I loved everything about this book. The cover drew me in immediately (seeing a woman with a body like mine on the cover of a romance novel is really amazing), and the description made it fly to the top of my TBR list. The story was incredible, the romance was well written and believable, and the interstitials were a lot of fun. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

LOVED! I died with the similarities between GoT and Gods of the Gates, it was hilarious. Will GoT fans receive a movie to help ease our last season blues?!?! If only....

Very cute and I'm excited for Alex and Lauren's story! Thanks NetGalley for ARC.

Readers of steamy romance and fan faction will absolutely love this book. I'm not the latter, but I found the structure to be so clever with common themes interwoven between both April and Marcus's love story and the story within the story (if that makes sense). The complicated backstories of both characters and their parental issues added a lot of depth.

As a fanfiction writer, this book's premise delighted me. It really did stay true to fandom culture and with a sweet romance in there as well.

Spoiler Alert is a very satisfying love story as well as a fanfic writer's dream. It started off a bit slow for me, but overall, I loved the warmth and vulnerability of the hero, Marcus, and I loved that the heroine, April, was plus-size and unapologetic. She definitely has her insecurities, but overall, she knows her worth. Although I find it refreshing to read about a plus-size heroine in a romance, it still irks me that her weight is still the focus of the story, but I can understand the importance of including storylines that confront fat-shaming. While I loved Marcus and April, I cannot wait for Alex and Lauren's story. From the peeks we got of the relationship between the two in Spoiler Alert, it seems like it'll be both heartfelt and humorous. Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more from Olivia Wade.

What a great fun rom-com set in the world of fanfic. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Recently I have seen this author’s books pop up on here and Instagram. I didn’t even know that she had written other books until after requesting this one awhile ago. Apparently I’ve been living under a rock, haha.

I really enjoyed the cover for this one and the blurb also grabbed my attention. I found it interesting that it involved fanfiction and the female lead, April, was a plus-size woman. You don’t run into that often.

This book is split into two point-of-views: April and Marucs. It also has different formats (emails, DMs, fanfiction, etc). I thought that was really cool and its fun to see how creative a book can be with different formats.

April has had issues with people, like her mother, talking about her weight. I definitely related with her when it came to family members and weight. I’ve had my fair share of comments. It’s not fun. I did like that she didn’t let the trolls bring her down after posting her photo.

Marcus is not what you expect but in a good way. He isn’t your typical celebrity. It was also mentioned that he was dyslexic.

The pacing was a bit slow at times since some of the scenes dragged on a bit but otherwise it was done well.

As for the plot, I think the beginning kind of threw us into something and then it was explained more throughout the rest of the book. I wasn’t really a big fan of how the relationship went. I would say that the plot also is very heavy on language and sexual talk and it’s not something I really enjoy. This is obviously just a personal preference.

Overall, I thought it was an okay read. It is nicely done I think it really boils down to it just not being a book for me.

‘Spoiler Alert’ by Olivia Dade is a charming contemporary romance about a young geologist, April, who dabbles in fanfic of her favorite tv show, “Gods of the Gates”. The show stars the handsome Marcus, who’s public persona is that of a large golden retriever: sweet, affable, but overall a bit dim. When events bring them together, April discovers more layers to Marcus, and Marcus is in awe of April’s beauty and intelligence. It’s a book that manages to make insecurities real obstacles for individuals to overcome, rather than plot devices for people to be saved from. Families are complicated and good boundaries are drawn. This is my favorite kind of romance because although the premise itself is outlandish, the characters Dade creates are grownups who take realistic steps towards making things work. Would recommend it for those already familiar with fanfic as it might be confusing for those outside of the know.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish! At first I was just living for the Game of Thrones shade but then I completely fell in love with April and Marcus and their wonderful character arcs (and their incredible chemistry). The story takes on complex issues (fatphobia! fandom misogyny! dyslexia! parent problems! trust issues!) and handles them all so well. And, on top of it all, this was some of the best representation of fandom/the fanfic community that I've ever seen.

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, lighthearted, and deeply poignant all rolled into one. I loved April so much, and it was great seeing her come to life off the page.

Funny and down to earth, Olivia Dade introduces many to the world of fanfiction. Fans taking to forums or websites, writing about beloved book characters, and their usually massacred screen portrayals. The two main characters must battle their offline and online personas with the world and themselves. The way the world sees them as opposed to how they see themselves or each other.
The chemistry begins as they get to know each other. The characters try to learn each other's interests, although April tries to get Marcus to open more as he is hiding behind pain and hurt. April is going through some feelings also, although it is mentioned later in the book.
Dade intertwines the present in-person interactions with those of the online anonymous interactions between the characters which help to introduce more depth to April and Marcus and their online relationship. Dade also includes an excerpt from some of the fanfiction the characters wrote or other moments of the characters' lives or scenes from the show which Marcus plays a role. This can take away from the story in some cases or not really add anything.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Fantastic premise: two individuals meet in the virtual world of fantasy fiction. And then they meet in real life. The strong, respectful bond they created as critique partners and readers is stretched to the limit when there is a powerful, mutual attraction counterbalanced by the risks of revealing who they really are, to one another and to the world at large. The powerful premise was carried through in the story told in several narrative threads of his view, her view, the on-line identities and the real world realities -- to glorious and wonderfully paced result. However, there were huge lags and drags and "Please, can we just move on" parts that pulled the story down into predictable, turgid, and unreadable. Ultimately, I look forward to another story, better expressed than this one -- Dade is a pleasure to read when she's on target.

This book was an absolute delight. I would give it 5 stars, but for the unnecessary bad language. I loved the characters, the relatable situations they found themselves in, the Cosplay, the fandom....Being overweight by more than a few pounds and a cosplayer, I could really identify with April.
She's smart, funny, successful, careful, loyal, and scared. Scared to be herself. Scared to lose her job, because of her innocent hobbies. Scared of more rejection. She's also very brave. Her decision to step out and act on that bravery leads to all kinds of 'events'. That bravery is what leads to this story. I loved it. My only complaint is the foul language. It cheapened a charming story and really wasn't necessary. Too bad really, because I would love to recommend this to a good number of people, but won't because of the language. I will however look forward to the next book in this series. and hope ...

I am noticing a trend of romance books that are a little more diverse in their main characters. The cover alone made me happy. The book did not disappoint. I really enjoyed this book. It was cute, smart, fun and sexy. The book was a fast read and kept me entertained. I loved the depth of the characters. I also enjoyed how both characters developed through the story. Spoiler Alert is not only April's story, but Marcus' as well. Both have issues they bring to the table and I think that the author does a wonderful job of working through these. Dade pays attention to the intricate worries and insecurities a lot of people bring into a relationship. I also liked that not every issue was easily solved. I absolutely adored April's confidence, intelligence, and humor. At times I forgot that she was a geologist and would have loved to see more of that brought into the story. The story also centers heavily on April's weight. I'm a large woman and loved that I could identify with the character. That being said, at times centering on her weight overshadowed some of the other parts of April's character and the plot, as if she was defined only by her weight.

Overall, I really liked the book and would recommend it.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Spoiler Alert.

I recieved an advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

So, this book is about movie star, Marcus Caster-Rupp, and geologist, April Whittier, who meet each other online doing fanfic about the show that Marcus works on. They keep their real identities secret, but develop a close personal friendship. By chance, April gets fat-shamed on Twitter, and Marcus being a nice guy offers to take her on a date. He actually realizes that she is his close friend Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest Fandom friend. He ends up allowing her to dig deeper into his life and personality, and they become involved in a relationship.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how both characters had family problems with their parents and how they had trust issues and insecurities. I was happy to read about a plus size curvy woman, and ecstatic to read about a man who loved that body. Body positivity is such an important topic, and I thought this book broached it in a really impressive way. The last 55 percent of the book was STELLAR. Beautifully written.

My only problem, which is a personal issue, is that I don't understand fan fiction, and so the beginning was a slower read for me because I couldn't get into the story at first. Thankfully, I stuck with it and it really became a book I couldn't stop reading about the halfway mark.

I think this book will resonate with readers searching for body positivity and main characters whose bodies are still perfect even though they might have rolls or cellulite. I'm excited to read more of Olivia Dade!

Adorable and nerdy and refreshingly real! I adore how steeped in fandom this book is and the inclusion of the snippets of fics is amazing. April is an incredible, well-developed character and I enjoyed following along on her journey as a confident plus sized girl surrounded by judgey, awful people (including her parents!).

My only teeny tiny bone to pick with Spoiler Alert is that I was never head over heels for April and Marcus' relationship. Early on I LOVED their interactions online, before they know each other IRL, and they have fantastic chemistry during their early in-person interactions. But once they are together and start sleeping together, their relationship falls on the dull side. Nearly all of their interactions after that point are sexual or sex-adjacent. We hear about dates they go on, but I'm a bit miffed we don't see them on-page.

But that's a small quibble in the face of such fun, important stuff Spoiler Alert tackles!

Spoiler Alert was my first book by Olivia Dade. I had mixed feelings about the protagonist, April. I LOVED that she was geologist, and a curvier gal. She was super confident, which seems weirdly hard to find a main character. She was almost *too confident* when she gets asked out by A HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY??? But whatever, I was there for the ride. I really ended up totally in love with her and Marcus. Such a great plot, and writing, and all over fun!

This one is for all the curvy girls who's ever had a crush on a movie star. It is also for all the fanfic writers, the fandom members, the con-goers, and anyone who loves to laugh and cry as they read themselves to a happily ever after. Ms. Dade's characters are complex, deep, and funny. I fell in love with the whole cast of the fictional TV series in the book, Gods of the Gates, and I can't wait for the secondary characters in this novel to get their own stories. However, in this book, it is Marcus and April who are in the spotlight--literally--and I loved spending time with them as they fell in love and as that love was challenged. Ms. Dade perfectly shows that we never know what goes on inside other people and that to be truly happy, you have to live your life authentically and be true to yourself. Also, the only way to love is to give yourself truly to a relationship--all of you, the bad and the good--and the only one to truly be loved is to open yourself up and be vulnerable. To be able to tackle such deep issues in a funny and witty rom-com shows amazing talent. I can't wait for the next books in this series!

All-around great! I wish there were a little more about Olivia's work as a geologist--it was fun to see her in action at the beginning of the book, so it was disappointing that when her job changed, we lost that and all her work talk shifted to being about social connections with her new coworkers. The POV changes were used very effectively as we saw misunderstandings taking shape--and I appreciated that April was given space for a realistic, hurt, angry, not-so-quick-to-forgive reaction to learning about Marcus's lies. Also, I enjoyed the interstitials and I wish that I could really watched this TV show and read these fanfics! However, one problem was the utter absence of any racial diversity, at least mentioned--there's definitely a "default white" setting here, with maybe a name or two hinting at POC characters without doing anything to fill that in (eg. Bashir at the beginning felt very much a like a token).

Rarely do I wait any time at all before writing a review. But as I finished this last night I was tired and wanted to sort through how I felt upon finishing.
There’s so much to like about this book. Body positivity. Consent. Fun-nerdiness. Dealing with your emotions rather than spraying them all over your nearest and dearest. It’s a pretty incredible book.
And while I didn’t connect with either character, it didn’t matter. As a human being, empathy and kindness are paramount. It’s a joy to read something that increases awareness without feeling preachy or smothering.
It was a book that didn’t have me in my feels but did have me saying “damn, I’ve got to do better.”
I look forward to finding this author’s older works and digging in for some personal eye-opening.
*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to offer my unbiased opinion*


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