I knew they'd need to deal with certain issues at some point, which added a layer of toxicity to Grey and Ethan's budding relationship. I really liked the first half of the book, there were so many cute scenes; for example when she twisted her ankle and he had to carry her back to the house or when he tried to make breakfast for her. 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.

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. 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. Trigger warnings for this book include: addiction, alcoholism, drug use, depression, death of a friend (off-page), and grief.Fake dating is a favourite trope of mine and seeing it in a Hollywood setting seemed really believable to me so I completely bought into it. Tackling alcoholism to drown out grief, intrusive, diminishing, and insecure thoughts along the lines of always letting people down and being a disappointment. What starts out as a PR stunt involving a younger actress and an older, famous actor faking a relationship soon becomes a real attraction. The book delves well into both characters’ personalities, exposing their flaws in a way that’s raw and gut-punching. Seriously, you are 40 years old, you have two young children, hold yourself accountable and get your shit together for the love of god.

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. and discover that their feelings might be more than a PR stunt in this sexy chemistry-filled debut for fans of Beach Read and The Unhoneymooners .It's not always an easy one as the characters have their own issues (one more than the other) to work on. It is also worth noting that the Palm Springs scene in this is quite possibly my my absolute favorite sex scene of all time? I couldn’t put it down; I was staying up late to see what would happen next, and picking this book up was my first thought in the morning. Fake dating and celebrity romances are two of my faves, so a combination of the two made me very eager to read this one. Addiction, child star molestation, dark side of fame were triggering subjects which were honestly approached but even the execution of fake relationship parts were a little messy!

Currently jobless, and never leaving her couch for social interaction, she gets set up for the fake dating publicity stunt with the older and out of work for five years, big show-stopping star of her teenage years, Ethan. If you think you can handle the subject matter, I HIGHLY recommend checking this out and I personally cannot wait to read whatever else Ava Wilder puts out next.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”.

I expected this book to be heavy because the blurb hints the alcoholism, grief and depression, but it wasn’t well done. Overall it was a really good book in the first half that just started to drag and frustrate a bit towards the end. She’d finally broken the embarrassing habit of whirling around expectantly every time she heard it, and she wasn’t about to relapse now.Told in chapters alternating between her and him, this tale jumps right into the action in the first few pages when the two are recruited for a PR stunt by their mutual publicist.