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. And the difficult topics were dealt with in a serious, respectful manner and not just a passing thought. The way they resolved their tension was so straightforward, and their banter is so funny and thoughtful at the same time. Grey Brooks, fresh off a staring role in a hit teenage soap opera, is struggling to make it to the next level. Amidst all the other, often sorry stuff the Kindle-people publish, they do capture winners frequently and this story is one of them!

See, celebrity fake dating is quickly becoming one of my guilty pleasures; the glitz and glamour, and obviously the messy drama just tickle my heart. 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. 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. Is there an author’s note at the end filled with bullshit about how ‘real life doesn’t have happy endings’? Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.Okay, the premise: A talented Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-lister enter into a fake relationship . Overall: A stunning debut, with a writing style I fancy, a skillfully crafted plot, impressive character growth and a diverse selection of secondary characters. Between his high-profile divorce, struggles with drinking, and grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, Ethan has slowly let himself fade into the background. Over the years Grey had known her, Renata had kicked the Lights, but still had problems with volume control.

This was just so beautiful, and funny, and heartbreaking, and angsty, and steamy, and all the best things. Ethan’s addictions completely take over his sanity in a heartbreaking way, making this book fit into that 0. The second half of this book is so angsty and pulls on your heart, I was so in my feels for these two. Every Hollywood business seems to profit from these fears, claiming to have the right connections, and when everything turns to suffering anyway, there's always the endless supply of alcohol and/or Botox, to ease the pain, if only briefly.Besides the deliciously well executed fake-dating, How to Fake it in Hollywood delivers a raw, character-driven and heart-touching read. With a life-changing role on the line, she's finally desperate enough to agree to her publicist's scheme. I wish there were more on-page scenes involving their journey towards healing, and okay let’s be real, I would have loved to see them both groveling and pining over each other!

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. 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). 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.Both characters had so much baggage it made them incapable of wanting to make a commitment, so much so that both of them were sabotaging the relationship. The tone also worked well in audio, and there's only a little bit of steam, so it made a good workday listen as well.