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Stranger than FanFiction
Country singer Dallas Jones is the target of an assassination attempt. During his recovery, while feeling a little dizzy from the pain medication, he wishes his life could be more like fanfiction.
Owen Haines threw himself between Dallas and the shooter. He knows how to protect everyone but himself.
After Dallas makes his wish, the universe pushes them together. They become subject to increasingly ridiculous tropes and must consult a shipping pro to navigate the new stakes.
They find themselves huddling together during a freak snowstorm, body-swapping and other classic tropes. In this celebrity AU, the star and his bodyguard must learn to survive traditional fanfiction twists.
They survive everything, including an aggressive ABO heat, but can true love survive major character death?
Owen Haines threw himself between Dallas and the shooter. He knows how to protect everyone but himself.
After Dallas makes his wish, the universe pushes them together. They become subject to increasingly ridiculous tropes and must consult a shipping pro to navigate the new stakes.
They find themselves huddling together during a freak snowstorm, body-swapping and other classic tropes. In this celebrity AU, the star and his bodyguard must learn to survive traditional fanfiction twists.
They survive everything, including an aggressive ABO heat, but can true love survive major character death?
205 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2025
About the author
Alyssa Rabil
9 books8 followersshe/her
When Alyssa Rabil isn’t experiencing a full-blow existential meltdown, she’s writing. She likes to put her characters through Hell to see if they can survive. Most of the time, they do.
When Alyssa Rabil isn’t experiencing a full-blow existential meltdown, she’s writing. She likes to put her characters through Hell to see if they can survive. Most of the time, they do.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 24, 2025
⭐️ 3 stars ⭐️
An absolutely fun idea, to have ALL the tropes, from amnesia to only one bed, omegaverse and body swap. However, Stranger Than Fanfiction was missing something.
~ spoilers ahead~
I really loved the concept here, and watching these two go through so many tropes was a pretty entertaining time. But it lacked feels, I guess. The ‘dislike’ to love felt too abrupt, them going from almost hating each other to sex to I love you’s in the span of a week, and the whole plot was too fast-paced to really get properly invested. I think I would’ve enjoyed less tropes, but more time between each one. And definitely more romance.
I also absolutely hated the reasoning the author gave for why Dallas was shot.
Overall, awesome concept for a romance, but not the best execution.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Mild violence
- Gun violence
- Assault/mugging
- Low self-esteem
- OP drama
- Top/bottom
- Brief omegaverse dynamic & heat sex
- Frotting
- Coming hands-free
“Sometimes I guess I wish my life was a little more like the fanfiction.”
An absolutely fun idea, to have ALL the tropes, from amnesia to only one bed, omegaverse and body swap. However, Stranger Than Fanfiction was missing something.
~ spoilers ahead~
“What’s going on?” he asks. “This could be a number of things,” says Janey. “We could be looking at sickness/ care, hurt-comfort. Or it could be more serious like fuck-or-die.” “Excuse you?”
I really loved the concept here, and watching these two go through so many tropes was a pretty entertaining time. But it lacked feels, I guess. The ‘dislike’ to love felt too abrupt, them going from almost hating each other to sex to I love you’s in the span of a week, and the whole plot was too fast-paced to really get properly invested. I think I would’ve enjoyed less tropes, but more time between each one. And definitely more romance.
I also absolutely hated the reasoning the author gave for why Dallas was shot.
Overall, awesome concept for a romance, but not the best execution.
“I never hated you.” “I never hated you either,” says Dallas.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Mild violence
- Gun violence
- Assault/mugging
- Low self-esteem
- OP drama
- Top/bottom
- Brief omegaverse dynamic & heat sex
- Frotting
- Coming hands-free
August 18, 2025
3*** stars
This book basically had all the tropes. *lmaooo The curse testing what could bring Dallas and Owen together. So five stars for the idea. It was a pretty cool one.
I loved the two women who helped them navigate the tropes and how to complete them to move forward.
It was fun to read for a while and I appreciated the fast pace but I didn’t quite click with the author’s writing style which ultimately led to me having a hard time connecting with the characters and caring about them and their love story. The conclusion was ridiculous and their sudden feelings for each other came out of left field. Not believable.
It still was cute, tho. And I think another author might have been able to make this into something fantastic, but sadly this one couldn’t.
This book basically had all the tropes. *lmaooo The curse testing what could bring Dallas and Owen together. So five stars for the idea. It was a pretty cool one.
“We could be looking at sickness/ care, hurt-comfort. Or it could be more serious like fuck-or-die.”
“Excuse you?”
I loved the two women who helped them navigate the tropes and how to complete them to move forward.
It was fun to read for a while and I appreciated the fast pace but I didn’t quite click with the author’s writing style which ultimately led to me having a hard time connecting with the characters and caring about them and their love story. The conclusion was ridiculous and their sudden feelings for each other came out of left field. Not believable.
It still was cute, tho. And I think another author might have been able to make this into something fantastic, but sadly this one couldn’t.
August 16, 2025
4.5⭐️
I loved this!
It was just as ridiculous as I’d hoped it would be. It reminded me of Lemony Snicket but with MM tropes. It was amusing, magical, and over-the-top, and that made it so entertaining.
This book is in the magical side of literature that I love. Make-believe and alternate realities where you can believe this stuff could actually happen— I love it, it’s so much fun 😂
Both characters were great; you wanted to hit them a lot and make them get to the point, but that just made it more enjoyable. The bad guy was predictable, but that was okay and it was great to see his downfall.
I wasn’t sure when I requested this; I thought it could go either way, a 50/50 chance of it being great, but I’m glad she went down the pantomime route because I would have hated it if you were meant to take it seriously.
I hope that’s what she was aiming for, anyway. I loved it.
………………………………………………………….
I received an ARC from GRR, and this is my honest review.
I loved this!
It was just as ridiculous as I’d hoped it would be. It reminded me of Lemony Snicket but with MM tropes. It was amusing, magical, and over-the-top, and that made it so entertaining.
This book is in the magical side of literature that I love. Make-believe and alternate realities where you can believe this stuff could actually happen— I love it, it’s so much fun 😂
Both characters were great; you wanted to hit them a lot and make them get to the point, but that just made it more enjoyable. The bad guy was predictable, but that was okay and it was great to see his downfall.
I wasn’t sure when I requested this; I thought it could go either way, a 50/50 chance of it being great, but I’m glad she went down the pantomime route because I would have hated it if you were meant to take it seriously.
I hope that’s what she was aiming for, anyway. I loved it.
………………………………………………………….
I received an ARC from GRR, and this is my honest review.
September 5, 2025
4.5 stars
This book was ridiculously cute (emphasis on ridiculous)! With a high maintenance country music star being attacked during a concert and his grumpy, antisocial, bodyguard trying to keep him safe, you couldn’t ask for anything better. I swear, between the magic lovers statue and the witches, the romance trope curses and cures, animal transformations and body swaps, I lost track of the number of suggested solutions from their well-meaning friends but the main consensus was, “just kiss him!”
I seriously can’t tell you how many times I laughed my butt off! There was nothing (at all) serious about this book—except maybe for the attempted murderer and even that was a little crazy.
If a fun, irreverent book that doesn’t take itself too seriously sounds like a good time to you, this needs to be your next read! Personally, I enjoyed it immensely. It didn’t even bother me that it kind of had the tone of a commentator giving a blow by blow running account… I just didn’t care, I was having too much fun. Check it out! 4.5 stars
I received a copy of this book for free but am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was ridiculously cute (emphasis on ridiculous)! With a high maintenance country music star being attacked during a concert and his grumpy, antisocial, bodyguard trying to keep him safe, you couldn’t ask for anything better. I swear, between the magic lovers statue and the witches, the romance trope curses and cures, animal transformations and body swaps, I lost track of the number of suggested solutions from their well-meaning friends but the main consensus was, “just kiss him!”
I seriously can’t tell you how many times I laughed my butt off! There was nothing (at all) serious about this book—except maybe for the attempted murderer and even that was a little crazy.
If a fun, irreverent book that doesn’t take itself too seriously sounds like a good time to you, this needs to be your next read! Personally, I enjoyed it immensely. It didn’t even bother me that it kind of had the tone of a commentator giving a blow by blow running account… I just didn’t care, I was having too much fun. Check it out! 4.5 stars
I received a copy of this book for free but am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 18, 2025
I want to start by saying this is all my personal taste, and some of the things I’ll talk about might not bother you at all. I still encourage you to pick this book up because it’s short, sweet, and mostly a fun ride.
When I saw the blurb for this book, I thought it was either going to be amazing or ridiculous, and I honestly don’t know which one I wanted more, because ridiculous in this context would have been excellent. This book had a lot of potential, and that’s not to say it’s a bad book, because it’s far from it. I just think some of the decisions weren’t to my personal taste. I’ll start with the positives.
The writing, for the most part, was great. I think each trope flowed beautifully into the next, and despite some of the tropes being outrageous and over the top (as they should be), the author still managed to keep a sense of grounding in between, which is no easy feat.
The length of this book was perfect. It would be very easy to get carried away with this kind of setting because there are so many tropes out there, but the length that was chosen felt just right.
The supporting cast of this book was the standout. It would have been very easy to go overboard with humor in a book like this, but it never felt like it overstayed its welcome. The two characters that Owen and Dallas meet, who help them through their predicament, are very endearing.
Now for the things that didn’t really work for my personal taste—or rather, the main thing.
I went into this book expecting silly, whimsical fun, and the first 50% of it delivered exactly that. I was having such a blast reading it. Unfortunately, as the book goes on, it starts to take itself a little too seriously, especially in the relationship department. This, in turn, made me take things more seriously, which led to frustration at some very questionable decisions made by both main characters (mostly Owen) toward the end. That, unfortunately, made me lose interest in the relationship.
We have all of these ridiculously over-the-top tropes that make this book so fun, but then there’s the miscommunication trope running through all of them, and that just didn’t work for me. The miscommunication trope is easily one of my least favorite tropes. Combined with jealousy, it sucked a lot of the fun out of the story for me as I got closer to the end.
That said, I still had a good time with this book. I got a real kick out of some of the tropes, and I’m glad I read it. Especially with how short it is, it made for a perfect cozy read at night. It also has a very nice spice level too!
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
When I saw the blurb for this book, I thought it was either going to be amazing or ridiculous, and I honestly don’t know which one I wanted more, because ridiculous in this context would have been excellent. This book had a lot of potential, and that’s not to say it’s a bad book, because it’s far from it. I just think some of the decisions weren’t to my personal taste. I’ll start with the positives.
The writing, for the most part, was great. I think each trope flowed beautifully into the next, and despite some of the tropes being outrageous and over the top (as they should be), the author still managed to keep a sense of grounding in between, which is no easy feat.
The length of this book was perfect. It would be very easy to get carried away with this kind of setting because there are so many tropes out there, but the length that was chosen felt just right.
The supporting cast of this book was the standout. It would have been very easy to go overboard with humor in a book like this, but it never felt like it overstayed its welcome. The two characters that Owen and Dallas meet, who help them through their predicament, are very endearing.
Now for the things that didn’t really work for my personal taste—or rather, the main thing.
I went into this book expecting silly, whimsical fun, and the first 50% of it delivered exactly that. I was having such a blast reading it. Unfortunately, as the book goes on, it starts to take itself a little too seriously, especially in the relationship department. This, in turn, made me take things more seriously, which led to frustration at some very questionable decisions made by both main characters (mostly Owen) toward the end. That, unfortunately, made me lose interest in the relationship.
We have all of these ridiculously over-the-top tropes that make this book so fun, but then there’s the miscommunication trope running through all of them, and that just didn’t work for me. The miscommunication trope is easily one of my least favorite tropes. Combined with jealousy, it sucked a lot of the fun out of the story for me as I got closer to the end.
That said, I still had a good time with this book. I got a real kick out of some of the tropes, and I’m glad I read it. Especially with how short it is, it made for a perfect cozy read at night. It also has a very nice spice level too!
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
August 22, 2025
This is a first time reading this author... and I may try to read another title when time allows.
Dallas Jones is a country music artist who appears to have a stalker. There is an attempt on his life but a body guard gets in the way. Dallas makes a weird confession wishing his life was more like fanfiction that his real life and suddenly there is a change.
Owen is glad he was there at the right time, but now things are weirder than ever. Dallas receives a weird item with all the fan gifts and it is just weird enough he wants to keep it. But when Owen decide is time to take Dallas away from it all to recover that is when things get really weird. Suddenly all these weird things are happening to the couple and they realize they both have feelings. Even adding in someone else to help them figure out what is going on does not really slow down the events they find themselves in.
Will Owen and Dallas believe the "world" they find themselves in? Are they in danger? Will their friends be able to help them figure it all out? Will Dallas make it to his next concert? Will there be another issue?
I get the point of the story but I think there were too many too fast. Maybe this would have been better as a duet and spread come of this out a little?
Dallas Jones is a country music artist who appears to have a stalker. There is an attempt on his life but a body guard gets in the way. Dallas makes a weird confession wishing his life was more like fanfiction that his real life and suddenly there is a change.
Owen is glad he was there at the right time, but now things are weirder than ever. Dallas receives a weird item with all the fan gifts and it is just weird enough he wants to keep it. But when Owen decide is time to take Dallas away from it all to recover that is when things get really weird. Suddenly all these weird things are happening to the couple and they realize they both have feelings. Even adding in someone else to help them figure out what is going on does not really slow down the events they find themselves in.
Will Owen and Dallas believe the "world" they find themselves in? Are they in danger? Will their friends be able to help them figure it all out? Will Dallas make it to his next concert? Will there be another issue?
I get the point of the story but I think there were too many too fast. Maybe this would have been better as a duet and spread come of this out a little?
August 19, 2025
This a new to me author and I didn't know quite what I was getting into.
Be careful what you wish for. Country singer Dallas Jones had been the target of an assassination attempt, fortunately he was only grazed by the bullet. In going through the gifts and tributes left by his fans with bodyguard Owen Haines they discover a sandstone statue with what looks like ancient Celtic symbols. Dallas ruminates he wished life was more like fanfiction because it always came with a HEA. With a flash of light and thunder they are cursed and start the journey of a lifetime. Driving from Tennesse to Colorado they manage to experience every trope known to the romance genre. From the only one room, only one bed to getting caught in a sudden snowstorm where they have to huddle to keep warm. Owen has a shape shifter incident and Dallas goes into heat. Claudia and Janey add to the adventure trying to figure how to break the curse, Kiss, Kiss, Kiss.
Meanwhile, Detective Carter Right in on the job trying to track down Dallas's would be assassin and in constant contact with Owen. Never a dull moment and Dallas will get his wanted HEA.
Be careful what you wish for. Country singer Dallas Jones had been the target of an assassination attempt, fortunately he was only grazed by the bullet. In going through the gifts and tributes left by his fans with bodyguard Owen Haines they discover a sandstone statue with what looks like ancient Celtic symbols. Dallas ruminates he wished life was more like fanfiction because it always came with a HEA. With a flash of light and thunder they are cursed and start the journey of a lifetime. Driving from Tennesse to Colorado they manage to experience every trope known to the romance genre. From the only one room, only one bed to getting caught in a sudden snowstorm where they have to huddle to keep warm. Owen has a shape shifter incident and Dallas goes into heat. Claudia and Janey add to the adventure trying to figure how to break the curse, Kiss, Kiss, Kiss.
Meanwhile, Detective Carter Right in on the job trying to track down Dallas's would be assassin and in constant contact with Owen. Never a dull moment and Dallas will get his wanted HEA.
August 17, 2025
This book is completely ridiculous and there lies the charm in it. It's about two people being cursed to go through a string of popular fan fiction and romance tropes with the end goal of a happy end - naturally. Of course, with so many tropes represented I liked some scenes more than others but all-in-all it was an enjoyable story. It's completely over-the-top, lighthearted fun, that doesn't take itself too seriously. The length is also great, because I don't think I would have made it through this story if it was epic fantasy novel length.
August 31, 2025
Thank you for the book, here is my honest opinion:
2.5⭐️A fabulous and fun idea, this really took me back to my fanfic days. It’s super clever and I really wanted to love it. While the premise is strong, the story itself never really came together, for me. Maybe too many tropes was the problem, but I never really connected with Dallas or Owen as characters. The writing style was not very engaging. It often felt like reading a second hand account which put the events and the characters at a distance. Great idea though!
2.5⭐️A fabulous and fun idea, this really took me back to my fanfic days. It’s super clever and I really wanted to love it. While the premise is strong, the story itself never really came together, for me. Maybe too many tropes was the problem, but I never really connected with Dallas or Owen as characters. The writing style was not very engaging. It often felt like reading a second hand account which put the events and the characters at a distance. Great idea though!
September 1, 2025
After an assassin makes an attempt on his life Dallas Jones hits the road with Owen Haines, his head of security and they attempt to find out who wants to do Dallas some harm. On the way to trying to figure out where the source of the danger is they have to contend with an errant wish that Dallas makes that leaves them navigating their way through a series of romantic tropes. It does help them come to realize that they were meant to be together and it made for a zany and fun story for the reader.
I received an ARC from GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an ARC from GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 24, 2025
An interesting read. Easy, quick and quirky characters and a plot that I never knew what was happening next. I will admit it was hard to get into but glad I stay with it as was a fun read. I did finish feeling like it had more potential but the plot moves (maybe little too unrealistically) but the characters and supporting characters make for a good read. I gave it a four as it as easy too early in book to identify the bad guy. I did receive an ARC and leave this honest review.
August 31, 2025
Ok do what made this book was the fantastic characters both main and secondary. The storyline had so much going on and I did loose my way a bit and had to go back pages so I am glad it wasn't too long! Overall definately worth a read but make sure you have no interruptions as you need to be fully invested!
I received a free arc copy and this is my honest review
Note to author please do not use ABO you just need to add some / ie: A/B/O - thanks
I received a free arc copy and this is my honest review
Note to author please do not use ABO you just need to add some / ie: A/B/O - thanks
August 20, 2025
3.5/5 stars! The premise of this story sounded cute and silly, so I was excited to read it. I liked how the tropes flowed together, it just felt like after a while there were too many. It would have been nice to see it paired down and focus on just a string of a few tropes. I did like the humor and the overall storyline and would read another book by this author.
August 20, 2025
I really wanted to like this book, the concept is so clever! The execution is where it fell flat. The dialog was awkward, pacing was irregular, and it was ultimately not very exciting. I guessed the villain early on, but some elements of the plot were kind of left hanging. I really wish this had been as good as it had the potential to be!
August 25, 2025
What a fun premise and story! Dallas Jones is a country star who gets shot on stage. While recovering, he and his head of security, Owen Haines, must make it through a lot of romance tropes. Its as if someone is writing fanfiction starring the two. This was super cute and entertaining. Slow burn spice-wise, but still steamy.
August 27, 2025
3.5 stars. A truly interesting plot idea, which was either going to be funny or awful. Fortunately for me, I thought it was quite amusing. Of course, the MCs fell for each other while trying to survive all the tropes being thrown their way, but managing to write them all in a logical order is really good writing.
August 30, 2025
"I wrote this instead of sleeping..." Maybe the author should have slept.
It's self-published and it shows. Needs a TON of editing. Dialogue is rough and awkward and there's too much of it. Some scenes are super confusing. I knew who the villain was and there was no suspense. Great idea, poor execution.
It's self-published and it shows. Needs a TON of editing. Dialogue is rough and awkward and there's too much of it. Some scenes are super confusing. I knew who the villain was and there was no suspense. Great idea, poor execution.
September 7, 2025
I came to MM romance through fan fiction so this book was an absolute delight from start to finish. I hoped the author would push things to the max, have the characters go through all my favorite tropes and keep me guessing how things were going to wrap up and all that was what happened. Magical, witty and a real treat.
September 15, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the concept and thought it was so much fun and funny to have these characters navigating all these popular tropes. The most unique "be careful what you wish for" consequences I've ever encountered. I liked both Dallas and Owen. This story was an adventure and fast-paced. This is the first story I've read by this author and I would read more. 4 stars.
August 31, 2025
Dallas & Owen
This was a fun and quirky story to read. I enjoyed following along as Dallas and Owen experienced the different tropes and as they figure out who is trying to hurt Dallas. I appreciated their ending and happily ever after.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
This was a fun and quirky story to read. I enjoyed following along as Dallas and Owen experienced the different tropes and as they figure out who is trying to hurt Dallas. I appreciated their ending and happily ever after.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
August 31, 2025
He is a country singer who survived an attack on his life. They never it gave it a second thought when they saved him and their lives will become entangled with each other. He wishes for a different life and he gets it. An amazing read
September 13, 2025
As a fanfiction writer I loved the fact it was used as a plot point and not as an insult.
As a reader every twist and turn made this book impossible to put down. Dallas and Owen were destined for their HEA because they were the OTP of the story.
As a reader every twist and turn made this book impossible to put down. Dallas and Owen were destined for their HEA because they were the OTP of the story.
August 17, 2025
How does this not have any reviews? It’s just pure silliness, fluffy and perfect for those chilly afternoons (when they get here of course!)
September 1, 2025
It is a good book and a couple.
I received a free copy of this book via GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 7, 2025
I love an utterly ridiculous romp of a book. That’s definitely what this book is.
September 22, 2025
********** Contains Spoilers**********
This is the first book that I’ve read by Alyssa Rabil. I thought that this was an okay but enjoyable read which had its faults. I liked the concept but I do wish that there were a lot less tropes represented so it could just focus on a few instead of basically a new trope in each chapter. I liked the premise of the story but I did find the dialogue a bit stilted throughout but that could be because Owen is Dallas’s head of security so they’re trying to keep a professional boundary between them.
I also wish that this book was a bit longer so after the curse was broken we actually got to see them spend time together and work up to their happily ever after, as they basically went from barely tolerating each other, to friends and then lovers. Even thought this wasn’t the most exciting read I’ll still look into reading more books from Alyssa Rabil in the future.
******I received a complimentary copy of this book through GRR. I would still happily review this book even if I purchased it myself. My thoughts and feelings about this book are completely unbiased******
This is the first book that I’ve read by Alyssa Rabil. I thought that this was an okay but enjoyable read which had its faults. I liked the concept but I do wish that there were a lot less tropes represented so it could just focus on a few instead of basically a new trope in each chapter. I liked the premise of the story but I did find the dialogue a bit stilted throughout but that could be because Owen is Dallas’s head of security so they’re trying to keep a professional boundary between them.
I also wish that this book was a bit longer so after the curse was broken we actually got to see them spend time together and work up to their happily ever after, as they basically went from barely tolerating each other, to friends and then lovers. Even thought this wasn’t the most exciting read I’ll still look into reading more books from Alyssa Rabil in the future.
******I received a complimentary copy of this book through GRR. I would still happily review this book even if I purchased it myself. My thoughts and feelings about this book are completely unbiased******
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews