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Spoiler Alert

(Spoiler Alert #1)

Olivia Dade (Goodreads Author)

3.83 · Rating details · 12,551 ratings · 3,168 reviews

Olivia Dade bursts onto the scene in this delightfully fun romantic comedy set in the world of fanfiction, in which a devoted fan goes on an unexpected date with her celebrity crush, who’s secretly posting fanfiction of his own.

Marcus Caster-Rupp has a secret. While the world knows him as Aeneas, the star of the biggest show on TV, Gods of the Gates, he's known to fanfict ...more

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Kindle Edition, 416 pages

Published October 6th 2020 by Avon

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Jul 05, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Such an amazing book which can perfectly address your geeky cells with cosplay, fan fiction premise, raise awareness about sensitive and crucial issues including fat-shaming, dyslexia, self-respect and acceptance, emotional parental abusing and finally melt your hearts with adorable protagonists and their pant melting, heart warming love story.

I was so sure after reading the blurb and seeing the incredible cover, I would truly love this book. Thankfully i wasn’t wrong this time!

Marcus Caster Ru Such an amazing book which can perfectly address your geeky cells with cosplay, fan fiction premise, raise awareness about sensitive and crucial issues including fat-shaming, dyslexia, self-respect and acceptance, emotional parental abusing and finally melt your hearts with adorable protagonists and their pant melting, heart warming love story.

I was so sure after reading the blurb and seeing the incredible cover, I would truly love this book. Thankfully i wasn’t wrong this time!

Marcus Caster Rupp is a charming celebrity , a famous TV star stole too many fans’ hearts with his Aeneas character but everybody including his parents think he is just a pretty face: he is not smart, intelligent, he seems like just dim witted good looking guy.

They couldn’t be so wrong. He has a secret fan fiction persona helps him to come clean his frustrations about tv character. And April Whittier also keeps her secret cosplay hobby and her secret fan fiction persona as unapologetic Lavinia Stan, too. When people think Marcus is only a pretty face with no brain, they also see April with judgmental and biased eyes, criticize her with body-shaming and condescending insults.

But both of them are more than the narrow minded people can see. As they start to date, nobody believed they could last. Because a charming, gorgeous tv star cannot like an overweighted, ordinary geek girl. They are not compatible! Right?

Well, as a powerful answer to those vicious, pretentious and ignorant internet trolls: April and Marcus were so sweet together from the beginning. They had amazing chemistry. Their witty banters made me smile so many times. I adored them as a couple and the best thing about their relationship, they were so good for each other. They both learn to fight against their insecurities and their self acceptance improved. They encourage each other to be happier and better persons even though they keep their cosplay personas as a secret.

So this is not only a lovely romance story, but also a great, motivational, thought provoking feel-good book encourages us to learn to love our selves and discover our inner powers against the people who try to destroy our insecurities with judgmental opinions.

I enjoyed every second of it and I’m giving bright, full, shiny, self confidant 5 stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers/ Avon for sharing this lovely ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions. ...more

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Sep 22, 2020 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm not typically one for fandom stories, but because this one had a fat main character I had to give it a shot and I am SO GLAD that I did! There was just so much to love in this book. From the obvious parallels to the last season of Game of Thrones to the amazing (seriously amazing!!!!) body positivity and fat rep, this story had me smiling from beginning to end and I highly recommend checking it out if you're looking for a great new romance to dive into.

TW: fatphobia, fat shaming, emotional m ...more

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Dec 02, 2020 emma rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: library, unpopular-opinion, romance, reviewed, non-ya, eh, 2-and-a-half-stars

I am...so fragile.

When I am reading a romance, it is because I am in dire psychological need. A fluffy book serves an emotional purpose to me that rivals therapy and the sheer serotonin of when you bite into a warm cookie. In short, if I have picked up a romcom in any form, it is because I need to have happiness injected straight into my heart like in Pulp Fiction. (That needle was filled with happiness, right?)

The other edge of this sword, then (or the liquid happiness as it were), is the fact ...more

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Jun 29, 2020 Angelica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2020, romance, release-2020, contemporary, arc

Hey, go read this book! It was so cute!!! I smiled so much! I was so happy while reading!

I requested this ARC on a whim. The cover looked cute and I figured, why not? And I am so glad that I did because this book was all kinds of cute. It was also a very quick and easy read which I completely devoured in one sitting.

My favorite thing about this book is how it is both the epitome of a fluffy romance and yet touches on so many deep and realistic topic. Marcus and April are adorable together and I Hey, go read this book! It was so cute!!! I smiled so much! I was so happy while reading!

I requested this ARC on a whim. The cover looked cute and I figured, why not? And I am so glad that I did because this book was all kinds of cute. It was also a very quick and easy read which I completely devoured in one sitting.

My favorite thing about this book is how it is both the epitome of a fluffy romance and yet touches on so many deep and realistic topic. Marcus and April are adorable together and I shipped it from the very first time I even saw the cover. But they are also people dealing with emotional abuse from their respective parents and upbringings. They are both dealing with how the world perceives them due to their physical images.

Everyone (even his parents) thinks Marcus is a dim-witted pretty boy with no emotional or intellectual depth, who has nothing to offer the world other than his looks. Everyone (even her parents) sees April as unattractive due to the fact that she is a plus-sized woman. Everyone is then constantly wondering if Marcus is only pretending to like her since they cannot wrap their minds around the fact that they could end up together.

It was great to see these things discussed between them. It was even better watching the characters develop into people that no only loved each other but also loved themselves and believed in their own self-worth.

I especially liked the way that April was portrayed as a confident woman who didn't much care what the world thought. It wasn't the power of love the suddenly turned her into a strong woman, she was always strong, Marcus just makes her happier.

Overall, I had a great time reading this and I look forward to reading more of the author's books. I smiled so much while reading this book. It was the kind of book that just makes you happy to read, you know? Also, this is getting a sequel starting Marcus' best friend, Alex. I knew from the moment he was introduced in the story that he was getting his own story (titled Slow Burn , coming out June 15th, 2021).

In the end, I totally recommend this for a quick, cute, and generally good read.

**I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

Follow Me Here Too: My Blog || Twitter || Bloglovin' || Instagram || Tumblr || Pinterest ...more

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Oct 16, 2020 Heather K (dentist in my spare time) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley, romance, m-f, loved-it, geeks, disabilities-or-chronic-illness, contemporary, read-to-review-arc, favorites-2020, actor-celebrity

I had no expectations going into Spoiler Alert as I'd never read anything by Olivia Dade, but I was Blown. Away. Truly. The story really resonated with me on a few levels, and I couldn't put it down. It was just excellent, emotional, funny, well-written romance with a smart, geeky fan-fiction plotline and a sex-positive, plus-sized female MC. swoon

I adored both MCs, but the male MC, Marcus, really spoke to me. Right away, I noticed some clues about Marcus that touched me. The fact that he was di ...more

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Dec 14, 2020 Gabby rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: actors-or-hollywood, favorites, new-adult, adult, contemporary, romance, erotica, own, 4-star-books, read-in-2020

This book was super cute! Here’s the reading vlog where I read it: https://youtu.be/TCI_Zl2YDxA ...more

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Jul 30, 2020 Allegra rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I am genuinely confused by the number of 4/5 star reviews of this book! Guys, it was not good. You can't write real person/self insert/AU fanfiction and call it a novel. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is a real person! He doesn't deserve this.

Plus size representation in contemporary romance novels is a good thing, but come on-- there is more emotional depth in Taylor Swift songs. These characters simply had no personality. April was ~fat and liked fanfiction, that is it. She is a nearly 40 year old woman I am genuinely confused by the number of 4/5 star reviews of this book! Guys, it was not good. You can't write real person/self insert/AU fanfiction and call it a novel. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is a real person! He doesn't deserve this.

Plus size representation in contemporary romance novels is a good thing, but come on-- there is more emotional depth in Taylor Swift songs. These characters simply had no personality. April was ~fat and liked fanfiction, that is it. She is a nearly 40 year old woman who is ~~~hiding the most important part of herself, which is apparently an obsession with a GoT like show. Marcus, also 40 human years old!!, is the most sensitive of sensitive people hiding dyslexia ?? and the secret shame of being a hot smart person ?? and his family hating him because they know _latin_ and his show is an abomination to the canon. And he writes fanfiction too in his spare time about his own show and about his own coworkers which is deeply damned weird. He uses words like "modern AU" in real life. And speaks and thinks like he was written by a woman who was very into tumblr at one point in her life.

The author sort of _tried_ it with the geologist angle with April but it went entirely no where added absolutely nothing to the plot except the one time at the museum she was talking about rocks and Marcus got horny. Strong Fat Woman in STEM! but there was absolutely no substance to it. Purely for the internet woke points. She could have been anything and it would have produced the exact same results.

Guys, the sex scenes. I _like_ sex scenes in my romance books. I am mad when they fade to black. But holy smokes absolutely no. For someone who has such hang ups about her body, April sure was quick to hop into bed with him-- the 3rd """date"""? with a allegedly super hot celebrity? sure jan.
It might have worked if they had an ounce of chemistry but alas. Instead it was just DEEPLY uncomfortable and entirely not-sexy to read. Like, squirm away and throw your tablet away not-sexy. If anyone in human existence described me as tasting ~earthy~ I would happily murder them and hide their body under the floorboards. And lord, the author described every bit of April as "round". Her round thighs, her round belly and her round heavy breasts. Please s t o p. She has to have more physical qualities besides being round with red hair.

I'm truly not convinced a celebrity would be fired and ostracized from the acting world for writing fanfiction. Mostly because I don't believe a celebrity would be actually write fanfiction about their own show in real life. And his friend announcing to the world he writes pegging fanfiction-- there are no words about how dumb and unlikely that is.

Listen guys, Fangirl was twee sometimes but it had great characters and plot and heart behind it. This did not. This should have stayed on AO3 where it belongs and where no one else would have to read it.
This made me want to throw myself and my tablet into the sea and possibly give up literacy for life.

Positives: the book cover was cute.
Negatives: literally everything else.

Thanks @netgalley for the review copy... I guess ...more

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Feb 09, 2021 Bibi rated it liked it

*Spoiler*

Spoiler Alert is easily a 5-star read that I thought was refreshing and well written and which I read in one sitting, but as you can see, I've rated it 2.5 stars rounded to 3. Why?

Firstly, most books featuring plus-size characters rarely use the human equivalent on their book covers
, , .

If you're writing a plus-sized figure then damnit use a real woman instead of this nonsensical artsy stuff. Find a full-figured woman and have her make out with a yummy male model, thank you very much.

...more

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Oct 22, 2020 Brittni Kristine rated it really liked it

Frankly this is closer to a 3.5 star book, but I don’t finish a book in 24 hours without enjoying it so I’m rounding up.

This story is about a plus sized woman who gets bullied for posting a photo in her a cosplay based on a character from her favorite show, and an actor from the show sees the harassment and invites her to dinner. What starts as a PR stunt becomes more, but they both have some secrets that could threaten the relationship.

She has written fanfics about this series for years, and ...more

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Sep 12, 2020 Christy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-four-stars

4 stars

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Lovers of fan-fiction/nerdy things and those of us who love a good plus size rep rejoice! You’ve found your next read. This is my first time reading an Olivia Dade book and I enjoyed the heck out of it.

April is successful at her day job, but her favorite thing is writing fanfic for ‘Gods of the Gates’. She’s always kept this part of herself hidden, but now she’s being her true self and letting people know. When she posts a photo of herself in her Lavinia cosplay, she gets a lot of support, but also some jerks commenting on her size. What she never expects is for the star of the ‘Gods of the Gates’ show to comment on her picture. Or to go on a date with him.

Marcus Caster- Rupp plays Aeneas on the show, but he’s known to be daft in real life. Only he’s not. He only shows a certain side of him to the cameras. When he gets tagged on twitter in a thread featuring April’s picture he does something out of character and asks her out. Marcus has more in common with April then he ever dreamed of, and the more April gets to know the real Marcus, the more she likes him. Only he’s hiding something rather important from her…

My gosh I loved April. Talk about a positively wonderful plus-size character. So many times I read plus size leading ladies that want to change, but seeing April love herself for her, it made my heart so happy. And I loved that she knew that was the kind of love she deserved and wouldn’t settle for less.

I’m not looking to be fixed. I want to be loved and liked and desired not because of my size, not despite my size, but because I’m ME. My character, my choices, my words.

Marcus was a fantastic hero. I understood why he kept certain things from April and his past, it just gutted me. I loved these two together so much! And then the little side story with Marcus friend, Alex… I need that book asap!

This book made the nerd in me so happy. I loved all the little fanfic parts and the cons and that whole aspect, but more than anything else I loved the romance between Marcus and April. It was beautiful, fun, sweet, steamy, and swoony! This was a win for me and I can’t wait to read more by this author. ...more

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Oct 08, 2020 Meg rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2020, fic-romance, fiction, fic-romance-contemporary

Let me paint a picture for you, an expanded summary if you will. This is long, but I think it’s important to lay out these extra details together, because there is a good chance your reaction to them will tell you if this book is For You or not (especially those of you who may be on the fence about the fandom content).

~~Nikolaj Coster-Waldau~~ Marcus Caster-Rupp is an actor on one of the most popular television series in the world, Gods of the Gates. It’s a big-budget, long-running epic and quasi-m ...more

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Sep 19, 2020 Samantha rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars

TW: emotionally abusive family

rep: fat main character; dyslexic main character

This was a romance obviously written in the aftermath of the disaster that was the final season of Game of Thrones, and it was cathartic to read.

This features a romance between two fanfiction writers: one happens to be the lead character on a Game of Thrones-esque show (based on a fictional book series; writers didn’t know what they were doing after they ran out of books; book series isn’t finished) and the ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 mina reads™️ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs

This book was absolutely what I needed in my life. A perfect dip into fandom culture, and a celebrity romance that truly hit all the right notes. I loved the discussion of fandom and how it's a fun way to build a community, it felt very organic and fun rather than a total cringefest like some other fandom-centric books I've encountered. Marcus and April may very well be one of my favorite couples of the year. Olivia Dade did an amazing job of crafting these characters and making them real people ...more

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Sep 07, 2020 Heather rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-romance-chick-lit, netgalley-books

Gah my fandom heart is so happy! I adored this book and how it focused on fandoms. fanfic and had amazing body positivity. As a plus sized women myself I enjoyed April so much. She was strong, smart amazing and knew she deserved love. This was so positive and fun and steamy and I enjoyed it so much.

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Jan 28, 2021 Riley rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-romance

sadly i struggled to like this. i really enjoyed the main characters and their romance but the whole plot and fandom aspect just didn't work for me and was kinda cringey ...more

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Oct 05, 2020 Sheyla ✎ rated it really liked it

Shelves: funny, romance, sweet, 2020, publisher

Super cute! That's all Folks.

I read Spoiler Alert in one sitting. Marcus and April were awesome together.

Marcus Caster-Rupp is an actor who has been playing the famous Aeneas in the Gods of Gates series. Over the last few years, Marcus has become increasingly disappointed with the current writers of the show. He writes fanfic under the name Book!AeneasWouldNever as an outlet for his frustration with the scripts. No one can know he is doing this or he can lose it all. He keeps this a secret f ...more

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Nov 26, 2020 Jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-releases

This was everything I asked for AND SO MUCH MORE. Oh my gosh. I loved this book so much!

When this started, I really loved April's character. She's so body positive, but she does have her moments with doubt, which I found so realistic and relatable. No matter how confident you are in yourself, the comments and doubts from society are bound to still get to you. But I loved how she would still put herself out there.

Let's get to the real reason I loved this book. MARCUS. First of all, he's dyslexic ...more

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Sep 28, 2020 Katie B rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tv-film, arc, california, fiction, read-in-2020, romance, writing, william-morrow, wmtastemakers

3.5 stars

I liked the premise for this romance as it centers around the world of fanfiction. I don't really read fanfiction myself, but I do think it is a neat creative outlet for writers. While this romance wasn't among my favorites this year, there were many things I enjoyed about the characters and story.

Marcus Caster-Rupp is the star of a hit tv show and he secretly posts online fanfiction he has come up with featuring his character on the show. April Whittier is a fan of the show and identif 3.5 stars

I liked the premise for this romance as it centers around the world of fanfiction. I don't really read fanfiction myself, but I do think it is a neat creative outlet for writers. While this romance wasn't among my favorites this year, there were many things I enjoyed about the characters and story.

Marcus Caster-Rupp is the star of a hit tv show and he secretly posts online fanfiction he has come up with featuring his character on the show. April Whittier is a fan of the show and identifies most with the character named Lavinia. April also likes to write fanfiction and she and Marcus have frequently communicated online with each other. Only they don't know the real identity of the other person because they go by their usernames. After online trolls mercilessly mock April's plus-size appearance, Marcus asks her out on a date. And Marcus does make the connection between April and his best buddy online being the same person. He has the hots for her but he is afraid to tell her he is actually the fanfiction writer she has been chatting with for awhile.

So first of all, this is a very steamy romance. Lots of descriptive bedroom scenes if you know what I mean. Marcus and April do have good chemistry in that department.

There's always going to be an obstacle or two in any romance but the whole not telling a person you have been chatting it up with them online for years is pretty flimsy. I read a similar romance plot earlier this year and it worked better because the characters were teenagers. Marcus is almost 40 years old and so you do have to just roll with it even if you think his reasoning is pretty lame.

I didn't like all of the fanfiction writing excerpts or movie script parts that were inserted into the story but some of them were good. I did like how both characters had interesting backgrounds and how their childhoods really did shape them as individuals. It gave the story some heart which is always nice.

Might not have been a perfect read, but it was a cute romance and I would definitely read another book by this author.

Thank you to William Morrow for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion. ...more

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Mar 15, 2020 Lacey (laceybooklovers) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, celebs-royalty, contemporary-romance, arc, tbr-2020, review-copy

Legit gasped at this cover. I love it!

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Jun 15, 2020 Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ Campbell marked it as wishlist

Plus-size rep and fanfiction!

*swoon*

Don't do me dirty <3 ...more

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Dec 28, 2020 Bookishrealm rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, adult-romance, books-read-in-2020

Shout out to Bethany for choosing this awesome book for me to read for our TBR swamp! I absolutely loved it. 4.5 Stars

Spoiler Alert has definitely been make it's rounds withint the reading community. I've heard so many people talk about it, but I was nervous to read it because a lot of people were claiming that the fat representation was amazing. As a plus sized individual I've always had a tough time finding good fat/plus-size representation. A lot of times the hero/heroine is responsible for t Shout out to Bethany for choosing this awesome book for me to read for our TBR swamp! I absolutely loved it. 4.5 Stars

Spoiler Alert has definitely been make it's rounds withint the reading community. I've heard so many people talk about it, but I was nervous to read it because a lot of people were claiming that the fat representation was amazing. As a plus sized individual I've always had a tough time finding good fat/plus-size representation. A lot of times the hero/heroine is responsible for teaching their partner how to love them or they go on this soul seeking journey of trying to find acceptance. I wanted a novel that had a balance of discussion about being plus sized/fat without all the depressing self deprecation. YA'LL THIS BOOK WAS IT!

When I first saw the cover I thought it was going to be about some renaissance fair (don't ask me where I got that from), but it definitely was a story that focused on fanfiction which is not always my thing but it worked well in this story. April works in geology, but loves to cosplay and write fanfiction. Marcus is a star in the TV show based on the books that April writes fanfic for (Marcus is a fanfic writer as well!). These two....they worked so well together. And Dade did a hell of a job developing them as characters. There are conversations about abelism (Marcus is dyslexic) and how to value the different ways in which people choose to accept and care for their bodies. What I loved most about this book is that Marcus liked, loved, and enjoyed April for who she was. There was no need to adjust her or change her body or force her into "being healthy" in any way. There was some slight miscommunication because of the way in which Marcus presented some date options; however, there was no question that he liked April in the body that she was in. The way this made me feel is indescribable.

Speaking of April, I finally got another character that was already accepting of her body. There is some addressing of familial issues related to April's weight; however, I loved that she fought to protect her space. I've had a lot of trouble doing that in my personal life. I want to be like her in the sense that regardless of how anyone may feel about my body, it's not my job to give them the power to sway me away from my confidence or continue to allow their negative energy to invade my safe space. And what's even more powerful is that April didn't even allow Marcus' fame to deter her from demanding respect. It may not seem like a big deal for many but it definitely was a big deal for me. The only hang up I had was with the big "issue" on Marcus' end. I know that it was needed for the story itself, but I just wanted to shake the man and tell him that he made the situation much more difficult than it needed to be.

Spoiler Alert was just a great novel and I really enjoyed everything that Dade presented in terms of the romance and the plot. I'm actually really excited to check out her black list and I'm super excited for the second book in this series! ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Danielle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Caution: rated R for language and adult hotness 🔥🔥🔥

So, let me start by saying, swearing does not offend me. I’ve been known to drop an f-bomb myself. But it was used so often, that it was almost distracting. 😬 I listened to the audiobook, but am honestly curious how many times the f word was used.... anyone with the kindle version wanna run a search for me? 🤔 That aside- I liked the chemistry between these two characters. ❤️ They are certified hot!!! 🔥🔥🔥 But..... I hated the fan-fic storylines t ...more

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Mar 15, 2020 Romie is currently reading it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-tbr-pile, in-edinburgh, 2020-releases, owned-books, tbr-pile

this cover added at least ten years to my life

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Oct 04, 2020 Bethany rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-faves-6-stars, 30plus-romance, good-fat-rep

This might be the best 2020 romance I have read! If you want a fun, sexy, geeky romance involving fandom culture, with a confident, fat heroine, then Spoiler Alert is pure gold. It's funny and self-aware, intentionally side-stepping problematic tropes you often see in romance. And the representation of a larger heroine is SO good, as are the discussions of fatphobia and associated issues. Reading this was an absolute joy.

April Whittier is a geologist with curves for days who secretly writes ste ...more

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Jul 06, 2020 Mara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-owned, arc

I'm somewhere between a 4 and a 4.5 star on this... and hell, this was so much fun, let's just go with 4.5. I absolutely loved so much of what this book is about -- external conflict rooted in internet & fan culture; smart characters with nuanced portrayals; a slow burn that gets sufficiently steamy; meta textual interstitials that added a lot to the "fun" elements of the story; explicit consent; body positivity & rep for learning special needs... on and on. There really is a lot to like here.
I ...more

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Dec 24, 2020 Whitney Atkinson added it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2020, romance, dnf, from-library

DNF at ~250 pages.

I thought I could handle a book about fandom/fanfic when it's a fat MC romance, but I just couldn't do it, especially when the love interest/famous celebrity is one of the people in the fandom?? it's so unrealistic and cringy. No actor in a TV show would ever go home and log onto a fandom forum and write fanfiction about himself.... it just was so weird and invasive feeling. This book in general had so many tropes I don't like and it made me dread picking it up, so I just deci ...more

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Nov 01, 2020 Madison Warner Fairbanks rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ecopy, hard-copy, kindle-ebook, publisher-supplied, arc, chick-lit, romance, series, curvy-woman, net-galley

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 ...more

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Aug 24, 2020 Mitticus rated it liked it

Shelves: romance-contemporaneo, z-2020-readings, adult-mature, w_actor-or-actress, cute-cover, about-fanfiction, w_geologist

Well, I don't know where those tags of this book as YA come from, because the protagonists have one 39 and the other 36. Plus, lots of sex. Just saying.

April is a 36 years old geologist, fan of a tv series named Gods of the Gates (a bastardized version of Aeneas ~~going on Game of Thrones~~); she writes fanfiction in the ship Eneas/Lavinia, and do cosplay in secret. After 7 years the show is in the last season, speculation rises, and she decided to post a picture cosplaying while taking the decition ...more

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Oct 31, 2020 Sam (AMNReader) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: its-complicated, romance, read-in-2020

My feelings after reading this book are predominantly frustration. I enjoyed it. I thought it was good.

But

In deconstructing the way societies view characters, men, women, standards of beauty---or the attempt at doing this, I'm a little lost overall. There are times, for me, when an author does too much and tanks their message. The message here is that "fat women are beautiful and should be respected as such," (I agree) "So beautiful and exceptional that they can land the male standard of beauty My feelings after reading this book are predominantly frustration. I enjoyed it. I thought it was good.

But

In deconstructing the way societies view characters, men, women, standards of beauty---or the attempt at doing this, I'm a little lost overall. There are times, for me, when an author does too much and tanks their message. The message here is that "fat women are beautiful and should be respected as such," (I agree) "So beautiful and exceptional that they can land the male standard of beauty." (Hmm)

I guess this book posits that fat doesn't disqualify one from getting a smoking hot bod and face in your bed-and honestly he has brains and charm and is lovely too-but also that it's fine for the standard to exist for men and launch 1000 fan fictions and be aspirational. What makes Marcus and his character Aeneas exceptional is that he's beautiful, the full package, and in love with someone who isn't society's definition of beautiful...or something.

I think it's great to examine standards of beauty in romance (RECOMMEND: King's Man by Elizabeth Kingston). It's equally ok to find things beautiful. My complaint is not in the assessment of the beauty of Marcus himself, it's that he's seen as the pinnacle of society's standard of male beauty (honestly, I was thinking Matthew McConaughey based on the description and how he's seen overall even though he's are the north side of 50 now) and that the attainment of said beauty + brains therein is aspirational for April. When an entire book is based around the heroine's fatness and her owning it or learning to, it better speak to the ultimate goal of landing said pinnacle of all women's desires in a way that is well-rounded and satisfactory....

Or the book is simply wish fulfillment. This is okay too, but my point, as I think I've made in too many reviews lately, is that you can easily undermine your heavy social message (that I agree with) in a romance by centering it around that social message but failing to examine the ultimate objective within the romance. To that I say, "whoops." I think Dade tried to parallel April's struggle with her fatness with Marcus's struggle to be seen by everyone as more than a pretty package. It just wasn't as successful-and I think that's ultimately what undermined this for me. And in a sense, I was feeling April equally shallow post-first date for Marcus having to prove himself to have hidden depths above and beyond being kind, charming, and considerate. If she shouldn't immediately be judged for her looks, why immediately judge someone as dull or shallow (especially an actor, c'mon)? I get it, but like I said, this piece was no where near as successful for me.

Deep breath though, because now I'll say I did enjoy this warm and fuzzy romp through fan fiction. But I also couldn't help being frustrated by it all. It's a smart, lovely, warm, cozy book with a shit ton of sex scenes and little snippets of fan fiction. It's fun, and I still recommend it. I just don't think it's shattering the standards in the romance genre. (And I'm just gonna mention here that while I'm really into brains and intellect, there are *very* few authors exploring a kind and pretty package that lives in the moment.)

Overall, this is a 3.5 rounded down, the conflict was well done but it did hinder my enjoyment.

Anyway, give me highly specific traits like spider eyelashes, heavy brows, pianist fingers and less paint-by-number beauties and we'll be getting there. ...more

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Jul 03, 2020 Ⓐlleskelle - That ranting lady ッ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemp, friends-to-lovers, 03-i-loved-like-a-lot, 02-coming-soon, online-text-letter-romance, nerds-romance

IN FLOVE with this story! The cover! I'm obsessed with it all!
A-dork-ably sexy, fun, nerdy and heartfelt, Spoiler Alert is the ultimate romance every reader of the genre needs to read.
A mistaken case of identity between a fanfic writer and her celebrity crush who turns out to be her fandom's online best friend. Gasp!

Olivia Dade had all my nerdy cells singing with this one:
the fanfiction, the online community, the online friendship, the online chats, the stans, the cosplay.
All of it brill ...more

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About Olivia Dade

Olivia Dade

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Olivia Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorites, though, were always, always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required the donning of actual pants: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course) librarian. Now, ...more

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Quotes from Spoiler Alert

“Please tell me people who look like us can be loved.
Please tell me people who look like us can be desired.
Please tell me people who look like us can have happy endings.” — 11 likes

“If you truly love me in return, accept me as I am. If you can't accept me as I am, maybe you need to rethink your definition of love.” — 6 likes

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