Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Spoiler Alert #1

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Dates Read: 6/21/23 - 6/27/23

    Marcus Caster-Rupp, known as Aeneas from Gods of the Gates, has a secret fanfiction persona, Book!AeneasWouldNever. He vents his frustrations with his character through stories featuring Aeneas and Lavinia, the internet's favorite couple to ship. April Whittier, a devoted Lavinia fan, decides to share her plus-size Lavinia creation on Twitter, which goes viral. When Marcus, unaware of her true identity, asks her out to spite her critics, their disastrous first date leads to unexpected feelings. As Marcus learns April is Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he must keep his own secret. With their love and Marcus's career at stake, will they finally reveal their true selves or risk a premature cancellation?

    I initially had mixed feelings about this book, and after reading other reviews, I began to understand why it didn't resonate with me as much. Not being familiar with Game of Thrones or its source material, learning that this was originally fanfiction added some context. As a plus-sized individual, I appreciate reading about characters who share that experience. However, I found Marcus repeatedly referring to April as "round," particularly during intimate moments, to be incredibly frustrating. There are certainly better ways to describe a woman's body without reducing her to a single word, especially in such intimate situations.

    The miscommunications in this book were a significant drawback for me. There is a distinction between slow-burn miscommunications that add tension and depth to a story and the type of miscommunication where characters keep secrets, make assumptions, and unfairly punish their love interest. In this case, the latter was prevalent, and it was frustrating to see characters in their late thirties engage in such behavior that felt immature and unrealistic.

    Despite my grievances, I did appreciate the portrayal of April's struggles with her parents and her journey toward building self-esteem. It resonated with me on a personal level, and I found it relatable. Additionally, the steamy scenes in the book were undeniably spicy, adding a sizzling element to the story. Overall, I would describe this as a cute read, and while I may consider revisiting the other books in the series in the future, I don't have immediate plans to do so at the moment.