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mayareadsxo's review
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Physical abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
ashleyvharris's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In All the Feels, Olivia Dade unapologetically puts her fat, selfless heroine in the spotlight with a famous and disgustingly attractive man as her enthusiastic love interest.
This book was such a fun read and a welcome departure from its current peers in the contemporary romance genre. Dark/tortured/serious men seem to be in favor at the moment with romance readers, but damn if Alex Woodroe doesn’t make me change my mind. He is so joyously ADHD and cares about others so fully and without hesitation. Not to mention his very kinky taste in fan fiction for HIS OWN GODDAMN CHARACTER. It’s a breath of fresh air or rather a gulp of fresh air after laughing too hard.
Wren’s character is oh so relatable, both as a fat woman and as someone who has perfected the art of making themselves less than for the benefit of others. Wren’s character struggles felt authentic and were portrayed with care. I sincerely appreciate the message that Wren doesn’t need someone to always defend her, but instead learns that she is WORTH defending herself.
While I value the narrative of supporting domestic violence victims, it came across a bit heavy handed and misguided at times. Alex’s guilt over his mother’s abusive relationship makes sense given his lack of understanding about DV. But, with the exception of the auction, it felt like his charity support was more like throwing his money at the issue instead of being a voice and actually learning about what DV is and the work that goes into helping victims. It would’ve been so good to have a scene where Alex takes Wren to one of the shelters he supports and they get the chance to interact with people there. Building a stronger connection between his charity work and Wren’s ER clinician background could’ve further established a common ground and sensitivity between the two.
I’m a little disappointed that we don’t get a scene with Wren confronting Ron . It would’ve been lovely to get closure there and see Wren come full circle with one of her childhood bullies.
Overall, this was a hilarious, unique, and big-hearted romance that makes room for people with different bodies and minds. Dade’s message is clear: you are worthy of love and ALL the good things this life has to offer. Period.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Bullying, Fatphobia, and Physical abuse
Minor: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
jessgj's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Alas, not my favorite of this series thus far. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of slow burn romances and the working title for this book was "Slow Burn" so that's more on me. Your mileage might vary.
That said, I remember being excited to see Alex and Lauren fall in love while reading Spoiler Alert and this didn't disappoint. I really appreciate that Lauren isn't the "accepted" type of plus-sized, I.E. the hourglass-shaped vixen with a Jessica Rabbit-like bust-waist-hips ratio. Bodies come in different shapes and sizes and they're all valid and deserve our appreciation.
I also appreciate the depiction of Alex's ADHD. ADHD is often portrayed as this vapid, quirky, impulsive thing and Alex is very much seen that way in the public eye but we get to see the full picture of his love, his need for acceptance, his huge emotional range. We get to see the world through his eyes and it's so rich.
And Wren, ugh. She kept surprising me and her struggle with giving just so much of herself that she's burning out on all fronts is something I understand too well. Dade sucked punched me with that and the slow reveal of just how much Lauren does that. It's actually reminded me to take better care of myself so thank you, Olivia Dade for that one.
Overall, it wasn't the slam dunk I was hoping for but it's still a great time with a great cast.
TW: Mentions of domestic assault, fatphobia, panic attacks, some violence and bullying
That said, I remember being excited to see Alex and Lauren fall in love while reading Spoiler Alert and this didn't disappoint. I really appreciate that Lauren isn't the "accepted" type of plus-sized, I.E. the hourglass-shaped vixen with a Jessica Rabbit-like bust-waist-hips ratio. Bodies come in different shapes and sizes and they're all valid and deserve our appreciation.
I also appreciate the depiction of Alex's ADHD. ADHD is often portrayed as this vapid, quirky, impulsive thing and Alex is very much seen that way in the public eye but we get to see the full picture of his love, his need for acceptance, his huge emotional range. We get to see the world through his eyes and it's so rich.
And Wren, ugh. She kept surprising me and her struggle with giving just so much of herself that she's burning out on all fronts is something I understand too well. Dade sucked punched me with that and the slow reveal of just how much Lauren does that. It's actually reminded me to take better care of myself so thank you, Olivia Dade for that one.
Overall, it wasn't the slam dunk I was hoping for but it's still a great time with a great cast.
TW: Mentions of domestic assault, fatphobia, panic attacks, some violence and bullying
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Toxic friendship
shaipanda's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I LOVEDD thisss - idk what it what exactly and I definitely get why not everyone would love this cause some of the dialogue and stuff could definitely come across as cringy at times but I don’t care I loveddd this
I could not put it down and I loved their dynamic and stuff so much
Literally enjoyed so so much and I’m so glad I saw this mentioned on booktok and randomly decided to pick it up when I was at the library the other week
I could not put it down and I loved their dynamic and stuff so much
Literally enjoyed so so much and I’m so glad I saw this mentioned on booktok and randomly decided to pick it up when I was at the library the other week
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Sexual content, Mental illness, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Ableism, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Abandonment
ladythana's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Bullying, Fatphobia, and Grief
Minor: Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
macykey's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There were plot points that I thought were overdone, like Alex’s ADHD. As a person with ADHD, I recognized it as such before it was ever named. But I thought it was overkill to say something along the lines of ‘*insert a personality trait that Alex has* because of his ADHD’. Also, I wish we would’ve gotten more pregona content between Lauren and Alex. It was certainly mentioned enough 😂
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Mental illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Fatphobia
Minor: Self harm and Sexual assault
purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Ableism
delz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Alex is an actor who is embroiled in scandal, according to the show runners for the “Big Network” production, where he plays Cupid. Ron, one of the show runners,ropes in his cousin, Lauren to be Alex’s minder, even though she was supposed to be on a much needed vacation. It’s a very funny, sweet, enemies to lovers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness
jucolo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I love the way Dade writes her leading women. Is it refreshing to read about women who look like us, the every day woman? YES. But her women are so much more than that (thank god). I was struck in Spoiler Alert by April's POV -- how unique she was, how strong her convictions were, how much she seemed like a real person. In All The Feels, I felt the same way about our woman protagonist, Lauren Clegg. Very different from April, and so completely Lauren. I loved her, I loved her confidence, and I loved her caution, too! She and Alex (the man protagonist) fit so well together. Their love story was so real and believable because Dade wrote them as bouncing off of each other. Sometimes banter can get old in books, but in All The Feels, their banter had purpose: it established the connection between Lauren and Alex as well as became a way for the two to convey how they felt (about each other, about their day, etc.). Love!
As always, Dade's use of fanfiction culture is perfect. In Spoiler Alert, Dade addressed the nuances and complexities of fandom and fandom culture (which worked well for April and Marcus, two people who have immersed themselves in fandom). In All The Feels, Dade doesn't address fandom culture in the same way because it isn't of interest to Alex -- what Alex cares about are the stories and the tropes, which is just perfect.
When Alex gets the soulmate-first-words tattoo at the end, I almost cried I stg.
As always, Dade's use of fanfiction culture is perfect. In Spoiler Alert, Dade addressed the nuances and complexities of fandom and fandom culture (which worked well for April and Marcus, two people who have immersed themselves in fandom). In All The Feels, Dade doesn't address fandom culture in the same way because it isn't of interest to Alex -- what Alex cares about are the stories and the tropes, which is just perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming and Bullying
Minor: Domestic abuse and Mental illness
People are rude about the way Lauren looks -- but in my opinion, it doesn't feel gratuitous or poorly done. It's a real thing Lauren deals with, and Alex has to learn how to deal with it, too.kcbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is something special. I think I preferred Spoiler Alert on the whole but I definitely felt like there were more messages and more moments where I was proud of the characters. The personal development of both Alex and Lauren was deep, emotional, and heartwarming! The only reason I didn’t give it the full 5 stars was because there was a bit, around their sex scenes I guess, that it felt like it dipped. The sex scenes were good, didn’t take away anything from the story, but I was definitely at a point where I was ready for the two of them to start wrapping up their story, but I knew I still had a good hundred pages left. That said, I tabbed quite a bit for a romance novel and I wouldn’t definitely recommend to everyone!
The best way for me to describe it is that it is special, honest, and worthy!
I don’t know too much about ADHD but I felt like the representation was just. Alex’s character was full of energy but also you felt the pain, understood the other symptoms, could figure out his train of thought. It was truly well-rounded. Then to have a character that has dealt with abuse at her work place, ultimately getting burnt out, whilst also having dealt with comments about her appearance from people throughout her whole life… it was refreshing for them to both be proud of themselves, to know what’s best for their bodies (even if they don’t always stick to it) and to discuss that with one another. Granted, there are complications, but it was lovely to see their “flaws” (as they would be in a lot of other books) not be flaws at all. They were simply a part of them, part of their personality, part of their drive. And it wasn’t a huge part of the plot either, it aided it perfectly!
The conversations of body image, abuse, domestic abuse, ADHD, fat phobia, mental health, and struggling friendships were dealt with with heart, care and still remained lighthearted.
By the end I felt warm, comforted, and proud. Both of the fictional characters and the real characters in my life (myself, my friends, my family) who have dealt with similar things. It has left me with an outlook that I already had but now understand ways to word it and deal with it.
From your shrewish sister from another mister…
BIG HARPY ENERGY FOREVER
The best way for me to describe it is that it is special, honest, and worthy!
I don’t know too much about ADHD but I felt like the representation was just. Alex’s character was full of energy but also you felt the pain, understood the other symptoms, could figure out his train of thought. It was truly well-rounded. Then to have a character that has dealt with abuse at her work place, ultimately getting burnt out, whilst also having dealt with comments about her appearance from people throughout her whole life… it was refreshing for them to both be proud of themselves, to know what’s best for their bodies (even if they don’t always stick to it) and to discuss that with one another. Granted, there are complications, but it was lovely to see their “flaws” (as they would be in a lot of other books) not be flaws at all. They were simply a part of them, part of their personality, part of their drive. And it wasn’t a huge part of the plot either, it aided it perfectly!
The conversations of body image, abuse, domestic abuse, ADHD, fat phobia, mental health, and struggling friendships were dealt with with heart, care and still remained lighthearted.
By the end I felt warm, comforted, and proud. Both of the fictional characters and the real characters in my life (myself, my friends, my family) who have dealt with similar things. It has left me with an outlook that I already had but now understand ways to word it and deal with it.
From your shrewish sister from another mister…
BIG HARPY ENERGY FOREVER
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Bullying, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Body shaming, and Mental illness