Olivia Dade

Marcus Caster-Rupp has a secret. The world may know him as Aeneas, star of the biggest show on television, but fanfiction readers call him something else: Book!AeneasWouldNever. Marcus releases his frustrations with the show by writing and posting anonymous stories about the internet's favorite couple, Aeneas and Lavinia. But if anyone were to discover his online persona, he'd be finished in Hollywood. April Whittier has secrets of her own. A hardcore Lavinia fan, she's long hidden her fanfic and cosplay hobbies form her 
real life"-but not anymore. When he dares to post her latest costume creation on Twitter, her plus-size take goes viral. And when Marcus asks her out to spite her internet critics, truth officially becomes stranger than fiction. On their date, Marcus quickly realizes he wants more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. But when he discovers she's Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he has one more huge secret to keep from her. With love and Marcus's career on the line, can Marcus and April stop hiding once and for all, or will a match made in fandom end up prematurely canceled?

A Novel

Spoiler Alert

Swati Raisinghani

Holly

'Spoiler Alert' van Olivia Dade is het (h)eerlijke eerste deel van een indringende rom-comserie. 'Spoiler Alert' van Olivia Dade is een heerlijke rom-com over April, die haar fan fiction en cosplay-hobby voor iedereen verborgen houdt. Als ze besluit een foto te posten waarop ze verkleed is als een personage uit een populaire tv-serie, gaat ze viral, zowel bij supporters als bij haters die reageren op haar plus-size. Maar als Marcus, de hoofdrolspeler uit de serie en stiekem ook een anonieme fan fiction-schrijver, haar foto en de negatieve reacties ziet, besluit hij haar op date te vragen. De date verloopt rampzalig, maar dan blijkt dat ze elkaar al beter kennen dan gedacht. Olivia Dade schreef met 'Spoiler Alert' een aangrijpende romance over hoe je blij kunt zijn met jezelf.

Selina Mann

After disliking book 3 and DNFing book 2 (which was spoiled so much in this book?? Like obvi the end game couple would have been fine but a lot of the plot and twists were hinted it) with no regrets, I found a book in this series I enjoyed! 

The world of fan fic was super fun in this for me, the meta of it all. 

Huge CW for fat phobia internalized but especially evil side characters including the FMCs parents where it’s extreme and relentless and there’s no HEA for that relationship (to be clear there’s an HEA for the romance). This part was hard to read. I know per the author’s note she wanted to write a book where plus sized people get to see their worthiness for love but I felt in this book it was an over emphasis on appearances, for pretty much all the characters. The body checking wasn’t necessarily questioned like the overt fat phobia was. The more I think about it perceived fat phobia is also used as a catalyst for angst/tension in the romantic relationship which also didn’t work for me, they were already a high profile pairing with enough options to drive the angst I just wish their conflict didn’t have to deal with appearances so much and people could just exist. 

Abigail

After disliking book 3 and DNFing book 2 (which was spoiled so much in this book?? Like obvi the end game couple would have been fine but a lot of the plot and twists were hinted it) with no regrets, I found a book in this series I enjoyed! 

The world of fan fic was super fun in this for me, the meta of it all. 

Huge CW for fat phobia internalized but especially evil side characters including the FMCs parents where it’s extreme and relentless and there’s no HEA for that relationship (to be clear there’s an HEA for the romance). This part was hard to read. I know per the author’s note she wanted to write a book where plus sized people get to see their worthiness for love but I felt in this book it was an over emphasis on appearances, for pretty much all the characters. The body checking wasn’t necessarily questioned like the overt fat phobia was. The more I think about it perceived fat phobia is also used as a catalyst for angst/tension in the romantic relationship which also didn’t work for me, they were already a high profile pairing with enough options to drive the angst I just wish their conflict didn’t have to deal with appearances so much and people could just exist. 

Sarah Sammis

I am not much of a consumer of fanfic (although I do like fan art) so that aspect wasn't what drew me in. Initially it was the cover art which is absolutely gorgeous. Then it was Marcus and April's ages; they aren't teens nor are they twenty-somethings. Next it was April's career; she's a geologist. Early on there's an adorable scene where the two are flirting while comparing Loma Prieta to Northridge. Finally it was the location: the East Bay — Oakland and Berkeley.

Both characters are flawed making what at first appears to be unbalanced in terms of agency (famous actor vs. geologist). Marcus is dyslexic and extremely shy from years of disappointing his parents and later girlfriends. Frankly, his inability to read social clues and his hyper-focus on whatever he needs to learn for his next role, reads as if he's autistic but undiagnosed. April has her own insecurities from her mother's constant worry over her weight and appearance.

What all this means is a friendship and romance built out of careful communication and consent. Even during the steamy sex scenes, there is careful talk to make sure each one is being satisfied.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comm...

I love this book so much! Olivia Dade knows how to write characters who you instantly fall in love with 

Murphy-Ann Craig

Marcy Pursell 

** spoiler alert **
           By far, my favorite book with a plus-size heroine! Weight and food is addressed early on between the main characters. I loved this so much, and it had a good amount of spice!

Ana Salas

Being honest it’s more like a 3.5 stars for me. I love this geeky type of books and it seriously reminded me my love for fan-fiction. 

I really enjoyed the plot, the characters were so beautifully written , but being honest I think it was too much sex scenes for me, I really don’t mind reading them but I’m not so into them. 

I was expecting more Marcus and April cute moments, this book keep me smiling at those , especially when they talk about accepting each other as they were and not as they seem.

Also I can’t deny I loved the way this book raise awareness of sensitive issues, showing that everyone deserves love.

it’s my first review, I hope it can be helpful, don’t doubt to give this book a try :)

ugh the ending was way too cringe for me but the rest was cute

Briar's Reviews

Olivia Dade's books make my heart sing! And, of course, Spoiler Alert was just as beautiful as every other book in her collection.

Marcus Caster-Rupp is an actor on the biggest tv show - Gods of the Gates - and he's also a very popular fan fiction writer on the internet about his show. Those two lives don't intermingle since he's a smart figure online pointing out plot holes and correcting issues but he's a big, dumb blonde boy for his acting persona. Then there's April Whittier, a hardcore fan of Gods of the Gates, a fan fiction writer herself, and to top it off she's created an incredible cosplay of Lavinia, one off the Gods of the Gates characters. 

Trolls go after April online due to her body not being a size zero and Marcus decides to ask her out. Oh, did I mention these two write fan fiction together but don't know each other's real life personas? Yeah, this one is going to get messy, especially since the two of them like each other for who they really are. This dating duo is going to go through one disaster before they kiss and make up, but boy... is it worth it!

I seriously loved this book! The fan fiction angle was amazing, the body positivity is a must, and the whole theme around being yourself? Chef's kiss! This book brought all the feels to me since I've had my own share of people making fun of me for my weight instead of respecting me for the person I am. Top it off with an extremely beautiful cover and you've got my vote for this being one of my fave romance reads.

Now, let's keep in mind this book isn't supposed to be a Shakespeare novel. This is a contemporary romance book allowing the nerds and geeks to shine in a safe space. I've read reviews acting like this book was trying to become Oscar-bate, but it really was a special read focusing on some of the communities that we don't often get books about. The ignorance towards this book is ironically exactly what this book is trying to correct within the book itself. Why can't we just enjoy nice things, not treat people badly, and enjoy life? Seeing Marcus having to hide behind a dumb persona because he didn't think people would accept him as a smart man who has dyslexia is pretty upsetting! I've seen situations pan out like this in real life it and it really does strike a cord.

I adored this book and I highly recommend it to those who want an easy, breezy romance read that also has some pretty hot scenes in it. 

Five out of five stars.

Kelci

It’s not often that I start a book Review off with Trigger Warnings, but I feel this one needs them. fatphobia, Fat Shaming, Emotional Manipulation/Abuse (from parental figures) are all pleasant in this one from the outset and throughout! Please go and look this one up as there are lots of others in there as well. I’m not one for Fandom stories or Fanfics at all so this one took me a little bit of getting used to as it rather heavy on this but that did not take away from my enjoyment of this book. 

April Whittier lives a secret life away from her 'normal' life- she’s a huge fan of the television show ‘God’s of the Gates’. It goes much deeper than that, though. She writes her own fan fiction, is into Cosplay- her favourite character is Lavenia- one half of a wildly popular internet couple.

With a new job and a new location, it seems like a good time to finally reveal her secret internet identity. So, she posts a picture of herself on Twitter, dressed in her Lavenia costume. In about a nanosecond her post goes viral with both positive and negative comments, many of them remarking upon her weight. As fate would have it, the star of ‘God’s of the Gates”, Marcus Castor-Rupp, sees April’s tweet- and long story short- he asks her out on a date.

I will leave the rest for you to discover if you decide to pick this book up as I think it adds more to go in blind to a point. This book does a mixture of good and bad things, I loved the insight into Fat shaming from a Fat main Character and it has Definitely given me things to think about in my personal life and how I can improve. It also does a good job at looking at Dyslexia and comping strategies to allow people with the condition to read and interact with the world. 

I do have to say that there is a Lot of Fanfiction extracts in this one and I will admit that some of them I had to Skip over as they made sense especially given it was a fiction TV Show!  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 and shows how far the characters have come in their adult lives. 

Overall, Another Good Summer Romance Book!

Ian Brakspear

It’s not often that I start a book Review off with Trigger Warnings, but I feel this one needs them. fatphobia, Fat Shaming, Emotional Manipulation/Abuse (from parental figures) are all pleasant in this one from the outset and throughout! Please go and look this one up as there are lots of others in there as well. I’m not one for Fandom stories or Fanfics at all so this one took me a little bit of getting used to as it rather heavy on this but that did not take away from my enjoyment of this book. 

 

April Whittier lives a secret life away from her 'normal' life- she’s a huge fan of the television show ‘God’s of the Gates’. It goes much deeper than that, though. She writes her own fan fiction, is into Cosplay- her favourite character is Lavenia- one half of a wildly popular internet couple.

With a new job and a new location, it seems like a good time to finally reveal her secret internet identity. So, she posts a picture of herself on Twitter, dressed in her Lavenia costume. In about a nanosecond her post goes viral with both positive and negative comments, many of them remarking upon her weight. As fate would have it, the star of ‘God’s of the Gates”, Marcus Castor-Rupp, sees April’s tweet- and long story short- he asks her out on a date.

 

I will leave the rest for you to discover if you decide to pick this book up as I think it adds more to go in blind to a point. This book does a mixture of good and bad things, I loved the insight into Fat shaming from a Fat main Character and it has Definitely given me things to think about in my personal life and how I can improve. It also does a good job at looking at Dyslexia and comping strategies to allow people with the condition to read and interact with the world. 

 

I do have to say that there is a Lot of Fanfiction extracts in this one and I will admit that some of them I had to Skip over as they made sense especially given it was a fiction TV Show!  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 and shows how far the characters have come in their adult lives. 

 

Overall, Another Good Summer Romance Book!

Michaella 

julie reads

Taylor Arevalo

Going back and forth between 3/5 and 4/5 and I think 3/5 is an insult to this book. After reading By A Thread this is a nice palette cleanser. These 2 MCs are very refreshing (barring a couple issues here and there). If you want a sweet story with very minimal drama this is a good one for you. I do think the dual-POV missed opportunities to explain things that just happened. It skipped over moments probably to avoid redundancy but I would've liked to read the other's characters thoughts.

Joana da Silva

This book is a dream come true for girls who struggled with their looks (me) and girls who wrote fanfiction (also me). It was also lovely to see some big girl representation, especialy with an honest depiction like this, discussing all the issues and conquests. This book is about fanfiction, it reads like fanfiction and I was here for all of it.

Oh God.

The first half of the book was PHENOMENAL. Absolute 5 star read for me. I loved how fanfic intertwined with real life, I loved learning about Marcus and April and I ADORED their interactions and watching them get to know each other. It was adorable. I also really loved how April was described, either in Marcus's eyes or her own. Everything that happened in the beginning was fantastic. 

And then. The book could've easily been 150 (if not 200) pages shorter. It dragged on SO MUCH. There were so many unnecessary fights and misunderstandings; don't get me wrong, I'm a person who's been extremely insecure in her past relationships, whether with my own body or other things. I get it, I truly do. But there's a difference between being insecure and downright mistreating your partner because he can't read your fucking mind. I felt like there were so many instances in which April cast Marcus out of her life because he made mistakes and she NEVER BOTHERED TO EXPLAIN WHY SHE WAS HURTING. And Marcus stoically accepted it and hated himself for things that he could not control; he was never mean and he never intended to hurt her, so seeing April being described as someone so straightforward and communicative and then reading those scenes was extremely off-putting. When the book reminded me near the end that Marcus is 40 and April is 36, I nearly gasped. She behaves so much like a teenager that I'd forgotten they're actual grownups.
Again, trauma isn't something easy to get over or talk about. But they were both hurt in their own ways, they both had heavy loads to carry; I don't understand what was the reason for so many scenes about misunderstandings and downright cruelty from April when Marcus never did anything to prove he deserved it. And despite having his fair share of secrets and baggage, he always tried his best to be better. April didn't show the same consistent growth up until heer talk with her mother.

I loved Marcus and how April was characterised. It was fantastic. They're really hot. I loved how their trauma was slowly explained and unveiled, and also how it affected them in the present. Had this been 150 pages shorter (with much less misunderstandings), this would've been the perfect book. 

This was originally 3.5 stars but I had to deduct .5 because of the "grandma" play in the epilogue. That was the worst thing I ever had to lay my eyes on and I almost cried.

Laura 

Dnf at 45% 
I just can't bring myself to finish this right now..
I was super excited to read this but sadly I'm just not invested in the story and it's becoming really boring for me to read. 
Maybe this just isn't the right time for this book, and hopefully I can pick it up someday and enjoy it

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?

I absolutely ENJOYED this book. I love the whole fangirl/actor trope, I absolutely love the whole fanfic writing plot. I feel like if you love a classic fangirl romance, then you'll love this! the whole loving your body and accepting your flaws also made me smile so much ♡ this book is perfect for light reading!

Stephanie

I absolutely ENJOYED this book. I love the whole fangirl/actor trope, I absolutely love the whole fanfic writing plot. I feel like if you love a classic fangirl romance, then you'll love this! the whole loving your body and accepting your flaws also made me smile so much ♡ this book is perfect for light reading!



Catarina Silva

Courtney

Izza

Olivia Mitchell

2.75 stars. I liked the concept and the characters on a surface level but it felt a little basic. I think if the characters were younger it would’ve been better but with them being late 30s/40s the drama felt a bit childish.

A 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. With romance, amazing chemistry, fandom, and body positivity, Spoiler Alert is perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert and Abby Jimenez. Marcus has a secret. While he may be the star of the biggest show on TV, he's also a prolific fan fiction writer. Through his stories, Marcus releases his frustrations with the show, but if anyone ever found out about his online persona, he'd be fired. Immediately. April has secrets of her own. A hardcore fan of Marcus's show, she's long hidden her fanfic and cosplay hobby from her 'real life' - but not anymore. When she dares to post her latest costume creation on Twitter, her plus-size take goes viral. And when Marcus asks her out to spite her critics, truth officially becomes stranger than (fan) fiction . . . On their date, Marcus quickly realises that he wants much more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. But with so many secrets between them, can they ever stop hiding, or will a match made in fandom never make it in real life? Praise for Olivia Dade: 'An absolute joy from the first page to the last' Jen DeLuca 'Spoiler Alert is a delight. April and Marcus will melt your heart' Jenny Holiday 'Olivia Dade's warm and witty voice makes this book an absolute joy to read . . . I'm very much looking forward to whatever Dade writes next' Lucy Parker 'With richly drawn characters you'll love to root for, Olivia Dade's books are a gem of the genre - full of humour, heart and heat' Kate Clayborn

a delightfully fun romantic comedy

Jennifer Eggleston 

Be true, be you ...4.5 stars

As a former message board/fan fic reader and writer/ con attender, this book was a definite fave. 

It hit all the beats; an emotional roller coaster that I want to ride again! 

I really loved April and Marcus together. They both are judged for their outward appearances but on two very different ends of the spectrum. 

April’s love gave Marcus the courage to be the real Marcus and not just delectable fluff. Marcus truly saw April and loved her for who she is. Awwww! 

Truly, Spoiler Alert was like a big form of therapy for me because it reminded me of discussions my therapist and I had. Hello, setting boundaries with parents. Demanding more in life and putting yourself out there. 

If you love the celeb and a regular degular person trope; then this book is for you. 

Really can’t wait to read the next book!

brooke lynn

As a fat woman (who happens to love to read fanfiction….) this book was everything. it was hot, steamy, gut wrenching, and wonderful. this book is for all, but i could see myself here and it told a love story how it would look if I was the main character! olivia dade is a new favorite.

Mary Garza

3.5
Me recordó mucho a fangirl 
La historia es linda donde aborda muchos temas de importancia pero aún así sentí que le faltó algo.

Sven Test

This was such a cute romance novel! Spoiler Alert is the first book I read by Olivia Dade, and rest assured, it won't be the last!

I totally adored the body-positivity in April's story-line. I think it was refreshing to see a plus-sized female character owning her body and not giving two sh*ts what everyone else thought. I love that she felt like she didn't owe anybody anything when it came to herself, especially when it came to becoming "fit". Honestly, April had me cheering in various occasions through the book. She would say and think some of the best lines when it came to accepting herself. April may not have had to physically fight someone or anything like that, but in my eyes, she's a badass. 

I also loved how April was very open with her opinions, but in a very pleasant way. She was also someone who didn't change herself when the media was putting her in the spotlight; she simply stayed true to herself.

"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."

Then we have our cute, little (maybe not so little) cinnamon roll! Or shall I say unicorn? ... Either way, Marcus Caster-Hyphen-Rupp! Everyone knows I love me some bad guys and villains, but every once in a while, I love the good guy, and Marcus just threw the ball out of the park! I absolutely fell for the way he'd treat April and for how accepting he was about her body. I mean, the guy suggested going to different doughnut shops, one after the other, so April could enjoy herself. Like, WHAT?! Where did this guy come from?! 

(I need to point out that I want to try a cocroffinut, which is "coffee/croissant/muffin/doughnut hybrid", which "contains the caffeine equivalent of four espressos." I should probably tell them to make it decaf so I don't die.)

In the end, both April and Marcus stole my heart. I even got emotional. I was on the verge of tears, okay?! If you know me, you know I have a stone-cold heart when it comes to crying with a book, but I was just feeling it all with this one!

I cannot recommend Spoiler Alert enough! You should totally check it out!

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Spoiler Alert A Novel

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