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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fatphobia, Grief, Pregnancy, Classism
Lilah and Shane are actors on a supernatural drama whose legendary on-set chemistry has launched a million Shippers, but in real life, they're a hot mess. Their intense but brief real life affair implodes and the drama on their show is eclipsed by the drama playing out behind the scenes. Now it's the show's final season but as their characters finally move towards a union the real-life actors could not be further apart. Can they find their spark again without killing each other? Stay tuned.
This forced proximity, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance was enjoyable but not the lighthearted romp you would think. It would almost play better if we knew less about what caused their rift. There is too much real wreckage between them for it to feel like the fun kind of antagonistic energy (save for maaaaaybe the photo shoot scenes) and I wish we had more banter than avoidance. Their character framing has a ton of Scully-and-Mulder vibes (to date myself a bit here) particularly knowing that rumor has had it that David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson didn't get along in real life when they were on The X-Files I feel like there was untapped potential there.
One interesting thing I will gladly give it was that I'm noticing that this genre is starting to explore mental health a little more. In this case, one of the protagonists has Generalized Anxiety Disorder--it's not fully delved into but you see how this plays out and gives some deeper context. I love to see the reach toward inclusivity even if it feels like it's still in the early, imperfect stages.
This forced proximity, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance was enjoyable but not the lighthearted romp you would think. It would almost play better if we knew less about what caused their rift. There is too much real wreckage between them for it to feel like the fun kind of antagonistic energy (save for maaaaaybe the photo shoot scenes) and I wish we had more banter than avoidance. Their character framing has a ton of Scully-and-Mulder vibes (to date myself a bit here) particularly knowing that rumor has had it that David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson didn't get along in real life when they were on The X-Files I feel like there was untapped potential there.
One interesting thing I will gladly give it was that I'm noticing that this genre is starting to explore mental health a little more. In this case, one of the protagonists has Generalized Anxiety Disorder--it's not fully delved into but you see how this plays out and gives some deeper context. I love to see the reach toward inclusivity even if it feels like it's still in the early, imperfect stages.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
tense
This is Ava Wilder’s second book after absolutely knocking it out of the park with her first book, How to Fake it in Hollywood. I went in with high expectations and initially I thought I was going to love this one more, but unfortunately I didn’t.
I really enjoyed that she once again wrote a romance plot around Hollywood stars, I will never get enough of that, but it was super repetitive. Lilah and Shane meet at their audition for a tv show and there is instant chemistry. So much so that they are chosen for that fact alone since they’d be the on screen “will they or won’t they” pair, hence the name.
They end up in a steamy secret romance until it goes wrong. Now it’s years later and Lilah is back to reprise her role for one final season, and upon her return we learn how much her and Shane despise each other now.
We get flashbacks, some alternating POVs (within the chapters and not as designated chapters, which isn’t my favorite) and we have some intense toxic behavior & animosity.
The first few chapters had me HOOKED. It got hot & full on high tension very early, but it ended up fizzling for me. This got very repetitive for me and by the late middle I just lost a lot of interest.
I loved Shane & his humor, but Lilah was extremely unlikeable in my opinion. She had issues, and I fully understand that, but I just never enjoy miscommunication plots. Everything that was done was rooted in some kind of miscommunication.
All in all, the spice was there, the open door scenes were awesome, Shane was wonderful, and the first few chapters were so good. The repetition, sheer miscommunication, and pacing just made this feel off to me.
I did however enjoy the ending & I loved how she finished the story, but this entire book really was a non-stop will they or won’t they story that fell kind of flat for me, and there was no epilogue which I think we could have benefited from.
✨ Read this if you love: second chance romances, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, Hollywood romances, mental health representation, and romance books with open-door scenes. ✨
Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be published on 6/27/23!
I really enjoyed that she once again wrote a romance plot around Hollywood stars, I will never get enough of that, but it was super repetitive. Lilah and Shane meet at their audition for a tv show and there is instant chemistry. So much so that they are chosen for that fact alone since they’d be the on screen “will they or won’t they” pair, hence the name.
They end up in a steamy secret romance until it goes wrong. Now it’s years later and Lilah is back to reprise her role for one final season, and upon her return we learn how much her and Shane despise each other now.
We get flashbacks, some alternating POVs (within the chapters and not as designated chapters, which isn’t my favorite) and we have some intense toxic behavior & animosity.
The first few chapters had me HOOKED. It got hot & full on high tension very early, but it ended up fizzling for me. This got very repetitive for me and by the late middle I just lost a lot of interest.
I loved Shane & his humor, but Lilah was extremely unlikeable in my opinion. She had issues, and I fully understand that, but I just never enjoy miscommunication plots. Everything that was done was rooted in some kind of miscommunication.
All in all, the spice was there, the open door scenes were awesome, Shane was wonderful, and the first few chapters were so good. The repetition, sheer miscommunication, and pacing just made this feel off to me.
I did however enjoy the ending & I loved how she finished the story, but this entire book really was a non-stop will they or won’t they story that fell kind of flat for me, and there was no epilogue which I think we could have benefited from.
✨ Read this if you love: second chance romances, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, Hollywood romances, mental health representation, and romance books with open-door scenes. ✨
Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be published on 6/27/23!
I LOVE Ava Wilder, and I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book. After devouring How To Fake It In Hollywood, I was super pumped to find she was writing a new book.
Will They or Won’t They is a great second novel, as it covers the second-chance romance and lovers-enemies-lovers trope and stays in the fun celebrity world that Wilder has built.
While I do love Enemies to Lovers stories, I struggled with the type of enemies in this book. While the ending is ultimately happy and I truly do love Lilah and Shane, their relationship was hard to read through. It wasn’t a typical story of romantic tension in the buildup, I genuinely felt that they hated each other and played very toxic roles in each others lives.
However, I’m a sucker for love, and my heart felt so full by the end of this book. I was so happy that they could overcome their issues and find happiness together after such a long time knowing each other. Happily Ever After forever!
Will They or Won’t They is a great second novel, as it covers the second-chance romance and lovers-enemies-lovers trope and stays in the fun celebrity world that Wilder has built.
While I do love Enemies to Lovers stories, I struggled with the type of enemies in this book. While the ending is ultimately happy and I truly do love Lilah and Shane, their relationship was hard to read through. It wasn’t a typical story of romantic tension in the buildup, I genuinely felt that they hated each other and played very toxic roles in each others lives.
However, I’m a sucker for love, and my heart felt so full by the end of this book. I was so happy that they could overcome their issues and find happiness together after such a long time knowing each other. Happily Ever After forever!
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
3.5 stars
A little slow to get into but once it gets going the book was good. The pacing wasn’t great for me personally, but I did enjoy the romance. The FMC was hard to like at times she was rude and always invalidated the MMC feelings. It felt like her feelings were the only ones that mattered and that she was the vicitm. He was the bad guy and despite her breaking up with him, she had the right to be upset at him about everything.
Shane was just likable and the therapist did bring up how FMC has a fear of love. And at times probably believes she is unworthy of love.
A little slow to get into but once it gets going the book was good. The pacing wasn’t great for me personally, but I did enjoy the romance. The FMC was hard to like at times she was rude and always invalidated the MMC feelings. It felt like her feelings were the only ones that mattered and that she was the vicitm. He was the bad guy and despite her breaking up with him, she had the right to be upset at him about everything.
Shane was just likable and the therapist did bring up how FMC has a fear of love. And at times probably believes she is unworthy of love.