For fans of Olivia Dade’s Spoiler Alert and All The Feels who were fascinated and made curious by the dynamic between Peter and Maria, the co-stars of the previous novels heroes Marcus and Alex, you wish has been granted with Ship Wrecked, the can’t-miss conclusion to the Spoiler Alert series.

Set once again among the cast of the Game of Thrones-esque series Gods of the Gates, the novel follows the aforementioned Peter and Maria, whose roles call for them to spend the entirety of the show's run sharing scenes with virtually only one another on a remote Irish island. This wouldn’t be such an issue if the night before they were both cast, they hadn’t had a fantastic one-night stand, after which Maria snuck out and left Peter alone with no explanation.

Awkward to say the least.

But rather than letting the two of them wallow in their hurt for the length of the book - and by extension the six years they spent on the show - Dade lets Peter and Maria build a close, teasing friendship. One that never crosses the line, lest it interfere with their work. In this way, rather than them giving in to their desire for one another in a sudden burst of passion, when they do finally reconnect in that way, it feels inevitable in the most stomach-tingling, toe-curling kind of way. Not an “oh shit” kind of gasp, but a soft sigh of “finally”.

Of the three books in Dade’s Spoiler Alert series, Ship Wrecked ranks highest on the flame emoji and/or chili pepper scale. Not to say the first two weren’t also extremely hot (they absolutely were) but there was something so emotionally raw in the way Peter and Maria truly desire each other that took it over the top - no convoluted innuendo intended. When the fifth word of the book is “orgasm” you just know you’re in for a spicy ride. Plus a certain something happens at a certain moment and I was absolutely positive I was about to pass out from the vapors.

I loved their relationship so, so much. Not just the spice factor, but every aspect of it. The way they were both filled with pure desire for one another, but didn’t cross the line not just for their work but out of respect for the other. Also the way they never let that desire affect their ability to be friends, and to build up a solid foundation of friendship that made the inevitable romance all the sweeter.

Though speaking of sweet — or perhaps not so sweet — I’m afraid I have to side with Peter when it comes to salty Swedish licorice. I’ve never liked licorice and making it salty did not improve matters.

The emotional resolution to the conflict in the book is extremely thoughtful. Peter and Maria’s issues are not handwaved away or brushed aside with a general “we’ll make it work”. Neither of them is ever really “wrong” in how they feel, and rather must work to best convey their feelings to the other. Relationships are not easy, balancing professional wants with personal ones is not easy either, and we actually get the time to see Maria and Peter really try and make a go of it before we get that happy ever after.

As much as I adored Ship Wrecked, I’m now sorry I have to say goodbye to the Gods of the Gates crew — apart from the many, many rereads I anticipate once I have a physical copy in my hands. But Dade can rest easy knowing that unlike her Ron and RJ (and their perhaps less fictional counterparts), as far as this series goes, she definitely stuck the landing.

Ship Wrecked is out November 15, 2022. Special thanks to Avon Books for an advance copy for review purposes.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for a copy of this E-book in exchange for an honest review.)

If I can count on Olivia Dade to deliver one thing, it’s a lighthearted, over-the-top romance about fat people falling in love. Her stories aren’t strictly about fatness, though; while her protagonists can and do experience fatphobia, it’s not the sum total of their life experiences. In fact, these characters all love their bodies, albeit in a world that doesn’t always love them back. Olivia Dade is one of romance’s body positivity queens, and we need far more authors writing stories like these in this genre.

Now, on to Ship Wrecked: It’s been fun seeing how all the characters’ stories have intertwined across these three books. I enjoyed Spoiler Alert but was disappointed by All the Feels, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with the third installment in this series. Thankfully, Ship Wrecked delivered in all the areas I was hoping for. Peter was the first fat male love interest in the series, stoic and grumpy and a fitting foil to Maria’s sunshine. His backstory was complex and relatable on a number of levels, and as a performer myself I empathized with his (often stubborn) ambition to pursue his dreams even at the expense of his personal life and relationships. On the other hand, his hard-headedness was a bit frustrating at times, making it difficult to fully understand what drew Maria to him in the first place.

Maria was a refreshing and empathetic protagonist, although I found her to be a bit *too* perfect. In retrospect, I don’t think I could name a single actual character flaw of hers. She also must have been, without a doubt, the single most preternaturally perceptive person in the history of the universe, understanding with a single glance every tiny nuance of Peter’s thoughts and feelings at any given moment. I wish their discovery of each other’s personalities had developed through more overt actions and dialogue (rather than, for example, extrapolating from a simple cough that Peter was in fact extremely protective of her and ridiculously attracted to her). Sometimes this kind of intuition between characters can read as romantic, but here it felt unnatural and read as a bit of a lazy workaround to actual relationship development.

While we got glimpses into Peter and Maria’s relationship as castmates over the years, the time jumps in this story felt very abrupt. I really missed seeing their friendship and trust and sexual tension build during the six years they spent filming together on the island. Even after their insane passion the first night they met, I found it difficult to take it as a complete given that they were still inexorably attracted to each other after all that time, especially after their history of mistrust and precarious civility early on.

(Also, the jar of herring thing was hella cringey. Yes, Maria is Swedish; I didn’t need it *literally* shoved in my face every other chapter.)

On a more positive note: the sex in this book was lovely—possibly the most steamy in the series so far, which is fabulous (if you’re a fan of that).

If you’re into body positivity and nerd culture, and if you were equally frustrated with how badly Game of Thrones went down the tubes over its past few seasons, you’ll find good company in this book! I recommend it for readers who enjoy a small but hearty dose of spice in their romance novels, as well as the mildest sprinkling of angst, and who enjoy leaning in to the dramatic nature of a quality showmance.

Very charming read! Both Maria and Peter were such great characters (though Peter could be a huge pain in the butt). I appreciate seeing more body representation like this in books, especially romance. The premise was very interesting, though I can't quite wrap my head around the premise of the show... This was my first Olivia Dade book and certainly won't be my last! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

I do love Olivia Dade books for having a fat main character so people like me who aren’t supermodel thin can relate. The beginning of this book had me I was invested and I liked the characters and pining for each other they had. Yet … the story and characters fell off for me about half way through. The FL was getting annoying and Peter deserves better. I just couldn’t vibe with it from middle through end. I really had to force myself to finish it. 2.5 for me

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade took the unusual approach of sex on page one. Since I’m not a huge fan of open bedroom doors, I was … disconcerted. Had I accidentally agreed to read erotica? And how would I maintain my “finish every ARC” vow if I had to read pages and pages of super-explicit sex? But Dade surprised me. She used the scene for character development and it is remarkably effective. We quickly get to know who Maria is: she’s the sunshine to her love interest’s grump. She’s funny, proudly, uncompromisingly independent, and unabashedly sexual. This body-positive woman is confident, asks for what she wants, and doesn’t compromise.

Getting that view into Maria is critical to this story, because it is told primarily from Peter’s POV and, as such, we only learn what he tells us/Maria. He is a grump with baggage that complicates their relationship but Dade does not rely on tired tropes like drunk sex or failure to communicate to draw out a thin plot. Instead, she has created a storyline that requires these two characters to figure each other out while working in close quarters for years.

It’s a concept that you might think would not work: two characters who literally had sex on page one but despite significant attraction, can’t become lovers because they have to work very closely. They fight, they grow close, they become important to each other but they don’t sleep together again for about six years. Dade uses fanfic and group chat to build extended relationships and show us how Peter learns to open up and establish a community, perhaps even found family, primarily through Maria’s influence.

If you like lots of explicit sex, you might be disappointed by this book. Not that there isn’t explicit sex. Oh boy, is there ever … but it isn’t the main character (so to speak). There’s so much more to this story, including really lovely body positivity.

If you liked The Love Hypothesis, Mr Wrong Number, or Hook, Line and Sinker, I think you’ll love this grump/sunshine story. Pre-order now through your favorite indie bookstore.

I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

What can I say about Ship Wrecked other than I freaking loved it! I have not read Olivia Dade but you know I immediately bought the three preceding books after finishing this beauty. When I tell you this was HOT HOT with a capital everything.

I like the timeline changes, I did not feel like I was missing anything at all. I really really enjoyed everything. Some spoilers for characters introduced in previous books but not spoiled so much that I am not going to read their stories.

Would certainly recommend it!!!

This new installment to the Spoiler Alert series definitely grabbed my attention from the first line, but my interest slowly faded. While the resentment from the male main character's perspective was well explained, it fell flat to hold value in the story. His resentment seemed more rooted in his own insecurity and the challenging of his masculinity. I couldn't root for the relationship after this realization, and disliked the character from that point forward. When you dislike 1/2 of the pairing, and that doesn't change throughout the unfolding of the romance, it is hard to enjoy the book as a whole.

Everything Olivia writes is gold. This book is the ultimate slow burn love story to shippers everywhere.

SHIP WRECKED by Olivia Dade doesn't come out until November (I think?) but Fortune smiled upon me and granted me an eARC.

The third installment in the Spoiler Alert universe, this one tells the story of Maria and Peter, who we don't see a ton of in the other books, because their part on the GoT-ish series they're in is filmed on a tiny Irish island. Once again we have a lovely, unique fat female main character, this time falling in love with her fat co-star. One of my favorite things about Dade's books is not just that they depict fat people as whole people, worthy of love, but that each one is unique. So often in media it's just like "the token fat sidekick" but each of these women are their own people, with different body types and sizes and feelings about them...just like real people. They really are lovely books.

I adored this book. I am a huge fan of Olivia Dade and this is definitely now one of my favorite of her books. I loved Peter and Maria so much. After having a one night stand that ends with one of them ghosting the other, they wind up cast as two characters stranded on an island together for years as they yearn for each other. Life quickly resembles fiction and the desire and tenderness they feel for each other is lovely. What I appreciated even more was how often I laughed out loud at their banter. Every press conference had me in stitches. It was great to see the rest of the cast of Gods of the Gate but I also appreciated that the fan fiction and other drama were toned down in this book. Sad to see this series but cannot wait to see what Dade writes next

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Maria and Peter meet in a sauna, and are immediately attracted to each other, leading to a one night stand. Imagine Peter’s surprise when he wakes in the morning to find Maria gone; he was devastated. However life goes on, and since Peter is an actor in LA, he gets ready and heads to an audition. Come to find out: Maria is his new co-star/love interest in Gods of the Gates, where they’re about to spend 6 years together on a desolate Irish island for filming. The story follows them navigating their relationship and careers.

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I had even pre-ordered the book a few months ago, and so I was OVER THE MOON when I got accepted to review the ARC!

This book was a solid 3 for me. I felt like the story line was kinda all over the place. 1st: I didn’t think the 6 year gap was necessary. Like at all. 1-2 years, sure. 6 years just seemed too excessive, especially when we didn’t get much info on their time apart. If the 6 years WAS necessary, a heading for Chapter 10 saying “6 years later” would have been nice.
I also thought the fan fic was very unnecessary. It just didn’t seem to serve the plot.
The last thing I thing could have 100% been left out of the book was when they went to the charity event and there was the very small part where there was the intruder on the red carpet? Sooo unnecessary. Once again did not serve the overall plot and just seemed like filler. Especially because there was very little detail about it.

I think this book could have been better, however there was a LOT to love. I loved Maria and Peter’s characters, and thought the author did an amazing job describing them physically. I enjoyed reading about two characters who weren’t in size 0 or in the very best shapes of their lives, but were still attractive and strong. We need more body positive characters in RomComs!

Overall, Shipwrecked earned a 3 star rating from me ✨

Olivia Dade does it again! She hits it out of the ballpark with Ship Wrecked! From the very first line I was hooked! The main characters have so much chemistry. This book had me laughing and swooning at the same time. Maria and Peter are such well thought out characters, with depth and feelings. I loved the body positivity represented in the book. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.

I'm giving this a fair 3 star review. It was quirky and sexy! But it lacked some substance that I think would have helped the story in the beginning. It's definitely a must read if you enjoy the hookup surprise co workers style of book 🙂

four stars! ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ this is actually a pretty solid 3.5 read, but considering i’m trying not to do half ratings i’m rounding it up to a solid four!

this romance series by olivia dade has some of the best plus size representation that i’ve ever read, and i am so appreciative of that. it’s so refreshing to see that type of rep when it doesn’t revolve around losing weight or them struggling and then becoming happy with their bodies. that is probably my favorite aspect of these books! specifically for ‘ship wrecked,’ though, i also love that we got to see some male fat rep as well! i feel like that’s even rarer to see in novels so again, really refreshing!

my other favorite aspect about these books are the characters themselves. each couple has been so fun and entertaining to read about, and peter and maria are probably the funnest couple to read about. lovers turned coworkers turned friends turned back to lovers is one hell of a ride, but it such good fun to read. not only that, but the development both characters went through in their time together and how they both helped each other through that development was just *chef’s kiss* i adored their relationship!

i did have a few issues with the book, namely being the pacing/timeline and the third act breakup/conflict. pacing/timeline wise, i just felt like that aspect was kind of all over the place and that it really infringed on peter and maria’s relationship. there’s like a six year time gap that happens pretty suddenly, and then more monthly/weekly gaps. i feel like those really took away from the audience being able to see then grow close as friends, and that would’ve added so much to their story, especially considering how things were between them before the six year jump. this isn’t like a huge deal, but it did definitely take me out of the reading experience just a bit.

the same with the third act breakup/conflict, i felt like it was pretty much just unnecessary, tbh. i know a lot of people hate the third act breakup in romance novels anyways, but typically i can see the point in them and how they impact the story/couple, and while this one definitely did impact the story and couple, i think it was kind of just silly. it resulted due to a lot of lack of communication, i think, which is something i can’t stand in novels. i’d much rather read like a chapter or two of the couple actually sitting down to talk things through rather than read about an angsty and usually unnecessary break up before getting right back together like nothing ever happened. yes, it’s a good source of love declarations and whatnot, but it’s been used soooo many times now that it’s pretty much predictable.

all that to say, i did seriously enjoy reading this book and i’m glad that i was able to go back to the universe again! i loved the little snippets we got to see of the other characters, like marcus and april (they’re seriously my fav couple of all time) and the epilogue was incredibly sweet! i’m not sure if this is meant to be a trilogy of companion novels, but i’d love to read more books set within this world! <3

✨ Book Review ✨

⚓ I'm excited to start the new week with a 5⭐ review! "Ship Wrecked" by Olivia Dade has been living rent-free in my head for the past week & I can't wait to reread this when it releases on 11/15!

🇸🇪 Maria is a charismatic, curvy Swedish actress who auditions for the hottest TV show in the world, Gods of the Gates. She gets the role of a lifetime, but unfortunately almost all of her scenes are with Peter, and only Peter - who she hooked up with and ghosted.

🧭 The first half of the book involves them filming on a remote island in Ireland (for years!), and the second half is how the rest of their complicated friendship/relationship unfolds. Peter and Maria struggle to figure out what they need from each other, which makes for great tension!

🔱 I came for the humor that made me cackle, the spice, & an incredibly well-fleshed out friend group. I stayed for the emotional depth, feminism, LGBTQ+ rep, fat rep, themes of compromise, and the characters' ability to be both deeply-flawed and willing to do better. The main characters are willing to lean in and do the work. So many books focus on falling in love - this book focuses on trying to stay in love. ♥️

💕 I love this book so much that I pre-ordered from @lovessweetarrow so I could get the dust jacket with special cover art & a signed bookplate. Check it out while supplies last! [not sponsored]

Thank you @AvonBooks and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

⚠️ depression, foster care/adoption, death of parents

Very good read highly recommended. I totally recommend this book to friends and family it does not disappoint. Hope to read more books by this author in the near future.

Olivia Dade welcomes us back into the Spoiler Alert universe with a bang. Literally. That first line 🌶 🥵 🌶 🥵 🌶.

Ship Wrecked follows Maria, new to Hollywood from Sweden's theater scene and Peter, a seasoned actor who had been in LA for years from a steamy night to being cast as co-stars on the Gods of the Gates. A slow-burn following six years of unbeknownst to the other pining and the ppsibility and anticipation of picking right back up where they left off. The animosity of enemies to lovers with the longing and yearning from afar of friends to lovers, leading to that fireworks moment when the series finishes filming.

The second half of the book follows the two stars on a press tour where their relationship really begins to flourish. With hometown visits, heart to hearts, press and fanfic speculation, you're rooting for them from the get go! The Gods of the Gates group chat, Ikea references to boot paying homage to Maria's Sweden, and the jar of herring that *always* happens to make an appearance (but HOW?!?!?) quickly turn this into a one sitting read.

Ready to grab the Swedish fish and re-read the first two! 😊

Thank you Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review!

“He kissed her back, but his lips against hers had turned gentle, too fucking gentle, and it was intolerable.”

“She was doing it on purpose. That gorgeous, amazing, diabolical Swedish bitch.”

“He’d given her what she needed, and in return, she’d give him everything she had.”

Did I go into this book absolutely certain I would love it, no matter what happened? Yes. Was it, in my utterly unbiased opinion, absolutely beautiful, funny, sexy, and just AN AWESOME FUCKING BOOK? Of course it was.

The progression of the romance in Ship Wrecked was unlike Spoiler Alert and All the Feels, so I wasn’t totally sure what was gonna happen next, which was honestly quite thrilling. I did however, see the cameos from those couples coming and I was not disappointed AT ALL.

Peter and Maria are two of the most heart-achingly vulnerable, strong and caring people I’ve had the joy of reading about and this book reminded me why Olivia Dade was in my top 3 authors of 2021.

Dealing with past trauma, acknowledging that it does not have power over your future but is still a part of who you are in a way that is simply you. Accepting that some relationships are not meant to be mended, and that family is about love and acceptance, not blood and obligation.

A love letter to found families.
An ode to prioritizing your happiness.
A big FUCK YOU to Game of Thrones creators David and DB.
A beautiful finale to a series that was contractually obligated to be “hilarious”.

MVP: Olivia Dade, “Here’s to you, you complete fucking bitch.”

(Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
(Was I out in public when I got the acceptance email for this ARC? Yes, yes I was. Did I physically jump up and down and squeal regardless? Yes, yes I did.)

I don’t know if this will be the last book in the Spoiler Alert series, but if it is it felt like perfection. Once again, Olivia Dade returns to The Gods of the Gates universe. Peter and Maria meet and become lovers for one memorable night. He wakes up the next morning to find her gone, but can’t forget her. He doesn’t have to though because he goes to an important audition that morning only to discover that the mystery women will be his costar.

The romance and the steam is as good as the other two books, but what Olivia Dade does best is help the characters discover the places they need to grow and then we get to watch them do it. The heroine of this book, Maria, is one awesome, strong woman who isn’t afraid to take big risks for what she believes. As with the other two books the fat rep in this one is perfect as well.

Lastly, the ending of this book is one of my favorites. Chef’s kiss perfect.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for this eARC.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this adorable ARC. I really enjoyed this book and honestly Dade wrote in my dream man into this novel. Peter, a surly teddy bear with the body of a Viking God has a one night stand with the statuesque Maria, then finds himself cast opposite her in the series Gods of the Gates. They immediately begin a stand off and push themselves to a strictly professional relationship while they are basically marooned on Ireland with a full crew. Dade does a wonderful job evolving their relationship from professional, to friendship to a deep love. We see the characters deal with real issues in their relationship and add in some steamy scenes and this book was such a cute light read and exactly what I was needing. I gave it a 3.5 and highly recommend!