Perfect for fans of People We Meet on Vacation, emotional baggage, and men who know how to wield a hammer and respect your boundaries. This book is warm, thoughtful, deeply sexy, and full of heart. You’ll want to crawl into Crested Peak and never leave.

I really love how Ava writes some of the most grounded celebrity romances around - they're not melodramatic and the emotions are earned from the character-building and from the unique problems that fame can put on a relationship. Her writing is lovely, too, so it's a pleasure to read.

I absolutely loved this book! Merritt and NIko were incredibly developed characters separately, but something was magical about them coming together. Some of the tropes in this book are quite popular, but were done in a new and unique format in this book. I absolutely loved the town of Crested Peak and all the unique characters that were involved. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, especially with Merritt's reconciliation with Olivia and her mom. I felt like it could have been expanded a bit more in that area. Also, I felt like the surprise pregnancy that wasn't really a pregnancy was very random and not necessary. I think we could have gotten to the same conclusion without throwing a pregnancy into the mix. That being said, I really loved this book and would recommend to anyone!

Merritt's and Niko's relationship, already plagued by their respective self-doubts isn't made any easier from the chorus of naysayers; namely, Merritt's twin sister. The latter may be a secondary character but found her judgmental and self-involved. Yes, she and her spouse provided a safe space for Merritt after her burnout in L.A. but think it was done begrudgingly.

Ended up fixated on the twins' sibling relationship that the love story of Nico and Merritt fell to the wayside.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#SomeKindofFamous #NetGalley

Disgraced bad girl / cinnamon roll musician meets golden retriever hottie who just wants to be wanted and needed for exactly who he is….I LOVE THEM!!

Merritt has traded in her rock star life for a quiet life in a small town in Colorado. She’s living with her sister, trying to get back on track, trying to figure out who she is and what she wants. Living with her sister and her husband isn’t perfect. They have a tough time seeing beyond her past mistakes. So when they catch wind that she could possibly be interested in the town’s biggest catch, Niko, they quickly fire off warning shots to him and her to stay back. To them, this could never go well. But Merritt needs to move out of her sister’s place and into her new house, but that house needs work first. Enter, Niko, also the town handyman. The more time they spend together the more they clearly cannot be apart. Bring on the steamy and bring on the drama!

This story was so good. Extremely queer friendly. Lots a lgbtq visibility…and in a very honest, normal way. Didn’t try hard to push points. Some books throw queer relationships into storys just to have them, and this felt more intentional. It was just there and that felt really refreshing and made sense for the story line. Also a ton of mental health representation.

The chemistry between Niko and Merritt was so hot. These two were so into each other. I loved the evolution of their relationship, from fighting as strangers, to fighting it as friends…even the building up after the first kiss was *chefs kiss*

I also loved how kindly and patiently they pushed each other to grow. I thought it was really beautiful how they encouraged one another to seek more from life and to get out of their comfort zones.

I was highly entertained throughout the story. Would recommend.

I will forever eat up thw trope where one of the characters are famous and the other is not! The blurb is what intrigued me first and the story didn't disappoint at all! Loved the small town vibes and emotional connection between Merritt and Niko! They were absolutely adorable together but the third pov kinda bothered me but that's more of a 'me' problem.

Some Kind of Famous was a disappointing read for me, unfortunately. I loved Will They or Won't They, but this book in comparison was very lukewarm. Nothing happens really. Merritt and Niko were very one dimensional to me. As a couple, they were very insta love which is a trope I do not like reading. Based on the synopsis and cover, I thought that the plot of this would be Niko working on Merritt's house and surrounding that plot there would me more moments with them involving setting up the house but Niko working on her house was not at the forefront of the plot. Another plot point that got brought up was them both volunteering for their town's festival, but again that also wasn't a major plot point either. There was a lot of info dumping about Crested Peak and its characters but I genuinely did not care for them since Merritt and Niko still felt like strangers to me. To sum it all up, I just found this really boring and it is not something I would ever reread or recommend to someone. Not like how I feel about Will They or Won't They.

Thank you netgalley for the arc.

I LOVE Ava Wilder's other two romances so I was very excited for this one. I didn't end up enjoying it as much as her other books but I think it could work for others, I am just not a huge fan of insta love/attraction. I do like how their friendship developed though.

I absolutely loved the cover and had high hopes for this story, but the side characters weren't enjoyable for me, taking away from the overall story. While I was invested in the outcome of Niko and Merritt, the story just seemed a little slow and almost like 4 different story plots being put into one book. I enjoyed the home renovation aspect and the mental health rep, but struggled to genuinely connect with the characters.

This romance novel evokes all of feels. Main character Merritt Valentine is a former teen-singing sensation whose exit from the music industry left her spending the last decade hiding out in a small Colorado town. Merritt is a really relatable character who is doing her best each day to try to be a better version of herself. When she hires Niko, a contractor whose Greek good looks are distracting to say the least, Merritt worries that she finds herself falling back into old patterns. The romance in this novel was the sweetest, and I found it really refreshing and enjoyable to have a main male character who wasn't just a self-assured Romeo right out of the gate. Nico has his things that he's definitely secure in, but he also wonders if he should have waxed his chest before a romantic encounter for example, and it was those little insecurities and reassurances that he also occasionally needed that made Merritt and Niko's relationship so relatable and enjoyable to read.

Another thing I appreciated about this novel was a note at the beginning of the book, warning readers that there are subjects discussed within that may be upsetting to some, but it lists a website you can visit to find a list of trigger warnings for the novel. I really liked this approach versus having all the trigger warnings listed on the page - it seems to be a good middle road for those who don't like trigger warnings because they can spoil the content of the book, and those who would like to know if there are sensitive topics in the novel. It gave me the choice to go in blind to the book if I chose to do so, which I did in this case, and enjoyed the book all the more for it.

I would give this novel 3.5/5 chili peppers for spiciness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for providing me with an eARC of this novel.

I have really enjoyed Wilder's previous books. She does celebrity so well. But this one fell flat for me. I was into their relationship, but the sister was such a big distraction. Was she just a jerk? Were her fears and concerns valid? She was a lot. It felt a little long and slow at times but I was rooting for them so hard that I kept going. By about the mid point, I was invested in them but less so in their community and that's just not how I usually operate. All in all, the romance itself was good, but it just wasn't the deeply emotional page turning read that I expected.

Ava wilder u sly dog u!!! I think that no other author should be allowed to write celebrity romances. She is the master of this genre!!! I will take no arguments

OK, first of all, I was dying to read this book because this is probably the most beautiful cover I’ve ever seen

Second of all, it’s been so long and I have literally read hundreds of books since her last release so I forgot what a wonderful and talented author she is

this is another author who writes togetherness really well, so it really checks all my sappy boxes. I liked all of her characters. I like the character development. I liked the plot. I liked the pacing. As a reader, I really tried to pace myself through this book because I wanted to actively work on savoring this book but I basically finished it in two sittings

I feel tempted to go back and reread her first two novels because I remember really enjoying those books

I don’t have much to say besides that and I’m looking forward to her next release hopefully before 2027

*Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the arc*

I really enjoyed this story overall. The town was unique for a small town romance.
Slowly finding out more of the fmcs past throughout the book, really made me care for the character even more. As well as seeing her growth with loving herself through the story.
There was a lot of mental health representation in this book as well as bisexual and non binary representation which was refreshing to see in a romance book.

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

The connection between Niko and Meritt was beautiful, with multiple heartfelt moments. I was cheering for them the whole time. It was a very lighthearted book, which is perfect for the beach. There were also profound moments in the book that you wouldn't expect. However, they didn't feel random. They felt like they were essential to the plot.

Additionally, this book was slow-burning, but the reward is fantastic. I also loved Niko as a character; he carried this novel. He was what you want in a book boyfriend—patient and kind. My only qualm is that it's written in third-person POV, which slightly threw me off. I would have loved Niko's POV in specific chapters and scenarios, but that's my problem.

Read if you like:
- Small town
- Slow burn
- Mental health rep
- Third-person POV

Merritt moved to a mountain town near her sister to get away from the drama of her life. Niko has been living in crested peak since graduating college, but has always planned on settling down elsewhere. When Olivia, Merritt’s twin sister, announces that she needs her spare bedroom back Merritt is forced to work with Niko to get her house move in ready. Attraction between the pair grows, but Merritt is so scared of hurting the people around her because of her past. But can she resist Niko? The world’s sweetest guy who is different from all her past significant others?

This book was surprisingly deep. Covering a lot of different relationships and childhood traumas. And addiction issues. So it’s definitely not a romcom if that’s what you’re looking for. That being said it was an incredibly good romance. Niko and Merritt’s chemistry was off the charts, and the spicy scenes were chef’s kiss. So if you like emotionally deep romances, this one’s for you!

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Some Kind of Famous delivered a beautifully nuanced small-town romance brimming with emotional depth, complicated characters, and slow-burning chemistry. It was the kind of story that built itself patiently—more smolder than spark—but the payoff was worth it.
Merritt Valentine was a refreshingly raw and complex heroine. Her journey from faded celebrity to emotionally fragile recluse felt grounded and honest, never sensationalized. Her mental health struggles were portrayed with care and realism, and I appreciated how the author allowed her to be sharp-edged and flawed without ever making her unlikable. Watching Merritt slowly let someone in again, despite her fear of the past repeating itself, was both heartbreaking and empowering.
Niko was the perfect counterbalance—steadfast, gentle, and quietly compelling. His own reluctance to get involved, shaped by his past, made their growing bond all the more satisfying. The house renovation plotline provided just the right backdrop for their reluctant friendship to evolve into something deeper, with every shared project and near-confession pulling them closer together.
Their chemistry simmered throughout, and while the pacing lagged slightly in the middle, the emotional payoff in the final chapters made up for it. This wasn’t a flashy romance—it was a careful excavation of two guarded hearts learning how to trust again.
The writing was introspective and sharp, filled with rich emotional insight and a strong sense of place. Some Kind of Famous proved that sometimes the quietest stories leave the loudest impact.










Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so good! i can't stop thinking about these characters.
I love a good small town romance and this book has everything you could need! I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one sitting and honestly I had the absolute best time. The slow burn was perfect and the complex characters just made it so much better. The mental health rep was also really nice to see how relatable it was and explain what it looks like for some. Merritt was a sweetie and I love how complicated but real she was. I cant wait to read more from this author!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for this arc!

4.75 ⭐️

Ava Wilder is consistently one of my favorite authors and Some Kind of Famous is no exception. This book has all of the things I love about her books. We have a complex, flawed heroine in Merritt. She’s not perfect, and no one in her life lets her forget it. Niko is someone who just hears her out and listens to her without judgement. I really appreciated that we really got to see so much of these two just confiding all of their deepest thoughts and secrets in each other, as it really made me believe in their connection. Another thing that this book does so well that is an Ava Wilder staple is its inclusion of mental health struggles into the plot line for both characters. Even though these characters struggle with things I can’t personally relate to, the way it was written made me easily empathize with the characters. Not many books make me cry, but this author always gets me feeling a bit misty by the end. My one small critique is that the first ~30% was a little bit slow, but once it really got going I was hooked until the end. I have to admit that I’m a bit disappointed this is Wilder’s last celebrity romance because I truly think she is the best at writing them by far, but I enjoy her writing so much that I can say I’ll be tuned in for whatever she writes next!

4 stars ⭐️ This is an emotional slow burn romance. I love Niko and Merritt together. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I tried to write a summary blurb for this book, and it felt too trite to cover the true heart of the story. This is not your typical popstar-moves-to-a-small-town book. Rather, it is the story of two people recovering from their past lives and discovering just how much they've grown since they were their younger selves. There is so much heart in this story. It's honest, it's reflective, and it's funny. I can see this being my newest comfort read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for a free arc in exchange for my honest review.