Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 3.5/5

How to Fake it In Hollywood is a fun and funny romance that draws you in right out of the gates. Grey is endearing, hilarious, strong, and relatable; from the first page she’s someone you want to root for. Ethan is, frankly, just about everything I want out of a love interest: grumpy, dilf, grey steaks in his hair, absolutely down bad for Grey. This has all the makings of a great summer romance, with a healthy dose of fun tropes thrown in. Fake dating, one bed trope—it’s hard to go wrong with these.

I absolutely blew through this book. Romances about famous people are just so much fun to me, and this one hit all the right notes for that. For the first two thirds of the book, this was a solid 4.5 for me—and even at the end, I really did enjoy it! Where it didn’t quite work for me was the pacing at the end. After the first major conflict, everything felt like it happened too quickly; major events were sped through, and the resolution happens too easily and with a convenient time skip that glosses over everything juicy. Beyond this, I do dock it a bit based solely on personal taste; towards the end there are some tropes I personally just am not a fan of, and it did bring down my enjoyment.

Overall, this is a fun and entertaining romance read that feels made for the summer. I would definitely still recommend it!

This one took me a while to get interested in, but once I did, I found it pretty interesting. It deals with some heavier topics that might not be apparent from the very romcom-y type cover. I should definitely stop judging books by their covers lol. Anyway, I liked this! I would probably not recommend this to people looking for a romcom, but it is a more realistic story of people overcoming their issues in order to have a healthy relationship.

DNF - for now, i unfortunately couldn’t get into this book but i can see myself reading it in the future. just not for me rn!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫- { HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD - Ava Wilder }

This was not your typical light and breezy romance where some silly obstacle prevents the main characters from getting together but once they do they have amazing sex and ride off in the sunset. There was amazing sex, but there were some serious hurdles like Ethans alcoholism and past emotional traumas that made this a much more dramatic read then I was anticipating.
There were times I was cringing at just how pathetic and self destructive Ethan was. I wanted to scream at him to pull himself together! My heart ached for Ethan and Grey because they were both so vulnerable in their own ways and ended up so codependent on each other due to their issues. It almost felt like two different books because the first half was definitely not as serious as the second half became. I enjoyed how real and raw it got…love and life are like that sometimes ❤️‍🩹

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

TW: alcoholism, death of loved one

This book was not quite what I was expecting. It was honest, real, and serious in many ways. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.

Typically, when I think about and read fake dating tropes (especially Hollywood ones), there is quite a bit of fun to be had. The two people in the fake relationship are at each other's throats or making up wild stories about how they met, etc. This book was a little different. While there was a bit of fun towards the beginning of the book, it was always overshadowed by a more serious issue. I think I would have liked more lighthearted/fun scenes, but I understand why the hard-hitting content was necessary.

Ethan, our love interest, has lots of issues. He's not perfect by any means and I really loved that. The whole book is an exploration of his and Grey's relationship, yes, but also of his growth and recovery. He had so much to work through in this book so it was really interesting to see how things played out.

I really loved Grey as a character. She was strong, funny, and not afraid to go for what she wanted. She was exactly what Ethan needed to kickstart his life once more.

I really don't have much more to say about this book. It was a good read. Again, a bit more on the serious side, but really good nevertheless. I recommend.

I devoured this book in one sitting. It’s that good. I can’t believe this is a debut novel as the characters, plot and writing were perfect and made what could have been just another Hollywood rom com so much more. I loved the chemistry between Grey and Ethan and appreciated the way that Wilder investigated issues like abuse, addiction, grief, and recovery to show us that life and love aren’t always picture perfect.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ava Wilder for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.25🌟 Fake dating in Hollywood? Two of my favorite things in one?! We are following Grey and Ethan as they navigate a PR relationship in the public eye. Ethan is dealing with immense grief surrounding the loss of a friend, while Grey tries to conquer imposter syndrome within her career, after not booking projects for an extended period of time.

There are so many ups and downs in this story, all of which felt really grounded and believable. I loved the way they dealt with their problems, both together and apart. The side characters also felt three-dimensional and I loved the dynamics they brought to the story. The banter between Grey and Ethan was so funny and sweet, and I really believed the way they slowly but surely began to fall for each other. This deals with heavier topics, so please check content warnings before reading.

*Thank you to Random House Publishing (Ballantine) and NetGalley for the eARC!

There was so much more to this romance than I expected from the fun cover. I felt Grey and Ethan had amazing chemistry from their first meeting, and while there are many fun moments in their story, they also had to work hard for their relationship. I like it when books make it clear that love isn't easy - and life isn't easy. Addiction stories can be so hard, but I appreciate the author taking her time with them, and getting both wonderful characters to better places, for themselves and for each other

I absolutely adored this novel. I devoured it in one sitting because the characters, plot, and writing style were addicting to me the way the main characters were addicted to each other. It highlights how grief is a never ending process and it takes time to come to terms with loss. It does feature a happily ever after ending, one bed trope, fake dating, and the intoxicating culture of Hollywood. I cannot say enough good things about 'How to Fake It in Hollywood' and will be recommending it to all my friends!

Loved this storyline! I'm such a sucker for the characters and wanted more even after I was done! Can't wait to read more from Ava Wilder!

This did not read like a debut at ALL! I loved it so much! We love a fake dating publicity stunt, and this book 100000% delivered! Ethan and Grey were perfect together, and THE SPICE?!? YES MA'AM! Ugh I loved it!

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. I loved this book! The characters are wonderfully flawed and the twists and turns are throughout the story. The humor is infectious and the story is ever-changing. I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy a great rom com with interesting but unpredictable outcomes.

I liked both Grey and Ethan; Grey is funny and relatable, and Ethan is sweet and his story pulls at your heartstrings. There’s a strong emotional component to this book that I appreciated. I felt every bit of anxiety and sorrow that Grey and Ethan went through.

I really like this author’s writing style. It was easy and enjoyable, the pacing swift. The characters had depth and dimension. The dialogue was very natural. It had an ever-present realism to it; power dynamics, privilege, youth obsession are just a few topics that are casually addressed.

I wasn’t sure how the fake dating trope in this was going to go but I actually really liked how it was executed. I thought it worked. It was surprisingly believable.

One complaint I had is, a couple of times early on, Ethan made a weird, slightly intimate, flirty comment to Grey and it came off (to me) as borderline creepy. Not full-on creepy, just like, questionable and a little off-putting. It made me feel weird.

Things get pretty heavy in the last 30% of the book as both Grey and Ethan attempt to confront their pasts. Ethan especially has a rather sad and complicated history. He deals with alcoholism and substance abuse and it wreaks havoc on his life and the lives of everyone around him. Because of this aspect of the storyline, I could see this not being everyone’s cup of tea. It delves into some serious territory. But in the end, each one makes the effort to become a better version of themselves and embark on a truly healthy relationship. I thought the ending was excellent.

Overall I'm impressed with this debut. I look forward to seeing what this author does in the future.

This is not your typical Rom-Com where two people are set up to be in a fake relationship as it might seem by the cover. It is so much more! There is just as much love as heart break throughout the whole book. When Ethan was with Grey, just her presence alone was enough to drown out his self-doubt, fear and self sabotaging impulses. However, Grey made Ethan realize how much work he had to do on himself before he could be with anyone else.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my pure honesty.

I liked the love story between Grey and Ethan for the most part. I'm glad that everything worked out for their relationship in the end. I do wish it had told more about their future in the epilogue though.

I have some news, that I really don’t want to share. After rating this book two stars, I am officially breaking up with the actor/actress romance trope. That doesn’t mean I won’t read anything with this particular theme in romances, but it means that it’s no longer one of my favorites due to too many disappointments. To review this specific title, I would say that I was underwhelmed with the actual *romantic* part of the book because Ethan was abusing alcohol (trigger warning), causing them to have this friction between them. Though it took to the end for them to really get together, I wouldn’t call it slowburn, instead it was just annoying pacing. I don’t recommend this to anyone looking for a romcom since it was either boring or frustrating due to the main characters.

I adored this book. You want Grey to succeed but you also don’t want the story to end. It is perfect for fans of The Idea of You and Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Ok I freaking LOVED this book. Fake dating celebrity couple PR stunt turned super deep, emotional major character growth and plot? YES PLZ.

5 Stars!!!

Things I loved:
-Dual POV
-Instantly enticing storyline
-LOVED the banter between the characters
-Awesome character growth while dealing with some serious topics
-Even though our two MCs are famous, they are delightfully relatable (celebrities, they're just like us! :P)

I adored this story and really respected the how the author handled tough subjects such as the loss of a best friend and alcohol addiction. Both Grey and Ethan were great characters, and I was rooting for them the entire book! I loved how realistic the timeline was for their romance, too. It wasn't super instant love and it felt like it really had time to grow into something special. I just loved this book. It's my favorite ARC yet and I can't wait to pick up a copy of it on pub day! Bravo to Ava Wilder!

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Grey and Ethan, a toxic love story, a real story. I enjoyed that this wasn’t just a classic sweet romcom. You watch Grey and Ethan grow as people. I still feel like Grey was a bit of a mystery, she does talk about her past but I still felt like I had a lot of questions, but the same with Ethan really. Ethan is an alcoholic who doesn’t know it yet, he is charming and toxic. Grey falls for him anyway and tries to love him through it. This part of the story I really enjoyed. The ups and downs, Nora giving her advice, and just seeing that people are still with loving even if they think they are damaged.

What an incredible love story. Ava Wilder stole my heart in HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD! Grey and Ethan's characters shine against a gorgeous backdrop of fame, wealth, scandal, and creative passions. The book has so many funny moments but definitely takes a more serious tone, dealing with substance abuse and the pressures of fame while pulling no punches in the way actors benefit from it too. The story felt deeply realistic while still reading as incredibly niche to an industry that was well researched on Ava's part. Grey and Ethan's chemistry was so, so strong! Highly recommend <3