't really get to experience him with his kids or with Sam's parents after all the build up felt like a bit of a let down. But really, that's my only complaint-- I just wanted more! More closure. More happiness!

I look forward to Wilder's next book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

My favorite romance of 2022! I love these characters and the fake dating tropic. It's smart and sexy and fun - but also handles real life issues like alcoholism.

Such a cute book! Gotta love a fake dating story. I enjoyed the main characters and would recommend this book for my friends! Thank you!

Grey and Ethan.

When you start out fake dating in the spotlight what can go wrong?! Then add in real life? This couple deals with it all. Definitely fallen for these two and the growth of their characters was well done. Loved this book!

This book was just okay for me. The story was somewhat interesting but overall it was lacking. The chemistry between the main characters was not there for me. The romance was meh. I never truly believed the characters were in love, and I wasn’t in love with them towards the end. What I did enjoy was the author’s point of view in regards to addiction and grief. Those descriptions were very interesting, I was really invested in finding out about the sobriety and well being of one of the main characters. Something was missing overall to make me love this story. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many of my friends LOVED this book and raved about so I went in with high expectations. It was very well written and a good storyline but I think it ended up around 3.5 for me (I rounded up to a 4 here). It was a bit predictable and it took me a while to warm up to Ethan. I think my favorite part may have been the very end between the dark night and the reconciliation. Ethan was way more interesting of a character and I loved his personal storyline, peeling back and facing the layers of what made him who he was. Grey felt a bit one dimensional. I loved the Hollywood glamour and I'm always a fan of fake dating but this feel a little short for me.

BOOK REVIEW

How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

Wow this debut novel has it all - romance, celebrity drama, fake dating, age gap, DILF, AND steam. Let me caution you though, this is not a light read like you may expect. While there is a ton of humor and fun, there’s also a lot of tough topics that I thought were handled very well.

I loved this cast of characters and was so invested in Grey and Ethan. Even the side characters were so interesting and played a really great role in the story. The writing was great and kept the story flowing in an interesting and page-turning way. I would highly recommend this one to others who are looking for some more depth to their romance novels.

Pub Day 6/14/22

Summary:
A reallly great debut, I expect this to be a big hit when it releases! It’s super fun with likable characters and has some pretty tough topics that were tackled in a realistic way. Highly recommend!

Thanks NetGalley for a book that was nothing like I was expecting. I thought it would be a fun fluff read. The book is great and well written, I fell in love with the characters quickly. A story about Hollywood actors who are fake dating and fall in love. But, the book is backed by a another plot: alcoholism.
You will be happy, laugh, and cry as you read through the pages of the book. You never know how alcoholism really is unless you've experienced it yourself and Ava Wilder does a fantastic job intertwining it in her book.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Dell, for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

How to Fake It In Hollywood was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. I’m always wary of books that feature actors because I think anyone can attest to the distrust you feel when your occupation is featured in a story. It’s very easy for an author to get it wrong. And while that can be true, I didn’t think it was true of Ava Wilder’s portrayal of Hollywood or the pressures young actors feel.

This story is very well balanced between the fun, glamourous, swoony sides of a Hollywood Romance with the gritty, emotional, tragic aspects of fame. I loved the characters so much, especially the growth we got to journey with them on. I could relate to so many aspects of Grey and Ethan, though I will never ever be that famous lol.

Synopsis:

“Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen show 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: fake 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, struggles with drinking, and grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, Ethan slowly has 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?” —StoryGraph

What I Liked:

The Tropes—Fake Dating wins the day again. It’s just SO GOOD. So good. And it’s a perfect Hollywood trope!

The Premise—I suppose this goes with the trope, but I just thought it was so fun. I don’t read a lot of age gap/single dad romances but this made me want to dip my toes in the waters.

The Mental Health Representation—Acting is a really difficult profession mentally. You’re dealing with your own traumas and issues while also uncovering those of characters. Oftentimes, people want to exploit your traumas and have you unload them for the sake of the project but that’s not healthy at all. I liked how Grey and Ethan exposed that side and we got to go on each of their journeys of healing.

Twist on the Third Act Break Up—I don’t know how to describe this without spoiling but I will say, there is double the pain 😳 but it’s worth it!

What Didn’t Work:

A Little Too Long Towards the End—There is a very important shift in the third act but for some reason, it made things feel overwritten. I flew through the first 75%.

Rehearsing for the Chemistry Read—I know it’s a romance novel, BUT just because it’s my profession I’m just gonna clarify something. In any rehearsal setting, no matter how casual, an actor ALWAYS asks for their scene partner’s consent to get physical. Always.

Character Authenticity: 5/5 Steam Rating: 1.5/5 Overall Rating: 4.75/5

Content Warnings:

Drug Use, Grief, Alcoholism, Death of Friend, Driving Under the Influence, Revenge Porn/Sexual Harassment, Child Abuse

This story hooked me from the beginning. I could not put this down! Grey and Ethan are so adorable, and the author had this reader rooting for them from the beginning.

Two Hollywood stars are in desperate need of a PR makeover... for different reasons.

Grey - is a childhood actress who seems to be having a hard time finding any serious work worthy to help her pay the bills, and put her name on - after a six season run on a prime time teen show. Her raw talent just doesn't seem to be enough despite her success on the show.

Ethan - is a Hollywood A-lister who tragically lost his best friend 5 years prior to this story. Since then, toxic behaviors have ruined his marriage, his ability to be out in public, and work on anything else career wise. With his future ability to parent his children on the line - he needs to reshape his image to the public eye.

The pair share a publicist, who schemes up the idea that the pair should undergo a 6-month fake dating arrangement. The idea is wild, and would lead to mutually beneficial results if done properly. If not, the fallout could be unimaginable. But... with great risk, comes great reward, right?

As the pair agree to this arrangement.. they find themselves catching real feelings. But, what happens when reality meets fantasy? Scandals, lies, paparazzi, family, and reputations thrown into the mix challenge this couple throughout their journey. But can their relationship survive it all.. when it was all based on a lie?

I love Ava's ability to develop strong characters in her writing. The ideation that although someone experiences extreme lows in life, and are capable of outstanding redemption is something I think more people need to be open to in this world. Bravo Ava, I am looking forward to reading more of your work in the future!

One of my favorite reads in a few weeks! It was easy to follow along and I read it in one sitting, in about 2 hours. When I originally read the book's summary I knew that I would enjoy reading it because it contained my favorite fake dating trope. However, I never read a fake dating trope that was a PR stunt, which intrigued me greatly. I was excited and surprised when Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine shared this copy with me.

The story is about a 27 year old (almost 28) actress, Grey, who is looking for her next big role. In order to help her grow her career she gets set up in a fake dating PR stunt with another famous actor, Ethan, who is grief stricken over the death of his close friend and is battling alcoholism. As Grey and Ethan get to know each other, their friendship and romance grows. But this isn't just any fake dating trope, there is also a fair share of drama that will leave the reader very invested.

When this book comes out this year in June, it will be a great hit! Especially if it becomes a fan favorite on booktok!

Once again, thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

this book i was hooked and had it all. i will read more of this and author. I liked it all. Must read.

This book has one of the best tropes out there, fake dating. Ava Wilder was able to create the book with a deeper story than just the two characters having a fake dating type of relationship. Wilder showed the realistic character growth and chemistry between Grey and Ethan. The author had written about hard topics such as addiction, mental health, therapy, and grief very clearly and well. This book surprised me in the best way a book can. Thank you Netgalley, Random House publishing, and Ava Wilder for an Earc in exchange for an honest review.

How to Fake it in Hollywood is the kind of book that pulls you in on page one and doesn’t let go until you’ve finished it, and in a haze, you realize an entire day has passed…. So, the very best kind. The relationship between Grey and Ethan set against the backdrop of Hollywood made for such an entertaining read, which was only enriched by the realistic and human internal journeys they embark on. Wilder perfectly toes the line between funny, sweet, steamy, and serious— hitting all the right notes in this expertly paced story. I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come, and I cannot wait to see what Wilder does next.

How to Fake It in Hollywood has one of the best tropes. Fake dating, So I thought it would be your normal rom-com. Instead of sweet romance I got angsty drama and heartbreak. This book includes some hard and touchy subjects and the author handled them wonderfully. With subjects like addiction, sexual assault, harassment, tragic death, grief, there's no insta-love. It was very much slow-burn. More than a celebrity fake dating romance, How to Fake It in Hollywood it a book with deep emotional character development, real angst, quick fire banter and good steamy times. Loved it.