Review of All The Feels

Book:  All The Feels by Olivia Dade

Source: I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: November 16th, 2021

Pages: 320

---

This post contains affiliate links to Bookshop. If you purchase a book using this link we will make a small commission at no extra cost to you!

---

Goodreads // Bookshop // Amazon // Book Depository // Barnes & Noble

---

After reading Spoiler Alert I was SO excited for All The Feels to come out! We get snippets of Alex and Lauren’s story in Spoiler Alert and I wanted to see firsthand just how their relationship evolved as time passed. Thankfully, this book did not disappoint! In fact, I ended up enjoying this book even more than Spoiler Alert!

In case you don’t know already, let me explain the premise of All The Feels. Alex is an actor working on a famous TV show based on best selling novels. After getting in a brawl in a bar, the showrunners decide he needs to be supervised at all times and so Lauren, one of the showrunners’ cousins, is hired to keep Alex in line. Their initial meeting doesn’t go great, but the two are forced to spend all their time together, which of course leads to a budding romance.

This book isn’t quite enemies to lovers, as I initially expected. Instead it’s more of a misunderstanding that slowly gets cleared up as the two spend more time together. But while I typically detest misunderstandings, in this case it was clear where each person was coming from and why they interpreted words or situations in the wrong way. Even more importantly though, these misunderstandings get resolved throughout the course of the book, instead of the reader having to wait until the end of the novel for any resolution to occur. Because of this choice, the progression of the relationship felt very natural and organic.

Of course, part of what made their relationship so fantastic was the fact that both characters were so wonderfully multidimensional and relatable. Alex is just an absolute cinnamon roll! He has the kindest heart and is trying his best, and it’s frustrating to see how many of his words and actions get misinterpreted. Many times Alex will make a sincere statement that sounds so bizarre that people assume he’s being mocking, while that was not his intention. I love how we got to see from both his and Lauren’s perspectives so that we were able to understand what Alex’s intent was, while seeing how Lauren interpreted it. And what’s great is that as the book progresses, the two of them start to understand one another a lot better.

And while Alex is always in motion and always ready to go to battle for anyone who needs it, Lauren seems quite meek by comparison. She lets people’s cruelties slide without reacting, and generally doesn’t get very worked up. What I love about her is how she was not a flat character because of this. She had her reasons for approaching life this way, and she showed her backbone at the times she felt it was most necessary. The two are opposites in many ways, and that helps both of them to grow and improve throughout the book, as the two of them helped each other change for the better.

One of the other aspects of this book that I was happy to see addressed in this book was professional burnout. Lauren was an emergency room clinician for over ten years before she landed up as Alex’s minder, and that definitely took its toll on her. I appreciated how she slowly came to recognize how much her old job had drained her and that maybe she should look at other options instead of just returning back to the same job once this temporary supervisory position was finished. On the other hand, I liked that she still had the same goal in mind. Lauren is a therapist and she wants to be there for people in some fashion. Even though therapy in any form can be taxing, it was interesting to see Lauren look at other options that might suit her needs better within the same field, so that she would be taking care of herself while taking care of others.

Another thing I appreciated a lot is that Lauren was never described as someone who is conventionally attractive, and that doesn’t change once Alex falls in love with her. Alex loves her as is, and while he definitely finds her attractive, she doesn’t suddenly get described as a great beauty now that someone is in love with her. Lauren is fantastic for a myriad of reasons and Alex is lucky to have her, and I was so glad that all of those aspects were highlighted instead of completely changing Lauren’s characterization.

4 STARS

There are so many other little things that I loved about this book, but I think it’s best to discover those little moments of cuteness and heart for yourself. I gave this book 4 stars, and would highly recommend it to any romance lover out there! Alex and Lauren are absolutely perfect together, and I’m so glad to have had the chance to read their story!

Have you read this? Do you plan on reading it? What other romances out there have characters that bring out the best in one another? Are you a fan of the forced proximity trope?

Advertisement