4 stars = Great! Might re-read

I loved the con/fan fiction/fandom context for this story so much. There's great romantic chemistry as well. And the emotional work done with both of the main characters is fantastic - this was a piece I thoroughly enjoyed. Each of the main characters brings brokenness from their childhoods into their personal journey and then into their relationship, too. This was an unexpected layer to the story that was great. Groundwork laid here for the next book in the series, and I am here for it! (Language, sex, CW: family trauma, fat shaming, learning disability shaming)

DNF; kept swapping out elements of the novel with the GoT elements it was so clearly inspired by. Felt strange and I didn't really connect with the characters; there was no chemistry written into their relationship. The premise was great, just not well-executed.

This book was adorable. As a former fanfic writer (who would have been delighted to meet and fall in love with David Boreanez at the time) and someone who has struggled with weight issues AND who loves smart women, well, this book basically had my name all over it. If only I like Game of Thrones, this might be my ideal book. The characterization was fab, the writing was good, the sex HOT. Really hot.

For some reason, the Interstitial's just didn't work for me. I really didn't care about all the awful roles Marcus took before getting on GoT-light, and I didn't see how those gave us any insight into his character. I wound up skipping most of them. Wish I'd skipped the epilogue, too. But I'm already recommending it to all of my friends.

*Review based on ARC*

This book explores a side of romance that is usually lacking: the plus-size woman! Fat-shaming is discrimination that most people have, but won't admit. Dade does a wonderful job helping us understand by creating a smart, funny, talented woman who is unapologetic about her shape, while still insecure about how others might view her. She falls in love with an actor who has dyslexia and has been told he was stupid by his educator parents because they didn't recognize his learning issues. He also has found ways to excel in his profession and to even become a writer. These are not the usual blocks that keep people apart in romance novels. I had to look up some of the cosplay/fanfic terms, but laughed out loud at the interstitial fanfiction between chapters.
Thank you, Olivia Dade, for bringing these characters to life.

This was a fun book that brought fandom romcom and cosplay together. I loved the walls that were up at the beginning of the book and to see each character grow, come together. It was a nice story but you really need to know the abbreviations at times to understand what was being said. I loved that the female character was strong but flawed as well as plus sized (and the male character looked at her inner character and not the package). I did like the book enough that I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you for this book. I ended up not finishing Spoiler Alert. In this instance, I’m not particularly a fan fic fan. However, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to read this one as I think a lot of other readers at my library will love. I look forward to recommending this one to them. I’m a huge fan of Olivia Dade and will definitely pick up future books by her!

I'm not typically one for fandom stories, but because this one had a fat main character I had to give it a shot and I am SO GLAD that I did! There was just so much to love in this book. From the obvious parallels to the last season of Game of Thrones to the amazing (seriously amazing!!!!) body positivity and fat rep, this story had me smiling from beginning to end and I highly recommend checking it out if you're looking for a great new romance to dive into.

TW: fatphobia, fat shaming, emotional manipulation/abuse (from parental figures)

I made it about 40% in this book and just felt like I was really missing a piece of it. I think the beginning part being so stepped in fan fiction that it was really hard for me to feel a connection to the characters and their love story.

More romance novels with plus-sized heroines need to exist, and in many ways I think I was the exact audience for this book . . . which is why I was so frustrated and disappointed with the final product. I've read Olivia Dade before and really enjoyed her writing. She constructs smart, believable, complex female protagonists, and I do think that quality was on display here with April, a geologist in her late 30s who has made the difficult decision to leave a secure job in the private sector to commit to greater work/life balance and being her most authentic self. Unfortunately, on the whole this book read to me like Dade had written an a priori issues statement and then tried to wrap a plot and characters around it. Fighting back against fat-phobia in our culture and general misogyny online is hugely important, and storytelling is theoretically a great way to do that. Dade took pains to demonstrate the very real way these were parts of April's life and past. But then instead of them being dealt with in nuanced ways, they were addressed in paragraph-long screeds that I've read in a dozen righteous (and correct!) Instagram captions. But however correct they are, nobody actually thinks in Instagram caption!. Humans are more complicated than that.
The book was also padded by weird interstitials, some of which made sense (flashbacks to the building of Marcus and April's online friendship), and others of which did not (excerpts of the terrible shows/films Marcus has acted in didn't have any apparent reason to exist except for humor...I guess?...but they weren't very funny). The pages felt like wasted space, when what the book really needed was more basis for buying into the attraction and eventual resolution between April and Marcus.
This is a review I don't intend to post to Goodreads or Instagram, because romance and fat girls' stories don't need any more knocks than they already get. I'm glad that it exists in the world and that some readers seem to be getting something from it. It just felt to me like a sacrifice of subtlety for the sake of social statement, when that statement could be so much better conveyed by remaining committed to telling the story of these characters as unique humans on a journey, rather than avatars for a cause.

Book!AeneasWouldNever and UnapologeticLaviniaStan have spent the past few years building a strong friendship online over their shared love of fan fiction about the hugely popular Gods of the Gates TV show. Despite late night chats and suggestions of meeting each other, both are hiding secrets from the other. Book!AeneasWouldNever is really Marcus Caster-Rupp, the star of the popular TV show and knows he could be fired for his online alter ego. UnapologeticLaviniaStan is April Whittier a super fan who has been hiding her fan life of fan fiction and cosplay from her real life and who fears if she reveals herself to her online friend he'll reject her because of her weight. When April decides to post a picture on Twitter of her latest cosplay outfit, Marcus Caster-Rupp comes to the fan's defense and asks her out to dinner when trolls start bashing her weight. After that first disastrous date and realizing April is his online best friend he decides he realizes he want more than just this one date, but telling her who he is online could end his career.

This was a very cute and dorky love story. (Dorky relationships are the best by the way!) I loved April's self love; even as she feared how others might perceive her she kept doing what she loved and worried about the outcome later. Marcus was a little harder to really love. Knowing the whole time that he is lying to April (even if it is because of his career) just tainted him a bit for me. That being said, his love for April truly shines in nearly every scene. April and Marcus were a great couple when all is said and done and their navigating of landmines in each other's lives and constant support of one another was wonderfully done. If it wasn't for that bit of deceit on Marcus's part, I probably would have rated this a bit higher. (I get why it was part of the story, but...)

PS: Please tell me we will get an Alex and Lauren book!

This book is a love letter to both fandom and the value of online communities and romance. I pretty much had a smile on my face from beginning to end, and it's so refreshing to read a fandom-centric romance where mediums like fanfic are handled with respect and love and not any kind of disdain. I've written before about how I feel like there's such a cross-section of potential for the fandom and romance communities to support one another, and this is the perfect example of what happens when the two intertwine for a sweet, body-positive, swoony, steamy story. More romances exactly like this, please! I would eagerly inhale each and every one of them.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fun, flirty, and the perfect amount of steamy! A must-read romance that leaves the reader wanting more!

Spoiler Alert: Representation Matters

Marcus is the hottest actor on TV, both figuratively and literally, but his beloved show has been steadily getting worse and worse and he’s sought the work of fanfic or fix-it-fic to cope. April is a long time fan of Marcus’s show and the books that show was inspired by and has been writing OTP fanfic for years. Marcus and April are best friends behind their fanfic pseudonyms but strangers in real life until a fateful tweet.

Getting to know Marcus and is “well groomed golden retriever” persona and why he created it was beautiful and heartbreaking and made his perfect face and body secondary to his real soul.

But what I really loved about this book is: April is a fat heroine; she’s not curvy or thick or “Rubenesque” or plump. She’s fat. So many romances have “plus size heroines” who are really just averaged size women in today’s world and talk about having to get bigger sizes at the stores but they are still at the stores that don’t feature actual plus size sizing. April on the other hand is actually plus size and shares some hard truths about being fat and dating.

It is 100% possible to love your body and who you are but still be hurt by people’s words, glances, and gestures about your weight/body. It is 100% possible to think you are dating or being intimate with someone who likes you and your body but then be told you need to change or you aren’t enough/are too much. And so to watch April and Marcus navigate this journey of reality and trust was so refreshing and NEEDED!

This was my first Olivia Dade book but it’s absolutely not my last as the feeling of seeing a version of myself not only on a cover but also on the page during intimate scenes is unparalleled. Representation matters.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

Thank you so much, Netgalley, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I'm a huge nerd, love Cons, and I'm totally into stories that touch difficult topics, in this case body shaming. So I was intrigued immediately. I had great expectations for this one. And guess what? I was not disappointed one bit! I love everything about this book! The characters are great and the plot is fantastic! Usually, I avoid romance novels like a vampire avoids garlic. However, I have to say that this book drew me in right away and kept me drawn in the entire time. If you like nerdy and smut, this book is absolutely for you! I laughed with the victims, "grieved" with them, cried with and for them, and didn't put this book down until I was done with it. This book reminded me of a marriage between Ashley Poston's "Geekerella" and Helen Hoang's "Kiss Quotient." I loved both of those books. Two (or even 10) thumbs up, Mrs. Dade!!! Great job!!!

I would highly recommend this book to any and all women. It began as a fluffy rom-com. One that would be enjoyable, but nothing new to the genre. However, the topics of body shaming and fatphobia that are so ingrained in our culture evolved this book into some what of revolutionary text.

I loved all the main characters, and loved that there were hints to even a second book with another couple in sight. Without any annoying cliffhangers, the author prepares you and makes you desire even more by the end.

This book is awesome!!! It has the traditional fan and movie star fall in love, but with some cute little twists. I love the GOT undercurrents; and that the both, hero/heroine, are over 30. The heroine, April, was a big delight and very realistic. I was not a big fan of Marcus at first but grew to love him very quickly. They are good for each other and it is a true modern rom-com! perfect book to laze away the day!

y'all, this fat girl's heart is SINGING.

admittedly, is a book about a celeb dating a fan and also writing fanfiction about the show he's on realistic? maybe not. was the execution of it so well done that i didn't care? ABSOLUTELY.

first of all, let's talk about the fat rep. april is confident in herself and her body. she's happy with herself and doesn't feel the need to change. but, she still goes through the things i would say almost every fat person does. hate filled online trolls, comments and suggestions from family/friends that hurt even if you know they're well meaning, wondering if a romantic partner will genuinely be interested in you, wanting to show off all your parts to them so they know what they're getting. those and so many more little things just made this rep so good for me and i saw so many things i've gone through, continuously go through, in april's character. i'm not sure i've ever read a book that has gotten things so right for me. and it was written in a way that wasn't preachy, ~look at me being woke~ kind of way which i can never properly explain but that i hate in books. it just felt SO GOOD TO HAVE THIS KIND OF ROMANCE BOOK!!! CAN I PLS GET THIS IRL?

anyway, moving on. i also loved loved loved marcus's character. he has dyslexia, and while i can't comment on the accuracy of the rep personally, it felt like it was handled really well. his character as a whole was so soft and sexy and just UGH. his background is definitely one of my favorites i've read in a male love interest because it just felt so complex.

and their relationship. SO SWEET. SO SEXY. the smut in this? absolutely excellent. their communication? yes yes yes. there was still angst and Things that cause problems, because duh, but the way they would talk to each other idk idk i'm just into it a lot.

i also loved the little snippets we got in between chapters of either roles marcus has taken on, chapters from the book series talked about, or little fanfic chapters/one shots. i'm not always into little add ons like that, but these were fantastic. short, fun, and it helped create a world, even though it's our contemporary world, that was so well built. like, where can i read the gods of the gates??? also the obvious shade at game of thrones was DE-LI-CIOUS.

there were only two things i wasn't as thrilled with, and they were pretty minor which is why it isn't affecting the rating. first of all, it's obvious very early on what the big third act conflict is going to be, and so knowing that the whole time made for when it actually happened a little less . . . interesting, i suppose? and the second is that one part at the end felt just a little more unrealistic than everything else. like i said, the concept as a whole definitely makes you suspend your disbelief a little, so pushing even more on that had me going a little hMM.jpg.

but overall? i think it's quite obvious i ADORED this. i was in such a slump, both in life and reading, and this has picked me up out of it. i felt so many emotions reading this, but for the most part i was internally squealing. somehow, it was NEVER boring and i never wanted to put it down. and that's coming from someone who's attention span has been worse than a goldfish as of late. so in short, READ THIS!!!

p.s. very early on in the book i picked up on the couple that a sequel/spinoff would for sure focus on, and it confirms it at the end for next year, which i'll definitely be reading. i love being right.
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The Review
The Title/Cover Draw:
A story about a plus sizer who turns the head of a tv star? Sign me up.
What I liked:
The character of April was very much identifiable as someone I related to. She was quirky and geeky.
What I didn’t like:
The book had some STEAMY scenes and in the second half of the book, that’s pretty much all that happened. I was waiting for more.
What kept me reading:
Totally wondering if Marcus would ever reveal his fan-fic persona.
The Characters:
Both April and Marcus had flaws which made them interestingly unconventional.
The Ending:
The story is interspersed with examples of shooting scripts and fan-fic pieces. Wasn’t completely sure how that fed into the ending.
Consider if you like:
You love stories about fan fiction and greek gods/fantasy.


You can see my video review here:
https://youtu.be/GLY9Na5pDPY

Spoiler Alert was super fun!

I have never delved into fanfiction myself but I still find it a fascinating subject to learn/read about. It was very clear from the beginning that Olivia Dade knows what she is talking about and she had no issues keeping me immersed in Marcus and April's story.

Having created lifelong friendships and bonds with friends I have met online myself - I feel like is still a taboo topic and I really loved seeing the little glimpses into their friendship online as well.

Thank you to Avon & NetGalley for the ARC! I’ve been looking forward to this book since I first heard of the concept. Dade is a newer voice in the genre making a big impact.

This was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. The word I’d describe Sade’s books as is “cozy”— her writing is warm, there’s always something familiar about the characters, relatable (even in this plot!) about their situations. I appreciate that her heroines are real women, with real hang-ups, like April in SPOILER ALERT— who is working through her relationship with her parents and her body through her romance with a real life movie star and a fantasy character through fanfic. I also appreciate That her characters are older than in your average romance. I also appreciate the emotional depth they go through. There is a slight element of fantasy that I feel, though, when I read her writing (and this is aside from this particular book’s subject).

If you love fanfic this book is for you. Even if you don’t, you’re sure to enjoy this new work from Dade.