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expressivekim's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Bullying and Eating disorder
ginadapooh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
Minor: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
pagesfromhome's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-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? No
3.75
Spoiler Alert is a wonderful exploration of what it means to be loved and desired for exactly who you are; not fetishized, not begrudgingly, but a confident love. As someone who isn't totally immersed in the fan fiction type of world, I lost a little bit of the joy in that portion, but that is 100% on me and is no reflection of the book itself. In terms of the portions outside of that, I LOVED how incredibly consent is utilized in the sex scenes and do know that these are very NSFW type of sex scenes. It was lovely to read a story that is so focused on taking care of yourself and finding value in exactly who you are.
I loved the body positivity and relationship between Marcus and April, but something about this book just didn't land perfectly for me. I'd recommend it for anyone who is involved in the fan fiction world but go into with care for the content warnings.
I loved the body positivity and relationship between Marcus and April, but something about this book just didn't land perfectly for me. I'd recommend it for anyone who is involved in the fan fiction world but go into with care for the content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Eating disorder
sunnyreads's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I wish I could give this all the stars. I laughed, I screamed (like when April told Marcus that she was ULS!) God, I really, really, really loved this one. It made me smile.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse
Moderate: Eating disorder and Sexual content
vobots's review against another edition
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
3.5
This made my little fandom heart soar!!! *crying* I don’t read nearly as much fanfiction as I used to, but man, did this bring back some very happy memories. It’s basically a Game of Thrones spin off (with waaaay too many parallels; I almost didn’t make it past the first chapter because of it) but otherwise so fun!! And such important discussions about body imagery, fat shaming, toxic parents, and not being afraid to love yourself! Ugh loved the memories that came back up for me. I miss my fandoms
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship
beatricelo's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder
maiagaia's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
Things I liked:
- The maturity and self-reflection on display from both main characters. Whenever one of them would have a knee-jerk negative reaction to something, it was only temporary. Once the initial defensiveness or anger dulled, they thought through the interactions and considered that they may have misinterpreted the other person's intentions. What a concept.
- The main plot. Cute, fluffy, sweet. Everything I wanted from this type of book.
- The rep. Fatness, dyslexia, gayness, adhd all get a part in the story. It was refreshing.
- Fandom love. I have definitely read fanfic in my time (Game of Thrones's final 4 seasons were increasingly blights upon humanity), but I've never written fanfic or participated in fandom to the extent that the characters do here. However, I loved seeing ADULTS unapologetically participate in something they love. It was a refreshing pushback against certain creators who have not-so-subtle disdain for their more involved fans.
Things I'm on the fence about:
- April's parents. I understand that for many people, the fatshaming starts with their parents. However, I wasn't expecting that struggle to be such a big part of this book, and it was honestly depressing. On the one hand, I wish that entire subplot had been removed or at the very least toned down, but on the other hand, I understand how important that story is for some people. It dampened my enjoyment because of how depressing it was, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad addition.
- The make-up scene. I don't like grand gestures as the climax of a story. They always gloss over the issue that caused the split and don't allow the characters to really work it out. I was hoping for more discussion to happen between these two since their communication had been really strong throughout. Instead, the reconciliation felt very surface-level. It wasn't a bad scene, and the characters were on the same page at that point, but THEY didn't know that because they never actually said that.
- The media excerpts between chapters. I loved some of them while others felt more obligatory. Like, the author had great ideas for a handful of them but then realized she needed to have more and slapped some stuff together. I loved the messages between the main characters and excerpts from the actual show, but I was not at all interested in the spoofy excerpts from the love interest's former roles. Those were a little too over the top for me, and some of the fanfic excerpts were a little to on-the-nose.
Things I didn't like:
- the final scene. Let me clarify, I like where all the characters end up. Let's just say there is a suggestive through-line in the chapter that's very out of place and left me mostly feeling perplexed by its inclusion.
- The number of sex scenes. Thankfully, they were not integral to the plot and easily skipped. I don't have anything against sex scenes, there were just too many. It felt like every scene had to end with sex, and I just didn't care. They were very well-written, so for anyone looking for a sexier book, this will probably be a knock-out. It's just not what I was looking for.
- The maturity and self-reflection on display from both main characters. Whenever one of them would have a knee-jerk negative reaction to something, it was only temporary. Once the initial defensiveness or anger dulled, they thought through the interactions and considered that they may have misinterpreted the other person's intentions. What a concept.
- The main plot. Cute, fluffy, sweet. Everything I wanted from this type of book.
- The rep. Fatness, dyslexia, gayness, adhd all get a part in the story. It was refreshing.
- Fandom love. I have definitely read fanfic in my time (Game of Thrones's final 4 seasons were increasingly blights upon humanity), but I've never written fanfic or participated in fandom to the extent that the characters do here. However, I loved seeing ADULTS unapologetically participate in something they love. It was a refreshing pushback against certain creators who have not-so-subtle disdain for their more involved fans.
Things I'm on the fence about:
- April's parents. I understand that for many people, the fatshaming starts with their parents. However, I wasn't expecting that struggle to be such a big part of this book, and it was honestly depressing. On the one hand, I wish that entire subplot had been removed or at the very least toned down, but on the other hand, I understand how important that story is for some people. It dampened my enjoyment because of how depressing it was, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad addition.
- The make-up scene. I don't like grand gestures as the climax of a story. They always gloss over the issue that caused the split and don't allow the characters to really work it out. I was hoping for more discussion to happen between these two since their communication had been really strong throughout. Instead, the reconciliation felt very surface-level. It wasn't a bad scene, and the characters were on the same page at that point, but THEY didn't know that because they never actually said that.
- The media excerpts between chapters. I loved some of them while others felt more obligatory. Like, the author had great ideas for a handful of them but then realized she needed to have more and slapped some stuff together. I loved the messages between the main characters and excerpts from the actual show, but I was not at all interested in the spoofy excerpts from the love interest's former roles. Those were a little too over the top for me, and some of the fanfic excerpts were a little to on-the-nose.
Things I didn't like:
- the final scene. Let me clarify, I like where all the characters end up. Let's just say there is a suggestive through-line in the chapter that's very out of place and left me mostly feeling perplexed by its inclusion.
- The number of sex scenes. Thankfully, they were not integral to the plot and easily skipped. I don't have anything against sex scenes, there were just too many. It felt like every scene had to end with sex, and I just didn't care. They were very well-written, so for anyone looking for a sexier book, this will probably be a knock-out. It's just not what I was looking for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny and Eating disorder
readerette's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This reads a lot like fanfiction, which maybe romance novels tend to. But it made the story feel less polished to me, especially for the first half of the book. That said, I did finish the book. The love story was sweet and the main characters did seem relatively healthy and adult, which sometimes isn't the case in romances. It was a little over the top in un-shaming April for her size, but that's the point.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Sexual content, and Fatphobia
Minor: Eating disorder and Emotional abuse
lennie_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon / Piatkus for my ARC.
I absolutely ADORED this book!
We follow April, a 30-something geologist who has a passion for writing and reading fanfiction for the made up show 'Gods of the Gates' and Marcus, an actor in the show who also enjoys reading and writing fanfiction for the aforementioned show, under a pseudonym.
The pair are best friends online but don't know each other's true identities. Marcus doesn't want April to know he's a famous actor and also, as he doesn't agree with the shows direction for the characters, his fanfiction could get him in a lot of legal trouble with the show runners.
April has kept her love for the show (including her fanfiction and cosplaying) a secret as her job is very strict about appearances. However, as she is starting a new job with much more liberal and supportive co-workers, she decides to bite the bullet and post her cosplaying her favourite character in the show (Lavinia). Another reason this is a big deal for April is that she's fat, and upon posting her picture she receives a lot of trolling online. One of the trolls tags Marcus to try and get him to join in with the jokes, he however, thinks she's beautiful and decides that he's not going to let these small minded people win and publicly asks her on a date on twitter. (He is unaware that this is his fanfiction bestie 'UltimateLaviniaStan' or 'Ulsie').
At their date, April reveals her username and Marcus freezes. He wants to tell her who he is but he's too terrified of ruining his career. Another issue is that Marcus has created a 'persona' that portrays him as an unintelligent preening puppy dog because it's easier to deal with the press. This obviously causes problems and as with all good romances, we have the 'lie / omission of truth' situation. In this case, Marcus' secret online identity, that is just waiting to come out and ruin the couple's happiness.
I really enjoyed the POV of both characters and I am obsessed with both of them. April is a total badass whilst also being extremely vulnerable and Marcus is an absolute sweetheart who just wants to be loved. They both have terrible relationships with their parents and no siblings, but also have found family with their colleagues and the GOTG community which I loved.
The book & show, God's of the Gates, to me, seemed very much like a Greek God parody of Game of Thrones. The book does actually also reference Game of Thrones as a parallel.
This book has great disability rep and portrays Marcus' dyslexia in a very accurate and positive light. I also loved the fact that it showed how much he loved audiobooks and the workarounds he uses for reading things digitally (i.e getting the device to read the text aloud).
This book obviously also has fantastic fat rep. The way that April has come so far in loving herself but still has insecurities due to how people have treated her in the past and how some people still treat her now.
And let's not forget the STEAM. OH my. The sex in this book was fantastic. Very focused on making each other feel sexy and comfortable. I also loved seeing Marcus' POV and how much he adored April.
I also loved the fanfiction references to pegging as it's not something that's mentioned often. Alex (Marcus' costar) could've been precious and hyper masculine about it but instead he embraced the direction of his character in fanfiction and even decided to write his own. And I'm super excited to read the next book which is kind of a sequel but focuses on Alex and is called 'Slow Burn'.
I could just ramble on about this book for ages but if you love open door romance and are familiar with the fanfiction community I'd 100% recommend this book.
CW: fatshaming, toxic relationships, insecurities, eating disorders, mental illness, body shaming, ableism, emotional abuse, child abuse, bullying, sexism
I absolutely ADORED this book!
We follow April, a 30-something geologist who has a passion for writing and reading fanfiction for the made up show 'Gods of the Gates' and Marcus, an actor in the show who also enjoys reading and writing fanfiction for the aforementioned show, under a pseudonym.
The pair are best friends online but don't know each other's true identities. Marcus doesn't want April to know he's a famous actor and also, as he doesn't agree with the shows direction for the characters, his fanfiction could get him in a lot of legal trouble with the show runners.
April has kept her love for the show (including her fanfiction and cosplaying) a secret as her job is very strict about appearances. However, as she is starting a new job with much more liberal and supportive co-workers, she decides to bite the bullet and post her cosplaying her favourite character in the show (Lavinia). Another reason this is a big deal for April is that she's fat, and upon posting her picture she receives a lot of trolling online. One of the trolls tags Marcus to try and get him to join in with the jokes, he however, thinks she's beautiful and decides that he's not going to let these small minded people win and publicly asks her on a date on twitter. (He is unaware that this is his fanfiction bestie 'UltimateLaviniaStan' or 'Ulsie').
At their date, April reveals her username and Marcus freezes. He wants to tell her who he is but he's too terrified of ruining his career. Another issue is that Marcus has created a 'persona' that portrays him as an unintelligent preening puppy dog because it's easier to deal with the press. This obviously causes problems and as with all good romances, we have the 'lie / omission of truth' situation. In this case, Marcus' secret online identity, that is just waiting to come out and ruin the couple's happiness.
I really enjoyed the POV of both characters and I am obsessed with both of them. April is a total badass whilst also being extremely vulnerable and Marcus is an absolute sweetheart who just wants to be loved. They both have terrible relationships with their parents and no siblings, but also have found family with their colleagues and the GOTG community which I loved.
The book & show, God's of the Gates, to me, seemed very much like a Greek God parody of Game of Thrones. The book does actually also reference Game of Thrones as a parallel.
This book has great disability rep and portrays Marcus' dyslexia in a very accurate and positive light. I also loved the fact that it showed how much he loved audiobooks and the workarounds he uses for reading things digitally (i.e getting the device to read the text aloud).
This book obviously also has fantastic fat rep. The way that April has come so far in loving herself but still has insecurities due to how people have treated her in the past and how some people still treat her now.
And let's not forget the STEAM. OH my. The sex in this book was fantastic. Very focused on making each other feel sexy and comfortable. I also loved seeing Marcus' POV and how much he adored April.
I also loved the fanfiction references to pegging as it's not something that's mentioned often. Alex (Marcus' costar) could've been precious and hyper masculine about it but instead he embraced the direction of his character in fanfiction and even decided to write his own. And I'm super excited to read the next book which is kind of a sequel but focuses on Alex and is called 'Slow Burn'.
I could just ramble on about this book for ages but if you love open door romance and are familiar with the fanfiction community I'd 100% recommend this book.
CW: fatshaming, toxic relationships, insecurities, eating disorders, mental illness, body shaming, ableism, emotional abuse, child abuse, bullying, sexism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Body shaming, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Bullying
bookstolivewith's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Y’ALL. I am obsessed with Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade. Like stayed-up-until-2am-to-finish-reading obsessed.
April Whittier, confident geologist, and Marcus Caster-Rupp, world famous actor, have been BFFs on a fan forum for years, but they have no idea of each other’s real identities. But then Marcus asks April out via Twitter after an ugly fan dispute, having no idea who she is. When he finds out that this same woman has been his touchstone for years, will he reveal himself to her, potentially ending his Hollywood career, or will he keep up the double persona and try to have the best of both worlds?
This is the perfect book for anyone who has dabbled into fanfiction, fan cons or fan forums. (Guilty as charged — seriously, though Anne of Green Gables fanfiction is where it’s at.) This is a perfect book for anyone who has struggled with their appearance or insecurities and found comfort in a fictional world. This is a perfect book if you just want to read about some hot, swoony, sexy moments.
I think what I found most loveable about Spoiler Alert was the inherent realism in what is kind of a crazy star-crossed lovers type of story. April & Marcus are both older, which is super refreshing as someone in her mid-20s with no romantic relationship in sight, and also gives credence to the idea that you never have to age out of being a fan. Also, this might be TMI but there’s finally a sex scene with a sensible bra whose cups can’t be just pulled down at a moments notice and that you can’t feel a nipple through! Like, I’ve got big lady boobs and those flimsy bras that everyone is ripping off as soon as sex starts are a pipe dream as far as I’m concerned. So thank you Olivia Dade, for putting sexy realism back in the bedroom!
I am sure there are critiques to be made or things I’m overlooking but long story short, I loved it. It made me feel butterfly-filled. Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade is out on October 6th and I can’t wait to see what she does next!
April Whittier, confident geologist, and Marcus Caster-Rupp, world famous actor, have been BFFs on a fan forum for years, but they have no idea of each other’s real identities. But then Marcus asks April out via Twitter after an ugly fan dispute, having no idea who she is. When he finds out that this same woman has been his touchstone for years, will he reveal himself to her, potentially ending his Hollywood career, or will he keep up the double persona and try to have the best of both worlds?
This is the perfect book for anyone who has dabbled into fanfiction, fan cons or fan forums. (Guilty as charged — seriously, though Anne of Green Gables fanfiction is where it’s at.) This is a perfect book for anyone who has struggled with their appearance or insecurities and found comfort in a fictional world. This is a perfect book if you just want to read about some hot, swoony, sexy moments.
I think what I found most loveable about Spoiler Alert was the inherent realism in what is kind of a crazy star-crossed lovers type of story. April & Marcus are both older, which is super refreshing as someone in her mid-20s with no romantic relationship in sight, and also gives credence to the idea that you never have to age out of being a fan. Also, this might be TMI but there’s finally a sex scene with a sensible bra whose cups can’t be just pulled down at a moments notice and that you can’t feel a nipple through! Like, I’ve got big lady boobs and those flimsy bras that everyone is ripping off as soon as sex starts are a pipe dream as far as I’m concerned. So thank you Olivia Dade, for putting sexy realism back in the bedroom!
I am sure there are critiques to be made or things I’m overlooking but long story short, I loved it. It made me feel butterfly-filled. Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade is out on October 6th and I can’t wait to see what she does next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexism
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