Spoiler Alert

This highly original romance was the highlight of my February. The setup is just fabulous. It’s really unique and thoughtful, so it plays out in unexpected ways that I really enjoyed. The writing is great, too! I’ll definitely be reading Olivia Dade’s next one!

A beautiful love story with two characters that grow so much on me throughout the book.
Two different worlds collide, two different personalities that are brought one to each other just like a magnet.
It’s beautiful written, very steamy and interesting banter and family drama and relationships. Each one has their own secrets and a past to overcome as well as a future full of opportunity.
I loved it and couldn’t stop reading from the first to the last page.
Highly recommend it for any romance lovers.

I don’t usually read contemporary romances. For me, I prefer the pure escape of a historical. However, on occasion, I make an exception and, in this case, I’m so glad I did. Olivia Dade has written a scorching hot romance that’s as fun as it is emotionally powerful. And it isn’t just the romance that’s powerful. It’s the representation and the depiction of a woman setting boundaries. I confess, it’s the latter that hit me the hardest because I see it so rarely in fiction and because I struggle with it so much myself in real life.

That’s what I loved best about April. She had the confidence and sense of self-worth to set boundaries with her family. I loved Marcus, too, and the San Francisco setting, and the GoT references. So much to love about this one!

This book felt like it was written just for me. It’s pure fantasy fulfillment, and I mean that as the highest of compliments. There is SO much heart in this book that I felt like mine was about to explode no less than half a dozen times. And I also laughed out loud quite a bit, especially in response to the snippets between chapters (fan fic and script samples). Really, this book was a joy to read, and if you felt like the last season of Game of Thrones was garbage, shipped Jaime and Brienne, love fanfic, or just want 2 leads who are really amazingly grounded and emotionally intelligent and, UNF, so perfect together… This is the book for you!

Spoiler Alert: Representation Matters

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marcus Caster-Rupp is a hot shot movie star. He’s currently shooting the final season of his hit show Gods of the Gates. Fans love his easy going laid back charm. He’s easy on the eyes and the ladies love him! But what the world doesn’t know is that he’s also a writer – specifically a fanfic writer where he’s known as Book!AeneasWouldNever (BAWN).

April Whittier is a geologist and absolutely loves her job. What her friends and family don’t know is that she is also a fanfic writer known as Unapologetic Lavinia Stan(ULSIE) and loves cosplay! When she decides to go “live” on Twitter and show the the world who she really is in full cosplay – she’s nervous and afraid. April never imagined that her tweets would go viral though and wonders why. Turns out Marcus Caster-Rupp commented on her tweet by asking her out when trolls started commenting on her plus-size figure. Should she go out with Marcus? Would they even have anything in common?

As soon as I started reading Spoiler Alert, I had a huge grin on my face. I am/was (depending on the season) a huge fan of Game of Thrones and I loved the way Olivia Dade mirrored some parts of the show in Spoiler Alert. I always find it amazing how when you’re a celebrity, sometimes it’s hard to show the world who you really are – because you’re constantly scrutinized. I really felt for Marcus in this regard and how he was hiding this huge secret because he didn’t want to get hurt.

Marcus and Apil are both such complex characters and I feel like Olivia Dade did a wonderful job showing us their vulnerabilities. Their conversations both while chatting under their fanfic names and when they actually meet were so heartfelt. Olivia Dade did an absolutely amazing job merging the two worlds together in this book and I loved so many little details about it.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this wonderfully written romance! Grab yourself a copy of Spoiler Alert – you won’t be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

This book is UTTER PERFECTION. Sexy, stunning, thoughtful, and hilarious, with clever characters and gorgeous writing. I’m so glad I already have the next book, All the Feels, on my ereader, because I want to stay in this world forever!

his was such a delightful story that really moved me. Olivia Dade was a new author to me before this book and I am so glad that I took a chance on this title. I admit that this book has been on my TBR list since before its release last year. The blurb really intrigued me because not only am I a huge nerd but I am also a plus-size gal. The book’s cover is gorgeous as well so I guess there was a lot about this book that appealed to me from the get-go.

First of all, I listened to this book on audio and I enjoyed it for the most part. I honestly had a hard time getting into the book at the start and I think that it is simply because of the way the book is written. At the end of each chapter, there is either a text/chat conversation, movie or television script excerpt, or an excerpt of a fanfiction story. They are all different and add a lot to the story but it was a little disconcerting to hear them on audio when I was trying to get to know the characters. I really think that this book would be better experienced firsthand by reading it rather than being narrated. That said, I thought that the narrator did an excellent job. The book is narrated by a single female narrator even though we get both the female lead and the male lead’s perspectives in the story. I would have preferred a female and a male narrator.

The pacing of the story felt a little jilted at first but as I said above, I think that the cause of this for me was the format I chose and not necessarily the writing. I actually really enjoyed the writing once I got my feet under me and got a feel for it. I really loved the premise of the story and Dade did an excellent job of executing the plot. Once I got used to the writing style, I honestly could not stop listening to this book. I listened to it for almost ten hours straight staying up way past my bedtime until I finally decided to save the remaining few hours for the next day. The story really grabs you and won’t let you go. I was absolutely hooked.

I was totally smitten with these characters. I felt such a connection with April’s character. She was strong and brilliant and unapologetically herself. It was so refreshing. She was fat but she didn’t let the stigma of that define her or her self-worth. She had her own struggles and insecurities but she was always working toward a positive sense of self, even if that meant she had to make difficult choices in her life. Her character was such a breath of fresh air. I also enjoyed Marcus’s character, though I didn’t connect with him as much as I did with April. I can’t put my finger on it, but it felt like there was something missing. I can’t really define it, but it felt like there was a pinch of salt’s worth of “something” missing from his character. He was very likable and very swoon-worthy and I really enjoyed his struggle with self-acceptance as well. His journey was a bit different from April’s, but it was still chock full of emotion and meaning. I can’t neglect to mention Marcus’s best friend, Alex. He was such a delight and I instantly fell in love with him. He was a side character that really stole the show whenever he popped into the story. I am so stoked for his story in All the Feels, which releases this October. His personality was so magnetic and he was such a great friend to Marcus. I adored their bromance to pieces.

April and Marcus’s relationship was an adorable overload. I seriously could not get enough of those two. I loved how considerate and thoughtful Marcus was with April. She appreciated her and desired her and he showed her that he did. They had such a distinct connection and their relationship developed so beautifully.

Overall, this was a darling story about self courage and self-acceptance. Feeling at home in your own skin is something that is hard for a lot of people and Dade did a fantastic job of bringing these emotions to the forefront and exploring them with sensitivity and heart. If you are looking for a feel-good story with the perfect balance of lightness and emotion then this book fits the bill. These characters will undoubtedly capture your heart the way they did with mine. I am brimming with excitement for the release of All the Feels, the second book in this series!

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Loooved this nerdy, steamy, swoony deep-dive into the world of fanfic. Marcus, the hero, is the pretty-boy lead actor of a hugely successful fantasy TV series who hides his intelligence and vulnerability behind a vapid facade. If his show-runners found out he’s been writing fanfic about his own series, his career would be toast. Curvy geologist April has finally found a job where she can let her cosplaying fanfic flag fly. Of course, when she dares to post a selfie in her costume, the Twitter haters attack. Marcus asks her out to shut them up, and sparks fly. Trouble is, he can’t tell her they’re already good friends–he’s been beta-reading her stories for years. Marcus’s struggles with dyslexia are portrayed with sensitivity, ditto family rejection on both sides. Wonderful steamy slow burn, tasty love scenes, laughter and tears and nerdy fun!

Oliva Dade came in here and gave me a story that I craved, one I didn’t even know I needed or that existed. April was a force even when her insecurities sometimes overtook her rational thinking and Marcus was the warm spot for her to land when everything seemed to come crashing down.

“Please tell me people who look like us can be loved.
Please tell me people who look like us can be desired.
Please tell me people who look like us can have happy endings.”

April is a geologist who happens to love cosplaying and fanfiction for her favorite tv show God of Gates. She always kept the two parts of her life separate until now. She is starting a new job and merging those two worlds together is something April has been wanting to do for years but she finally has the courage to do so. After posting a photo of herself in one of her own creations she is getting a lot of notice. Not only the good kind but the bad as well, but when the star of her favorite show Marcus Caster-Rupp comes to her defense by asking her out to dinner. This all seems a little too surreal, but she is being brave now, so what the hell!! She says, yes.

Marcus Caster-Rupp is living more than a double life. He has the persona that people see when he is in “actor” mode as well as on tv but then he has his online presence writing fanfic for the show he is currently on God of Gates and there is another side to him as well, the dyslexic side. The side that is a lot smarter than people perceive and it is the combination of all three of those personas that Marcus truly is. He knows that no one can ever find out about his online prescience because it could ruin his career but what if he could be more of himself by combining the other two parts of himself? When a gorgeous woman posts a photo of herself on social Marcus takes it upon himself to show the trolls that what they see of this woman is hardly who she is. One problem, April can sense that he is much more than the dumb pretty boy face he puts on to the rest of the world but if he wants to see her again, he might have to start showing a bit more of his true self to her.

As Marcus and April’s relationship grows, they are both feeling like they have finally found their place. A place where they are not judged for the parts of themselves that other people judge. Marcus is still hiding his secret identity though and if April were to find out it could mean the end to this new relationship. Does he trust the woman he is falling in love with, or does he need to keep that side to himself for good?

I’ve never read a book laid out like this before and while it isn’t something I see myself reading on the daily it was a beautiful change of pace. Seeing two sides to both April & Marcus and eventually seeing those sides come together was everything I was hoping it would be when I figured out where the story was going. The little bits of fanfic thrown in really added to the storyline; especially when it was one of Marcus or April’s because seeing their feelings laid out through the eyes of someone else really gave a bigger depth to their feelings towards one another.

“But I’m not looking to be fixed. I want to be loved and liked and desired not because of my size, not despite my size, but because I’m ME.”

Spoiler Alert gave me all the feels and even had me choking up towards the end when everything started coming together. Society makes you think a fat girl isn’t supposed to get the happily ever after with the hunk but that is exactly what happened in this story, and I will forever be a fan of Olivia Dade for giving young girls like April the proof that just because you look different doesn’t mean you are any less deserving.