Reviews with content warning for Fatphobia - Spoiler Alert

Great read! I loved the chemistry between Marcus and April. And loved the fat representation and an example of a woman who sets firm boundaries and doesn't let others violate them.

Content Warnings

amanda_reads89's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing tense 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

4.5

Content Warnings

paperandspines's review against another edition

Go to review page

This book is not bad (at least as far as I got) by any means. I enjoyed the writing and the overall story of famous guy/regular girl was fine. I loved the fat rep and genuinely enjoyed April for the most part.

My hang up was the time jumping and the AO3 aspect and the snippets of Marcus’ films at the beginning of the chapters. I’m not a fanfiction person so I have no idea what that realm is like. And I just struggled with the beginning of the chapters. I started losing interest with Marcus and his “I must maintain my public image” thing. I just read another book with this in it and I just don’t enjoy that aspect of this story. Just be yourself, dude. I also looked up spoilers (lol) to see if my prediction for the 3rd act breakup was correct…it was. So I’m kind of glad I stopped while I was ahead. I just wasn’t a fan of the run around happening with these characters. To be late 30s, I just wanted more transparency from Marcus.

Content Warnings

proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad 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

4.0

Marcus Caster-Rupp is a star in the popular TV show "Gods of the Gates", where he plays the demigod Aeneas. To get rid of his frustration over his character he secretly writes fanfiction anonymously. If someone finds out he’ll get fired.

April Whittier is a geologist and has always hid her fanfiction writing to everyone. But she's decided that hiding is over, and when she posts on Twitter her photo goes viral. Both supporters and trolls comment her plus size and when Marcus sees her picture he asks her on a date to spite her bullies.

I've already read "All the Feels", the second book in the series, but they play out at the same time, so it doesn't really matter in what order you read them.

I really like both characters, and the chemistry between them feels real, although they seem like an ill-matched couple. Marcus isn't only hiding his fanfic writing. He plays a role in public, to make everyone see him as a very handsome, but shallow and not too bright, actor. April is plus size, but proud of her body. I like the positive body attitude, but the author also shows what prejudice and snarky comments they often have to face. Marcus makes sure April knows that he loves her body just the way it is (the sex scenes are VERY explicit - it almost had me blushing in my solitude!).

I've never read fanfiction and don't know much about that world, so those parts I found quite uninteresting. Since this is a romantic comedy it was mostly predictable, but that's no real disadvantage in these kind of books. I'm being entertained for the most part, and Isabelle Ruther does an excellent job narrating. I definitely want to read "Ship Wrecked", the next book in the series!

Content Warnings

jenturnspages's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

Content Warnings

shortforvalkyrie's review

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

I found the sex scenes more embarrassing than steamy, but I generally enjoyed this book!

Content Warnings

lisacanteven's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-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

3.5

Started reading Olivia Dade with At First Spite and loved it. This one didn't quite hit like AFS did. I did enjoy it, but I just didn't feel the chemistry between the characters. Maybe it's because the man was blonde- who really knows. I did love the fat rep, and I thought it was very well done. As a fat woman, I appreciate how Dade portrays her fat characters. I wouldn't mind the male love interest being fat as well eventually.

The way Dade wrote about April's parents almost did me in. I feel like she put my parents on the page. I just wish I could be as bold and strong as April. I wish boundaries came that easy to me. I'm working on it in therapy. And it sounds like April had done a lot of work on boundary setting as well. It gave me hope as someone who is working too. I love emotionally mature characters, in romance especially.

However, I did not like a main aspect of the plot.

I don't condone how long the secret between the two of them was kept. I knew there would be a third act breakup, and the closer it got to the end without the secret coming to light the less I knew I would like the book. I do not like a quick and rushed third act breakup. In fact I would say we should retire that trope. I also hate when characters sleep together and one is keeping a huge secret. YUCK.

I think what I hid behind the spoiler tag is what really prevented me from connecting to this story. I found myself hardly listening during the whole second half of the book because I was mad at a main character and anticipating a 3rd act breakup the entire time.

And then half the pages left after the breakup were spent on two side characters who I assume will be in the next book. But there were a lot of pages that could have been spent resolving the conflict so that it wasn't done in mere sentences.

Pacing was weird. Idk how to explain it more than what is under the spoiler tag. Pacing was very weird.

I'm not sure if I would have read this if I had known what it was like beforehand because I'm not a fanfic girly. I don't think there is anything wrong with fanfic, but it's never been my scene. However, I am glad I didn't know because I actually found this to be a very enduring look into a fanfic community. I enjoyed learning about a topic that is very unknown to me. I would be interested to know how readers feel who are in those communities. Does Dade do a good job representing that?

I will continue this series because I do think I really would like this series if the plot does not include the tropes in this one. Harlot's Bay is superior though, so if you haven't read At First Spite, you should asap.

Content Warnings

julia51's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny reflective 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

4.5

Content Warnings

More...