Hands down, my favorite part of the book were the random snippets from the movies Marcus did, like where he was a reformed unicycle gang member or the emotive perfumer or the scientist battling shark-typhoons. They were so bad and I loved them, most made me laugh out loud with the terrible lines. These were a nice interlude between the fairly serious tone of the story and I fully appreciated them.

Also, wow this got hot! The (very high amount- seriously, like half the book was sex) sex scenes were very detailed and intricate, FYI. Basically, Marcus is not just the perfect man (successful, good looking, rich, down to earth, not obsessed with appearance) but he is a giving god in bed too- so , he is not even a little bit real (but still the best version of the dream man for a romance!).

Overall I thought this was well written and brought up some interesting ideas and talking points, it was just not what I was looking for at the moment. I went into this expecting a cute, fun romcom, and that was not this. Spoiler Alert was full of hard conversations, issues with self worth, characters with lots of baggage, some hot sex and a LOT of angst. It had a great ending, it was just an emotional rollercoaster to get to. I know a lot of people love this book so if this sounds like your thing make sure to give this a whirl.

So do you love a TV show that ended recently that had a famous line of "winter is coming" if so this book is for you! I of course loved this book for the fanfic aspect of the story. I also loved this book for our girl April! Olivia Dade does an amazing job writing her and slams so many body shamers in the process! A lot of writers try to add a plus size lead but they don't do it as well as Olivia! We need more characters like April and of course......the fineeee Marcus! I loved these two and loved this book!

I truly loved this book. I thought it was a great novel that did so much interesting stuff! It was funny and thoughtful and romantic and sexy, but it also asked big questions about identity and appearance. I cannot wait for the second one in the series!

I love the idea of this book. I was hoping for something that would make overweight people feel like they are loveable. There are a few things I find a bit unbelievable about specifics in the storyline that ruined this for me. 1.) A child with two educators as parents not figuring out their son is dyslexic. 2.) A celebrity needing to pretend they are stupid in order to not get asked tough questions in interviews (implying that being stupid is somehow not as embarrassing as being dyslexic). 3.) Adults nearing 40 acting so juvenile towards their parents. This book read like fanfiction, if that makes any sense. It felt very immature at times. The sex scenes are definitely explicit so if that's not your cup of tea, be forewarned.

Spoiler Alert was absolutely delightful! Set in the world of fanfiction, this book follows April, a quiet geologist and fanfic writer, and Marcus, the star of April's favorite show. The book is fun and witty, but still tackles big issues like family tension, fat-shaming, and learning disabilities head-on. What happens when the worlds of fanfiction and reality get tangled? Olivia Dade wrote a story that is joyful and beautiful but still makes you rethink some of your prejudices. I adored it!

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved loved this book. A lead character who is fat and not ashamed of it. A nerdy fanfic writer this is me which everyone wants to see in a book, a reflection of themselves and she gets the hot actor.
April is a geologist who has finally decided to go public with her secret life of cosplaying and writing fanfic about her favorite game of thrones-esque show. When she gets fat shamed after posting a pic on Twitter in cosplay, Marcus the star of the show asks her out on a date.
Marcus also has secrets he won't tell the world. Hiding behind his vapid pretty boy facade is a man hiding his insecurities and dyslexia. Oh and he is also online BFF with April.
There relationship was sweet with both helping the other overcome this past childhood tramas and accepting each other for who they are.
It also doest hurt that this is pretty much the daydream fantasy where the hot actor falls for the fangirl. *cough* Chris Evans *cought*

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Sumptuous. Elegant. Pure lustiness. Love. An absolute winner.
Loved this book. The characters and their interactions.
April is brave and wants to be liked for who she is today regardless of her size. Marcus is shy but forced into the public eye so performs a role of confidence in public. Both have had difficulty dealing with their parents lack of acceptance.
The hero, oh he feels so much and doesn’t trust easily.

It took me a long time to read this book. The more I love a book, the slower I read. Immediately rereading paragraphs two or three times before moving on. I put it down and read something else a couple of times in the middle.
Because I loved it so much and didn’t want that new and “in love” feeling to end.

Contemporary romantic comedy.


Excerpts to show Marcus and his feelings:
“And if this is the last time we meet, please know it was an honor to spend the evening with you, April Whittier. AKA Unapologetic Lavinia Stan.”
She’d given him a final chance, and he’d taken it.
Now she had hers.
She wasn’t hesitating another moment.
“Let’s do a second date,” she told him. “Are you free the day after tomorrow?”
That smile. F[...] that smile.
It banished the shadows in the dim restaurant. Lit his eyes. Turned her buoyant and giddy, light as helium, as his hand reached for hers again and tethered her safely to the earth.
“Yes,” he said, his fingers interlacing with her own. “Yes. For you, I’m free.”
Excerpt from Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade


“You look beautiful.” Simple fact. It had to be said.
Her mouth, soft and slightly downturned upon her arrival, twitched upward into a sweet smile. “Thank you.”
When she opened her arms for a hug of greeting, he fell into them. Tugged her close, one hand spread on her back, another resting at her bare nape, where silky little hairs tickled his fingers. Rested his cheek on her crown and breathed in roses and spring. April.
Her warm, lush body conformed to his, yielding and filling in gaps he hadn’t even known existed. At his own back, her individual fingertips pressed into him, their pressure noticeable. To his pleasure, she was hugging him fully as much as he was hugging her.
She clung longer than he’d have expected, her breath hitching once. When he finally pulled back a few inches, her eyes were a little too bright behind those glasses.
“Thanks,” she said. “I needed that.”
Excerpt from Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.

Content warnings : fat shaming, toxic parents, dyslexia shaming

Marcus is the star of a TV show by day, a fanfiction writer for said TV show by night. Online, he can fix the misogynistic plot points he disagrees with and chat with another fanfiction writer, Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, aka, Ulsie, aka, April, a plus-sized geologist who's ready for her online persona to be publically known. What she DOESN'T know is that her fellow fanfiction writer is also the star of her favourite TV show.

This book was about a lot of things I had never encountered in books before - deep, real (not just surface but jargon-level) talk about fanfiction and fandom in general, what it can do and how wonderful it can be, a real exploration of fat shaming and body positivity and ultimately, a passionate plea for representation. This book is really about how seeing oneself as being worthy in fiction can matter in real life.
Spoiler Alert is a really hot romance, a bit of a fairytale, and a really important book in contemporary romance. Bonus points for great descriptions of food and one of the best covers ever :)

Many thanks to Avon and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this!

What can I say about a romance that gives me the fat representation I need, plus the fantastical romance with a hot AF actor hero who is also (rightly) calling out the WTFery of the final season of a particular show that may not be named, but it certainly sounds like a certain ginormous disappointment? You know, it may or may not rhyme with Lame of Homes? But I digress. What I got was deeply moving, highly relatable, combustible chemistry, fun cosplay...and rocks. It had it all.

When April decides to post a picture of herself in her Lavinia costume (one half of the couple she adores on her fave show Gods of the Gates), she has no idea the attention that is coming her way. I mean, she lives in this day and age, so she’s aware that there will be those who feel it’s their right to yap about her weight (it’s not) and to try to act as if their opinion matters (it doesn’t). But what it does do is attract the attention of Marcus Caster-Rupp, an actor on that hit series, who plays the other half of her fave couple Aeneas. He hates seeing some dudebros acting the fool, so he comments on her costume and asks her out on a date. The world thinks it’s a publicity stunt, but what happens when Marcus and April don’t just accept what the world is telling them and decide to dig below the surface? Romance, that’s what happens.

April is a heroine who stands up for herself, who’s suffered through the “kindness” of those how insist on policing her body and her choices for that body. But it’s her confidence that’s sexy. It’s her knowledge of her self-worth and her unwillingness to trade away that hard-won confidence that made her fantastic to me. Her fatness is deeply entrenched in the central conflicts of the story, but the difference is that she’s not the one thinking less of herself. I’ve read so many romances over the years that insisted on telling me that if a woman looked like me, she must hate herself. She must not see the value in herself unless the hero finally grants her permission to love herself. It’s a common theme that persists through to today in many romances. Have I enjoyed romances with that problematic trope? Yes, but I’ve also learned, as I’ve gotten older that that’s not the ONLY thing out there. I’m at the point where there’s nothing that annoys and triggers me more than the fat heroine who spends an entire book hating herself. I loved that April made no apologies, she wanted a person to love her for all of her, not because of her fatness or in spite of, just love HER. It was fabulous. And did I mention that she’s a smart and sexy geologist? Her intelligence, and her desire to dig below the surface served her well when meeting....

Marcus Caster-Rupp. What can I say about him? Wait a minute, wait a minute, I gotta finish swooning first. Sigh. Ok. Marcus has his own personal journey to travel, and I loved that he did have a common ground with April - people’s misperception based on his physical appearance has been a cornerstone of his life. One that he leans into because it can be easier than leaving himself vulnerable to those who would judge him. He’d rather be the dim ‘golden retriever’ than let people know his secrets. His journey isn’t easy, there are times that he frustrates me but it doesn’t matter.I loved that he was the man to love April, just as she is, but I also loved that he began to accept himself as well. His genuine attraction to April, and the way he respected her intelligence and confidence will never NOT be sexy to me. That he reminds me of a certain talented actor? No hardship on my brain, let me tell you.

Sometimes there’s a tendency to focus on one half of a couple in a romance, and I loved that there’s a balance here. Both have complicated relationships with parents who damaged them, and both need to stand up for themselves and embrace who they are, no matter what anyone says. That their paths mirror each other at times is brilliant and made me love them both so much more.

And then we get to the main conflict, the thing that, as a reader, you KNOW is going to explode at some point in the story. The ticking time bomb of Marcus’ secret loomed and made me antsy, not gonna lie. But I will say that even when I was frustrated and wanted to yell JUST SAY IT ALREADY, there was never a point where I didn’t understand why he didn’t. THAT’S the mark of good storytelling.

There are elements of found family here that I love, and the way that fanfiction is appreciated and respected for the outlet that it provides to so many people, was just top notch. It’s not an insignificant part of the story and I loved that

When it comes down to it, Ms. Dade has crafted a romance that will stick with me for a long time to come. It has all the elements I require (heat, heart, and humor) and representation that I demand. I literally can’t wait for the next one. I mean, I have to, but I’m not happy about it. I’d even take a teaser at this point....anything. Hmph. But this book? Aces. Highly recommend.

A fantastic read! So sweet sexy and poignant. I loved that Marcus and April both faced real life challenges that were complicated but worked through them together. So romantic and funny. I loved how fandom was involved and it was a great read!

I'm not a fanfiction reader or Game of Thrones fan but still a cute story. This is the 4th book I've read by this author and her writing style is improving. Her main theme throughout her books is body acceptance. Overall, an enjoyable, quick read.

Adored this one. The romance was steamy, the storytelling compelling. April’s relationship to her body - how she felt confident in it and society’s reaction to it, how that impacted her relationships with friends, family, and ultimately her romance with Marcus - was so beautifully and truthfully written. Representation matters and it showed in every line. Both characters were handling complicated relationships with their families and work related identity issues. And of course, fanfic in all its glory. Plus, the interstitials from Marcus’ previous films were chef’s kiss - so hilarious. Can’t wait to dive in Dade’s back catalog

I’m delighted to have the chance to directly and sincerely compare a romance novel to James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” Olivia Dade’s SPOILER ALERT, like that impossible novel, takes an ancient poem as a jumping-off point for a bold and joyous experiment in form. In Dade’s story, a book series based on Virgil’s “Aeneid” has spawned a big-budget prestige television adaptation (aah, if only). Marcus is a gifted actor who plays Aeneas; he also plays dumb in interviews to hide his dyslexia. He’s asked a fan — a keen-eyed geologist named April — to dinner as a publicity stunt, after pictures of her character cosplay go viral and trolls viciously mock her body size. The pair have only just met in real life, but they’ve unknowingly been online best friends for years under their pseudonyms on a fanfic server.

Many of you are now rubbing your hands in unholy glee at the premise, and Dade delivers and then some. This book frolics through fields of fannish allusion and metatext: In addition to scenes from the show and “Aeneid” in-jokes, we have snippets of April’s incisive Lavinia takes, Marcus’s explorations of Aeneas’ inner turmoil, other people’s fics about Marcus and April’s date, and — best of all — excerpts from the gloriously bonkers rom-com scripts in which Marcus paid his dues as an up-and-coming actor. It takes a skillful writer to juggle so many elements, yet the emotional through-line shines clear and strong at every point.

Marcus Caster-Rupp's fans know he's good looking and he knows it. As the star of the most popular show on TV, Gods of the Gates, Marcus is often in the spotlight, and it looks good on him. What fans don't know, is that he secretly writes fanfiction to work through the frustrations he has with the show writers, particularly ones that ship his favorite couple Aeneas and Lavinia. Marcus finds he can fully be himself when writing, especially alongside his online friend Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, but it would risk his career to let anyone know his true identity, even her. When fat cosplayer April Whittier catches his attention on Twitter, Marcus askes her out on a date to spite her critics. The date is a disaster, but their chemistry is palpable, and during the date April reveals she actually Unapologetic Lavinia Stan. Marcus and April continue to date, but with his career on the line and secrets mounting, are they really a OTP?

I really appreciated this book in so many ways. The romance aspect was wonderful and the characters were compellingly complex. The snippets of fan fiction were a delight, and this was a true celebration of all things nerd culture. Although it may be a bit tough for those not versed in fanfic culture to get into this one, I think it's worth it, and I cannot wait to see what Olivia Dade does next!

This book just didn't work for me. I am not familiar with fan fiction and too much of the book was focused on it.

Thank you to Avon Books and Netgalley for a copy of Spoiler Alert in exchange for an honest review.

Marcus Caster-Rupp is a famous actor starring in a mythological Game of Thrones like drama. The show is filming its finale episode for the series and Marcus is done. He's tired of this role only because the showrunners have changed the character so much from the cannon work in the last few seasons. Luckily as soon as Marcus leaves set he can go set things right for his character by writing fanfiction, even X-rated fanfiction. April Whittier loves Marcus' show and has been writing fanfiction based on his character's love interest for years. When she decides to post a twitter photo of her in cosplay, lovers of her photo and trolls come out of the woodwork. What April didn't expect was for Marcus to ask her out on a date from that photo. What April expects is a PR stunt ends up becoming more for both of them but Marcus has a secret he's keeping from April. He's actually his online BFF that she's had a crush on for years. Will April learning the truth end their relationship?

I really enjoyed Spoiler Alert. It's a body positive narrative with a dash of GoT-like fanfiction (and some cosplay too). As someone who was made at how GoT ended, thanks for nothing showrunners, I got a kick out of all the hate for the showrunners for the fictional show within Spoiler Alert. I thought Spoiler Alert did a great job of having a body positive message with a strong female protagonist who is also plus size. Marcus also struggles with dyslexia which isn't sugarcoated on within the narrative. This is my first novel by Olivia Dade but I can't wait to go into her backlist. It's a closed door romance with only a couple more explicit love scenes happening about halfway through. The only fault I had with the story is that although Marcus is almost 40 he read a quite a bit younger than that for me based on his decisions and actions. That still didn't stop me from gobbling up Spoiler Alert in a couple days. Damn you responsibility or it would have been one day.

I wanted to love this book, I really did. As a huge fan of fanfiction and love stories, I was like "THIS IS MY BOOK" I did not like it. The first half the book was confusing and I didn't like the writing style. There was more drama amid the romance. Which I didn't care much about. The characters were enjoyable. But, I couldn't get into this book like I did with 'beachread'

April has decided to share her passion for the hit TV show Gods of the Gates after years of keeping it contained behind an avatar. She shares a photo of her in cosplay online and it goes viral. April expects the good, the bad, and the ugly to come along with it, because she's plus-sized, and just that happens. In response to a hater, Marcus, an actor from the show, asks April out on a date.

The two meet up and the attraction is mutual. Marcus, however, has an internet persona of his own that he can't reveal. He also writes fanfiction about Gods of the Gates as a way to "fix" the bad writing on the show that has frustrated him as of late. If this secret were to come out, Marcus could lose his job and any chance of being hired again. When April reveals that she writes fanfic on their date, Marcus realizes that she is his internet bestie, Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, or Ulsie for short. Despite years of friendship, Marcus doesn't think it would be wise to share that he already knows April, just in case she does let it spill that he writes fanfictions in response to the show's poor writing. He plans to tell her eventually, but as their relationship becomes more and and more involved, it becomes harder and harder to tell April that he has been hiding something from her since day one.

OMG, this book was phenomenal. I laughed, I cried, and I had to find some relief after particularly hot love scenes. I loved how body-positive this book was while also acknowledging the crap April, as a fat woman, has had to put up with from people who genuinely do care about her. I also liked the addition that Marcus is dyslexic and enjoys writing and reading with tools that help him express himself and do so with ease.

The communication between this couple was spot on. At times when they did mess up and become upset, they sat down, thought about things, and realized that if they had communicated better, the entire incident would have been avoided. April and Marcus truly love one another and want the best for each other.

I really appreciated that the characters were "older" - 36 and 39. I'm 30 and most of the romances I read are about people in their twenties. I liked reading about people older than me. I felt like it gave me a swoon-worthy romance of my own to look forward to.

Finally, while any reader can enjoy this book, it is especially fun for Games of Thrones fans like myself. This book is full of scathing commentary that completely mirrors fandom gripes about the final season of Game of Thrones - destruction of character arcs, lazy writing, female characters being treated like crap - and the shows producers R.J. and Ron have eerily similar names to the now hated D.B. and Dan of GoT fame.

This book was a romantic masterpiece for a nerd girl like me. I'm really excited for the next book in the series. My thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest 5 star review.

I have not read a more enjoyable heartfelt romcom, Ever! I absolutely adored that there was such body positivity and an emphasis that beauty is in everyone and its not just one size that is desirable. Simply one of the best books of 2020!

This was a cute book! I really liked the story line, and the characters. I cant wait to see it on the shelves and recommend it to patrons.