✨Book Review✨
Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5/4. (Rounded)
PUB DATE: 6/27/2023

First thank you to @netgalley and Random House for my eARC copy of this read for an honest review!

I was so excited when I heard Ava Wilder had a new book coming out because I absolutely LOVE How To Fake It! So when I received this copy I was beyond happy I dove right in!

While HTFIIH is a favorite, this one was just a likable second. I didn’t hate it, I still enjoyed it! It was cute I was just left hoping for more!

It dragged a bit for me in the beginning. A slow burn romance for sure. Angsty with an enemies to lovers troupe and lots of tension buildup is always a favorite! But I love me some dialogue between characters- this one didn’t have much. So I was left wanting a bit more of that!

I adored Shane most though 💕

I always enjoy a glimpse into “Hollywood life” behind the scenes too so that was a fun bit to it

I am still excited to see what Ava Wilder does next and I will still be reading whatever comes next for her! I recommend this to all my reader friends who like a slow burn romance!

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I was going too. It took me a bit to get into it. At first Lilah was not very likeable for me, but I loved Shane from the start. Although he did have a few moments that made me question that. Overall I loved the setting. A couple actors working together on the set of a popular show. The hate they had for each other and they way it ended. I feel like both characters grew throughout the book. I'm thankful I got to read this early on cause I don't know if I would have bought the book. So this made me step outside my norm and give it a try.

Will they or won’t they follows a couple with unmistakable chemistry over a 9 year span. Who doesn’t live a good game of cat and mouse?

The difference between this being a 4 and a 5 star book comes to one thing and one thing only…the 3rd person POV made it difficult to connect to the characters the way I would have had the author chosen 1st person.

Despite my preferences for 1st person I stuck with it and the story was powerful with dynamic characters that undergo the level of personal growth that one would expect over a decade. Most importantly love wins out!

Cute and fun! The enemies-to-lovers trope was well done. The scene they were practicing their kiss for the TV show, but really expressing their own feelings for each other was perfect. The ending twist actually almost got me, but the story was wrapped up perfectly. I did think it was a little long, and it took me a while to get into it (very slow burn between Lilah and Shane). The characters were well developed and I liked the writing style a lot - I now want to read "How to Fake it In Hollywood."

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!

I really liked this one! The characters felt very real and the enemies to lovers/ second chance romance actually made sense. Overall it was a good depiction of how complicated relationships change and I appreciate the use of therapy, working through how to act specific scenes, and publicity that seems very realistic to tell the story. Very excited to see what Wilder writes next!

Liliah Hunter and Shane McCarthy burst onto the scene with their smash hit TV show, Intangible, 9 years ago. From the beginning, there was undeniable attraction and chemistry between the two. The two have had a tumultuous relationship since breaking up after season one, always trying to embarrass and humiliate the other; Liliah tried to move on after four seasons and make it big for herself in Hollywood only to end up back at square one with Shane, filming the final season of their hit show. Is the chemistry still there? Will they finally reason and come to terms with their feelings for one another?

I really enjoyed this book, it was a slow burn, lovers, to enemies back to lovers plot, and Ava Wilder’s writing style was on point. It’s somewhat spicy, but the scenes are well-written, and only happen two or three times throughout the book. It’s the first book of hers that I’ve read and I will definitely be on the lookout for more from her.

I really wanted to enjoy this considering that How to Fake it in Hollywood was one of my favorites of last year, but this one didn’t click with me. It has all the things I love; second chance, enemies to lovers, angst, slow burn. But it all felt watered down. Maybe if I didn’t go in with such high expectations, I would have enjoyed it more.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC! While I really liked Wilder’s Faking It Hollywood I didn’t expect to love Will They or Won’t They more! Holy cow… I read this is one day. Wilder is a master at chemistry and anticipation. Every scene had me at the edge of my seat and the dual POV was nothing short of brilliant I especially LOVED Shane’s perspective. The suspense killed me! I will read whatever Wilder writes. No questions asked.

An enjoyable and nicely-drawn enemies-to-lovers tale that goes down easy. The Hollywood setting and on-set details from the photography and movie shoots makes this one stand out.

Ava Wilder’s second book delivered in terms of excellent sexual tension and build up. Her spicy scenes have you fanning yourself all while the characters are fully clothed and barely touching.

The original conflict between Lilah and Shane was a bit abrupt, and I didn’t find Lilah to be particularly likable in their relationship. Though I did enjoy reading about her as an individual and I absolutely loved her friend group - it had a very Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants vibe.

I think this book suffered from trying to do too much. There were so many storylines mashed together one right after another, and I wish we had been able to focus and dive deep on a few.

How to Fake It in Hollywood made me an Ava Wilder fan, so I was very excited to read Will They or Won’t They!

I love a good enemies to lovers and this also was a second-chance romance, so we I enjoyed reading the flashbacks and seeing the character development over the years.

Shane and Lilah kept your interest as flawed, but likable main characters and I love the dual POV and getting inside the brain of both main characters.

Ultimately, this is a fun, quick read that keeps you engaged and really wondering, will they or won’t they?

Thank you to Random House for this NetGalley ARC!

Lilah and Shane are co-stars in a popular paranormal TV show. Unfortunately their passion for eachother burns both ways, both steamy and destructive. The story walks through how both MC’s have to get out of their own ways and leave behind self-destructive and toxic tendencies.

Will They or Won’t They is an upcoming romcom by Ava Wilder that follows Lilah and Shane. Ex costars and ex-lovers who are reunited for a comeback of Lilah’s character on the show.

Lilah and Shane have a pure hatred for each other and a lot left unsaid from their past encounters. For the sake of everyone on set they end up in couples counseling (even though they aren’t a couple).

This book flashes back between past and present and is executed perfectly. The tension, angry, and anger is palpable. This isn’t a quick resolve and the enemies to lovers, slow burn. You have to suffer with the characters in the best way possible. I couldn’t put this one down!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for the ebook arc. All opinions are my own. You can also find my review on Goodreads and IG.

This one didn't personally work for me. I found that the book dragged a little and the hostility between the characters got a bit much sometimes especially from Lilah. Overall it was a fun, quick read and I can see it working for a lot of people.

Such a fun read! I loved getting to see Lilah and Shane’s relationship progress throughout this story. Overall I rated it a 3.5/5. The two quickly became enemies after their first season on set together, but after almost a decade later, they realized the feelings never left. The book was slow to get into, but I quickly became invested in this second chance romance. A perfect read if you love a TV show romance. It was also very interesting getting to read about their experiences on set. My only complaint was that there was a constant switch between the character’s perspectives making it a little confusing to read. I also wish it was in first person making it easier to connect with the characters. However, I loved both of the main characters, Lilah and Shane.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an arc of Will They or Won’t They.

I am a lover of romance novels and while I'll read any trope, my two least favorites are probably second chance and stories about celebrities. Will They or Won't They is a second chance romance about two famous actors and I..... loved every single minute of it!

This was exactly my kind of book. The characters are so well developed and I am truly obsessed with this couple. This story isn't as heavy as Wilder's debut, How to Fake it in Hollywood, but as the title suggests, there's some angst and drama and it is just fabulous!

Lilah is genuinely one of my favorite heroines I've encountered in the romance genre. She's complex and a bit messy but she's also funny and not afraid to be assertive. She suffers from anxiety and while I can't relate to her gorgeous looks or her acting chops, boy oh boy did I relate to her mental health struggles. I even have the exact same recurring anxious dream!

One thing I love about Ava Wilder is that her characters always seem to be willing to work on themselves. I respect how therapy-positive this book was and the fact that the characters recognize their own faults and that they need to grow up.

Another thing I love? The banter! The humor! The steam! I swooned, I laughed, and I guffawed. Lilah and Shane could be in the middle of an epic fight or having the most emotional moment and one of them would drop the most perfect one-liner that made me love them both even more.

Little Miss Ava Wilder took two of my least favorite tropes and had me wishing I could read 300 more pages of Shane and Lilah. I cannot wait to see what this talented author whips up next!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.

This was my first Ava Wilder read, but it won’t be my last! I tore through this one because I needed the question answered, “will they or won’t they?”
The banter between Lilah and Shane was so well-written, I found myself smiling while reading at a lot of points.
This book easily received a 5 star rating from me, as I was engrossed from beginning to end. Nothing could have have made this book better for me because it is already perfect.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for providing me with this amazing digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. I cannot wait to add the physical copy to my shelf.

Will They or Won't They was a great follow up to Ava Wilder's debut, How to Fake it in Hollywood. This book had less angst and tons of bottled up chemistry between the leads. Lilah and Shane worked together on a paranormal TV show (I'm unclear if it's more in the X Files genre or CW) for three years, until Lilah quit the show to pursue other acting opportunities. The characters they played on the show had intense chemistry and fans were hopelessly shipping them, though the relationship never culminated. Until Lilah's character comes back for season 9, the final season of the show. So, really, will they or won't they after all this time?

Lilah only comes back because her career is stuck. Also, she despises Shane and he feels the same. Like the characters they play, their chemistry was immediate and flammable, and after one season on the show everything exploded.

But they aren't twenty-something clueless kids any more. Perhaps they can find a way to work together amicably, and but also ignore any feelings they have for each other because they can't relive that disaster again.

I really enjoyed this book and have a soft spot for Hollywood romance because you can escape to that glamorous world of jet setting and hosting a SNL-like show. All in all a fun lovers-to-enemies-to-friend-to-lovers second chance book. Thank you to Random House Publishing Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

Will They or Won't They by Ava Wilder follows on-screen love interests Shane and Lilah as their TV show comes to an end after nine years. Following the classic enemies to lovers troupe, this novel switches between the two character's POVs throughout the novel as they film the final season.

This was a 3/5 star read for me.

A few things I loved about this book:

1. It avoided some of my least favorite romance book cliches. The main character is a tall woman who is driven, confident, and talented (although a little cold and calculating). At no point does this novel talk about how teeny tiny she is or how she's quirky because she looks like she dresses in the dark. Truly two of my least favorite cliche's in romance heroines out there.

2. While it follows the typical enemies to lovers troupe, the reason that Shane and Lilah are enemies actually makes sense. Through following both of their POVs you learn how different misunderstandings have caused them both a lot of pain and that pain has turned into anger toward the other person.

3. I loved the world building. I particularly loved the story line of the show they are on, though I loved it so much I often wished I was reading that story instead of the one I was.

That leads into some things that didn't work for me.

1. It is a SLOW BURN. And by slow I mean it took me what felt like forever to read this. The book is made up of VERY long paragraphs and I would find myself having to re-read things over and over because I kept getting distracted.

2. The main character has an on-page panic attack toward the end of the book, but I felt like her anxiety was very much an afterthought. It is mentioned in the book but as a person living with an anxiety disorder, it just felt like she rarely, if ever, seemed all that anxious.

3. Along with long paragraphs, the chapters are really long and the POV shifts within the chapter. This caused a lot of confusion and I would have to double-check to see who's POV I was actually in.

4. I felt like the story just went on and on and on. The last 150 pages felt really repetitive and slow to me and I was just wanting to be done with it. If I'd based my review on the first 100 pages of this book it would have probably been a four star read by the last 150+ just felt like a sludge to get through.

5. Maybe it is the nature of writing about celebrities, but I found both of the main characters to be a little self-important. I especially hated the ending of the book and found myself rolling my eyes A LOT in the last chapter.

Overall, I think that romance fans and especially those who love a good enemies to lovers story will eat this book up. For me, it wasn't terrible, but there were some general things with the writing that made it just meh.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me an ARC copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I could NOT put this one down! Ava Wilder's debut How to Fake It in Hollywood was one of my top reads of 2022 and I have no doubt this will be on many 2023 best read lists. It's fun, sexy and the perfect summer read.

Will They or Won't They brings us into the world of Intangible, a hit paranormal TV show, and a second chance romance for its two stars - Lilah and Shane. This was a slow burn with a little bit of enemies (back to) lovers mixed in and you immediately feel emotionally invested in these characters. The Hollywood behind-the-scenes is a fun addition to the story and I hope we get to learn more about the other girls in Lilah's squad.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for this arc in exchange for an honest review.