While I appreciate what this book (and series) is trying to do, I'm not loving the execution.

I didn't finish this one.

I can completely get behind the heroines, but the men. They are so unrealistic and honestly their personalities just kind of creep me out.

This book was a great read. Would love to read more books by this author. A more fuller review to come after the release date.

What I liked:
-Book didn’t focus on Lauren’s weight
-Characters were genuinely sweet and respectful
-No alpha jerk
-No toxic masculinity and male with fear of showing emotions
-Alex’s ridiculous antics and Lauren’s dry responses were hilarious, lots of laugh out loud moments
Neurodiversity

What I didn’t liked:
-No trigger warnings. I did have an advanced copy, so this might change with the final copy. There are mentions of domestic violence, and since Lauren is a therapist, there are mentions of her experiences with past patients’ traumas.
-It took a long time to understand Lauren, who she was and what her wants were, but as I got to the end I realized this might have been intended based on her past and personality.
-The characters were so respectful of each other that the sexual attraction was a little sudden. But once I got over that, it felt genuine.
-The book mostly focused on Alex’s issues and past. Lauren’s weren’t as fleshed out, and I think this is what led to my disconnect with her. But again, this might have been on purpose since her personality, views on life and herself, and her past experiences would have made her the kind of person who doesn’t dwell on her problems.

Things to note:
-Slow burn romance
-Friends to lovers
-Dual POV
-Steam: medium

Overall Thoughts

I really liked the book. It was a sweet story that, while I might not have loved to the point of gushing, I did enjoy reading very much. I loved Alex’s antics and Lauren’s dry sense of humor and they were very cute together. I loved seeing main characters that didn’t fit societal norms. I loved seeing a hero that loved his girl not despite or because of her body/looks, but simply because of who she was. I loved seeing a heroine that wasn’t ashamed of her body and didn’t constantly question the hero’s desire for her. And I loved seeing a hero that wasn’t afraid to show his emotions and be honest about his feelings. I did feel that some parts could have been fleshed out more, but overall this was a fun read!

I absolutely loved this book, even more so than Spoiler Alert which I also really enjoyed!

As someone who is married to a man with both ADHD and an obnoxious sense of humor, I found Alex adorable and his banter with Lauren was hilarious. I thought they were both so REAL with each other and it was very refreshing. I will definitely be keeping a look out for Dade's next book!

I gave this book 5 stars on my goodreads! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Oh wow....I absolutely LOVED this book! It was the perfect addition to Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade as well!

From Goodreads, "Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, God of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he’s dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling.

Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit.

When another scandal lands Alex in major hot water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all.".

Alex and Lauren's banter was so funny, and it was so believable. I loved their story and getting to see what happened "behind the curtain" so to speak as the first half of this book lines up with the ending of Spoiler Alert.

I love Olivia's characterization of both Alex and Lauren. Alex's ADHD, and Lauren's size are such important attributes to their character, but they don't define them. I love how they simply just are, and how they are able to find each other in spite of and because of their character "flaws".

This book warmed my heart to read, and I would highly suggest it to anyone who wants a good romance with a lot of witty banter!

P.S. - Trigger Warning in this book for self-sabatoge, and history of domestic violence (off screen).

i think overall this book is around 3.5 stars but i'm rounding up!

here's the thing: ms. dade has one of the most amazing writing styles i've encountered in romance (along with talia hibbert). olivia and i actually write very similarly so i love that for us! there's no question that i would enjoy this book or anything that she writes because it's just excellent. she also made me laugh out loud at several points in the book, which is something that rarely happens for me, so i had to say that in this review.

that being said, i did find the characters a bit lacking in this one and that kept me from completely enjoying the novel. do you ever read a book where there is a character who is too much like you and it makes you cringe when you read it? i think that was my experience with this novel because lauren and i could be copy and paste versions of one another. and because of that, it was hard to really love her as a character because i'm so hard on myself and we are very similar. maybe this is one of those, it's not you it's me situations. in addition, i thought alex was fantastic, but also frustrating at times. he was so self-effacing and it left me wanting to shake him. of course, this is something that both characters work on throughout the novel and that's a big part of their growth, but it really was frustrating.

i will definitely be reading more from ms. dade and look forward to reading more in this series if she does decide to continue!

Olivia Dade, as I have said repeatedly, is my go-to for older flawed characters. Divorces, weight issues, mental health issues, domestic abuse. I'd say if you liked Spoiler Alert, you'd like this, but clearly some people didn't. Alex has ADHD that isn't always under control (despite medication), which is not good in a high-stress, high-visibility profession like acting. In the grand scheme of things, he and Lauren would've never crossed paths if not for her abusive cousin and Alex's show's producer, Ron. (I love the continuing jabs Dade takes at what is basically the "Game of Thrones" David Benioff and D.B. Weiss debacle.) He bristles at having a handler, and, as a hospital intake therapist, Lauren is used to people bristling at her--and as her nose shows, she has received worse than Alex's jabs, from a patient she once evaluated. She has a thick skin, and when she commits to a plan she insists on carrying it out, putting her feelings aside, which over time she finally realizes she does to a fault.

Very few people question a gorgeous woman dating a mediocre looking man--here readers might question the premise of a hunk truly being sexually attracted to a woman who superficially is considered ugly, and thereby struggle with their chemistry. Part of Alex's attraction to Lauren is that he can't break her down--like when he jabs about how short she is--and that in turn forces him to eventually quiet down and be real. And in a town filled with artificiality, that realness is what's sexy to him, in my opinion. It transcends appearance and transforms it. But I understand people not liking his teasing behavior towards Lauren.

I can't imagine this series continuing--who's next? Ian? Highly unlikely--but I will definitely continue to read Dade's novels.

Olivia Dade is one of my favorite romance authors and I was so excited to receive an ARC of All the Feels! All the Feels is a heartfelt and hilarious romance. Alex is a movie star, recently in trouble for getting into a bar fight. With his producers on their last nerve, Lauren is hired to keep Alex out of trouble. Lauren is a burnt-out ER therapist and she figures that this job couldn’t possibly be harder than that. Since Alex is unable to leave Lauren’s sight, lest she lose her job, the two can’t help but get to know each other.

All the Feels is such a warm and charming book; I highly recommend you check it out! If you love fanfic tropes, this book acknowledges and plays with them in an utterly delightful way. Both Lauren and Alex are working through serious issues from their past as they get to know each other. Alex is struggling to consistently manage his ADHD while coping with trauma related to domestic abuse. This seemed very thoughtfully done. I really related to Lauren feeling burnt out in a caregiver profession, yet also wanting to do the most good with her training. All the Feels includes plus size rep, ADHD rep, and discussion of domestic abuse. You do not need to have read Spoiler Alert to read All the Feels, though I enjoyed the cameos from Marcus and the cast of Gods of the Gates.

I loved Alex and Lauren's romance and couldn't put this book down! This story is filled with witty banter and sweet moments that are guaranteed to give you all the feels. All the Feels releases October 26, 2021. Thank you so much to Olivia Dade, Avon, and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For the publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc

Have read Spoiler Alert and finding it to be difficult to read I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of the second book in the series. While I liked the characters Alex and Lauren as well as the message t by e author was giving I felt like the book was missing something. I was disinterested in a lot of it and found part redundant.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to review this book

Thank you Avon Books for my copy of All the Feels! All thoughts are my own.

I wanted to love this book. I had such a fun time reading Spoiler Alert last year so maybe I went in with my expectations too high, but this just didn’t work for me. It took me forever to read and I wasn’t tempted to pick it up whenever I had the chance, which is a huge Red Flag for me that it’s a book I’m just not into.

Synopsis:

What I Liked:

A Plus Size Main Character—I’m always happy to see this representation, especially in romance!

The Actor/Hollywood Aspect—I love going behind the scenes and as Game of Thrones fan, I love the subtle digs at how that show turned out.

What Didn’t Work:

The Romance—I really just didn’t root for Lauren and Alex, sadly. I didn’t like how they were brought together or how their story played out.

Alex—Alex really bothered me as a character. I didn’t fall for me and his language just grinded my gears. I didn’t like how he teased Lauren, I don’t know, I just didn’t vibe with him!

Pacing—It was just too slow for me! The banter didn’t move the story along. I usually like when characters are self aware but the constant acknowledgement of tropes just got annoying.

Content Warnings:

Mentions of Domestic Abuse, fatphobia

Character Authenticity: 2/5 Steam Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 2.5/5

Can I just say that this is an awesome follow-up to Spoiler Alert? Because it definitely is! You don't have to have read the first in the series though it does give a good background as to the setting and characters (and these two show up in the timeline of Marcus and April's romance). In a nutshell, it deals with actors who are dealing with a rocky ending to their fantasy series (like Game of Thrones) in which the TV story has surpassed the writing by the original author and the producers have made up their own script. Alex has ADHD (which the author treats with matter of factness and empathy) and tends to get himself into trouble and so the producers hire a minder for him, Lauren, who is a petite plus-sized woman with a no nonsense attitude but a heart of gold, one she quickly sees in the man she's 'babysitting'. It's not long before Lauren has a crush on Alex but never dreams he'd return it, not believing that someone as attractive as him could be interested in someone unremarkable like her. But Alex sees the real Lauren and likes her (and in fact lusts over her) and this leads to a swoonworthy romance with real life ups and downs with a well deserved happy ending. This author sees that women of all shapes and sizes deserve a happy ending and delivers in spades. Also, be prepared to snort-laugh on multiple occasions. Highly recommended!

Review Since reading Spoiler Alert, I’ve gotten into fanfic myself and I REALLY enjoyed the interludes. I kind of want to go back to Spoiler Alert now to immerse myself back in the fanfic universe.

Okay y’all, so…this was good, but I can’t help but be disappointed. I really enjoyed Spoiler Alert last year and I was beyond excited to read more about Alex and Lauren’s story. And, I honestly may like them more than April and Marcus, but something about this story didn’t fully work for me.

I think my biggest problem is that their relationship was built on honest communication and that’s what caused the miscommunication at the end. If they had talked to each other - like they had done the ENTIRE story, the conflict wouldn’t have occurred, and that frustrates me narratively.

My other criticism is that it’s impossible to read All The Feels without reading Spoiler Alert first. The first half takes place in the same timeline as Spoiler Alert and nearly recaps most of the major drama/plot points in April and Marcus’ relationship…so…that’s annoying. I had already read it so it wasn’t that big of a deal, but for those coming in blind, I can see how it would be off putting.

I really enjoy both Alex and Lauren. I identified a lot with Lauren’s need for perfection and a lot of her musings about her childhood, personal life, etc, (as I feel most fat people do). She took no shit and I really appreciated a plus size character who wasn’t sensitive about her weight. I feel like we so rarely get that, even when it’s touted as body positive, so that was incredibly refreshing.

Their love story Is incredibly sweet and built (from the ground up) upon mutual respect. I will always appreciate a good friends-to-lovers story (though, I feel like it was more crushes to lovers for a good portion of this).

(This is kind of minor, but how can we have had all of Spoiler Alert learning about Alex’s fics, for them to just be thrown to the side in this story? Sure they’re incorporated, but…when pegging is mentioned THAT much, I fully expect to see it in his character’s novel…I saw that there’s a preorder bonus scene incentive, but come on. I feel like the mainstream, traditionally published, romance genre can handle it lol.)

All the feels was a very cute and enjoyable read. I liked visiting this world again and I like how these books deal with the fanfiction world.

I smiled when Alex mentioned his favorite tropes like the one bed in hotel room trope. There was also spicy romance scenes.

This was a five star rating, I enjoyed every minute of reading this.

I absolutely adored the first book in this series, Spoiler Alert, but I didn't believe the chemistry at all between the main characters.

First of all, I freaking LOVE Alex and Lauren! As soon as I found out there was going to be a book about this man, I was sold!

It was an interesting experience going into this book knowing a big plot point (which is something that we learn about in Spoiler Alert), but I enjoyed reading about it in the perspectives of our two protagonists.

I really liked the pacing of their romance, which I am not very used to, but it worked really well for their dynamic. I loved the depth we got into both Alex’s and Lauren’s past and how these things really affected the way they viewed themselves and the world. I was rooting for them the entire time!

I really enjoyed this book and it brought me so many smiles!

I really wanted to like this book because I loved Spoiler Alert. I really liked the main characters in this story, but I just never really got pulled into this book. It was cute and I liked it.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was excited for this one. I’d liked the snippets of both Alex and Lauren in Spoiler Alert and was ready for them. While parts of their relationship and chemistry worked for me, there was something that felt rushed or inauthentic. I didn’t love that Alex was constantly teasing Lauren even if he didn’t mean it to be mean. I did however like that both the rich and beautiful actor and average overweight girl had to empower themselves to value their own worth. Alex has a habit of acting before he thinks it through which ends with the studio feeling they need to saddle him with minder to keep him from inappropriate behavior. Lauren’s cousin in the show runner and asks her to help him since she’s between jobs and despite the fact that he’s always been a jerk to her she says yes out of family obligation. It was fun and while I struggle to see how. I do hope this world hasn’t seen it’s last story.

I adored this book! Alex and Lauren's story was hinted at in Spoiler Alert enough for me to be so excited to learn the details and ending and it was so much better than I even hoped! Alex and Lauren both prioritize others over themselves and watching them turn those caring energies towards each other in a way that made them both grow as people was so sweet. I was worried about where the conflict in the relationship would come from but when it appeared it made sense and I appreciated how it all played out.

I found Alex super relatable as someone who also has ADHD and can be pretty snarky, and I immediately fell in love with him and with Lauren too since she's just a fantastic character. Their banter was delightful and they work together as people super well. I loved that they were friendly from the start and were openly praising of each other's good qualities (and laughing together about the bad). Everyone who loved Spoiler Alert will love All the Feels just as much if not more and should read it asap!

A fun follow-up to Spoiler Alert (although the two can be read separately). I appreciate the emotional arcs of each of the main characters and the adventures they go on together. Overall, one I’ll be recommending and I look forward to more from this author.

If you are looking for a slow burn, fanfiction filled, fun read, with lots of self-aware tropes, I think this book is for you.

I really enjoyed Alex and Lauren as leads, but in the end I just didn’t love them together. They both had great backstories and I highly recommend reading this book for that but unfortunately I never felt the connection between them which made the whole romance part of this book hard to connect with, especially since it took until almost 50% through the book for anything to happen. I did appreciate the underlying themes in this book though, it touched on some hard hitting topics such as domestic abuse and fat phobia.

TWs: domestic violence, fat phobia and related bullying

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, Olivia Dade, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.