Lilah and Shane have had a lots of ups and downs - mostly downs - in their relationship (both personal and professional). Every time they attempt to finally get back together, it seems something gets in the way - even when that something is themselves. I love getting to know them as individuals as we slowly learn their backstory together and the different ways they view their acting job. Their past is holding them back from the potential of a future, and to reach this realization they have to dig deep inside themselves.

Despite all the back and forth, the author’s writing is compelling and I never felt bored by the story - there is always a new element or focus. I like that the story continues to move forward, rather than stalling out as the couple tries to figure out what they want; there is potential for this type of tale to get boring but instead Ava Wilder keeps readers interested.

There were a few moments when “will they or won’t they” felt a little more like “please don’t”; Lilah and Shane both made mistakes in their relationship and it would be easy to call it toxic and take the out. But as they focus on their careers at the very end of the line, they start to move forward in other ways. And healthy depictions of therapy deserves some credit as well!

Overall, this is a romance depicting a rocky relationship and showing that sometimes love takes a lot more work than as seen on TV.

CW: Anxiety; references to drug abuse/addiction

I’m calling it now – Will They or Won’t They is one of my favorite books of the year! I fell head over heels in love with this heartachingly beautiful romance. There’s no sophomore slump here as Ava Wilder has set a new gold standard for all second-chance romances.

On-screen, Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are madly in love. Off-screen, the two stars of a hit paranormal TV show cannot stand each other. After ditching the show at the end of the fifth season, Lilah returns to the much-hyped ninth and final season. But coming back means facing one of the biggest reasons she left: Shane. Ever since their behind-the-scenes fling imploded at the end of the first season, the two have despised each other. Together again for the first time in years with all eyes on them, they have to play nice to give the show’s fans the happy ending they’ve been waiting for. But being together dregs up memories of the past, both good and bad, and Shane and Lilah might just end up with a happy ending of their own.

This book. THIS BOOK. I don’t even know where to start. The romance will tear at your heartstrings and end up ripping your heart out of your chest, but Ava Wilder manages to mend that heart and make it beat stronger than ever before by the end. There is so much love, pain, anger, regret, and hope between Lilah and Shane. They have screwed up at different points in their relationship and hurt the other, sometimes deliberately. And yet that love, that attraction, between them is still there, buried beneath a lot of pain, but they can heal and grow by coming together. I don’t believe in soulmates, but Shane and Lilah make you think soulmates are real. These two, despite all their struggles, are destined for each other.

The chemistry between them is electric from their first scene. It’s wild to me how Wilder makes sharing a glance between the two of them from across a room before they even speak in the very first scene sizzle off the page. From their chemistry read at the audition to a sexy photoshoot to their matching tattoos, the chemistry is FIRE. I was rooting for them to be together the whole time, even when they hated the other’s guts. This is a second-chance romance done right.

In so many ways, this relationship is a slow burn. Lilah and Shane share so much history that it adds so many different layers to their relationship. God, the love between them. It’s so soft and beautiful but also fiery and explosive. When they lashed out at each other, it flayed my heart. But when they’re good together, it made my heart soar. I was feeling all the emotions while reading this. It’s definitely not a low-angst read.

And throw in the fact that it is a celebrity romance – and they’re co-stars where everyone has been shipping their characters for years. My god – this book had everything! The fact that their characters get together in the show, but in real life, there is all this baggage, and they’re still figuring things out just added to the emotions. It’s like fake dating, as the kisses they share are for TV, but the feelings behind it go far beyond that.

The writing in this book is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. Like stab me in the heart with all these beautiful turns of phrase! I highlighted half the book, as I loved so many passages. I swear, Wilder’s writing touched a part of my soul as I was so emotional while reading (and I may have cried more than once). And the structure! I loved how seamlessly Wilder wove in the flashbacks. They came at the perfect time in the story, heightening the emotional tensions and pushing the story forward. It felt like echoes of the past were bubbling up at the perfect moments in the present.

I realize I have said very little about Lilah and Shane, but I adored them, flaws and all. They’re not perfect people. They both have their own insecurities, weaknesses, and fears. They have both messed up in different ways, and I loved that. It made both of them feel so real and raw. Even though they’re celebrities with a career and lives most of us will never know, Wilder has a knack for making these people feel so relatable.

I could continue gushing about this book for ages as it’s truly something special and best explored for yourself. I swear, this book killed me and I’m a ghost now (fitting!). Ava Wilder has solidified her position as a must-buy author with How to Fake It in Hollywood and Will They or Won’t They. I seriously will read anything she releases in the future. Her books are so open, honest, emotional, and raw, yet filled with so much love, life, and hope. She knows how to pull on those heartstrings, and I cannot wait to see what she publishes next. Pick up this book as soon as you can – you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to Random House – Dell/Netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts, ideas and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really wanted to love this, and there was a lot of potential, but it did fall. little flat for me.

Lets start with the good: this was a really unique romance in the way it was all set up. We meet Lilah and Shane for the first time at the audition for the show they later end up booking together, and Ava Wilder really does nail the tension and chemistry here. This also persists throughout the entire book, even when we fast forward to 9 years later and the two are at each others throats. I really liked the insight into celebrity culture, and I loved Lilah's prickliness and the fact that she wasn't anywhere near a perfect character. She knows herself to be somewhat unlikeable to subsets of the public, and she isn't apologetic for it. She experiences pervasive anxiety, and this is handled very well. Shane, in contrast, is the incredibly likable "golden boy who stumbled into fame," who struggles to define who he is when he isn't trying to make everyone happy. I ADORE how well carved out these characters were, and it was unlike probably any romance ive read before (aside from How to Fake It In Hollywood by the same author, which I'm realizing now had a very similar quality to the characters that really impresses me).

I think where this fell flat was really in the pacing. While the timeline of the story was part of what made it unique, it also felt a bit stunted and awkward at times. It felt like we spent a lot of the story dwelling heavily on the toxic and complicated parts of this relationship, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, it just left me feeling a bit unenthused? I also recognize that this very well could be a personal preference, but I felt bogged down while reading this story more than I felt moved or enchanted or swoony. This is just not my preferred *mood* while reading a romance, at least not as frequently as I felt it here.

Ultimately, though, I really REALLY like Ava Wilder's writing style, and I will definitely go back to read more from her in the future. This felt very much like a poor fit for me, rather than an actual "meh" book. If you like a slightly heavier romance, I would recommend reading this regardless because you really may love it!

Thank you to Random House Ballantine & NetGalley for the eArc!

What I read: Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder

Why I picked it up: I got this as an ARC from Netgalley for free in exchange for a review with my honest opinion.

How I read it: On eGalley.

What it’s about: The book follows a couple who met on the audition for a tv pilot nine years ago. They were in a relationship during the very successful first season that ended poorly, followed by years of angsty relationships, then a couple of years of no relationship, and now they’re back on the show together again. It really follows the two of them as they figure out if they want to be in a relationship and how to do that.

What I liked: There are some aspects of mental health, processing past traumas, seeing the reality of anxiety – I really liked those.

What I disliked: I did not realize this was quite so spicy when I started, which was a little much for me. The not dealing with past trauma got to be a bit much.

Genre: Open door romance, mental health, anxiety, celebrity.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ and I’d skip it. It releases on June 27th.

This book has so many great parts that I thought for sure I was on to another five star read from Ava Wilder. Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy meet while auditioning for a tv pilot. She has studied acting while he got invited based on his looks and personality while bartending. The show becomes a hit series but she leaves after five years to expand her career. Her movie fizzles and career stalls so she returns to the series for its ninth and final season to give the fans the big ending they want.

The problem is the Lilah and Shane really dislike each other. No one knows that for the first season they were hot and steamy before breaking up. They are trying to be professional on set but it is so bad they get couples counseling to improve the working relationship. The author tells some of the story out of sequence which works and the pace is steady. I get they were young and there were miscommunications. But their animosity is a lot to over come. I felt emotional whiplash when one moment they are sweetly reconnecting and the next there is mistrust. I usually read books straight through but with this one I took breaks.

I really liked the book, the steaminess, and the grown up, current day, communication. But there is a lot of back anger or toxicity so emotionally I was more drained than thrilled at their HEA. I hope the book does well because I want to read more from Ava Wilder. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballentine for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review. (4.5 Stars)

I really enjoyed this read! So thankful to have been chosen to read it as an ARC! I was fully hooked on the story by chapter 3 and I couldn’t decide who I was rooting for! I went back and forth until finally, I just got mad at them both! Get together already and figure it out! I would love a sequel to see what happens next!!

Definitely add it to your TBR and grab it June 27, 2023 when it drops!!!

FIVE STARS!! I love, love, loved Ava Wilder's debut novel How to Fake It in Hollywood. I live in Los Angeles and so much of what she writes (even though she, incidentally, is not a LA resident!) about the culture and people here she absolutely nailed. As an unironic fan of celebrity news and gossip (anon pls) the story at the heart of her first novel struck all the right beats with me. I was thrilled to see that her follow up, Will They or Won't They, was going to be in the same vein. Will They or Won't They is a story of two ex-television costars-slash-ex-lovers working together again when one, Lilah, returns to the show that made her famous after a failed attempt at a film career, and is forced to face Shane for the first time since they fell out years ago. In a very interesting and unique twist, I felt that Shane was the true romantic protagonist here and our main character - I loved seeing a male character experience so much of what our female leads are usually saddled with. It was so interesting and cool. I LOVED this book as much as How to Fake It and can't wait to read whatever comes next!

This is one of the best enemies-to-lovers romances I have read recently, because Ava Wilder takes the trope and smashes it on its head.
Shane and Lilah meet as lead costars on a very popular paranormal TV series, Intangible. Their chemistry is undeniable and they strike up a semi-secret relationship off camera. But after five seasons Lilah leaves the show and what once burned hot between her and Shane, turns icy cold. Those frigid feelings have never left, but now with the show entering it’s ninth and final season, Lilah is back and hell might freeze over before she and Shane can amicably work together.
This book was a page turner! Flitting between the past and present, readers are kept on their toes as Shane and Lilah’s story is pieced together from their current work relationship to their first chemistry read, to what happened that drove them apart. I loved their messed up dysfunctional and smoking hot relationship from the moment they saw each other in the casting call (and I am saying this with them never have even spoken to one another yet!). When they do speak, the banter is A+ and pretty funny too. I felt like I was in on their little jokes and jabs. I guess what I liked the most was that Shane and Lilah are so obviously into each other, but because they can’t get out of their own way emotionally, they are oblivious to the pining they still have for one another. As Shane’s brother Dean so elegantly puts it, “I wonder what it would be like to have someone so obsessed with me that they arrange their whole day around finding incredibly specific ways to rile me up.” Wilder uses their TV series coupledom as the perfect excuse to get these babies into couples therapy, when they aren’t even a real life couple, and it is magical. (PSA: Therapy works!!)
There was also so much kissing and hand-holding in this book. That may sound fluffy, but Wilder can make you wait for a kiss scene like nobody’s business and I loved the anticipation each time these two got together. If you think it’s hot when they first meet, just wait for what time and age and maturity and seeing someone as they are can do to a scene. The hand holding is imbued with so much meaning—it’s security, tenderness, comfort, reassurance, and an “I’ve got you”. It’s no wonder that even in sleep, these two reach for one another. But above else, Wilder’s writing perfectly encapsulates every emotion Shane and Lilah have for one another. I cannot put into words how deftly and eloquently she writes heartache, the surprising discovery of love, and the metaphorical way we as humans feel when reconciling our past loves with our present. This book will absolutely be a re-read for me and I’d encourage you to pick it up. I received an advanced copy from the publisher. Thank you to Dell and NetGalley.

love an ava wilder romance. the deep connection between the MCs is so well done. love an oklahoman love interest, just me? but look no further for your new favorite celebrity romance

4.5 rounded up to 5.

There's something about lovers to enemies to strangers to lovers that just DOES something for me.

We follow as Lilah makes her way back to the TV show that brought her fame. She's once again paired up as the love interest to Shane, the man who she fell in a fast and deep relationship before their relationship takes a nose dive off a cliff. The tension and angst in this book is SO well done. I found myself getting upset because I just wanted them to make up already and give in to the tension. That being said, I'm so happy with the pacing of this story. I feel like I really took the time to learn about the character individually and separately. There is a bit of classic miscommunication between the two at some point of the book, but it was really well done and resolved quickly. Plus the plot twist? Screaming.

If you enjoy, pining coworkers, second chances, slow burn, jealousy and angst, definitely pick this up.

Thank you Ava Wilder, Dell Publishing, and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I tried so hard to like this book, but I think I'm in the minority here. I didn't like it that much. I got bored. I decided to add this to my DNF folder after 20% that the main characters still didn't make a lot of interactions. Except expressing hate to each other.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me an eARC in exchange of an honest review.

5/5 stars! I ABSOLUTELY loved this book. The chemistry throughout just got me sooo in my feels and I couldn't wait for them to finally get together. I thought it was so well done. Ava Wilder is becoming an instant read author for me!

I loooved Eva Wilders debut and her love of Hollywood insider romances. I really enjoy enemies to lovers and this was really well executed. The backstories worked for me, the slow burn to sexy time and the behind the scenes to the show these guys were on. It worked for me and I’ll read whatever Wilder does next!

Enemies to lovers, fighting their feelings, complications from the past, tension and pining for dayyyyys. Yes, this book has it all. I read this book straight through and never wanted to put it down. I just had to know Shane and Lilah would figure their issues out and be happy together. You see, the were happy together, for a time, but all that changed in an anxiety filled moment and they were so young they didn't know how to navigate all that was thrown at them.
Now, 5 years later, they are back filming the last season of a show that they started together. It's evident these two still harbor so many feelings and unsaid emotions but the question is, will they figure themselves out before it is too late?
Shane holds Lilah accountable for pretty much everything that happened between them in the past and the way she treated their relationship just proves that she didn't really want him in the first place. Lilah knows she can't handle the pressure of a relationship in the public eye. She doesn't want viewers to get the characters confused with who they truly are, it is the reason she left in the first place. But now, being back with Shane, she knows she isn't over him and probably never will be. As long as she can get through this season, she can be clear of him once and for all. When the producers notice the two of them are dragging down the show and send them to therapy... together... they have no choice but to bring all the unsaid things from the past years to light. Either they can move on from them or just understand, but either way, they need to come together for the sake of the show.
This was a slow burn and I loved the twist at the end. It was perfect. I think these two are my new favorite.
Thank you to Ava Wilder, Random House and Netgalley for an early copy.

I did enjoy this book for the most part, The ending felt a little slow to me but that might have been more on me. I just wanted them to get together and then there was a third act breakup at like 90%. There was some nice spice and some sweet moments. Although the burn was a little too slow sometimes!

So, i was not a fan of Ava Wilder's debut. Not because it was bad but because it ended not being my cup of tea. Then, months passed and i read Will They or Won't They synopsis and it intrigued me, so i decided to give this author another shot and read it, and thankfully i don't regret it at all, i liked this book a lot.
The story was great, and the romance too.
I liked that they went to couple's therapy (even though they weren't together yet) and worked on their issues.
I also liked that despite the flashbacks and ~some~ scenes, it was a bit of a slow burn.
The ambiance was cool, too. Who wouldn't want to know what went out backstage on their fave show?

All in all, this book was great and i would recommend it if you love rom-coms but also love hollywood gossip.

I really enjoyed Ava Wilder's first book so I was pretty excited to get an arc of her next book. This one is also in the LA/Hollywood scene and we get a couple mentions of characters from How to Fake It In Hollywood.

As you can guess with the name this is the ultimate second chance romance. And the tension/pining/chemistry was there. This was a couple that they really hated each other and then later hated how much they still wanted the other.

There were times when both our hero and heroine were stubborn and I wanted to shake them. The slow burn of the "present" was a little too long. Just bang already! Like it's obvious to literally everyone, stop trying to hide it or fight it.

I really liked the ending. It took a twist and I wasn't sure at all what was going to happen. Don't want to give anything away, but expect the unexpected.

4/5

Lilah and Shane meet at a tryout for television roles and their mutual attraction is strong. As they work together on the movie they also respond to their mutual attraction and soon begin an affair. Having very strong personalities they move in and out of a romantic relationship over and over and over.

This story is drawn out over a lengthy period as the television program continues for nine seasons. Lilah and Shane move through many variations of their romantic relationship and the descriptions of their on again off again romance became intimately more descriptive to the point of this being an adult novel. I found the frequent liaisons and breakups became very tedious and the descriptions of their sexual encounters too much for my personal preference.

I received a free copy of this book for my honest voluntary review. The book should have been described as an adult novel.

Ava Wilder is a freaking genius! How do you top How to Fake it in Hollywood? With Will They or Won't They! I loved every second of this book and watching this couple come together. And the ending is so perfect! No spoilers, but it was handled brilliantly. I'm obsessed with Ava and she has solidified her place on my auto buy list!

Lilah and Shane meet on an audition for a television pilot, where their chemistry is instantaneous - and lands them both career-defining roles. Swept up in the excitement, they give into the sparks flaring between them, but agree to keep their relationship a secret. Their off-screen relationship falls apart after the first season, but on-screen their characters continue to pine for each other. As the show progresses, their relationship continues to sour, devolving into outright hostility until Lilah decides to leave the show after five seasons to pursue other opportunities. When her big break doesn't work out, she ends up returning to the show for its ninth and final season, but will she and Shane be able to overcome their history to survive filming the season, or will their chemistry win out?

I don't often enjoy stories where the connection between the main romantic interests borders on toxic, and Shane and Lilah definitely qualify - they have the power to truly hurt each other, and their fights could be hard to read. However, Ava Wilder does such a great job building out their characters, so the hard moments don't feel excessive. There's a lot of trauma, both individual and shared, but there's also a lot of compassion and genuine care for each other, and I ultimately really enjoyed watching their dynamic evolve as they learned to trust each other again.

Don't let the cute illustrated cover fool you, this is a romance that has some serious heft and it was hard to read at times, but I was so invested in these characters. This isn't a lightweight rom-com; these characters are dealing with anxiety, self-doubt, panic attacks, and that all feeds into their complicated relationship. Mind the trigger warnings, but I promise the book is worth it.