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theabee's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Sexism
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Violence, and Sexual content
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
2.0
““This is the best day of my fucking life!” he shouted. “Only! One! Bed! My second-favorite trope!”
➽ All the Feels was a HUGE disappointment for me. I love Olivia Dade's Spoiler Alert series, so I have no idea what happened with this second companion novel! The story follows Alex, who is Marcus' best friend and a fellow co-actor on Gods of the Gates. He's flirty, stubborn and tends to get into trouble, which is why Lauren is hired as his new assistant. Lauren is a former ER therapist and lowkey forced into this job by her cousin. She's struggling a lot with her body image and the fatphobia she experiences in her daily life. The setup could have been interesting, but this book's first mistake was leaning too heavily on Spoiler Alert. The first half is set parallel to the previous book, so there were similar events and it felt like All the Feels didn't stand on its own (especially compared to the third book Ship Wrecked). I'm sad that Lauren wasn't that well fleshed out compared to Olivia Dade's other heroines, as she had a lot of potential.
➽ My main issue was with how Alex was written in this book. I enjoyed him in Spoiler Alert, but he was so offputting her. I understand that he struggled with his ADHD, but it didn't excuse all of his actions. Alex's impulsivity and attraction to making trouble were a huge problem as they affected everyone around him. Instead of trying to get himself under control as best as possible, his actions became everyone else's problems. I don't think he took responsibility for his rash decisions or tried to grow. In the end, people like Lauren were caught in the crossfire and had to deal with him causing scandals. Alex's humor didn't shine in this book and he felt more immature compared to Spoiler Alert. It also made me uncomfortable how he centered himself in other people's trauma, e.g. his mother's past abusive relationship.
➽ I couldn't root for the romance because of Alex's issues and how they influced his relationship with Lauren. Their dynamic made me uncomfortable, as Lauren is the one who has to constantly manage Alex's emotions and talk him down so he doesn't do anything that would hurt his image. She's hired as his manager for a reason, but sadly Alex never tries to change his behavior toward the press. Instead, Lauren has to deal with his outbursts and the narrative doesn't really support her critisim of Alex. In my opinion, she was right to tell Alex that it's not worth it to antagonize the media for her or go after anyone who called her names. She was clearly uncomforztable with how he defended her. Sadly, the book tookm the stance that Alex was right and Lauren's issue was that she had low self esteem. There was just something so uncomfortable to how Lauren's concern were brushed off. Their dynamic felt very uneven, as Lauren didn't allow herself to show any negative emotions, as she knew it would make Alex flip out and do something that hurt his career. Lauren couldn't be honest with her partner and was constantly worried about something upsetting Alex that would make him cause a scandal. That's not a healthy relationship for me and I felt sorry that Lauren always had to consider Alex's emotions at the detriment of her own, just because he couldn't deal with them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Fatphobia, and Sexism
Minor: Domestic abuse
uranaishi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual harassment, and Sexism
casey_sunshine'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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Addiction, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Self harm, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Death
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