Genre Fiction
![Ava Wilder - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B09K6Q7X91.jpg)
Will They or Won't They: A Novel
Onscreen, they're in love. Offscreen, they can't stand each other. From the author of How to Fake It in Hollywood comes "a sexy lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance that smolders then bursts into flames" (Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author of Part of Your World).
"Wilder takes readers behind the scenes of a television shoot in this fun contemporary romance. . . . Fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren should check this out."-Publishers Weekly
Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are madly in love-at least, their characters are. As the stars of the hit paranormal TV show Intangible, Lilah and Shane spent years pining for each other onscreen . . . until Lilah ditched the show at the end of season five in hopes of becoming a movie star. With no such luck, she's back to film the much-hyped ninth and final season, in which Lilah and Shane's characters will get together at last.
But coming back means facing one of the biggest reasons she left: Shane. Ever since their secret behind-the-scenes fling imploded at the end of season one, the two of them have despised each other.
Now reunited on set for the first time in years-with the world's eyes on them and their post-show careers on the line-they'll have to grit their teeth and play nice. But under pressure to give Intangible's fans the happy ending they've been waiting for, Lilah and Shane are forced to get closer than ever. And if they're not careful, they might just get blindsided by one final twist: a real-life happy ending of their own.
"Wilder takes readers behind the scenes of a television shoot in this fun contemporary romance. . . . Fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren should check this out."-Publishers Weekly
Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are madly in love-at least, their characters are. As the stars of the hit paranormal TV show Intangible, Lilah and Shane spent years pining for each other onscreen . . . until Lilah ditched the show at the end of season five in hopes of becoming a movie star. With no such luck, she's back to film the much-hyped ninth and final season, in which Lilah and Shane's characters will get together at last.
But coming back means facing one of the biggest reasons she left: Shane. Ever since their secret behind-the-scenes fling imploded at the end of season one, the two of them have despised each other.
Now reunited on set for the first time in years-with the world's eyes on them and their post-show careers on the line-they'll have to grit their teeth and play nice. But under pressure to give Intangible's fans the happy ending they've been waiting for, Lilah and Shane are forced to get closer than ever. And if they're not careful, they might just get blindsided by one final twist: a real-life happy ending of their own.
Editorial Reviews
"This Hollywood hit is a fun, fresh take on how the people we are meant to be with arrive in our lives when we're not quite ready for them . . . and what happens when that changes."-Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey
"Will They or Won't They crackles with sexual tension. Readers will be on the edge of their seats waiting for Lilah and Shane to just kiss already. Ava Wilder is a master of anticipation and satisfaction."-Elissa Sussman, bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask
"Endearing, evocative, and brimming with sexiness, this story will stay with readers long past the final page. Ava Wilder is an author that can't be missed."-Mazey Eddings, author of A Brush with Love
"Wilder's writing sparkles, beautifully capturing all the tension, longing, and lust that comes with a second chance at love. Set against a grounded and nuanced look at life in the Hollywood grind, Will They or Won't They is a gorgeous romance that will keep readers hanging on until the credits roll."-Kate Spencer, author of In a New York Minute
"Ava Wilder's Will They or Won't They had me turning pages late into the night, desperate for the happily-ever-after. I loved this fierce, complicated couple, and I know readers will, too."-Kate Clayborn, author of Georgie, All Along
"Wilder (How to Fake It in Hollywood) has created a gem of a novel with characters who unfold in complex and unexpected ways. The grounded Hollywood story utilizes a perfectly paced slow-burn romance, and at the end there's a winking nod to the entire journey."-Library Journal (starred review)
"Will They or Won't They crackles with sexual tension. Readers will be on the edge of their seats waiting for Lilah and Shane to just kiss already. Ava Wilder is a master of anticipation and satisfaction."-Elissa Sussman, bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask
"Endearing, evocative, and brimming with sexiness, this story will stay with readers long past the final page. Ava Wilder is an author that can't be missed."-Mazey Eddings, author of A Brush with Love
"Wilder's writing sparkles, beautifully capturing all the tension, longing, and lust that comes with a second chance at love. Set against a grounded and nuanced look at life in the Hollywood grind, Will They or Won't They is a gorgeous romance that will keep readers hanging on until the credits roll."-Kate Spencer, author of In a New York Minute
"Ava Wilder's Will They or Won't They had me turning pages late into the night, desperate for the happily-ever-after. I loved this fierce, complicated couple, and I know readers will, too."-Kate Clayborn, author of Georgie, All Along
"Wilder (How to Fake It in Hollywood) has created a gem of a novel with characters who unfold in complex and unexpected ways. The grounded Hollywood story utilizes a perfectly paced slow-burn romance, and at the end there's a winking nod to the entire journey."-Library Journal (starred review)
Short Excerpt Teaser
1
Now
As if she needed another reminder, the fact that Lilah Hunter was once again trapped alone in a room with Shane McCarthy was confirmation that her life had gone completely off the rails.
She should've prepared herself. It was only a matter of time. Luckily, he hadn't been on her flight to New York, and they hadn't run into each other at the hotel. She knew she'd be seeing him tonight, obviously. But she'd naïvely assumed that things would be hectic enough that there would always be some kind of buffer between them-that they wouldn't have to acknowledge each other, let alone interact. Not yet, anyway.
At first, she'd been correct. Just an hour ago, the backstage holding area for talent at Radio City Music Hall had been bustling with people, all assembled for the same purpose: the annual UBS upfronts, part of the most important television event of the year. Over the course of one week in May, every major network took turns revealing their fall schedules to potential sponsors, flying out their biggest stars to make their presentations as flashy as possible in an attempt to lure in advertising dollars.
She'd avoided Shane from the moment she'd entered the greenroom, but really, he'd avoided her first. When she'd walked through the door, their eyes had met immediately, and her spine had tingled with that familiar, involuntary frisson of disgust. She should've prepared herself for that, too.
If he'd seemed at all happy to see her, or even just neutral, she would've gone over and greeted him warmly like everything was fine. Really, she would have. Instead, he'd paused for a moment, face clouding, mouth tightening, before returning to his conversation, angling his back resolutely toward her. Fine. If that was how he wanted it. She'd squared her shoulders, sauntered into the room, and struck up some small talk with the first familiar face she saw.
Slowly, though, the crowd had dwindled, as people were escorted to the stage in small groups. Intangible's slot was last on UBS's agenda that evening: the grand finale. They'd somehow successfully managed to keep Lilah's return to the show a secret ahead of the big reveal, which, even in a gathering of the network's best and brightest, had caused a stir when she'd first shown up backstage. She'd been a little embarrassed by the attention, but relieved for the distraction.
Now it was just the two of them, slouched on couches on opposite sides of the room, ignoring each other. Even though they'd been in the same room for more than an hour, it had still been nearly three years since they'd spoken. Since the night of her final wrap party.
Lilah felt heat rise to her face. That was the last thing she should be thinking about right now. She needed to focus. They would be called to the stage at any moment, and he was enough of a distraction as it was.
He had a beard now. His hair was longer, too, dark as ever but wavier than she'd thought it would be, the back of it almost brushing his collar. But she knew all that already. It had been impossible to avoid the ads for the last few seasons of Intangible. The ones without her. Shane's newly hairy face had been plastered, solo, over every billboard on Sunset.
Her throat tightened as a memory popped up, unbidden, of the first time they'd spotted an Intangible billboard with the two of them on it, back before the first season had even aired. They'd taken turns posing for pictures in front of it, laughing and giddy. Once they'd sent them off to their respective parents, Shane had slung one arm around her shoulders and stretched the other out as far as it could go, capturing a single blurry selfie of them together, the billboard barely in frame. That one had been just for them.
She let out an exhale that was louder than she intended, so loud it bordered on a sigh. Shane's eyes flicked over to her, just for a heartbeat, then away again. Lilah stared at her lap. This whole thing was a mistake, the latest in a long line of them. She couldn't unburn this bridge, no matter how much money they'd thrown at her to rebuild it.
"Nice hair."
Lilah whipped her head up to see Shane looking at her, almost bored, from under half-lidded eyes. Her hand flew above her shoulder, fingering the ends of her hair involuntarily. She'd cut it to her chin several months ago in a fit of acute emotional distress (as was the case with most drastic haircuts).
His tone was so bland that it was hard to tell whether he was being sincere or sarcastic. W...
Now
As if she needed another reminder, the fact that Lilah Hunter was once again trapped alone in a room with Shane McCarthy was confirmation that her life had gone completely off the rails.
She should've prepared herself. It was only a matter of time. Luckily, he hadn't been on her flight to New York, and they hadn't run into each other at the hotel. She knew she'd be seeing him tonight, obviously. But she'd naïvely assumed that things would be hectic enough that there would always be some kind of buffer between them-that they wouldn't have to acknowledge each other, let alone interact. Not yet, anyway.
At first, she'd been correct. Just an hour ago, the backstage holding area for talent at Radio City Music Hall had been bustling with people, all assembled for the same purpose: the annual UBS upfronts, part of the most important television event of the year. Over the course of one week in May, every major network took turns revealing their fall schedules to potential sponsors, flying out their biggest stars to make their presentations as flashy as possible in an attempt to lure in advertising dollars.
She'd avoided Shane from the moment she'd entered the greenroom, but really, he'd avoided her first. When she'd walked through the door, their eyes had met immediately, and her spine had tingled with that familiar, involuntary frisson of disgust. She should've prepared herself for that, too.
If he'd seemed at all happy to see her, or even just neutral, she would've gone over and greeted him warmly like everything was fine. Really, she would have. Instead, he'd paused for a moment, face clouding, mouth tightening, before returning to his conversation, angling his back resolutely toward her. Fine. If that was how he wanted it. She'd squared her shoulders, sauntered into the room, and struck up some small talk with the first familiar face she saw.
Slowly, though, the crowd had dwindled, as people were escorted to the stage in small groups. Intangible's slot was last on UBS's agenda that evening: the grand finale. They'd somehow successfully managed to keep Lilah's return to the show a secret ahead of the big reveal, which, even in a gathering of the network's best and brightest, had caused a stir when she'd first shown up backstage. She'd been a little embarrassed by the attention, but relieved for the distraction.
Now it was just the two of them, slouched on couches on opposite sides of the room, ignoring each other. Even though they'd been in the same room for more than an hour, it had still been nearly three years since they'd spoken. Since the night of her final wrap party.
Lilah felt heat rise to her face. That was the last thing she should be thinking about right now. She needed to focus. They would be called to the stage at any moment, and he was enough of a distraction as it was.
He had a beard now. His hair was longer, too, dark as ever but wavier than she'd thought it would be, the back of it almost brushing his collar. But she knew all that already. It had been impossible to avoid the ads for the last few seasons of Intangible. The ones without her. Shane's newly hairy face had been plastered, solo, over every billboard on Sunset.
Her throat tightened as a memory popped up, unbidden, of the first time they'd spotted an Intangible billboard with the two of them on it, back before the first season had even aired. They'd taken turns posing for pictures in front of it, laughing and giddy. Once they'd sent them off to their respective parents, Shane had slung one arm around her shoulders and stretched the other out as far as it could go, capturing a single blurry selfie of them together, the billboard barely in frame. That one had been just for them.
She let out an exhale that was louder than she intended, so loud it bordered on a sigh. Shane's eyes flicked over to her, just for a heartbeat, then away again. Lilah stared at her lap. This whole thing was a mistake, the latest in a long line of them. She couldn't unburn this bridge, no matter how much money they'd thrown at her to rebuild it.
"Nice hair."
Lilah whipped her head up to see Shane looking at her, almost bored, from under half-lidded eyes. Her hand flew above her shoulder, fingering the ends of her hair involuntarily. She'd cut it to her chin several months ago in a fit of acute emotional distress (as was the case with most drastic haircuts).
His tone was so bland that it was hard to tell whether he was being sincere or sarcastic. W...
