If you're looking for a quick read with authentic angst and applause-worthy depth, do yourself a favor and check this one out! 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. Despite having a little issue with the balance and pacing, Ava Wilder’s debut romance pierced me right through my heart. I enjoyed this one, I bought into both the characters from the start and I love the grump to sunshine trope so I was happy to see how the story progressed. She was recently released from her tv series, her boyfriend broke up with her and she’s trying to find roles that are more “mature”.

A juicy affair with a gorgeous actress might be just the ticket, even if it's the last thing he wants to do. It's not always an easy one as the characters have their own issues (one more than the other) to work on. The cover caught my eye, but it was the significant buzz surrounding this Hollywood romance that had me excited to read it. I also adored all of the other supporting relationships in the book including those between Grey and her best friend Kamilah, Ethan and his ex-wife Nora, etc. A gossip-inducing affair with a gorgeous actress might be just the ticket, even if it’s the last thing he wants to do.The way they resolved their tension was so straightforward, and their banter is so funny and thoughtful at the same time. Going into this, I knew it was a fake dating storyline between two actors so I thought it would be your normal rom-com.

You know it’s only a matter of time until they give in to their attraction, but there’s more meat to this story than just that. But of course, as all fake-dating stories go, they develop real feelings, and helping each other extends beyond their careers: resolving Grey’s insecurities, and Ethan’s grief and alcohol problems. Grey pushed her sunglasses to her forehead and plastered on a toothy smile as she turned to face the voice: a bespectacled teenage girl clutching a blended iced mocha (extra whip).Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen show has her (unsuccessfully) pounding the pavement again.

It’s a fake relationship trope which I love but there’s not enough character development and growth here for me. But despite withstanding the heat of the scandal of their leaked private life, the pair split after less than a year of dating. Ethan is grumpy and anti-social, he's also dealing with loss and alcoholism (but won't admit to it).Ava Wilder doesn’t shy away from exploring the dark side of fame in such a cutthroat industry, and her unforgettable characters’ growth shines all the brighter for it. For some reason, their relationship, despite the circumstances, felt like home, like a summer evening, a stormy afternoon or a night out at the beach with waves clashing peacefully. The fan’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head as she nodded, fumbling through her purse for her phone and swiping the camera open. We got to see the dark side of addiction towards the end, and that, in a way, helped me understand him. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.

Tackling alcoholism to drown out grief, intrusive, diminishing, and insecure thoughts along the lines of always letting people down and being a disappointment. They didn´t drag each other down or talked bad about each other in any way and rather supported and uplifted each other, which I loved to see! With a life-changing role on the line, she’s finally desperate enough to agree to her publicist’s scheme: fake a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity, but for very different reasons.

It's not your typical fake relationship romance, and that's perhaps what held my attention in those darker moments. The romance in this book gave me the same feelings that all of Emily Henry's romances give me and I just loved it SO. In a desperate attempt to keep her career afloat, Grey Brooks agrees to her publicist’s scheme…to fake a love affair with disgraced Hollywood heartthrob, Ethan Atkins, who also needs the publicity, but for very different reasons. Overall it was a really good book in the first half that just started to drag and frustrate a bit towards the end. faking a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity, but for very different reasons.