Bryan Redeagle reviewed All the Feels by Olivia Dade
Fun, lovely characters, but the conflict could have been better done.
4 stars
Content warning Mention of a key plot point later in the book
This was a pretty fun read. It was apparently a spin off of another book, but I didn't know that going in and it didn't detract from the story at all.
I really like how Lauren and Alex interacted with each other. They take an initial antagonistic position, but that later (over the course of months) turn into a playful banter. Their conversations were fun to read, and the intimate moments were both graphic and hot. Alex is a way over the top personality, and Lauren is a little more serious, but not cold and heartless. A couple of Alex's "playful jokes" don't land very well. Namely, he describes Lauren (who is short and fat) as a bird (that he somehow explains away as a compliment), and talks a lot about her height (she's 4'11"). Some of the height jokes were, in fact, funny, and they would have felt a little more playful if Alex waited until they were more friendly with each other when he started them.
I loved the message about advocating for yourself, and Alex being supportive of that was good to see. I do have one criticism (which knocked off the star). Lauren makes a choice later in the book that leads to a classic romance misunderstanding, but that choice felt wrong for her character. It had an adverse affect on Alex due to his past trauma, and her, a licensed therapist, I don't think would have made that mistake (even with the situation being personal like it was). If she were any other character, I would have brushed it off as regular people ignorance.
