I just didn’t love it. There was a lot of story here that just seemed to go in circles and never led me anywhere new or surprising. Even with all the words I consumed I don’t feel like I really got to know the main characters for who they are at their core. Where they end up at the end of the book is fine but like…. I’m not convinced that’s what will make them the happiest? I’m not sold? It was a good read but just not one I would put at the top of my recommendations for the year.

Absolutely LOVED this book! My favorite trope of enemies to lovers with a Hollywood background is my perfect book summed up. Lilah’s and Shane’s relationship was a rollercoaster and I was here for it!

Ava, you’ve done it again - this may just be my favorite book of 2023. If you haven’t already, please check out her first novel, How to fake it in Hollywood - it was my 2022 fav read. 💕

⭐️: 5
🌶️: 3.5

Ava Wilder did it again! If you loved How to Fake it in Hollywood, you will love Will They or Won’t They. I loved every second of this book. Even though it was a “lovers to enemies to lovers” trope, it felt fresh. The dialogue was great—Shane and Lilah had so much chemistry. Highly recommend!

I'm a big fan of cute, funny romance novels that give me the warm and fuzzies, and this one is no exception. However, this one is a 5-star banger for me because there is much more depth than most of the romcoms on the market.

Will They or Won't They is about two stars of a popular primetime television show whose characters fall in love with each other, but in real life they can't stand to be in the same room with one another. When Lilah, one of the stars of the show, comes back after being gone for a few seasons to focus on her movie career, old feelings come bubbling back to the surface for the two actors, and they must navigate through the many conflicting emotions they bring out of each other.

This novel resonated deep with me because I related so much to the main character Lilah. Like her, I have the same struggles we see her experience throughout the book. I really liked how the author handled Lilah's mental health and normalized getting help by utilizing tools like therapy. It was a breath of fresh air. It was even a delightful surprise to find out she wasn't the only one to do so.

The pacing of the book kept me thinking, "Just one more chapter..." until 2AM because I needed to know Lilah and Shane's history. I could feel the loathing these two had for each other, and it was delicious because the love they had for each other was simmering just underneath that layer of disdain. It was intriguing to see their story laid out through flashbacks and little morsels of information from different characters. Their dislike stemmed from more than just "They took my job promotion" or "We had a terrible first date" or "They're so beautiful I hate it" kind of "hatred" you see in most romcom-style novels. These two had good reasons to dislike each other, but the chemistry and heat between them was just too much to ignore. The self-sabotage of their relationship should've frustrated me but instead I felt genuine empathy for the characters as well as a visceral emotion that had my heart screaming "must protect at all costs."

Shane's vulnerability about whether he can make it as an actor once the show is over and Lilah doing everything she can to keep her heart hidden in a gilded cage with thorny vines surrounding it is heartbreaking to see, but the way the ending played out shows that while deeper issues aren't fully resolved, there is an air of hope for the two of them. After all, having everything tied up in a neat little bow is something for movies and TV, not real life, so it was refreshing to see that while it may not be absolutely perfect, it's perfect enough.

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

Expected publication: June 27, 2023

There were parts I liked and lines I highlighted, but on the whole, the romance's enemies-to-lovers was too
toxic for my enjoyment.

Just like her debut, what Ava is able to capitalize on is her snappy dialogue that is endlessly smooth. I loved reading Shane and Lilah’s back and forth, their surface level animosity that when peeled back is revealed to be yearning and heartbreak from what could’ve been.

There was one scene especially where clothes weren’t optional and had me salivating for more.

But unfortunately outside of that, this story became more of a passive read than anything else. There were certain plot elements that I wished Ava expanded on, and it was hard to contend with our main characters as love interests to excitedly root for.

3.5 stars

Ava Wilder had me asking "will they or won't they" and then "won't they?????" all throughout this book. Lilah's and Shane's connection is felt through the highs and lows of their relationship. I love how intimacy is shown as they grow closer together in their second chance romance. They still have a lot of healing to do after years of hating each other, not to mention the pressure of the last season of their show. Every aspect of this book was exceptionally done.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

✔️ second chance
✔️ celebrity romance
✔️ flashbacks
✔️ I hate you but I also love you

Y’all know how much I loved How to Fake It In Hollywood. I loved Will They or Won’t They even MORE.

Will They or Won’t They is packed with everything I love: second chance, slow burn, overloaded with chemistry all in a Hollywood setting. Some of my favorite parts of this book was how Wilder seamlessly intertwined a romance while also giving an inside look at how shooting a tv show is done.

It only took a few pages to feel the chemistry between Lilah and Shane. Even when these two despised each other, you could still feel the residual love between the two.

Lilah is an ambitious and talented heroine whose vulnerabilities make her that much relatable. But Shane… protect Shane and his caring, patient, insecuret all costs. These two had many moments of growth and understanding both as a couple and as just friends which lead to a solid and believable attempt at a second chance.

And for fans of How to Fake It… keep your eyes peeled for a few cameos which made me smile for hours.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading and really enjoying How to Fake it in Hollywood I was so excited to be approved for an ARC for Will They or Won't They. This book is such a strong follow-up, and improves on many of the points that I had issues with in HTFIIN.

Will They or Won't They follows Lilah and Shane, the two co-leads on long-running network sci-fi show Intangible. Lilah graduated from Julliard and left the show after season 4 to try more serious acting work, while Shane was plucked from being a waiter to act on the show and would keep acting on it forever for the stability. Lilah comes back to do the ninth and final season, and we learn that she and Shane can't stand each other. We know they had hooked up early in the series before their relationship came to a fiery end, but it's slowly revealed over the course of the book what led to their initial break-up, and how they're still attracted to and drawn to each other. It's a real enemies-to-lovers, but with tons of communication along the way.

I loved the relationship arc of this book so much. It's realistic, it shows them building real trust, and their communication is top notch because they go to THERAPY. What a concept!! By the time they actually do get together, you feel that it's at a realistic point for the course of their friendship and trust. I love how Ava Wilder shows the relationship after the initial HEA, and shows the growth that must come with deciding to be long-term with someone. One of my main quibbles with How to Fake it in Hollywood was the conflict that occurred after the HEA -- I found it a touch dramatic -- but here Ava Wilder has found her stride. The conflict, and resulting communication, are both super believable.

Overall this is even better than How to Fake it in Hollywood, and I'm so glad I get to keep reading Ava Wilder's works! Side note my favorite part of the book is that RENATA is back!! I hope the next book continues to follow her clients!

Thanks so much to Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to review. I'm so looking forward to the next book from the author!

Lilah and Shane are pulled back together for one final season of the hit show that brought them together and aided their breakup years ago. Due to their animosity, the network demands counseling for the two; during which they begin to realize their mistakes in their past relationship. As the two grow closer, they begin to fall back into their old roles.
As my first Ava Wilder book, I'm conflicted. I enjoyed the writing and I liked the plot more than I expected, however, I found the book to be drawn out and the conflicts to be brushed under the rug after a simple conversation and understanding. On the other hand, I loved the character development and how real Lilah and Shane felt together, their relationship felt very raw and I enjoyed how that played out in the often glamorized Hollywood background.

-I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review-

Ava Wilder has, yet again, put my heart through the wringer and I’m not a single bit mad about it.

Wilder has impeccably and authentically developed these characters, and the tension built between Shane and Lilah through this dual timeline was exceptional. I really appreciated how Shane and Lilah unpacked their past hurt, personal baggage and miscommunication through counseling - both together and individually - though I would have loved to seen more of this on the page!

Talk about an emotional journey, but one I’d happily embark on again to witness the passion, growth, and healing between these characters!

i enjoyed this so much better than “how to fake it hollywood”. just a very solid romance novel with great characters and relationship. the tropes were very excellent. a romance about famous people done right!

I absolutely loved Wilder’s debut How to Fake it in Hollywood so I was very excited to get an ARC of her upcoming book Will They or Won’t They.

Lilah and Shane are the co-stars of the hit show Intangible, at least until Lilah leaves the show in season five for other opportunities. As things in her career don’t go as planned, Lilah returns to the show for the final season. When she returns, she has to face Shane after years of hating each other ever since their secret fling ended after season one.

I loved this lovers to enemies to lovers/second chance celebrity romance. As much as I enjoyed How to Fake it in Hollywood, I think I loved Will They or Won’t They even more. The flashbacks were perfectly placed and I adored the relationship between Shane and Lilah. Wilder’s writing style draws me in almost immediately and I’ll be keeping an eye out for anything she chooses to write next, as she has quickly become an auto-buy author for me.

As soon as I picked this book up I could not put it down and finished it in one day. I recommend giving it a read when it publishes on June 27, 2023! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The characterization was good, although one of the characters annoyed me quite often (probably the point, though). The storyline itself was also good, but I did find myself skipping over some details about where secondary characters were. Very Spicy! I don't care for reading bad language, and this one had quite a bit, but I know that's personal preference. For a romance, it kept me entertained.

I will be leaving a review on Goodreads today.

I felt like I need to recoup after reading this book. Ava Wilder takes her reader on a wild ride through Hollywood and fame and the intense relationship between two of TVs sweethearts. The problem was had this been a TV series it would have run two season too long. It dragged on, the tension between Shane and Lilah went on for so long I almost didn't care if they got together. To be honest the relationship felt somewhat toxic, I didn't even know if they should stay together. Lilah was not terribly likeable and the book didn't spend enough time developing what they shared initially to make it seem like that even had anything worth fighting for other than sexual chemistry. Despite so many self revelations in the book I still don't think we ever saw who these two people were and why it was so imperative they end up together. Some of the descriptions were too long and drawn out and it felt too long. I was frustrated by the end of it. Still going to give it 3 stars because I liked the Hollywood setting, it had a lot of really great moments as well. The rehearsal of Kate and Harrisons long awaited kiss was very powerfully written. If you love Hollywood romances then read this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Publishers for allowing me to receive an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was one of the releases of 2023 I had been most excited for, and it was completely worth the excitement!

I love second chance romance books, but it’s hard to find one that feels authentic - where the characters are realistic, communicate, and have their own development outside of the relationship. But this ticked every box for me. It’s very well-paced - even the time jumps were perfect. I didn’t want to put it down and was 100% invested in Shane and Lilah the entire time.

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

I really, really, really loved this book! GAHH!!! I adored Ava Wilder's previous book, How to Fake it in Hollywood, and I somehow loved this one even more! This was an expertly done enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance with really compelling and complex main characters. Wilder doesn't make it easy for these characters to find HEA and that's what I loved most about it - they had to work (hard) and it took a while for them to find their way back to each other, which just makes it all the more rewarding for the reader. The chemistry between Lilah and Shane leapt off the page!! And Shane - he was vulnerable, and caring, and prickly in just right way to be totally real - what a hero to root for! The TV show reunion setting was really interesting and fun to read about too!

Cannot wait to read more from Ava Wilder!! Wish I could go back and read this one for the first time all over again :)

TLDR: Funny, honest, sexy. I’m in love.

Ava Wilder thoroughly stole my heart with her debut, which was my favorite romance of 2022 and the best debut I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I could rant for too long about social media’s bias for certain publishing imprints (and the injustice that served against How to Fake It in Hollywood last summer), but instead I’ll rant about how much I loved Wilder’s sophomore triumph.

You ever read something so vivid and relatable that you feel like the author has a direct line to your psyche? Or, like, you’re not reading a book that came from someone’s imagination but are watching something play out in real life? I’m not overstating when I say that’s how I felt reading Will They or Won’t They.

We’re in a time when romcoms are so much more than shenanigans and innuendo and I’m glad for it. Don’t get me wrong, I love shenanigans and innuendo, and we get plenty here, but Lilah and Shane both have real shit to work out, and the author doesn’t shy away from exploring it. I really appreciate honest depictions of insecurity and self-destructiveness in romance, because we’re all a little bit of both, and working through it to be a good person, friend, partner, etc. is hard. When an author can take a character to the lowest lows and still finagle a well-earned, satisfying happy ending… swoon.

The chemistry between Lilah and Shane was sooooo good. I don’t normally fuck with second-chance romance, but these two had tension from being together at one point that really elevated the enemies-to-lovers sexiness. I feel like I got a nice drip-feed of steamy suggestiveness from the very beginning, which made the whole ~vibe~ incredibly sexy.

Two other things I don’t have much to say about but want to shout out: 1) I legitimately cackled aloud too many times to count over details and references I won’t mention so that you can find them yourself, and 2) Lilah is tall!! I suspected as much from the cover, but can confirm. As a fellow tall girl, that’s fun to see.

Will They or Won't They tells the story of Lilah and Shane, two former costars who have had a contentious romantic history over the last nine years. Their relationship was perfect in the beginning - two young, fresh-faced actors who were eager to make their big break into Hollywood and found solace in each other's company. Now, they can't stand to even be in the same room together.

When Lilah is unexpectedly brought back into the show that she left behind, old memories, tension, and unresolved feelings with Shane resurface. What results is a soul-searching journey for both characters to reflect on their shared past and determine what the future holds, both professionally and personally. This is a true second-chance romance that tugs at your heart and explores the benefits of being older and wiser in a relationship.

Ava Wilder writes some of my favorite characters and I love that she chose to include another Hollywood romance. The witty banter between the characters did not feel forced and their chemistry was evident throughout the entire book. And that ending! The last chapter was the icing on the cake for this book. Well done, Ava!

I loved this story! I read this authors debut novel over the summer and was thrilled to see another title by her. I enjoyed learning about the characters, the hollywood trope and second chance romance!