This is a lovely tale of two people overcoming their own insecurities. April and Marcus are an unlikely pair—he’s an actor on a huge tv show and she’s a geologist by day, fanfic writer by night—but they have instant chemistry and almost immediately become a supportive team. Trust issues, obviously, bubble up on both sides, due to each of them having secrets, but their communication is pretty good, and the resolution, while predictable, is sweet and earned. .

I loved Spoiler Alert so much.

I loved April and her smartness and cleverness. I loved her vulnerability about her body because holy shit me too. That fat rep is everything. I am a sucker for MCs confront their parents on their bullshit and establish boundaries and OMG both of them did it.

The Gates of the Gods stuff was all inspired. I didn't watch Game of Thrones because of misogyny and sexual violence, but I paid attention to all that was going on, and the author really seems to have nailed that. Though. I think she knows that way better than I do.

The skill shown in the writing of the interstitials is amazing. She wrote in so many voices that were so authentic to the characters, not only to Marcus and April, but the others in the Lavineas community.

Things I didn't like:
I'm not a fan of "one character has a big secret about violating the other MC's boundaries and they almost break up when it comes out". Too squirmy for me. However, extremely well done in this case. And telegraphed all the way through.

My spouse is a regulator in a state government focusing on a science topic, and the feeling that April got from her coworkers and the freedom they had is not her experience. That was very distracting to me. But then I imagined it was at a university, where all of that would have made sense. This is the smallest of quibbles.

I’ve received an e-ARC of this book via netgalley thank you!

Spoiler free review

Short review

What really drew me into picking up spoiler alert was the plus size rep and fanfiction. C’mon it sounded soo interesting! Needless to say this was not a disappointment. I liked Spoiler alert’s romance. April and Marcus’s relationship was really cute and fun. I loved how April doesn’t care what anyone thinks. It made me happy to just read about them. I liked the characters and how they were brought into the book. One of my main favorite things that I liked was how real life issues were brought into the story and how it wasn’t really mentioned but still readers could pick up what was happening. The plot was where I felt it lacked in. Giving the ultimate 4 star rating, I think that there wasn’t MUCH of one. There definitely could have been more spice added. I would like to add that April is such a great role model! OVERALL: 4/5

I liked this book and I would recommend it to anyone!

Reviewed: 10/9/2020

Spoiler Alert made my heart happy. I wasn't sure how Dade could pull off a romance with a significant lie in the mix, which always makes me uncomfortable, but she made the stakes clear and part of the heroine's emotional journey included seeing the hero's side of things (the grovel was also well done).

Dade does an excellent job writing an unapologetic fat heroine who is happy with herself and her life but has to navigate the landmines both real and imagined of existing in this fatphobic world. It was a true delight to get to know these characters as we shifted perspectives and the interstitials of fanfic snippets, scripts, etc were charming. Every chapter made me want to read more and it got pretty unputdownable toward the end.

I am excited to read more in this world (actually squealed when I saw the couple that will be in the second book).

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the gifted advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

SPOILER ALERT was smart, steamy, entertaining and easy reading. The story revolves around a fanfiction trope: celebrity (Marcus) meets fan (April). I enjoyed each characters individual arc as they deal with toxic parents, trust issues, fat positivity, dyslexia and public/private personas.

You don't have to be well versed in fandom/fanfic to enjoy this book. But it is an important component of the story and their relationship. Because I am a total noob in that area I didn't enjoy it as much as I might. However, I was 100% on board for what I can only assume is the author throwing shade to the abysmal final season GOT shade. I'm still not over that train wreck.

Eggplant (Steam scale) 4

I mean, is it possible not to like an Olivia Dade book? This was a delightful read full of feelings and banter and setting boundaries and self care, and it was just so good. I will say, I rarely like deception plots, and this unfortunately isn’t an exception, so there is that. I think Marcus handled things as well as he could and that his decision not to tell April they know each other online made sense at the time, but I disliked how long it took him to confess and when he did it. I also could have skipped this dark moment, or had a different one, or had it handled differently, and I hated that both of them had such awful parents (though I loved seeing them set boundaries for themselves and take steps to protect themselves from toxic family relationships!). I also could have done without the interstitials, personally, though I can see how they’re a fun touch.

I hate when I really enjoy a book, but all I focus on in a review are the things that don’t work for me. I think it’s because this could have been a phenomenal read, and I’m just nitpicking on what prevented it from being perfect for me. Because I did really enjoy this book, and I suspect a lot of others will too (especially for those involved in various fanfiction communities!). It has Dade’s signature banter and sauciness and some incredibly insightful commentary on society with two amazing, emotionally sensitive main characters who have great arcs throughout the book, both separately and individually. Also, that sequel bait! I wish it had been dialed back just a bit because I feel like we have a lot, if not most, of the arc of their story already, and we haven’t even read it, but I seriously cannot wait for Alex and Lauren’s book!!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for access to this arc

As their relationship continues and begins to deepen, I was delighted with how their characters are so much a product of how their backstories were written. What they do, how they think, their reactions are part of their core beings. It all makes sense. I didn’t mind when what I thought was going to be more a fluffy story took on pain and angst.

Then I realized that there was still about half the book to go and beyond what I knew would be the third act conflict, what was going to fill the rest? Marcus and his co-star friend Alex love binge watching that show about British Baking and will razz when someone’s sponge goes wrong. Yeah, a lot of the last section of the book, up until the conflict I knew was coming, was like a claggy sponge. It just kind of sat there in a lump and wasn’t the light and airy showstopper beginning of the book.

The conflict, as conflicts do, came out at the worst time for the other character to absorb. I knew it was going to happen and that it needed to happen for these two to have a future together. One thing that I did like about the book was that Marcus and April talk out their problems in the first half. In the second half, emotions swirl (as emotions should by this point) and drive a deeper wedge between them. It takes an outside force for one of them to appreciate the truth behind the other’s worries regarding what caused the lie by omission. At this point, the lie-ee quickly realizes this but I’d like to have seen them come to that on their own.

There were a few other things that seemed off to me. Marcus and April are supposed to be in their late 30s but they often seemed to behave as if they were much younger. The relationship between the MCs is very instalove which is not a personal favorite of mine. Marcus has so many moments of losing faith in himself, collapsing in on himself when faced with conflict and sort of, yes I’ll say it, milquetoastiness that I wonder how balanced the relationship with outwardly tougher April will be in the future. It also seemed to me that many of the other secondary characters were little more than short, thumbnail descriptions: the cold parents, the lesbian coworkers, the foul mouth actors. Very few of them felt like fully realized characters. April’s geology career basically disappears once past the early set-up of her character.

I also lost interest in all the fic and fandom aspects. At first it helped set the stage for a lot of April’s and Marcus’s backstories but after a while, the inclusion of bits and pieces between chapters only detracted from the main story. Since I don’t read fanfic or visit fandoms, I had no idea what a lot of the abbreviations were. And I have to be honest about the fact that Marcus writing fanfic about a series that he is in and a character whom he plays is creepy even if he doesn’t include sex in his fic. The epilogue is full on rainbows, unicorns, and fluffy bunnies.

I wanted to totally adore this book for putting fat-shaming out there and calling it what it is. The way that Marcus and April finally call their parents on all the emotional abuse they’ve endured and say enough, no more is fantastic. The initial way that these two discover that they are drawn to and interested in each other is lovely. Then alas the shortcomings became more apparent and the second half of the story fizzled out for me. C

When I started this, I was a little hesitant that it would read similar to Geekerella or Comics Will Break Your Heart... really focused on cons and fandom, and not much emotional development. I knew that the characters weren't teens, but I was really happy to learn that the main characters in this book were not even in their twenties. They were in their thirties, had a prominent role in their careers, and had settled into who they were. It was such a breath of fresh air! There was still a little bit of angst, but the characters didn't have much of a "will they, won't they" attitude.

It was lovely.

Such a fantastic story about loving and accepting yourself amongst a world that set against bringing you down! April is feisty and non nonsense about who she is and Marcus is such a cinnamon roll! Fantastic read!

this book was a freaking marvelous gift in the hellscape that is 2020. We get a surface glossy hero with hidden depths (not to mention a couple of demons), a plus-sized heroine who loves both herself and her fandom, a respectful look at fanfic and the writers who create it, and wonderful little snarky gems scattered throughout this incredible romance. I literally tweeted the author in the middle of the night when I screeched in laughter at the cheeky reference to my favorite GOT character. Seriously, you have to read this book RIGHT NOW.

It starts as a publicity stunt for handsome actor Marcus to go on a date with plus-size fan April, but it quickly becomes more, until their long-held secrets threaten to rip them apart.

Actor Marcus Caster-Rupp has played a fictional version of Aeneas in a long-standing TV series, and I think that's what drew me to Spoiler Alert. I prefer Greek mythology, but did enjoy reading The Aeneid by Virgil, so the mere mention of Aeneas in the book description was more than enough for me to hit the Request button. Of course, it also mentioned fan fiction, of which I have exactly zero experience with (I can say little more about Twitter), but I figured I'd be able to figure things out. It proved to be a bit of a crash course in both fan fiction and Twitter, and I'm still not quite sure I understand how either operates, but it was fun, light, and fluffy, and just slightly off from what I expected from a romance.

The Plot: A Layered, But Sweet Romance

Marcus is the golden haired, dimwitted actor playing a fictionalized Aeneas based on a fictional book series inspired by The Aeneid. Off screen, though, he's intelligent; just dyslexic. As the dimwitted actor, he only works out and styles his hair. As the real Marcus, he hates his story line as the series wraps up and has spent the last two years writing fan fiction anonymously, becoming best online friends with Unapologetic Lavinia Stan.

April is a plus-size geologist who has shipped Aeneas and Lavinia and writes fan fiction based around their story. She's kept her hobby under wraps, but, as she starts a new job where three of her new colleagues have formed a truly bad folk band, she decides to start to reveal herself, by posting a full body image of herself in a Lavinia costume to Twitter. Of course, the trolls come out. Surprisingly and unexpectedly, so does Marcus, and he asks her out.

It starts as a publicity stunt, but they're surprised to learn they actually find each other interesting and someone they can slowly open up to. Both of them come with their baggage, but it might be Marcus who keeps the biggest secret, the one that can spell ruin for them if he makes just one tiny slip.

As a romance Spoiler Alert is predictable, but it's still fun. Marcus and April have a ton of chemistry together. Their relationship is easy, but there's a really good reason why. It's known to the reader early on, and had me practically yelling at Marcus to just tell her already, but his reasoning made sense. Much of this book is centered around the insecurities both of them have lived with all their lives, which wasn't helped at all by their parents. It's difficult to erase one's history and start over, and this book proves that. It makes Spoiler Alert character driven despite it's predictability. But it also shines a ray of hope that everything can be overcome and it's possible to move forward.

My favorite parts were the interstitials. These ranged from bits of the fan fiction written by some of the characters, excerpts of scripts, and chat conversations between Marcus and April. Brief as they were, they helped paint a beautiful picture of them and their evolving relationship. It also helped point to their insecurities. Honestly, I felt their insecurities ruled too much both in their relationship and the story and made it drag on a little too much, but I did appreciate that it touched on sensitive topics and helped flesh out the characters. This is a layered romance, adding some complications and offering food for thought.

The Characters: Equally Layered

Spoiler Alert is about Marcus and April, an actor wearing a mask under his character and a geologist with a secret love of writing fan fiction. They come from similar backgrounds in that neither could fully satisfy their parents. It helped bring them together, but also felt a little overboard because there were similarities in how they were treated by their families. It is nice they had a deeper kind of understanding of each other, but the similarities made it a little boring.

On their own, they're equally compelling, though. While their romance was sweet, albeit a little peppered with some secrets, I loved that they were both older (late thirties and forty), established, but still reeling from past hurts. It did feel like an awful long time to hold onto the injuries of childhood, but watching them grow alone and together was very sweet. Marcus was so much more complicated than most people thought he was. Watching him wrestle with letting it go was a little heartbreaking because it could have gone in so many ways. I loved April's hard won confidence, though she still carried a scared little girl inside her like so many women still do. Her layers were gradually exposed and it just made her into a stronger, more confident character.

The story revolved around Marcus and April, but I would be remiss in not mentioning the characters that made up their world. There are Marcus's co-stars and April's work colleagues. They were all so much fun and had their own ways of encouraging Marcus and April both as people and as a couple. There was nothing but love and support for our couple, though I did find some of them more interesting than Marcus and April now and then. The one thing that annoyed me was that Marcus has a good number of co-stars, but they're mostly only included during the interstitials, so it was difficult to even figure out who they were in relation to Marcus. Except his best friend, Alex, who was an incredibly fun character.

The Setting: So Close, Yet So Far Away From Hollywood

Most of Spoiler Alert takes place in Northern California. As a native of Southern California, I found I got a general feel of California, especially when it came to talk about earthquakes. Other than that, though, I had a harder time remembering it's set in California. There weren't really any landmarks mentioned and the atmosphere lent more of a small town feel. But it was a convenient location, not too far and not too close to Hollywood. It put Marcus and April not too far away nor too close together so there was still a distance hurdle, but it was almost negligible.

Overall: A Complex, but Sweet Story

There's a lot of different pieces in this book, from fan faction to fat shaming to learning disabilities to discussions of Roman mythology. It made the story feel like it blew up a little, but can still be distilled down into a very sweet romance between two people who are a bit older than standard romance characters. It really focuses on their insecurities and how they are able to overcome them together and separately to turn them into a couple truly worthy of each other. It did seem to lag a bit in the middle, especially when their romance seemed so perfect despite secrets hanging over their heads and the shift to the parental disappointments that had been placed on them all their lives. But most of it is a cute, fluffy read about two very sweet people who need and love each other.


Thank you to Netgalley and Avon-HarperCollins Publishers for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-review-spoiler-alert-by-olivia-dade/

When I read the premise of Spoiler Alert I expected a cute story, where the ‘plus-size’ heroine would be surprised at her luck in landing a movie star; I expected to read a woman with lower self-esteem who’s body image is improved because of the handsome man that loves her. Thank goodness that was not this book.
Olivia Dade gives readers two well developed, whole characters that have flaws, experience growth , and end still developing, but happy. Some of the best parts of this book are the quiet moments between the hero and heroine where they have to communicate, like adults to make their relationship work.

Spoiler Alert is tropey wish fulfillment, but at its heart, it’s is a quiet contemporary with a #couplegoals relationship where both characters offer comfort, create beautiful art, and help each other overcome insecurities. I never questioned whether the relationship made sense, and these two are adorable even when they’re not being completely honest with themselves (and each other). Spoiler Alert is also a love letter to fandoms, that will make you want to chase your romance novel with a shot of fanfiction.

Full review: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/spoiler-alert-by-olivia-dade

Marcus Caster-Rupp is an actor in a Game of Thrones type fantasy show called Gods of the Gates. He is known as gorgeous and portrays himself as dim and shallow. However he is actually intelligent and struggles with dyslexia. What he really enjoys doing in secret is writing Gods of the Gate fanfiction and being a beta-reader for April.

April Whittier is a geologist and huge fan of Gods of the Gates. She is plus sized, into cosplay and fanfiction, and loves herself. This is something I really appreciate in this book. It pushes that plus size women can find love and have happy endings.

Both Marcus and April deal with family issues and image issues, and Marcus is really a good, sweet man. There was a misunderstanding in the beginning but it was quickly dealt with and I definitely appreciated that. That being said as the book went on I personally found April’s reactions to be a bit tiresome and in some cases felt she overreacted. Towards the end of the book we see a bit of her backstory and I feel like if we had known that sooner her reactions would have made more sense.

I loved that this story took place between fanfiction writers. This is a cool concept and in between chapters there are some fanfiction excerpts that are short and fun to read. I think their relationship works because even though it might seem fast paced they have really known each other for 2 years prior as each other's beta readers. It’s just that one of them doesn’t know the identity of the other.

Overall this was an interesting story and unique in some aspects. I loved that it celebrated body positivity and courage. If you are into fanfiction and celebrity crushes and just the fandom life in general you will like this book.

An absolute treat to read! For lovers of fan fiction and action adventure tv shows, for those who have had to deal with fatphobia, for proof that everyone deserves a happy ending - Olivia Dade has written a thoughtful, sexy, delightful romance for Marcus, a Hollywood action star with dyslexia and April, a geologist who is fat and no longer afraid to show it.

It takes some serious issues and explores them from the perspective of those who've dealt with them all their lives, and shows that it's okay to put yourself first, especially in unhealthy family relationships. But it also has lots of laughs. I especially enjoyed the way each chapter begins with fan fiction relating to Marcus's TV show that is finishing its final season (with fans of the show unhappy with how it's veered from the original books). April's job is also quite interesting and I love having a scientist heroine who is multi-faceted, who writes smutty fanfic and cosplays her favorite character. In realizing how special April is, Marcus makes some mistakes and doesn't correct them soon enough to prevent some heartache, but it leads to a believable and very satisfying happy ending. With some delightful secondary characters, the stage is set for another fun story and I can't wait to read it! Definitely a winner on all fronts.

Review has been submitted to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I want more books that have a full/plus sized woman as the main character. Add in some pop culture and trendy references and I am fully hooked. I liked that the character in this book was strong and unlike many other titles with “plus sized” woman in them April was not going to change. If the character of April was not enough to hook me than the humor, the romance, and the adorable story itself was very enjoyable.

Marcus Caster-Rupp is a hot shot movie star. He's currently shooting the final season of his hit show Gods of the Gates. Fans love his easy going laid back charm. He's easy on the eyes and the ladies love him! But what the world doesn't know is that he's also a writer - specifically a fanfic writer where he's known as Book!AeneasWouldNever (BAWN).

April Whittier is a geologist and absolutely loves her job. What her friends and family don't know is that she is also a fanfic writer known as Unapologetic Lavinia Stan(ULSIE) and loves cosplay! When she decides to go "live" on Twitter and show the the world who she really is in full cosplay - she's nervous and afraid. April never imagined that her tweets would go viral though and wonders why. Turns out Marcus Caster-Rupp commented on her tweet by asking her out when trolls started commenting on her plus-size figure. Should she go out with Marcus? Would they even have anything in common?

As soon as I started reading Spoiler Alert, I had a huge grin on my face. I am/was (depending on the season) a huge fan of Game of Thrones and I loved the way Olivia Dade mirrored some parts of the show in Spoiler Alert. I always find it amazing how when you're a celebrity, sometimes it's hard to show the world who you really are - because you're constantly scrutinized. I really felt for Marcus in this regard and how he was hiding this huge secret because he didn't want to get hurt.

Marcus and Apil are both such complex characters and I feel like Olivia Dade did a wonderful job showing us their vulnerabilities. Their conversations both while chatting under their fanfic names and when they actually meet were so heartfelt. Olivia Dade did an absolutely amazing job merging the two worlds together in this book and I loved so many little details about it.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this wonderfully written romance! Grab yourself a copy of Spoiler Alert - you won't be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

I loved everything about this book! It's a fun love story built on respect and friendship, which is something I really appreciate. I think a lot of us can connect with both MC because they have people in their lives that don't truly care or want to see them as the people they are and this only helps them both grow more confident once they realize they are worthy of love. I laughed, cried, AND swooned. 10/10 would recommend! :)

This book had a few moments were I had to put it down and seek a more action driven book or Netflix show. It had some “dull” moments but the beginning and ending were strong.

Sometimes I forgot that April was Ulsie by how many times Marcus was thinking more about Ulsie than April.

I read fan-fiction more than 10 years ago, so I’m guessing it’s a bit bigger now, lol. Interesting plot and a feel good story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Spoiler Alert is Olivia Dade’s premier with Avon Books and what an awesome first outing it is. I’m an unabashed fanatic for anything Olivia writes. I’ve reviewed three of Dade’s recent self-published items and have begun reading her backlist, every time someone asks for cinnamon roll heroes, good fat rep, smart romance, low angst, or lead characters over thirty-five she is my automatic recommendation. So excuse me while I fangirl all over this review.

Spoiler Alert is literally the fan service type of story that every marginalized person dreams about. The story is about April Whittier a geologist who loves to watch fantasy tv shows, cosplay, and write fanfic in her spare time. She has a thriving hidden alter ego that writes fanfic for a popular fantasy show. April struggles with confidence and acceptance, not just because of her size but because of her interests. I had to stop reading the book several times because I was crying at how close to home Dade hits with April’s internal struggles. April decides that it’s time to step out of the shadows and posts a picture to Twitter of her full body in a cosplay she created. The attention is both good and bad, but it becomes surreal when the star of the show Marcus Caster-Rupp sees it and invites April to dinner.

What April doesn’t know is that Marcus is also a fic writer. He’s spent years in Hollywood hiding a learning disability behind a golden boy smile. He finds solace online writing fanfics for the show using storylines he wishes would have happened. Their first date isn’t the greatest but April decides to give him another chance, and soon April and Marcus are spending a lot of time together both in the bedroom and out. There’s a lot of secrets that Marcus is holding back from April, and I’ll admit it frustrated me enough to want to knock this book down a half a star. But Dade manages to write such an elegant solution to the issue that I can be that mad at her and I put this back up to a five-star review.

This book was everything my nerdy little heart dreamed about alone in my room staring at pictures of Orlando Bloom in his Lord of the Rings costume. In a less talented author’s hands, this could have been trite and full of overused tropes. But Dade gives us a multi-layered story between two imperfect protagonists who need to face both internal and external hurdles to get to their final HEA. This isn’t some simple girl’s wishful thinking, this is a story written by that girl now a smart and insightful woman who knows that the reality can be better than the dream. This is the kind of inclusive, thoughtful, sexy, and romantic type of story we deserve in 2020 and I beg you to pick it up this October 6th.

~ Lindsey