Spoiler Alert: A Novel (Spoiler Alert, 1)

i almost died reading this in the best way

I picked this book up because on the surface a romance novel centered around a fat heroine involved in fandom felt like it might be the first time I've felt represented in romance novels (why do romance writers always feel the need to obsessively remind readers of how little, small, and petite their female leads are?) I somehow missed until about halfway through that this was very thinly veiled Nikolaj Coster-Waldau x self insert fanfiction centered around the frustrations of the GoT fandom (probably because I never really got into game of thrones lol). And can I just say, I hate that so much. There's something really uncomfortable about it, given that NCW is like.... a real person? I guess I've always been uncomfortable with actor self insert fanfiction (I'm all there for character x self insert, if thats your jam) but I think there's something really uncomfortable about writing sex scenes about yourself and an actor you think is hot and then publishing that. (Also - I love fanfic, but hate the trend of thinly veiled published fanfic. Why?)

I also cannot get over how much I HATED the idea that the actor was writing fanfic and on fandom servers? Also - the fact that he keeps it from her that he's her online fandom friend until fully 80% of the way into the book is so shitty. I don't know, I was just really disappointed with this one. It was startlingly unsexy despite having multiple sex scenes.

Also why was she always mad at him? Why would he love her so much when she constantly makes him feel bad for no real reason? Every scene from his POV is just him anxiously second-guessing himself and idk, I don't like it.

Side note, I don't think (as a fat woman with similar problems of people constantly suggesting diets, exercise, weight loss, etc like the MC) I would be very comfortable in a relationship with someone with such a different relationship with food and their bodies. He's constantly obsessing over his body, his protein intake, his workout routine, etc. And thats great for him, but I think it just makes them kinda.... incompatible. I don't think I could live with someone who lives off of lettuce wraps and just watches me eat fried rice but won't because he's so particular about his own body.

This book. My goodness. Am I the only one that got “you’ve got mail” vibes from it? Also let me clarify that I will forever be a “You’ve got mail” fangirl, so basically that means I loved it. I was v here for the premise, and I was especially here for it starring a fat lead. I loved the entire relationship between Marcus and April, and I’m hella excited to read Alex/Lauren’s story. TBD when though. Having said that, I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent person, but I had to Google numerous words from this book, and i didn’t love that. All in all, it made for a super cute, steamy read with lots of you’ve got mail vibes. V here for it!

I loved, loved, LOVED this book! :)

I think any reader who's either into the fandom culture and has written fanfiction, or who has ever had a huge crush on a TV/movie actor past teen age, or can relate to April not being the ideal size 2 model, will love this fun and VERY sexy romance!

Marcus, a gorgeous blond actor who stars in a mythology-based action series called 'Gods of the Gates', is a bit too attached to the character he plays, Aeneas. Marcus feels that the makers of the show aren't giving Aeneas enough of a satisfying arc. Since he values his acting career, he secretly lets off steam about his character by writing fanfic- which is considered a 'geeky' hobby populated by mostly girls and women. He makes an online friend in the fanfic-writing world, a woman author who he likes and respects and shares a love for the show and characters.

But here is the twist. He ends up seeing April, his online friend from the fanfiction writing world, on social media dressed up as Lavinia, one of the characters from Marcus's show. He notices when a few trolls insult April when she posts a photo of herself. Marcus publicly engages her, tells the world that he thinks April is pretty, and asks her out on a date while still not knowing she is, in truth, his online author friend!

Do you see where this is going? Every fangirl's wildest fantasy comes true in this book.

It is so glorious, and SO passionate and romantic that I almost had to suspend my disbelief as I read it. April is an ordinary, plus-sized woman who works as a geologist by day and a fan-writer by night. Marcus happens to be one of the hottest TV heartthrobs in the world, yet plagued with inner insecurities because of his learning disability. Under all of the Hollywood glamour, he's just a guy- a vulnerable guy. So sweet! Like pretty much every woman who has read this, I wish Marcus were real. <3

And despite the fact they are from such different walks of life, Marcus and April fall fast for each other in lustful, whirlwind insta-love, which for this story is so satisfying as a reader.
Thank you, thank you SO much, Olivia Dade, for writing this magical gem of happiness, hot romance, and blissful escape from reality! :)

I'm about to start reading 'All the Feels' which features Alex, a character who has already been introduced as Marcus's actor colleague in Spoiler Alert, and I'm sure that he and Lauren will be just as sizzling hot and passionate as Marcus and April. They are a tough act to follow!

*series read (incomplete)