Y’all… I just finished “All The Feels” by Olivia Dade and I AM NOW A FANGIRL FOR LIFE. This books gives you all the fun tropes in a book …

💫 Opposites attract
💫 Grumpy/Sunshine pairing (this one isn’t like those we’ve read before)
💫 ONE BED
💫 Rom-com
💫 Representation of the female body that isn’t a size 2. (THANK 👏🏼YOU 👏🏼VERY 👏🏼MUCH)

I need and want more from Olivia so off I go to purchase more of her books I don’t have shelf space for 🥴

CW: Domestic violence themes, fatphobia

Dear Olivia Dade,

First off, may I just say that the cover is perfect. It’s entirely true to the book and just staring at it makes me happy. Leni Kauffman (the artist) is such a talent.

Alex Woodroe is an actor on the Game of Thrones-esque TV show Gods of the Gates. They’re just finishing the final season which was written by the showrunners rather than being based on books by the author as the earlier seasons were (sounds familiar). Alex, whose opinion, it turns out will be shared by many people, thinks the final season is a huge disappointment and for personal reasons, he’s struggling with his decision to stay on for it, feeling like his character arc will do damage to real world people. He plays (adult) Cupid and the showrunners have ruined his romance story with Psyche (because they are Phillistines who do not understand the romance genre *cue groans*. Unfortunately this feels authentic.) As the book begins, he’s being chewed out by one of the showrunners, Ron, about being arrested the night before after a bar fight. The assumption is that he was drunk and brawling but nobody – literally nobody – has actually asked him what happened.

To stop him “getting into more trouble” he is assigned a “minder” – Lauren Clegg, who happens to be Ron’s first cousin, visiting the set prior to embarking on a Spanish holiday. Or at least that was her plan until she got roped into babysitting Alex.

Lauren is an emergency room clinician, specialising in triaging patients with acute mental illness who come to hospital. When working with patients and advocating for them, she is strong and no-nonsense but in most other respects, she’s an appeaser. This means she takes all the holiday shifts because she’s single and she does more overtime because they “need” her. She is used not just by her employer and co-workers but also by her family and she’s currently being used by Ron – a man she doesn’t like but to placate her mother, she pretends. She’s recently left her ER job due to burnout and is taking some much-needed time to rest and regroup and decide what’s next for her. The very large salary the studio will pay for her work (trying to) keep Alex out of trouble will mean that she will have longer to make her decision so she thinks it’s a pretty good trade-off.

Aside from professionally, Lauren is remote and removed for the most part. She’s so used to putting herself last she’s forgotten how to put herself first (if she ever has.)

Alex is not remote or removed. He’s obnoxious and over-the-top, big-hearted and generous, impetuous and outrageous. Part of that is his ADHD but part of it is just Alex. In a lot of ways, he reminded me of Mal from Kylie Scott’s Stage Dive series (my favourite character from that series – well apart from myself but that’s another story). Alex is his own character of course but I think he may also be a little polarising for some readers (not this one mind you). He’s exhausting and vivid and always active. As Lauren finds out later in the book, the only way to really shut him up is to kiss him. I loved him but I also think Lauren is a saint for being able to spend so much time with him without her head exploding. I’d need a rest. (I said that about Mal too IIRC.)

The dynamic between Lauren and Alex may seem odd at first. Alex is, seemingly, terribly mean. He’s provocative and full of insults and sarcasm. He has many names for Lauren which do not speak flatteringly about her role in his life (a role he resents, even though he does not resent her).

“I’m trying to figure out how I should introduce you on the red carpet. ‘Lauren Clegg, Freelance Foe of Fun’?” Alex stroked his bristly chin in faux thought. “Or perhaps ‘Nanny Clegg: Like Mary Poppins, Minus the Umbrella and Any Sense of Whimsy?’”

But it works for two reasons. To illustrate one of them, here’s the next line in the book after the quote above:

One of these days, Lauren’s middle finger was simply going to raise itself.

She doesn’t take Alex’s bullshit. She calls him out and gives back as good as she gets. Alex loves it.

And from a few lines down in that same scene, there’s this:

Whether the argument convinced him or not, it was helping her. The echoing pulse in her ears slowed and grew fainter, and the lace of her dress resumed feeling soft, rather than stifling and scratchy.

Alex uses his nonsense to help. Sometimes it’s to distract Lauren from discomfort. Sometimes it’s to provoke her into being present (he’s screamingly frustrated by her remoteness) and sometimes it’s so she can have something he knows she wants but will not take for herself.

Her fingers paused over the bagel with the most cream cheese, but she reached for the other plate, leaving him the bagel she’d silently deemed best. He managed not to roll his eyes, but it was a near thing.

He plucked her plate from her hands and claimed it for himself. “This bagel had the most salmon. Don’t be so selfish, you absolute shrew of a woman.”

The remaining plate, its bagel mounded high with cream cheese, he plopped in front of her, and she stared at it in silence for a minute.

“Thank you,” she finally said, very quietly.

“For what?” He scoffed. “Taking the most salmon? You’re welcome. Please feel free to thank me when I claim whatever slice of cake has the most frosting too.”

Lauren wasn’t really into frosting, he’d learned, which was preposterous. Possibly un-American.

(I agree with you Alex. Frosting is one of my favourite food groups.)

Lauren is a fat woman, much shorter than Alex (who is muscular, tall and completely gorgeous; he’s an actor who takes his shirt off quite a bit so of course). She’s not conventionally beautiful. She doesn’t have any kind of makeover during the course of the book either. Alex is fascinated by her from the start. He likens her to a Picasso. She thinks it’s an insult but he doesn’t mean it that way. Beautiful people are a dime a dozen in his world. She’s interesting and has some sharp edges to her face and he is a big fan of the soft roundness of her body. He does take a while to realise what he’s feeling is attraction though.

Even through her tee, the warmth of her skin heated his palm and tingled in his fingertips, and it was absurd. An overwrought response born from exhaustion, clearly.

Lauren’s BFF is Sionna. They share a duplex and are the founding members of the Harpy Institute for Crone Sciences. They have t-shirts. (The “BHE” on Lauren’s tee on the cover stands for Big Harpy Energy). It sounds fun but there’s substance behind it, not least of which is this:

Sionna might have created the Harpy Institute for Crone Sciences out of newly widowed grief and rage, but she’d also created it out of concern for Lauren. Because she wanted Lauren to engage with the world again.

No, more than that. She wanted Lauren to claim her own space in the world and defend that space.

Alex is delighted by the HICS. He actively encourages Lauren – or, Wren, as he calls her, to get her shrew on. He loves it when she unapologetically takes up space in the world. He and Sionna have a common goal in what they want for Lauren. But Lauren is not used to putting herself first. Not even a little. In fact, the central conflict between them is about this very thing. Alex is kind. He’s viscerally offended when fatphobic trolls say or do insulting things. He’s also impetuous and reactive and Lauren is terrified he will harm his career while defending her. She doesn’t want to be the reason he loses his career. (It takes her a while to really understand that it’s his career to lose if he so chooses.)

I appreciate your instinct to defend me, more than you know, but you have to learn to let it go, Alex, the same way I have.”

By all rights, the car should be festooned with the exploded remains of his head.

“What?” Somehow, that was all he could articulate. “What?”

The story takes place over a number of months and Alex and Lauren become friends. She has to, contractually, be with him whenever he leaves his property. One of the symptoms of his ADHD is insomnia and he is often up late at night, walking the stairs near his property. Lauren of course is with him. Alex begins to recognise his feelings are more than friendship (Lauren has long since of course realised her own attraction but does not think he would ever think of her as a potential romantic partner) but will not act on them because of the employer/employee relationship. There are lines he will not cross.

Lauren can’t control Alex’s behaviour of course. Despite Ron’s imprimatur, there’s really very little she can do to stop Alex from doing something if he wants to. And so, it happens that he gets into more trouble and Ron has a conniption.

The result is that there is no longer the employee/employer barrier between them. Alex is not ready to let Lauren go from his life and suggests a road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway. Lauren, feeling much the same, agrees. (This is not a spoiler – it’s in the blurb.)

One of the ways Alex has been working out his frustrations with the final series of Gods of the Gates has been to write fanfic. (It features a lot of pegging.) Since falling down the AO3 rabbit hole, he’s become deeply invested in all the tropes and then this happens.

“Let me get this straight.” He braced his hands on the counter and leaned in closer to the clerk. “There’s only . . . one bed?”

The young man blinked at him. “Yes, sir.”

When Alex pumped his fists in triumph, punching the air, Lauren and the clerk both jumped.

“This is the best day of my fucking life!” he shouted. “Only! One! Bed! My second-favorite trope!”

He swung around to beam at her. “Lauren! Did you hear?”

In dual POV books, it can sometimes be the case where there is little difference between the “voice” of each main character. That is most definitely not the case here. Alex and Lauren are very different people, for all that they come to love each other and clearly belong together, and it shows in their inner monologue was well as their dialogue. Alex has far more exclamation points and emphasis added in italics. Lauren is drier and the “straight man” in their comedy duo. One of the joys of Alex’s life is to make Lauren laugh and he manages it on the regular. He made me laugh too. And so did Lauren.

There are some wonderful interstitials in the book featuring some of the fics that Alex writes, text message chains between Alex and his long-suffering BFF, Marcus, and Gods of the Gates “cast chat” which are often hilarious as well. Alex’s text messages are a sight to behold.

There’s also a delightful medieval theme featuring references, overt and subtle, to fealty and heroism. And there are actual castles which form a bit of a roadmap to those themes.

I should mention too that Alex has significant guilt over a violent relationship his mother was in. I won’t say more about it here because it would be a spoiler but note the CW. What happened to Alex’s mother and Alex’s feelings about it inform his character significantly and drive much of his behaviour. By the end of the book, Alex is learning better ways to deal with some things. He will always support DV shelters and be generous with his time and money because it’s an issue close to his heart.

Right up until very near the end the book was perfection. And it only became not-quite-perfection when things got sad between Alex and Lauren in the third act. I just didn’t want them to be sad. I didn’t want them to be apart and I hated it for them. It speaks to how invested in the characters I was. At the same time, I wanted Lauren specifically to react differently a little earlier than she did – Alex had made his position clear and her revelation came a little late – but fortunately not too late.

I’m a hero-centric reader and definitely #TeamAlex but that ought not take anything away from Lauren. I loved her wit, her brain and her inherent, automatic, respect for others. I loved her body confidence (I wish I shared more of it myself). From the first with Alex she had a certain line; she would not retaliate but would hold her position. This was her professional self and reflected how she would have been in the ER with a patient. As he provoked her, as they became friends and built trust, she allowed the rest of her to be revealed and when she was… well, she was fierce and more than a match for Alex in every way.

When she spoke, her breath wafted over his nipple, and he shuddered. “If I pull you down to kiss you, are you going to bitch about your neck and back?”

“Yes,” he said. “Do it anyway.”

Grade: A-

Regards,
Kaetrin

Big thanks to Avon Publishing for the e-ARC of this book via NetGalley and the gifted, finished copy.

This was one of the best books I've read all year. Olivia Dade really blew me away with this book on an emotional level. I felt really connected to Lauren and Alex and couldn't stop crying at certain points because I felt everything for them. This was such a great book and I think everyone should go read it right now. My full review will be available on Goodreads soon.

All the Feels (literally).

As a plus-size woman, I am always seeking out covers where I feel seen. Olivia creates wholesome covers that make everyone feel welcomed. Thank you thank you for letting our lead have a stomach pouch and big arms!

When our leading lady, Lauren, changes careers to keep reckless, charming, super-star of the hit show God of the Gates, Alexander Woodroe in line, she may have bit off more than she can chew. She grows close to Alexander, but scandal fights to tear them apart. Will they last?

I think this series is so wild! I grew up in the time when we had to “hide” that we read fan-fiction. Or that I knew what Fanon vs. Canon was. I love that kids these days shout it from the roof tops, and that fanfic is finding it’s way into physical books. Because honestly what’s better than the “one bed” trope than someone that knows about it when it’s happening!

I found Alexander and Lauren both amazing as individual characters and super cute together. I wish we had an ounce more chemistry, but I have to remember not every relationship is the same. All in all I felt “All the Feels” and can’t wait for everyone to read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the e-arc in exchange for my opinion.

I’m definitely digging this “Spoiler Alert” series from the lovely Olivia Dade. SUCH a big thank you to @avonbooks for sending me an advanced copy to read especially after I was so stinking jazzed about Spoiler Alert.

This book follows one of the best side characters from the first book, Alex and his “handler” Lauren, who is hellbent on keeping him out of trouble, AKA making sure he has zero fun. Alex plays Cupid on a Game of Thrones-esque TV show and has the show’s producers worried about what shenanigans he’ll get into next. Cue Lauren! Of course, since they’re around each other 24/7, by romantic comedy law they simply MUST fall in love.

There were some super funny, genuine, and heartfelt moments in this book, especially whenever Alex and Lauren are bantering with each other. Dade writes great dialogue. Oh, and I loved it when they poked fun at different rom com storyline tropes. 😂

Also, you know I am HERE for fat representation, especially in romance. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

However, did I like this one as much as Spoiler Alert? Alas, I did not. I really adored the slow burn of the first book and this one felt a bit too jumpy at times. Also, maybe it’s my inner prude, but it seemed like Alex used at least one f-word each page, which got old to me and felt like a word crutch by the end.

Still a fantastic book and if there’s a third book in the series, I will definitely pick it up! AND, where is the online store where I can purchase Lauren’s T-shirt collection?? 😍

Thank you @avonbooks for a copy of this book. I loved this book so much. From the heroine being plus size to the having Alex as the sunshine and Lauren as the grump.

I love how Alex is so much more than meets the eye and is so loyal and protective of people he love. He reminded me of a hyperactive puppy and I loved how he was so quirky with his words.

If you enjoyed Spoiler Alert, you will love All The Feels.

I absolutely LOVED “All the Feels” by Olivia Dade!

Lauren, an ER therapist that recently left her career to recover from a bout of burnout, is on vacation when she gets a call from her pain in the ass producer cousin, Ron, offering her a job as a minder for one of the stars on his show Gods of the Gates. As much as she would like to pass on it just to spite him, he offers her pay she can’t refuse. Plus, her ‘charge’, Alexander Woodroe, is not too bad to look at if she were honest with herself.

Alexander Woodroe has had a difficult time lately with his temper. After getting into a bar fight in Spain, he finds himself stuck with a glorified babysitter for the next eight months until the airing of the Gods of the Gates finale. A short, round, woman with birdlike features that reminds him of an adorable little songbird. A little songbird with absolutely no sense of fun.

As Lauren and Alex find themselves together at all hours, they begin to learn things about one another. For instance, Alexander, who has a mouth that never stops running, a sense of humor that has rightfully dubbed him as a “delightful Asshole” by his costars, and ADHD that doesn’t let him rest. He is one of the most generous people Lauren has ever met–and also one of the most protective. Alex realizes that behind her mostly quiet, professional exterior, Lauren as a person who is very giving and forgiving, and allows people to run over her like a doormat, something he refuses to let happen to her even if it means he will ruin his own career in her defense.

As their friendship blooms, Alex and Lauren begin to grow very fond of one another. When Alex goes a step too far in the wrong direction for his producers’ taste, Alex must find a way to keep his little Wren in his life or risk breaking both of their hearts.

I don’t know why I had this on my to read shelf for so long. This book was absolutely fantastic. There are plenty of fanfic references, an H with a huge heart and major sense of justice, delightful banter, and some seriously amazing x-rated scenes that may cause you to want to keep this one in your nightstand for future reference.

The only complaint I had was that the playful name calling on the part of the H was a little much for my taste at some points, but it really only happens before the romance starts and Lauren holds her own.

I highly recommend this read. Seriously. Read it. If you’re still reading this thank you, but you really can’t buy the book or read it if you’re still reading this, so GO!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the advanced copy in exchange for this review. It was delightful and you can bet I went back and purchased the first book in the series, Spoiler Alert.

•All The Feels•
⚠️off page domestic violence
—

I admittedly haven’t read the first one and def plan to soon. I love a good standalone within a series.

Lately, I’ve been loving extra trope-y romances… throw them all at me please!

This one was oozing the best ones:
🤍Forced proximity which leads to the one bed trope!
🤍Hollywood/TV romance
🤍Opposites attract

The banter between Alex and Lauren was so fun and it really hooked me with their chemistry. I had the most fun reading this one and will definitely read more from this author!

I’ve been dying to get my hands on the sequel to Spoiler alert and it did NOT disappoint!! Dare I say it was even better than the original ??

This dual perspective, slow burn romance features Alex, a slightly off the rails tv actor with a HUGE ego and an even bigger heart and burnt out plus-sized ER therapist Lauren.

When his show hires Lauren to keep Alex in check the two are forced to spend LOTS of time together, eventually helping one another with their baggage and finding love along the way.

What I loved:

- The strong mental health rep

- Even more SPICY fan fic fantasy

- All the body positivity and self love

- The emphasis on sexual consent

- The close proximity/one bed trope

Great on audio narrated by Kelsey Navarro and highly recommended for fans of Spoiler Alert, One to watch, Talia Hibbert or The love con. Much thanks to #NetGalley and @avonbooks for my advance review copy!!

All the Feels is a sweet, funny, heartwarming, emotional and smutty romance about two characters that I won’t forget for many years to come. It is the last season of God of the Gates (think Game of Thrones) and Alex (think Jamie Lannister) has just gotten into a bar fight and that coupled with issues he’s had on other sets makes the show runner, Ron, hires his cousin, Lauren, to be his minder. Lauren is tasked with never letting Alex out of her sight lest he get himself into more trouble. While this story seems like a simple and straightforward romantic comedy it has many complex layers that give it so much heart and many moving moments.

Alex is everything one would want in a hero as he was equally funny and swoon worthy. However, Alex is dealing with some heavy emotional baggage due to some past regrets. Lauren is at a cross roads with her life since she just took a leave of absence from her job as an ER therapist. They are both thrown into a situation that requires them to be together almost constantly and this leads to them becoming friends and then slowly falling for each other.

I love how during their friendship and then eventual romantic relationship Lauren and Alex are navigating some tough issues together. Because of her past, Lauren has learned not to stick up for herself in any situation. Alex, because of his past, has big reactions to anything or anyone that he thinks his harmful. Confronting their trauma and past helps to solidify the bond between them and led to me yearning for them to have their happily ever after. I’m usually not a big fan of epilogues but I throughly enjoyed the one in this book and I even got teary eyed at the end.

To lighten up these tougher moments, Dade makes sure to throw in lots of fun and levity. The Spoiler Alert series is known for their basis in fan fiction and I have to admit that I had never heard of most of the smutty fan fiction tropes that are out there. It was very intriguing and Dade was even kind enough to throw in some fan fiction stories so we could clearly see the tropes in action. Also, if you wanted to, I’m sure you could have a drinking game (be responsible!) while reading this where you take a shot every time pegging is mentioned (spoiler: you will be very drunk).

My only negative to this book was that at times it felt overwritten. The characters would be in the middle of a dialogue heavy scene and Dade would interrupt to tell us how someone was feeling. Or that the other character knows how the other person is feeling because of x, y and/or z. It was a little frustrating to get taken out of the emotion or humor in the scene when it wasn’t necessary. Other than that I was fully immersed in this story and I love the world that Dade created. Especially as a fan of Game of Thrones who absolutely despises the last season, this felt like the perfect antidote to it.

If you are looking for a romance that will give you all the feels and also have you smiling/laughing practically the whole way through then I can’t recommend this book enough. Lauren and Alex took me on a journey that I absolutely loved and I know that I will continue to think fondly about them for awhile. I have my fingers crossed that the third book in this series will feature Lauren’s best friend but I will happily read any story that Dade releases.

3.5 stars

First of all, I'm in a slump and that could effect my rating.

I thought that this book was going to take place after Spoiler Alert but with the new main characters. This is probably because that has been my experience before with companion novels in romance series. However, The first 50% of this book is from before the events of Spoiler Alert, and then the last 50% is after. Because of this, I did find the first half slow. I was really hoping for more, but I found it easy to put the book down.

One thing that I really did love, and that made me keep going, was Alex. I loved his character. I loved his ADHD representation. And I loved how we got to see it shape who he was, but not be a bad thing about him.

I also really liked Lauren. However, I felt that she wasn't as much a main character as Alex. Her POVs were lacking, and I really felt that she was more of a support. Which is a bit weird since I gravitate toward the female POVs in M/F romance books.

That being said, I still really love how Olivia Dade crafts her characters. And I definitely need a copy for my shelves.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute and adorable to read. I thought the characters were developed and fun to follow throughout the book. This book contained a lot of humor between the characters, which was fun to read. It was an easy and fast read. The book also addressed body image throughout the book. I highly recommend this book to all of the RomCom lovers out there!

All the Feels is the second book in the #SpoilerAlert series by @OliviaDade which features a “devil may care” Hollywood actor who actually cares about everyone very much and a straight-laced ER therapist hired to mind him when she takes a break from her demanding work life. This couple was fun and interesting. I loved the character development. A fun plus in this book series is the chapters on the TV series he stars in as well as the chapters on the Fan Fic fan page. Overall, this is a great Romcom series. I did like Spoiler Alert better with Marcus and April because their chemistry was hot. This one was a good but if I hadn’t read the other one, I’m not sure if I would have liked this as much as I did. Definitely pick up Spoiler Alert first because it does give more of the back story of the TV series, the Fan Fic world and the relationships between the characters. This one pick up near the end of that one but overlaps a bit.

Thank you @NetGalley and @AvonBooks for the opportunity to read and review the next book in this series!

I have a lot of ~feels~ about this book.

I enjoyed it! I didn't love the romance of it like I wanted to, but I'm glad I read the book, because I loved so many other things about it.

I was really moved reading a fat heroine written like this with unflinching, neutral (and then hawt) descriptions of her fat body. Something about the way Olivia Dade writes about Lauren's body makes it read like just a body - which it is. It's not frilly or evasive or fetishistic or coy. Lauren is short and round and big. And reading a character's body written like that was so liberating.

We don't have enough romances with "ugly" heroines whose ugliness has nothing to do with disability or fatness - Lauren is unattractive and it's not because she's fat and that nuance was so powerful to me as well. I loved watching him fall for her and grow in his attraction to her. And I loved reading a neurodivergent hero written this dynamically with this much compassion and thought.

However, some of their dynamic rubbed me the wrong way. A lot of the time, it seemed like they were being mean to each other as a placeholder for any actual chemistry, And the romance itself wasn't as sweet or as sexy as I was expecting or wanted it to be. It's a slow burn - which can be great! - but I didn't really feel the payoff. I even had to go back and reread to make sure they were actually doing it.

If you're invested in reading fat heroines, I recommend looking into Olivia Dade.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

CW: Domestic violence

Once again Olivia Dade hits it out of the park. Entertaining, goofy, interesting, and swoon-worthy, All the Feels has all the makings of a cozy classic. Full of true emotion, this book took me on a journey that resonated with me and my own, and simultaneously filled my small heart with happiness. A guaranteed HEA with some laughs and maybe a few tears along the way, when I read this over and over in the future, I know I'll be doing it under blankets with a warm drink and a purring cat nearby. This is honestly why Ms. Dade is on of my favorite authors. Five stars, I suggest you read this immediately.

I hadn't read the first book in the Spoiler Alert series, but I really enjoyed All the Feels. I wasn't sure what to make of Alex when he first meets Lauren. He definitely came across as a jerk. Lauren came across as kind of a stick-in-the-mud type, but it was fun to watch them fall in love. The book did gloss over some areas that I think would have been interesting to read more about, like when Alex spends a weekend with his friend, or when Alex realizes he's in love with Lauren. Overall, it was a fun adventure.

The one thing that did bother me was some of the dialog. It was pretty obvious the author wasn't American English by some of the words and conversations. Most 30-something year old American men don't use words like dolt. It wasn't off-putting, but it did make it a little harder to connect to the characters.

"He's her soulmate. Her soulmate.
It's a shame he's such a pain in the ass."

Let me start off by saying that I fricken love this series. Everything about how fantastically nerdy it is with the fanfic references and the "game of thrones"-type show to how the fat girl finally gets the ridiculously tall and muscled hunk of a man after years of seeing mediocre white men in sitcoms with absolutely blazing wives, its such a relief.

(note: obviously physical appearance isn't everything and if two people are in love then that's great, but after years of being flooded with this image in media its nice to see it flipped on its side)

Alex is like a golden retriever in human form, he's peppy and upbeat and goes a million miles a minute. Lauren took a while for me to warm up to, if Alex is a puppy then she's more like the wizened old cat who's been at the shelter for multiple years. But with enough time spent with her, I eventually warmed up to her and came to love her on her own too.

I will say, the chemistry in Spoiler Alert felt a lot more tangible than in this book. It felt there throughout the whole book where as this one felt like you turned a page and they were suddenly into each other.

Maybe that's just my perception though and you might pick up on different things while you read.

This is a companion novel to Spoiler Alert and some events in this book run concurrently with that one, so while it can be read as a stand alone I do think you get so much more out of it if you read that one first.

All in all, I really loved this book and I'm so sad to let these characters go. I cannot wait to see what Olivia Date writes in the future.

"He's her soulmate. Her soulmate.
It's a shame he's such a pain in the ass."

Let me start off by saying that I fricken love this series. Everything about how fantastically nerdy it is with the fanfic references and the "game of thrones"-type show to how the fat girl finally gets the ridiculously tall and muscled hunk of a man after years of seeing mediocre white men in sitcoms with absolutely blazing wives, its such a relief.

(note: obviously physical appearance isn't everything and if two people are in love then that's great, but after years of being flooded with this image in media its nice to see it flipped on its side)

Alex is like a golden retriever in human form, he's peppy and upbeat and goes a million miles a minute. Lauren took a while for me to warm up to, if Alex is a puppy then she's more like the wizened old cat who's been at the shelter for multiple years. But with enough time spent with her, I eventually warmed up to her and came to love her on her own too.

I will say, the chemistry in Spoiler Alert felt a lot more tangible than in this book. It felt there throughout the whole book where as this one felt like you turned a page and they were suddenly into each other.

Maybe that's just my perception though and you might pick up on different things while you read.

This is a companion novel to Spoiler Alert and some events in this book run concurrently with that one, so while it can be read as a stand alone I do think you get so much more out of it if you read that one first.

All in all, I really loved this book and I'm so sad to let these characters go. I cannot wait to see what Olivia Date writes in the future.

I wouldn't go as far as saying I didn't enjoy it, but All the Feels isn't a book that I would jump to suggest to anyone. I enjoyed the watching Alex and Lauren growing in their friendship before it moving toward romantic, but it felt like it was dragging a bit in places.

If you've ever had a fantasy that your celebrity heartthrob is writing fanfiction along with you, this is for you, babe.

“Let me get this straight.” He braced his hands on the counter and leaned in closer to the clerk. “There’s only...one bed?”

Alex Woodroe is such a sexy cinnamon roll…Romance readers will be delighted with his fan-fic writing, neurodivergent, famous, handsome, philanthropic but ALSO actually NICE character.

“This is the best day of my f*&$ing life!” he shouted. “Only! One! Bed! My second-favorite trope!” (Quote used from final copy.)

Cue the heart eyes! But not all is perfect in Alex’s world. He's gotten himself into trouble while filming the final season of Gods of the Gates--the hottest show on TV. Lauren Clegg is the showrunner's sister, and on a break from her career as an ER therapist. She’s agreed to work as Alex’s “handler” for the duration of filming and promo for the final season. After initially butting heads, the pair starts to form a bond that grows stronger and stronger, but not without their fair share of drama along the way.

I loved Lauren and her BHE (Big Harpy Energy)-wearing tee energy. (BTW- there’s an Etsy shop where you can buy your own BHE tee and merch! You’re welcome.) I LOVE a heroine who comes into her own over the course of a story, and Wren’s character transformation was a favorite in recent reads. I think Dade does the best job creating characters that are unapologetically… human. Wren is described over and over again as not only fat, but also not conventionally attractive. Alex has no effs to give on either front, and fully embraces Lauren for who she is, not who she isn’t.

I really enjoyed Spoiler Alert last year, especially the epistolary interludes of fan fiction, and All The Feels also had a few fanfics mixed in. I also really enjoyed the group texts between the Gods of the Gate cast… especially how much they trolled Ian! I feel like there was just enough push and pull between Alex and Lauren to create just the right amount of tension without getting frustrated that they were dragging things out too much. This book has solidified a spot in my favorite romances of the year! Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for a digital ARC of All the Feels. BRB, going to find that "bonus" chapter ;).