I consume books about celebrities like the teens in Euphoria consume crack cocaine. Which is to say, you know, I can't get enough. Give me alllll the glitz and glam of the world of Hollywood, it's like shooting serotonin straight into my veins. Add fake dating to the mix and you've got me hooked for life with no chance of parole. Which is why I cancelled all plans, called in sick to work, divorced my nonexistent husband, etc the second I was approved for this ARC. It's called prioritizing. And may I just say, ya'll better do the same. Ava Wilder wrote a stunner of a debut novel that will surely give all fellow Hollywood freaks like me the hit of drama they crave. Beautiful writing style, funny dialogue, well-written sensitive topics. The characters in this book aren't perfect! And maybe that's what endeared me to them so much; they're real people with real problems. Can't wait to see what Ava Wilder writes next! CW for alcoholism, addiction, death of a loved one.

Fans of Deuxmoi, TMZ, and People Magazine rejoice! If you're into celebrity drama and the underworld of the Hollywood Elite, then this book is for you.

This book is marketed as a romcom fake-dating gem, and the first 70% of this book nailed it. Grey & Ethan had the necessary back-and-forth of "will they, won't they" that's needed for a successful fake-dating trope. Their professions as actors in LA, arguably the only time that a fake-dating scenario happens in real life (sorry, Hiddleswift fans), also made this book seem more authentic. It didn't feel like the trope was thrown in as a way to grab readers' attention in the blurb. Because of its authenticity of the LA life, the author did a great job making Grey a sympathetic and relatable main character. Because let's be honest, very few people sympathize or relate to real actors and actresses, and the author ran the risk of having 2 unlikeable main characters. However, I truly liked Grey. Her background as a child actor, coupled with the very real-life ageism, sexism, and the double standard in Hollywood, makes the reader see Grey as her own heroine. Strong women in the entertainment industry are #goals because of the known troubles they go through on a daily basis that their male counterparts don't often face. The majority of this book was Grey's story, and I truly enjoyed seeing her growth, acceptance, and determination in regards to her own life and what she wanted from it.

Unfortunately, I wish the book would have ended at the 70% marker. The last 30% felt like a second book an author writes after the success of a first novel in hopes to capitalize on the buzz of fans' love of the characters. It expanded on Ethan's demons and made me dislike him more than I already did. While Ethan's troubles are no doubt sprinkled throughout the first portion of the book, by focusing on them for the remaining third, it undoes his likability that was previously established. I was willing to look past the fact that he's advertised as a "single dad," yet seemed like the worst father ever (seriously, it's very hard to like a parent who allows themselves to be absent for FIVE YEARS of their kids lives but is willing to make a change for a woman they've known for a few months). But the downward spiral at the end honestly made me want someone else for Grey. And I know I know...he redeems himself at the 95% marker. But Ethan's own season of growth, acceptance and determination is hidden from the reader. By jumping forward over a year, the reader misses out on that necessary character development, which left me with my less-than-stellar leftover feelings towards Ethan. I wish either (1) his troubles were more evenly spread throughout the beginning of the book so his downward spiral felt more natural in the last bit, or (2) the book was a few chapters longer and we journeyed alongside him for his redemption.

Overall, I give it 4/5 stars and it's a great debut novel. I truly look forward to more writings from Ava Wilder. She has diverse side characters (and nonbinary representation using they/them pronouns, which is a breath of fresh air in books and shows how easy it is to understand when he/she pronouns aren't used), a strong female main character, and lots of Hollywood references that die-hard celebrity gossip fans will enjoy (looking at you, headphones dino-bones).

4⭐️ a very enjoyable contemporary romance!

This romance really surprised me by the depth of the story. I was expecting a light, easy, cute romance, and while this story did have some of that, it also covers some deep issues (CW: addiction, death of a loved one). The characters were complex and compelling, and that made their romance so much more nuanced and interesting to me.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you’re also a fan of Colleen Hoover’s work. This book really reminded me of the romances I’ve read of hers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC for this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Ava, Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC, which I was provided in exchange for an honest review.
If you are into books with celebrities in them, fake dating, age gap and one bed trope, this book is everything you are looking for. In this book, we meet Grey, a former soap-opera actress, and Ethan, an A-list celebrity. Their lives are complicated on their own, but it will get even more so when they are asked to pull a PR stunt to get Ethan back on track and skyrocket Grey's career.
What I liked about this story is that it's real, raw. I also LOVED the inclusion of genderqueer characters. It's the first time I read about a "them" in a story. Even though the story did get a little bit repetitive at some point, it picked up right at the end to finish the right way. I would definitely recommend this book.
I strongly advice to check TW before reading.

She’s had his poster on her wall since she was a tween…
He has no idea she exists- he’s only in it for the free lunch.

Grey Brooks is synonymous with her character Lucy LaVey from hit tv show Poison Paradise. But this ambitious leading lady is not content to rest on her laurels. It’s been a few years since the show wrapped and her love life torpedoed. Determined to resurrect her dying career, Grey hires a new publicist who suggests a fake relationship with her other, very famous client. The only catch? It’s none other than Ethan Atkins, Grey’s celebrity crush, who she’s lusted after ever since she can remember. Good luck keeping things professional ;)

There’s so much to love about How to Fake it in Hollywood. The enchanting and eccentric L.A. setting really tickled my fancy. Who doesn’t enjoy reading about the seemingly charmed lives of the rich and famous? And as a Southern California native I can honestly say that the references to the fresh-pressed green juice, inclusive attitudes and bohemian boutiques are spot on.

Another highlight was the emotional rollercoaster of a relationship between Grey and Ethan. They are both incredibly skeptical about the whole arrangement, not to mention each other. And despite the obvious physical attraction, it’s lucky they’re both paid actors because they get along like hot sauce and ice cream. The sexual tension was so intense my kindle was practically smoking!

Despite being beautiful and spectacularly wealthy, they certainly have their fair share of problems. Because… Stars—They’re just like us! Grey’s fear of emotional intimacy and Ethan’s messy unresolved trauma felt agonizingly real. These two just met and they’re already prime candidates for couples counseling! It’s safe to say there were plenty of thorny obstacles standing in the way of their successful staged love connection. My only criticism is that their personal issues became a little heavy and played a bigger role in the book than I would have preferred.

Ultimately, How to Fake it in Hollywood is a smoldering nail-biter replete with all the celebrity drama, fun and dynamic supporting characters and plenty of angst-ridden romance.

"How to Fake It in Hollywood" by Ava Wilder was a romance that read almost like a tell-all entertainment magazine article. I loved following the story of Grey and Ethan, both actors, and their love/hate relationship with fame. The book highlighted some of the struggles that actors face constantly being in the public eye. It also shed a light on alcoholism and its effects on others. Parts of the story were a little deep for what I thought was going to be a light-hearted romance, but that's just simply based on my assumptions of the book prior to reading it. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would welcome the chance to read other books by Wilder.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I enjoy a good "fake lovers" trope, and this did not disappoint. There was plenty of angst to keep me interested.

3.5 stars but rounded down to 3
When I read the blurb for this book I was immediately drawn to it. After finishing it can say I enjoyed it overall but I can't bring myself to give it more than 3 stars because I had absolutely no problem putting it down and then not picking it back up for days. It was a good book it just didn't draw me in and hold my attention as much as I hoped it would. I didn't have any trouble connecting with the characters though. Grey and Ethan were a good fit for each other, perfect for eachother even, but the book felt long at times. Too long and drawn out, too many details and unnecessary repetition. So, I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. Something was missing for me. I enjoyed the last 20% more than the rest of the book. It had a great epilogue.
This was my first Ava Wilder book. I'm still looking forward to reading more books by her because the book wasn't bad, far from it, it just wasn't as good as I was hoping for it to be after reading the blurb. I guess it was nice enough, but I didn't have a 'wow-feeling' after finishing it.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I expected it to follow the pretty generic beats of them being set up and then falling in love, but I liked the obstacles that were put in their way. They were interesting and seemed more like real life. All the characters seemed like real people which I appreciated.

How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder is definitely one of my new all time favorite books! This friends-to-lovers, fake dating, slow burn had me captivated from the very first page! I stayed up wayyy too late to read it and do not regret it one bit!

From the very beginning I was in love with Ethan and Gray! Both their character arcs and relationship was beautifully written. One thing I especially loved about both of them was how vulnerable they were. All of the characters in How to Fake it in Hollywood felt real and flawed and those factors just made me feel like I had a deeper connection with them!

Wilder’s writing was fantastic in this book! I have not read any of her previous work so I was excited to finally jump into her books, and the fact that the first one I read was a pre-released copy made it that much better! It’s not often that I find that an author can make me fall in love with their book so quickly, but Wilder managed to do that!

How to Fake it in Hollywood was a fun, flirty read that had me both laughing, crying, and screaming into my pillow….in a good way of course! This book is perfect for all of the romance junkies out there. I promise you will definitely LOVE, and yes the capitals were necessary, this book! I can’t wait for you all to read it!

With Love, @Raebooks_

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘How to Fake It in Hollywood’ starts off like your average fake dating rom-com novel, but quickly goes much deeper. I’m a sucker for the fake dating trope so it wasn’t hard for me to immediately become attached to the story and zoom through this novel. The characters are also very endearing, likable, and super relatable considering they’re hollywood celebs. Their chemistry is also really cute - I liked that even though the main male character is a hollywood vet, the main female character easily (and immediately) brings him down a peg.

I wasn’t expecting the other theme of the novel - which involves addiction and co-dependency. But it’s done really quite well and again, very realistically. Addiction is a tricky subject for me since I’ve been in the main female character’s shoes before; it’s easy for me to find holes or roll my eyes if it becomes a romanticized notion. The author really did a great job here, especially for a debut novel.

So if you like your spicy romance but also like a little substance in your romance novels, this one is a must for you.

A reclusive A-lister goes into a fake relationship. If you’re a fan of fake dating and the rich lives of people in Hollywood then this is for you!

Wasn't expecting to read this book in one sitting, but here we are. It got me out of my reading slump! I thought it was realistic, honest, and full of empathy. I was rooting for Ethan and Grey...I am a sucker for celebrities, gossip, and fake dating! But this book has some heavy content (handled super well), so check out TWs before proceeding.

Also had a lot of fun trying to cast this in my head...definitely have a few people came to mind while reading, which is my favorite part 😇. Really liked that it had diversity and representation as well! Super seamless and well done.

Thank you to Ava Wilder, Random House Publishing Group- Ballentine, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

oh my goodness this book was so cute. it was such a great read but full of great chemistry and romance. there is a lot of hard parts with trigger warnings but i feel like they were addressed so well.

Cute fake-dating romance story between an up-and-coming actress and an A-list Hollywood star who is trying to get back in the spotlight after years of seclusion. Trying to establish the next phase of her career after finishing her role in a teen drama, Grey Brooks agrees to begin a fake relationship with her tween celebrity crush Ethan Atkins,
I enjoyed the premise of this book and while the author tried to handle a lot of heavy topics the end product was unfortunately a little underwhelming. Both characters had a lot of internal struggles that they were attempting to overcome but in the end a lot of the actual work happened behind the scenes. The romance itself felt superficial and because they did have a case of insta-love the author didn't't give a lot of reasons as to why these two really connected and I had a hard time seeing a reason for the relationship other than because they were attached to each other.
That being said I did like the sweet moments shared between Ethan and Grey. They were both able to overcome a lot of their internal struggles (Ethan more than Grey) and I liked that the author gave them space to work on themselves before eventually finalizing their relationship.
3.5/5
*Thank you, NetGalley, for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I think this is a great romance novel, especially if you like pop culture / celebrities / Hollywood at all. If you are a fan of the fake romance troupe, definitely read this one. Grey and Ethan are a strong couple and seem to respect and want the best for one another - in impossible circumstances. Was it my favorite novel? No - but if you're a fan of Emily Henry or other contemporary romances, I recomenend reading this one!

Judging by the description and cover, I thought this was going to be a bit lighter than it played out to be. I felt like it was a bit uneven, swinging wildly from coy and flirty to dealing with depression and substance abuse. That unevenness does set the tone for what it must be like for the characters as the navigate their relationship and lives independent of each other. I found the ending, especially for Grey, a little too neat, but it was a good read and I would recommend it.

what an absolute joy this book is! fake dating with a literal twist - these actors are set up by their publicist to have a fake relationship in order to give their careers a jolt! but really, it is ava's writing which make this book unputdownable. I was amazed at how much we knew about the supporting characters in the story - everyone felt fleshed out and real. I appreciated that Ethan's journey was not easily patched up; that we as the audience realized it was going to take him years to really be fully okay.

great banter, steam, and complicated characters at the center, this is shaping up to be one of my favorite books of 2022... in january.

thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy!

“In that moment, it’s clear that no matter how many secrets are dug up about them and plastered on the front page, there’s something perfect and private between them that no one will ever be able to touch.”

I cannot even explain how much I enjoyed this book. Ava Wilder’s writing style was near perfection in my eyes.

I loved the:
- Hollywood aspects: managers, million dollar NDAs, luxurious vacations, premieres/parties
- Genuine chemistry: Grey and Ethan were so natural together in the beginning but not in an “Insta love” way.
- Real life themes: insecurities, passions, loss/grief, addiction, recovery, therapy
- 16 months later section: that time was so needed for them (read to find out why)
- the epilogue!!!

This was definitely one of my favorite books, blending together all of my most sought after qualities of a romance book.

After reading the blurb and being enchanted by this fantastic cover, I was so hopeful to read something tempting, entertaining with Hollywood criticism of fake relationship trope!

Instead of romance or sweet romcom, I got angsty drama that tore my heart apart!

One thing I have to emphasize: this book is not bad or average reading but after seeing the cover and reading that intriguing blurb, I was expecting something a little lighter! And romance part of the book heartbreakingly disappointed. There was not enough chemistry between characters.

Addiction, child star molestation, dark side of fame were triggering subjects which were honestly approached but even the execution of fake relationship parts were a little messy!

I didn’t hate this book! I deeply felt sad and hardly breathed after the author threw the entire angsty drama bomb on my lap! I still want to read more works of the author but this time I was needing a feel good romance and the book didn’t fit with my expectations. So I decided to give three solid stars! ( neither loved it or hated it)

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