How to Fake it in Hollywood: A sensational fake-dating romance

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Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine/Dell Books for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. Now, let me tell you about how this book will break your fucking heart and then put it back together.

You know it’s only a matter of time until they give in to their attraction, but there’s more meat to this story than just that. They were all positive reviews, so I was confused because of all the mixed reviews on Goodreads (lower average rating). Overall it was a really good book in the first half that just started to drag and frustrate a bit towards the end.No one is more surprised than she is that her lifelong obsession with pop culture actually led to something useful. It just had the perfect amount of tension leading up to it and emotion and I JUST LIKED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK A WHOLE LOT, OKAY?

Grey and Ethan’s relationship feels genuine in its messiness and complications, and Ava Wilder’s breathtaking depiction of their highs and lows had me totally invested in their fate.I don’t read a lot of age gap/single dad romances but this made me want to dip my toes in the waters. Grey walked around the side of the building toward the parking lot and found a secluded tree to stand under. I’m always wary of books that feature actors because I think anyone can attest to the distrust you feel when your occupation is featured in a story. Two stars are trying to kick start their careers after a dry spell, so they agree to fake date for six months.

And a big shoutout for a very inclusive cast of characters, including one of a only a handful of non-binary characters I’ve encountered recently. I expected this book to be heavy because the blurb hints the alcoholism, grief and depression, but it wasn’t well done. It’s a fake relationship trope which I love but there’s not enough character development and growth here for me. It's not always an easy one as the characters have their own issues (one more than the other) to work on. They didn´t drag each other down or talked bad about each other in any way and rather supported and uplifted each other, which I loved to see!What starts out with Ethan trying to ignore Grey’s presence in his house each week, eventually intensifies. Fear of failing, of not achieving goals, of losing battles with competitors, of being too thin, too fat, too old, too tall or too short, when being good-looking, even beautiful and talented, isn't always what it takes to achieve a career in films. Grey and Ethan have so much chemistry, their banter is great, the tension is immaculate and they’re just so clearly each other’s match. Although the second half was more challenging to read and showed how messy and ugly life can be, I feel it added depth to their story.

Ava Wilder’s highly anticipated debut novel is a full fledged romance/women’s fiction novel about relationships, love, self doubt, dealing with past traumas and so much more. Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen show has her (unsuccessfully) pounding the pavement again. Though their juicy public relationship is less than perfect behind the scenes, it doesn’t take long before Grey and Ethan’s sizzling chemistry starts to feel like more than just an act. So when her team suggests that she enter into a fake relationship with an established actor in need of some good PR, Grey isn't sure what to think. It’s not a rom-com, because it is SAD; but the sexual tension between Ethan and Grey is so thick that you could cut it with a knife.That's why I think they needed more of a solid foundation; there needed to be more time spent on them actually falling.