This was a delight. This book had so much more depth than the description implied. I expected a fluffy happily ever after rom com— it was that, but so much more. The characters are real with flaws and pasts that have caused damage just like the rest of us have experienced, making the characters much more raw and real. There were steamy scenes that kept the rom com romance a central theme but also the drama and hollywood fun to make it so much more. Highly recommend!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

Major rom-com vibes! This book was so much fun. I started it in a plane ride and couldn't put it down once I got home later that night. Truly felt like I was watching a rom-com back in the 2000s. I loved the characters and the writing, it was very impressive for a debut author. I can't wait to see what she writes next, and truly hope this does get made into a movie because it was such a fun book. Perfect vacation book, will be great for the summertime when it comes out later this year. Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse for the early access!

este libro me atrajo de inmediato. Después de terminarlo, puedo decir que lo disfruté en general, pero no me atrevo para darle más de 3 estrellas porque no tuve absolutamente ningún problema dejarlo y luego no volver a levantarlo durante días. Era un Buen libro, simplemente no me atrajo ni me llamó tanto la atención. como esperaba que fuera. No tuve ningún problema para conectarme con el aunque personajes. Gray y Ethan encajaban bien el uno con el otro,
perfecto el uno para el otro incluso, pero el libro se sintió largo a veces. También largo y extenso, demasiados detalles y repeticiones innecesarias.
Entonces, lo disfruté, pero no me encantó. Me faltaba algo. disfruté el último 20% más que el resto del libro. tuvo un gran epílogo. Este fue mi primer libro de Ava Wilder. todavía estoy deseando leyendo más libros suyos porque el libro no estaba mal, ni mucho menos
simplemente no fue tan bueno como esperaba que fuera después de leer.

I enjoyed How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder, but it lacked the sort of realism I look for in a novel. Especially when it comes to romance. I liked it, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

I had mixed feelings on this book. For the most part, I enjoyed it, but it just seemed so unrealistic and unavoidable. Like if they just communicated they wouldn’t have had such an issue. It was so obvious they had feelings. I don’t know how two people could be so ignorant. But it was fun, and well written, and I didn’t think it was a waste.

3.75 stars (to be exact!)

This was not a light read, as the synopsis and cover would have you believe. That threw me off in the beginning, but I really came to enjoy how the book did not shy away from hard hitting topics like abuse and addiction.

The reason I detracted a star was due to the lack of chemistry between the leads in the beginning and there dynamic seemed off to me. There was so much tension between Grey and Ethan from the beginning, and I was left confused about 1) why they were attracted to each other and 2) why there was tension when they could easily just be together. This was all resolved halfway through the book luckily, but it was strange...

If you are looking for a romance about celebrities that has more depth than the usual books in this genre, than this is the perfect book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.75 / 5 stars

When I first started reading this, I thought this could be a 5 star read for me. The book cover is absolutely gorgeous, and the fake dating trope definitely had me interested. It was only when the story hit the 60ish% mark that it started to lose me a little bit.

(Minor spoiler ahead/content warning.) This book had both the miscommunication trope not once but twice. I truly do despise that trope. And to see it twice in the specific way it was used (I don't want to spoil anything major) did not vibe with me.

I can see other people reading this and really enjoying it. I will keep an eye out on this author to see if they come out with another book. Overall, I did enjoy this story, and it was very close to being a 4 star read for me.

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
Ugh! I'm struggling on whether I want to rate this with 3 or 4 stars. So let's meet in the middle and say 3.5 🌟. I loved the premise of How to Fake It in Hollywood. Two struggling actors, a fake relationship and then they actually fall in love. However, while reading through their relationship woes, I didn't really feel the love and chemistry between them. I wanted more love and compassion between them, instead it was all too rushed and the reader is made to believe they're in love. Don't get me wrong, Ava is a talented writer. I just can't find it in me to be an insta love fan. I've tried.

I love a fake dating trope so I was so excited to read this! It did not disappoint, I actually thought I was getting a fluffy romance but it went so much deeper and I loved that!

Grey is such a strong and witty character. She always has great comeback/one-liners and is definitely someone I would want in my friend group!

Ethan is the movie star we all grew up with a massive crush on. He’s sweet but angsty and dark and you can’t help but want to give him a hug!

I loved the relationship development between these two characters and how they help each other in so many ways! Also as someone who lives in Los Angeles, I appreciated the accuracy of locations and descriptions. You always hear about couples dating for publicity so I thought this was such a fun creative take on it! Highly recommend for the celeb obsessed fans!

I enjoyed How to Fake It in Hollywood. This book follows Grey Brooks and Ethan Atkins as they navigate a fake relationship for a PR stunt to boost their careers. Grey is a 27 year old, unemployed actress, who is desperately trying to find meaningful roles since her departure from a hit teen TV show. Her agent and publicist set her up with Ethan Atkins, a 38 year old actor, who has hidden from the spotlight for the past 5 years after the death of his best friend. He is struggling with alcoholism and depression as he suffers from grief and guilt as a result of the loss.

Grey and Ethan decide to enter into a 6 month fake relationship to try and re-establish their dwindling careers. Ethan tries to keep his distance from Grey, both emotionally and physically, but they end up falling for each other.

This book was a little heavy with Ethan’s struggles, which isn’t a bad thing, but I just want readers to know what they are getting!

Read if you enjoy books with:
• Fake Relationships
• Forced Proximity
• Celebrity Romance
• Age Gaps (11 years)

If you enjoyed To Love Jason Thorne by Ella Maise, I think you will really like this one. It includes all the same tropes without the second chance aspect. The synopsis says fans of Beach Read will enjoy it and I think that is true too! Ethan shares a lot of similarities with Gus.

Trigger Warnings: Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, Death of a loved one or close friend, Depression

I think this was a really great debut for Ava Wilder! Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

Review has been posted on Goodreads and I will post a review on my Instagram account on release day.

This was a super cute romance! I LOVED Grey I thought she was absolutely amazing. Honestly, though I wasn’t the biggest fan of Ethan. I think he was realistic but honestly, I just disliked him so at times it made it a little hard to swoon for certain scenes in this. Overall I would recommend this book because it was a cute romance and I did enjoy it and I’m sure if you like Ethan then this book will be perfect for you.

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

I really enjoyed this one! Going into this, I knew it was a fake dating storyline between two actors so I thought it would be your normal rom-com. I was expecting light hearted and easy breezy. This was a lot deeper than that though. This book includes some hard and touchy subjects and the author handled them wonderfully. I enjoyed Grey and Ethan’s character and the development of both of them throughout the book. Overall, a really good solid read!!

Thank you Net Galley and Random House/ Ballantine for an ARC in return for my honest review.

When I first read the description, I was expecting a light read. Fake dating in Hollywood between two actors seems like it would be a feel good story. But, boy was I wrong. Of course there were light, funny moments as well, but I feel like this book had so much more. This story had depth and a lot of emotion. I felt for the main characters as they dealt with their individual struggles as well as their struggles together. I highly recommend How to Fake it in Hollywood!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy!

Fake dating? Yes, please.

How to Fake It in Hollywood plays out one of my favorite romance novel tropes when 27-year-old teen television actress Grey agrees to pretend date the mega famous, but reclusive and damaged Ethan for publicity purposes. Grey wants to have more opportunities to establish some control in her career and Ethan needs to repair his damaged reputation if he wants to start working again.

Ava Wilder’s depiction of life for LA actors feels very realistic. Through the perspectives of both Grey and Ethan, we get to see the challenges they face being in the public eye. We see both feelings of immense gratitude and gross violation as the navigate their chosen world, both individually and as a couple.

What I loved about this book is the depth Wilder brings to the story. She doesn’t shy away from complex issues such as misogyny, grief, and substance abuse. While Grey and Ethan are finding love with each other, they also are learning to accept and love themselves. Grey is a strong female lead and I rooted for her to find success in an industry that is often unkind. Ethan has amazing character development as his battles his own demons and works to change not just for those around him, but for himself.

I definitely recommend this book! Look for it this summer- pub date is June 14th!

Thank you to Ava Wilder, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

This book far exceeded my expectations! To be honest I thought it would be just another romance novel, but it is so much more. Ethan perfectly personifies what it means to have everything and nothing all at the same time. I especially loved that Ethan had to decide to get help on his own! While Grey entering his life became a catalyst, she was not the reason he got sober! This book is beautifully written!!! Bravo!

Ps if you love Colleen Hoover you will love this book!

Thanks to NETGALLEY.com and Random House Publishing Group (Dell) for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my pure honesty.

Grey Brooks is an up-and-coming star trying to secure a life-changing movie deal. Ethan Atkins is a reclusive A-list actor who hasn't had any good press in years. Cue a fake dating publicity stunt that should help both of their careers--as long as they can both stick to the script and remember it's all an act...right?

CW: addiction, grief over the death of a friend

I thought this book was really well done! The writing was good, and the story was actually very believable as being the story of two Hollywood actors. It had all the key pieces you hope for in a good romance--slow burn, grumpy x sunshine, and tensions high enough to make your foot bounce while reading. One thing I really appreciated about this book was that it did address some more difficult topics. It wasn't just a happy-go-lucky romcom from start to finish. This was a very raw and honest look at addiction and how it affects not only the person suffering from it, but also their relationships to the people who care about them. It was a refreshing change of pace from the other romance books I've read recently. This simply felt more real-life and less fluffy.

While I feel like perhaps this book was a little slow in places, I still enjoyed every page getting to read from both Grey and Ethan's points of view. I am such a sucker for dual POV! I loved Grey's character. She's brutally honest, feisty, independent, and she knows her worth. She's the strong kind of female lead I love to read about. Ethan's character growth over the course of the book was also wonderful to read. He went from a brooding, tortured, and stubborn man to a kind, big-hearted, and honest partner for Grey. It pulled at my heartstrings how much he wanted to change to be better for her. Overall, I thought this book was well-written and a nice diversion from traditional romcoms. I enjoyed it very much!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good romance book, as long as you're okay with the slightly heavier themes of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my e-ARC of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

This book definitely hit me hard in the feelings department. Ethan and Grey are successful actors - though Grey is definitely a C list actor to Ethan's A+. They have both been in the industry a long time and are trying to figure out how to move forward in their careers. Ethan after the crushing loss of his best friend and work partner (probably his true soul mate in the spiritual sense) and Grey after her long running teenage dramedy ended. A fake relationship is proposed by their mutual publicist as a way of helping them both into the spotlight in a positive way.

This book touches on a lot of high impact topics (parental relationships, family dynamics, abuse, divorce, grief) and focuses significantly on alcoholism and depression. Ethan is an alcoholic and clearly has a strong history of substance use as well. It also really spotlights the misogyny and sexism that is so rampant in Hollywood and our culture as a whole.

Oh yeah - and there is a wonderful romance between Grey and Ethan. But that relationship is only part of what this book is about. For me - this book really delves deeply into the need to love ourselves before we try and love others. And that our friends and chosen family are often the ones we need more than anything else to see us through the hard times.

I think the hardest part for me with this book - was watching Grey and Ethan come together, fall in love, and knowing that Ethan hadn't dealt with any of his grief, addiction, or depression. Knowing that this was going to break them apart. We didn't need Nora's interactions with Grey - well intentioned and kind as they were - to see where things were headed, Even those of us who love romance as a genre more than any other - realize that sometimes love isn't enough.

What kept this from being a five star read for me was the way that all shook out. <spoiler> Everything wrapped up just a little too quickly for me. I know, I know, there is only so much room in a book and writers can only do so much - but in this case- I felt let down by how quickly and neatly the book ended. We fast forwarded through the start of Ethan's recovery and some major moments for Grey. After the emotional gamut you are put through - I wanted more from that part of the book. I wanted more than a single scene to bring them back together.</spoiler>

Overall - I highly recommend - just be prepared for the emotions and the topics.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

This book follows two Hollywood stars whose careers have both seen better days. To drum up some good publicity for the two of them, their agents propose that they pretend to date to get both of their names back into the headlines. The two are hesitant but still interested and trying, but what do they have to lose?

How to Fake It in Hollywood was an excellent debut novel that I couldn't put down! It's page-turning, steamy, funny, and swoon-worthy. The interactions between Grey and Ethan were the right amount of tiptoeing and fluffy romance.

This book has serious topics such as grief, addiction/alcoholism, and recovery/rehabilitation. The author did a great job creating characters who felt very dynamic and authentic. I was at the edge of my seat for every small decision they made. I did get to a point in the book where I wasn't sure where it would go.

Overall, this was a touching and sweet read. One that I would recommend!

Huge thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this advanced reading copy of this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

How to Fake it in Hollywood takes the fake dating trope and gives it a fresh context and some depth. Grey is a TV actress who had a major role in a series, but hasn't worked in a year. She gets set up with another floundering Hollywood actor, Ethan, and they enter a fake relationship to boost both of their careers. Ethan is older than Grey by about ten years, and is definitely a tortured soul with some baggage. The two of them have lots of walls up, but when they start spending more time together, they can't help but let those walls down, and what started as a fake relationship becomes real.

I don't usually love books about fictional celebrities, but this book focused more on the characters as actors as their career and less about the glitz and glam of Hollywood. This made them a lot more relatable to me. Although the romance was a slow burn, the spicy scenes were really well done and I loved how the tension built between the characters. I also appreciated the amount of character development that went into this book. It made the plot move a little slower, but it made the relationships feel real and gave the book substance you don't always get from this trope.

I would definitely recommend this book to my friends who read romance!

I selected this novel on a whim and I'm so glad that I did. I really enjoyed the character of Grey and her strong sense of self. She went into this fake Hollywood relationship fully knowing what it was and I really liked that she had this confidence and desire to do good things for herself, even if this isn't exactly how she wished it would all go down.

Ethan, on the other hand, felt so self indulgent in his grief and I didn't really love him at first. As he opened up more, I found that I was more open to him, despite my ultimate dislike for his inability to take a step back and see how messed up he was...and how he was directly contributing to his own downfall. It's definitely what made his redemption that much more ...he had so much growing to do and to see how he turned it around was *chef's kiss*.

I enjoyed their getting to know each other, their bumpy romance, and the friendships and side stories that surrounded them. I found myself trying to quickly come back to this novel when I could and am looking forward to the new things Ava Wilder writes next.