Thank you LBBG, Piatkus and Olivia Dade for the opportunity to review At First Spite in exchange for a fair review.

What an amazing, beautiful, and wonderful adventure this story was. Hats off to Olivia Dade for writing an incredible story that I devoured in a couple of hours and kept me up way past my bedtime. A stunning story packed with the best of tropes that I adore and a healthy, realistic grounding for a romance that melted my heart after a gobsmacking inciting incident (OMG) that was brutal evil genius meet cue territory.

The story is written in an emotive, fragile state that draws you into the story of Matthew and Athena who are two souls who are a little broken in different ways, needing someone to help them overcome their inner demons to become better, stronger versions of themselves to allow them to love others. While touching on some very emotive topics, there is wonderful humour and banter tied masterfully into the story with sensitivity for the emotional wounds and struggle of the characters – loved the murder dolls and monster erotic puns and humour.

I loved the honest and blunt portrayal of depression in this book. Other stories can gloss over the days when you don’t have the energy to do anything but sleep. Athena’s state of mind is very relatable and feels very organic for anyone whose ever suffered from a depressive state or episode.
At First, Spite is going to be a benchmark book for me this year for well-developed characters. The characters in this book are so fragile, flawed, and raw versions of humans. Even the side characters, you can’t help but understand and love them for their quirks (here’s looking at you Karl the baker).

Athena Greydon is a gorgeous protagonist – she’s so imperfect that she is perfect because of everything about her from her body image, depression, anxiety, pride, and stubbornness I could relate to as a reader. Her struggle to fit in and settle, free of letting everyone down and toll on her mental health all screamed out to me. She’s an art form of a character because of how human she is to her core – she read like she could step off the page into the room with me at any moment.

At the first meeting, Dr. Matthew Vine is completely unlikeable, rude, and ignorant git. His thoughtless words and actions cause a lot of trouble and strife for his brother and Athena. He acted with good intentions but he could have had more common sense about it. He does redeem himself with his care and kindness of Athena in Harlot Cove. He’s a massive cinnamon roll type under his dunderhead – he’s got Shrek onion layers to his personality that surprise you.

A sweet, charming quirky read with a heart-warming romance that I loved because it embraced imperfect humans and older characters falling in love featuring Matthew and Athena both being in their late 30s. Their chemistry is sizzling and off-the-charts adorable. My heart broke for both Athena and Matthew so many times reading this book.

Since this book mentions taking a holiday in Hawai’i multiple times, I want to implore you — if you aren’t already aware — to take inspiration from Athena and consult Google as to why tourism is bad for Hawai’i and why the natives are pleading for people to stop visiting. It really rubbed me the wrong way out of all the places to pick for a holiday, the author went with Hawai’i.

This is my first proper venture in to the world of Olivia Dade. I did borrow Ship Wrecked from the library but couldn’t make it pass the first few pages before I returned it, and I haven’t bothered since — until I saw this come up on NetGalley.

This book did not make me much of a fan. I won’t be eagerly recommending this nor will I race to read her next work, but if the book happens to come up in conversation I wouldn’t discourage it, nor would I deny the opportunity to read more from Dade. I’m just not eager to. This book was just simply okay for me.

I liked the mental health representation. I found it to be very authentic, and I appreciate it being included as depression impacts the daily lives of so many people and it’s important to have conversations about this. I think this was well done throughout and I appreciate that Dade didn’t take the bullshit approach of “love cures all”.

I also liked how Dade dealt with showing the long term impact of parentification, for both the sibling who was forced in to that role and for the sibling being taken care of. I think this is another taboo subject, in life and romance books, that general society does not like to acknowledge so I was glad to see it be brought to the forefront. Parentification happens to so many.

I also liked how Athena was “lost” — again, I think we always expect people to choose a career and stick with it. I liked how Athena represented those of us who can’t stay in one place, but want to, but we find ourselves easily bored or always, for some unknown reason, feel the urge to move on to something different. It is overwhelming and unsettling.

I think the romance was okay, and there was a decent amount of chemistry. That’s about all I have to say really. The side characters were good too, when I remembered who was who and who was what to who and who did what.

Overall, I did not hate this book but I did not love it. It was entertaining, witty, and thought provoking but ultimately just failed to truly charm me.

My first Olivia Dade book and I wasn't disappointed.
While I wasn't blown away I did enjoy this book.

It starts as a nice fluffy romance but then takes a huge turn into depression and that part is written super well. And I connected into that part more than the romance which wasn't that great.

If anyone comes up to me and removes my glasses. Breathes on them then puts them back on my face without permission is getting a slap.
There is no way that's romantic.

"That night, for the first time in weeks, he dreamed of the art museum.""

This was such an enjoyable romance read. The light-hearted romantic cheesiness did not take away from the emotional depth that was achieved in certain scenes; the characters featured a greater depth in personality which was such a enjoyable bonus for a romance story.

I really enjoyed the interaction of the main male and female characters and their individual characteristics that helped the story to sing. It was refreshing to see the type of main male lead, whilst being strong and driven, the softness of him was evident throughout the story. It's nice to see a story where the male lead falls first but there is still more to the development of his character than pining after the main female lead.

The female lead additionally I enjoyed following along. It was nice to follow a character with a strong and vibrant personality whilst still having the ability to address and have representation for mental health issues. It was enjoyable to see the growth of confidence in the character and how that played into the development of the story and the effect on other characters.

The pacing and the movement of the story was good, I personally didn't find any issues of the story slowing down. The style of writing was different than what I usually read and did take a little adjustment, but I don't think that detracted from the overall experience of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for this eARC, I am voluntarily leaving a review.

*18+ romance story, adult themes are discussed.

4.5 stars

At First Spite was a fun and quick romance read that made me giddy while also having really important conversations around mental health (please check trigger warnings)!

Athena's engagement to Johnny falls apart when his brother Matthew convinces him that Athena would be a terrible wife! From there, she's stuck living in a small house in a new city with no plans on what to do next. Athena is an extremely complex character, full of life and joy but also in the midst of dealing with depression and such acute pain. As someone who has had her fair share of mental health struggles, I am so glad to read about such a relatable character.

Matthew captured my heart not only with how he treats Athena but also with his own struggles and history. He is not a perfect hero as we more often than not see in romance books; he has his own issues to face and overcome and can be awkward at points.

At its core, this book is filled with love. We get to see more than romance and attraction; we get to watch love and care happen between the characters. I had a great time with the ARC for this book, and I think anyone who wants to pick up a funny yet deep romance book should give this a read.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Piatkus. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review At First Spite.]

Rating: 3.5/5

Athena Greydon doesn’t expect to have to move into the Spite House alone, a house that she recklessly bought her fiancé as a wedding gift. However, when he ends their engagement following some encouragement from his own brother, Athena is left with a narrow house that sits wedged between each of the brothers homes. Confronted with her own embarrassment, Athena refuses to seek help from her friends and family and instead settles into the Spite House as she tries to overcome her inner struggles. But one of the brothers begins to realise the massive upheaval that Athena is going through, and it’s not the one the broke the engagement. Matthew Vine might not regret convincing his brother to part ways with Athena, but he’ll do everything that he can to make things right.

At First Spite is an emotionally uplifting story that sucked me in from the first page. Admittedly I was expecting a lighter contemporary romance and had I known that this would delve into some deeper emotional themes, I might not have picked this book up. I don’t mean for that to sound like a negative, however, as I truly did fall in love with these characters, but ultimately it’s just not the kind of book that I’d generally gravitate towards. That being said, it’s absolutely a beautifully written story and my reason for giving this a lower rating purely rests in the ‘it’s me, not you’ zone.

I adored the dislike to love relationship that blooms between Matthew and Athena. Despite their rocky beginnings, and despite how much I also wanted to dislike Matthew, the author does a tremendous job of explaining the reasoning behind his actions and as we learn more about him, it’s simply impossible not to love him. It’s no wonder Athena falls for the man because he genuinely is a perfect match for her.

Although this wasn’t the perfect romance for me, it was still a lovely book and I’m so happy to have read something a little more tender than my usual reads. Don’t be put off by my lower rating – if you enjoy contemporary romances that explore themes of mental health, personal growth and facing your inner demons then you will love this story.

Well, this book was a lot of fun and at first that’s all I thought this story would be about. Which to be fair is not a bad thing. However it also had quite a bit of depth with some unexpected deeper themes at its heart. I really did like this combination though and it made me root for the characters even more. Seeing their troubles, worries and fears play out along the way. I loved the connection between Athena and Matthew it was engaging, simmering and lots of fun! It was great getting to know these characters especially as there was much more to them than first appears.

The plot itself moves at a lovely pace and I was invested in how it would all turn out in the end. Enemies to lovers will always be one of my favourite tropes and At First Spite is a great example of why I love this kind of story. Athena was perfect at riling Matthew and their interactions were very entertaining. Matthew was an intriguing hero and at first I was a little unsure about him. That is until you see all of the layers of his personality peeled back.

All that’s left to say is that At First Spite had a great combination of romance, lively interactions and hidden depths. Things weren’t easy for the characters but it certainly was entertaining!

ARC REVIEW- AT FIRST SPITE
Stars- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice- 🌶️.75
_________________
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Forced Proximity
✨Brother’s Ex Fiancée
✨Curvy Heroine
✨Mental Health Rep
_________________
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book UK for the ARC! I received an advanced copy of the book and am leaving an honest review 😊

Wow. This was a ride, let me tell you. This is my first Olivia Dade book and does she have a way with words and story building.

The premise pulled me right in- sunshiny girl gets dumped a month before her wedding and at the behest of her fiancé’s grumpy older brother, who then ends up being her neighbor when she moves into the spite house next door?? I needed to read this one.

What I was not prepared for was the detail and care that was put into dealing with Athena’s depression. It was so realistic and authentic, I applaud Olivia Dade. The story wasn’t all sunshine and daisies but it just added to the realism of the story and how someone may end up dealing with the demise of a relationship, as well as loss of job and friends.

Dr. Matthew Vine (THE THIRD!), what a man. He was so gone for Athena. He was so gentle and tender and genuine in his feelings for her. I LOVED the caretaking and how amazing he was at helping Athena navigate her depression.

I loved the family dynamics. The found family. The way Athena took care of Matthew in turn and was a support for him as well. It was such a pleasure to see.

This was an incredibly fun but tear jerking story and I loved every minute of it. It took me nearly all day but it was a “can’t put it down, must finish this TODAY” kind of book. You can’t go wrong and if this is the first book you read from her, it’s a great place to start.

What can I say about "At first spite"? I absolutely loved it! Every single page, every dialogue, the characters ... It's a sweet and spicy romance but it is so much more than that. I really enjoyed the fact, that a serious topic like depression was tackled in this novel. It shows the many faces of this condition and that a prince charming in shining armor is not enough to fix it. The character development was amazing and I believed every single situation and emotion Matthew and Athena went through. I laughed with them, I cried with them and I hated to let them go at the end of the last chapter.

Going into this book I was expecting a fluffy romance with an enemies to lovers trope. This book smashed those expectations entirely. I related to Athena (FMC) on a deep level and her spiral in the middle of the book was thoughtful and relatable without being triggering. Matthew’s struggle to put himself first was heartbreaking, but the growth in his emotional intelligence throughout the book was beautiful to read. The way in which Dade built their emotional intimacy was incredible and when the spicy scenes hit towards the end of the book it truly felt like it belonged and that they understood and trusted one another. I very rarely rate a book 5 stars, and have previously only rated one romance book 5 stars, but this book has instantly become a favourite. I’ve even pre-ordered the physical copy to keep as a trophy on my shelf it’s that good!

Olivia Dade is back! After being a bit iffy about her recent releases, this is a fantastic return to form. Funny, warm and romantic.

I liked Athena as a main character, but the real stand out for this book is Doctor Matthew Vine the third. What a man. Olivia is really good at writing messy, flawed characters who you can't help but root for and Athena and Matthew are no exception. Matthew is the kindest man, just a true swoonworthy romantic hero, even though he makes mistakes.

Also going into this book I was a little worried about what level the pranks and revenge would reach. I think we've all been burned by this type of story in the past. However I needn't have worried. Even moving into the spite house is just a necessity. And the pranks were all light hearted and fun for the most part and when they weren't, they stopped. I really liked that because it allowed me to enjoy the story without worrying about the characters.

Overall I had a fun time. I think this is a more character driven story than a romance focused but I actually really liked that. Also "Spicy = Erotic?, he wrote in his notebook." Was an amazing line.

At First Spite, the first installment in Olivia Dade's Harlot's Bay series, is a delightful and sexy romantic comedy that introduces readers to the quirky town of Harlot's Bay. Athena Greydon finds herself in an awkward predicament after her fiancé ends their engagement, forcing her to move into the infamous Spite House she impulsively bought him. The narrow ten-foot-wide house becomes the backdrop for an unconventional, hate-to-love story as Athena discovers that her ex's and his brothers home is attached to hers, and the infuriating Dr. Matthew Vine the Third lives only a four-foot alley away.

Dade skillfully weaves a tale of awkward encounters, humorous revenge plots, and unexpected attractions. The characters, Athena and Matthew, navigate a rollercoaster of emotions, transforming their initial loathing into a compelling and genuine connection. The author's adorable writing style and unique concept of a Spite House add layers of charm to the narrative.

While the beginning may be a tad slow, the novel gains momentum in the second half, offering a perfect blend of spice, small-town vibes, and insightful discussions on mental health. Dade's portrayal of depression is both poignant and realistic, adding depth to the romance. The book also tackles body confidence with a plus-size main character, contributing to its relatability.

At First Spite is a must-read for fans of Olivia Dade, showcasing her signature blend of gripping yet cozy storytelling. Despite a few potential triggers, the novel stands out as a genuine and captivating romance that explores love, acceptance, and the unexpected turns life can take.
Thank you so much to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Super fun, with a likeable protagonist, and great witty writing. It does take a massive tonal shift at one point, which is a little disorientating, it almost feels like two books at one point, but two very well done books!

At First Spite is the first book I’ve read by Olivia Dade and I was thoroughly impressed by it.

The story follows Athena, who finds herself navigating unexpected twists and turns after being abruptly dumped by her fiancé Johnny, a month out from the wedding. After having already packed up her old life, selling her condo and leaving her job in anticipation of moving to Johnny’s home town, she is forced to move into Spite House which she had intended as a wedding gift for Johnny. Athena grapples with the loss of the future she had been planning, unemployment and depression whilst living next to Johnnys brother Matthew, the person who had pushed Johnny to call of the wedding. Matthew has his own journey to go on throughout the book which really makes the read a touching and emotional one.

The dynamic between Athena and Matthew, adds depth to the narrative, as both characters confront their pasts and grapple with loneliness which is further illustrated through the use of the dual POVs of Athena and Matthew.

The book is a true romantic comedy, with a beautiful romantic relationship as well as humorous story lines such as the book club. Although at times it felt the author went slightly too far with the subplot of the town all being onboard with such a niche book trope, it still brought an added lightness to the story as a relief to some of the darker themes explored.

I really like the way that by the end of the story Athena feels like a friend, and personally her journey through adversity really resonates as a fellow 30-something woman.

I received a ARC of this book from the publishers Little Brown Books, Piatkus via Netgalley in return for an honest opinion and review.

A huge thank you, first and foremost, to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. I received a galley of this book in return for an honest review. This was something new for me! I have never read Olivia Dade, or plus-size romance before, and I think this is maybe only the second book I've read where the main couple were in their late 30s- early 40s.

I really loved the style of Dade's writing, she obviously has a fantastic flair for language, and a real love for metaphor. Every description was lovingly rendered, and you could really understand what these two might see in each other. The wider cast, and both of our love interests, were really enjoyable to read about.

Dade flips POV between Matthew and Athena throughout, which I really enjoyed. I think it made it easier to sympathise with both of them, which given the premise here was really important. I have read nothing with such a raw and honest depiction of depression, and grief. Nor have a read something with such communicative leads. I really loved their chemistry, and the care that they had for each other.

I will say there were some strange monster-romance asides, and a few interactions that seemed a bit juvenile here. On more than one occasion I felt a bit confused about age versus action, Matthew in particular seemed to have an almost child-like social naïveté. Beyond that, he had an oddly infantile childishness when scared or upset that didn't always chime with what Athena experienced of him in her POVs. I wonder if this wouldn't have felt a less disjointed if they were a tad younger? For me this lost a few marks there, which is why this is a solid 4 stars, rather than 5.

I was drawn to this because it seemed very similar to the film Sabrina, which is one of my favourites, and I don't think that's too far off really. At first spite was definitely more peppy, and Matthew (as our Linus substitute) was softer, kinder, and more easily injured than his on-screen peers: but I do think there is a similar sense of a man coming to love an 'unsuitable' woman for all of the vim and personality that had initially made her seem 'unsuitable.' I also loved how much agency Athena had versus eponymous counterpart Sabrina.

Overall this was a delightful, mildly spicy, emotionally intelligent RomCom. I really enjoyed it, and I would thoroughly recommend it!

[This review will be going up on Goodreads, StoryGraph, and my personal blog on 7/2/24. I may also make a TikTok video reviewing this book, touching on above mentioned points.]

Thanks to Little Brown Books and NetGalley for my arc copy.

We are following Athena on her journey of moving to a new town after been dumped and now she moved to the house she brought for her ex finance only to find the source of her misrey his brother is a few steps away.
Whilst at Harlots Bay we meet an array of difficult characters from Karl to Yvonne whom added to the chemistry of this small town and work with Athena and Matthews dynamics. I loved how we get to see the ups and downs of Athena life and go through this with her it is so relatable and with Matthew and the past my heart and tears were pouring out for him 💔.






Thanks to Little Brown Books and NetGalley for my arc copy.

We are following Athena on her journey of moving to a new town after been dumped and now she moved to the house she brought for her ex finance only to find the source of her misrey his brother is a few steps away.
Whilst at Harlots Bay we meet an array of difficult characters from Karl to Yvonne whom added to the chemistry of this small town and work with Athena and Matthews dynamics. I loved how we get to see the ups and downs of Athena life and go through this with her it is so relatable and with Matthew and the past my heart and tears were pouring out for him 💔.

R E V I E W

At First Spite by Olivia Dade

Advanced reader copy graciously provided by Little Brown Books via Netgalley

☆☆☆☆.5

I couldn't put this book down. At 400 pages, I thought this was quite long for your standard contemporary romance but that didn't make me enjoy it any less.

At First Spite tells the story of Athena who, after being dumped unceremoniously by her fiancé Johnny one month before their wedding, has moved into the house she bought him as a wedding gift. A house which, unbeknownst to her, happens to be right next door to her ex-fiancé's older brother Matthew, who was the one who talked his brother into ending their engagement. Awkward.

So begins a plot that you assume will be fairly standard for the genré, with her likely forgiving and falling for Matthew. Wrong! So wrong. Whilst Athena does thaw to Matthew, his adamance that convincing his brother to end the engagement was the right thing to do leads her to some petty revenge tactics and entertaining antics. But then, as life hits her with a few more twists and turns, Athena is plunged into a very dark place and it is ultimately Matthew who is able to give her the helping hand she needs to reclaim her narrative and guide her back to the light.

Things I loved about this book:

• The dual POV storytelling
• That even though Athena was a plus-sized character, apart from a few references to this within Matthew's adoring chapters, this fact didn't overtake the plot. I am all for equal body representation in literature, but in many books, the fact that one of the characters is bigger often overshadows the storyline and is mentioned far too often, like the fact is being shoved down your throat. In this book, Matthew clearly loves Athena and whilst he mentions her thick thighs and luscious bosom when he's panting after her, her weight isn't really mentioned otherwise. This is how it should be. He loves her so much that her weight is not even something that requires thought; I believed that.
•The sensitive way the story dealt with depression and mental health. My heart hurt for Athena and the way Matthew was so gentle with her, slowly bringing her back to life with realistic and achievable steps, all the while showing her how her brain was removing things from context and making everything seem so much worse than it was. It was sensitively addressed and quite enlightening. I didn't expect the plot to take this turn, but I found it gripping.

Things I didn't love (and the only reason this book didn't get the full 5 stars):

• The way she started calling him 'Baby' as soon as things between them started heating up. Matthew calling Athena 'sweetheart' when she was fragile and in need seemed natural, since we already knew from his chapters that he'd been in love with her all along. Athena calling Matthew 'Baby' so quickly just didn't feel right to me.

• The way Athena spoke once they finally made it to the bedroom. I'm all for dirty talk (which she does utilise effectively later on), but I didn't like the brusk way she asked him what he wanted. After all that build up between them, she gushes about his 'eating' skills and then unceremoniously asks him if he wants head or 'PIV'. She literally uses that acronym. It was uncouth, and when he responds with, 'I want to be buried so far inside of you' - their passion just didn't seem comparable.

DNF 35%

1) The two main characters have one conversation and Matthew is all googly eyed...after one conversation?
2) Why did Matthew have such an impact on Johnny and the female character's relationship?
3) The writing style is difficult to follow especially when we jump from one perspective to another within a chapter between paragraphs.
4) The pacing was so slow, the romance made no sense and this book put me into a massive reading slump.

God, I loved every part of this story. I thought it was going to be an ex’s brother trope with a bit of angst and the story was so so much more than that. I’m glad I didn’t go into the book knowing more as I was completely blown away. It was also so different to the other books I’ve read by the author in such a glorious way.

The way that Olivia Dade handled the MMC’s depression was so well done. It was insensitive. It felt so realistic and as a depression sufferer, I could relate so much. Athena was such a strong character and I loved discovering every arc of her character.

But the winner for me was Matthew bloody Vine the Third. I have a new book husband. He was so lovely and so empathetic. The love for his family and for Athena is so well written and it felt so real. My favourite part was the fact that he blossomed and realised he is allowed to want this. To deserve things. And to live his life finally. He told his brother to break his proposal for both his and Athena’s well being.

I just couldn’t love this book more and I’ll be reading the next book in the harlot bay series.

This is such a special book. I’m not sure how to get my thoughts in order and coherent to express how much I loved this book.

The development of the romance was wonderful, I was worried going in as it her ex-fiancé’s brother which is a complicated situation. But the relationship was given time to develop and get passed the misconceptions they had about each other. Nothing felt rushed so much so that I felt like I was missing out when there was any time skips.

There are some hard topics in this book that made it difficult to read at times, but in a good way of what you are reading is expressing exactly how you’ve felt and you need a second to keep going. A lot of Athena’s thoughts in her depressive moments are nearly exactly what my own have been so to see a character dealing with that believably and get effective help is probably some of the most important representation of mental health I’ve read. Mathew also has a lot to deal with and acknowledge from his past so please check trigger warnings for that.

Athena being plus size and the main characters being older than is typical was handled wonderfully. The plus size rep was present in the story without ever being a distraction and just felt normal. Some might say Athena behaved too immaturely but I think it was just showing that there is no set age where you have to have everything together and know what you are doing with your life.

Olivia Dade is an other I’ve had on my TBR for ages but somehow this is the first I’ve read from her. I will definitely be picking up more from her soon! Silly me for waiting this long!

Through out the book I was hoping Karl’s story would be next in the series! I love a grumpy baker 😂 can’t wait for it to come out!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.