"Will They or Won't They" should definitely be on your summer reading list if you enjoy romances with engaging characters and emotional depth. The main characters Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are two actors who fell into an easy going romance when they were both cast as the leads in a television show called Intangible. By the end of the first season their romance had imploded and the tension between the two was unbearable. Eventually, Lila left the show to pursue other interests and Shane stayed. Now entering the 9th and final season, Lilah is back to help wrap up the show. Lilah hasn't experienced the success she had hoped for and Shane is fearful of what his career will look like once the show wraps. What neither Lilah or Shane expect is to discover is that that their feelings for each other are still there and just maybe they are both ready to build a stronger relationship than either thought was possible. Again- Will they or Won't They?

Loved this book. Previous lovers turned enemies turned back to lovers. Throughout the book, I kept rooting for Lilah and Shane to just get over themselves and get back together.

Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder
Narrators: Kristen DiMercurio and Jay Aaseng
Rating: 4.5 stars
Steam: 1 chili
Pub Date: 6/27

Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are on fire. Their characters on the hit TV show Intangible have made fans swoon for years, but off-screen, their relationship is nothing short of explosive. From the moment Lilah left the show after their behind-the-scenes fling fell apart, these two have despised each other with a passion. Now, fate has brought them back together for the highly anticipated final season, and sparks are flying.

I loved everything about this! The chemistry between Lilah and Shane is scorching, making me wonder how they were able to resist each other in every scene! Their banter is sharp and witty, and I adored their snappy exchanges and the sizzling tension that burned through the pages. These two take enemies-to-lovers to a whole new level!

Both Shane and Lilah were fully developed and relatable, but Lilah stole my heart. She’s flawed and relatable, and her anxiety struggles hit close to home. And her sense of humor is on point! I found myself chuckling at her witty one-liners.

What sets Wilder apart is her ability to tackle serious topics while keeping the story light and enjoyable. She weaves therapy-positive themes seamlessly into the narrative, showcasing the characters' growth and self-awareness. It's refreshing to see characters who actively work on themselves, adding depth to the story and making me cheer for their personal journeys.

This book has some deliciously steamy moments, which, combined with the intense emotions and swoon-worthy passion, kept my heart racing. It's the perfect blend of heat and heart that kept me flipping pages long into the night.

Second-chance romance in a Hollywood setting might be my new favorite! If you're searching for a book that will make you laugh, swoon, and feel all the feels, look no further. Will They or Won't They is a delightful journey filled with captivating characters, electric chemistry, and just the right amount of drama. Ava Wilder has certainly earned her spot as one of my favorite romance authors, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

Read if you like:
*dual POV
*Hollywood setting
*lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers
*second-chance romance
*grumpy/sunshine
*forced proximity

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Publishing for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion, and thanks to PRH Audio for my free audiobook.

“Maybe she was just as confused as he was about what they were to each other: unsure what she wanted, what was attainable, what was worth hoping for.”

Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder
Pub Date: June 20th, 2023
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟(4/5)
Spice: 🌶🌶(2/5)

Review:

The title says it all. Will they or won’t they? Lilah and Shane play love interests in the supernatural show Intangible. From the first chemistry read there was a spark. Nine years later, in filming the final season of their show, the spark is less loving and more loathing. Together Lilah and Shane work through their past and present to finish the final season and figure out will they or won’t they end up together in real life.

God I love Ava wilder’s writing style. I loved Ava’s debut novel and I love this too. So good. High recommend her writing. She just gets how to write mental health with alienating the characters. Her ability to convey internal conflict is just so good. Lilahs struggle with anxiety and her trust issues are so well described. As a reader I fully felt I was inside Lilahs and Shane’s heads.

I love a good 3rd person story with split perspective and an informed narration. SO GOOD. Also the spice was so tasteful. I felt the anticipation in my soul.


If you like:
- Hollywood romances
- Slow Burn
- Enemies to lovers
- Casual Judaism

QOTD: What is your favorite Sitcom?

Thank you to Net Galley and Dell/Random House for proving me with an eARC of this novel.

thank you so much for the arc!

Lilah and Shane were SO GOOD together. The tension in this book was insane!! I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, and this had that plus second-chance trope as well.

I'll definitely be reading Ava's other book as well.

i am a sucker for hollywood romances what can i say 🎥🎬💔

i really enjoyed this! i was honestly worried about the “won’t they” part of it all, i actually thought they might hate each other too much in the beginning there but i’m glad it turned around

lilah and shane had the perfect angsty goodness that i feel is lacking in a lot of contemporary romances that claim to be enemies to lovers. i was yelling at their stubbornness one minute and kicking my feet and giggling a moment later

also the therapy! i loved seeing characters actually talk about their past miscommunications in front of each other! so refreshing!

overall this was a 10/10 read, so definitely pick it up when it comes out 6/27!!!

Ava Wilder's second book dives back into the world of acting and LA. Shane and Lilah are the stars of a hit TV show but after their relationship goes south, and after a long hostile working environment, Lilah leaves to pursue a movie career. After it doesn't pan out, she is back for the last season of their show and the resentment and bitterness is still rampant between them.

I feel this book was very well done in terms of a realistic story line and relationship of the main two characters. Their separation and the reasons they weren't together never felt forced. Their relationship was definitely a roller coaster of emotions and highs and lows but it flowed in a way that was acceptable as truth. I don't feel the cover matches this story. This is not a light and cute chick-lit book. This is, by far, more of a drama and could use a better cover to help convey that to potential readers. It is far from clean with a really overdrawn out sex scene, well, more than one. Overall, I loved the story of Shane and Lilah's relationship. How there was never the normal trope plot line of getting together, having something tear them apart, and then reuniting. The story, their relationship, is a journey. It is interesting, realistic and I believe, will have you rooting for both. I highly recommend this to readers who enjoyed her first book and for those who want a more in depth romance than your typical light, fluffy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

3.75 stars .Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the E-ARC. I really enjoyed the concept of this book the story Shane and Lilah meet when doing a TV show and get into a "relationship" it ends bad they hate each other and then have to work together again on the final season of the show still hating each other. I will admit I disliked Lilah very much at the beginning but then I saw why she is the way she is and started to understand her. I cant say this enough I love when mental health issues are validated because Social Anxiety is very real. I love that we are starting to normalize therapy because lets face it alot of us that read this is our therapy our happy place.

Wilder writes books deep with emotion and tension and longing. She has a gift for putting us in a Hollywood setting and turning those hard to relate to moments into completely relatable moments with real human feelings. The cover of this book calls it a lovers to enemies to lovers romance. It is correct.

Lilah and Shane have instant chemistry when they audition for a part on a tv show. Through the years they are together and not until they come back for one last season after years apart. It's hard. It's emotional. It's really good. Their growth both separately and apart is so fulfilling. I loved the use of therapy to get both of them to communicate better. I binged this in an afternoon and am not even a little bit sorry for ignoring my kids.

As the stars of a hit paranormal TV show, Lilah and Shane spent five seasons pining for each other onscreen and one season giving into their physical attraction to one another offscreen. Now, after trying and failing to become a movie star, Lilah is back to film the much-hyped ninth and final season of Intangible, which promises fans that Lilah and Shane’s characters will get together at last. But the real-life Lilah and Shane despise each other and haven’t spoken in years. Will they be able to give their fans a happy ending? Will they be able to find one for themselves?

Will They Or Won’t They is the steamy, heartwarming story of how Lilah and Shane’s physical attraction turns into something much deeper.

3.5⭐️ rounded up.

I loved how the book was set up and the characters in general, I was very much let down while reading. The tension between Lilah and Shane was very good and the present-tense storyline had me gripped. What lacked for me was the pieces of their relationship 9 years ago. We got so little of them together then, and most of what we did get was their breakup and massive mishandling of each other’s feelings.

I understand that I’m supposed to be rooting for them to get back together, but I had a hard time doing that when I felt like I didn’t get to see enough of the good parts of their relationship. The first half of the book I was honestly thinking ya y’all broke up for a good reason, sheesh.

Lilah and Shane both were very interesting characters and I appreciate how real and flawed they both felt. I think the book spanning over such a big time period caused some continuity issues when I was reading, and also made the end feel very rushed. I did like the secret aspect at the end though! I am not a celebrity person, but I will read every celeb book this woman writes. It’s so fascinating and she is a wiz at it.

Lilah and Shane meet auditioning for the show that would shoot them both into stardom. But after a messy break up at the end of season one, years of hate between the two of them that border on hostly, Lilah's exit after six season, and different relationships, Lilah is heading back to the show for it's final season. While the hate is front and center, after only weeks being pushed together, Lilah and Shane must come to terms with what is really going on underneath.

I'm a sucker for Hollywood books, and this one did not disappoint. Here's what I loved:

The show setting: Not only does this book give you a nice look at the pushes and pulls of Hollywood, but Wilder did such an amazing job of showing the parallels between the MC's relationship and their characters on the show. By the end, the cast and crew were a little found family, which is something else I love.

Lilah and Shane: These two....they are amazing when they are hating on each other and they are amazing when they are loving each other. I adore everything about them. I also loved how Wilder explored their insecurities and mental health struggles. Lilah dealing with her anxiety and Shane with his impostor syndrome really held my interest.

The structure: Don't get me wrong, I do like books that keep me guessing, but I appreciate Wilder's structure in this. She shows us reasonably early where Lilah and Shane when wrong in the first place so that we could focus on them heading towards a HEA.

The spice: It's not a lot, but it satisfied my spice craving!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. As always, my reviews are honest.

-hollywood
-second chance
-mental health rep

I finished Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder - this second chance, enemies to lovers, celebrity romance (with a Jewish ✡️ heroine!) was everything I hoped & more! It releases on 6/27 so be sure to get your hands on it!

Thank you to Random House for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I love second chance romances and dual POV! I haven’t read many romances of actors dating so it was very exciting. Will They or Won’t They felt like going behind the scenes of the 2010s CW shows I loved. I have to say Lilah and Shane were pretty unlikable in the start since they were really focused on disliking each other. I’m definitely a person who prefers the MMC to always be pining. But I loved seeing them grow. I also enjoyed the contrast of how Lilah and Shane got into acting.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Dell for this ARC!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ava Wilder for the ARC.

I personally couldn’t get past the first 15-20% because I just couldn’t connect with the characters or get into the story.

I’m so glad others have loved this book and recommend still giving it a chance in case they connect with you!

Will they or Won’t They is a delightful romance full of banter, spice, and Hollywood! Lila and Shane’s chemistry is crackling on and off-screen.

This newest release from Wilder takes place in the same world as her debut, How to Fake it in Hollywood, with similar angst, healing, and celebrity drama to keep you going.

This one was fun because it followed two characters who have known each other a while since they've been on a hit show together for years. They're presently enemies after a bad breakup among other things years ago.

There was something missing from their relationship that made me not fully love it. I don't feel like they received the healing in the relationship they needed to move forward. I needed something more to feel comfortable with how much they've hurt each other. And why were they still acting immaturely towards each other at the end of the book? Why hadn't they grown up?

Overall, this was a good book, but not romantic enough for me. I would have been perfectly happy skipping this one, but since it wasn't poorly written, it's 3.5 stars from me.

Thanks to Random House for an advanced copy! I’ve really enjoyed Ava Wilder’s focus on Hollywood and this was no exception. While it didn’t quite fire on all cylinders like her previous book (a debut that was seriously impressive and had a slightly more compelling romance), I still had a really fun time!

💖 Anxiety rep
💖 Jewish rep
💖 Hollywood actors
💖 Then & now timeline
💖 Therapy positive
💖 Enemies to lovers
💖 Dual POV

The chemistry between Lilah and Shane is off the charts. From their first audition to the 9th season of their hit show it’s been a series of ups and downs.

Lilah is a Julliard trained actress who struggles with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and doesn’t let anyone in, including Shane. I won’t give too much away here but it causes issues in their relationship then and now.

Shane was working the lunch shift at The Vine, a popular LA restaurant, when he was discovered. His insecurity about acting and being ‘good enough’ carries through his career.

There's drama between them (too much for me, tbh) and being forced back together for work also forces them to reexamine their feelings.

Ava Wilder. was recommended to me by @book.sleeves.and.recipes who has very similar book tastes to me. So when she snagged a copy of Will They or Won't They, I knew I had to try and score myself a copy too. Thank you Random House- Ballantine for granting me access to this title via @NetGalley.

If you haven't read How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder, I also highly recommend reading it! Will They or Won't has all the chemistry and unresolved baggage that I love in a book. Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy may play characters who are in love on screen. However, off screen the two can't stand each other. Lilah's character on the paranormal hit show is being reprised. Although she isn't thrilled to be returning, it does force her to finally confront Shane and the messy way they imploded their relationship after an off-screen hookup all those years ago.

I found Lilah's character to be relatable. She initially branched off from the show hoping to get her big break, but ultimately, it fell flat. Throughout her life, Lilah has been dealing with a generalized anxiety disorder and acting was one of the places she found most inner peace. Returning to the show, however, isn't creating a sense of calm for her. I appreciated the awareness in the book and I also enjoyed that Shane and Lilah attend therapy together and apart.

I really enjoyed How to Fake It in Hollywood and Will They or Won't They while different still delivers what Ava Wilder does best, a romance that makes you root for the characters as individuals while hoping for their HEA together!