He's now a reclusive, divorced father who always seems to have a drink in his hand - and he doesn't seem to want Grey around. I was totally expecting something fluffy and sexy, what hit me like a curveball was the angst and raw emotions portrayed in the book. and discover that their feelings might be more than a PR stunt in this sexy debut for fans of Beach Read and The Unhoneymooners. Don't get me wrong, the plot of the book was entertaining in and of itself, but this book was truly all about the push and pull and the give and take between Grey and Ethan and their relationship was just everythingggggg to me.

He doesn’t think this game relationship nonsense will work, but he changes his mind once he meets/talks to Grey and realizes she’s a lot more savvy than her age belies. Sure, there are some funny scenes, but beyond its bright cover, it’s truly messy, melancholic, and most of the time pensive. No one is more surprised than she is that her lifelong obsession with pop culture actually led to something useful.What I loved most about this book were the positive female relationships (ex-wife and girlfriend don’t hate each other! I liked the tension between her and Ethan even tho it was more insta-lovish with both of them trying to stay away from each other.

Despite the fake dating trope, I'd personally class this more as a romance with some humour than a true rom-com. Between his high-profile divorce, struggles with drinking, and grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, Ethan slowly has let himself fade into the background. As I reached the end of the book, I wondered if my rating was going to decrease just slightly to 4 stars, but after some thinking, I’ve decided to keep it at 5 stars. 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. She’d assigned Grey more pet names over the course of their first meeting than Grey had heard from her own mother in her entire life. I thought this might just be a lighthearted romance but there was a lot of depth, and I enjoyed this one! Sparks flying, gossipers gossiping, and soon both Grey and Ethan are unsure where their fake relationship ends and a potential real one begins.

I definitely highly recommend picking up this story, and I can’t wait to see what comes next from Ava Wilder! She saw the disappointment creeping over Kelly’s face and hastily added, “But I do have a few things coming up that I can’t really talk about yet. Grey is a (for want of a better word) fiesty and talented actress who isn't afraid to stand up and say no to the 'always gets his way' Ethan.It adds so much to them and the story, kind of the perfect balance to the fun of their fake dating and pr stunts. Before I go into how this book made me sad and heartbroken, I’m just going to mention real quick that this book delivers in the romance aspect. Grey and Ethan are definitely a couple that are just right for each other - from the beginning Ava Wilder was able to show their potential for chemistry and long term romance. Fear of failing, of not achieving goals, of losing battles with competitors, of being too thin, too fat, too old, too tall or too short, when being good-looking, even beautiful and talented, isn't always what it takes to achieve a career in films. And the difficult topics were dealt with in a serious, respectful manner and not just a passing thought.

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. With their red-hot chemistry, Grey and Ethan are easy to root for, both as a couple and as two creatives navigating rough patches in their careers. Despite having a little issue with the balance and pacing, Ava Wilder’s debut romance pierced me right through my heart. Watching our (anti)hero struggle to spend even a single day sober adds an interesting element - it sort of felt like a ticking time bomb that was ready to go off. Coffee in hand, Grey settled into one of the turquoise upholstered chairs and pulled out her laptop.Ava Wilder did an amazing job writing this book and I fully believe a lot of people will love this one. Ethan Atkins was a wunderkind Oscar winner but is still reeling from the death of his writing partner and best friend, plus a highly public divorce and a drinking habit that’s spiralling.