While the book maybe a fictional Hollywood romance, I found it to be one of the most realistic portrayals of relationships out there. The author describes real issues and real struggles that couples must face when the romance wears off and the real world intervenes. It was a beautiful story that I couldn't put down and stayed up way to late waiting to see how it ended. A fantasy at first turned into a beautiful story of the complexities of real like romances.

I love a good fake dating plot. Add in two hollywood actors and that stunning book cover and I was sold! I thought I would be getting a lighthearted, sweet rom com and, instead, got an emotional, deep story about love, relationships, addiction and fame.

Grey is a former teen soap star whose career is not taking off the way she hoped. Ethan, a reclusive disgraced Hollywood star has been struggling with personal demons for years. When their teams decide that pairing them up for a publicity stunt could help their career goals, they begrudgingly go along with it.

This has a lot of witty banter, chemistry and steamy love scenes while also portraying a character dealing with grief, guilt, alcoholism, addiction and destructive behavior and doing so in the public eye and also in a new relationship. Both characters have to find themselves and work on themselves and I found that to be so important and something that wasn’t just magically fixed once they were in love. It was messy and gritty at times which made it seem so realistic.

This was more than a fake to real love story and, while unexpected, it sucked me in and made me root for Grey, Ethan and their loved ones.

How to Fake it in Hollywood started as a fun, carefree romance with a health dose of fake dating - which is exactly what I expected based on the cover. Gray & Ethan had great chemistry and banter - once they finally started to open up - and I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop.

However, we took a very sharp left turn at some point and this story ended up being much more serious than I anticipated. Touching on alcoholism, grief, depression, a fear of abandonment and more - this novel did not shy away from addressing some tough topics. While I appreciated these conversations, I will say that I was not emotionally prepared for them at the time I read this book. I specifically picked this up because it looked like it would be fun & carefree, and it was compared to Beach Read & The Unhoneymooners - both books I enjoyed very much. The cover is fun, flirty & marketable - but it did not feel like an accurate representation of the content.

All that aside, I did really like the story. It was easy to ready, engaging and did an excellent job showcasing the way that codependency can be detrimental to a relationship, as well as the fact that in order to accept help, someone needs to truly want it.

I also loved both Ethan & Gray's relationships with Nora. I thought they had a great coparenting set up, and I really appreciated how supportive Nora was of Gray when she needed someone to talk to.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this to a friend, as long as they know what they were getting into.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this story in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not your typical romance novel. It honestly and delicately delves into very heavy issues. Grey and Ethan are both at all-time lows in their acting careers. To get their lives back on track and into the spotlight, they agree to a six-month fake dating arrangement set up by their mutual publicist. The two severely flawed characters are dealing with emotional traumas. The story touches upon alcoholism, drug abuse, child abuse, death, guilt, unresolved grief, family estrangement, and divorce. They start the arrangement as strangers, but their mutual desire is almost instantaneous. The sexual tension between them is intense. As their relationship blossoms, their heated banter almost ignites the pages. When they finally give in to their desires, it is all caught on film by intrusive paparazzi. The sexually explicit and pornographic photos, especially of Grey, released by the press, circulate around the world without their consent. These photos cause Grey to lose the movie deal she had just accepted. She calls an end to their relationship contract to salvage her career. Ethan spirals out of control and falls back into his old unhealthy habits. If they find their way back to each other, can they overcome all their emotional issues and make their relationship last?

I loved how everything evolved in this story. Their relationship was not always healthy, but it was honest and real. Hitting rock bottom allowed for Grey and Ethan to eventually, with the help of therapy and time, find their way to a better life. I loved the openness and vulnerability of the characters. Their pain was raw and unfiltered. The perfectly written ending satisfyingly completed the story. This is not a fluffy romance; it is a deep and scarred story. It is worthwhile reading. An impressive debut novel!

Thank you, Net Galley and Random House/ Ballantine, for an eARC in return for my honest review!

I'm a huge fan of the fake relationship trope and I thought I knew what I was in for but I was surprised. It's not your lighthearted fun read, and I don't mean to say this isn't wasn't a fun read but it had very heavy topics. The story is about a Hollywood actor and an actress that fake date to boost and revive their careers respectively. The characters are well developed and have much depth. I also loved that it was from the both the perspective of the main characters Ethan and Olivia.


Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Ava Wilder for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

How to Fake It in Hollywood is pitched as a fake dating Hollywood steamy romance story, sure to be filled with tension, and about 70% of it is exactly that. However I was relatively surprised by how grim this book got at times as it delved into alcohol and substance abuse/addiction. Ethan struggles heavily with the grief of losing his friend and has turned to alcohol.

I really wanted to love How to Fake It in Hollywood, fake dating can be such an enjoyable trope when done right, but in the end this book just didn't land a solid punch for me. We were often TOLD the characters had chemistry together rather than shown they did, and therefore the spicy romantic tension lacked a deeper level. The biggest thing I found myself disliking was the sudden shift about 75% through to the second climax of the story. Grey's character development fell a little short, as pretty much the full focus shifted to Ethan and his struggle. I really enjoyed the aspect of Grey's life where she talked about being both a child star who was taken advantage of by both the entertainment business and her family, and also as a working woman in Hollywood who experienced stalking, harassment and sexism. I thought it was relatable and it was great to see it talked about. *SPOILER* But when Grey basically faced revenge porn, there was a notable lack of compassion of Ethan. When Ethan's actions and reactions had palpable impact on Grey's own life there was no apologizing or owning up to it. I felt like often Grey's feelings, and general struggle was pushed to the side in favor of Ethan's own struggle and redemption.

While I have criticism, I did enjoy reading this book and I don't regret picking it up by any means. The issue I had was mostly with one portion of the overall story arc. Wilder could keep this book 100% as is and only add in a little more development for Grey and an apology or two from Ethan and I would have enjoy the story much more. Ultimately I would recommend How to Fake It in Hollywood, to anyone who enjoys Hollywood, or romantic romances, sadly it just fell a little short for me.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a page turner where the characters have real emotions and problems outside of their romance. I loved the descriptions of the business of Hollywood

I finished this book in about 24 hours. It was great! I love this story line, and it reminded me of katherine centers new book "The Bodyguard" (which i also really liked).

I really liked the characters and their struggles. I did feel like there could have been more about Grey's family, at least a story there about why she was so distant, but what we did learn about her family SOLD it, i just wanted more.

I did kind of feel a storyline switch at around 70% through the book. It didnt grip me like I wanted it to. it was like the whole book was leading us to a point, we got to the point, passed it and went to a different one. I felt like the book could have used both of the storylines in tandem to get to the ultimate point. it was not BAD! i just lost interest.

Thank you for the ARC of this AWESOME book! i know it will do well!

I absolutely loved this book! I typically shy away from celebrity novels but for some reason this one sounded amazing and it sure didn’t disappoint! The romance in this book was hot and off the charts!! The hero was so swoony and my new fav book boyfriend. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!!!

This was an all-around great romance. The writing is sharp and engaging, the characters dynamic and well-developed. The plot has an effortless arc and a satisfying ending. A Hollywood romance that pays special attention to all the trendiest tropes (fake dating, forced proximity, grumpy-sunshine, one bed), this book still managed to deliver a refreshingly modern take. A large thread of the story addresses alcoholism, but the author handled the subject with sensitivity and grace. All in all, the perfect escapist read. I was happy to lose my weekend in the pages of this one.

I loved this book! I thought it was very well written, and the character development was real, authentic, and raw. I truly appreciate how this book was book uplifting and heart wrenching-- it feels true to life in that sense.

Fake dating in the Hollywood world between an up and coming actress and a beloved actor who is hoping for a redeeming story... count me in! Looking back on stories such as this, Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory I think I really enjoy stories that take place in Hollywood with celebrity characters. It adds a level of enjoyment to see how these characters integrate into the make believe portions of Hollywood and anything real that the author sprinkles in like actual celebrity names or movie titles. That's why the premise of How to Fake It In Hollywood instantly grabbed my attention! So special thanks to Dell Publishing and Netgalley for both a physical and digital copy of this upcoming romance novel!

I really enjoyed Grey as a character and wanted nothing but the best for her! She was on the cusp of landing her dream movie role for a beloved book series and I couldn't help but imagine that's how real life actresses feel about their potential movie and tv roles. I think what held me back from boosting this up to a four star rating was I just didn't feel the chemistry between Grey and Ethan as much as I have felt with previous romance novels. It just didn't feel plausible from where they were romantically in the story and throwing the ever sacred "I love you" out at a time where I still felt like their relationship was delicate felt too soon. Blame it on all the romance novels I've read previously! But this was still a fun and entertaining debut by Ava and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! I will definitely recommend this to my friends who also enjoy romance novels! Rating: 3.5

This book started off so good. Definitely gave a great first impression with the dialogue, writing style, and flow of events.

I didn’t quite know what I got myself into at first - I could tell this was going to be one of those books that was gonna get real, real quick, and it did. More than a romance - this was a book about two adults figuring themselves out despite the love they find.

This book should’ve come with a warning for people who find alcoholism a trigger - just saying.

Now to what I didn’t like - the sexual tension - the way it was constantly described at first, felt really forced and out of place.

I didn’t like what drove them apart the first time. I didn’t understand the need for it nor the characters reactions, especially thag concert scene. Like wtf GREY.

I didn’t like the rushed ending. I loved the timeframe of things and the explanation of it all, but I felt rushed when it came to the love story.

I couldn’t help but picture Ben affleck the whole time. So that was also a little weird.

Overall - the writing in this book is beautiful. The characters are all so real and their problems even more realistic. I highly recommend.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 14, 2022

Two actors who could use a profile boost enter into a staged relationship for the positive press—but is it all positive? I thought this fake dating trope romance would be a breezy and light read but it had a surprising amount of depth and tackled some heavy subjects. I got invested in these characters despite their flaws and their messes (he is her teenage crush and this has some “A Star is Born” vibres) but their chemistry was undeniable and you can’t help but root for them!

how to fake it in hollywood follows grey books and ethan atkins, two hollywood stars whose fame and reputation has been on the decline, who start a contractual relationship for publicity but eventually end up falling for each other. i do like fake dating as a trope but i would have loved for there to actually be more buildup to the relationships. both of the characters also just didn't feel too interesting for me and without spoiling anything the last 20% was formulaic and cliche, and ultimately, the flashforward and epilogue were dry and out of character, with everything being resolved too suddenly for my liking. that being said, this book wasn't hard to read and the realtionship was pretty well written. i just wish there had been more interesting characters and some of my favorite relationships between the main characters and side characters weren't examined in the way they could have.

Pure delight from start to finish! The characters felt real, the drama not too sensationalized, the story-telling was gripping and immersive. I want more from Ava Wilder! Also, Ethan is swoony :)

One of my favorite tropes to read is fake dating. It is so cliche and 99% of the time you already know how it’s going to end. No matter what I just keep coming back to them.

Ethan and Grey are perfect for each other. Between them getting to know each other one minute and dishing out massive heartbreak the next my emotions were all over the place. The entire time I was reading I was rooting for them to be end game, there were times in the book I thought they were done for good but love always swooped in and won.

I would have loved one more chapter after Ethan finally confesses his hurt and love for Grey. I will just have to leave all of that up to my own imagination!

This book was not what I was expecting when I read it was a fake dating situation but I was pleasantly surprised. Grey and Ethan have a rocky start fake dating but their chemistry is undeniable. Ethan and Grey both had a lot to work through and I enjoyed reading this book a lot.

I really enjoyed this book! 4.5/5. I signed up for it because of the cover and title, and it was not what I expected (not necessarily in a good or a bad way). I was expecting a sweet, cute fake-dating story but this book actually dealt with a very dark theme in a very honest, great way. As someone who has a history of alcoholism in my family, I appreciate that it was not sugar-coated. Originally I didn't like it because Ethan did not feel like a very likable character, and he was not a terrible dad (until the end) but alcoholism does that. But he fixes it. I also love how he didn't come straight back from rehab and go for her, he wanted to make sure he was really sober. And the epilogue didn't have them getting married six months later, it was still kind of up in the air after a long while of them being together. My only complaint is I wish we got more of Ethan and Grey as a happy couple at the end.

The blurb on this sounds like a quick, fun rom-com read however, the topics that are delved into are much deeper. Trigger Warnings: alcoholism, abandonment issues, PTSD, depression.

Not what I expected when I requested this book but I really liked. Quick recap of story: two Hollywood actors, one a bonafide, A-lister and one a former child star, off a long running series with no career options in sight, are arranged into a "relationship" that will be mutually beneficial to their careers. Neither of them is in this for love but as they are thrown together more often, their undeniable chemistry is harder to ignore.

I enjoyed the relationship between Grey and Ethan. Although there was immediate attraction based on looks alone, their relationship had a (somewhat) natural progression throughout the story. While Ethan's personal demons were obvious and his journey was well-developed, I felt like that was somewhat lacking for Grey. You were told she had a tumultuous relationship with her mom, but there was no real development to her backstory. She felt sort of one-dimensional to me. My feelings toward her were more of the sympathetic line due to what she was going through with Ethan.

The inspiration for Ethan was obviously drawn from real-life people. As I read the story, I immediately drew parallels to actual Hollywood actors and their well-documented personal lives which was a little distracting.

This was a good, fun read and I appreciate the opportunity from the author and publisher for the ARC.