Heavy but lovely. Fake dating! Flawed protagonists who take time to work on themselves before their happy ending! I think it suffers from being marketed as something fluffier than it is, while really dealing with some very heavy issues. Good for fans of Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Grey Brooks wants to be taken seriously in Hollywood and book roles that are more than the teen fantasy lead she played up until a few years ago. Ethan Atkins, once major film star, hasn’t been relevant since that time he got drunk and punched a paparazzi in the face and went to rehab. When their mutual agent decides they both need a PR boost - Grey and Ethan find themselves in a fake relationship that is supposed to be mutually beneficial but quickly turns overly complicated and not-so-fake.

Right off the bat - the cover and description of this book is misleading. You should note that this is not an easy or light romance novel and deals with heavy themes of alcohol and drug abuse, destructive behavior and codepency. While beautifully written, it was definitely not what I expected from looking at the cover or reading the synopsis. Very reminiscent of The Idea of You or Annabel Monaghan’s Nora Goes Off Script.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House / Ballantine and Ava Wilder for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Whoa, whoa, whoa—THIS BOOK! I couldn’t put it down, it sucked me right in. I am weak for fake dating books, but add in an age gap, flawed and messy love interests, and a bit of forbidden romance??? There was no way this book wouldn’t be one of my top reads of the year.

I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK. I just finished I all I want to do it reread. It was so funny, so raw, so real. I absolutely adored every character. I was invested 100% of the time. The romance was top notch, the steam was perfect. There were so many tough topics touched on and I thought it was done very well. Ava Wilder has become an autobuy author for me after reading this. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review! For some reason it took me a few tries to get going with this book, but once it took off I fell in love with the characters! The plot is fairly predictable, but Ethan and Grey are lovely and I was rooting for them the whole time and sad to see them go. Fake dating is always a fun trope, and fake dating between two celebrities was even more fun. I’m eager to read Ava Wilder’s next book!
4 stars for a solid contemporary romance

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would - particularly because it didn't go as I predicted. I feel that many romcoms have straight forward arcs that you can pretty much bet on every time - a meet cute, they get together, they break up, they get back together. While How To Fake It In Hollywood didn't rewrite that particular arc, it did surprise me in other ways that I won't spoil.

I listened to the audio and thought the narrators did really well. I didn't completely enjoy the male's voice when he was trying to do Grey's part, but hey, at least he tried!

If you're looking for a cute read, love an enemies to lovers, enjoy a touch of steam, and don't want it to be entirely predictable, look no further! This is one I definitely recommend!

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the copy.

I really enjoyed this one!

Character growth being the forefront—this was soo much more than just a romance. Tackling alcoholism to drown out grief, intrusive, diminishing, and insecure thoughts along the lines of always letting people down and being a disappointment. This was a very enjoyable, fast paced, steamy and romantic book. I found myself reading at a pace quicker than usual, and I became very emotionally invested. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

3.5/5 Stars

Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

I liked this book and I loved parts of it but I didn't love all of it. These types of reviews are so hard for me because it really comes down to a feeling more than anything. And it's hard to rate a feeling when it's smack dab in the middle of the spectrum.

I think the thing that created a little bit of disconnect for me with the story was the execution of the character development. There was certainly some very nice character growth in the book but it felt impersonal to me. I can't really put my finger on it but the characters just didn't stand out to me. The story does touch upon topics of grief and addiction and I think that those topics were handled gracefully.

Ava Wilder does a fine job of making the story compelling. Despite not feeling overly close to the characters, I still felt the drive to keep reading. I really and truly wanted to know what was going to happen next. The writing style was easy to read for the most part but there were times it felt a little clunky. The world-building felt so real, as though I were living in the story.

There were parts of the romance that I liked and parts that I didn't mesh with. I enjoyed the fake dating trope and I think that it was executed well. I also liked that Grey and Ethan developed feelings after spending time together and getting to know each other. Their chemistry wasn't entirely convincing to me in the love department but in the lust department, they were definitely convincing. It was obvious that they were attracted to each other the first time they met. It was almost an instalust situation. When their feelings developed though their chemistry felt different. It didn't feel realistic for two people in love.

Overall, this is a fun story with an addictive premise that fell a little short for me with character relatability. But don't let that stop you from picking this up because it was still an interesting read. I think that in this case, it is just a personal preference situation. I'd definitely try something else from this author.

How To Fake It In Hollywood is a classic enemies to lovers romance that delivers more than your typical rom com novel. In some ways it really reminded me of A Star Is Born!

Grey Brooks is coming down from the ending of her teen soap era, and Ethan Atkins is a recluse actor who needs to improve his personal PR image. They both unwillingly agree when their PR agent suggests fake dating would be good publicity for both of their careers.

As you can imagine, the classic fake dating romance tropes ensure, and these two end up realizing they might have real feelings for each other. However, this book goes much deeper and moves past their surface level romance to tackle a deeper look at personal identity and personal struggles. I love the cover, I loved the romance, and I would really recommend this one as it offers something new to the genre!

How to Fake It in Hollywood is a fake dating rom-kinda-com novel. Grey Brooks has been a low key off the radar actress since she was a child. After her mediocre TV show ends she's having trouble finding work. Her publicist suggests fake dating the reclusive, older, used to be heart throb, Ethan Atkins. Both are looking for a life make over/do over.

This seemed like it was going to be a fun read but disappointed easily. The side characters were interesting and probably the best part. This book was deceptively heavy with themes of depression, grief, co-dependency and alcoholism. It was heavy for the story and the issues were resolved off the page or not at all. They 16 months latered us and then they 2 years latered us. The author clearly had trouble with character development and conflict resolution. So all of that was pretty much glossed over.

I would recommend this book to fans of Nora Goes Off Script, by Annabel Monaghan and Funny You Should Ask, by Elissa Sussman.

This book was nothing special. It was a nice and light read. But I would definitely not recommend it with all the other great reads out there.

Finished How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

This one was so good. It has a few tropes in it, a good plot and a little bit of spice. Just a well rounded romance.

Basically- romance between actors Grey and Ethan and how they navigate a fake relationship when they have actual feelings.

I'm here for all the fictional drama in this one.

Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely LOVED this romance! It touched upon some really tough topics, like alcoholism, but the author handled this with grace. I loved the smut in it as well and the fact it included some of the best tropes out there (one bed, age gap, mutual pining) made it so much better. 5 stars, and definitely going to read this authors future books!

How to Fake it in Hollywood melds some light-hearted favorites (fake dating, Hollywood glitz, "let's get it out of our systems") with some heavy counterpoints (substance abuse, grief after the loss of a best friend) to create an emotional concoction. Grey is a stalled-out actress struggling to find her next role after the end of her six-season teen drama comes to a close. Ethan is a former A-lister whose life slid into obscurity and oblivion after his best friend died years ago. When their publicist suggests a contractual relationship to jumpstart two languishing careers, they reluctantly agree. The chemistry is there, but both are wary to let their guard down, even in a fake capacity. A long weekend turns steamy turns disastrous when images of the two make it to the tabloids without their permission. Can their fledgling bond survive?

(I think it's too dramatic to end that paragraph with a rhetorical question, but I'm leaving it there. Come at me.)

So there was a mountain of potential here. I admire the author for taking on some thorny issues for our characters. Even better, the story flies in the face of tropes where a romantic partner can cure a person's ills. In a pointed, realistic counterargument, these characters have to look within and seek professional care to get what they need. The romance is something they want, something that's worth it, but it's not the air they breathe or the solution to pre-existing traumas. Ethan's internal battle and Grey's challenge in how to respond are lifelike, even brutal in portrayal.

What was honestly weird was that the romantic plot didn't live up to the personal journeys for me. The romance comes on suddenly, something that never fails to perplex me, and the pending drama lurks like an impatient demon on their shoulders, ready to fuck shit up in a big way. Final act timing is so touchy. A long, drawn-out fight or breakup can feel funereal, killing all vibes. But a rapid implosion that somehow manages to undo itself without much fuss feels unnatural, a form of emotional whiplash. In this case, a time jump seems wise given the level of troubles on hand. It evades both aforementioned problems but also leaves a lot unaddressed, out of sight, out of mind. It left me conflicted. I think I would have liked a bit more at the end post-makeup to see how they could move forward healthily and consider some of the lesser but still persistent issues they will still face. It's fair to leave it a bit open-ended, but I felt the loose ends tugging at my mind in unpleasant fashion.

If you like high-profile romance with fame and glamour or if you like heavy, emotional arcs that send characters directly to therapy (do not pass go, do not collect $200 or a glass of bourbon), you'll find high-impact content here. Thanks to Dell for my copy to read and review!

With echoes of 'A Star Is Born' and other dramatic Hollywood behind-the-curtain stories, this romance dives deep into the harsh realities of fame and creativity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC that I took forever to actually read it. I was not a huge fan of the age gap when the book started but was able to move past it pretty quickly. The end with the time jump was much better than I thought it would be and I did enjoy seeing Grey and Ethan evolve as characters and then come back together. It felt middle of the road to me where I enjoyed my time with it but I don't feel the need to come back at a later date but definitely NOT a waste of my time.

Ava Wilder’s highly anticipated debut novel is a full fledged romance/women’s fiction novel about relationships, love, dealing with past traumas and so much more. Wilder’s characters are rich in depth, with struggles and insecurities anyone can fall victim to. The dialogue, and specifically the banter between the two main characters, was a treat. I also adored all of the other supporting relationships in the book including those between Grey and her best friend Kamilah, Ethan and his ex-wife Nora, etc. This was a very enjoyable, fast paced, steamy and romantic book and I became very emotionally invested, Highly recommend.

When her long-running show comes to an end, Grey is determined to keep her career going. With a role on the line, she agrees to a scheme. She’s now going to need to fake a love affair with a Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity too.

Ethan has gone through a high-profile divorce, is struggling with drinking, and struggling with the death of his best friend, now he wants to be left alone. But, to produce the last movie he wrote together with his partner, he needs to clean up his image and the affair with Grey might be just that.

This really had everything I wanted. I was certain that I would have a wonderful time, and I did, but there were a few things that made it fall a little flat.

I really loved Grey. She was feisty and never going to take any shit from Ethan. It was excellent to see. She really cared about her career and was eager to see it move forward.

Ethan had his moments, but it was clear to see he needed a lot of help. Not only with his alcoholism, but dealing with the grief of losing his friend as well as the divorce. We got to see a few moments of what he could be like, but for the most part we see him struggling.

Together, their relationship felt pretty insta-lovey. On top of that I don't feel like they really had enough moments to really get to know one another. They communicated horribly. The second half of the book seemed to drag followed by feeling rushed. Their relationship didn’t work for me at all.

There was a lot of commentary that I enjoyed. How invasive being famous can really be from the paparazzi and press to crazy fans, etc. There was a lot of good commentary on how damaging that can be.

The first half of this book was strong for me. While the second half was weaker, I do believe this was a good debut. I could see a number of people really enjoying this book. I’m very interested in seeing what this author does next.

This book was way different than I expected but not in a bad way! I went in expecting a cute little Hollywood love story and came out with so much more than that! There were so many tropes I loved and I just really loved how emotional everything was!