A review by cebales
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

lighthearted medium-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

3.0

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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