I think what distinguishes it is that Gray didn't try to appeal to a non-fannish audience. If you don't participate in fandom, don't know about the differences between journal fandom and Tumblr fandom, have no idea what a "woobie" is, haven't read enough fanfic to be really familiar with typical tropes...you're frankly not going to enjoy this book. But if you have, you'll recognize yourself and your community. All the other novels about fandom I've seen have taken the idea of fandom and created totally fictionalized communities and norms, whereas Enemies to Lovers depicts the reality of fan communities as they actually exist today; in that sense it's deeply rooted in both time and (digital) place.