Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Will They or Won't They

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Will They or Won't They by Ava Wilder

3 reviews

carla20's review against another edition

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emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

overflowingshelf's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

CW: Anxiety; references to drug abuse/addiction

I’m calling it now – Will They or Won’t They is one of my favorite books of the year! I fell head over heels in love with this heartachingly beautiful romance. There’s no sophomore slump here as Ava Wilder has set the new gold standard for all second-chance romances.

On-screen, Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are madly in love. Off-screen, the two stars of a hit paranormal TV show cannot stand each other. After ditching the show at the end of the fifth season, Lilah returns to the much-hyped ninth and final season. But coming back means facing one of the biggest reasons she left: Shane. Ever since their behind-the-scenes fling imploded at the end of the first season, the two have despised each other. Together again for the first time in years with all eyes on them, they have to play nice to give the show’s fans the happy ending they’ve been waiting for. But being together dregs up memories of the past, both good and bad, and Shane and Lilah might just end up with a happy ending of their own.

This book. THIS BOOK. I don’t even know where to start. The romance will tear at your heartstrings and end up ripping your heart out of your chest, but Ava Wilder manages to mend that heart and make it beat stronger than ever before by the end. There is so much love, pain, anger, regret, and hope between Lilah and Shane. They have screwed up at different points in their relationship and hurt the other, sometimes deliberately. And yet that love, that attraction, between them is still there, buried beneath a lot of pain, but they can heal and grow by coming together. I don’t believe in soulmates, but Shane and Lilah make you think soulmates are real. These two, despite all their struggles, are destined for each other.

The chemistry between them is electric from their first scene. It’s wild to me how Wilder makes sharing a glance between the two of them from across a room before they even speak in the very first scene sizzle off the page. From their chemistry read at the audition to a sexy photoshoot to their matching tattoos, the chemistry is FIRE. I was rooting for them to be together the whole time, even when they hated the other’s guts. This is a second-chance romance done right.

In so many ways, this relationship is a slow burn. Lilah and Shane share so much history that it adds so many different layers to their relationship. God, the love between them. It’s so soft and beautiful but also fiery and explosive. When they lashed out at each other, it flayed my heart. But when they’re good together, it made my heart soar. I was feeling all the emotions while reading this. It’s definitely not a low-angst read.

And throw in the fact that it is a celebrity romance – and they’re co-stars where everyone has been shipping their characters for years. My god – this book had everything! The fact that their characters get together in the show, but in real life, there is all this baggage, and they’re still figuring things out just added to the emotions. It’s like fake dating, as the kisses they share are for TV, but the feelings behind it go far beyond that.

The writing in this book is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. Like stab me in the heart with all these beautiful turns of phrase! I highlighted half the book, as I loved so many passages. I swear, Wilder’s writing touched a part of my soul as I was so emotional while reading (and I may have cried more than once). And the structure! I loved how seamlessly Wilder wove in the flashbacks. They came at the perfect time in the story, heightening the emotional tensions and pushing the story forward. It felt like echoes of the past were bubbling up at the perfect moments in the present.

I realize I have said very little about Lilah and Shane, but I adored them, flaws and all. They’re not perfect people. They both have their own insecurities, weaknesses, and fears. They have both messed up in different ways, and I loved that. It made both of them feel so real and raw. Even though they’re celebrities with a career and lives most of us will never know, Wilder has a knack for making these people feel so relatable.

I could continue gushing about this book for ages as it’s truly something special and best explored for yourself. I swear, this book killed me and I’m a ghost now (fitting!). Ava Wilder has solidified her position as a must-buy author with How to Fake It in Hollywood and Will They or Won’t They. I seriously will read anything she releases in the future. Her books are so open, honest, emotional, and raw, yet filled with so much love, life, and hope. She knows how to pull on those heartstrings, and I cannot wait to see what she publishes next. Pick up this book as soon as you can – you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to Random House – Dell/Netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts, ideas and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Content Warnings

headinthepages's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

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