Wow. This book. I was intrigued by the premise and thought I would just read the first few pages, dip my my toes into it. I couldn't put it down. First I was charmed by Grey and Ethan and their romance. What started out as a classic fantasy romance, with two celebrities and a fake dating trope, turned out have a lot more depth than I expected. The characters felt real despite their extraordinary circumstances. I went through a roller coaster of emotions with this book, with swoony highs and throw-my-kindle lows, but by the time reached the final page, I felt like every single moment made sense and lead to a more satisfying ending. This one goes into my re-read pile.

Thank you to Ava Wilder, Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Style/Trope/TLDR: Romance, Hollywood, fake dating, addiction

Grey just finished a multi-season acting roll and is looking to score a part in a major action movie franchise and get her own film made with her best friend, when her agent suggests a fake romance with Ethan, a A list actor who has had some career snags. Sparks fly.

Without too much by way of spoilers, this book is not just a romance that ends with one grand gesture and fade to black. It’s a more complicated story with at least one side character who is a little more fleshed out (most are a little flat). Overall, in addition to the romance itself which was fantastic, the book surprises and went deeper than I had been expecting when I picked it up. Highly recommend.

An up-and-coming actress fake-dating an A-lister? What could be literally any better. This novel went beyond the basics of a romance novel and was a really beautiful portrait of people who still needed to work their shit out but still delivered a HEA that left me in tears. Highly! Recommend! This! Book!