3.5 rounded up

This was cute but a bit cringy. I really enjoyed the main storyline. Emmy and Jason’s social media campaign was super cute. They had a nice banter and good chemistry between them. But the fact that they moved so quickly in their relationship was a turn off for me. Especially when you add two kids into the mix.

The narration for the book was good. My only major complaint of this being an audiobook was hearing them say hashtag so many times vs reading #

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette audio for this ALC!

So much YES! for Celebrity Crush. There was so much to like about this light-ish hearted romance. I loved that the main character was not 22, but a tad older, nowhere near as old as me, but not just out of college. The main character has life experiences and has faced adversity. She seems to be in an uphill battle. I was cheering for Emmy ALL the way until the end. I also really enjoyed the complex feelings and Emmy's self-discovery.

Emmy Ellison has a celebrity crush. She transforms this crush into a romantic novel. When a bunch of male celebrities gather to figure out who is the celebrity crush, Emmy gets the surprise of a lifetime, meeting her celebrity crush. Her only request is that she gets to hug him. And, boy does she hug him!

This was so cute! I really enjoyed it! I wish it was longer, Ha!

I listened to the audio version, which was narrated by Andrew Eiden and Stephanie Willing and they were AMAZING!! Bravo!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Kudos to the author Christy Swift. This was such a cute book!

3⭐️ !!

Emmy Ellison, single mom & author wrote a romance book about a romance with her celebrity crush! She went viral on social media & finds herself on a talk show talking about her new book & ends up meeting her celebrity crush & known bad boy, Jason.

Some things I loved:
- Single Mom
- Jason’s effort with his son
- Jason & Emmy’s friends / the quirky cast of characters
- Social Media, virality, hollywood culture felt very current & like it was breaking the fourth wall many times
- The twist at the ending & how everyone tied together! Crazy!!

Some things I didn’t love as much:
- felt a little insta-lust
- I didn’t love Jason as the MMC, just fell flat for me & seemed confused why Emmy would be obsessed with him after his past
- third act break up

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the early listening copy!

I wanted to love Celebrity Crush, especially because Forever publishing has fantastic debuts coming out beginning of 2025. However; I found the characters to be immature and was not enjoying the dialogue in the first 10 percent of the book. Unfortunately, this book was not for me but it may be for those who enjoy cheesy celebrity romances. I will give Swift another try with her next novel! The narrator combination of Stephanie Willing and Andrew Eiden however; brought passion and love to the story in a way that I would definitely listen to this combination once more.

Just like its title, Celebrity Crush is a bright, bubbly and buzzy rom com.

Emmy’s journey from wannabe to famous author to meeting her Hollywood crush is fun and entertaining. I found Emmy and Jason quite abrasive at first, and there were some really painful plot points but this did add credibility to Emmy and Jason’s eventual conflict. It also left plenty of space for redemption and a satisfying HEA!

The audiobook really made it for me with this read. The narrators did a wonderful job of dramatising the emotional experiences of Emmy and Jason, making them feel surprisingly relatable (eventually). Their rendition of influencers and media personalities were grating and a great satirical contrast to the main storyline.

Thank you Hachette Audio for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This was a fun listen! I wanted more of the dual narration in the conversations. The couple places it was utilized we're great, and I know I'm not alone in wanting that more overall in audiobooks.

Story was good and fun.

After romance author Emmy Ellison meets her celebrity crush (and the inspiration for her novel) Jason Connor, she can’t believe her good fortune. With Emmy’s popularity on the rise, Jason agrees to star in the move version of her book but what happens when a harmless celebrity crush turns into something more?

First and foremost, I would like to note that I probably would have DNF’d this one had it not been for the audiobook. The quality of the narrations were great and both Stephanie Willing and Andrew Eiden captured Emmy and Jason very well. I have listened to Andrew’s narrations before so I went in excited to hear his take on Jason. As always, it was a pleasure to hear him bring another romance MMC to life. Stephanie was bubbly and brought out Emmy’s easy, chatty nature. Despite the fact that I avidly disliked Emmy and Jason as characters, Stephanie and Andrew made them feel less one dimensional with their vocal choices.

The book’s pacing is quick which lends well to an audio format. I am bumping up my star review because of this, as the audio kept me engaged even when I was not connecting to the story as a whole.

Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Dual narrated by Andrew Eiden & Stephanie Willing, this novel follows Emmy, who is pursuing her dream of being a NYT bestselling author. She wrote a book, #CelebrityCrush about her OWN crush, and she announces who it is on a talk show, where he happens to be a guest! As their relationship unfolds, they both have opposing PR ideas, which neither really knows. We definitely have some tension that will leave you screaming at both Emmy and her crush, a TV star. Excellent read with the BEST ending! The narrating really made this book SO enjoyable and unputdownable, I listened to this in a day!!

Ellie is a vlogger who just released here first book called Hashtag Celebrity Crush. During the publicity for the book, speculation about who the book is about goes viral. Ellie gets to meet her "celebrity crush" and sparks fly.

I really enjoyed this book. It deals a lot with social media, influencer culture and the way we react to pop culture. The romance itself was wonderful.

Thank you to Hachette Audio for the advanced listener copy. The audiobook was narrated by two amazing narrators Andrew Eiden and Stephanie Willing, they kept me listening and engaged.

I highly recommend this book, it's a perfect book for Valentine's Day. 4.5 stars

Emmy Ellison is living every author’s dream: her book Hashtag, CelebrityCrush goes viral, lands a movie deal, and the actual Hollywood heartthrob who inspired her fictional hero—Jason Harlow—signs on to play the lead. Cue fancy parties, skyrocketing book sales, and the ultimate PR opportunity: a fake dating scheme... that Jason might not know the details of. When real feelings get tangled up in the scripted romance, Emmy and Jason must navigate fame, social media scrutiny, and their own pasts to figure out what’s genuine—and what’s just another Hollywood illusion.

From the first Star Trek reference, I knew I was in for a treat. If you’ve ever been obsessed with a sci-fi series and the leading actors who bring those characters to life (cough David Tennant's hair cough), then this book is for you. And even if sci-fi isn’t your thing, don’t worry—the references are balanced enough that non-nerds will still absolutely love it. Also, can we talk about Lost Star Dance Troupe Saves the Universe? I need this to be a real show immediately. Imagine Firefly but with a ridiculously attractive cast and dance numbers? Get a producer on the line STAT!

What truly makes Celebrity Crush shine is its characters. Emmy isn’t just a starstruck writer: she’s a single mom fighting for the life she and her daughter deserve. Jason is a devoted dad navigating Hollywood’s relentless PR machine while trying to stay true to himself. Their chemistry is electric, but what makes their love story so compelling is how real it feels—two people searching for something authentic in a world built on illusion.

Swift’s storytelling is sharp, funny, and full of surprises. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, she threw in a twist that left me grinning. The mise en abyme (or, let’s call it Celebrity-Crush-Ception)—where Emmy’s book about a celebrity crush turns into a movie starring her actual celebrity crush—is so cleverly done. My only minor critique? The leaked photo scandal wraps up a little too quickly, but that’s a tiny nitpick in an otherwise fantastic read.

Bonus points for the audiobook: The dual narration is chef’s kiss perfection, with hilarious celebrity news snippets that bring Hollywood’s over-the-top antics to life.

If you love fake dating, Hollywood romance, and slow-burn chemistry that sizzles, this book is for you. And if it’s a little wish-fulfill-y? So what! That’s exactly what I needed. Highly recommend!

I wanted to like this one because I typically love celebrity romance, but this one just missed the mark for me. I couldn't connect with the characters. The narrators did a fantastic job with the material.

Celebrity Crush is a swoon-worthy romance that delivers all the feels! The chemistry between the characters is electric, making for a dreamy, heart-fluttering read. Christy Swift creates a fun and engaging story that keeps you hooked, but the ending felt a bit rushed—I would’ve loved more time to savor the final moments. Still, it’s a charming, feel-good romance that’s perfect for anyone who loves a little Hollywood magic!

I thoroughly enjoyed this! I loved the premise, loved how the author explored how our actions (even ones that seem inconsequential) affect others and how much parents sacrifice for the their kids. It was sexy and sweet, fun and filled with humor. And the narrators did a pretty great job brining the characters to life.

2.5 ⭐️ I really struggled with this one. This was about a romance author who published a book about a normal girl getting her celebrity crush and it was based on a real celebrity, who she meets in real life and he then stars in the movie based on the book and they do a ton of press together. This was a very social media heavy book, a lot of posturing for the public, podcasters, TikTok, etc. It felt very immature on so many levels. This had a bunch of instalove/lust, forbidden love, miscommunication and single parent tropes. It had too many cringy and self absorbed moments for me. I had to pause it a bunch of times and considered DNFing because I wasn’t connected to any characters and really hated their actions and motivations. It is also a closed door romance, which I don’t mind but it made it feel even more juvenile. The story was also incredibly predictable, which was a bummer since I was hoping for so much more to keep me interested.

This was an audio production by Hachette Audio, dual narrated by Andrew Eiden (aka Teddy Hamilton) and Stephanie Willing. I love anything Andrew does, so his chapters were my favorite. Stephanie did a good job too but I HATED her voices for the podcasters/gossip girls narrating their relationship, it was over the top too much. They were going for extreme valley girl California, and it was painful to listen to and grating on my nerves! I am still glad I got to listen to the audio version versus the book, since the back and forth narration was done well.

Overall, this was one giant miss for me, but may be right for anyone interested in celebrity romances that are a bit on the cheesy and predictable side.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Christy Swift for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. This book publishes on 2/11/2025.

Celebrity Crush is an enjoyable audiobook. I chose to listen for Andrew Eiden but thoroughly enjoyed Stephanie Willing’s narration as well. The premise was a new spin on the favorite fake dating trope. There were a handful of cringy moments, but were brief and moved the plot along.

I listened to the audiobook of this rom-com. Stephanie Willing and Andrew Eiden are excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed their performances. The rom-com itself is a little bit of a mixed bag. Emmie Ellison is the author of “Celebrity Crush” which she wrote about her actual celebrity crush, Jason Connor. While promoting her book she gets to meet him in person and sparks fly. It is a really cute premise, and Emmie and Jason do have chemistry together. It’s unfortunate that both main characters are pretty unlikable. Both seem to be unable to have their own agency while making decisions about their relationship, mostly taking others advice, both good and bad. Also Jason at one point really disses his ex-partner and mother of his child which is truly cringe. I wind up rooting more for her than the main characters. I kept waiting for either Emmie or Jason to be redeemed in some way. Once I let go of that notion and just realized they both were going to self destruct in any way possible, I enjoyed the book more towards the end. The book is funny and cringe worthy all wrapped up in a happily ever after by the end. The book should be renamed “Hashtag Celebrity Crush”.

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Forever for an advance listening copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, Hachette Audio & Christy Swift for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This story is for the chronically online pop culture enthusiasts. Our FMC is not only an influencer, she's a super fan of a wildly popular scifi TV show. It's a full deep dive into what could happen if you met your celebrity crush- rose to fame/scrutiny and couldn't trust your own feelings. "Does he like me? No, he's just a celebrity and makes everyone feel this way. Wait- it seems like he really likes me?"

I loved the plot of this story- AND found the progression to be a bit painful- but isn't that what it would feel like if you couldn't trust your heart? Christy Swift did NOT romanticize what it would be like to have a celebrity fall in love with you. She illuminated every piece of self doubt, outside influence and more.

Narration was superb- as per usual with these narrators. No surprise, no notes.

I absolutely loved Celebrity Crush. Emmy is a fairly famous social media star and author who writes a book called Celebrity crush. It’s fiction based on her actual celebrity crush. Her secret crush is revealed early on and the plot explodes from there. This book was very well written. It pretty much captivated me from start to finish. There wasn’t once where I wanted to stop reading and that doesn’t always happen. It had great conflict, well developed characters and a very fun plot! Nowadays, I’m looking for books to distract me from the real world. This book surpassed my expectations. The narrators crushed this audiobook. I loved both of their voices. I can’t wait for more from this author. Huge thanks to Hachette audio and Netgalley for allowing me to listen and review this book!

***FOUR STARS***

I am sure that in the end I will over-all love this story but I need to document my feelings while I am reading it.

OMFG these two are so horrible, each for their own reasons. What a hot bed of fucking MESS and all because why? LACK OF COMMUNICATION. BUT it's more than that! It's also willful ignorance and stupidity. What a couple of self sabotaging IDIOTS.

😂😂😂😂

It's taken me days to finish up this review. I'm tempted to leave just what I wrote in the heat of the moment here but maybe I'll add some more.

Emmy is a social media influencer who wrote a book based on her celebrity crush. When she starts a poll for her followers to guess which celebrity the book is based on it goes viral and people take notice. Surprise she's on a talk show now and surprise all four of the men listed in her poll are there to surprise her and witness the great reveal.

Jason knows the book is about him based on the little bit of the book he's read. He's all in for fun but he's also on a thin edge with his people and the show he's currently on because of personal drama. Jason's trying to keep a good image so he doesn't get fired, but he's a fucking moron so...

Anyway, Emmy sells the rights to her book to be made into a movie. Jason is cast as...himself basically and his on-again off-again baby mamma is cast as the female lead. Drama, stupidity, lack of communication, stupidity, some released *intimate* photos, stupidity...it all leads to an eventual HEA. You will want to rip out your hair. You will want to throw your book, kindle, headphones. In the end though, it all gets sorted. If putting yourself through that is your jam, then you'll love this book!

Thank you to NetGally and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review this story.

The narrators, Andrew and Stephanie, did a fantastic job!

This had potential but it just felt all over the place for me. It’s about a social media creator-turned-romance novelist who writes a book about her celebrity crush, only to meet him and chaos ensues. The plot had potential, but it felt rushed in some parts and dragged out in others. There was also very little relationship development for the main characters or anything that kept me wanting to root for them. The only thing that kept me going was the narration for Jason. His voice was smooth and kept me wanting more but at the same time wanted him to stop narrating the story and read a grocery list instead.

The main character, Emmy, felt super cringey. Emmy’s character also felt underdeveloped her inner dialogue made it seem like she was trying really hard to seem quirky (like referencing spaceships and *Aliens* quotes with zero follow-through). The love interest, Jason, was equally one-dimensional and made questionable decisions, which made it hard to see why Emmy was so into him. The relationship felt rushed, and the "fake dating" element was barely there. The side characters, especially her best friend Josie, were pretty forgettable.

Overall, the book had a lot of pop culture references and awkward moments that felt forced rather than relatable. It was a quick read, but not really my thing. Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC.