I really enjoyed Ava Wilders previous two books, so I was excited to give this one a go. And it sounded great in concept, a famous musician goes off the grid in Colorado and finds love. Unfortunately this book just didn’t hit like the prior two. Don’t get me wrong, this author still writes some fire dialogue and spicy scenes, but man, the characters in this book and every relationship seemed overloaded with baggage, trauma, and special interest.

I loved Ava Wilder's other two books and will say in all honesty that this one fell so short for me. I rarely give books less than three stars but this one had too much wrong with it to let it slide.

What I liked:
- the setting: loved the mountain town that was loosely based off of Crested Butte (I assume at least)

What needed improvement:
- the chemistry between Merritt and Niko. It was so bland and then the reasons they weren't wanting to get together seemed so juvenile to me that I found myself rolling my eyes several times.
- the relationship between Merritt and her twin sister Olivia. It was just awful and Olivia was so mean and I didn't like most of their interactions.
- the bi-representation... like everyone was bi (which is fine) but then there was a they/them, a throuple, and all the things and just felt like it went overboard.
- the mental health rep... borderline personality disorder - did not represent this well.
- the steamy scenes were cringe

All in all, this book tried to have everything thrown at it and it just didn't work. I thought hard about DNFing it but powered through. I usually love Ava Wilder but this one just wasn't it for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this version of a small town romance, more eclectic less cowboy. Merritt and Niko were both interesting dynamic characters. Their love story was full of honest chemistry. Parts of the story drug a little bit for me, but overall their connection was a good one.

I normally love Ava Wilder's books but this one just wasn't it. The characters didn't hook me and I didn't find myself caring about their story. Also, why did EVERYONE have to be bi, or "they" or woke? It was unrealistic and a little desperate to be inclusive.

Cute idea, but not my favorite two main characters. They were awkward together and didn’t communicate well. The relationship between Merritt and her twin was kind of rough for me as well. Olivia was so rude for most of the book. Overall, it wasn’t my favorite romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for this arc in exchange for my honest review!
I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t really get into this until around 150 pages in, and I considered DNRing a few times, but it got better, and by the ending I was flying through it. If you are willing to give this a try go for it, Merritt and Niko are so cute and good for each other, and I loved the relationship between Merritt and Olivia!

After two books that were both straight bangers, I’m sorry to say Ava Wilder’s latest didn’t work for me. I think it’s a competently crafted romance with often lovely prose and a complex main character, but the specifics of the ingredients weren’t quite what I wanted.

Merritt is a former teen pop star who was chewed up by the industry in the way of so many of child stars—squeezed for every drop of talent while floating around in a miasma of drugs, alcohol, money, and toxic authority figures. After years out of the spotlight, she’s moved to Crested Peak, Colorado with her twin sister and brother-in-law and is trying to build a more permanent non-famous life as an adult. Meanwhile, Crested Peak’s town handyman Niko has been stuck in a kind of perpetual adolescence, living with roommates, drinking free beer, and never quite knowing what’s next—until Merritt comes along.

I liked both Merritt and Niko as characters, but thought the story would have benefitted from both of them having a bit more bite. Merritt (supposedly) has borderline personality disorder and a tendency toward substance abuse, and there are many references to awful things that happened when she was famous—overdoses, benders, cheating, things of that ilk. But by the time of the book, she’s pretty much…good. There’s literally one moment where she gets a little wasted on margs, and another moment of slight disassociation, but it’s hardly shocking behavior. She’s never anything less than incredibly considerate of Niko, and once she says she’s going to stop doing all substances, she does, even when Niko’s doing them in front of her.

Merritt’s goodness makes it kind of hard to understand the behavior of her sister, Olivia, who is painted as the stable, normal sibling but paradoxically has more moments of flat out crazy bitchitude than Merritt does. I actually think this book really could have used flashbacks effectively to put us directly into Merritt’s past struggles so we better understand both her journey and the reactions of those who know her.

Niko was also too perfect—more so than Merritt. He’s an unproblematic, chronically offline bisexual king who does yoga, happily participated in a throuple, can renovate an entire house alone on a frankly completely unrealistic timeline, and has never heard of literally any major musical artist but is totally down to discuss music if you are, lol. He was really sweet, but his lack of negativity really killed my interest in his problems or his relationship with Merritt. His internal conflict basically comes down to loving too hard and carrying too much, and listen, the rules here are the same as a job interview—you can’t answer the “greatest weakness” question with a secret strength. It’s annoying! He was also painted with a very heavy golden retriever brush that made me think of him as young and immature—I think there were multiple references to his puppy-like qualities, and he’s often unsure of himself and his sophistication around Merritt, which she fines refreshing and I found deeply unattractive. So I’m sure Niko will appeal to many, many readers, but he does not appeal to me personally.

I did kind of like the conflict in the final 25 percent of the book, when Merritt and Niko fail to communicate, but overall this book struggled to hold my attention. The conflicts weren’t tense enough, and the fights weren’t explosive or cathartic enough. Even Olivia and Merritt’s big fight, which I was looking forward to more than whatever conflict there was between Merritt and Niko, didn’t meet my expectations. Again, I think it might have helped to have flashbacks to more viscerally view Merritt’s mistakes, because I thought Olivia should just grovel for the way she treated Merritt lol.

Wilder admirably tries to paint complex, multifaceted characters rather than falling into flat romance tropes, but I think in this case she did too much to make sure we won’t find too much fault in them—making Merritt almost fully healed by the time we meet her, and not giving Merritt and Niko a true third act conflict. I think she’s an incredibly talented writer and storyteller, and her other two books hit the right mix of flawed characters making messed up decisions and gooey romance. This one just leaned a little too far in the gooey direction.

I loved Ava's first book that she became a must read author for me! I enjoyed the two main characters and the town in this one - a well developed quirky small town is always a fun addition to a romance.

loved meeting Merritt and Niko and seeing their relationship grow over the summer. Loved seeing her sister and her husband. Loved that she looked out for a younger singer and found her love of singing again and that they both found love. Thanks netgalley

A sweet, slow-burn romance with just the right mix of heart and humor. The characters feel real, flaws and all, and their chemistry is undeniable. It’s the kind of story that leaves you smiling and maybe a little wistful when it ends.

I’ve liked Ava Wilders past books but I could not get into this one. It’s so slow in my opinion and I wasn’t loving the main character. At 11% I was still not engaged at all so had to abandon

A former musician hides out in a small Colorado town and falls for the contractor redoing her house. Parts were cute but I didn’t really feel any chemistry between the characters. Also the MMC recreational activities just weren’t for me. Just ok overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ebook ARC of Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder.
This was my first Ava Wilder book.
'Some Kind of Famous' was a fun and quick romance read. Small town vibes, mental health representation, and a lot of chemistry & spice.
A solid contemporary romance. I enjoyed both the main characters. Slowly finding out more of the main characters' past throughout the book, really made me care for the characters even more. As well as seeing the FMC growth with loving herself through the story.
I really enjoyed this story overall. A slower, softer type of love between two flawed people.
Pub Date Oct 28, 2025

I really wanted to like this book because I loved this cover but I did not like this. I thought the timing was a little weird, like there would be random time jumps and the main characters would be together and then they’d ignore each other for weeks at a time. I did love Merritt and her journey to rediscover herself. Her sister on the other hand can fucking choke, she was so mean for almost all of the book and then said I’m sorry one time in a 5 minute conversation.

There is truly nothing I love more than a small town romance wrapped in layers of nostalgia. An ode to slower, softer type of love between two flawed people who are scraping their way back to life. Merritt our once famous country singer was a beautifully written character, tucking herself away in a sleepy Colorado town to find herself, outside of the shadow of who she use to be. And Niko a younger soul who has old scars from his past relationship. The contractor Merrit needs. Leading these two to an unlikely pairing. The awkward yet endearing tension, quick witted banter and and open and heart wrenching vulnerable these two share with each other. I love that this book felt more character driven then event driven. Giving you insight deep into these characters thoughts and feels the turmoil, the connection that shines straight through the pages.

I love how slowly we get to see new sides of these two. Niko becoming such a swoony worthy and endearing hero. Showing his love in acts of service and wanting to take of Merrit in the way he best can show her. Merrit reclaiming her voice and all the pieces of herself she has left behind over the years to discover who she is now. Soft love and a softer voice.

This story gave me butterflies and felt like the perfect book to cozy up to the fireplace with, along with your favorite drink.

Some Kind of Famous was a sweet small town romance, but unfortunately it didn't quite hit the mark for me. Overall it was cute though!

eARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I loved this book! It was a very sweet and heartfelt romance. The characters weren’t perfect but very much still likable. As a Colorado girlie I loved the setting of this book and it was very easy to imagine and get lost in the story with the location and the people. 10/10!

Thanks to Dell for the ARC of this one! I was thrilled when this one showed up in my email, because I love Ava Wilder books! This book was incredible and I would have read it in one sitting if I could have! On the surface this book is a small town romance between a former musician who moved to town to escape the chaos of her life and a local contractor. Beneath the surface, it is a book about finding belonging and self worth. It is also a beautiful love story with some fantastic mental health rep for both the FMC and the MMC. This was an easy five stars for me and I was immediately gripped by the story. I think you'd enjoy this one if you like: Friends to Lovers, Small town romance, older FMC and MMC, Celebrity Romance and Mental health representation. See below for brief synopsis! This one is out on October 28, and you should absolutely add it to your TBR!

Synopsis:
Merritt was a successful musician in her late teens and early twenties. Despite her success, she had lots of struggles to contend with in her life including the pressure of fame, addiction, mental health, and toxic relationships. When her life really hit rock bottom, she moved to Colorado to be near her twin sister who has her life together. Since then, she has been in a holding pattern in her life and not moving forward at all. When circumstances change for her sister, she is forced to try and make something of her life. In the process, she takes on the planning of the town event and starts renovating the house she bought years ago. This thrusts her into the orbit, the town contractor who she has always had a crush on. Their attraction to each other spurs on a deeper connection than either of them expect.

SHORT SYNOPSIS
Merritt, a former pop star who vanished from the spotlight a decade ago after her career and mental health unraveled, now lives a quiet life in a small Colorado town with her sister. Intent on staying under the radar, her world begins to shift when she hires Niko to help renovate her house.

MY THOUGHTS
I’ve been a huge fan of How to Fake It in Hollywood—it’s easily one of my all-time favorites—so I was eagerly anticipating Ava Wilder’s newest release. Some Kind of Famous brings the same lyrical writing and deeply layered characters that I’ve come to love from her.

From the start, I was completely drawn into Merritt and Niko’s story. Their love story is tender and raw, and watching Merritt confront her fears to support an emerging star was especially moving. (Also, the Grey and Ethan cameo? A fun surprise.)

That said, while there was so much I appreciated, this one didn’t hit quite as hard for me as Ava’s previous work. I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but I didn’t feel as deeply connected to the story this time around.

WHAT YOU’LL FIND
🎤 A former pop star in hiding
🏘️ Small-town charm
💕 A slow burn romance
🫟 Messy, complex characters
☀️ A “just for the summer” setup

Ava Wilder is one of my favorite romance authors, so I was very excited about getting this ARC. Like her other books, this one was such a deep and sweet love story, filled with complex and messy characters. Absolutely pick this one up if you are looking for dynamic characters, spicy chemistry, and a slow burn romance set in a small town (but dealing with very real affordable housing issues).

Merritt Valentine skyrocketed into fame as a teenage award-winning singer-songwriter. However, after dealing publicly with addiction, she flamed out and slowly faded from public life. She moved from LA to a small mountain town in Colorado to get far away from public scrutiny and be closer to her twin, Olivia. After deciding to leave her sister’s guest room, she hires a local contractor, Niko, to help her fix up her home. As they spend more time with each other, working on the home and planning a citywide fundraiser, they start to slowly fall for one another. As sparks fly, they both have to deal with their complicated pasts to build a future together.

This was such an emotional and tender love story. There was such a caring exploration of mental health and dealing with addiction. I loved to see how this impacted Merritt’s relationships, and also how she coped with it throughout the book. I appreciated how complex and real she was-I couldn’t help but root for her to find her HEA by the end. I also loved Niko; he was such a fantastic lead that was so kind and infinitely swoon worthy. Loved getting to fall in love with both of them individually (flaws and all) and together!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Dell for the ARC!