I really enjoyed this installation of the Spoiler Alert series. Maria and Peter were costars on 'God of the Gates', and spent most of that time on a remote island with a skeleton crew. Right before their successful auditions, they shared a one-night stand, and Maria cut and run in the morning. After a rocky first season between the two, Peter tells Maria he doesn't want to start a relationship of any kind, and risk the small family they have formed with their small crew. After six years of filming, they each sense they'll take their relationship to the next level.

They each have different issues to work through--Maria abandonment and commitment, and Peter, largely insecurity in multiple fields. There was a bit of the miscommunication trope for the final act conflict, but due to their backgrounds, I thought it made a lot of sense and was less cumbersome than it can be in many other books. The Game of Thrones fic aspect of this series has always been a bit too... perhaps twee for my tastes, but it was quite minimal in this one.

Overall, this was a super sweet book and really enjoyable.

While not my favorite book in the Spoiler Alert series, I still enjoyed this one. I loved seeing more of the show filming (this was the only book in the series that made me wish I could actually watch Gods of the Gates!) Maria and Peter had great chemistry, especially at the beginning. I struggled a little with some of the dialogue and conflict, but appreciated how it all resolved. Overall, just sad the series is over!

I love Olivia Dade's books. She writes characters that are so different from what anyone else is writing and so fully formed they become very much real people to you by the end of the book. Peter and Maria are really no exception. They had a one night stand that ended badly after they both showed up at the same audition the next day. Peter was a total jerk to Maria after their audition - when it became clear they were going to be working very closely together for the next few years. And that starts them off on a Lovers-Enemies-Friends-Lovers arc that is just a joy to read.

Maria is, honestly, the kind of woman we should all hope to be when we grow up. She is secure in herself and owns her wants and needs as a person. She's also incredibly kind and fun. Peter is definitely on the grumpy side of Maria's bright light. But he is really very much a teddy bear of a hero.

This book tackles some tougher topics - in particular parental abandonment, depression, sexism and the overall fat-phobia that exists in the world. It also has the dreaded final conflict that can go so badly in so many romance books. But in this case - it doesn't have a big MISUNDERSTANDING - it has characters being stubborn and refusing to find compromise. What was great about that arc - as hard as it was to read through - was that in coming back together we see both of them communicating and taking ownership of their ends of the breakup/breakdown. That was VERY refreshing and I was very much here for that!

Overall - I definitely recommend this one. If you haven't read the others in the series - that is ok, you'll be fine as this does stand alone. But I highly recommend the other two books. I adored them as well!

I received this via NetGalley as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Publishing for my e-ARC of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are that of my own.

CW: death of parent, grief, fatphobia, infidelity

When I say getting this book was the highlight of my week it truly was. It was like the universe apologized to me in the best way possible: an Olivia Dade romance. Be still my beating heart; this book was phenomenal. From the first page you know this book is different from the first two in the series, and I’m not complaining at all. It’s steamier and definitely more drawn out. The characters are given plenty of time to grow and mature and they do, but there are the lingering ghosts that Dade beautifully draws out.

Loves:

-Maria and Peter: they had great chemistry as a couple and the way that their relationship changes throughout the novel is perfection. Both characters were well developed and each one of their actions had logic behind it. Seriously my favorite part of the novel was them slowly learning things about themselves and each other. Also, can we appreciate that there are two fat characters in a trad pub book?!? That are described kindly?!? Just wow. And also Maria is a badass with her self awareness.
-Supporting Cast: Dade has a way of making the secondary characters feel more than side characters but ones that you also are fully engaged with along with the focus couple. I just adored everyone and getting back to the Gates of the Gods cast as I missed them so much. Definitely recommend reading the first two books to fully appreciate everything with the side characters.
-Third Act Breakup: Yes, this book has this (as most romances do), but I really really liked how Dade handled this. There wasn’t one side of the relationship that groveled more and there wasn’t an outside character that was like “you messed up” rather it was both characters realizing that they were wrong and coming together after that. Not going into any more detail, but it just felt so mature and reasonable. I loved it.

Meh:

-Timeline: I typically love romances set over a longer time period with glimpses at the past or it intertwined. This one was some neither of those options and both of those options. The book starts with the 6 years ago and then somehow slowly moves through time? Like you’re with them for roughly the first year? Then it skips ahead. I mean it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I had been expecting.

Long Story Short:

Do I recommend this book? Yes. I do. To be fair I’d recommend reading this series in order to get a full picture of what’s happening because there is some intertwining that you’d miss. It’s not necessary but recommended. Overall this was a wonderful book that I was so happy to get a copy of. While it’s not my favorite of the series, I loved the differences from her other books and found myself engaged with the writing and characters. I cannot wait to see where Dade goes from here and I know that I will be excitedly awaiting that announcement. Excellent novel!

Leave it to Olivia Dade to start a book mid sex scene! Absolutely cracking start, but for me, the end just didn’t deliver. The first half was great, lots of longing and pining, but once the characters got together, the book fell flat. There wasn’t as much chemistry as Dade’s previous books, and there wasn’t enough or particularly good sex.

Olivia Dade has done it again. I loved Ship Wrecked so much. Peter and Maria are an absolute delight. This is a slow burn in the absolute best way. I was nervous going into the third act breakup, but I really liked how Dade handled it. Both characters owned up for mistakes they had made and it felt very true to who they were. After 3 books, all of Dade's characters feel so incredibly real to me that I can't believe Gods of the Gate isn't a real show. While the parallels to a certain real world show are there, this show and this version of Hollywood feel like their own world. As always, I loved the interludes of fan fiction, scripts, and text messages. It's such a fun way to move the narrative along.

This series has been such a gift and I'm so grateful to have read it.

Olivia Dade doesn't disappoint. I love this series and when I heard Ship Wrecked would have two fat main characters? Sign me the heck up. And don't even get me started on the gorgeousness that is Leni Kauffman's cover and its perfect encapsulation of Peter and Maria.

I laughed, I cried, I too wanted to hit Peter over the head with a jar of pickled herring once or twice. Dade is just such a good writer and her characters are always so well-developed outside of their romance. Watching Maria and Peter grow and become the best versions of themselves with each other was just wonderful.

I always love returning to this world because all the characters we've met (with the exception of a few- ahem Ron and RJ) are so wonderful. And what I wouldn't give to be a part of the Gods of the Gate cast chat! The found family element in this book was spectacular.

This was a great follow up to Spoiler Alert and All The Feels! One of the aspects that I love about this series is how the events of each book overlaps with one another and occurs parallel to each other. I loved the forced proximity and tension between Maria and Peter in Ship Wrecked, and seeing them trying to fight the connection between them was a lot of fun. That being said, I think the timeline of events and pacing of the novel threw me off several times throughout the novel. There would be moments were we would suddenly skip years ahead or jump into a flashback, which would mess with the pacing of Maria and Peter's relationship in my brain. Otherwise, I think fans of Spoiler Alert and All The Feels will really enjoy reuniting with the cast of Gods of the Gates again!

I loved the first two books in this series and Ship Wrecked did not disappoint! We follow Maria and Peter as they navigate 1) a one night stand, 2) ending up at the same audition/chemistry read for a wildly popular high fantasy show, and 3) the six years they spend filming on a desolate island. Their chemistry is excellent, and I loved the way Dade explores what it means to be fat in Hollywood, both for women and men.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for access to this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Olivia Dade for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells the story of Maria and Peter. Two actors who start their relationship by having a one night stand the night before they each have a major audition. Only to find out, the audition is for costar roles on a show filmed on a remote island for years.

It’s a lovers, to enemies, to friends, to lovers trope. This story also gives the grumpy/sunshine vibes.

All in all this is a pretty good book but the story can be somewhat a slow read at times and the timeline seems… somewhat unrealistic but it still all comes together in the end.

I love this series. The characters are honest and open about having emotional needs, physical needs, and social needs. I enjoyed this so much, but after reading the author's note about writing this while struggling to cope with the pandemic, it explains why it's the weakest entry in the series. The first two had a great deal more tension to them, and while there is tension in this book it is a bit more diffuse. I still really loved these two characters, and look forward to the next entry. (At some point, Ian needs a tuna-filled redemption arc, right???)

This series is such a fun time, and I will miss these characters immensely (I THINK this is the last one?). Maria and Peter's lovers to cold coworkers to friends to lovers again story was really fun to follow. I liked the setting of shooting the show on a small island, however I thought the plot got a little lost once the show ended and we followed them to Sweden and Wisconsin. I also found Peter/Maria's third act issues and lack of communication after being friends for SO. MANY. YEARS. to be a bit frustrating, but was happy with how they talked through and got to the resolution. Overall, I really struggled to connect to this book the same way I did with All the Feels. That isn't really fair to this book, since All the Feels was a perfect 5 star read for me (I spent a lot of Ship Wrecked missing my favorite ball of sunshine, Alex), and I know this will be a favorite for so many readers!
3.5/5

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for sending this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! Ship Wrecked will be published on November 15, 2022.

Fun book, loved the romance! Quick and easy summertime read, I loved the two main characters, but was so frustrated that they didn't get together for so long!

There is so much to love in this third volume of the Spoiler Alert series. I knew that I would love this as a reader as I have loved all of Dade's works but then finding out that the two main characters are both fat ... yes, please. And after reading it, I now need more stories that feature two fat main characters where being fat isn't the story. The other stand-out part of the story that I loved was that Dade framed two very romantic, very much willing to commit to partners characters with various types of abandonment issues. Both the main characters have parental/guardian abandonment issues but both also have romantic abandonment issues as well ... that all feed into the same pot and have them dealing with the same insecurities in much different ways.

While I felt like this dragged a bit in the spots where the relationship worldbuilding and tension building was supposed to be happening ... I could not have enjoyed this story and these characters more.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️3/5

Tropes:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Lovers to Friends to Lovers again
Slow burn

"a warm and wonderful romantic comedy about two co-stars who once had an incredible one-night stand—and after years of filming on the same remote island, are finally ready to yield to temptation again…" - (part of Ship Wrecked's blurb)

Shipwrecked is my first Olivia Dade book but I promise you it WILL NOT be my last. I will most definitely go through her entire backlist, as one does after being completely obsessed with their most recent read.

At 5% I was already laughing and enjoying this book. At 15%, I was aching for them to be together again & at 55% I had already known it was going to be a 5 star rating for me.

A rom-com that completely stole my heart from beginning to end. One that I did not want to finish so it can last longer but wanted to read as fast as possible so I can get to the HEA.

So much was right about this book and nothing wrong (only thing wrong were Ron & R.J! IYKYK!! & IAN TOO! YOU SUCK IAN!).

I loved the plot, the angst, the banter, the GD spice. Literally this book did no wrong, for me.

Olivia Dade’s body representation of women and men was fucking amazing and unlike anything I’ve read so far. The way the word fat was used as a descriptor and not a weaponized word, was immaculate.
The way that Maria was unashamed about being fat, being hairy, and being as strong and tall as her male counterpart…. I wanted to cry and give a standing ovation to this fictional character and the author that brought her to life. Actually, i take that back.. Standing ovation for Ms. Olivia DADE! & Maria👏👏👏👏👏👏

Then, our male MC, Peter. The complete opposite of Maria (personality wise). His physical build is similar to her; he is described as big, broad, and viking like, with softness around him. But while Maria is radiating sunshine, happiness and smiling through negative critics, Peter is stubborn, surly, troubled and introverted.

Towards the end, we understand how his personality was molded and knowing that it was due to devastating (but not very uncommon) childhood situations. We also see why Maria is carefree, how her family showed her how to love herself and accept love from those around her.

Together, these two became what I believe to be, soulmates.

I cried, I loved, and I laughed. it was literally LOVE, LAUGH, LIVE! lol

Honestly, I could've kept on reading more on Maria & Peter BUT then I wouldn't have enough time to go through Dade's backlist!

*Thank You Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

I have been in a bit of a reading dry spell and Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade pulled me out of it. I devoured the romance in a single night. I have wanted to read a novel by Olivia Dade for a while and I'm glad I started off with this one. I loved how the author created her own Game of Thrones type of show/plot with actors and it really intrigued me. I also felt the chemistry between the main love interests and enjoyed the humor throughout the novel. The only element that was not my favorite was the steaminess was a bit much for me, and how it happens right away in the novel.

I had really mixed feelings about this book, mostly leaning towards liking it though. I loved the characters and the plot, loved all the body positivity and the behind the scenes of making a tv show (whether it was accurate or not I still enjoyed it). I did feel like this book was way too long, I found myself in the middle of paragraphs thinking, “I get it you own a thesaurus” but I think cutting out “some” of the very lengthy descriptions would’ve made it read a lot smoother. I know this is also a game of thrones fan fiction on purpose but sometimes it was so close that it took me out of the book and had me rolling my eyes, but this is probably something other people would enjoy so I don’t know if that’s a negative thing for anyone else.

I did like this book overall, good plot, enjoyed the confidence and spice. 4 stars

Ship Wrecked is the third installment of Olivia Dade's romance series that revolves around the actors in a thinly veiled fictional Game of Thrones. This time the central couple are the previously unmet Peter and Maria, actors who play characters isolated from the rest of show (explaining why we haven't seen them before).

Maria and Peter met and had a steamy one night stand right before discovering that they were to be co-stars for the next several years. Due to past hang ups and fears of messing up their careers, they decide to just be friends while working on the series (after all, it's tough to deal with a possible break up when you're stuck on a tiny island with a small group of people). Of course once the show is over, all bets are off.

As usual with this series, each character has a well developed backstory that informs their current feelings on love and relationships. Both Peter and Maria have issues surrounding their families (though they are of entirely different origin and presentation), and a good part of their story is learning to understand one another and figure out how to compromise. Both of the characters are described as plus size, and it's great to see that their weights, while sometimes being an issue when facing jerky Hollywood directors, is never something that the characters themselves feel bad about.

I have really been enjoying this series, and it was nice to meet Maria and Peter and to see glimpses of the other characters as well (though not all that often, since obviously Maria and Peter are on their own a lot). My biggest issue with this book was the timeline. The characters spent six years on the island on and off, and while I understand their reasons for not pursuing a relationship while filming, it also felt odd to me that they would manage to remain in such a holding pattern for so long.

The epilogue gives us a nice view of the entire cast of the series so far, and also what seems like a hint as to the couple that will likely feature in the next book. This is a great feel good romance series with a wonderfully mature handling of various mental health issues. It's also clear that the author is well versed in fandom terms and culture, which makes a fun hook for readers who enjoy spending their time on AO3.

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

OH MY GOD. This book is SOO good. Peter and Maria are so delightful. The character growth. The setting. The romance. The spice. ALL SO PERFECT I CANT STAND IT. This is my favorite of the series by a long shot. Olivia Dade is a long-time favorite and I love that she writes fat characters so beautifully. I hope to someday find my Peter or Maria. What a delightful joy of a book. Highly recommend.

I came into this book with high expectations because I absolutely ADORED all the feels. However, this one was not for me. There were a lot of things that didn't make sense, and a whole lot of parts that were just really boring. The best parts were the text threads with all the characters, but I never felt a connection to the main characters. Love the cover though.