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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
ok this book was so cute so soft so giggle worthy, i have spent half of the time swooning over not just lilah but shane too omg. shane is so much boyfriend material and lilah, ah, lilah reminds me sometimes of myself.
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a really sweet second chance romance with dual timelines flashing between the original relationship and the present time. There was a lotttt of will-they-won’t-they (I guess hence the title of the book) and it was a major slow burn but definitely made worth while in the end!
fast-paced
this was very nearly a 5 star read. it was almost perfect, if not for the little twist for shock factor at the end there. i thought it was gonna be the typical third act breakup and i didn’t really want it to after most the book already feeling like a third act breakup 😭 but thank god it wasn’t! though it still wasn’t my favorite lead up to the ending, the little cop out/fake out was a little tacky to me..? and quite honestly pissed me off 😭😭 but that’s just me being nitpicky. before that point though i was convinced this was gonna be a 5 star read because i loved everything so far but the brought-me-tears factor didn’t really come so that’s a shame
HOWEVER! i still loved this book. as far as hollywood romances go, this is probably the best i’ve read. the premise was what pulled me in (it felt eerily like it was inspired by tvd and nina dobrev/ian somerhalder drama) and it definitely delivered everything you could ever want from a book about messy actors in hollywood. i also usually have gripes about the enemies to lovers trope, especially when the hate doesn’t feel convincing, but lilah and shane’s animosty towards each other felt very justified—but not too justified that a reconciliation is completely off the table. their banter was snappy and witty, the tension so charged and sexy, and the eventual payoff was soooo good i literally sat up from my bed squealing “YES!!!! FINALLY!!!”. their relationship wasn’t perfect but that’s what made it compelling and utterly realistic. i liked the little moments we’d get of lilah with her friends, shane with his family, and them bonding with their costars together. we got insight of their past traumas, how it shaped them into who they are and how it affected and played a part in the demise of their relationship. you get to understand why they did what they did. and every single scene and interaction outside of the romance serves a purpose to either drive the plot forward or give you understanding of the characters. everything felt purposeful and it was all so perfectly balanced, with aspects of family and friends and work intertwined in the story, with the romance still remaining at the forefront.
another reason why i love this is because the writing was perfect. a few of the last books i read i either had problems with the writing, the writing style, or the pacing, but i didn’t encounter any of that here. i had nothing to nitpick about on that front.
i think this is the most quintessential romance book i’ve ever read. writing this all down almost makes me want to forget why it’s a 4.75 and bump it to a 5….. so i just might? maybe? i’ll think about it
lilah and shane (my favorite childfree book couple) 4everrrrrrr
HOWEVER! i still loved this book. as far as hollywood romances go, this is probably the best i’ve read. the premise was what pulled me in (it felt eerily like it was inspired by tvd and nina dobrev/ian somerhalder drama) and it definitely delivered everything you could ever want from a book about messy actors in hollywood. i also usually have gripes about the enemies to lovers trope, especially when the hate doesn’t feel convincing, but lilah and shane’s animosty towards each other felt very justified—but not too justified that a reconciliation is completely off the table. their banter was snappy and witty, the tension so charged and sexy, and the eventual payoff was soooo good i literally sat up from my bed squealing “YES!!!! FINALLY!!!”. their relationship wasn’t perfect but that’s what made it compelling and utterly realistic. i liked the little moments we’d get of lilah with her friends, shane with his family, and them bonding with their costars together. we got insight of their past traumas, how it shaped them into who they are and how it affected and played a part in the demise of their relationship. you get to understand why they did what they did. and every single scene and interaction outside of the romance serves a purpose to either drive the plot forward or give you understanding of the characters. everything felt purposeful and it was all so perfectly balanced, with aspects of family and friends and work intertwined in the story, with the romance still remaining at the forefront.
another reason why i love this is because the writing was perfect. a few of the last books i read i either had problems with the writing, the writing style, or the pacing, but i didn’t encounter any of that here. i had nothing to nitpick about on that front.
i think this is the most quintessential romance book i’ve ever read. writing this all down almost makes me want to forget why it’s a 4.75 and bump it to a 5….. so i just might? maybe? i’ll think about it
lilah and shane (my favorite childfree book couple) 4everrrrrrr
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I knew it was enemies-to-lovers going in... But perhaps just a bit too heavy-handed with the enemies portion for my liking.
This story of former co-stars Shane and Lilah was a one day read for me. Chemistry between the two was hot and undeniable. Lilah is back on set as she reprises her starring role for the ninth and final season of the hit tv show that first brought them together. It was painful to read about their past mistakes and then gratifying to watch them grow close again.
I loved ‘How to Fake it in Hollywood’ last year and this second novel is just as good. Ava Wilder makes Hollywood world of series television production come alive on the page. I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I loved ‘How to Fake it in Hollywood’ last year and this second novel is just as good. Ava Wilder makes Hollywood world of series television production come alive on the page. I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Enemies to lovers, fighting their feelings, complications from the past, tension and pining for dayyyyys. Yes, this book has it all. I read this book straight through and never wanted to put it down. I just had to know Shane and Lilah would figure their issues out and be happy together. You see, the were happy together, for a time, but all that changed in an anxiety filled moment and they were so young they didn't know how to navigate all that was thrown at them.
Now, 5 years later, they are back filming the last season of a show that they started together. It's evident these two still harbor so many feelings and unsaid emotions but the question is, will they figure themselves out before it is too late?
Shane holds Lilah accountable for pretty much everything that happened between them in the past and the way she treated their relationship just proves that she didn't really want him in the first place. Lilah knows she can't handle the pressure of a relationship in the public eye. She doesn't want viewers to get the characters confused with who they truly are, it is the reason she left in the first place. But now, being back with Shane, she knows she isn't over him and probably never will be. As long as she can get through this season, she can be clear of him once and for all. When the producers notice the two of them are dragging down the show and send them to therapy... together... they have no choice but to bring all the unsaid things from the past years to light. Either they can move on from them or just understand, but either way, they need to come together for the sake of the show.
This was a slow burn and I loved the twist at the end. It was perfect. I think these two are my new favorite.
Thank you to Ava Wilder, Random House and Netgalley for an early copy.
Now, 5 years later, they are back filming the last season of a show that they started together. It's evident these two still harbor so many feelings and unsaid emotions but the question is, will they figure themselves out before it is too late?
Shane holds Lilah accountable for pretty much everything that happened between them in the past and the way she treated their relationship just proves that she didn't really want him in the first place. Lilah knows she can't handle the pressure of a relationship in the public eye. She doesn't want viewers to get the characters confused with who they truly are, it is the reason she left in the first place. But now, being back with Shane, she knows she isn't over him and probably never will be. As long as she can get through this season, she can be clear of him once and for all. When the producers notice the two of them are dragging down the show and send them to therapy... together... they have no choice but to bring all the unsaid things from the past years to light. Either they can move on from them or just understand, but either way, they need to come together for the sake of the show.
This was a slow burn and I loved the twist at the end. It was perfect. I think these two are my new favorite.
Thank you to Ava Wilder, Random House and Netgalley for an early copy.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Immediately add this to your TBR!! It comes out June 27th.
I am an absolute sucker for a second chance romance, that is dual timeline and dual POV. This is also a workplace romance, and lovers to enemies to lovers— and they’re both celebrities. Shane and Lilah are co-stars on an incredibly popular paranormal drama in which they are lovers on screen. Lilah ditched the show at the end of season 5 after their fling imploded, and is coming back to film season 9– the show’s finale. They are forced to work together again now under very different circumstances, and everything that comes along with the world watching.
Ava’s writing is absolutely incredible. She adds so much depth and background to each scene and character, I feel like we truly get to know both MC’s, their histories, their childhood, parent relationships— to get a fuller picture of who they are— fears, insecurities and all. These are details that are often left out of romance books in order for them to feel more lighthearted. I was sooo pleasantly surprised. Ava balances these characters feeling complex and real, while still also giving us chemistry, angst, and sexual tension that you expect in a romance. The book still left me feeling hopeful, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
I also love how the author touched on double standards for men and women in Hollywood and how it impacted their relationship.
This is one of my favorite of the 86 books I’ve read so far this year, and probably one of my top favorite romances ever.
Thanks to Netgalley, Random House + Ava for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I am an absolute sucker for a second chance romance, that is dual timeline and dual POV. This is also a workplace romance, and lovers to enemies to lovers— and they’re both celebrities. Shane and Lilah are co-stars on an incredibly popular paranormal drama in which they are lovers on screen. Lilah ditched the show at the end of season 5 after their fling imploded, and is coming back to film season 9– the show’s finale. They are forced to work together again now under very different circumstances, and everything that comes along with the world watching.
Ava’s writing is absolutely incredible. She adds so much depth and background to each scene and character, I feel like we truly get to know both MC’s, their histories, their childhood, parent relationships— to get a fuller picture of who they are— fears, insecurities and all. These are details that are often left out of romance books in order for them to feel more lighthearted. I was sooo pleasantly surprised. Ava balances these characters feeling complex and real, while still also giving us chemistry, angst, and sexual tension that you expect in a romance. The book still left me feeling hopeful, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
I also love how the author touched on double standards for men and women in Hollywood and how it impacted their relationship.
This is one of my favorite of the 86 books I’ve read so far this year, and probably one of my top favorite romances ever.
Thanks to Netgalley, Random House + Ava for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.