If you love fandom and dream of one day meeting your celebrity crush, this book is definitely up your alley.

April is a geologist by day but writes fanfiction by night for Gods of the Gates, a popular fantasy series based on a book series of the same name. Her fellow fanfic writer and online friend is none other than Marcus, one of the actors of the series. He becomes aware of her fanfic identity when he sees a picture of her cosplay online but chooses to keep his own identity a secret from her.

There is so much I love about this book – the positive plus-size rep, the unabashed passion April has for fanfiction that any of us who has indulged in fandom can recognize. She’s a fantastic, independent, talented woman who is confident and easy in her own skin and it is just such a refreshing depiction.

I was also excited to see the dyslexic rep in the person of Marcus, the gorgeous lead who doubles as fanfic writer about his own show (it sounds insanely cool, doesn’t it?). Marcus is easy to admire and these details provide complexity for his characterization.

I am a sucker for fanfiction and have been indulging in fandom for decades. The references to fandom in this novel are really little gifts to those of us who have ever been so committed to a story that they can’t help but consume everything about it and are even compelled to create art around it. April and Marcus are so lovely – there’s nothing better than a partner who shares your passions and doesn’t judge you for them. These two are relationship goals, and this novel is romance novel writing goals. Excellent read.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how this wasn't a story of a woman trying to make herself something she's not. April knows herself, but she also knows that this world isn't kind no matter how thick your skin is. There's a careful line to walk there, but Olivia Dade manages to stay on the best side.

This one was just ok. I liked Marcus and April were genuinely wonderful characters, a little flat at times, but still added to a generally ok story. The dialogue was, eh, a little rough and a lot of their conversations/the way they expressed themselves seemed super stilted. The random flashes of fanfic and conversations were completely unneeded and the only purpose they seemed to serve was to bulk the book up. I'm not a huge fan of fanfiction that doesn't add to the story, but these weren't even full stories-- just little snippets.

And this is just a personal complaint-- I'm sure a lot of people feel this way and I'd never speak for or over them-- but I couldn't buy into April's "confidence" when all she every seemed to think about was her body and how others viewed it. There's several lines about how she doesn't "give a f-ck" about what strangers think, but it's very obvious that she does. I'm fat and I rarely think about how others view my body so it was really off-putting to have to continuously read it.

FULL REVIEW ON FRESH FICTION

Geeky, heartwarming, and entertaining... SPOILER ALERT by Olivia Dade is a fun contemporary romance. On the surface, April and Marcus are totally different: he’s a golden god (and not just because he plays one in TV) and she’s a plus-sized geologist. But they both share a common love of the Gods of the Gates fan fiction community as well as painful pasts with difficult parents. There’s a deception element that is always simmering in the background until it finally comes to a head, rather late in the story, and made for some uncomfortable scenes because readers are privy to the truth. The parallel storylines dealing with both April’s and Marcus’s parents added drama though weren’t entirely integral to the plot of moving their relationship forward. That being said, the sex scenes are wonderfully intimate and seriously hot. April and Marcus are an adorable couple, basking in the bliss of a new relationship. April’s body image issues are explored, and Marcus clearly loves the way she looks and how she makes him feel. Dispersed throughout the novel are truly hilarious excerpts from some of Marcus’s early scripts and comments on various stories from the delightful fanfic community. Of note--if readers are not familiar with fan fiction, they may be lost through many of these scenes; the acronyms alone were hard to keep straight. Nonetheless, and caveats aside, Olivia Dade’s SPOILER ALERT is a wonderful contemporary romance.

This was such a refreshing romance read. I loved the way the author navigated fat shaming and body acceptance in a way that wasn’t reductive or didactic. The romance was so adorable, but what I loved most about it was the foundational friendship that it was built off of. I also appreciated that Marcus was respectful and aware of oppressions and issues without seeming like a caricature or an annoying flat portrait of a male feminist trope. I really felt like these characters were authentic and I was rooting for them the whole time. As someone who reads a lot in this genre, I know the typical miscommunication/breakup can be frustrating but I think it was handled well here while still following the conventions of the genre. I also appreciated the dialogue and rep around dyslexia and ableism.

Overall, this was super sweet and well done—I even enjoyed all the fanfic throughout! I highly recommend.

If I could give my #SpoilerAlert review more than 5 stars, I would! 🌟

Full confession: I was a little worried when I first read the premise. A fan going on an unexpected date with a celebrity, even though they secretly know each other from their fan fiction lives?? Having been a ComicCon goer, #fanficition writer and lover of #fandom - I really feared that this book wouldn’t do the world justice or take it seriously. But having adored Dade’s Teach Me and 40-Love, I knew I had to give it a shot.

And can I say - wow. Just wow. Her trademark sensitivity and thoughtfulness grounds what could be a completely bonkers premise into a loving, sensitive tribute to found families, self love and acceptance. Don’t get me wrong, it’s also fluffy and heartwarming and everything my soul needed - but there is so much going on at a deeper level in this book.

I devoured it and can’t wait to buy a physical copy for my #keepershelf. Happy release week to a true gem! 💎

Thanks to @avonbooks and the #KissCon Facebook group giveaway for being the reason I got to enjoy this treat!!

I didn’t know I needed this perfection in my life until I read the synopsis.. and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!!
Olivia Dade will now be on my must read lists!
This is a wonderful book about being true to who you are, love, and just a little bit of geekiness. 😜
Definitely a must read!

This book was provided as an ARC via NetGalley and the publisher.
My review was unfortunately delayed due to breaking my nook. Ah well. Better late than never!

I think Olivia Dade's Spoiler alert is loads of fun and really, that's what I want from a Romance novel. Especially a contemporary one. It's tropey and delightful without being overly cringey or full of second hand embarrassment, which is sometimes easy to run into when a book makes itself an ode to fandom. This Celebrity and Fan date and fall for each other combo doesn't skew to "weird" but is instead charming and more than a little cathartic for...well, probably Game of Thrones fans, and maybe Star Wars fans who wish their favorite actors could speak up about how frustrated they were with their scripts.

I greatly enjoyed this book. Marcus and April are both complex and imperfect characters in the absolute best way. They're both good at their jobs! They both do stupid things that they acknowledge and grow past! I've never seen Game of Thrones, which is what I assume the fictional show in the book is loosely based on, but I still laughed, hard. The fandom stuff was so real it hurt but also made me want to talk to my online friends. I loved having a fat character who had a life outside of their weight. The entire thing felt like a warm blanket on a cold night.

April, in her private life, is engaged in an online community of fans. This group dedicates their time to correct the wrongs done by a television adaption of their favorite series through fanfic. When a new career opportunity presents itself, April sees this as the perfect time to improve herself. April is very passionate about what she loves, the God of the Gates novels especially. With a new job comes a determination to open herself up to her friends and colleagues. April shares her love of God of the Gates by introducing her cosplay tribute to the world, voluptuous body type, and all.

When April's tribute on social media inspires negative feedback, Marcus Caster-Rupp, a lead in the series God of the Gates inspired, gives April his full support. Pubicly inviting her to dinner for all the fans to see, Marcus quickly recognizes April from the online fanfic community. Marcus then does what he can to convince April he is not just a pretty face.

Spoiler Alert takes April and Marcus down a path to self-worth and love. They learn from each other that they are more than what is on the surface. It is heart-warming, frustrating, and utterly engaging. I adored them both through the good and the bad. Not to mention everything about this story resonates with me. I can easily say this is one of the best modern romances I have read.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. It made me laugh and cry and swoon. Marcus is so incredibly endearing and April is brilliant and brave. Throw in some body positivity and fandom, and this book is basically perfect. I can't wait for Alex and Lauren's book next!

this book felt really promising until the last third. i really liked the way the plot was going and i think that the characters were fairly strong. i was unable to get through the last part however because it was so predictable. i could see the entire plot and just didn’t feel like sticking around. i might try out more from the author but this one just fell flat.

I thought I would enjoy this book from the description. It was tough for me to get into this book. April is a plus size girl with some issues from her parents. She writes fan fiction about a show. Marcus is an actor who is in the show. He acts like he is dim witted. He also is dyslexic. Marcus and April meet and they start a relationship but it has many issues. The book goes between the fan fiction and actual like. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

Really wanted to love this one but that didn't happen. I don't know if it just because its a fanfiction or not. But I just couldn't connect with the characters.

This book was an unexpected delight. It was recommended to me as someone who loves Meg Cabot but this one stood out all on its own. I expected to find the story line unbelievable, but by the end of it I could totally see how these two MCs came together.

Spoiler Alert centers around a super popular fantasy TV show and its fans. (I'm not a Game of Thrones person, but that seems to be what the show is modeled on.) At any rate, April is a superfan who writes fan fiction and goes to conventions. She has no idea that one of her closest friends on her fan fiction server (and her beta reader) is actually one of the show's stars, who secretly writes fan fiction to vent his annoyance with the show's scripts and showrunners. That star, Marcus, would potentially lose his career if he is found out, but things get complicated really quickly when he meets April in real life and can't tell her that they already know each other. Marcus (who I pictured as looking like Chris Hemsworth) has worked hard for his career but has a chip on his shoulder due to dyslexia and really terrible parents. He also has a really funny public persona that he puts on in order to protect himself. Meanwhile April is a geologist who has issues of her own - she's comfortable with who she is, but deals with a lot of fat shaming from her (also terrible) parents. I loved the characters in this book, and I just inhaled it. I'm not a fan fiction reader, so I think there were jokes I didn't get, and I didn't necessarily love all the fan fiction excerpts. But I was really involved in April and Marcus's story, as well as those of their friends and colleagues. This was a fun read, and I'm hoping it becomes a series.

I’ve been called several names during my life, but Fangirl is definitely one of my favorites!⁣
🤣⁣
As soon as I read the synopsis for SPOILER ALERT by Olivia Dade, I was so pumped. A romance involving a huge TV show, fan fiction & secrets is right up my alley.⁣ Thank you @tlcbooktours for our gifted review copy.
🥰⁣
Well, I really enjoyed this one! I loved the heroine and the hero. The fan fiction element is so fun. It’s a great reminder to unabashedly love the things that bring you joy & make no apologies for your fandom!!⁣

In an attempt to catch up with the reviews I fell behind on in 2020 I am only leaving star ratings. For the books that I didn't feel incredibly passionate about.

3.5/5 stars

This book was super fun and adorable and I had a great time reading it. At the same time it was super unrealistic and is basically a self-insert fanfiction. As someone who both works in the movie/tv world and has also been a part of various fandoms over the years, I can tell you that so much of the entertainment industry side of things in this book was absolutely ridiculous, though most of the fandom side of things was pretty legit.

For the most part I was able to set aside the silliness and enjoy this story for the fluffy romance it was intended to be. Mistaken identity stories are always a lot of fun and this was no exception. The characters are all likeable, though some of their main motivations require some suspension of disbelief. You also definitely don’t have to be familiar with fandom or fanfiction in order to enjoy this book but it will be especially delightful for those who are part of that community.

Oddly enough, I was totally willing to go along with all of the blatant fanfiction-ness in the book until <i>Game of Thrones</i> was actually mentioned in the story. Hello, if you’re writing about something that is clearly a ripoff of something else, DON’T PUT THAT SOMETHING ELSE IN YOUR UNIVERSE. I was fine living in a world where <i>Gods of the Gates</i> was their version of <i>Game of Thrones</i> but they definitely do not BOTH exist in this world, thank you but no.

That said, this was still a lot of fun and I definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for a light and frothy romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year. But it turned out to just be ok. I really didn’t understand Marcus’ motivations for his lies. It was very weak reasoning and was just used for conflict.