This was my first book by Olivia Dade, but I certainly will not be my last! I absolutely adored this story and April and Marcus were such a cute couple!

The first thing I would like to point out is that I’m glad to be seeing more and more romance books with plus-sized heroines! The way that subject is portrayed in this book in particular was so beautiful done! I absolutely adored the message of self love and empowerment the author brought with the book and with April’s story, and the character was an absolutely inspiring person to read about. She was probably my favorite part of the entire story.

I also loved Marcus! He is soft, shy, and just like April, he is working through a lot when it comes to being confident with yourself and believing in yourself. He wasn’t perfect but he tried his best and I enjoyed the author’s portray of his dyslexia and how he deals with it. We don’t get many characters in romance with dyslexia and it felt great to read about that and see Marcus overcome his self doubts and worries as the story progressed.

The authors focused a lot on these two character’s personal journeys, how they could grow and evolve and become even better versions of themselves. They learned to stand up to people who brought them down their entire lives, they gained confidence and realized that no matter who they are, they could be loved if only they found the right person for each other.

Which brings me to the romance, which I absolutely adored. Marcus and April had great chemistry from the very first interaction. I loved that they had the “pen pal” trope but also had the celebrity/“fan” trope, the author did such a good job with mixing the two tropes together and made for an entertaining story!

I’ve been in fandom my whole life, I used to read quite a lovely of fanfiction when I was in tv show fandoms, and I loved seeing that in this book so much! It brought back the good memories I have, and I really related to April, specially when she mentions the friends she made throughout her fandom journey!

I think my only problem was the lies. It didn’t bother me as much as it would in other books because I get Marcus’ side and why he didn’t tell April who he was, and it’s always a big part of the “pen pal” trope too, and I enjoyed that she didn’t find out from someone else and he came clean (even though it was a slip up), but it was something that made me a liiittle bit annoyed sometimes.


Lastly, the SIDE CHARACTERS! I need Alex and Lauren’s story, and I absolutely adored all the other characters that we got to meet throughout the story. They added so much to an already amazing book!

Overall, such a cute book! If you love fandoms, fanfiction, great rep and important discussions in books, cute romance and great side characters, I would recommend this in a heartbeat! A great read and I’m excited to read more by the author!

Thanks for the publisher for the review copy :)
Spoiler Alert is a sweet contemporary romance and a love letter to fandoms and self-empowerment.
There are so many things I loved and connected with in this book, and the review is going to end up, as usual, looking more and more like a rambling list of what I enjoyed. Bear with me :)

As the blurb says, it's the story of two people united by a common fandom - a fantasy show called Gods of the Gates. April is a fanfic writer and cosplayer, Marcus is one of the leads of the show, but he also works out his frustration with the increasingly nonsensical scripts by writing fics under a pseudonym... Which would spell a world of trouble for him if it came to light.

When April posts a cosplay picture of her on Twitter and receives fat-shaming comments (because toxic Twitter being toxic Twitter), Marcus is 1) wowed by her and 2) annoyed with the trolls, so he invites her publicly to a date. Which she accepts. Unbeknownst to the both of them (at first), they actually already know each other, since they are close friends in the fandom...Uh oh.

There are many things that this book did right. As an SFF fan, I simply *loved* the dive into a fantasy fandom (so many of the topics discussed are very familiar, from the eternal bullshit arguments about "forced diversity" to the frustrations with adaptations - the GoT shade was amazing). I love how fandom codes and culture are now getting into the mainstream (TJ Klune's The Extraordinaries also has a fanfic writing MC who is closer to half of his ship than he believes...). It makes my nerdy heart happy.

Beyond that, I think what struck me the most with Spoiler Alert is how well its message of self-empowerement is crafted. April is fat, and she is part of a fandom that has its toxic corners and is often none too subtle about it. Furthermore, her parents are, for lack of a better word, trash. Her father is a fatphobic asshole, and her mother, while herself victim of her husband's abuse, perpetuates it in a more insidious way. April gradually learns that she actually doesn't have to take that, that loving someone and being loved by them doesn't mean they have the right to hurt you. Which is also the conclusion Marcus reaches, since he too has trash parents and he had to create a whole fake persona of basically a himbo to hide his insecurities and not be hurt by their toxicity.

The fact that the two work on themselves while working on their relationship is really good. And their relationship isn't easy. Marcus is hiding things from April, and he soon realises that if you constantly wear an armor to protect yourself, there's a chance you'll hurt people around you. So he blunders and he fucks up but he tries to make it right and learn from it, which is very, very important.

As a couple, April and Marcus make so much sense and their chemistry is absolutely lovely to read. They are good at communicating their needs and wants, which always makes sex scenes a thousand times better.

The secondary characters (that are not the MCs parents, who again, trash) are SO MUCH FUN. And supportive towards our lead couple. Annnd I can guess which couple is gonna be featured in the sequel :) and I'm already rooting for them!

This might be the best 2020 romance I have read! If you want a fun, sexy, geeky romance involving fandom culture, with a confident, fat heroine, then Spoiler Alert is pure gold. It's funny and self-aware, intentionally side-stepping problematic tropes you often see in romance. And the representation of a larger heroine is SO good, as are the discussions of fatphobia and associated issues. Reading this was an absolute joy.

April Whittier is a geologist with curves for days who secretly writes steamy fanfic based on a TV show she loves: Gods of the Gates. Marcus Caster-Up is one of the swoony stars of the show who puts on a dumb-but-pretty persona despite his intelligence, kindness, and depth. Oh and he secretly writes fanfiction of his own! So when April ends up getting to go on a date with Marcus, sparks will fly.

I just loved everything about this. We see slightly older characters who are good at their jobs fall in love (April is 36 and Marcus is nearly 40), begin to deal with childhood trauma and toxic family relationships, and inspire each other to be better without using emotional manipulation to get what they want. Also, a significant part of Marcus' story involves him having been diagnosed as dyslexic as an adult. This does a great job of combatting ablism in that realm.

The descriptions of April are sensual and sexy, not shying away from her actual body. It's balanced with the idea that as an actor, Marcus sees his body as a tool he cares for in a particular way, without forcing that on someone else. The portrayal of April feels realistic to me as well- she's generally confident and loves herself and her body, but she does have moments of insecurity (as we all do) and has had to actively fight against the shaming comments of family members and significant others.

I could go on, but suffice to say this is well worth your time. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Marcus is more than a pretty face, but no one in real life knows it. Marcus plays Aeneas on the wildly popular TV show Gods of the Gates, but in his free time moonlights as the fanfic writer Book!AeneasWouldNever. If anyone ever found out he wrote fanfiction, in direct response to fix the mess the directors were making of the show, his career would be over.

April is a geologist who hides her fanigirl side from her friends and family - she cosplays as Lavinia and writes fanfiction. As April starts at a new job, she vows to be exactly who she is in all aspects of her life. Her first move is to post a picture of herself in a Lavinia cosplay with her face showing. When her image goes viral, she is shocked to see a tweet from March Caster-Rupp asking her on a date.

As a fat woman who also loves fanfiction, I really enjoyed this book. Right off the bat, the dedication hits you right in the feels: "To everyone who's ever doubted, as I did: Someone who looks like you can be desired. Someone who looks like you can be loved. Someone who looks like you can have a happy ending. I swear it."

As the dedication and description would indicate, this book covers the topic of conventional beauty standards, but it also talks a lot about familial expectations. I am a little peeved that so many books that cover fatphobia center so much on the trauma and humiliation fat people go through - can't we just have a love story where yes, the main character is fat, but that's not the major driving plot point? However, that *was* kind of the point of this book and as such, it handles the topic carefully and well. It's very easy for this type of romance to fall into "I love you despite your size," but it's made abundantly clear that Marcus has no issues with April's body and the only conflict between the two of them are trust issues. How society views their relationship is a different story. ALSO, it's a "blink and you miss it" thing, but the AGES of the two protagonists are amazing and wonderful representation for a romance! Marcus is almost 40 and April is 36. Not only is it great to see someone over 25 in a romance, it's amazing to see fandom elders represented 😜

Really, my only gripe is this: I could have done without the fanfiction snippets - I would have enjoyed seeing more of BAWN and ULS's messages to get a better understanding of how close they were.

If you're looking for an inspiring romance that dips into fandom, definitely read this.

Spoiler Alert is a delight of a book. April, a geologist and fanfic writer, and Marcus, an actor, meet when she tweets a photo of her cosplay costume and he asks her out. Some other fans were jerks about her size and he makes it clear he finds her attractive. He doesn’t expect anything other than a nice evening and she goes out of curiosity because while she is a fan of his character, he’s not really known for his intelligence in interviews.

Over dinner, she admits to writing fan fiction for his character and her fave, Lavinia, who is married to his character. And that’s when Marcus realizes that April is his online best friend in fanfiction writing. Fanfiction that would absolutely harm his career because it violates his contract and could get him sued. He also realizes that he’s tired of his public persona and would like to just be himself around her.

Readers may be frustrated by hero keeping his secret for so long, though he has legitimate fears and background for doing so. I really enjoyed both the romance and the characters as they grow into their new changes (a new job for April and the end of the show for Marcus) and navigate their relationships with their terrible parents.

I really enjoyed the way Dade pointed out the problems throughout the film industry (why are women always getting fridged so men have motivation?!?), while discussing Marcus’ past roles. The humour shines in this book. Spoiler Alert is such a fun contemporary romance with two fantastic main characters. I love that they fell in love and how the book felt like a tribute to being a fan and loving yourself without hiding the things that bring you joy.

writers, television, contemporary-romance, dyslexia, body-shaming

The hunky TV star is dyslexic but had overcome it and writes excellent fanfiction. The pretty and plus sized geologist also writes fanfiction and cosplays and she adores the actor from afar yet is unaware that he is the writer she exchanges beta reads with. They develop a great relationship online but hide from each other until they can't. And then it really gets even more interesting! I thought it was great even if a mite long.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from HarperCollins Publishers/Avon via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was so cute and very very relatable!

As someone who loves fandom and fanfiction, this book really spoke to me. Marcus is a famous actor on a Game of Thrones type television show, Gods of the Gates, that is coming to an end. Also, he as a secret. Marcus moonlights as a fanfic writer for the very show he’s a part of, taking out his frustrations with the show by writing many a fix-it fic. April is obsessed with Gods of the Gates, and she too writes fanfiction for the show, but that along with her cosplay hobby are things that she’s hidden from friends and family in her real life. When she decides to post a photo on social media of her in her latest cosplay, she goes viral getting attention from supporters and trolls alike. April is plus-size, and people on the internet have no qualms with making remarks about her appearance. But when Marcus sees, and asks her out on a date, things really get interesting. Especially once one half of the pair figures out that they already know each other in the fanfic community.

I had so much fun reading this book! I enjoyed the characters a lot and really related to April. I also love fanfiction and fandom, and April is someone who looks like me. I have the same color hair and a similar body type. It was so refreshing to read a love story about a woman who isn’t stick thin, finding love with someone so opposite from her, but who loves her anyway. Who loves her mind and her personally and her body the way it is. That meant a lot to me. It also meant a lot that April was happy with who she is. She wasn’t desperately wanting to change or be smaller. She loved herself and she knew her worth.

Marcus was a great hero, and I really enjoyed their relationship. I also loved his friend Alex, and ongoing side story about him and his assistant/handler. I can’t wait to read their book, it was set up so well!

I really enjoyed this book, and all the nerdy fandom stuff that went along with it!

*Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

There are many books that are described as romantic comedies but often fall short. In this case Olivia Dade has written a delightful romantic comedy with interesting and well written characters. It’s set in the world of cosplay and fan fiction. April has a successful career but enjoys writing fan fiction for the show Gods of the Gates. At the same time Marcus is one of the stars of Gods of the Gates but is secretly writing fan fiction about his own show. When April posts a pic of herself cosplaying as Lavinia she gets lots of mean comments about her weight. Marcus the star though is interested and they start to get to know one another. They both have issues. Marcus is thought of as dim witted while April is judged on her appearance. April and Marcus must navigate starting a relationship while being judged publicly. They both have their own issues to overcome. It’s a book that appeals to the neediness in us. It’s a fun book that had me feeling wonderful by the time I finished. It’s the type of book that can remove you from thinking about day to day problems. You find yourself absorbed in the story and the characters.I am looking forward to reading more books by Olivia Dade.

Charming, sexy romance about two fanfiction writers who meet in real-life and what happens next, complicated by the fact that one is also the star of the super popular TV series the fandom is obsessed with. Full of body-positivity, humor, and great chemistry, Spoiler Alert celebrates love, romance, and fandoms.

Very cute book! Multiple times, I found myself smiling while reading it. This will be the perfect read for any fans of steamy romance, fandom in-jokes, and a general good time. Will definitely be reccomending it to any friends who like romance, body positivity, and fanfiction!

Did you watch "You've Got Mail" & think that it would be better set in the world of fan-fiction & ComicCon? Or that it would vastly improved with sex and a plus-size heroine?

Look no more!

This was such a joy to read: I laughed, I cried, I swooned. My only grumble: the epilogue. While overwhelming satisfying, I needed to know what happened with Alex. Give me a short story at least. If anything because I think it would be hilarious to see a day in his life...

For Libraries: If you have patrons who like their books saucy, their men smokin' & their heroines realistic, buy it!

I love this book. It was a good experience all the way through. Star of an episodic fantasy drama asks out a fan on Twitter after she's been harassed for sharing a photo - they hit it off. But there are complications.

It struck the right balance of humor and seriousness. Both MCs are deciding who they want to be in the world. April knows who she is and Marcus, well, he's working on it. They're both navigating difficult relationships with their parents. And the humor - I kept reading the interstitials and the descriptions of Marcus' past work out loud to my husband. They seem over the top, but also very much like something the entertainment industry would do.

I love that April has decided to take the reins of her life and not let anyone shame her for what she loves. Not to mention that she's a fat woman who owns it and isn't going to stand crap from anyone about it. And she confronts it head on throughout the book. At the beginning, she's a little closed in and afraid, but determined not to be. that way in her new job. So she isn't. She's able to blossom. She can be open about cosplaying and writing fanfic. This stands in opposition to Marcus, whose very public persona is an act that he's terrified to let drop, lest it have ramifications.

I adore that this is set against the backdrop of fandom and fanfic. It's not my corner of the internet, but so many people have found their communities in these online spaces that it was lovely to see it represented.

One character is keeping a big secret from the other, but I felt that it was handled well, both in the internal conflict and the ultimate resolution.

This book made me happy and it deserves all the praise it's getting.

I received an ARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley.

A darling rom-com! Full of heart, fantastic writing and commentary on...some show... that disappointed us all... I loved living vicariously through April. Marcus was also a great complicated character that lived covered in various layers, which April had to peel off one by one. Marcus on the other hand had to very carefully navigate the land mines that was April's emotional state. But together they manage to understand each other and support each other through many misunderstandings (because emotions are HARD and feeling vulnerable is HARDER).

I loved how from the beginning April decided to just be her best self and F*off what everybody else might think about it. Including internet trolls. Once she posts her picture online cosplaying one of her favorite characters in the show "Gods of the Gate" she gets a ton of support, but also a ton of backlash because of course internet trolls. April doesn't stop there however, she also goes on to address fat shaming within her own online fan fic community, letting those she loves and has come to care how sometimes they can hurt her feelings without even knowing. April is super brave, cause the hardest thing is to face those you love and telling them how you really feel about their maybe not even meant to be hurtful comments.

Seeing this backlash, and not agreeing with it at all, Marcus, the main star of the show, asks her out on a date. While they are both clear on what the date means for each of them before the date itself, once they meet all bets are off as they find in each other refuge, understanding, and attraction.

Marcus literally lives within a character. He spends his days playing the character of Marcus Caster-Rupp, a pretty dumb movie star, while in reality Marcus is anything but. Feeling like he needs to hide his real self, he only manages to connect via his online community in which he posts fan fics about his show (trying to somehow fix the horrible scripts he keeps getting from the show runners). He also finds refuge in his online friend, Unapologetic Lavinia Stan. They have never met in real life, because if the showrunners were to find out Marcus is writing fan fic about the show they could fire him or sue him, or both. So you can just imagine how shocked he was to find out April is his best friend, only he is unable to tell her unless he is wiling to put his entire career on the line.

I loved the incorporation of the "geek" life. Cosplaying, writing fan fic, attending cons! It is all in there. Also the commentary on Game of Thrones Gods of the Gate was spot on and made me laugh quite often. Poor actors in the shows who can't exactly say what they really think without losing their careers. I am hoping we are getting a "sequel" involving Alex, because that story line didn't quite finish in this book as after he leaves we don't really get a conclusion to his issues. I am all in for Alex and his Cupid pegging fan fics 🤣 They made me lol, and his character brought so much sunshine to all the angst. So ready for his book if it is on the works.

This was a great rom com with complicated characters, with seriously sad backgrounds, but has an empowering message. This book actually made me look at my own biases when it comes to my own body, how we have been "programmed" to think one way by our culture, and I just love that it is out there in the world! Representation is truly important 🖤 can't wait to see what else this author comes out with.

I loved how perfectly nerdy this book was while still being semi-realistic! I think most romance readers can enjoy it, but those who are fans of fanfiction or fans of certain giant book-to-TV series like GOT will love it even more. Personally, I didn't love the Marcus the whole time (he felt a bit boring at times and not a man nearing 40), but I loved April!

Olivia Dade hits another one out of the park. Her books are the best of comfort reads that make you feel like you're wrapped in a warm blanket of acceptance and understanding.

Heroine April has been part of the Gods of the Gates fandom for years. She's written fanfic and become great friends with the online fanfic community, especially Book!AeneasWouldNever. Deciding to finally publicly announce who she is and rock her amazing cosplay outfit, she posts it on Twitter and the Marcus, the star of the show, asks her on a date, which turns into a full blown romance...except, she doesn't realize he's the same man she's been friends with for years.

April's unapologetic acceptance of her body and her interaction and struggle with her family was something that really hit home. I love the cover of this book so much as it accurately represents the physical appearance of the heroine and her amazing cosplay outfit.

Marcus's growth and understanding of her struggle was so well written. And his own struggle with his public persona was another aspect of the book that I really appreciated.

If you are a member of a fandom, love fanfic, and cosplay, you need to read this book!

Y’ALL. I am obsessed with Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade. Like stayed-up-until-2am-to-finish-reading obsessed.

April Whittier, confident geologist, and Marcus Caster-Rupp, world famous actor, have been BFFs on a fan forum for years, but they have no idea of each other’s real identities. But then Marcus asks April out via Twitter after an ugly fan dispute, having no idea who she is. When he finds out that this same woman has been his touchstone for years, will he reveal himself to her, potentially ending his Hollywood career, or will he keep up the double persona and try to have the best of both worlds?

This is the perfect book for anyone who has dabbled into fanfiction, fan cons or fan forums. (Guilty as charged — seriously, though Anne of Green Gables fanfiction is where it’s at.) This is a perfect book for anyone who has struggled with their appearance or insecurities and found comfort in a fictional world. This is a perfect book if you just want to read about some hot, swoony, sexy moments.

I think what I found most lovable about Spoiler Alert was the inherent realism in what is kind of a crazy star-crossed lovers type of story. April & Marcus are both older, which is super refreshing as someone in her mid-20s with no romantic relationship in sight, and also gives credence to the idea that you never have to age out of being a fan. Also, this might be TMI but there’s finally a sex scene with a sensible bra whose cups can’t be just pulled down at a moments notice and that you can’t feel a nipple through! Like, I’ve got big lady boobs and those flimsy bras that everyone is ripping off as soon as sex starts are a pipe dream as far as I’m concerned. So thank you Olivia Dade, for putting sexy realism back in the bedroom!

I am sure there are critiques to be made or things I’m overlooking but long story short, I loved it. It made me feel butterfly-filled. Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade is out on October 6th and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Spoiler Alert
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

I truly enjoyed it! Spoiler Alert shows us how two people who have had a very strained relationship with their parents finally overcome their insecurities and with the help of each other the finally stand up to those who have hurt them. April was judged for her appearance and Marcus for his intellect. Marcus gave April the support and love to not let those comments knock her down. Marcus learns to finally admit to the world that he's not just a pretty boy. That there's so much more to him. Sadly in both their cases it was their parents who were their worse critics.
The romance between April and Marcus was so good! I loved the chemistry they had! That moment they first meet was my favorite.
I liked how we get immersed in the world of fanfic based on a fantasy show. I liked how we got to read what Marcus and April were writing on the server. It was nice to see how their relationship started before they meet in person. Their chats and stories reflected what was happening between them as the story progressed. The short stories were fun to read.

As a not-so-secret lover of fan fiction, I knew Spoiler Alert was going to be the book for me.

Marcus was an interesting character; how he hides his intelligence and portrays this dimwitted “pretty face” persona. As an actor on a hit show (very GoT-esque) he airs his grievances online on a fandom server, writing fan fiction under a fake name. There he meets another fan fiction writer, who soon becomes one of his best friends.

When a plus size fan of the show releases a cosplay photo on Twitter, Marcus gentlemanly steps in and offers a date. And in Rom-Com-y fashion, his date turns out to be April…his bff fan fiction writer. But he doesn’t tell her about his involvement.

And thus my greatest anxiety about this book. S.E.C.R.E.T.S.

April and Marcus end up developing a real connection, as Marcus slowly lowers his walls and begins to open up emotionally. We discover that both April and Marcus have some real awful parents, to be frank. April’s parents harshly judging her size, and Marcus’s parents dismissing his intelligence and ignoring his real learning disability.

Then SECRETS REVEALED and angst ensues. It felt over the top, April’s reaction to the secret, and I wish that the characters could have communicated better. I also didn’t totally love the chapter layout with the alternating fan fiction chapters, or movie scenes – it felt unnecessary and not integral to the story.

The side characters were wonderful, and I hope to see more of them (Alex – looking at you!). Overall a cute story with some surprising depth.

Oh boy, I was so excited when I learned the Brienne/Jaime fandom from Game of Thrones was the main inspiration behind this book. I was already excited about a book centered on a fanfic writer who unbeknownst to her has become good friends with the actor who plays her fictional muse, because he writes fic too, and that just put me over the edge. In hindsight, I kind of wish it was based on a fandom and a show I wasn't super familiar with because I kept getting distracted by all the obvious parallels and digs at GOT (there were a lot**) and it kept pulling me out of the world of the book.

**Some of the digs were justified, and I thought others weren't. But again, some of this may be a function of the slippery slope here between real life and fiction. Not sure how many were actual digs at GOT and how many were completely fictional and only based on the show in the book.
In case you're curious, here are some of the parallels I noticed (some minor spoilers, so scroll down to the paragraph break if you want to go in cold:

[*The main actor here is named Marcus Caster-Rupp, an obvious nod to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, although beyond their roles in their respective shows and their names, there aren't really any similarities. Marcus is his own guy.
*The Lavineas ship is a nod to Braime, a ship based on upsetting traditional notions of beauty and shallow judgment. The whole deal with Brienne and Jaime is that they see beyond each other's surfaces and form a true human connection, against pretty much every odd. Lavineas have that, too.
*The Lavineas fandom is upset that the actress who plays Lavinia is so pretty when the character is really supposed to be conventionally unattractive. This was a criticism of the casting of Gwendolyn Christie as well, as she is a goddess in human form, but frankly I've never cared much about that myself because she's so good in the role, and they do manage to make her different noticeably from other women on the show.
*The show stops being as good when they run out of books to adapt. (The part where I thought it was taken too far was how hard Dade went after the showrunners for being sexist, and also they came across as fatphobic assholes, and assholes of every other variety as well, which again, might be a book thing only, but given how far the rest of it parallels, I'm not convinced. She portrayed them very callously.)
*We never see the fan reaction to the end of Gods of the Gates, though it's assumed it will be negative, but here the showrunners ditch the Con appearance they've had booked for months amidst bad publicity. This is something Benioff and Weiss did after the end of GOT, canceling their appearance at Comic-Con, but frankly, fans were so hostile, I can't really blame them.
*The crew is portrayed as extremely talented and hard working, just as the crew of GOT famously was. The documentary of the last season's filming makes this very clear. (It's called Watchers on the Wall and it's on HBO if you haven't seen it. It's great.)
*The cast has a text thread where they lament the fan reaction to the last season, and their own reactions as well. This happened in real life as well.

And that's all I can remember for now because I don't have access to my ARC.]

I loved both Marcus and April. They have great chemistry, and the scenes between them are so fun to read. I love how Marcus is so unafraid to let his genuine attraction to April show, his obvious pleasure in her body is so blatant April never questions it once. And I think for the story she told, it was great, and hit all the right notes. I just kind of wish she hadn't gone the route she did. The whole plot is based on a trope I really do not enjoy to begin with, but here I enjoyed it less because I had so been looking forward to the book and found the premise to be so enticing. I just think there might have been a less obvious way to approach their story and create conflict, that I would have enjoyed more.

That's sounding critical, but I really did like this book a lot. I think I'm just too close to it and also have a lot of thoughts. Every once in a while, Dade inserts bits of fandom and Marcus's old movie scripts (which are very satirical, so maybe I should be reading the showrunner thing that way, too?). This was so much fun, and I loved how good both Marcus and April were at their jobs. April's co-workers were great side-color, and I liked the way they played into the theme of neither of them having to hide their real feelings or identities. The parent-conflict elements worked really well, too, as both April and Marcus have parental issues and sort of take over being each other's family support. Dade clearly knows her fandom, and her fic writing. The parts where the characters talk about their fic, why they write it, etc. were so wonderful. It so perfectly captured the way that fic can work in a fandom, what needs it fulfills.

I also looooved a mid-book development with Marcus's coworker/best friend (there is going to be a sequel to this book involving him and his show-appointed babysitter, Lauren, which I'm super into).

All in all, success, and I will definitely be checking out Olivia Dade's other works, and hopefully I will have a lot fewer opinions of them.

Unfortunately, I am not a writer, so I’m truly incapable of expressing exactly how wonderful this book is and how much I absolutely loved it. I was laughing to the point of tears and then I was tearing up for how touching and heart wrenching it was. I went through a whole gambit of emotions and loved every minute.

A general TW: fat shaming (from parents and strangers on the internet), dyslexia and related disability shaming from parents

For a book that had me doubled over in hilarity, this book also touched on a number of incredibly important topics. I would like to start by saying that I am not dyslexic, nor do I identify as fat, so I am not speaking from personal experience and I could have missed something. But what I loved was April’s complete love of herself and her strong sense of identity. She spent much of her life trying to fit into other people’s expectations of her and being fat shamed by her parents (whether intentional or unintentional) and people she dated. But she found the strength to know and declare that she deserved better and she demanded it from those around her. This has led to some trust issues on her part with coworkers, significant others, and friends, but I loved watching her find that balance between protecting herself and letting someone else in to truly know and love her. She’s a smart, genuine, and big hearted person and once she lets those walls down, she is someone you want to be around.

Marcus is an incredible actor, playing Aeneas on a long running and popular TV show. To the public, he is a pretty face but otherwise... well, he seems kind of dim. What people don’t realize is this is a public facade to protect himself. He has dyslexia and after a childhood where is parents made him feel lazy and stupid, he likes to control what others think of him rather than risk them getting to know the real him and hating him. He found an outlet in writing fanfic for the show he is on, but no one knows he does this or else it would be a breach of contract. (By the way, the parallels to GoT and how that show went off the deep end in the final few seasons were so strong even I saw them and I never watched that show. The shade thrown at those screenwriters was strong.) This means that he can't tell April that they actually have been online friends for the past two years and instead pretends to be completely unaware of the online fanfic community.

I'm normally a bit wary with books that revolve around one character keeping a big secret from another character. But Olivia Dade writes this whole situation incredibly well and my usual discomfort was greatly diminished. Both April and Marcus have a lot of baggage they carry around behind them and the connection that develops between them as they slowly unpack this baggage grows incredibly strong. They share plenty of witty and funny banter that has you laughing out loud and then a few pages later, you will be tearing up or at least have your heart warming up as they share some of the pain and scars (figuratively) they carry around from life. There were numerous passages that were so wonderfully written I was highlighting large chunks.

I highly recommend this book to a wide range of audiences, even if it may not initially seem like your cup of tea.