Cuteness! Sometimes I put books down and can't finish them BUT THIS ONE RIGHT HERE! Oh gosh it's one of my favorites now. It's so good.

This wasn't what I expected. Which, is kinda on me, because I saw a fat girl and an illustrated cover and I forgot all my senses.

There was just so much in this book that didn't work for me that I still think make a good book objectively. The main characters are nearly 40 - I don't feel like either the cover or description portray that. Which, it's also not required to share and I suppose none of my business, but I still feel like I was either misled or I misled myself. That being said, these characters do not behave like middle-aged folks at all, other than the way they talk to each other like they're in a formal essay. A lot of their problems are truly those of teenagers - the main relationship conflict stems from secret fanfic-writing identity issues. I don't want to discount anyone who is middle-aged and part of a fandom, but I do feel like problems like that would have generally ironed themselves out by the time you're that age.

There is also a lot of excerpts from different scripts, fanfics, and stuff like that in this story. I think they work with the story well, they are usually somewhat related to what's going on in the main story, and some are pretty funny. But I didn't like having them there and I think they distracted me from the main story. I do still believe they enhance the story overall, but it just wasn't enjoyable for me personally.

I'm happy to see so much representation in this book of things that aren't always the first shown in stories. The big things like April being fat and Marcus having dyslexia, but also the things like parental problems and online trolls. I think there's some funny moments, and some good sex, and our characters grow as people both together and apart. So I acknowledge that most of my issues with this book come from within and that I just wasn't in the right point in my life to enjoy this the way I should have - I think chances are you'll enjoy it, and I still recommend giving it a try.

This book has so much body positivity and I love it. As a bigger woman myself, I know all about how the world around me has judged my body and I hate it. I used to hate my body but as the years have gone by I have learned to love my body just as April does and just like her I don't care what people think. Body shaming continues to be an issue because society has taught us that we all most look a certain way and it's stupid. I love how Marcus looks past society's outlook on what women should look like and see the beautiful person April is inside and outside.

I loved how this book deals heavily with fandom and how some people write to fix a story's problems or just for the general fun of it. I myself am into reading fanfiction for several fandoms although I don't have the talent to write any. I give major kudos to the author for mentioning Ao3 but where is the love for fanfiction.net? I really enjoyed all the story blurbs at the beginning of chapter or conversations between April and Marcus' online identities. I want to read all the stories that were mentioned throughout this book.

This was a book that I needed to read especially after the long novel I finished. I can't wait to read more of Olivia Dade's books in the future.

Rating: 4½ stars

Spoiler Alert was a delightful read. I throughly enjoyed and laughed at all the Game of Throne shading through out the story, I have a feeling Olivia Dade was just as annoyed as the rest of us with the last season of GoT. Lol I also loved April and Marcus’s relationship, even though Marcus character did seem a little far fetched, gorgeous actor and he loves to right fan-fiction....

But I got over it because I loved the relationship. The only reason I couldn’t give it 5 stars it because around the 60% mark it seemed like it was all about the sex. Don’t get me wrong I love a good sex scene but I found myself skimming through most of it. I could just be me though but I thought it was a bit much. Still didn’t take that much away from what is a good romance novel.

April is a nerd. She loves writing fix-it fanfics for her favorite character from her favorite book (who the TV show managed to ruin, she love cosplaying as her favorite character, and she doesn't care who knows it. Marcus is a star on the most popular TV show in the world and also, secretly, write fix-it fanfic for the show after the show runner ruin it once they run out of course material. When April posts a picture of a cosplay online and receives hateful, fat shaming comments he responds by asking April out on a date. Turns out though, April and Marcus have beeb BFFs on their fan fiction community for 2 years now, which Marcus now knows and does not share with April. With this secret about their online relationship derail their new, in person relationship?

I thought this was fine, if not a bit boring and predictable. And the romance happens fast, their isn't as much build up as I was hoping or expecting. Also, the obvious references to GoT's last season were a bit much for me.

Really enjoyed this rom-com and how fully fleshed out the main characters are--even though Marcus (the main male protagonist) seemed a wee bit unrealistic. I mean, an attractive actor who writes/reads fanfiction about the character he plays and the show he acts on? I'm sure it's happened but I doubt that the actor would then also go on a date with a random fan from Twitter who just so happens to be the woman he's corresponded via the fanfiction site for years.

Setting that all aside, I loved Olivia Dade's sly poking at the Game of Thrones showrunners as well as the tragedy of the last season (don't know if we can be friends if you loved season 8), and April and Marcus truly have chemistry on the page. April was also a fascinating character. So many characters in the books I read these days have creative jobs--you know what I'm talking about: photographer, graphic designer, chef, etc. It's rare to read about a character who's a scientist, and a geologist, no less!! I clearly know nothing about geology but it seemed like Ms. Dade did her research because the book had plenty of geology literary allusions that were appropriate and well-written.

Would definitely recommend if you've been on a rom-com kick the way I have this year! Everything is a garbage fire so why not escape into a happy ending amirite...

I loved everything about this book. The cover drew me in immediately (seeing a woman with a body like mine on the cover of a romance novel is really amazing), and the description made it fly to the top of my TBR list. The story was incredible, the romance was well written and believable, and the interstitials were a lot of fun. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

LOVED! I died with the similarities between GoT and Gods of the Gates, it was hilarious. Will GoT fans receive a movie to help ease our last season blues?!?! If only....

Very cute and I'm excited for Alex and Lauren's story! Thanks NetGalley for ARC.

Readers of steamy romance and fan faction will absolutely love this book. I'm not the latter, but I found the structure to be so clever with common themes interwoven between both April and Marcus's love story and the story within the story (if that makes sense). The complicated backstories of both characters and their parental issues added a lot of depth.

As a fanfiction writer, this book's premise delighted me. It really did stay true to fandom culture and with a sweet romance in there as well.

Spoiler Alert is a very satisfying love story as well as a fanfic writer's dream. It started off a bit slow for me, but overall, I loved the warmth and vulnerability of the hero, Marcus, and I loved that the heroine, April, was plus-size and unapologetic. She definitely has her insecurities, but overall, she knows her worth. Although I find it refreshing to read about a plus-size heroine in a romance, it still irks me that her weight is still the focus of the story, but I can understand the importance of including storylines that confront fat-shaming. While I loved Marcus and April, I cannot wait for Alex and Lauren's story. From the peeks we got of the relationship between the two in Spoiler Alert, it seems like it'll be both heartfelt and humorous. Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more from Olivia Wade.

What a great fun rom-com set in the world of fanfic. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Recently I have seen this author’s books pop up on here and Instagram. I didn’t even know that she had written other books until after requesting this one awhile ago. Apparently I’ve been living under a rock, haha.

I really enjoyed the cover for this one and the blurb also grabbed my attention. I found it interesting that it involved fanfiction and the female lead, April, was a plus-size woman. You don’t run into that often.

This book is split into two point-of-views: April and Marucs. It also has different formats (emails, DMs, fanfiction, etc). I thought that was really cool and its fun to see how creative a book can be with different formats.

April has had issues with people, like her mother, talking about her weight. I definitely related with her when it came to family members and weight. I’ve had my fair share of comments. It’s not fun. I did like that she didn’t let the trolls bring her down after posting her photo.

Marcus is not what you expect but in a good way. He isn’t your typical celebrity. It was also mentioned that he was dyslexic.

The pacing was a bit slow at times since some of the scenes dragged on a bit but otherwise it was done well.

As for the plot, I think the beginning kind of threw us into something and then it was explained more throughout the rest of the book. I wasn’t really a big fan of how the relationship went. I would say that the plot also is very heavy on language and sexual talk and it’s not something I really enjoy. This is obviously just a personal preference.

Overall, I thought it was an okay read. It is nicely done I think it really boils down to it just not being a book for me.

‘Spoiler Alert’ by Olivia Dade is a charming contemporary romance about a young geologist, April, who dabbles in fanfic of her favorite tv show, “Gods of the Gates”. The show stars the handsome Marcus, who’s public persona is that of a large golden retriever: sweet, affable, but overall a bit dim. When events bring them together, April discovers more layers to Marcus, and Marcus is in awe of April’s beauty and intelligence. It’s a book that manages to make insecurities real obstacles for individuals to overcome, rather than plot devices for people to be saved from. Families are complicated and good boundaries are drawn. This is my favorite kind of romance because although the premise itself is outlandish, the characters Dade creates are grownups who take realistic steps towards making things work. Would recommend it for those already familiar with fanfic as it might be confusing for those outside of the know.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish! At first I was just living for the Game of Thrones shade but then I completely fell in love with April and Marcus and their wonderful character arcs (and their incredible chemistry). The story takes on complex issues (fatphobia! fandom misogyny! dyslexia! parent problems! trust issues!) and handles them all so well. And, on top of it all, this was some of the best representation of fandom/the fanfic community that I've ever seen.

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, lighthearted, and deeply poignant all rolled into one. I loved April so much, and it was great seeing her come to life off the page.

Funny and down to earth, Olivia Dade introduces many to the world of fanfiction. Fans taking to forums or websites, writing about beloved book characters, and their usually massacred screen portrayals. The two main characters must battle their offline and online personas with the world and themselves. The way the world sees them as opposed to how they see themselves or each other.
The chemistry begins as they get to know each other. The characters try to learn each other's interests, although April tries to get Marcus to open more as he is hiding behind pain and hurt. April is going through some feelings also, although it is mentioned later in the book.
Dade intertwines the present in-person interactions with those of the online anonymous interactions between the characters which help to introduce more depth to April and Marcus and their online relationship. Dade also includes an excerpt from some of the fanfiction the characters wrote or other moments of the characters' lives or scenes from the show which Marcus plays a role. This can take away from the story in some cases or not really add anything.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Fantastic premise: two individuals meet in the virtual world of fantasy fiction. And then they meet in real life. The strong, respectful bond they created as critique partners and readers is stretched to the limit when there is a powerful, mutual attraction counterbalanced by the risks of revealing who they really are, to one another and to the world at large. The powerful premise was carried through in the story told in several narrative threads of his view, her view, the on-line identities and the real world realities -- to glorious and wonderfully paced result. However, there were huge lags and drags and "Please, can we just move on" parts that pulled the story down into predictable, turgid, and unreadable. Ultimately, I look forward to another story, better expressed than this one -- Dade is a pleasure to read when she's on target.

This book was an absolute delight. I would give it 5 stars, but for the unnecessary bad language. I loved the characters, the relatable situations they found themselves in, the Cosplay, the fandom....Being overweight by more than a few pounds and a cosplayer, I could really identify with April.
She's smart, funny, successful, careful, loyal, and scared. Scared to be herself. Scared to lose her job, because of her innocent hobbies. Scared of more rejection. She's also very brave. Her decision to step out and act on that bravery leads to all kinds of 'events'. That bravery is what leads to this story. I loved it. My only complaint is the foul language. It cheapened a charming story and really wasn't necessary. Too bad really, because I would love to recommend this to a good number of people, but won't because of the language. I will however look forward to the next book in this series. and hope ...

I am noticing a trend of romance books that are a little more diverse in their main characters. The cover alone made me happy. The book did not disappoint. I really enjoyed this book. It was cute, smart, fun and sexy. The book was a fast read and kept me entertained. I loved the depth of the characters. I also enjoyed how both characters developed through the story. Spoiler Alert is not only April's story, but Marcus' as well. Both have issues they bring to the table and I think that the author does a wonderful job of working through these. Dade pays attention to the intricate worries and insecurities a lot of people bring into a relationship. I also liked that not every issue was easily solved. I absolutely adored April's confidence, intelligence, and humor. At times I forgot that she was a geologist and would have loved to see more of that brought into the story. The story also centers heavily on April's weight. I'm a large woman and loved that I could identify with the character. That being said, at times centering on her weight overshadowed some of the other parts of April's character and the plot, as if she was defined only by her weight.

Overall, I really liked the book and would recommend it.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Spoiler Alert.