Ellen Young writes steamy, feel-everything billionaire romances—fast, emotional, and deliciously spicy. Her books deliver razor-sharp banter, explosive chemistry, and powerful men who fall hard for the last woman they expect. Think: fake dating gone very real, secret identities, forced proximity, surprise feelings (and sometimes surprise babies), and swoon-worthy HEAs with penthouse views. If you love big emotions, bigger wallets, and bedside-table-worthy spice, Ellen’s got you covered. (from Amazon.com)
Ash is a famous rock star who is best friends with Olive's brother Liam. The first time Olive meets him, she doesn't recognize him. Their meeting is hilarious. When Ash needs to clean up his image, he knows Olive is the perfect person. He makes a deal with her to be his fake fiance and fake marriage for a year. Olive agrees because she thinks he's gay. When she finds out he isn't, all bets are off. Only problem is, Olive wishes things were real instead of fake. Olive and Ash are great together and I love how the book ended.
Right from the laugh-out-loud meeting between rockstar Ash and school teacher Olive, this story had me grinning and swooning in equal measure!
“I grew up believing love was a tidy story,” she continues. “Clear arcs, clean lines, perfect timing. Then you showed up like a plot twist and taught me that the best stories are the ones that scare you a little and make you brave a lot.” Fake Married To My Rockstar- Ellen Young
I found this book to be a real page turner. I liked that Ash and Olive were a bit opposite to each other but complimented each other well. Ash’s circumstances make him more complex than Olive, but it really is laid back, indifferent rockstar and peppy sunshine teacher. The book would be good for most romance readers, I’d recommend in my book club, it’s really well written. But I loved the book, I would read more in a series or more by Ellen based on this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
DNF at 43% I was hoping that this was going to be more of a slow burn. It’s practically insta-love which isn’t my favorite. My tipping point to DNF was when they took a driver to dinner with his parents but drove themselves back home. Minor thing to be annoyed by, but annoyed I was.
Wow! I loved this book. This was my first book by this author- it will not be my last! Olive and Ash's story was well written and I loved every minute of it:). The ending was incredible.
This is a blast, a really, really excellent read. I loved all the bits that show Ash is falling and falling hard. The way he supports Olive and does everything he can to help her. She manages to reciprocate and things go so well. A bump in the road with the media at the school, another bump when she utters those famous three words and the bump becomes a crater. Ash finally gets his act together and there is a sweet happy ever after. Olive realises her dreams and Ash is as supportive as ever. First book I have read by Ellen Young, but it will not be my last.
I struggle to put this in 2 or 3 stars...landed on 2 because there are some typo/edits issues that need to be fixed. Also, there is no character development...at all. There are things thrown in about the characters that you're like "tell me more" or at least, do more with it! Like Ash's nightmare and the situation/experience the nightmares stem from. There is one nightmare and he talks about this horrible experience and then....that's it. We never revisit it. We also never talk about why Ash is so anti-marriage/relationships. Why are you the way you are? A former lover who broke your heart? Your parents? Why?? Nope. Nothing. Instead we're treated to a fool of a man who has no idea how to grow in a relationship or his emotions.
For the love - trim this book down! It does not need to be 400 pages! The steamy scenes are too frequent AND too long. Trim down! This book could have easily been 50 to 100 pages shorter. The skimming kind of kills the vibe of the book.
The overall plot is kind of weak. You need a fake marriage but then you don't expect that people will figure out where she works and ruin her life?
Anywho. Read it, don't read it. Whatever. It's fine.
Ellen Young’s Fake Married to My Rockstar is a witty, emotionally rich romance that blends steamy tension with heartfelt depth. Ash Ryder, the brooding rockstar, and quirky teacher, Olive Hart, fake a marriage—but end up unraveling each other’s walls. From bath mat mishaps to penthouse confessions, the story delivers sharp banter and unexpected tenderness. It’s a swoonworthy ride through identity, vulnerability, and the messy beauty of falling for someone real.
The characters in this book at the beginning had me instantly drawn in. Olive was witty and confident even in an awkward situation with a handsome stranger. Ash was calm and confident without being too cocky. I really enjoyed their friendship as it continued to grow. I found myself laughing out loud at times throughout the book and also feeling heartbroken at others. Overall it was a good read, a little drawn out in some areas, but captivating in others.
I loved this book. The insecurity of the main, characters and how love sneaks into a bargain to have a fake marriage makes for twists and turns and some heartbreak. The kindergarten teacher and the rock star don't seem to fit but love wins and happily ever after (which I love) happens . I love that she became an author. I recommend this book to romance to everyone. Thank you Ellen Young for a wonderful book.
Never have I been so enthralled by the written weird as with the last few chapters of this book. The author has such a way with words that you find yourself transported to not only the place where the characters are but the feelings they are experiencing, only wishing it was you!! Will be re-reading this book sooner rather than later.
This book is so amazing from the funny meet til the idea of a fake marriage just loved Ash and Olive together. Also the ending was so sweet and Liam and Nina may have sparks seems to me. A great romance between the rockstar and the kindergarten teacher!
If you've never heard of vertical movies check them out. This book would absolutely be perfect for a vertical movie You can find them on On apps like real short or drama box. I was very impressed with This entire Book And the characters were absolutely fantastic.
I’m fairly new to Ellen Young’s books, and I cannot stop reading them. Ash and Olive are total opposites—Ash is a rockstar who needs to overhaul his public image, while Olive is a kindergarten teacher and romance blogger with a sweet, wholesome vibe.
Their first meeting is unforgettable: an accidental run‑in, Olive wrapped in a bathroom rug, and an instant spark neither of them expects. Things get even more complicated because Olive is Ash’s best friend’s sister. But Ash comes up with a plan—one that will “fix” his reputation by marrying someone like Olive. His only rule? Don’t fall in love.
He pitches the idea to both Olive and her brother Liam, promising Olive would be well taken care of. She agrees—she’s living on her brother’s couch and could really use the money. And of course… you know where this goes.
Strangers become friends. Friends get closer. Chemistry builds. Lines blur. And one thing leads to another.
It’s an emotional roller coaster in the best way.
I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend it—you won’t be disappointed.
Unfortunately, this was not the book I was hoping it would be. There were quite a few times that I almost put the book down and DNF it. I loved Ash and Olive, the building of their relationship was great. The things that kept getting in the way for me was the details. There wasn't clear information on the timing of everything. There were some cases where some details were used but then that changed a few pages over. Overall, the book was okay. Olive and Ash were adorable and I loved their dynamic but the error in details and confusing timeline kept this from being a favorite.
This is my first read of this author’s work. I found it very engaging, funny, and annoying in all the best ways. Definitely recommend reading this one, and I will be reading more of her books in this series before branching out to her other works. One note to those of us who notice stuff like grammatical errors, tense differences, and duplicate sentences, there are several instances of these throughout this book. It definitely could be edited better. However, I presumed the obvious intention from the dialogue and didn’t let those errors take away from the fun of reading this story. I hope you enjoy it too!
This was a sweet read. I loved the characters and how they loved each other. Nina is an awesome best-fiend and Liam has all the big brother vibes. My only complaint is about the inconsistencies. In one chapter (3 I think) Ash is drinking bourbon and in later chapters, he hasn’t had a drink in years. At first it made me angry with him because I thought he was lying, but I think it was more of an editing error. There were a few others but it didn’t distract from the story too much.
It was entertaining and cute. I was extremely annoyed by the conversations she had with her kindergarteners at the beginning of the book though. I work in a preschool and am a mother of a child about that same age, so even though children do say some crazy unhinged things the conversations in the book were unrealistic. Children that young also don't carry on about things they know nothing about. They are very innocent and pure and the kindergarteners in this book did not give me that vibe. Overall, it was a fun read.
I liked the book, but had a few problems, with inconsistency’s. At one point Ash thinks back to living on a mattress in a one bedroom flat, it seemed like it was saying he was young and poor, but his parents appear to be financially secure. They take a limo to dinner and he is driving them home from the dinner in his car? Making love on his piano and she feels the cool grant under her. Little things like that make me crazy. Other than that it was a good read and I would recommend it
I loved the story but there were a couple of inconsistencies that ruined it for me. First, he opens the door to his house with a keypad & she uses a key. It can happen but not likely. Second, the big no no, they go to dinner, his driver is taking them. They return home with Ash driving. I see the story in my head as I’m reading. Having this inconsistency happen caused a malfunction in what my brain was seeing in my head. I almost stopped reading at that point. I decided to continue on & I’m glad I did.
Oh my word what a GEM!! I've been stuck in book hell and then this beauty appeared!!! It's so full of love and heart and so much soul. A total breath of fresh air to me, I've been struggling to vibe with genres I've previously loved and authors I'd religiously read their new offerings but this book I could relate to. I'm going right back and reading every book this author has written and I can't wait. Oh I forgot it's funny too 😉
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I liked how Ash and Olive meet for the first time. It might be foolish of them to believe that they could have a business like marriage when their chemistry is already so strong. I liked how they fell in love and am glad Ash wised up before he lost Olive. Their wedding was a fairy book one for me.
The build up to the climax of the book was amazing, but the way things progress from that point was devastatingly well written. I was blown away by the character development, the smack in the face moment of “duh”.
And then there was the way they just built each other up. No thought behind it, just lifting through the faults.
Ash is a rock star, but he's getting bad press. Olive is a down and out kindergarten teacher. They decide they need each other, but not for real. Just for a year.
This book was cute. The characters show growth and Ash is the perfect book boyfriend. Best friend’s sister turned fake Fiancé what more could you want. Golden retriever energy main character.
I’ve just found Ellen Young’s books…and I love them. Read some hockey ones first and now have started on these rock stars. All great stories with great characters! Can’t wait to read more.
Really liked the story and both characters. The writing had a great pace and it was easy to read.
But for me there was no effort to develop Ash's world. So some of it felt odd, like being Liam's best friend. He didnt write with anyone so it all felt just a tad odd.
I really enjoyed this story. Another solid book from Ellen Young! Olive and Ash have great chemistry, tension and banter. I think my favorite part is when Olive finds out that Ash is not actually gay. It was a great moment. Very swoon-worthy overall! I definitely recommend!
Not very spicy, but I really liked the story. MMC = brother's best friend and rock star. FMC = kindergarten teacher. Fake marriage, real love, 3rd act breakup, HEA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.