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chloelj27's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Alcoholism
Moderate: Grief and Sexual content
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent
dkgreads's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Why do I keep picking books that I think will be light, fluffy, and fun, only to be blindsided by plots that feed my heart through an emotional wood chipper? Don’t get me wrong, part of this were delightful, but it was way more emotional than I expected it to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death, Car accident, and Infidelity
headinthepages's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Mental illness, and Sexual content
literaryintersections's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I just finished this (finally after just staring at it for literally almost a year lol) and honestly I flew through this. I loved the weightiness of the story, the twists and turns, the friendships between Grey and Kamilah and Grey and Nora. And I absolutely loved the sex scenes (that mutual masturbation to release tension from different rooms was extremely well written.) The tension was great.
With that being said, a few notes:
1) this felt too insta-lust in the beginning so I feel like I struggled till I got like 20% in.
2) I liked seeing Ethan and Grey’s relationship grow but am not 100% convinced they should have a HEA. It’s a HFN for me honestly because I truly don’t think we saw enough of Ethan’s (or Greys for that matter) work that he did to get back on track. The breakup and 16 months should’ve happened at like 75%.
3) I feel like Ethan was just ok??? Sometimes I loved him and other times I couldn’t get a clear picture of him besides being a washed up, kind of hot, alcoholic. The backstory he shared of his childhood felt like the most clear picture. But because of this it felt like grey fell in love with him because of her childhood crush and him taking care of her that one time.
It’s a solid 4 star for me I think.
With that being said, a few notes:
1) this felt too insta-lust in the beginning so I feel like I struggled till I got like 20% in.
2) I liked seeing Ethan and Grey’s relationship grow but am not 100% convinced they should have a HEA. It’s a HFN for me honestly because I truly don’t think we saw enough of Ethan’s (or Greys for that matter) work that he did to get back on track. The breakup and 16 months should’ve happened at like 75%.
3) I feel like Ethan was just ok??? Sometimes I loved him and other times I couldn’t get a clear picture of him besides being a washed up, kind of hot, alcoholic. The backstory he shared of his childhood felt like the most clear picture. But because of this it felt like grey fell in love with him because of her childhood crush and him taking care of her that one time.
It’s a solid 4 star for me I think.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Addiction
Moderate: Infidelity and Death
This has a significant paparazzi revenge porn storyline.beccaand's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse
Minor: Infidelity, Child abuse, and Car accident
theshivaniyadav's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Car accident and Infidelity
writingbookscoffee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Addiction
Moderate: Death, Car accident, Sexual content, Infidelity, and Drug use
katiemack's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is darker than I thought it would be, but not in a negative way. It deals with addiction, the difficult side of fame, and the insidiousness of Hollywood, but there's also a fake dating trope and an age gap romance that's not creepy. I appreciated how Grey and Ethan both have their own flaws and issues to figure out but also have room to explore a relationship (even if it starts out as a fake one) with each other. The story moves along at a fast clip, and there's some steam if that's your thing.
Overall, this romance is worth your time, especially if you're looking for something that's still entertaining but less fluffy.
This is darker than I thought it would be, but not in a negative way. It deals with addiction, the difficult side of fame, and the insidiousness of Hollywood, but there's also a fake dating trope and an age gap romance that's not creepy. I appreciated how Grey and Ethan both have their own flaws and issues to figure out but also have room to explore a relationship (even if it starts out as a fake one) with each other. The story moves along at a fast clip, and there's some steam if that's your thing.
Overall, this romance is worth your time, especially if you're looking for something that's still entertaining but less fluffy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Death
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Five days, four nights. One bed.” Perfect recipe for a romcom book!
This book is basically an ode to the crazy-obsessed fans of 2000s teen dramas like me! I loved the idea of a love story told from the perspective of the actresses I grew up idolizing. Grey was the perfect heroine for this story, famous and successful, but also felt so real. A lot of books don’t have truly believable dialogue. I never thought that for this book, especially with Grey.
In short, this book was really well written.
I also thought that Ethan was a great complex character. I’ve never see a perspective like his in a book before, which definitely humanized him and the story at large.
Grey and Ethan had great chemistry that didn’t downplay their issues, especially his. The book does a great job at showing how problematic relationships can become if problems are ignored.
Thank you to NetGalley, Dell, and Ava Wilder for providing me access to this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Drug abuse
Minor: Infidelity
readingwithjessica_w's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Addiction, Death, and Alcoholism
Minor: Infidelity
Definitely a romance, just not a light-hearted one
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