Title: Spoiler Alert
Author: Olivia Dade
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 6, 2020 from Avon Books
Blurb:
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 fanfiction readers as Book!AeneasWouldNever, an anonymous and popular poster. Marcus is able to get out his own frustrations with his character through his stories, especially the ones that feature the internet’s favorite couple to ship, Aeneas and Lavinia. But if anyone ever found out about his online persona, he’d be fired. Immediately.
April Whittier has secrets of her own. A hardcore Lavinia fan, she’s hidden her fanfiction and cosplay hobby from her “real life” for years—but not anymore. When she decides to post her latest Lavinia creation on Twitter, her photo goes viral. Trolls and supporters alike are commenting on her plus-size take, but when Marcus, one half of her OTP, sees her pic and asks her out on a date to spite her critics, she realizes life is really stranger than fanfiction.
Even though their first date is a disaster, Marcus quickly realizes that he wants much more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. And when he discovers she’s actually Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he has one more huge secret to hide from her.
With love and Marcus’s career on the line, can the two of them stop hiding once and for all, or will a match made in fandom end up prematurely cancelled?
My Review:
It's so refreshing to see a "fat" heroine get the hot, fit male lead. It's a type of diversity that is not as popular in contemporary romance and as a plus sized woman I like the representation.
April seems like a confident strong woman on the surface but behind the scenes (even though she keeps claiming she isn't) she's really insecure about her weight and how people perceive her. She says on the page that she doesn't care about what strangers think only people she cares about but she's a little too sensitive when it comes to her relationship with Marcus and it can put the reader off.
*Spoiler Warning*
The drama when Marcus asks her if she wants to go to the gym with him is one example. April sees it as Marcus not liking how she looks and trying to change her and decides to give him the cold shoulder and stop speaking to him. Talk about an overreaction. The guy is an actor - a really fit one at that. Going to the gym is probably just part of his daily routine like some people go to the coffee shop or something. If it were me it wouldn't have bothered me, I do like a nice exercise bike after all and if I got tired I would have made an excuse to sit by the pool or something. And then the fiasco with the buffet. Just because he eats hard boiled eggs and oatmeal doesn't mean you have to.. but whatever. Be a drama queen. Screw up a budding relationship.
And then when April finds out Marcus's online identity and blows a gasket? Here we go again... seriously I wouldn't have been angry. It would have been like, really? That's so cool! Like finding out your man is superman or something. But of course April overreacts and breaks up with Marcus.
**
Other than that I really enjoyed the book. I liked Marcus and how on screen he shows this confident, albeit dense celebrity who has it all but behind the scenes he comes from parents that really screwed him up and stomped on his spirit just because he has a learning disability.
I love the fandom for the show Marcus is on and wish that there was a community like it where I could show my love for a specific show or fandom besides the (sometimes divisive and nitpicky) social media I'm already on.
And I love the chemistry between April and Marcus. Who doesn't wish that a celebrity they like would meet-cute with them and fall madly in love?
There's going to be another book centered around Marcus's co-star Alex and I'm excited to read it.
Overall, I really loved this book. I couldn't put it down and other than the couple times where I wanted to ask April wtf is wrong with her it was an enjoyable read. I know and appreciate that the author specifically chose a plus-sized heroine to send a message, I just wish writers would realize that not all plus sized woman are so sensitive about their bodies. We are what we are, and we don't fall apart at every suggestion of working out or healthy food. I love healthier food and exercising, I just don't seem to take the weight off. And I do have a man that loves me. Men being attracted to me has never been an issue. But hey, maybe that's just me.
My Rating:
🌟🌟🌟🌟
4 of 5 Stars!
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