characters w depth, sure... but why am i getting jumpscared w various triggers w no romance 80% of the way to comp😭

I liked this book! Did a great job of fitting some tropes without being overly cliche. The characters were intriguing and the pacing was well done!
Thanks to Netgalley and the author/publisher for the ARC!

This was such a tender, emotionally satisfying read. Ava Wilder has a gift for writing characters with depth and vulnerability, and the connection between Niko and Merritt was genuinely moving. Their slow-burn romance unfolded with care and nuance, making each moment of growing closeness feel earned and intimate.

The book balances lighthearted moments with emotional weight beautifully. It's a medium-paced story, which gave the romance room to breathe while still keeping me fully engaged. Niko and Merritt’s banter and shared vulnerabilities created a chemistry that was both sweet and quietly intense—and yes, the spice does pay off in the end!

If you're a fan of character-driven stories with emotional payoff, heartfelt connection, and a bit of sizzle, this is one to pick up. A beautiful, grounded romance that lingers after the last page.

This was a delightful blend of wit, warmth, and slow-burn chemistry. Ava Wilder brings us a small town setting full of heart, where a former musician looking for a fresh start crosses paths with a grumpy handyman who wants nothing to do with the spotlight.

Their banter is sharp, the emotional moments are genuine, and the romance unfolds at just the right pace. It’s a story about rediscovery, forgiveness, and finding love where you least expect it.

I loved this book! Plot was fantastic, characters were fantastic, I really enjoyed the story! It definitely gripped me! I highly recommend!

**ARC** I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. Thank you NetGalley.

I rated this book 3 stars. I thought it was a cute and easy read but it wasn't mind blowing. This story is about a famous singer who moved to a small town to escape her past. She ends up meeting her hot Greek contractor while he's working on her house. They end up hanging out and things progress from there.

I honestly wasn't really a fan of the FMC, Meredith. Meredith seemed to only really think about herself. I also did not like that she was a serial cheater in the past. She did have issues that caused her to make those poor choices though so I guess it wasn't 100% her fault. She did end up growing a lot and working on herself. Niko the MMC was basically the only character I really liked. He was a sweet man who cared deeply for Meredith and wanted to take care of her. They brought out the best in each other.

At the end of the book, Meredith's sister, Olivia and Meredith had a big fight over something I will not share since this is a no spoilers review... but Olivia was so nasty to Meredith in that chapter and I hated reading it! The way she spoke to her sister was way over the top. I understand that she has been overshadowed by Meredith her whole life but that gave her no right to treat her that way.

Overall the book was cute to read but it took me a very long time to finish. I didn't find myself wanting to pick it up unfortunately. I definitely would still recommend this book, especially if you enjoy books about singers/performers.

Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

There were really great parts of this book that were so satisfying to read. Then there were other parts where both main characters are just boneheads. Seriously, I wanted to knock their heads together to JUST TALK to each other.

Granted, this is a storyline in many books, but since these characters weren't so young, I hoped they had aged out of that. Either way, I would recommend this book.

Wilder never fails to write books that make me giggle and this is no exception. The small town romance is so cute and layered story that had so many sweet heart tugging moments.

I overall enjoyed this book but I did have a hard time connecting with Merritt in the beginning. I loved Niko and their relationship ended up being very endearing (but sort of insta-lovey in the beginning). Loved the mental health representation though and thought it was done very well! Overall and 3.5 star read for me!

Some Kind of Famous had all the ingredients for a swoony, emotionally layered romance—fame, forced proximity, and two characters learning to see beyond the spotlight—but it ended up being a mixed bag for me.

Ava Wilder’s writing is beautiful and introspective, and I appreciated the quieter moments between the characters as they tried to navigate fame, identity, and vulnerability. There were glimpses of real emotional depth, and the premise itself had a lot of promise.

That said, the pacing felt uneven, and I struggled to fully connect with the characters or their romance. Some parts dragged, while others felt rushed or underdeveloped. The emotional beats didn’t always land the way I hoped, and the chemistry—while there—wasn’t as impactful as I expected.

Overall, it was a decent read with moments of insight and heart, but it didn’t completely sweep me away. If you enjoy celebrity romances with introspective themes and a slower pace, this one might work better for you.

I enjoyed Ava Wilder’s newest book, “Some Kind of Famous.” You can always count me in for a celebrity/normal person trope. The story revolves around is a story about pop star who moves to the mountains of Colorado after publicly crashing out. But the reader isn’t meeting Merritt immediately after crash-out, Merritt has seemingly stabilized. However, as she really starts to integrate herself into the town and other changes enter her life, Merritt is confronted with addressing that she’s been living in a pattern of statis. Merritt has to make friends, find a place to live, and be vulnerable.

At the heart of this book, Ava Wilder writes about healing; Merritt letting go her past, Miko forgiving his mom, Olivia finally admitting to Merritt how overshadowed and scared she had been growing up. It’s much more complex than a simple rom-com.

Ava Wilder’s books are always nuanced, “How to Fake it in Hollywood,” hit its heavy tone hard in the last 10%. But Wilder wove the themes consistently throughout this book more seamlessly, while still keeping the romance engaging. Great job. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for the arc!

To start, this is a great romantic story. But unlike some, the characters are wonderful in their flaws and struggles, and in trying to improve their own lives. I loved how the love is focused on support and growth. Really lovely.

This is my first Ava Wilder book and it won't be my last! The blurb immediately had me hooked and I am glad to say the rest of the story kept me that way until the very end! I found Ava Wilder's descriptions of the little Colorado mountain town so charming and so thorough I really felt like I was there with Niko and Merritt while they figured each other out and worked on her house together. I loved both MCs - they felt so well-written and fully fleshed out I feel like I could we were all friends at the end of the story. My one beef is with Merritt's twin sister and brother-in-law. Merritt had previously treated them badly and had made some pretty egregious judgement calls but the fact that it was during her active addiction as well as YEARS prior made me think that maybe everyone else needed to stop treating Merritt like she had just murdered a kitten in front of them. The way they spoke to her and about her left me reeling on more than one occasion and if it were me they'd have been out of my life after the first round of that. I was rooting for Merritt and Niko even harder because of how poorly the sister and "friends" treated them, so maybe that was a mission accomplished by the author? Either way I found myself so involved in their feelings towards each other that I even got emotional during the <spoiler> inevitable third act breakup. </spoiler> Overall it's a solid 4 stars from me!

Couldn't love this book more if I tried. Everything Ava Wilder writes is magic. I just want to live in this book forever. If you love a soft, small town romance you need to read this book asap.

I’m obsessed with everything Ava Wilder writes. The way she can write messy, gritty, beautiful love stories is unmatched. I’ve seen a handful of reviews talk about how not only is this a romance, but a story about healing, and I agree. I love Merritt, I love Niko. Thank you for the arc and thank you Ava Wilder for writing these stories that i can’t get enough of.

Ava Wilder has given a small town romance full of emotion. Merritt Valentine is a famous singer-songwriter who left her career behind 10 years ago and moved to a small tourist town in Colorado with her twin sister. She has worked hard to regain a normal life and work through her trauma. Niko is the local handyman who gives golden retriever vibes. Although he is easygoing he has is own past and insecurities.
He agrees to help Merritt fix up her mountainside house and together they create a home. They agree to a summer fling and keep it under wraps since her sister and husband (his best friend) have shared their warnings. They build a friendship, a home, and a pageant during their summer together. My favorite part of the first half of the book is seeing them become best friends and Merritt becoming a local. There are hints throughout the beginning of the trauma and past for all of the characters and I enjoyed the buildup to the second half of seeing their truths come out and them sorting through their relationships. Not just Merritt and Niko but Merritt and her sister, mom and best friend as well as Niko and his family. We get to see all of the characters find themselves. It was interesting to see the dynamic of Merritt and her struggles with mental health and addiction as well as her sister’s struggles with Merritt’s past. It was an emotional and heartwarming read.

I am a big fan of Ava Wilder’s first two books, so when I found out she had another one coming out, I jumped at the opportunity to read it! This one was a little different from the others, though. It’s still Hollywood-adjacent, but Merritt, the (almost) lone famous person in this story, fell from Grace years ago. I enjoyed the small town, slow burn romance between Merritt and Niko, but I felt like some things were glossed over that needed to be fleshed out more (I.e. both of their family backstories could have used more dedicated attention). I also didn’t love the time jumps (like having had weeks or more pass between the end of one chapter and the start of another). Overall, I enjoyed this one, but not quite as much as I enjoyed Wilder’s other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

First book I’ve read by this author. It was cute, but it felt a bit predictable. I did like the characters and their development. Overall a cute read. I wouldn’t mind reading more from this author..

Love Ava Wilder's books. She writes flawed character's so well, giving them multiple layers with each chapter. The tension in the book is believable, making their HEA all the more satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and random house for the opportunity to receive an arc. This was my first Ava Wilder read. And it was enjoyable, but not entirely what I was hoping for. I think Ava is incredibly gifted in writing, and the premise is intriguing, it just didn’t hit for me personally. But I can’t wait to dive into her older work!