April is a huge fan of Marcus Caster-Rupp, famous, and she gets to go on a date with him! They both have a secret hobby of writing fan fiction, which neither of them is willing to share with the world. They soon realize that they have more connection than they know. What will it turn out to be?
This is such a fun, cute book and a definite must read! It also brings to light some important issues such as weight, dyslexia, self respect, and abuse. This is more than just a fun rom com. It’s important to read and think about. As a larger person myself, I really appreciate this book and all it entails. This is such a great read and I can’t recommend it enough!

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC of the below book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Title: Spoiler Alert

Author Olivia Dade

Release Date October 6 2020

Initial Thoughts

This will easily be one of my favorite books of the year. I was excited by the synopsis, but had no idea where the plot itself was actually going to go, and honestly it way exceeded my expectations. It was obvious that the author has been active in the fanfiction community, unlike some other books that have plots surrounding the fandom and fanfiction community. It was raw and honest and funny and so so good.

Some Things I Liked
I LOVED the two main characters, I would basically jump in front of a bullet for Marcus or April. Marcus is a precious cinnamon roll (with LAYERS) and April is possibly my favorite main character I’ve read in a long time. She's a badass but has the ability to be truly vulnerable, and all the passages about her weight were so incredibly relatable. This is the plus size heroine I’ve been wanting forever.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
This is such a minor gripe, but I wanted to see a little bit more of the supporting characters outside of our main duo. We got a few glimpses of the supporting characters towards the end of the book, but I would have liked to see them interacting with April and Marcus slightly more.


Final Thoughts
I’m going to be dealing with a book hangover after this one. I was sad when it was over because I loved it so much. Easy five stars!


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars



Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon Books for a copy of this book!

SYNOPSIS

Olivia Whittier is an intelligent, successful career woman with a secret — she is a hardcore, devoted fan of the most popular TV series, Gods of the Gate. She writes fanfiction dedicated to the show, and creates character costumes for the show’s conferences. Marcus Caster-Rupp is the star of Gods of the Gate, and he, too, has a secret — he also writes fanfiction of the show to express his frustrations with the show. If anyone discovers his secret, he’ll be done in Hollywood.

One night, April posts a photo of herself in a character costume on Twitter. Her plus-sized take goes viral — some of the comments are supportive, some are filled with vitriol. When Marcus asks April out to spite the internet critics, both start their journeys to self-discovery and truth. Will their relationship survive their discoveries and the paparazzi, or will it end in heartbreak?

••••••••

To start, I am a firm believer that different voices and different narratives are necessary in this world. The ability to expand a reader’s understanding of the world and the people in this world, however different they may be, is necessary — how else will we understand the necessity of empathy for one another, if not given the chance to learn about their trials and tribulations, their joys and hopes? In this case, I believe books like Spoiler Alert are important because they showcase non-stereotypical romance novel characters.

Still, this book wasn’t my favorite. I had a difficult time suspending my disbelief, mostly because the characters themselves didn’t draw me in — I didn’t find the characters very “likable”.

Also, between the chapters, the author included interstitials, which ranged from being a small clip of April’s fanfiction writings, Marcus’s writings, or parts of a script from Marcus’s previous TV series or movies. I found myself skipping through the interstitial sections throughout the entire book, and felt they detracted from the actual story instead of adding to it.

Overall, 2.5⭐️/5. Though it isn’t my favorite book, I’m still grateful for the opportunity to read it! Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins for the opportunity!

I really enjoyed Spoiler Alert. It is my first Olivia Dade novel and I am hooked! It had nerd-dom, romance, hot guys, and and an amazing tale of self-love. I will be recommending this to many of my patrons.

You all, I can't believe I have been sleeping on Olivia Dade's books. I can't tell you how many times that I've been recommended a book of hers by both online book community friends and IRL bookish friends. So when I saw her lastest book on Netgalley and saw that it was a fandom book, I decided to request it just to see if all the hype around this author was warranted. And you all, someone really needs to go kick past Rose Red in the butt because I absolutely adored Spoiler Alert!

ALL THE STARS! This book gets all the stars! It was absolutely glorious and unapologetically fabulous! It’s a love letter to fanfiction and fandom and I loved it so much! Add in the fact that it’s one of the best books I’ve read with a plus-sized main character and it shouldn’t surprise you that this is going to make my list of favorite books of the years. It was glorious! And perfectly angsty, sappy, brave, and soft all at the same time.

I loved April so much! I'm always here for a heroine in STEM but it's even better when you can just tell that the character on the page is actually in love with her STEM field. She isn't afraid to wear what she wants even if it is not the most flattering. She's going to enjoy her food and isn't going to be ashamed for writing smutty fanfic. I want to be April Whittier when I grow up is all I'm saying. Plus, I wouldn't say no to my very own Marcus.

Can we talk about Marcus's character for a second? I love seeing a soft, cinnamon roll hero in romance books that combat the alpha hero stereotype. Don't get me wrong, I still love me a good alpha hero. But we need more love interest characters like Marcus who fight against toxic masculinity and are all around good men with a code of ethics they stick to. I loved everything about Marcus's character even when he was being an idiot because he felt real in a way that makes me want to pull him from the page so I can date him myself. The washboard abs are just a bonus when compared to everything else we learn about him.

Characters aside, I felt seen reading this book. Not only was the fandom and fanfic community represented stellarly, the STEM aspect of April's career and how she has to hide parts of herself to get ahead in her chosen field really resonated with me because I had to do the same thing when I worked in my field before I started teaching. It was also glorious seeing a character who is plus-sized like me getting the guy and the happily ever after. This is why representation matters in books.

That's all I'm going to say about the book because if I'm not careful I'll start shouting about some spoilery bits I really want to talk about with someone. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go read all of Olivia Dade’s backlist. If all of her books have the same heart as this one, then all the hype and gushing about her books in Romancelandia is totally deserved.

Also, can we take a moment to bask in the perfection that is the cover for this book? It’s amazingly awesome and beautiful! I would have bought this book for my personal library for the cover alone. I can't wait to get my hands on Alex and Lauren's book because I am dying to see how that relationship plays out.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

This was a new to me author & I really adored this book! It always makes me happy to see a plus sized heroine get her HEA!! April is our curvy geeky heroine who posts a cosplay picture that goes viral! However she does get those who troll her about her weight. Boo! But Marcus, our actor hero, asks her out on a date! Of course there are those who believe this two won’t last at ALL!*rolls eyes* Crazy thing is these two are actually online friends and have been falling for each other without knowing who they really are! I love this part! It just adds on to their story even more. I love the chemistry April & Marcus have going on! They are seriously so sweet together. I loved watching these two overcome their struggles and fall in love!! It was just wonderful!! So a feel good story!

Whew, this one is steamy! Be warned! Marcus is the star of a surprisingly GOT-like TV phenomenon. April writes fan fiction for that show and enjoys a good cosplay. After she posts a picture of her beautiful, plus sized self in cosplay as a character from his show, Marcus defends her honor from the internet trolls and asks her out on a date. But, is it real? Or is he just acting with her for publicity?

Just like any other red-blooded fan, I'd love a date with my celebrity crush and April lived out every fan's fantasy. I found this seriously steamy and a quick read. If you like fan-fic you'll probably like it even more than I did.

I can't say that I truly dislike this book, but I also didn't like it either.

While I am not part of the fan-fic culture I wish I had at least been informed of some of the acronyms before they were banded about through the entire novel. I also don't like the catfishing that took place. I am not a fan of romances that happen due to misunderstanding or blatant lying.

Was it body positive? Yes, overall. Was it supportive of all body shapes, mostly.

I don't know, this just wasn't the book for me.

Spoiler Alert is so freaking cute! It checks all of our boxes, and we can’t wait for you to dive into this new contemporary romance!

this was a swoon worthy romance! i loved April and Marcus, and loved their nerdy interests even more. I love the concept, the cosplay, the fanfiction, the connection...this is soon becoming one of my most favorite romcoms.

**3.5 Stars**

By the cover alone, I wanted to love and adore Olivia Dade’s Avon debut, SPOILER ALERT. First, it’s beautiful, and I love the inclusive body on the cover and the fact that seafoam green color is tied into the story! And let me say, I really like Ms. Dade’s writing. It’s fun and insightful; it makes you think but keeps the book’s tone mostly light and easy to consume. But man, I am not a fandom person.

Let me start with what I loved: the romance, what a delight! Two grown-up people who fall in love through mutual interest and attraction. That’s harder to find than one may think in romancelandia! Our heroine was strong and confident but had to work at it, like anyone else. Our hero is almost 40 and, thank goodness acts his age. He’s mature and compelling and very sexy (not his just body but also his listening skills… I’m sweating). I really liked that the hero never questioned his attraction to the heroine. Sure, she doesn’t have the ‘traditional’ body (whatever that means), but he was her fan and supporter from day one, and that really saved the book for me.

What made this book fall from a 4 or 5-star read was everything ancillary to the romance. I almost felt like you had to be a Game of Thrones fan to enjoy this book, which threw me for a bit of a loop (mostly because I am not a GOT fan). I’ve read thousands of romances in various settings, many of which I couldn’t relate to or didn’t know much about, and I have never felt as left out by the content as this book.

The hero is an actor in a GOT-like show and the heavy-handed comparisons to the Thrones disappointing last season got to be a bit much. I’ve also read the Aeneid (the book the hero’s show is based on), and I was still a bit lost with the constant references. There were so many character names, actor names, and mini fanfic scenes; my head was spinning at times.

My biggest problem was the many, many, many (way too many) fanfic, script, and alternate scenes that, I think, were supposed to enhance the plot, but slowed everything down for me. It felt like the author was being self-indulgent rather than working to add some light moments or depth. I think if I had been able to skim those scenes, it wouldn’t have bothered me as much, but I was listening to the audiobook and was really resentful each time those scenes took me out of the story by the end of the book.

Overall, I really enjoy Ms. Dade’s voice as an author. I think it’s much needed, and I see why she’s racking up fans quickly. I would recommend this book, especially if you have seen GOT. I have high hopes for her next book if it’s the couple she was hinting at throughout SPOILER ALERT!

**I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest review**

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm not sure where to start with this review. I thought the fat-shaming and dyslexia topics were handled with finesse and well done. However, I'm not a GoT or fanfic or cosplay fan, and these themes were so prevalent that they detracted from the well-written story. The pacing and dialogue were both very good but the interspersion of the fanfic was distracting and unwelcome. Overall, I was disappointed.

I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It follows the heroine, April, who has decided to embrace her differences (she's curvy or in her own words "fat") and live her truth. She meets the star of her favorite show, which was based on her favorite books, for which she writes fanfic online. I think the descriptions of the fanfic community were pretty spot on (the author is a fan). There were also some charmingly cheesy interludes with horrible movie plots the love interest had starred in and steamy fics the MC wrote or read. I would have liked to have seen the main conflict resolve in a more unique way than misunderstanding leads to fight based on their mutual insecurities and brief break up/reunion. I feel like I've read that particular bit more than once. I also think the author was setting up a sequel that I'm sure I will read. If you don't like graphic love scenes there are a LOT of pages you will be skipping so fair warning. The love interest is definitely Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime L:annister (the love interest even has a pretty similar name), not a complaint just an observation. All in all a quick read with a cute execution.

What I Liked:

The Premise—I am a huge lover of fanfiction. I used to read it and write it religiously (sometimes I still do)! I found this book so fun and even if it wasn’t 100% believable, it still was a fun, fast read.

The Game of Thrones Comparisons—I was, and still am, a huge Game of Thrones fan and thought this was the fan fiction answer to a lot of our issues with the final season of the epic show.

The Plus Size Representation—As a mid to plus sized girl, I always appreciate seeing a woman of my size in the position of being desired. It’s not something we see a lot, especially in literature, and I thought April was a really fun character to step into. I also found her experiences with her parents and other relationships to be really relatable and true. So many people want to help, but the language used to express it can be really damaging to those of us who aren’t a size 2. It was also so great to see a dyslexic character in Marcus!

TW/CW: Fatphobia, mentions of disordered eating, strained parent/child relationships

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Steam Rating: 4/5 Overall Rating: 4.5/5

I had no expectations going into Spoiler Alert as I'd never read anything by Olivia Dade, but I was Blown. Away. Truly. The story really resonated with me on a few levels, and I couldn't put it down. It was just excellent, emotional, funny, well-written romance with a smart, geeky fan-fiction plotline and a sex-positive, plus-sized female MC. swoon

I adored both MCs, but the male MC, Marcus, really spoke to me. Right away, I noticed some clues about Marcus that touched me. The fact that he was dictating all of his texts, how he listened to audiobooks all of the time... my mind sniffs out these details like a hound. I don't think it's a big spoiler, but right away I knew that Marcus was dyslexic (and he reveals these details very early on in the story).

I don't like to share too many personal details online, but both of my young children are dyslexic. It's a long, hard road to diagnose and get the proper educational help for kids with learning disabilities, and it's something that many kids are suffering with, all over the world. The emotions I felt when reading about Marcus's childhood and his struggles with reading tore me apart. I loved, loved, loved that the author created neurodivergent characters and fully fleshed them out. I thought of my children growing up and reading romance books with people like them in them. I thought of how we view people who make grammatical errors or who read slowly and with mistakes. This book showcased all of that beautifully, and made it just a facet of Marcus. Marcus who was externally and internally beautiful and complex and shy and learning. I obviously stan, so hard.

The female MC, April, was also just lovely, smart, beautiful character. I really liked how the author made her not just curvy, but a big girl, who wanted and fought to be loved just as she was. She was desirable and sexual and I ate up every work. I loved reading about her complex relationship with her parents, coworkers, and the fan-fiction community. I related to her in many ways as well, that feeling like you have a double life for pursuing what is considered a niche passion and not wanting it to affect you professionally. Her pains hurt me, and I was exhilarated by her triumphs. I adored her.

The romance was also just insanely swoon-worthy. Sure, there is deception there (hence, the major tension in the story), but these two just fit together. I rooted for them from the start, and I liked how they were both flawed in their relationship but worked through it all and came out stronger.

I loved everything from the spotlight on fat-phobia to learning disabilities to geeky passions to family issues. It was all of that, plus make it FUN. Spoiler Alert was so fun that I read it in one sitting, all 400+ pages. It was my first experience with Olivia Dade and now I can't wait for more.

Clearly, Spoiler Alert really resonated with me on a personal and emotional level. After weeks of being unable to focus on reading, it had my undivided attention, which is saying a lot. I think it was a powerhouse of a story, and one of my favorite contemporary romances of the year. Total winner.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

I really, truly loved this book. Our main character is a plus size babe who wins the heart of a Jamie Lannister-esque actor. There are real emotions, hot sex scenes, and some will they won’t they. I am all for some body positivity in my books, and this far exceeded my hopes! Thank you to Harper Collins and netgalley for the ARC!

This book is a fangirl/boy/person’s absolute dream. Whether you’re a fanfic consumer or writer or just a girl in love with an untouchable screen god, or detested the last season of Game of Thrones and still have nightmares about it, there’s something for you in this book.

Most importantly, the representation is real in this book. Not just the fat rep, but mental health rep and anxiety rep and all the issues we are regularly not as comfortable discussing are dealt with sublimely in this book. The author has a way of tackling the big issues without compromising on the big emotion or the romance of the story, which happens more and more often lately with contemporaries straying too close to women’s fiction. Which I have nothing against, but this approach is refreshing and more my speed.

Marcus is just a giant delectable cinnamon role who needs to be protected at all costs and I love that April is the more confident of the two and more than capable of shielding him from the world, even as he does the same for her. My heart did break for them a lot, but the grand gestures make up for it. The banter between all the characters is super fun and all the thinly veiled GoT references had me rolling. And I desperately want books for a few of the secondaries.

You’ve Got Mail for the 21st century, Spoiler Alert is a great rom com. Big stars on a popular tv show, cosplay, fan fiction provide an excellent backdrop for this story of two people finding themselves and each other.

I loooooooooooved this romance about an incredibly smart fat woman who also enjoys cosplay and writing fanfiction. When she shares a picture of herself in cosplay on Twitter and receives hate, an actor from the show she's promoting defends her--and asks her out. They fall for each other, but little does she know that he actually has a secret persona--her fanfic-writing online best friend. This is one of the hottest stories I have ever read, and it also contains excellent lessons on drawing boundaries with toxic family members and reconciling your love for them with the harm they cause. Additionally, dyslexia rep and both main characters are in their late 30s, approaching 40. And going back to the "fat" descriptor, as a fat woman myself, this book was so cathartic and warm, and as I said before, hot!!

This is my first Olivia Dade book and I really love her voice 😍. It’s set in a fanfic world in which the hero, a star actor in the popular TV series Gods of the Gates writing under the penname BAWN, “meets” the heroine, a geologist and an enthusiastic fan of the show nicknamed Ulsie, on their fandom server. They have formed a close friendship through their love for the books and the characters, as well as their frustration from the show. A fateful Twitter photo brings them together on a date in real life without either of them recognizing the other...

You may recognize from the cover that our heroine, April Whittier, is a plus-sized lady. Growing up being hurt by her own family and trusted friends who have made her feel insecure, vulnerable, and unseen, April is tired of hiding and decides to change. She moves to a new job where her colleagues embrace her and support her in every way. She learns to love her body, to be confident in her own skin, and to cut those who hurt her out of her life. I love how brave and graceful April is when dealing with societal judgements, how she looks deep underneath Marcus’s “shiny” facade to truly see him for who he really is, how honest and kind she is to those she cares...

Marcus Caster-Rupp is a famous actor who is known to the media as a shallow, dull sort of man. But that is just another role he’s been acting for his whole life. Because of his dyslexia, his parents have given up hopes on him, constantly reminded him of his lacking and his unworthiness... Like April, he also has his own insecurities and fear, and yet he is fiercely protective of her, appreciates and loves her for her intelligence, her kind heart, and just exactly as she is...

It’s an enjoyable journey to see both of them slowly learn to understand and trust each other. I only wish Marcus is braver and more determined when it comes to making decisions regarding his relationship with April, his own career, or dealing with his parents... All in all, it’s a slow burn romance with quite some good steam, a bit of humor, and good character arc... I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a good representation portrayed in a heartwarming and sweet setting.

4.5⭐️ Read for me!

Special thanks to Avon Books for sending gifting me the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.