Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Spoiler Alert

I was really excited for this book and it didn’t quite live up to my expectations, though I did enjoy it.

First off, the representation was great which is a huge reason why I picked up this book in the first place. This book reminded me a lot of the YA book Geekarella. And the problem I had with that book is the same problem I had with this book.

The main characters are really into a book/TV series called Gods of the Gates and obviously knowing the show is important to the characters connection, and the author tries to input different scenes, fanfiction, book clips, to try and get the audience to understand the fan base. However, I just felt like there were a lot of pieces missing, and I just didn’t understand it, which affected my ability to connect to the characters and their enjoyment of this TV series.As a person who is a huge weeb and fan girl about a lot of different media I’d just felt lost, and it affected my enjoyment of the book.

I do want to try some of the other books in the series. I’m not quite sure how much this made up TV show Gods of the Gates plays a part in the other books, but we will see.

Content Warnings

kaitlinnoodles's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A thoroughly entertaining and hilarious read, with a lot of engaging literary layers and pop culture references (plus women in STEM fields!). I love the way the author gives positive, confident agency to fat characters. However, there isn’t a lot of body diversity (or any other kind) outside of the main character.

The narrator for the audiobook is excellent.

The sex scenes are descriptively explicit but, aside from the fanfic blurbs, there are only 2-3 scenes, none with significant kink.

Content Warnings

kayleigh_reads_romance's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.5

lost a half star because I hate the miscommunication trope!!!

Content Warnings

thebookpaiges's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Content Warnings

shelvesofivy's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

bzliz's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted slow-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

3.5

Marcus is an actor who has grown dissatisfied with his show’s lazy scripts that undo seasons worth of character development, so he turns to fanfiction to explore how it should have gone. April is a geologist by day but also a secret super fan of Marcus’ show who likes to cosplay her favorite character and write smutty fics about her favorite pairing (which happens to include Marcus’s character). In fact, they are close friends within the fandom without Marcus revealing his identity and possibly putting his career at risk.

When April takes a chance and posts a cosplay photo of herself without cropping out her face, internet trolls quickly start criticizing her for her size. Marcus happens to see and publicly admonishes her critics and invites her on a date, during which she reveals to him that she is actually his closest internet friend.

They both struggle to share their true selves despite their attraction to one another, setting off a pretty typical rom com pattern of constant back and forth revealing small pieces of themselves before one of them (usually April) reads into something too much and withdraws again only to forgive and move forward soon after.

This book is a love letter to everyone who spent years escaping into fanfiction as a way to express themselves and see themselves represented in their favorite works, as well as anyone who has been led to believe they are “less than” because of how they look.

Content Warnings

peachani's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful 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

3.25

Content Warnings

marlajanereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

More...