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krzzykitty92's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
Spoiler Alert honors long-loved romance and fanfiction tropes through an irresistible portrayal of a love story between a television actor and a geologist who are (unbeknownst to our heroine) online friends. It’s a story that’s easy to love, not only because it’s fun to imagine an adorable guy like Marcus or a gorgeous gal like April on the other end of the line, but because the writing, the characters, and the story are all incredibly genuine - Dade’s love for the genre seeps through the pages of this fun, sweet book. Entirely worth the re-read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, and Ableism
Moderate: Eating disorder
monicalaurette's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
I thought this book was so fun and cute and I really wish now that I had read all of these books in the publication order. I devoured this book so quickly and there were so many cute moments between the two.
The declaration of love at the end of the book during the Con of the Gates was also really sweet and I really liked how that was the way Dade chose to bring them back together because it was, at least to me, a unique way to do that. Even though Marcus fell for April a lot faster than she did for him, I loved how head over heels he was for her and allowed his walls to crumble. Now we just need to work on men in romance books to use COMMUNICATION AND ALL OF THEIR WORDS BEFORE IT’S THE BAD TIME.
Should Dade write more in this interconnected world I’ll be one of the first to grab it because I loved all of these characters so much and I want to know more about what they are all doing. Mainly the biography MacKenzie is writing for Whiskers - I STILL WANT THAT!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Fatphobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Child abuse
for the 'Child abuse' one: it's more of how the parents spoke to the main characters while growing up instead of physical. so more mental/emotional abuse but it started when the characters were kids so yeahtaliaalongi'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Ableism
melodybanner's review against another edition
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
diana_raquel'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“Please tell me people who look like us can be loved.
Please tell me people who look like us can be desired.
Please tell me people who look like us can have happy endings.”
This book has been on my radar for quite some time, due to the fact that involves the world of fan fiction. As a fan girl myself I found myself attracted to it. And the plus size representation was a plus!
I really enjoyed this book. Is it the best goddam romance that I ever read? No. But it is a light, cute, heartwarming romance about a fan girl meeting her celebrity crush that its also her online best friend. Its a good summer reading!
Tully recommend it if you want a light, cute summer reading!
Please tell me people who look like us can be desired.
Please tell me people who look like us can have happy endings.”
This book has been on my radar for quite some time, due to the fact that involves the world of fan fiction. As a fan girl myself I found myself attracted to it. And the plus size representation was a plus!
I really enjoyed this book. Is it the best goddam romance that I ever read? No. But it is a light, cute, heartwarming romance about a fan girl meeting her celebrity crush that its also her online best friend. Its a good summer reading!
Tully recommend it if you want a light, cute summer reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Cursing, Sexual content, and Body shaming
Moderate: Child abuse, Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Eating disorder
cor_luz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia and Body shaming
frantic_vampire's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Spoiler Alert was an absolute delight to read!It’s a love letter to fat girls and fandom. I loved it so, so much. This is one of those books that I wish I could just curl up between the pages and never leave. It was filled with so love for fandom and fanfic culture that I felt right at home. It was also one of those books were I actually felt seen. As someone who is fat, I loved getting to see April, a fat girl, find love and be accepted for who she is and not have someone try to change the way she looks. It was just so nice. And Marcus was an absolute sweetheart! He was so understanding and protective of April. It was just swoon-worthy! 😊
I think I might have found a new auto-buy author. This book had me feeling all the feels, and I honestly can’t wait to pick up the next book. Spoiler Alert is getting five out of five stars!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Body shaming
Moderate: Ableism
sreddous's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There's a lot to like about this book. It's refreshing to see fat characters use calm and straightforward words to advocate for themselves in relationships and to open up about their insecurities. It's refreshing to see a fat main romantic character who (mostly) carries themself with confidence! Good stuff!
The sex scenes are goooooooood. Really good descriptions, really easy to get immersed in, good pacing, nice creative things going on. Great stuff there!!
I think what makes this not be a 5-star experience for me is that I feel like we don't get enough of an actually-deep emotional connection between Marcus and April. I sort of had a hard time trying to figure out why I didn't really feel like I connected to THEIR connection. Like... I'm definitely the target audience for this. I, too, have my share of AO3 stories written and bookmarked, and the idea that "Marcus is based on a real celebrity" eh, didn't bother me, because it's not like he's EXACTLY like "the real person" he's based on (I feel like lots of literary characters are probably based on real people anyway). So that didn't take me out of the experience.
I think what kept me from being very immersed most of the time is that the book tried to juggle the following topics in the context of its own universe:
1. Marcus is a celebrity who plays a character that is popular in fandom.
2. April and her friend group write sexually-explicit fanfic of that character.
3. April has to separate 'TV characters' from the 'real person Marcus' she's dating, while she's still writing sexually-explicit fanfiction of that character.
4. Marcus is hiding that he, too, likes sexually-explicit fanfiction.
5. Marcus is also "trying not to be seen as just the characters he plays/the persona he puts on for the paparazzi" but as a real person.
I feel like.... items 3-5 sort of... don't go that well together? I guess it's the secrecy stuff that makes everything feel a little shallow and tense in a not-fun way. Like, if Marcus was like "lmao yeah I actually do read and enjoy plenty of that stuff even though it ofc can't be called canon" on their first date, then I think he and April could actually bond over their shared hobbies. But they don't do that, so I don't reeeally see why April being like "I'm a geologist" just about literally gives Marcus an erection at the dinner table lmao. I think I scratched my head for most of the book, thinking, "Why...do you guys like each other?" We were throwing around the word "love" on page 295, and I was still thinking, "I kinda don't see why yet".
So yeah. I think this could be tightened up in a way that actually explores these characters connecting and bonding over shared hobbies and building chemistry, but as-is their actual romantic connection feels surface level and a biiiiiiiiiiit too fast-paced. Not that 100% of literary romances need to be slow-burn, but I feel like this one was still a bit too fast for how serious things got.
Overall, though, I still enjoyed this. Some of the best sex scenes I've read in a while, definitely recommend!!
The sex scenes are goooooooood. Really good descriptions, really easy to get immersed in, good pacing, nice creative things going on. Great stuff there!!
I think what makes this not be a 5-star experience for me is that I feel like we don't get enough of an actually-deep emotional connection between Marcus and April. I sort of had a hard time trying to figure out why I didn't really feel like I connected to THEIR connection. Like... I'm definitely the target audience for this. I, too, have my share of AO3 stories written and bookmarked, and the idea that "Marcus is based on a real celebrity" eh, didn't bother me, because it's not like he's EXACTLY like "the real person" he's based on (I feel like lots of literary characters are probably based on real people anyway). So that didn't take me out of the experience.
I think what kept me from being very immersed most of the time is that the book tried to juggle the following topics in the context of its own universe:
1. Marcus is a celebrity who plays a character that is popular in fandom.
2. April and her friend group write sexually-explicit fanfic of that character.
3. April has to separate 'TV characters' from the 'real person Marcus' she's dating, while she's still writing sexually-explicit fanfiction of that character.
4. Marcus is hiding that he, too, likes sexually-explicit fanfiction.
5. Marcus is also "trying not to be seen as just the characters he plays/the persona he puts on for the paparazzi" but as a real person.
I feel like.... items 3-5 sort of... don't go that well together? I guess it's the secrecy stuff that makes everything feel a little shallow and tense in a not-fun way. Like, if Marcus was like "lmao yeah I actually do read and enjoy plenty of that stuff even though it ofc can't be called canon" on their first date, then I think he and April could actually bond over their shared hobbies. But they don't do that, so I don't reeeally see why April being like "I'm a geologist" just about literally gives Marcus an erection at the dinner table lmao. I think I scratched my head for most of the book, thinking, "Why...do you guys like each other?" We were throwing around the word "love" on page 295, and I was still thinking, "I kinda don't see why yet".
So yeah. I think this could be tightened up in a way that actually explores these characters connecting and bonding over shared hobbies and building chemistry, but as-is their actual romantic connection feels surface level and a biiiiiiiiiiit too fast-paced. Not that 100% of literary romances need to be slow-burn, but I feel like this one was still a bit too fast for how serious things got.
Overall, though, I still enjoyed this. Some of the best sex scenes I've read in a while, definitely recommend!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia