I wanted to love this book and couldn't wait to pick it up! But this year has been a chaotic reading year. By the time I picked up this book, I had already read The Reunion by Kayla Olson, and I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop comparing the two books because they both center around the celebrity world where these popular casts broke up, and they are reuniting either for a reunion episode or a final season. Even though I liked the Reunion, I didn't love it and ended up giving it 3.5 stars. I wanted to love this book more. However, there were moments I enjoyed and couldn't get enough of, like I was obsessed with Shane! Shane is this sweetheart who really wears his heart on his sleeve and can't understand why Lilah won't allow herself to feel the same toward him. Speaking of Lilah, I wish we got to delve more into her feelings/thoughts because she was harder to understand, but that was the whole point of her character. This one also had a lot of drama and steam, and I appreciated it and couldn't get enough of it. It was a good book, but it could've had a few things tweaked or added and could've been better.

Will They or Won’t They follows the story of two actors, Lilah and Shane, who must reunite for a last of their show. The only problem is that they absolutely can’t stand each other. When I say they can’t stand each other THEY REALLY CANT. Their dislike for each other has been a development over the years of them working together on their show. One of my favorite aspects is that the story gives you glimpses of the past of how Lilah and Shane ended up where they were at now. The banter between these characters was on another level. Although there were times where my heart squeezed of pain because of some of the things they said to one another. It definitely is an enemies to lovers. Another thing I loved about this story was that it not only followed the romance but both of Lilah and Shane’s individual personal struggles. It tackled topics like insecurity and feeling like you’re stuck in a career that is not made for you. If you want a second chance/ enemies to lovers romance then i definitely recommend picking this book up on June 27th!

thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eArc of this book!

The following review was posted to Goodreads on May 11, 2023.
A corresponding TikTok was posted to my BookTok account here: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTREJ93xD/
I also made a Spotfy Playlist inspired by the book: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6PFPSgB2iELVmSmphWGdmn?si=f2b900dc96b84daa

First of all, I want to give a HUGE thanks to Ballantine Books / Random House for sending me this ARC! This has been one of my most anticipated releases of the year ever since I read (and, to be honest, re-read) How To Fake It in Hollywood last summer, I was thrilled to find out I didn’t have to wait another two months to read this one!

This book… did NOT disappoint. I am obsessed. It’s been a while since I’ve read a romance book that feels so well-rounded and dynamic. If you liked How to Fake it In Hollywood - or Elissa Sussman’s Funny You Should Ask - this is your next five star read. There’s definitely notes of Taylor Jenkins Reid in there too - in the crafty way that Wilder utilizes flashback (never too aggressive or subtracting from the central narrative, but enough to add depth) and in the way Wilder allows her female protagonists to take the lead, even when they falter and go in unexpected directions.

Wilder has a way of writing characters that feel so relatable and charismatic, while never making them perfect. I found Lilah, our heroine, utterly relatable. She’s the career-oriented, avoidant attachment style, liberated female protagonist I’ve been looking for forever. Shane, the emotionally available, cinnamon roll, aww shucks guy, is now on the top tier of my book boyfriends… somewhere close to Charlie Lastra. I believed their chemistry from the first page (which I almost never do). Wilder is able to dive into all of the shades of their complicate years together, from their first meeting to to their cataclysmic breakup as twenty-somethings to starting to find each other again eight years later. She effectively navigates their back and forth over the years - using dual-POV - so that you are right there with Lilah and Shane at every step of the way, even when they will literally have you screaming at the pages to make a different decision. These character are flawed just the perfect amount, and I’m obsessed with them.

I guess you could call this a “he falls first” or enemies / exes to lovers storyline but it feels like so much more than that. This book - thankfully - forgoes a lot of the tropes that we’ve all become bored of after a few years in BookTok land (not that tropes are inherently wrong but… it’s nice to be surprised.) This book genuinely kept me guessing - and never in a way that felt like a cheap trick. These characters literally sparkle on the page and I became so enraptured in their unpredictability.

I really hope you will read this book. As someone who works in the entertainment industry - both in the media and in front of the camera - I’m picky when it comes to the way my world is portrayed. I feel like Wilder gets it. It’s realistic, but still romanticized enough that you can have fun. I love this world (there’s even a little crossover with one character from HTFIIH). Wilder is a new auto-buy author, for sure! Easy 5 stars. I might even start re-reading it right now…

Ava Wilder is a new auto buy author for me! Lilah and Shane McCarthy, the two leads of the show Intangible, hate each other. But when Lilah returns to the show, the two of them are forced to reconnect which causes a lot of memories from the past to bubble up. One thing that Wilder has done really well in both books is center the characters mental healths as part of the story but not the main focal point. It feels natural and all of her characters make me feel like they’re a person who you know in real life.

I loved Shane and Lilah. They had good banter. The mix of flashbacks to earlier in their relationship were well placed to help you get more context to their relationship. There’s a good amount of miscommunication though so if that’s not for you, be prepared for that! I also wish we got to see more of Lilah’s friend group the HAGS as they popped in briefly though out the story.

Read this if you like:
- enemies to lovers
- second chance romance
- shipping your favorite characters on a show

First, i just wanted to say that I'm not sure if the random vOQ2 is a mistake that will be taken care of before the final copy is published but I really hope so. I've never seen it in an ARC before and it popped up several times in this book. I have no idea what it means but every time I saw it, it completely took me out of this fabulous story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book! I love the lovers to enemies to lovers trope. I loved all the angst and build up and steaminess. I loved the details about making a television series and all the random stuff that goes into it. I loved that Lilah was very famous but also dealing with anxiety. I loved Shane and how, even when he was hurt and heart broken, he still stood up for Lilah when someone picked on her. I loved the growing up that both main characters did throughout the story. I devoured this book and it left me wanting more. Absolutely recommend!

Ava Wilder's writing just makes me SWOON! I absolutely adored this book! The tension...the banter...the flashbacks. It was all perfect for me. I was not a big fan of Lilah's character...I was definitely Team Shane, but I adored Lilah's grand gesture towards the end. I will read anything Wilder writes!

A perfect Hollywood romance! I became a huge Ava Wilder fan with HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD, and her follow up did not disappoint. Great fun with the enemies to lovers trope!

Lilah and Shane are co-stars on a tv show. Years ago, when their pilot for the show got picked up, the hooked up but it ended badly and then they had to remain co-stars. Lilah later left the show but is back for their final season. The only problem is that Lilah and Shane still hate each other. Can they find a way to work together and get past their problems?

This is a lovers to enemies to lovers book. It turns out that romance novel troupe is not for me. Not only do the two main characters hate each other, they despise each other, and this book is filled with such animosity that it made me in turn hate both of them. The author waited until the 65% of the book to show their first night together and by then it was too late- you could never see them able to get along. I also thought there were so many missed opportunities in this- it's set in the world of a tv show set but mentions and then doesn't go into many interesting topics- fame, crazy fans, anxiety, imposter syndrome, network expectations, co-stars. Some books try to take on too much but it felt like this one tried to take on too little.

After really liking Wilder's previous book How to Fake It in Hollywood, I just wanted more than this book delivered. The love and graphic sex scenes seemed unearned.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Celebrity romance. Second chance. Hate sex. This book has it all plus the characters feel like real people with issues and insecurities and relatable fears. I really CARED about these two. I wanted them to be OK as well as be with each other. The book is steamy and emotional and has that hint of paparazzi scandal that I crave lately in fictional romance. But it's also just got some kind of extra MSG or something because I read Ava Wilder's "How to Fake It in Hollywood" (which has a lot of the same elements) and didn't have even close to the obsessive page-turning compulsion I did with this book. Read it in two days. The plot is a steamroller - so many fun things keep happening that it's hard to put down.

I was not sure Hollywood romance would be my thing. I’m still not and although it felt drawn out at times (enemies-to-lovers with an extra. slow. burn.), I really enjoyed this story.

Lilah and Shane were flawed, but well-developed. The exploration of mental health and overall character development was satisfying and the story cute!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

Swoon!

Will They or Won't They just might be one of my favorite romance novels of 2023!

The characters are multi-dimensional, flawed but likeable, and the chemistry between the leads is sizzling and intense.

In this story we have second chance romance with a lovers-to-enemies-to friends-to-lovers trope. The angst, longing, and tension between the main characters throughout is palpable. This is also compounded by the fact that our leads are actors on a very popular TV show so we also have the added difficulties associated with navigating relationships when your life is very much under the public eye.

The story moved along nicely with occasional flashback sections and dual points of view. Through it all I was rooting for Shane and Lilah's HEA!

I rate this as a five star romance novel and definitely recommend to other romance novel fans to put this on your summer reading list.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an ARC for review.

Pam and Jim. Lorelei and Luke. Nick and Jess. The will-they-or-won’t they television trope involves two characters with #UnresolvedSexualTension that take a loooooong time to hook up (or maybe never do), and it’s related to the Zeigarnik Effect that postulates that people remember unfinished/interrupted tasks better than completed tasks: the interest in unresolved things is higher and keeps us watching (or reading).

Enter Lilah and Shane, who got their big break together (her after years of diligent showing up for auditions, cast in increasingly bigger productions), and him (unfairly!) from a discovery at his day job. Cast as attracted colleagues who never consummate the relationship on the paranormal television show Intangibles, their relationship deteriorates over the course of the show until she ditches in season five for a movie contract. It flops. Invited back for the finale (and unbeknownst to their complicated past), the producers intend for their characters to (finally!) hook up, but can Lilah and Shane make nice between scenes when they can’t seem to stand one another?

This well-told tale moves back and forth in time (spoiler: they didn’t always hate each other) and in the best of enemies-to-lovers fashion, lots of the angst is unresolved miscommunication, not meanness or pettiness or different values systems. The reader needs to suspend disbelief that the issues couldn’t have been solved with one open, honest chat, but it’s par for the course for the trope, and not entirely unrealistic that people don’t enjoy difficult conversations and fear rejection. The story feels light, but is grounded by mental health and body issues. Lilah is the one not into relationships, which is a bit of plot twist. The banter is fun, their connection emotional AND banter-y, and it was hard to put down. Recommended for fans of Once in a Blue Moon by Christina Laurens and Reunion by Kayla Olson (I have not yet read Wilder’s How to Fake it In Hollywood yet, but it’s queued up next in Audible!)

I received a free, advance reader’s review copy of #WillTheyOrWon’tThey from #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this Hollywood romance by Ava Wilder, one of my favorite troupes! Lilah and Shane were great main characters but they definitely had their flaws. I will say that the miscommunication between the two of them went a little too far for me, I felt that a lot of their conflict could've been solved with one conversation which kinda disappointed me. I loved all the side characters, Lilah's friend group and the other actors from the show, I thought they added to the story and made it more interesting. Overall enjoyed this but it fell a little bit below my expectations unfortunately.

Another gem by Ava Wilder. I admit that in the beginning of the Will They or Won’t They I wasn’t sold, but as the story unfolded and I got to know these Shane and Lilah the more I fell in love. They were such a great couple with amazing chemistry. The way they were bicker and banter was so on point. I would find myself hoping after every “fight” they would just kiss and get it over with because it was clear they were meant for each other. This book made it clear to me that Ava Wilder is not only a fantastic writer, but a fantastic storyteller and no one should be sleeping on her books. I don’t want to say too much about Will They or Won’t They since it isn’t out yet, but I do want you all to know you need to pick it up when you can!

A great second-chance celebrity romance with engaging and fun dialogue. Shane and Lilah had sizzling chemistry!

The deal: It’s friends to lovers to enemies to lovers, on the set of a paranormal TV show, from the same author as How To Fake It In Hollywood.
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Is it worth it?: Yes, this was great. If you like romance and celebrity gossip and slow-burn tension, you will very likely be super into this!
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Pairs well with: sitting on my hands to avoid drawing a sloppy connection to my favorite hell film with an off-screen celebrity romance, Deep Water.
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B

I love love love the background presented before the plot starts. It kept my attention and was such a cute little story. I love this author and will try to find more by her!

Great lovers to enemies to lovers. Dual POV with flashbacks.

This book is a story about two actors who get casted on a hit show and end up having feelings for one another. Through a series of flashbacks you discover why their relationship ended and all the drama surrounding how they feel about each other.

I loved the FMC and related to her so much. Her challenges with her mental health and emotional openness is so relatable. The MMC is a golden retriever type of character who just wants to love. The two personalities clashing is so relatable and heartbreaking to see.

I loved the storyline and the “twist but not a twist” at the end. I only wish there was more explanation with some of the plot twists (scenarios surrounding their breakup). Sometimes it felt like it was thrown in there without any reasoning.

Overall, liked the book. Would definitely recommend.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Thank you Random House Group, Ballantine for my copy for Will They or Won’t They! All thoughts are my own.

Ava Wilder’s debut HOW TO TAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD was one of my favorite books of 2022 so I was eagerly anticipating her follow up. It didn’t disappoint! Ava Wilder really taps into the mind of an actor and I find the main characters to be incredibly relatable while also keeping the books light and fun. She writes great banter, dreamy love interests, and fills the pages with tension.

This time around we’re staying the realm of celebrity romance but it’s also got second chance, love to hate to love, and insta-attraction. I really enjoyed this book!

Synopsis:

“Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are madly in love—at least, their characters are. As the stars of the hit paranormal TV show Intangible, Lilah and Shane spent years pining for each other onscreen . . . until Lilah ditched the show at the end of season five in hopes of becoming a movie star. With no such luck, she’s back to film the much-hyped ninth and final season, in which Lilah and Shane’s characters will get together at last.But coming back means facing one of the biggest reasons she left: Shane. Ever since their secret behind-the-scenes fling imploded at the end of season one, the two of them have despised each other.Now reunited on set for the first time in years—with the world’s eyes on them and their post-show careers on the line—they’ll have to grit their teeth and play nice. But under pressure to give Intangible’s fans the happy ending they’ve been waiting for, Lilah and Shane are forced to get closer than ever. And if they’re not careful, they might just get blindsided by one final twist: a real-life happy ending of their own.” —StoryGraph

What I Liked:

The Mental Health Representation—As an actor myself, wow was I able to connect with Lilah and Shane’s internal dialogues. I love the balance of banter and emotional connection. This is something I think Ava Wilder does very well and falls into the category of “Literary Romance” like Carley Fortune and Emily Henry.

The Characters—I really loved Lilah and Shane! I wish we got to know some of the side characters more but I loved the time I spent with them.

The Pacing—The first 40% was paced so well and made it so I didn’t want to put the book down.

What Didn’t Work:

Honestly, no notes from me. I think some readers will criticize the main conflict, but I found it very reasonable and made sense for where the characters were in their lives.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Content Warnings:

anxiety, panic attacks

This was one of those books that feels a bit more difficult for me to pinpoint exactly how I feel about it – and obviously that has made it a bit tougher to review. To start, I’m going to say that while it is a Contemporary Romance read – I felt that this one swayed more to the literary fiction / drama category for me. It did not read in what I think of as a traditional romance book feel for me. Rather this was more of what I call a thinking read.

While the story itself was not what I was initially expecting, I will say it was still a very well written book, filled with some interesting, flawed characters and a complex and difficult journey for our mains both individually and together. I did like that both characters clearly were flawed, they both made mistakes, they both made foolish choices – very authentic and relatable. I liked that there was a mental health representation element, where we at least were able to see a version of how some of that impacts someone.

Some things that did not work as well for me, were the reliance on the physical. It felt a bit unnecessary at parts and didn’t help build the connection between them for me. I wish the focus had been more on moments that built their connection. This did have a bit of the miscommunication trope going, which I will say up front is not a favorite for me, so it could get a bit frustrating at times. One last thing that wasn’t to me taste was the final conflict. This story was all about an on going ‘conflict’ and the two working through a multitude of misunderstandings and hurt, I just was not there for the final conflict. At that point in the story I just wanted things to wrap up in a happy-ish fashion. It was a bit exhausting for me personally at that point.

All that being said, I think the writer is very talented. This was a book that kept me interested and going – I was invested enough in the story and characters to keep going. I did want to find out how it ended and see the final resolution, and I was satisfied with the ending. In the end, it was a book worth reading – well written and thought provoking and I would recommend it to friends who prefer Fiction and / or Women’s Fiction or fans of Beth O’Leary and the like.

3.5 stars