Reviews with content warning for Ableism - Spoiler Alert

Somehow, through fandom, he’d discovered who he was. His own interests. His own talents and possibilities, after decades of pretending to be someone he wasn’t, believing he was someone he wasn’t.

For the most part, I really enjoy this! There are so many great things about this book. I absolutely adored the main characters. April captivated me with her combination of strength, kindness, and self-awareness. She's so careful and firm about borders, both her own and those of other people, and even when she's rightfully hurt and upset, she's willing to analyze the situation and admit to her part in making it wrong. She's the kind of character who's just so unapologetically herself, even when the world makes it hard for her to be, and I love that about her. I also love how her arc, as a fat character, wasn't in the slightest about overcoming insecurities about her body. On the contrary, it was about making it clear to the people around her that she wouldn't accept their opinions, criticism, and toxic do-gooding (is that a word? now it's a word).

Marcus, in turn, won my heart with his open-mindednes, his awareness of his privelege, and his earnest desire to make himself a safe person to be around. I love how introspective he is, even when it would have been easier to evade an unpleasant topic in his thoughts, and how it's honest introspection and reflection, not just letting that unpleasant topic stew over in his mind and make him miserable. He genuinely wants to make things better for others *and* for himself, even though with the latter, the past baggage often makes it difficult. Throughout the story, from the very start, he is constantly growing and learning, and it's a wonderful process to witness. I very much appreciated how his dyslexia was handled by the narrative, showing that a learning disability and acute intelligence aren't mutually exclusive in the slightest.

It was really great to see these two genuinely good people come together and make each other happy. I liked how while the premise is super tropey—"fan meets star, they fall for each other"—that trope is actually held up and examined, with all of its implications. The power imbalance, the danger of fetishization, the public scrutiny, all of those have a place in the plot, are openly discussed, and handled maturely. I also loved how while a big part of the story hinges on all those layers of mistaken identities and falsehoods, the falsehoods are never treated as okay, and they co-exist with plenty of openness, mutual sharing, emotional vulnerability, and raw honesty. It was also very pleasant to read all those fandom-focused bits, the experts from the in-universe fan fiction, and especially the dialogues from the fandom servers. So familiar and so relatable!

Also, it was awesome to see characters in their thirties have arcs focused on sorting out their relationships with their parents. Emotional separation from the childhood baggage doesn't end a few years after you become a legal adult, especially when there are wounds as significant as the ones April and Marcus have. In this regard, this is honestly such an important story about loving people you can't help but love, people who love you as well, and also realizing that love or not, you also have the right to be respected and to stand up for yourself, and it's scary af, no matter how old you are, but eventually you need to do it. A lot of those parents-related moments, especially in Marcus's arc, hit me so hard.

The things that I didn't like so much: the last 10-20% or so. :D I enjoyed the happy ending and all that, but I also felt like the author maybe rushed to wrap things up and the way some plot threads played out at the end was a tad too convenient. Also, I never quite clicked with the author's prose; it was a tad too verbose for me, I think, though it didn't stand in the way of enjoying the story. It just made it harder. And also, a very minor grip: namedropping Game of Thrones late in the book. Like, come on, I thought Gods of the Gates was supposed to be this alternate universe's Game of Thrones, but soapier! Otherwise, why weren't all those fans constantly talking about the uncanny coincidences, like the author refusing to write the last couple of books, the show going downhill from the moment the source material ended, the final season being a trainwreck of ruined character arcs, even the small details like the creators having the same initials? That tiny bit kind of ruined my immersion, not gonna lie. :D

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shelvesofivy's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

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bzliz's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Marcus is an actor who has grown dissatisfied with his show’s lazy scripts that undo seasons worth of character development, so he turns to fanfiction to explore how it should have gone. April is a geologist by day but also a secret super fan of Marcus’ show who likes to cosplay her favorite character and write smutty fics about her favorite pairing (which happens to include Marcus’s character). In fact, they are close friends within the fandom without Marcus revealing his identity and possibly putting his career at risk.

When April takes a chance and posts a cosplay photo of herself without cropping out her face, internet trolls quickly start criticizing her for her size. Marcus happens to see and publicly admonishes her critics and invites her on a date, during which she reveals to him that she is actually his closest internet friend.

They both struggle to share their true selves despite their attraction to one another, setting off a pretty typical rom com pattern of constant back and forth revealing small pieces of themselves before one of them (usually April) reads into something too much and withdraws again only to forgive and move forward soon after.

This book is a love letter to everyone who spent years escaping into fanfiction as a way to express themselves and see themselves represented in their favorite works, as well as anyone who has been led to believe they are “less than” because of how they look.

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marybsimp's review against another edition

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I don’t know what I expected from this book. I know it’s somewhat popular, but I never saw it on my FYP/Tiktok or anything. I honestly got it because it’s a cartoon cover and was on sale on Audible. But I was blown away! I loved it. I have not seen a plus size FMC represented like this. So many times, the FMC loses weight or hates herself. While body image is a primary factor in this story, it’s done so well. I don’t know if Olivia Dade is plus size herself, but either way, it is portrayed so well. Everything is discussed great. Additionally, I love that there is representation of dyslexia and it isn’t treated like something is wrong or the person is sick. It’s just part of who they are. Some people in the book look down on this person, but I am so glad that the author intentionally avoids and insists that this is not a diminishing factor of a person but just part of who they are. Plus I love the fanfiction of it all! I love that there are small snippets of fanfiction that reflect the current happenings of the scene/part of the book as well. It is third person which took a minute of getting used to, but I still loved it all in all. I think I would’ve given 5 whole stars if it was first person, but that’s pretty much the only flaw I saw.

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katietregs's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I overall enjoyed this book, but it does focus a lot on April’s insecurities about her weight as well as how badly she’s treated because of it. I’m sure some would find this therapeutic, but I found myself wishing this escapist romance was a little more escapey.

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