Those of you who have been around for a while might remember my determination to find romance novels that I like.

Well, good news, I’ve found another one.

April is a geologist who is in the middle of undergoing a radical transition. She’s moving from a job with toxic people to a job with wonderful people and coming out of her shell and admitting that she’s a huge fangirl nerd. She writes fan fiction! She cosplays! She runs an online fic community dedicated to Gods of the Gates, which is definitely not a send-up of Game of Thrones but with Greek mythology.

A picture of her in cosplay goes viral and the internet, being the internet, gets nasty and brings it to the attention of one of the show’s stars. He asks her on a date.

BAM! Our story begins.

Holy CHEESENIPS, y’all. I’ve been annoying my friends personally and directly for a week now about this book. I stayed up until 2am to read it, and then finished it over the course of the next morning while neglecting to do anything on my regular routine (dishes, laundry, and working out all just…didn’t happen) because I HAD to know how it ended.

I’m not going to be able to list all the things I love about this book because there are too many, but I’m going to try.

1. The emotional intelligence. Whenever there’s a heck-up in communication, April acknowledges her feelings (because they’re valid!) then works through what the problem was so she can ensure it doesn’t happen in the future
2. The emotional intelligence. Marcus is hyper aware of his power in any given setting, as a rich, famous, giant, ripped, white dude. He refuses to do anything that might even unintentionally be manipulative. He goes out of his way to make April–and others–comfortable. He also wields his power explicitly to shut down people trying to hurt others. (See: their first date)
3. It’s fandom based! I’m a fandom nerd. I run a wizard rock podcast. I write fan fic. My manuscripts are all nerd girls solving mysteries. Any book that presents fandom as a thing to be celebrated, or even just lived, is an instant win for me.
4. The supporting cast. April’s friends are all wonderful. I love them. I want them to be my friends. Let me roadie for the nerd band!
5. The supporting cast. Marcus’ friends are also all wonderful. If the next book isn’t about ADHD Alex and his handler I’ll—well, I’ll still read it and love it, but I’ve got big dreams.
6. Family boundaries! Holy CHEESENIPS, y’all. Garbage people don’t get forgive and let back in ‘because faaaaamily.’ They get reasonable, healthy boundaries that keep our beloved heroes happy and healthy. I just…I love it so much, y’all. I can’t overstate what this meant to me. No ‘you have to forgive them, they’re family.’ No ‘family sticks together, no matter what.’
7. The big climax is AT A CONVENTION!
8. Alex getting into fic writing. He’s a joy. And a possible successor to Chuck Tingle?
9. The continual send up of Game of Thrones’ show runners. I was never a GoT girl, but I live on the internet so I know the general shape of how that all went down and this version is probably cathartic for all the GoT fans.

My one regret is that the Pretty Man fic that gets teased early on doesn’t exist. Man, do I want to know how that one turned out!

I have a policy that I have to get every book from the library first. Then if I decide it’s worth keeping I can buy it (cuts down on costs a lot since I’m not a book collector anymore). I don’t buy them often; not even all my Book Recs.

This one is definitely getting a place on my shelves.