Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - The Stories We Write

April is a plus-sized, nerdy geologist who enjoys writing fan fiction and cosplaying her favorite TV show. Marcus is a popular actor who enjoys writing fan fiction to correct what he doesn't like about the TV show in which he stars. In a You've Got Mail-related twist, April and Marcus are best friends online but don't know the other's identity when they meet in person.

The good: I enjoyed the plus-sized representation in this book and loved April's confidence! I enjoyed that April and Marcus were older than your standard romance book protagonists. Overall, they had great chemistry, and I loved seeing Marcus support April. I also loved the dual POV storytelling - I felt like that helped me understand both characters a lot more!

The bad: As someone who isn’t into fan fiction, I found the heavy emphasis on it a bit overwhelming. The book sometimes read like it was fan fiction for Game of Thrones or some similar show. If you are in the fan fiction or cosplay world, you might connect with the book more than I did. I was frustrated with the "I can't tell you my big secret" bit. JUST TELL HER AND MOVE ON!! Additionally, April and Marcus exhibited a strong lack of communication with each other and their families. They were acting far too young and emotionally immature for their ages.

It wasn't my favorite book, and I wouldn't read it again, but if you are into fan fiction or cosplay, you might enjoy this book!

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mothmania's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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kickitupanotch7's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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? Yes

5.0

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sharonclare's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-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

4.25

April grew but not by much. Marcus and Alex are my favorite part! I like having the author added little script moments from the bad movies that Marcus says he was in. Some of them were hysterically awful. The “liar- revealed” trope is done often and usually not well, unfortunately the latter applies to this book. However, I really enjoyed the book overall! Being a plus sized woman myself, I found it a breath of fresh air when it comes to representation. I’m excited to read the sequel with Alex and Lauren.
7/10 📖 would recommend to a friend

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circe813's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is so sweet! Any writer aiming to create stories where secrets are held for understandable (even if they are infuriating) reasons could take notes from this book.

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ahsokasbookshelf's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Overall I really liked this book. It was a fluffy romcom that was cute and entertaining and had the right amount of steam. I found the characters likable, the romantic tension was top notch, and I loved seeing a plus size lead! Was the premise of a Hollywood celebrity dating a super fan from the fandom a bit far fetched? You bet. But that personally does not bother me as it added to the fun of the story. I got major Notting Hill vibes from this book, which was super fun!

The cons: I think ultimately this book couldn’t decide how to incorporate some of its heavier emotional themes like the parental relationship issues and the fatphobia. I LOVE seeing a confident plus size lead, but I feel that some of April’s confidence was undercut by how severely and frequently she seemed to react to triggers (some of which were just basic miscommunications that could have been cleared up with a conversation). While April made it clear that she wanted to be loved not despite her body, or because of it, but rather for who she is, the narration often focused on her body size as a complication to their love story. As a plus size person myself, I can absolutely see how for some it could feel incomplete to tell this story without addressing the character’s body type differences and the fatphobia that would come with dating someone in the public eye. But for me it was a little too much. I already know that many people are unkind to those in larger bodies, and so I just don’t want to read about it in my escapism-feel-good-romcoms.

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rlpdean's review against another edition

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4.0

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knunderb's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

Great read! I loved the chemistry between Marcus and April. And loved the fat representation and an example of a woman who sets firm boundaries and doesn't let others violate them.

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