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dearbookboyfriend's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Death of parent and Infidelity
thesmutsister_emma's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
3.5
What in the Love of Herring?
I have read all of these books and have enjoyed every one that I have read. With that being said, I was somewhat disappointed in this book. I honestly expected more from it, but most of the book felt like they spent it not enjoying each other. The end and their relationship made up for the first half of the book, but for a long time I had trouble getting through this book.
The Characters
Maria: Bless Maria's heart. I honestly wish I was more like Maria. I wish I had the courage to stand up for myself no matter what and to walk away when things get bad. Maria and her fierce love for her family and others around her gives me hope that there are more people out there like me.
Peter: Sweet, sweet Peter. I always have such a soft spot for the quiet, grumpy ones. They truly are always the ones I want and adore when it comes to books. If Peter, Alex, and Marcus were all to materialize in front of me, I would be picking his grumpy ass in a heartbeat.
Things I Loved
I truly enjoyed Maria standing up for herself. I was a little confused alongside Peter when it first happened and struggled as well to understand what her reasoning, but once she went more in depth about it, it made more sense to me. I honestly am glad that Maria stood her ground with Peter, but I'm also glad she apologized. I loved the cameos in the book as well.
Things I Didn't Love
I honestly felt like the first half of the book was really slow. It was hard for me to get into the book well enough to read it well. This is more of a slow burn and I was not expecting it to be as much of a slow burn as it was. I was also expecting there to be more emphasis on the found family trope within the book than there was.
The Final Verdict
If you are a fan of Olivia Dade and are familiar with this series, I feel like it would be a good fit for you. If you are are wanting to get into the series because of this book, make sure you read about the others in the series before starting this series because they are very different from this one.
I have read all of these books and have enjoyed every one that I have read. With that being said, I was somewhat disappointed in this book. I honestly expected more from it, but most of the book felt like they spent it not enjoying each other. The end and their relationship made up for the first half of the book, but for a long time I had trouble getting through this book.
The Characters
Maria: Bless Maria's heart. I honestly wish I was more like Maria. I wish I had the courage to stand up for myself no matter what and to walk away when things get bad. Maria and her fierce love for her family and others around her gives me hope that there are more people out there like me.
Peter: Sweet, sweet Peter. I always have such a soft spot for the quiet, grumpy ones. They truly are always the ones I want and adore when it comes to books. If Peter, Alex, and Marcus were all to materialize in front of me, I would be picking his grumpy ass in a heartbeat.
Things I Loved
I truly enjoyed Maria standing up for herself. I was a little confused alongside Peter when it first happened and struggled as well to understand what her reasoning, but once she went more in depth about it, it made more sense to me. I honestly am glad that Maria stood her ground with Peter, but I'm also glad she apologized. I loved the cameos in the book as well.
Things I Didn't Love
I honestly felt like the first half of the book was really slow. It was hard for me to get into the book well enough to read it well. This is more of a slow burn and I was not expecting it to be as much of a slow burn as it was. I was also expecting there to be more emphasis on the found family trope within the book than there was.
The Final Verdict
If you are a fan of Olivia Dade and are familiar with this series, I feel like it would be a good fit for you. If you are are wanting to get into the series because of this book, make sure you read about the others in the series before starting this series because they are very different from this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, and Death of parent
lermaline's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Spoiler free: I think I read this book at the perfect time of the year for me to enjoy it. The end of december weather and a frequent commute allowed me to connect with the characters and the numerous places set throughout the book. I don’t know that I would re-read it, but still I put it down knowing that I would think about a few themes or issues for some time. It’s a common occurence for me when I finish Olivia Dade’s books. We know the romance is going to end well, that there will be spicy times and character growth. I would recommand this book to people who love an end of the year atmosphere, a story happening on a filming set, and cameos from heros and heroines from previous books. Keep in mind it also deals with heavy themes like being disconnected with your family, grief, feeling out of place, etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Body shaming
krisalexcole's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Misogyny, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
vanlyn87's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Fatphobia
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
the_vegan_bookworm's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
3.75
As much as I loved Spoiler Alert and All the Feels, I think this book was the weakest of the series so far. Peter and Maria are likable characters, but they get reduced to flat tropes repeatedly and it gets boring to read after a while. The last quarter of the book really dragged for me for this reason.
I love Maria a lot though, and a fat, hairy, take-no-shit female protagonist brought me so much joy. I just wish she wasn't reduced to Swedish one-liners in so many of her scenes - she can do so much better!
I love Maria a lot though, and a fat, hairy, take-no-shit female protagonist brought me so much joy. I just wish she wasn't reduced to Swedish one-liners in so many of her scenes - she can do so much better!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity
kathigh86's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
4.0
My new favorite from Olivia Dade. I much preferred the storyline and characters of this book than others in the series. Only rated it 4/5 due to the lack of labeling when it came to the time jumps. Otherwise I think this one has a well thought out emotional plot, good spice, funny characters, and interesting setting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity
thewildmageslibrary's review
4.0
Rating previously held during the HPCUnion strike.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
Moderate: Abandonment and Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Infidelity
peachani's review
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Sexual content
Moderate: Grief, Bullying, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Cursing
sydapel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
Bumping up because Olivia Dade is doing some incredible stuff in the romance space and deserves a lot more recognition. Probably my least favorite of the Gates of the Gods series this far, but considering how much I loved the first two it's a high bar to clear. Maria and Peter are so well matched and their journey together is done so well. Ultimately, I just didn't think their banter was done as well as it could have and fell a little flat for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Fatphobia, and Body shaming