Ship Wrecked is a hookup as strangers, to coworkers, to friends, to lovers. It’s SIX YEARS between their first hookup and when they finally get together. That period goes by fairly quickly so the slow burn isn’t too intense.

The romance is definitely open door and fairly detailed. There are maybe four or five explicit scenes, I didn’t keep count.

The third act breakup made sense with what we knew about the characters and I appreciated that they both made some mistakes. It wasn’t conflict for the sake of conflict. Definitely no miscommunication trope thank god.

If I had to rank the God of the Gates books I think I might like this one best of the three. I liked them all though.

Olivia Dade continues to impress. A very fun follow up with a second chance romance to adore. The characters were relatable even as they were actors, and the story was compelling. Definitely recommend.

I did not finish this book.

It is outside of my typical genre. I was interested to pick it up due to plus size main character representation and good reviews of her previous books. However, I felt the plus size issue was really being bashed over our heads to an unnecessary degree. I'm sure a lot of people will love this book, but it just wasn't for me.

I honestly really like Dade's books. I've read all three of the Spoiler Alert series, and enjoyed my time with them. She has great banter and great chemistry with a lot of her characters. I think Peter and Maria were my favorite couple so far. I like the slow burn energy of their romance, that we know they spent a lot of time together, and that they really seemed to care for one another. The sexual tension is fun, and I love how forward thinking Maria is when it comes to her body (something I think I've said didn't always fit with the two other women). Maria is someone who loves everything about herself, and it was so great to see her be a strong character.

That said, at certain times I still had some underlying issues with the book. It felt like, for a long time at least, none of Maria's needs and wants were questioned enough when stacked up against Peter. I almost thought we wouldn't see any growth from her at the end and it really made me upset. Some of her feelings felt a bit naive, and it felt like they needed a more drawn out conversation, especially considering how long they knew each other. That, plus a few harmful things I felt about Peter (he stays celibate in order to date her - why?, he seems a bit too weak in some moves when the last two characters seemed to be stronger in personality, etc.) left me from loving it. That, plus I still think the romance felt rushed and we don't know anything about these two outside a few things were are told and not shown. They are so caring, but never talk to friends. Maria loves family but never interacts with them on the page really. I don't know what type of hobbies they have or what they like outside one another. And after 440 pages, I feel like I should have some indication.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was fun, but I definitely had some caveats.

First I'd like to thank Netgalley, and
Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC copy.

Peter a big lumberjack of a man, meets Maria a thick woman from Sweden. They hook up after meeting in a suana, by the time the morning comes Maria has taken off without a word. Peter shakes it off and goes to a casting call in hopes off his next big break playing Cyprian , and looks forward to meeting his hopefully soon to be costar Cassia, when in walks Maria. They both get the part, and soon after we follow them to an Island in Ireland. Peter holds a grudge for Maria's swift exit after there brief hookup. And doesn't hold back in letting her know how untalented he thinks she is.

Things I liked. Envisioning a plus size woman and a burly man. That's about it.

I hoped for more from this book knowing how popular her other books are. Unfortunately I found it to be scattered all over the place. I also personally don't care for third person representation.

I'm not saying this book is awful, it just wasn't for me.

This was a lovely continuation of the Gods of the Gates world, following Spoiler Alert and All the Feels. I loved the characters and their storyline, depiction of the mental health struggles and the body inclusive rep. As with all of previous Olivia Dade books that I have read, I laughed hysterically especially the interstitial text message conversations and references to fanfiction. I did find the conclusion to the conflict to be a little bit cheesy, but as far as many contemporary romance authors go, Olivia Dade is at the top of the game.

I fell in LOVE with All the Feels and was thrilled to find out it was a series even if I read it out of order. I couldn't wait for this one to complete the series. I enjoyed Ship Wrecked as in Dade's true fashion it was a steamy, body positive, charming read. However, something just felt different about this one. I couldn't put my finger on it. There's plenty to love and I'm sure my expectations were a bit too high so while it's not my fav in the series it's still worth the read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

“She’d keep him safe, and that realization was like sinking into a hot bath after a lifetime spent wasn’t thought rocky, icy shallows.”

So, one day I was mindless scrolling through NetGalley when I saw this cover. I stopped and stared but how could I not?! Have you seen how gorgeous it is 😱 And then I read the blurb and decided, “this is a me book.” Took me two seconds to request an ARC. But it was only when I opened it that I realized this was an interconnected standalone and the third in the series. So, to purchase the other two I went.

Two things you should know:
⚓️ First, you don’t actually need to read the other two before reading this one.
⚓️Second, I’m so very happy I got to experience the whole journey that took me to the safe port that was Ship Wrecked.

Olivia Dade’s books someway, somehow became a safe place for me. One that gives me nothing but steady waves and warm breeze. That steadies me and makes things better. And if Spoiler Alert was… Gates. If Alls the Feels was… Alex. Then Ship Wrecked was all of that and so much more. It was the story I needed to read right now. And that, my dear fellow book readers, is everything. 🖤

If you don’t want to read the whole series, it’s OK. I think you are making a mistake but I’ll accept it. However, I won’t accept you skipping this one. Ship Wrecked is the warm, fluffy blanket you need this winter. So please, go preorder this oversized sweater + leggings of a book.

This book is perfect for those who love:
🖤forced proximity
🖤second(ish) chance romance
🖤his forehead met hers, and he closed his eyes
🖤lovers to friends to lovers
🖤plus size rep done f right!

Adult. 5 stars ⭐️

This book fit perfectly into the Spoiler Alert universe! I absolutely adore this series and am so glad that it only gets better with each book. The chemistry between our two leads could’ve lit the pages of my book on fire!

When Peter and Maria hook-up and she leaves him alone without a word, they never envisioned being co-workers on the same hit tv show, but they’ll make it work… right? What follows is a deliciously slow burn as our characters transition from friends to eventual lovers. The eventual payoff of these two getting “back” together was so worth it. This was an absolutely stellar book with angst, humor, and a whole lotta heart.

As always, I love the group texts with the rest of the Gods of the Gates cast. I love seeing what’s happening between our couples from the previous two books, as well. I’m going to miss this series so much, but this book was the perfect finale. Did I cry? During the epilogue, you betcha. I can’t thank Olivia enough for showing that love comes in all shapes and sizes and we’re all worthy of it.

i love the premise of this story! we are following maria and peter, two actors who have to film a series on a remote island for SIX YEARS after a one-night stand! we get forced proximity, workplace, and found family, which are some of my absolute favorite tropes. there are a lot of interesting, nuanced conversations about existing as fat actors in hollywood and bodily autonomy included as well. maria is unapologetically herself and is skilled at bringing peter out of his shell. i liked that they were well-rounded characters, with backstories that informed their present-day choices.

unfortunately, the timeline and pacing felt very choppy and confusing to me. the first portion of the book details their time filming the show. however, this features a six year time jump, which cut out a lot of the tension and pining that could've been developed over that time. the third act conflict also didn't quite work for me either, as it felt like the root of the problem was a facet of their jobs that they knew and could've discussed from the start.

*thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the eARC!

Rating: 3.25

Ship Wrecked was an okay read. I will be honest and say though, I was just expecting a bit more from the story and romance.

While, this book is a standalone it is part of the interconnected series, Spoiler Alert. So I would recommend just reading the prior books first for better context and backstory on certain events and characters.

It is dual POVs of the main characters (Maria and Peter) and has some great tropes like: a one-night stand, a workplace romance, an age gap, close proximity and a found family. I would suggest checking the content and trigger warnings before reading as well.

The overall premise was okay. This was more of a character driven story to be honest, as plot-wise nothing really happened. There were also several subplots not fully developed and a bit unresolved at the end. The time jumps throughout the story were also a bit confusing.

However, the one aspect I did absolutely love was all the body positivity and the plus size representation. Just so incredible and nice to see in a book.

The romance was a bit underdeveloped in my opinion. Even though Maria and Peter had history and were costars for over 6 years, I didn’t really feel their connection. I was just somewhat confused if they were even friends or really knew each other during that time. Their relationship was very much physical, which I didn’t mind. But I would have liked for more development or communication between them.

The conflict and separation was also not my favorite to be honest, as the reasoning just felt quite weak. But the epilogue was pretty heartwarming and a nice wrap up to the series. Overall, just a quick and fairly decent read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ok, I loved Spoiler Alert but the rest of Olivia Sade’s books feel so forced. This book begins with a pretty hot sex scene. However, the enemies to lovers happens because the hero is hurt the heroine leaves after. Even though he literally picked her up in a sauna. I like the heroine well enough but the hero sucks and I’m over the extended universe. I wish these characters could be adults.

The third (and seemingly final) book in this series, Ship Wrecked does not disappoint, wrapping up all the cast of characters in a charming bow. While I still haven't read Spoiler Alert (I know, I know!), I've read and loved other books by Dade, including the second book in this series. With tons of plus-size rep and celebrity intrigue, there's many things to love! Centered around the cast of a fictional GOT-esque television show, I'm sad to leave the universe behind.

In this novel, we start off with a bang--literally. We meet two new characters, Peter and Maria, at the apex of their one-night stand. After Maria leaves without a note, the two start a rocky relationship as cast-mates on the show they're soon cast on, but it thaws to friendship, and ultimately pining. A six-year slow burn, to be precise. Because of course these two can't get together while filming, right? But even once the show is done, the realities of being actors--and from two different countries--and their baggage work against their budding romance.

Thanks to Avon for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Peter and Maria have a smoking one night stand and part ways thinking they'll never see each other again...only to discover that they're both in consideration for starring roles in a huge epic fantasy series that would have them filming together on a remote island for the next few years. NATURALLY they're both cast in the series...and have to make the difficult decision to fight their attraction for the good of the show. Maria and Peter spend the next 6 years becoming best friends who still secretly want to rip each others clothes off...but when the show finally ends, can they pick up where they left off?

Ok I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. This is one of my favorite contemporary series ever and Ship Wrecked was the perfect ending! I'm honestly a little sad that we'll never get to spend time with these characters again. Something that I just love about Olivia Dade is the way she writes plus sized characters. Maria's relationship with her body is such a breath of fresh air for a curvy heroine. So often it is something that they have to overcome (or even something the hero has to teach them to love), but Maria is strong, confident, and so self assured. I also loved Peter's character. He comes across as so surly and distant, but he's really just socially awkward and shy. We love a vulnerable hero! The fact that he's described as a big burly lumber jack certainly doesn't hurt either...

If you want a slow burn, friends to lovers story that will make you laugh and swoon and maybe cry, do yourself a favor! Ship Wrecked is a delight.

Dade wrote Maria like the big sister you’ve always wanted. Absolutely loved her, and appreciated her emotional clarity and boundaries and reflection. That self-assessment and adjustment was refreshing to read. I also loved her supportive family. <3

Peter was precious.

While some of the MA content isn’t exactly my thing, for those who prefer, those scenes can be easily skipped or skimmed without disrupting the story (except for the very first page—that was a bit jarring to me personally).

One of the things I love best about Dade’s writing is she really makes you believe the beauty of her characters--internal and external. Maria’s strength was lovely to witness, and Peter’s heart and care for his craft, in roles notable and niche, made me love him. <3

Reviewed for Shelf Awareness:

Two fat actors are cast opposite each other in career-making roles after a one-night stand in Olivia Dade's Ship Wrecked, a body-affirming romance full of heat and heart. The day after Swedish theatre actress Maria leaves Peter alone in his hotel bed, they discover they're auditioning together for the biggest high fantasy drama on television: Gods of the Gates. Soon they're committed to six years on a remote Irish island acting as two vikings shipwrecked alone together.
Though they're still drawn to each other, Peter is determined to keep things professional while filming. Focusing on their first year on set and then jumping to the end, the author illustrates the characters' goodness, compatibility and crackling chemistry. Readers will eagerly anticipate the day shooting wraps and Maria and Peter will finally have a chance at romance, but the path to happily ever after is far from smooth. The press tour for the show will end soon and they have some big decisions to make. Can they overcome their fears and find a way to have both their careers and each other?
Olivia Dade's skill at crafting banter-filled romances with kind, cuddly, sexy characters will draw new readers and those who've read Spoiler Alert or All the Feels will laugh at the interstitial group chats and fanfic exchanges. Themes of home and chosen family make this high-heat romantic comedy a hopeful and comforting read.

Being a fan of the Spoiler Alert series, I jumped at the chance to read book 3.

I love that Dade gives us plus-sized representation and that this one had both plus-sized MCs. Maria knows who she is and isn't going to change when it's not something she has to do. I love that she stands up for herself and for Peter, in that respect.

This book is fun. The banter, the nicknames, the relationship they have is playful. It's also steamy too. Don't let the "slow burn" description fool you. This one starts out with a bang. It just doesn't happen again for years. And that is the main criticism I have for this is the time jump. I thought it was going one way and then it jumped 6 years, abruptly, and went in a different direction . Although, I'm happy with the resolution of the book, I would have loved to see more of their relationship progress when they were still filming on the island. I enjoyed this book better than Spoiler Alert, but not as much as I LOVED All the Feels.

The group chat with the other Gods of the Gates cast members is always a fun addition to these books and it's nice to see these characters again. I was curious about a couple of the others' relationships and thought there'd be more books, but Dade ties those up at the end so we get those too.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book.
4.25 Stars

I was provided an ARC by NetGalley. I don't think I can finish this all the way.

I wanted to LOVE this book. I have loved the other 2 books in the series. This book features 2 plus sized main characters and I was very excited to read a love story with some diverse body types. Unfortunately for me, the positives are getting lost in a mess of negatives. The biggest issue for me is the timeline. The book is going forward and backwards without very clear distinction of when this chapter is taking place. I am not sure when this book is happening in comparison to the other two books in the series. The previous characters I know are mentioned, but still not sure where this story fits in compared to when their story happened. I was very distracted by this. It just feels like it's all over the place.

Also, the book opens with a "one night stand" yet is a slow burn romance? This really threw me off. They way the book opens for me was startling and then establishes a fast pace that does not continue at all for the romance part of the story. And on top of that I did not like the FMC attitude at the beginning of the book. So right away, not sure I am invested in this story. So when the timeline started giving me whiplash, I was just done.

I have been a fan of this series since the beginning and if this is the end of it, there couldn’t be a better ending. Peter and Maria made me fall in love from the beginning and that love only grew with time. It’s fast on the connection but slow and steady on the emotional connection. Does your ship have a 6 year slow burn?? Most of all it was just exciting to read, and made me excited about my own writing and characters, and I couldn’t recommend it enough for romance lovers.

Trope-wise, this is fast-spice and slow burn, but it goes a lot deeper than that. The emotional and platonic connection between Peter and Maria is developed first and foremost. But even more than that, they develop and better themselves emotionally and more outside of their relationship. Peter isn’t an unlikeable protagonist at first, but he’s so much more likable when the book ends. Even more, Maria doesn’t expect him to change and get better without looking inward, the relationship is give and take, even with significant bumps in the road.

Also? The slow burn is absolutely exquisite. They are so absolutely whipped for one another and that tension just builds for years and years and years. Olivia Dade capitalizes on that fanfiction-esque vibe of this series in the very best ways. Even once you think the burn is over, it’s back with a vengeance, and because that connection is so deep there isn’t some negative connotation, but such an intimate bond. I will admit that there was one little third-act moment that I could have gone without, but I think that it’s written in the best way possible to further develop their relationship into the beautiful thing that it is.

This book was such a joy, and such a wonderful ending to this series. This book is especially wonderful with both love interests being fat and how it approaches that. I have loved all of these characters so much and I’m sad to leave them behind, but happy to have read their stories. It is a well-crafted story in my opinion and it develops some incredible protagonists and side characters, as well as their relationships. If you’ve loved the series, or if you just love romance in general, definitely pick this book up.

Olivia Dade caps off her "Spoiler Alert" series with "Ship Wrecked," which actually overlaps the first book in the timeline. The timing of the book was one of my only criticisms, actually-- at times, we'd spend several pages in a single day, and then in a page, several years have passed. It was a bit jarring.

But ooh, the chemistry was sizzling! I adore how Dade writes her characters, especially when writing fat leading characters, with such range. Maria is a kicka** lady, and I totally want to be her friend. Peter really grew on me over the course of the book, and I was rooting for them the whole time.

The first book was still my favorite in the series, but this one takes a close second!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.