Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⬜
Title: How to Fake it in Hollywood
Author: Ava Wilder
Genre: Romance
Setting: Los Angeles, California / New York City, NY
Month Read: May 2022
Book Type: E-Arc!
Publication: June 2022
Publisher: Dell
Pages: 368
*Thank you to Dell Publishing and Netgalley for my Advanced Reader Copy. I was not paid or influenced to give this review, all thoughts are my own.
TRIGGER WARNING-
Alcoholism / Sexual Content / Grief / Drug Use / Depression
"Control is a hard thing to come by in this business. Whenever you think you've gained some, it usually turns out you've just given it up from somewhere else."
Goodreads Summary:
Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen soap has her (unsuccessfully) pounding the pavement again. With a life-changing role on the line, she's finally desperate enough to agree to her publicist's scheme... faking a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity, but for very different reasons.
Ethan Atkins just wants to be left alone. Between his high-profile divorce, his struggles with drinking, and his grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, he's slowly let himself fade into the background. But if he ever wants to produce the last movie he and his partner wrote together, Ethan needs to clean up his reputation and step back into the spotlight. A gossip-inducing affair with a gorgeous actress might be just the ticket, even if it's the last thing he wants to do.
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. But after decades in a ruthless industry that requires bulletproof emotional armor to survive, are they too used to faking it to open themselves up to the real thing?
Review:
I'd love to start with how shocked I am that I got this from Netgalley, and how much I really enjoyed this book that I knew little to nothing about. I thought the characters were well written, the motivations seemed super realistic, and the romance wasn't as run of the mill as you'd expect. The supporting cast of characters really balanced the novel out quite nicely, as well.
I really liked Grey, who reminded me of someone like a Rachel Bilson, or Katie Holmes, and Ethan, who I kept screaming BEN AFFLECK at. I loved the setup of the relationship, neither of them wanting to be there, and the gradual bursts of affection from them both. I loved that Ethan was an alcoholic recluse and not really the leading man persona, and definitely NOT put together at all. He has his reasons, as you'll find out when you read the novel, but his arc was important, and I love that nothing gets figured out in 5 minutes.
A well rounded ensemble can really make or break a novel, and Grey's pushy publiscist, and mom-like manager really were bright spots for me. Both characters were so different, and both played their parts perfectly. I loved the scenes they were in, as well as some other great supporting characters like Ethan's ex wife, Nora. The dynamic between Nora-Grey-Ethan was really great to me- I love supportive ex-partners. I also loved that this book had some LGBTQ representation, and that it wasn't really a big deal at any point.
I'd definitely recommend giving this a shot, especially as it's release coincides with beach days and summer! Grab a copy and you're sure to finish it in a day or two- perfect for summer reading days.
Recommendation:
Books that take place in Hollywood:
The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
Quick Read Romances:
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
What if it's Us? by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (YA)
Red White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
"The only villain here was human fallibility."
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