All the Feels

I am very much here for plus-size representation in romance, less so when the internal monologue for the MMC can't seem to describe the heroine without calling her “round” or “plump,” even things like her arm. I also never got a sense that these two had any real chemistry - the story goes from him needing a “minder” (this man is almost 40 years old, somehow in Spoiler Alert I'd thought he was in his 20s) and constantly teasing/mocking her to them supposedly being in love? Please show your work.He's ridiculously protective of her and it's described as him speaking to her angrily when she doesn't defend herself after someone's treated her badly, and dude, yikes. It's not up to you how someone else handles a situation, especially one they've been in more often than you have. If you don't like that they're in that situation, maybe be angry with the person who put them there. Honestly, while there are backstory reasons for it, it didn't make it any more fun to read, and also, being upset with a person you're in a relationship with for how other people react to them is kind of potentially abusive, pal. Even if you say it's because you love them so much. Also, especially in the beginning of the book, Alex really says some mean things to Lauren (calling her a shrew/harpy/bird-woman), and even if it's teasing or displaced anger at his bosses, it's still not great.So basically, I don't understand why anyone would like Alex, and the book doesn't show me enough of that development from enemies-ish to friends to lovers to make it believable. Lauren's POV thoughts about Alex are mostly about how hot he is, which sure, but that doesn't seem like a recipe for lasting love with this 39-year-old man who still thinks using a short woman as an armrest is funny. I was really looking forward to this book because from the glimpses of these two in [b:Spoiler Alert 50496918 Spoiler Alert (Spoiler Alert, #1) Olivia Dade https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1584239588l/50496918.SY75.jpg 75471187], this seemed like a bantering/fun relationship where they each gave as good as they got and were having fun. None of that chemistry made it into this book, which is really disappointing.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I read the first one, and I am not going to lie. I wasn’t impressed. BUT I kept hearing good things about the second one, so I thought I’d give it a shot, and I will say… I really liked it. The story was cute, the characters funny, and it all was grounded in a way that seemed real. It also wasn’t just an excuse to write a ton of sex scenes like the first one was (no shade if that’s what you want, but I like a slower build). I won’t say that this book had the most groundbreaking plot (it was pretty meh), but the characters were really well done, so it made the plot interesting. Lauren and Alex were such a odd duo, but they worked so well. They had similar humor, and their banter was really cute to see. I love seeing a Grumpy X Sunshine trope where the guy is the closest thing to a golden retriever as you can get. I really liked the plus size representation that Lauren brought. She wasn’t ashamed or trying to lose weight or anything like other plus size books normally do. She also wasn’t constantly talking about it either. She just was, and I loved that. I also really appreciated I liked the representation of mental health and ADHD. I feel like it was done in an interesting way. You can really see the impulsivity and certain aspects of ADHD in this book, and it was an interesting plot device.

After reading this book, I can genuinely say that I recommend it. I’ll probably try the third installment just to see if it gets any better. I can’t say that I would recommend the series…but this one was good. (Afternote: I think this book is the only saving grace of the series. I tried to read the book after this one and DNFed it SO….take that for what it is.)

This book is perfect if you are looking for something funny that will give you all sorts of feelings. I fell head over heels for Alex and Lauren. They are cute, have great benter and both represents problems we all encounter in our relationships. With that I really love the references to fan fiction and novels in general. But I think that what I loved the most was the tender side of Alex. He is one of those cinamon rolls who is not afraid to express his feelings, to cry.

Mijn verwachtingen voor deze waren dat ik er evenveel of zelfs meer van zou genieten dan van “Spoiler Alert”, maar helaas werden deze verwachtingen niet ingelost.
Het was nog steeds een leuke en ontspannend boek, maar mij ontbrak ergens wat verbinding. Beide personages vond ik afzonderlijk fantastisch, maar ik vond hun connectie vaak ongeloofwaardig. Misschien doordat er gekozen werd om veel van de opbouw achter de schermen te laten plaats vinden, waardoor we als lezer plots in een situatie zaten waar de personages elkaar al maanden kennen. In ieder geval, ik miste opbouw en chemie, maar het boek slaagde er uiteindelijk toch wel in om mij een paar uur escapisme te bezorgen.

I'm not going to lie...This was almost a four star read for me. I loved Alex and Lauren, but this story didn't do it for me the way I wanted it to. (Okay, I'll be honest, the extra star might have been knocked off because they teased the whole time about pegging and it was not given to us and I'm so maddddd...) I mean come on. I liked that this book went along the same timeline as the first in the series up to a certain point, but after they caught up and there was still half the book to go, I balked at continuing. I will probably read the next one soon. I'm hoping the pacing will be better in the next one (and that Dade will not be such an insufferable tease).

Oh this really was a delight to read! Any (admittedly slight) concerns I had about the leads reading too similarly to the ones of Spoiler Alert were immediately allayed once I got into the story. Alex and Lauren are both absolutely darling and their relationship developed in a way that was uniquely theirs. 
Fandom and fanfic play a role in this novel, but not to the same extent as in the first one. Instead, celebrity gossip and scandal are at the center of the plot, working alongside the concept of a celebrity destroying their own career through ill-considered choices. As the novel goes on, it becomes a story about guilt and atonement, accountability and acceptance. It shows how, while it???s important to be aware of one???s own flaws and mistakes, one cannot hold oneself accountable for things that one had no control over; trying to do so is a shortcut to self-destruction. 
The novel also tackles how, in an attempt to make things right, it???s possible to do more harm than good - especially when one???s ???solution??? to a problem oversteps the boundaries put in place by other people, or otherwise harms them. For that matter, even if the solution only harms oneself, that can still hurt the people around one because they wouldn???t want to see one get hurt in the first place. 
Another important theme is how one must place value in one???s own self. While it???s possible to go overboard and become utterly selfish, it???s just as bad to constantly put other???s needs above one???s own. It???s another kind of self-destruction, and incredibly insidious because it???s easy to slip into the idea that one is doing good for the world by sacrificing oneself on the altar of unmitigated selflessness. (Incidentally it was this theme that gutted me the most, and I willingly admit I had a bit of a come-to-Jesus moment that I may need to talk over with my therapist.) 
Overall, this was a lovely continuation of the Spoiler Alert series, telling a story connected to, but still distinct from, that of the first book. The two leads are really fun to read about, and following the progress of their relationship is an absolute delight, but it???s the themes interwoven through their story that really made this book really stand out and shine.