Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Jak Wykiwać Hollywood

Trigger warnings: alcohol and drug addiction, depression, negligent parents, death of a friend (mentioned), divorce, injury, sexual harassment, sexual content

BROOOOOOO You ever read a book that beats you to a pulp and all you wanna do it give it a comforting kiss...yeah. Emotional damage isn't even the half of this book. It's just all pain. Ethan is so broken from the get go that you're just waiting for the ember that sets him ablaze in a glorious fire of self destruction. Silly sad sad man. Grey is an absolute bad bitch and I could not stop cackling at the fact that her acting accolades cover that of Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, and Nina Dobrev...like she's actually an icon I cannot believe she's fictional.

Anyways get ready for some PAIN but also don't be surprised if you're obsessed with this book by like 10%.

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emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Yet another strong debut that will have me following Ava Wilder for future books, How to Fake it in Hollywood is a solid venture into the celebrity lives of two Hollywood actors. Child actor Emily “Grey” Brooks and former A-lister Ethan Atkins contractually agree to a dating publicity stunt, hoping to improve their desirability and visibility in the cut throat Hollywood scene.

Instant attraction has these two navigating the awkwardness of attempting to be seen in public very much in love, but also figuring out how to tamp down that attraction in private as they learn each other. How to Fake it in Hollywood isn’t just your average fake-dating hijinxs trope; it is infused with real world problems, namely alcoholism, loss of a long-time friend, divorce, and family trauma. Grey and Ethan are forced to handle these issues under the confines of a paparazzi scrutinizing lens and attempt to see if what they have is more than just contractual.

I would hesitate to say this is a rom-com although there are definitely some laugh out loud moments, but more so a modern-day romance with characters attempting to discover who they are and how to love in their scrutinizing society. I immediately liked Grey from the start and found her frankness and openness refreshing. Ethan is a categorically attractive older wisened actor that has a slight Peter Pan complex, made more so by the fact that he has hidden himself away from the public eye for several years after the death of his friend Sam. I found myself wishing and hoping these characters would make good decisions, but then found myself rooting for them even when they didn’t. This book was excellent at building expectations and asking the reader to trust in the promise of a happy ever after (while putting you through it emotionally in the meantime!) Although kind of an insta-love match, the chemistry between Grey and Ethan seems very believable as he was her teen idol and she is the breath of fresh air he doesn’t expect. The slight electric current running throughout their exchanges only gets sharper as Grey and Ethan get to know one another better. I also found myself loving Nora, who redeems all ex-wives everywhere from being the vengeful petty type. She seriously seems to have loved Ethan and wants him to be better and she doesn’t hold it against Grey as his Nora 2.0.
Wilder has something special here, taking on a fake-dating, one-bed trope and infusing it with a dose of reality. Not always shiny or squeaky clean, I felt that How to Fake it in Hollywood was a fresh take on the romance genre, asking the reader to accept character flaws and trust in Wilder’s process. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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