REVIEW: At First Spite by Olivia Dade

At First Spite by Olivia Dade: When Athena bought her soon to be husband the cute little Spite house next to his current house, she thought it would be a cute wedding present. She did not however expect to be the one now living in the tiny little house, sandwiched between her now ex fiancé and his annoying older brother Mathew, who convinced him to dump her! Talk about a less than ideal situation! With no job, no real house and no friends to help support her, Athena cant help but feel a bit butt hurt and annoyed mostly at Mathew for his hand in the break up of her relationship. So what is a girl to do? Well a girl has to do what a girl has to do, and what better place to be petty than in a Spite House. It doesn’t take Mathew time to figure out that he was part of the reason for his brother and Athena’s split, and now he is more determined than ever to help right his wrongs, starting with helping Athena in any way that he can. He just never meant to wind up falling for her along the way…

I just love an Olivia Dade book, this lady sure knows how to blend humour and heart to create one incredible novel. At First Spite was way more than a easy romance, this book touches on a number of sensitive topics but still manages to maintain a lightness about it. I loved that Dade did not shy away from tackling the struggles that come with facing depression and the way our characters deal with this. I have to say I loved the entire concept of the spite house and how well this works into our book, this was just brilliant if you ask me especially for the enemies to lovers part in this book.

Both main characters were really great, I have to say I just loved Athena. She was a complex character that we got to drive into and really get to see her grow but also flourish. There were more than a few occasions that I just wanted to give her a huge hug, she really faced a lot of pain battling her depression. If there was a book that I felt the pain a character was feeling, it was this one with Athena. Another thing I loved about our leading lady was the fact that she was a plus size gal, she had curves and she rocked them! I really did not expected to like our hero as much as I did but gosh did Mathew worm his way into my heart! He was a lot sweeter and softer than I had expected him to be and gosh did he melt my heart with the way he cared for Athena. He was truly a protector and nurturer. This only made me feel all the more sad for him and his dilemma of how to deal with his feelings for Athena. He was genuinely a great guy not wanting to betray his brother but also wanting to follow his heart. As for the Johnny situation, well I think Matthew and Johnny had a borderline unhealthy relationship. Their relationship was messy and complicated but held a note of realism to it.

I loved the chemistry between Mathew and Athena, these two went from enemies to lovers in the best most swoony way possible. I really enjoyed their banter and the playfulness that they had most of the time, but it was the easy connection that they shared when they first met that really had me rooting them on. These two were just perfect for each other, I loved that Mathew knew that he had played a role in Athena’s hurt and that he did everything that he could to make up for this and help her.

At First Spite was a beautiful read, this book highlights the fact that there is no darkness without light, it just takes the right person to shine the light into your dark situation. I would definitely recommend this book to romance fans!

Book Info:

Publication: February 13, 2024 | Avon | Harlot’s Bay #1

When Athena Greydon’s fiancé ends their engagement, she has no choice but to move into the Spite House she recklessly bought him as a wedding gift. This is a problem, for several reasons: The house, originally built as a brick middle finger to the neighbors, is only ten feet wide. Her ex’s home is attached to hers. And Dr. Matthew Vine the Freaking Third (aka the uptight, judgmental jerk who convinced his younger brother to leave her) is living on the other side, only a four-foot alley away.

If she has to see Matthew every time she looks out her windows, she might as well have some fun with the situation–by, say, playing erotic audiobooks at top volume with the windows open. A woman living in a Spite House is basically obligated to get petty payback however she can, right?

Unfortunately, loathing Matthew proves more difficult than anticipated. He helps her move. He listens. And he’s kind of…hot? Dammit.