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Harlot's Bay #1
At First Spite
Bestselling author Olivia Dade welcomes you to Harlot's Bay in this delightfully sexy rom-com about a woman who buys the town's famous Spite House, only to realize the infuriating man she can't stand lives right next door--and their unwilling proximity might spark something neither can ignore.
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.
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.
400 pages, ebook
First published February 13, 2024
About the author
Olivia Dade
25 books4,414 followersOlivia Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorites, though, were always, always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required the donning of actual pants: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course) librarian. Now, however, she has finally achieved her lifelong goal of wearing pajamas all day as a hermit-like writer and enthusiastic hag. She currently lives outside Stockholm with her delightful family and their ever-burgeoning collection of books.
*******
If you want to find me online, here’s where to go!
Website: https://oliviadade.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OliviaWrites
Newsletter: https://go.oliviadade.com/Newsletter
*******
If you want to find me online, here’s where to go!
Website: https://oliviadade.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OliviaWrites
Newsletter: https://go.oliviadade.com/Newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,205 reviews
March 12, 2024
I have to be so real I initially gave this 4.25 but I’m rounding up to 4.5 two hours later bc I’m just sitting here thinking about the sheer amount of times that man went down on her in a very short time period. 🐱
✨
I received a free copy in exchange for a feature on my social pages. I chose to review it of my own accord. All opinions are honest and my own!
✨
You are NOT prepared for this book. I love both main characters so deeply because they loved each other so deeply. Acts of service go OFF in this book, so if that’s your love language, you’re in for such a treat. That man literally climbed three stories to check on her all while TERRIFIED of heights.
Mr. Darcy walked so Dr. Matthew Vine could RUN. I eat up overhead insults!! I think the premise of her buying the spite house was also very clever—I also learned what a spite house is lol. The angst of him being her ex-fiancé’s brother was superb. It also has one of my favorite tropes, iylyk 👀
This was close to being a five-star read, but my dislike of completely self-sacrificing characters—a lot of times older siblings—was validated once again during the third-act breakup here. I truly thought he made enough progress throughout the book NOT to end up there, but alas he didn’t. I’m sorry, but that man was so fucking gone for her how could he just give her up! It resolved well enough and I wasn’t angry for too long…but man did it HURT!!
It was also maybe a biiiiiiit slow burn for the pretty slow plot. Don’t get me wrong, some of my favorite romances are the lowkey ones with the main character trait of PINING, but I was really impatient for them to get together! Once they did though, WHEW. I loved his torment though, so I can’t complain too much.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️/5
CWs: Depression (including on-page depressive episode), grief, and loss of a sibling (recounted)
✨
I received a free copy in exchange for a feature on my social pages. I chose to review it of my own accord. All opinions are honest and my own!
✨
You are NOT prepared for this book. I love both main characters so deeply because they loved each other so deeply. Acts of service go OFF in this book, so if that’s your love language, you’re in for such a treat. That man literally climbed three stories to check on her all while TERRIFIED of heights.
Mr. Darcy walked so Dr. Matthew Vine could RUN. I eat up overhead insults!! I think the premise of her buying the spite house was also very clever—I also learned what a spite house is lol. The angst of him being her ex-fiancé’s brother was superb. It also has one of my favorite tropes, iylyk 👀
This was close to being a five-star read, but my dislike of completely self-sacrificing characters—a lot of times older siblings—was validated once again during the third-act breakup here. I truly thought he made enough progress throughout the book NOT to end up there, but alas he didn’t. I’m sorry, but that man was so fucking gone for her how could he just give her up! It resolved well enough and I wasn’t angry for too long…but man did it HURT!!
It was also maybe a biiiiiiit slow burn for the pretty slow plot. Don’t get me wrong, some of my favorite romances are the lowkey ones with the main character trait of PINING, but I was really impatient for them to get together! Once they did though, WHEW. I loved his torment though, so I can’t complain too much.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️/5
CWs: Depression (including on-page depressive episode), grief, and loss of a sibling (recounted)
March 10, 2024
4.5 Charming and Emotional ✨'s
Just when Athena thinks life can't get any worse, while moving into the spite house she impulsively purchased for her ex-fiance, she finds out her new neighbor is none other than her ex's brother, Matthew, who took it upon himself to split them up. Instead of taking the high road, Athena decides to get back at Matthew by torturing him in any way she can, signing him up for mailers and marketing calls, listening to steamy monster romance audiobooks for him to hear through the walls, and generally being a pain in his a*s. However, the longer Athena enacts her revenge, she begins to see that Matthew may not be the terrible man she once thought; and as he helps her navigate her new life, the two find themselves orbiting their obvious chemistry.
At First Spite is a small town, forbidden, enemies to lovers romance full of banter, mental health rep, steam, and a raw romance between two struggling characters. This is my first foray into Olivia Dade and to say I am a fan would be an understatement! I loved everything about this romance, Matthew and Athena were so beautifully tender yet resilient, I loved how they both grew and slowly began to fight for themselves and each other. The mental health rep was so well done in my opinion, it was perfectly balanced to the story and gave the perfect dash of angst and hope. I did read some other reviews and while they are very mixed, I do agree that the writing style leans towards women's fiction, but, I think the romance very much overpowers that and I did not mind it one bit.
Just when Athena thinks life can't get any worse, while moving into the spite house she impulsively purchased for her ex-fiance, she finds out her new neighbor is none other than her ex's brother, Matthew, who took it upon himself to split them up. Instead of taking the high road, Athena decides to get back at Matthew by torturing him in any way she can, signing him up for mailers and marketing calls, listening to steamy monster romance audiobooks for him to hear through the walls, and generally being a pain in his a*s. However, the longer Athena enacts her revenge, she begins to see that Matthew may not be the terrible man she once thought; and as he helps her navigate her new life, the two find themselves orbiting their obvious chemistry.
At First Spite is a small town, forbidden, enemies to lovers romance full of banter, mental health rep, steam, and a raw romance between two struggling characters. This is my first foray into Olivia Dade and to say I am a fan would be an understatement! I loved everything about this romance, Matthew and Athena were so beautifully tender yet resilient, I loved how they both grew and slowly began to fight for themselves and each other. The mental health rep was so well done in my opinion, it was perfectly balanced to the story and gave the perfect dash of angst and hope. I did read some other reviews and while they are very mixed, I do agree that the writing style leans towards women's fiction, but, I think the romance very much overpowers that and I did not mind it one bit.
February 15, 2024
No, this book is amazing wow. Like if you have the chance to read it, get it. Do it. You won't be disappointed. This got to me, I cried buckets of tears while reading it, feeling everything Olivia Dade wrote in the pages of this book. The romance is beautiful and special and so soft and everything. Matthew and Athena are perfect for each other and I'm literally so glad they were able to find each other.
NOW GO AND READ IT TOO.
NOW GO AND READ IT TOO.
April 10, 2024
3.5 stars
There was a lot to love about At First Spite by Olivia Dade. The hero was fantastic, I loved the plus size representation and it had some truly fun moments. It also had great depression rep. I’m personally not a fan of the love interest being a sibling of her ex. That’s never been something I’ve liked in romance.
There was a lot to love about At First Spite by Olivia Dade. The hero was fantastic, I loved the plus size representation and it had some truly fun moments. It also had great depression rep. I’m personally not a fan of the love interest being a sibling of her ex. That’s never been something I’ve liked in romance.
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Joy Nash
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 12h 42m
September 23, 2023
I really don’t love this trend we’ve been seeing where there’s way too many pop culture references that are very easily discernible, and often not funny, yet other characters seemingly don’t know what they are. personally, i feel these references have no real place in books because even at the height of their “meme cycle” they’re never funny and they age the book drastically. similarly, im noticing a trend where spectrum coded female characters feel very infantilized by the male love interest. i’ve really enjoyed dade’s books in the past, but this felt like it was written by an entirely different person. this book was at best boring, and at worst an awkward hard to get through story.
February 27, 2024
This was a fun enemies to lovers steamy romance. I love how Olivia Dade features plus size characters. It's so refreshing to read and I adore it.
I did enjoy Athena's and Matthew's romance but it did feel a little forced at times. I wasn't overally in love with it.
This book also had depression, anxiety, and loss of a loved one representation.
I did enjoy Athena's and Matthew's romance but it did feel a little forced at times. I wasn't overally in love with it.
This book also had depression, anxiety, and loss of a loved one representation.
Read
December 17, 2022This book won't come out for a while, but I read an early draft, and I want everyone to know how wonderful it is. Be excited, be very excited!
March 27, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up
I wasn't sure how I would feel about a romance with an ex's sibling, but Olivia Dade did not disappoint! At First Spite balances humor and banter with a heavier exploration of depression and mental health challenges.
When Athena's fiancee breaks up with her two weeks before the wedding (partly at his brothers suggestion), she has no option but to move into the spite house she bought next door as a wedding present to him. Only to discover that his uptight brother, Dr. Matthew Vine, lives on the other side of the house. So while her ex is off on the honeymoon SHE planned, she decides to mess with the brother who ruined her life. But maybe he isn't as bad as she thinks, and maybe he has his own childhood trauma he's coping with.
There is a point in the book where Athena goes through a major depressive episode (and while this isn't said on page, I suspect she might also be neurodivergent in some way) and while it's graphic, it's handled with such care and compassion. And Matthew's care for her during it is also really great. It's a case of both of them re-evaluating their first impressions of each other and what it is they really want and need in life. Parts of it are a little heavier than what she typically reads, but it's also hilarious. Like when she blasts steamy monster romance audiobooks out her window while trying to mess with the hero. Definitely one to pick up! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
I wasn't sure how I would feel about a romance with an ex's sibling, but Olivia Dade did not disappoint! At First Spite balances humor and banter with a heavier exploration of depression and mental health challenges.
When Athena's fiancee breaks up with her two weeks before the wedding (partly at his brothers suggestion), she has no option but to move into the spite house she bought next door as a wedding present to him. Only to discover that his uptight brother, Dr. Matthew Vine, lives on the other side of the house. So while her ex is off on the honeymoon SHE planned, she decides to mess with the brother who ruined her life. But maybe he isn't as bad as she thinks, and maybe he has his own childhood trauma he's coping with.
There is a point in the book where Athena goes through a major depressive episode (and while this isn't said on page, I suspect she might also be neurodivergent in some way) and while it's graphic, it's handled with such care and compassion. And Matthew's care for her during it is also really great. It's a case of both of them re-evaluating their first impressions of each other and what it is they really want and need in life. Parts of it are a little heavier than what she typically reads, but it's also hilarious. Like when she blasts steamy monster romance audiobooks out her window while trying to mess with the hero. Definitely one to pick up! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
March 16, 2024
Starting with the good. Post (annoying) third act conflict was brilliant. Matthew and Athena's reconciliation was cute af, and was the best use of the Spite House in the book. Also Matthew's heart-to-heart with his brother was perfect and actually got me in my feels.
Unfortunately, the bad far outweighed the good for me. I went into At First Spite excited. The dynamic between the love interests and the Spite House gimmick sounded like it'd be a unique and fun time. Sadly the use of the Spite House frustrated me (with a few exceptions). The way Athena used it to spite Matthew just made me question the romance even more. And that's my main problem of this book. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief that they'd get together, or even want to, in the first place. I think this is just a me problem, so hopefully you enjoy it more than I did if you pick it up!
The next book follows Karl and I loved him here. His grumpiness made me laugh so much. I'm still conflicted on whether I'll pick it up since I didn't enjoy this one.
Unfortunately, the bad far outweighed the good for me. I went into At First Spite excited. The dynamic between the love interests and the Spite House gimmick sounded like it'd be a unique and fun time. Sadly the use of the Spite House frustrated me (with a few exceptions). The way Athena used it to spite Matthew just made me question the romance even more. And that's my main problem of this book. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief that they'd get together, or even want to, in the first place. I think this is just a me problem, so hopefully you enjoy it more than I did if you pick it up!
The next book follows Karl and I loved him here. His grumpiness made me laugh so much. I'm still conflicted on whether I'll pick it up since I didn't enjoy this one.
February 16, 2024
Emotional, the definition of "adorkable," and that classic Dade blend of gripping-yet-cozy concepts... At First Spite is a must-read!
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.
Oh yeah, things are about to get AWKWARD. (And it's already an awkward setup.)
Athena is now penniless, jobless, and friendless in a town holding both her ex-fiancé and his grumpy older brother. And the older brother is constantly running into her in the wild—making an already bad situation that much worse.
Both Athena and Matthew (that older brother) are in for a wild time of coincidences, conversational traps, and hilarious meet-cutes from hell.
So in way, can you really blame them when things start to cross that line from hate to something else...
Man, I am such a fan of Olivia Dade. This latest novel was an absolute joy to read and if you haven't read anything from her before, At First Spite is a great place to start. Great setting and great grumpy/sunshine hook with some subversions to the tropes that I was NOT expecting.
Athena and Matthew's journey toward love and acceptance gripped me for the entire reading experience. In fact, I read this in literally one evening—I couldn't stop!
Come for the one-of-a-kind housing setup hook, stay for the seriously deep emotional journeys these characters go through in their path to love.
However, a word of caution: there are some topics in this novel that I would consider firm triggers for certain readers. Please check out the warnings list at the beginning of the novel before committing to the read.
Thank you so much to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks
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.
Oh yeah, things are about to get AWKWARD. (And it's already an awkward setup.)
Athena is now penniless, jobless, and friendless in a town holding both her ex-fiancé and his grumpy older brother. And the older brother is constantly running into her in the wild—making an already bad situation that much worse.
Both Athena and Matthew (that older brother) are in for a wild time of coincidences, conversational traps, and hilarious meet-cutes from hell.
So in way, can you really blame them when things start to cross that line from hate to something else...
Man, I am such a fan of Olivia Dade. This latest novel was an absolute joy to read and if you haven't read anything from her before, At First Spite is a great place to start. Great setting and great grumpy/sunshine hook with some subversions to the tropes that I was NOT expecting.
Athena and Matthew's journey toward love and acceptance gripped me for the entire reading experience. In fact, I read this in literally one evening—I couldn't stop!
Come for the one-of-a-kind housing setup hook, stay for the seriously deep emotional journeys these characters go through in their path to love.
However, a word of caution: there are some topics in this novel that I would consider firm triggers for certain readers. Please check out the warnings list at the beginning of the novel before committing to the read.
Thank you so much to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks
November 22, 2023
I don’t think Ive ever read a bigger heap of trash in my life.
Where the hell do I even start?
Oh thank you for the book Avon Publishing. I won it in a Goodreads Giveaway. This book does not deserve to go out into the world. It should be locked in a cabinet and rot for eternity.
A woman named Athena decided to get engaged after only dating a dude for two months. That was the first mistake of the dumb blonde. The man then breaks up with her because his brother told him to. We now have two idiots in the book.
Athena then lives in the wedding present for her ex fiancé because she’s too prideful and stupid to realize she cannot afford the mortgage. And SOMEHOW the other brother Matthew decides to pay her mortgage for the next two months. Because why? I don’t know. He wants some pussy probably.
The book then somehow mentions the words “Sasquatch cock, faraday cage, and Niffer” within ten pages of each other.
While all this is happening Athena realizes she’s not a god and is depressed and sad and should stop trying to prove that she is a god and grow tf up. But oh no everyone in the book babies her and she ends up fucking Matthew. Gasp how shocking.
They fall in love but wait. Johnny the ex fiancé is not happy about this new arrangement and he tells Matthew that. And so Matthew GIVES ATHENA UP????
Excuse me let me remind you all of these characters are extremely immature and stupid making the book have no plot other than moping and fucking and inner monologues.
Within the last thirty pages Matthew and Athena break up and then get back together because again the characters are stupid as fuck.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
Where the hell do I even start?
Oh thank you for the book Avon Publishing. I won it in a Goodreads Giveaway. This book does not deserve to go out into the world. It should be locked in a cabinet and rot for eternity.
A woman named Athena decided to get engaged after only dating a dude for two months. That was the first mistake of the dumb blonde. The man then breaks up with her because his brother told him to. We now have two idiots in the book.
Athena then lives in the wedding present for her ex fiancé because she’s too prideful and stupid to realize she cannot afford the mortgage. And SOMEHOW the other brother Matthew decides to pay her mortgage for the next two months. Because why? I don’t know. He wants some pussy probably.
The book then somehow mentions the words “Sasquatch cock, faraday cage, and Niffer” within ten pages of each other.
While all this is happening Athena realizes she’s not a god and is depressed and sad and should stop trying to prove that she is a god and grow tf up. But oh no everyone in the book babies her and she ends up fucking Matthew. Gasp how shocking.
They fall in love but wait. Johnny the ex fiancé is not happy about this new arrangement and he tells Matthew that. And so Matthew GIVES ATHENA UP????
Excuse me let me remind you all of these characters are extremely immature and stupid making the book have no plot other than moping and fucking and inner monologues.
Within the last thirty pages Matthew and Athena break up and then get back together because again the characters are stupid as fuck.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2024
I read an earlier version of this book at the end of 2022 and I can say it’s absolutely beautiful and painfully authentic in its depiction of depression and features a caretaking, nurturing hero and I love both of these characters so so much and really, this book is perfection. It made me laugh and it made me cry.
****************************
ARC Review:
Perhaps I'm biased because I got to read a very early version of this book at the author's request back in 2022 but this book is exceptional. Athena is beautifully captured in all her complexities, the scenes where she is struggling with her depression are heartbreakingly accurate, her pain is visceral and at times, you just want to jump into the page and give her the softest and gentlest of hugs and make her a sandwich.
Matthew, er, Dr. Matthew Vine the third, is the best of all men, just not great at explaining himself. He holds back, has a very painful backstory dealing with grief and loss, that has colored all of the choices he has made in his life, and is irrevocably in love with Athena. The scene where he....well, for the sake of spoilers, I'll zip it but just say, the scene in which he shows up for Athena in a big way, will live rent free in my head always.
But in the midst of the depression and grief, there is so much love and warmth and humor in this book. Matthew being a true luddite and not understanding memes or Reddit or being Rickrolled will forever make me laugh.
It is a true masterpiece, deftly balancing great humor with moments of severe depression and memories of grief and loss with love and tenderness and nurturing. I adore a nurturing hero and it is easy to label Matthew as one - he is truly one of the most nurturing heroes I've ever read in a romance. But let's not forget Athena, who is a caretaker in her own way and loves and protects Matthew like no one else has ever done. These two are perfect for each other and I'm so glad this book exists so that I could meet them.
Content notes: depression, grief, loss of young brother off page in the past
ARC courtesy of publisher, opinions are all mine
****************************
ARC Review:
Perhaps I'm biased because I got to read a very early version of this book at the author's request back in 2022 but this book is exceptional. Athena is beautifully captured in all her complexities, the scenes where she is struggling with her depression are heartbreakingly accurate, her pain is visceral and at times, you just want to jump into the page and give her the softest and gentlest of hugs and make her a sandwich.
Matthew, er, Dr. Matthew Vine the third, is the best of all men, just not great at explaining himself. He holds back, has a very painful backstory dealing with grief and loss, that has colored all of the choices he has made in his life, and is irrevocably in love with Athena. The scene where he....well, for the sake of spoilers, I'll zip it but just say, the scene in which he shows up for Athena in a big way, will live rent free in my head always.
But in the midst of the depression and grief, there is so much love and warmth and humor in this book. Matthew being a true luddite and not understanding memes or Reddit or being Rickrolled will forever make me laugh.
It is a true masterpiece, deftly balancing great humor with moments of severe depression and memories of grief and loss with love and tenderness and nurturing. I adore a nurturing hero and it is easy to label Matthew as one - he is truly one of the most nurturing heroes I've ever read in a romance. But let's not forget Athena, who is a caretaker in her own way and loves and protects Matthew like no one else has ever done. These two are perfect for each other and I'm so glad this book exists so that I could meet them.
Content notes: depression, grief, loss of young brother off page in the past
ARC courtesy of publisher, opinions are all mine
December 16, 2023
I seem cursed to dislike all romance novels written by popular authors.
I’ll start with what I liked. The heroine is plus-size and the story is very body-positive. There’s some pretty good banter. The side characters are great, even if we don’t see enough of them. (This is the first of a series, though, so I bet some of them will reappear in later books.) The town’s name — Harlot’s Bay — and how it’s gone all in on embracing its roots (e.g., Strumpet Street Pediatrics). Kind of like a PG-13 Stars Hollow. There’s a whole monster romance subplot that will amuse anyone who’s read MGMF or the like.
Unfortunately, I really didn’t care for many of the more important aspects of the book. First off, the FMC is deeply depressed, to the point of suicidal ideation. The MMC is as lovely and supportive as anyone could wish, but Athena’s depression takes up a sizable portion of the story and was too dark for what is meant to be an escapist genre.
Secondly, it’s not a spoiler to say the story is about the FMC falling for the brother of her ex-fiancé. Athena acknowledges that she never really loved her fiancé — he just provided “the promise of a comfortable home and the time and space and financial cushion she needed to figure out her next step.” Yikes. And after they’ve been together a week, she thinks she and the MMC are destined to be together forever and gets mad at him for doesn’t seem all that unreasonable to me.
Thirdly, the story features one of my least favorite romance tropes: I’ve Made Unreasonable Assumptions I Haven’t Told You About, And Will Completely Give Up And Mope When Something Challenges Them.
Finally, this is petty but the FMC only ever refers to Google as “Professor Google” and that just irked me, especially as Professor Google is mentioned seemingly dozens of times.
***
“He was a marshmallow that had been thrust carelessly into a campfire, his charred, bitter shell covering a center of sweet goo.”
“What did librarians do for fun around here? Two hours later, she discovered the answer: Apparently, […] they read about monster-fucking.”
“all previous book club picks had featured humans. Clearly, it was time to spread their metaphorical wings and read about monsters spreading other things. Notably, legs. But also sometimes actual wings, depending on the creatures involved.”
“That man dove for her vagina like she had a stash of streusel-topped cheese Danishes hidden down there.”
I’ll start with what I liked. The heroine is plus-size and the story is very body-positive. There’s some pretty good banter. The side characters are great, even if we don’t see enough of them. (This is the first of a series, though, so I bet some of them will reappear in later books.) The town’s name — Harlot’s Bay — and how it’s gone all in on embracing its roots (e.g., Strumpet Street Pediatrics). Kind of like a PG-13 Stars Hollow. There’s a whole monster romance subplot that will amuse anyone who’s read MGMF or the like.
Unfortunately, I really didn’t care for many of the more important aspects of the book. First off, the FMC is deeply depressed, to the point of suicidal ideation. The MMC is as lovely and supportive as anyone could wish, but Athena’s depression takes up a sizable portion of the story and was too dark for what is meant to be an escapist genre.
Secondly, it’s not a spoiler to say the story is about the FMC falling for the brother of her ex-fiancé. Athena acknowledges that she never really loved her fiancé — he just provided “the promise of a comfortable home and the time and space and financial cushion she needed to figure out her next step.” Yikes. And after they’ve been together a week, she thinks she and the MMC are destined to be together forever and gets mad at him for doesn’t seem all that unreasonable to me.
Thirdly, the story features one of my least favorite romance tropes: I’ve Made Unreasonable Assumptions I Haven’t Told You About, And Will Completely Give Up And Mope When Something Challenges Them.
Finally, this is petty but the FMC only ever refers to Google as “Professor Google” and that just irked me, especially as Professor Google is mentioned seemingly dozens of times.
***
“He was a marshmallow that had been thrust carelessly into a campfire, his charred, bitter shell covering a center of sweet goo.”
“What did librarians do for fun around here? Two hours later, she discovered the answer: Apparently, […] they read about monster-fucking.”
“all previous book club picks had featured humans. Clearly, it was time to spread their metaphorical wings and read about monsters spreading other things. Notably, legs. But also sometimes actual wings, depending on the creatures involved.”
“That man dove for her vagina like she had a stash of streusel-topped cheese Danishes hidden down there.”
March 2, 2024
1.5/5 ⭐ 1/5 🌶️
wow this book was a let down. olivia dade, how did this get published? multiple times during the story i was visibly grimacing at the characters and plot. 😵💫😵💫
Now for the real review: this book actually let me down so much. I got an absolutely beautiful edition from Afterlight and I was so excited to read another Olivia Dade novel.
The main character, Athena, is 37 and acts like she's 16. Matthew, the MMC, is 39 but acts like he's 60. The main trope of this book is ex fiancée's older brother, but as is mentioned multiple times in the story, Matthew (MMC) is more like Johnny's (ex fiancée) dad, which basically makes this a ex's dad romance, which I find grotesque. (Special mention: Matthew is an almost 40-year-old virgin, and that doesn't get discussed until in the middle of their first time together. So Athena has not only slept with Matthew's younger brother, now she's taking Matthew's virginity too. 😵💫)
When Athena and Matthew's relationship blows up (because who wouldn't be mad about their brother dating their ex), Athena blames Matthew for not "fighting for her" against his only family member, who Matthew literally betrayed!
And then Matthew has to grovel for her...this is when the story became difficult to read. Matthew writes an AITA reddit thread about the situation. And then as if that's not cringey enough to have in a contemporary novel, Matthew also spoofs a monster-fucking romance book about his and Athena's relationship and plays it out loud for her. And apparently that's enough to win back the person you love.
Honestly, Matthew and Athena deserve each other because they are so insufferable separately. Matthew had all the great makings of a perfect romantic hero - pining, galore - except the rest of the story ruined it. Olivia Dade could have done so much more with the depression plot line instead of randomly dumping it on readers and then expecting us to sympathize with Athena.
wow this book was a let down. olivia dade, how did this get published? multiple times during the story i was visibly grimacing at the characters and plot. 😵💫😵💫
Now for the real review: this book actually let me down so much. I got an absolutely beautiful edition from Afterlight and I was so excited to read another Olivia Dade novel.
The main character, Athena, is 37 and acts like she's 16. Matthew, the MMC, is 39 but acts like he's 60. The main trope of this book is ex fiancée's older brother, but as is mentioned multiple times in the story, Matthew (MMC) is more like Johnny's (ex fiancée) dad, which basically makes this a ex's dad romance, which I find grotesque. (Special mention: Matthew is an almost 40-year-old virgin, and that doesn't get discussed until in the middle of their first time together. So Athena has not only slept with Matthew's younger brother, now she's taking Matthew's virginity too. 😵💫)
When Athena and Matthew's relationship blows up (because who wouldn't be mad about their brother dating their ex), Athena blames Matthew for not "fighting for her" against his only family member, who Matthew literally betrayed!
And then Matthew has to grovel for her...this is when the story became difficult to read. Matthew writes an AITA reddit thread about the situation. And then as if that's not cringey enough to have in a contemporary novel, Matthew also spoofs a monster-fucking romance book about his and Athena's relationship and plays it out loud for her. And apparently that's enough to win back the person you love.
Honestly, Matthew and Athena deserve each other because they are so insufferable separately. Matthew had all the great makings of a perfect romantic hero - pining, galore - except the rest of the story ruined it. Olivia Dade could have done so much more with the depression plot line instead of randomly dumping it on readers and then expecting us to sympathize with Athena.
April 4, 2024
this was so cute! loved both main characters, the humor and sass, the dirty audiobooks in the story, the small town… JUST SUCH A WARM BOOK!!!
Would recommend! 🩷
Would recommend! 🩷
February 22, 2024
4.5
"At First Spite" was absolutely LOVELY. Sweet, romantic and funny, but also a punch to the gut in book form, a rollercoaster ride of emotions and complicated, contradictory feelings: I literally spent a few chapters near the middle just weeping out of sheer relatableness.
I immediately preordered this book the second I saw the gorgeous cover, and the absolutely fascinating blurb, despite not reading MF much these days. I admit, I might have been expecting something different based on those alone: more spite, more pettiness, more enemies-to-lovers and in general, for the book to have more of a I-hate-you-but-I'm-crazy-about-you vibe.
BUT, after starting this, I realized I didn't need any of that, and that Olivia Dade had written something more complicated, and more human, than a straightforward hate-to-love dynamic: misunderstandings, assumptions, fear, anxiety, misguided love and protection, every single contradictory emotion you can think of, colour Athena and Matthew's dynamic from the very start, and the reader feels the whole range of it from start to finish, screaming, weeping, sighing and swooning alongside them. They've never really hated each other, but both of them feel that very human desire to defend their squishy core, and their beloved lot, from each other, even at the cost of being mean and petty and rude.
The initial dislike evolves though, because both Athena and Matthew are marvellous, selfless, interesting human beings, and FANTASTIC protagonists, and they inevitably become friends, and then, despite it all, something more.
And let me tell you! What an explosive, interesting, chemistry-fueled, teeth-rottingly sweet, panty-melting,
swoon-inducing romantic dynamic they had. They made the best couple ever.
< “Athena, sweetheart . . .” Boosting herself to her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on his chin. “Yes?” How would a man of vast experience say this? “Lift your skirt,” he said, low and quiet. “Please.” >
I loved them both individually too, so damned much. I've had the best of luck recently with relatable protagonists, and Athena with her mental health struggles, the lack of self-worth and her job-related issues, and Matthew with his anxieties, his loneliness and the terror of losing the people he loves, were both profoundly relatable protagonists: I literally spent entire chapters weeping because I felt SEEN. So I must applaud Olivia Dade for the way she managed to handle such complex, REAL protagonists, and the complex, REAL dynamic they had.
Some of the writing at times was a smidge too flowery for my tastes, and third-act breakups are my Villain Origin Story™, but groveling always makes me a happy gal, so all in all, they didn't spoil my enjoyment. I adored this novel so much; I want to find a Matthew (where do I find a Matthew? *stomps feet*); I adored all side characters to BITS (small town romances and the close-knit community vibes give me SO much joy). I can't wait to discover the next protagonists of this series, but in the meantime I might have to read more of Olivia Dade's backlist.
CWs/TWs: depression, grief/death of a family member.
"At First Spite" was absolutely LOVELY. Sweet, romantic and funny, but also a punch to the gut in book form, a rollercoaster ride of emotions and complicated, contradictory feelings: I literally spent a few chapters near the middle just weeping out of sheer relatableness.
I immediately preordered this book the second I saw the gorgeous cover, and the absolutely fascinating blurb, despite not reading MF much these days. I admit, I might have been expecting something different based on those alone: more spite, more pettiness, more enemies-to-lovers and in general, for the book to have more of a I-hate-you-but-I'm-crazy-about-you vibe.
BUT, after starting this, I realized I didn't need any of that, and that Olivia Dade had written something more complicated, and more human, than a straightforward hate-to-love dynamic: misunderstandings, assumptions, fear, anxiety, misguided love and protection, every single contradictory emotion you can think of, colour Athena and Matthew's dynamic from the very start, and the reader feels the whole range of it from start to finish, screaming, weeping, sighing and swooning alongside them. They've never really hated each other, but both of them feel that very human desire to defend their squishy core, and their beloved lot, from each other, even at the cost of being mean and petty and rude.
The initial dislike evolves though, because both Athena and Matthew are marvellous, selfless, interesting human beings, and FANTASTIC protagonists, and they inevitably become friends, and then, despite it all, something more.
And let me tell you! What an explosive, interesting, chemistry-fueled, teeth-rottingly sweet, panty-melting,
swoon-inducing romantic dynamic they had. They made the best couple ever.
< “Athena, sweetheart . . .” Boosting herself to her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on his chin. “Yes?” How would a man of vast experience say this? “Lift your skirt,” he said, low and quiet. “Please.” >
I loved them both individually too, so damned much. I've had the best of luck recently with relatable protagonists, and Athena with her mental health struggles, the lack of self-worth and her job-related issues, and Matthew with his anxieties, his loneliness and the terror of losing the people he loves, were both profoundly relatable protagonists: I literally spent entire chapters weeping because I felt SEEN. So I must applaud Olivia Dade for the way she managed to handle such complex, REAL protagonists, and the complex, REAL dynamic they had.
Some of the writing at times was a smidge too flowery for my tastes, and third-act breakups are my Villain Origin Story™, but groveling always makes me a happy gal, so all in all, they didn't spoil my enjoyment. I adored this novel so much; I want to find a Matthew (where do I find a Matthew? *stomps feet*); I adored all side characters to BITS (small town romances and the close-knit community vibes give me SO much joy). I can't wait to discover the next protagonists of this series, but in the meantime I might have to read more of Olivia Dade's backlist.
CWs/TWs: depression, grief/death of a family member.
April 5, 2024
4.75 ⭐️
I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did. It was witty, heartfelt, cheesy, and raw.
This opposites attract, ex-fiance’s brother romance highlights that everyone is deserving of love, regardless of who they are and despite their struggles with mental health. It feature a curvy FMC whose size is not a subplot which I appreciated; she is portrayed as a sexual being who receives romantic attention without mention of bodies or size.
This book also features a MC with depression and the caretaking and treatment paths towards a healthier life while dealing with mental health struggles.
There were so many sweet and romantic moments in this book that genuinely had my heart swelling and tears in my eyes (the bathtub scene iykyk).
There’s also a lot of character development for both the FMC and MMC, even secondary characters and Dade does a really great job of developing a believable romantic connection between the MCs.
The only note that I have is that I wish the chapters were a little shorter to make the story more digestible.
I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did. It was witty, heartfelt, cheesy, and raw.
This opposites attract, ex-fiance’s brother romance highlights that everyone is deserving of love, regardless of who they are and despite their struggles with mental health. It feature a curvy FMC whose size is not a subplot which I appreciated; she is portrayed as a sexual being who receives romantic attention without mention of bodies or size.
This book also features a MC with depression and the caretaking and treatment paths towards a healthier life while dealing with mental health struggles.
There were so many sweet and romantic moments in this book that genuinely had my heart swelling and tears in my eyes (the bathtub scene iykyk).
There’s also a lot of character development for both the FMC and MMC, even secondary characters and Dade does a really great job of developing a believable romantic connection between the MCs.
The only note that I have is that I wish the chapters were a little shorter to make the story more digestible.
March 5, 2024
I am a big fan of Olivia Dade's work...so it pains me to have to rate "At First Spite" with only 2 stars. As usual with her novels, Dade's writing style is spot on. She has such a unique voice and her prose flows so well, I often find that when I am reading her books its like I am listening to a friend tell a story. It all feels so natural and reading through her novels feels like a breeze (in the good way that reading feels breezy).
Unfortunately, a lot about Spite fell flat for me. The biggest being the plot itself. After Athena Greydon's fiancé calls off their wedding and goes on their honeymoon by himself, she has no choice but to move into the Spite House, the impractically small house literally attached to her fiancé's, that she bought him as a wedding gift. While trying to get her life on track to prove to her ex-fiancé that she isn't completely lost, she ends up starting a relationship with her next door neighbor Matthew. Matthew just so happens to be her ex-fiancé's older brother... and the person who convinced her fiancé to call off the wedding.
Initially what drew me to this novel (besides it being by Olivia Dade and having a plus size MF) was the idea of this spite house. Living in an extremely small house attached to your ex-fiancés and then falling in love with your neighbor as you get your life back on track, sounds like rom-com plot heaven!! But I think unfortunately it was executed poorly here, mainly because the connection between Athena and Matthew is just icky and truly doesn't make sense! He literally told his brother that you weren't wife material and that you were a mess. You overheard him talking bad about you to his brother at your engagement party and multiple times after that. Why would you ever go out with him, let alone fall in love with him? It doesn't make sense! Also, why would Matthew convince his brother that Athena wasn't wife material and then the moment she is free start having feelings for her? The math ain't mathing here and frankly it made me cringe.
I also had trouble with Athena and Matthew as characters. One of my favorite thing about Dade's characters is that they are complex, fully fleshed out and have strong voices. I didn't feel that way about Athena and Matthew. I feel like they both started in one place, and then throughout the book went against everything their character started out as. Especially Matthew. It didn't make sense to me how someone who was so adamant that this woman wasn't wife material or good for his brother, enough so that he would threaten to cut off his relationship with his brother if he didn't call off the wedding, would then spend the entire book falling in love with her and basically doing everything in his power to make sure that this woman lands back on her feet (including going out of his way to find her jobs, paying several months of her mortgage and finding her a doctor to help treat her depression, all without her knowing it was him doing these things). He started out very arrogant and cocky, but you got a sense that he cares very much for his brother and is looking out for his best interests. But as the book progressed I found that he became extremely insecure, obsessive and needy. Sure he could've been all those things and was just covering with fake confidence, but I felt like the change in character wasn't natural and it felt off. Personally I love how Olivia uses a lot of pop culture and current references in her books, it makes it feel like her characters and stories are actually happening in real time. But I couldn't quite understand why Matthew didn't understand extremely obvious references. I get it not everyone knows but it made him come off extremely naive. I really couldn't connect with either Athena or Matthew because I was questioning pretty much everything they did or said.
Like I said I am a big fan of Olivia's and I will continue to read her books in the future, but "At First Spite" wasn't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me an advance copy.
Unfortunately, a lot about Spite fell flat for me. The biggest being the plot itself. After Athena Greydon's fiancé calls off their wedding and goes on their honeymoon by himself, she has no choice but to move into the Spite House, the impractically small house literally attached to her fiancé's, that she bought him as a wedding gift. While trying to get her life on track to prove to her ex-fiancé that she isn't completely lost, she ends up starting a relationship with her next door neighbor Matthew. Matthew just so happens to be her ex-fiancé's older brother... and the person who convinced her fiancé to call off the wedding.
Initially what drew me to this novel (besides it being by Olivia Dade and having a plus size MF) was the idea of this spite house. Living in an extremely small house attached to your ex-fiancés and then falling in love with your neighbor as you get your life back on track, sounds like rom-com plot heaven!! But I think unfortunately it was executed poorly here, mainly because the connection between Athena and Matthew is just icky and truly doesn't make sense! He literally told his brother that you weren't wife material and that you were a mess. You overheard him talking bad about you to his brother at your engagement party and multiple times after that. Why would you ever go out with him, let alone fall in love with him? It doesn't make sense! Also, why would Matthew convince his brother that Athena wasn't wife material and then the moment she is free start having feelings for her? The math ain't mathing here and frankly it made me cringe.
I also had trouble with Athena and Matthew as characters. One of my favorite thing about Dade's characters is that they are complex, fully fleshed out and have strong voices. I didn't feel that way about Athena and Matthew. I feel like they both started in one place, and then throughout the book went against everything their character started out as. Especially Matthew. It didn't make sense to me how someone who was so adamant that this woman wasn't wife material or good for his brother, enough so that he would threaten to cut off his relationship with his brother if he didn't call off the wedding, would then spend the entire book falling in love with her and basically doing everything in his power to make sure that this woman lands back on her feet (including going out of his way to find her jobs, paying several months of her mortgage and finding her a doctor to help treat her depression, all without her knowing it was him doing these things). He started out very arrogant and cocky, but you got a sense that he cares very much for his brother and is looking out for his best interests. But as the book progressed I found that he became extremely insecure, obsessive and needy. Sure he could've been all those things and was just covering with fake confidence, but I felt like the change in character wasn't natural and it felt off. Personally I love how Olivia uses a lot of pop culture and current references in her books, it makes it feel like her characters and stories are actually happening in real time. But I couldn't quite understand why Matthew didn't understand extremely obvious references. I get it not everyone knows but it made him come off extremely naive. I really couldn't connect with either Athena or Matthew because I was questioning pretty much everything they did or said.
Like I said I am a big fan of Olivia's and I will continue to read her books in the future, but "At First Spite" wasn't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me an advance copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2024
4.5 angsty, awkwardly funny stars
In the spirit of using pop culture references, occasionally this story can be as awkward as Elaine Benes dancing. And just as funny. If you’re gen z, look it up.
I need to structure my thoughts about this story because there’s several things that I absolutely adored and some things that I didn’t but the good far outweighs what I may not love so let’s suss this out.
The Sitch: Matthew and Athena meet and immediately click, like two awkward folks finding each other at the exactly wrong time since, you see, she’s already engaged. To his brother. And that is not the end of the awkward that happens throughout this story, but romance also happens.
The Good: Ms. Dade really handled the subject of depression and (off page) child neglect and death with a deft hand, a lot of sensitivity and painful authenticity. Taking a story premise of a FMC falling for her future brother in law would usually be a hard pass for me but it actually works here. Humor’s always subjective but there’s a lot of silly, lighthearted moments of chemistry between Matthew and Athena to balance out the serious moments that made me laugh….
The Bad(ish): And occasionally, cringe a wee bit too much. The setup for the third act breakup and the eventual grand gesture were the things that I struggled mightily with. I mean, I understood it to an extent even if it was a close thing…
The Bottom Line: but at the end of the day, this made me laugh and it made me cry, so I have to give this its proper flowers for the keeping me invested in their HEA. Instead of stars, Here’s two jerky thumbs up 👍🏼 👍🏼 and painful side kick 🦵
**ARC provided in exchange for honest review**
🫠😂😁
In the spirit of using pop culture references, occasionally this story can be as awkward as Elaine Benes dancing. And just as funny. If you’re gen z, look it up.
I need to structure my thoughts about this story because there’s several things that I absolutely adored and some things that I didn’t but the good far outweighs what I may not love so let’s suss this out.
The Sitch: Matthew and Athena meet and immediately click, like two awkward folks finding each other at the exactly wrong time since, you see, she’s already engaged. To his brother. And that is not the end of the awkward that happens throughout this story, but romance also happens.
The Good: Ms. Dade really handled the subject of depression and (off page) child neglect and death with a deft hand, a lot of sensitivity and painful authenticity. Taking a story premise of a FMC falling for her future brother in law would usually be a hard pass for me but it actually works here. Humor’s always subjective but there’s a lot of silly, lighthearted moments of chemistry between Matthew and Athena to balance out the serious moments that made me laugh….
The Bad(ish): And occasionally, cringe a wee bit too much. The setup for the third act breakup and the eventual grand gesture were the things that I struggled mightily with. I mean, I understood it to an extent even if it was a close thing…
The Bottom Line: but at the end of the day, this made me laugh and it made me cry, so I have to give this its proper flowers for the keeping me invested in their HEA. Instead of stars, Here’s two jerky thumbs up 👍🏼 👍🏼 and painful side kick 🦵
**ARC provided in exchange for honest review**
🫠😂😁
April 13, 2024
matthew vine being fictional is the worst thing that happened to humankind
February 25, 2024
One of those books where the blurb sounds better than the actual finished product. I cannot believe this actually got published, I found it so awful and ... cringey, from start to finish.
I contemplated DNF'ing around the 40% mark but then decided to hate-finish it, though I did skim heavily from that point on. I made dozens of highlights and notes, but I lack the energy to copy/paste them into this review. I shouldn't spend more energy on a book I hated.
I don't mean to yuck anyone's yum, and if this worked for you and you loved it, great! But yikes, this was not for me.
I contemplated DNF'ing around the 40% mark but then decided to hate-finish it, though I did skim heavily from that point on. I made dozens of highlights and notes, but I lack the energy to copy/paste them into this review. I shouldn't spend more energy on a book I hated.
I don't mean to yuck anyone's yum, and if this worked for you and you loved it, great! But yikes, this was not for me.
January 31, 2024
This was such a real romance. I appreciated deeply the way the author depicted the symptoms of depression. The beginning was a bit slow, BUT the second half really saved it for me. I loved the spice, small town vibes, mental health discussions, + body confident plus size MC! I'm excited to read more by Olivia Dade!
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! This one comes out 2/13!
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! This one comes out 2/13!
March 6, 2024
At First Spite follows enemies turned lovers Athena and Matthew. Athena and Matthew originally meet at Athena's engagement party to Johnny, Matthew's brother. Johnny has always dreamed of purchasing the "spite house" next door, and Athena decides to buy it as an early wedding present for him. However, things turn awry when Johnny breaks off his engagement to Athena based on his brother Matthew's advice. Athena now has a house she must move into to support herself financially, and it is right across the street from both her former ex-fiancee and her nemesis, his brother.
Unfortunately, At First Spite was a huge disappointment for me. I was a huge fan of Spoiler Alert and really enjoyed the second book in the series, All the Feels. However, the last two books that I have read by Dade have been huge disappointments, and I'm not sure if I will be picking up more of her work in the future.
At First Spite has quite a few downfalls: it is far too long, attempts to tackle too many topics, and is all over the place tonally. The first fourth of the book had me hooked, and I was prepared to love this book. I really enjoyed Matthew's character and his caring nature, and I also appreciated the depiction of depression in Athena's character. However, the book just felt like it dragged on far too long. There were so many shifts in tone that was extremely jarring to the reader. I also felt uncomfortable with the idea with Athena shifting to date her ex-fiancee's brother. This is advertised in the book so I tried to withhold any opinions until seeing the execution of it, however I felt that the situation was resolved far too easily and unrealistically.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eArc, all opinions are my own.
Unfortunately, At First Spite was a huge disappointment for me. I was a huge fan of Spoiler Alert and really enjoyed the second book in the series, All the Feels. However, the last two books that I have read by Dade have been huge disappointments, and I'm not sure if I will be picking up more of her work in the future.
At First Spite has quite a few downfalls: it is far too long, attempts to tackle too many topics, and is all over the place tonally. The first fourth of the book had me hooked, and I was prepared to love this book. I really enjoyed Matthew's character and his caring nature, and I also appreciated the depiction of depression in Athena's character. However, the book just felt like it dragged on far too long. There were so many shifts in tone that was extremely jarring to the reader. I also felt uncomfortable with the idea with Athena shifting to date her ex-fiancee's brother. This is advertised in the book so I tried to withhold any opinions until seeing the execution of it, however I felt that the situation was resolved far too easily and unrealistically.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eArc, all opinions are my own.
February 16, 2024
I love how Olivia writes her men. They are always a little bit insecure, a little bit nerdy, and awkward, and they love with pure warmth.
That's why I had issues with this book.
In the beginning, I was surprised to learn that the guy who is gonna end up being the love interest was the brother of the man who was going to marry Athenas, before we even get to the break up we are led to understand that Matthew had a HUGE part on leading his brother away for Athenas.
I thought that this was going to be cleared up late on the game, that it was a misunderstanding, and that Matthew hadn't done a thing.
Turns out he had. He was the reason that Athenas ended up in the lowest of lows in her life. And that's what kept bothering me the whole time I was reading this.
Matthew is not a man who I consider would have done that, he was willing to sacrifice his relationship with Athena for his brother at the end, so that part of the story didn't ring true to him as a character and as who he turned out to be. I didn't buy it, I was uncomfortable with it, especially because he had the galls to get together with her, even knowing his brother had feelings for Athena.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind mistakes or tropes like this in books. It just didn't ring true to Matthew's character, and it was never pointed out that he wanted to rebel against his brother by taking something for himself for once.
Of course, I gave this a 4 star rating so I enjoyed the rest, I do think the depression was used very poorly, cause at the end she gets better off page, but I think a lot of people, including myself, will resonate with her insecurities.
So I did like this, I just didn't appreciate the messiness of the situation and how it was solved.
And as always, Olivia makes me fall in love with her characters because of the depth she brings them.
I hope to get back to this little town soon...
That's why I had issues with this book.
In the beginning, I was surprised to learn that the guy who is gonna end up being the love interest was the brother of the man who was going to marry Athenas, before we even get to the break up we are led to understand that Matthew had a HUGE part on leading his brother away for Athenas.
I thought that this was going to be cleared up late on the game, that it was a misunderstanding, and that Matthew hadn't done a thing.
Turns out he had. He was the reason that Athenas ended up in the lowest of lows in her life. And that's what kept bothering me the whole time I was reading this.
Matthew is not a man who I consider would have done that, he was willing to sacrifice his relationship with Athena for his brother at the end, so that part of the story didn't ring true to him as a character and as who he turned out to be. I didn't buy it, I was uncomfortable with it, especially because he had the galls to get together with her, even knowing his brother had feelings for Athena.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind mistakes or tropes like this in books. It just didn't ring true to Matthew's character, and it was never pointed out that he wanted to rebel against his brother by taking something for himself for once.
Of course, I gave this a 4 star rating so I enjoyed the rest, I do think the depression was used very poorly, cause at the end she gets better off page, but I think a lot of people, including myself, will resonate with her insecurities.
So I did like this, I just didn't appreciate the messiness of the situation and how it was solved.
And as always, Olivia makes me fall in love with her characters because of the depth she brings them.
I hope to get back to this little town soon...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2024
For the Illumicrate Afterlight read along.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” - the book.
This was a cringe fest. A pathetic woman child who gets coddled by everyone around her (to the point job offers just land on her lap) yet still whines and cries and is just too full of self-pity to even be thankful for what other people have gotten her. She’s “Hollywood depressed”.
Now here she was, back at work after only a week of joblessness. It wasn’t optimal, to be honest. Two weeks’ pay without benefits wouldn’t keep her solvent for long, and scanning and shelving books didn’t exactly thrill her.
Does she get over this? Yes and no. She never gets called out for her behavior, she just gets coddled more. She’s supposed to be “depressed” but in a “relatable”, “she's quirky” way. She “gets over it” in a few pages. As someone who has dealt with depression for years: what a crock of shit.
“He might have wanted Athena then. He might want her still. But what he wanted was, as ever, the least of his concerns.”
Matthew, the older brother, was just a creep. Since the start, it felt like he was jealous of his younger brother's relationship and actively worked to sabotage it (and he did). He’s acting all “in love” (lust) with Athena by chapter 2. Yet we’re supposed to believe these two have a beef with each other? If I was Johny I would get far away from both of these disloyal creeps.
I need to stop trying to force myself through contemporary romance. It’s maximum narcissism hidden under a veneer of “relatability” and definitely not for me. Heaven forbids they get accused of having a personality.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” - the book.
This was a cringe fest. A pathetic woman child who gets coddled by everyone around her (to the point job offers just land on her lap) yet still whines and cries and is just too full of self-pity to even be thankful for what other people have gotten her. She’s “Hollywood depressed”.
Now here she was, back at work after only a week of joblessness. It wasn’t optimal, to be honest. Two weeks’ pay without benefits wouldn’t keep her solvent for long, and scanning and shelving books didn’t exactly thrill her.
Does she get over this? Yes and no. She never gets called out for her behavior, she just gets coddled more. She’s supposed to be “depressed” but in a “relatable”, “she's quirky” way. She “gets over it” in a few pages. As someone who has dealt with depression for years: what a crock of shit.
“He might have wanted Athena then. He might want her still. But what he wanted was, as ever, the least of his concerns.”
Matthew, the older brother, was just a creep. Since the start, it felt like he was jealous of his younger brother's relationship and actively worked to sabotage it (and he did). He’s acting all “in love” (lust) with Athena by chapter 2. Yet we’re supposed to believe these two have a beef with each other? If I was Johny I would get far away from both of these disloyal creeps.
I need to stop trying to force myself through contemporary romance. It’s maximum narcissism hidden under a veneer of “relatability” and definitely not for me. Heaven forbids they get accused of having a personality.
February 12, 2024
I'm absolutely gutted I didn't enjoy this book as it was my first book I received since I joined the (Illumicrate) Afterlight romance subscription and the special edition is just stunning.
Unfortunately I don't have much of anything positive to say about this book so I'll keep the review short (but let it be known I have so many issues with this book).
Obviously being a romance, it is so important to like the characters and their relationship and I just hated the ex's brother trope which surprised me. I don't think it was done successfully at all, I just felt like Matthew completely manipulated the situation with Athena and Johnny and Johnny completely deserved better in this book. How Athena could flirt with another man at her own engagement party is beyond me. Matthew gave me the creeps throughout the book, I found a lot of his behaviours massive red flags and I just wasn't rooting for them. Of course they have a third act break up which takes place within 30 pages to the end. Even when I thought the book couldn't get any worse, I then read the epilogue.
I didn't like Olivia Dade's writing style, it was unnecessarily 'wordy' and every sentence felt difficult to get through. So I won't be reading from this author again and I'm not continuing with the Harlot's Bay series. Very disappointed I didn't enjoy this one more so I'll give my special edition to someone who will really appreciate it.
1/5 ⭐
Unfortunately I don't have much of anything positive to say about this book so I'll keep the review short (but let it be known I have so many issues with this book).
Obviously being a romance, it is so important to like the characters and their relationship and I just hated the ex's brother trope which surprised me. I don't think it was done successfully at all, I just felt like Matthew completely manipulated the situation with Athena and Johnny and Johnny completely deserved better in this book. How Athena could flirt with another man at her own engagement party is beyond me. Matthew gave me the creeps throughout the book, I found a lot of his behaviours massive red flags and I just wasn't rooting for them. Of course they have a third act break up which takes place within 30 pages to the end. Even when I thought the book couldn't get any worse, I then read the epilogue.
I didn't like Olivia Dade's writing style, it was unnecessarily 'wordy' and every sentence felt difficult to get through. So I won't be reading from this author again and I'm not continuing with the Harlot's Bay series. Very disappointed I didn't enjoy this one more so I'll give my special edition to someone who will really appreciate it.
1/5 ⭐
February 6, 2024
I have found a new favorite Olivia Dade book, and it's this one. Why? Olivia Dade has a knack for marrying absurd situations, an enjoyment of the ridiculous that comes across in her sense of humor, wonderful depth of emotion, and serious issues like depression, fatphobia, etc. It doesn't seem like a book that includes an in-depth exploration of clinical depression, including a lengthy depressive episode, could also be gloriously sexy and hilarious - but it is.
Honestly not a ton happens plot-wise in the book. The setup for this one is that Athena is dumped by her fiance a week before their wedding, partially at the behest of his older brother, who's argued against their relationship from the beginning. Athena has already left her job, sold her condo, and bought the house next door to her fiance as her wedding gift to him, and she doesn't want to move back in with her parents, so she moves into her new house. Which again, is next to her fiance's house. Oh, and also? It's next to her fiance's BROTHER'S house. (She's the meat in a Vine brother sandwich, as another character puts it, only not very sexy.) She's trying to make the best of things in her new life, but honestly it's rough going. Turns out her fiance's brother, Matthew, MOSLY broke up the engagement because he didn't feel like Athena and the fiance were right for each other, but ALSO because he is ridiculously attracted to Athena. When she moves to town, he's able to get to know her, and realizes that not only is she wrong for his bro - she's perfect for him. And that's kind of it, as far as plot goes.
I just absolutely loved the slow-growing respect, affection, and love between Matthew and Athena. His unwavering support for her is so satisfying to read - especially since he is the reason why she broke up with her fiance in the first place. The caretaking is top tier, as Matthew tries to alleviate the difficulties her breakup put on her, first anonymously, then in person. His sense of responsibility and caring for her are delightful.
I'm talking about the sex now. There are a ludicrous amount of sex tropes that speak to me very specifically. I am going to list some of them, so if you feel like these are spoilers, maybe skip reading this next part:
So anyhow, I loved this book, it was sweet, funny, poignant, hilarious, and so, so sexy!!!
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
Honestly not a ton happens plot-wise in the book. The setup for this one is that Athena is dumped by her fiance a week before their wedding, partially at the behest of his older brother, who's argued against their relationship from the beginning. Athena has already left her job, sold her condo, and bought the house next door to her fiance as her wedding gift to him, and she doesn't want to move back in with her parents, so she moves into her new house. Which again, is next to her fiance's house. Oh, and also? It's next to her fiance's BROTHER'S house. (She's the meat in a Vine brother sandwich, as another character puts it, only not very sexy.) She's trying to make the best of things in her new life, but honestly it's rough going. Turns out her fiance's brother, Matthew, MOSLY broke up the engagement because he didn't feel like Athena and the fiance were right for each other, but ALSO because he is ridiculously attracted to Athena. When she moves to town, he's able to get to know her, and realizes that not only is she wrong for his bro - she's perfect for him. And that's kind of it, as far as plot goes.
I just absolutely loved the slow-growing respect, affection, and love between Matthew and Athena. His unwavering support for her is so satisfying to read - especially since he is the reason why she broke up with her fiance in the first place. The caretaking is top tier, as Matthew tries to alleviate the difficulties her breakup put on her, first anonymously, then in person. His sense of responsibility and caring for her are delightful.
I'm talking about the sex now. There are a ludicrous amount of sex tropes that speak to me very specifically. I am going to list some of them, so if you feel like these are spoilers, maybe skip reading this next part:
So anyhow, I loved this book, it was sweet, funny, poignant, hilarious, and so, so sexy!!!
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
February 20, 2024
Be in a good headspace but RUN DON'T WALK to pick this book up!
Is the premise ridiculous and unrealistic? Maybe. Do the characters act the way that's a little convenient? Yeah. But the representation in this book had me crying at work...
Is the premise ridiculous and unrealistic? Maybe. Do the characters act the way that's a little convenient? Yeah. But the representation in this book had me crying at work...
March 8, 2024
*gifted arc copy
*light spoilers
What I liked:
- The perfect mix of rom and com. & Real life problems and baggage.
- It’s relaxing to be able to suspend disbelief and enter this world with wacky circumstances.
- I love reading about a plus size main character whose storyline is not at all about body image. She doesn’t think about it at all. No negative self talk. The only time her body is described is when she’s introduced so we can get a picture in our minds and when he’s talking about how sexy she is. It’s really refreshing and a pleasure to read as a plus size person.
- I love how we get to see both his and her perception of her depressive episode. Bc for her that’s exactly how it feels - you justify things and say it’s not that bad. For him the signs are so clear.
- The side characters are fun and interesting
- The first sex scene was good and fun
- I read this SO FAST it was definitely entertaining
What I didn’t care for:
- The amount of pop culture references is a bit much in this one if that’s something that bothers you
- I know it mentions that Athena uses them a lot as a character trait but the analogies and metaphors are so constant that it kind of gets confusing to the point that sometimes I can’t follow and don’t know what we’re talking about anymore.
- Throughout the book while she is having a depressive episode the book continues to tell us that she is safe with Matthew, that he’s not taking advantage of her, and that it’s not selfish of him, and he definitely doesn’t expect more. I feel that the actual actions taken do not reflect this.
- It felt like I was being gaslit by the writing to think that it was totally okay and actually ~*romantic*~ that he kissed her in the middle of a mental breakdown while she’s naked in the shower with him there because she can’t wash herself. I do not think that’s appropriate and I do feel that it’s taking advantage. She’s literally breaking down crying. & Then we’re just told by the writing afterward that it was actually so sweet and definitely in good faith.
- After he took all of that time saying he didn’t see washing her as romantic and promised she was safe with him he still kissed her. To me, that’s a break of trust and just plain yucky. She was searching for comfort in any way and he took advantage of that.
- Confused about some of the movements like I couldn’t picture the next kiss scene interrupted by the phone. He pushed her back into the couch cushions, stood bed tween her legs, and also somehow bent her over? Over what if she’s facing him? Confused.
- I had horrible plus size dating deja vu. When she said, “you want to keep this a secret?” And he was like, “not secret, PRIVATE.” Like… So let me get this straight. He ruins her engagement, pushes his way into her life, makes himself her support system when she’s EXTREMELY depressed, vulnerable, and alone in a new town with no one else. Tells her he’s not taking advantage of her when he literally is. And then when they finally get together he wants to keep their relationship a secret. I would kick this man to the curb so fast.
- The line about her being “excited to plant her flag in him” bc he’s a virgin is icky.
- Near the end she talks about how they can’t be everything for each other and obviously you can’t base your happiness all on one other person. Like okay? That’s good I guess but idk how she got there mentally with the actions that they took conveying the exact opposite.
- The ending was fine. I wouldn’t have forgiven Matthew but that’s just me
- I don’t really understand Johnny’s magical glow up either. He spends a month in Hawaii and all of the sudden comes back a good person and condemns all of his past actions and behavior and immediately sees he was wrong for asking Matthew to do what he did? Love that for him but not sure how it happened.
*light spoilers
What I liked:
- The perfect mix of rom and com. & Real life problems and baggage.
- It’s relaxing to be able to suspend disbelief and enter this world with wacky circumstances.
- I love reading about a plus size main character whose storyline is not at all about body image. She doesn’t think about it at all. No negative self talk. The only time her body is described is when she’s introduced so we can get a picture in our minds and when he’s talking about how sexy she is. It’s really refreshing and a pleasure to read as a plus size person.
- I love how we get to see both his and her perception of her depressive episode. Bc for her that’s exactly how it feels - you justify things and say it’s not that bad. For him the signs are so clear.
- The side characters are fun and interesting
- The first sex scene was good and fun
- I read this SO FAST it was definitely entertaining
What I didn’t care for:
- The amount of pop culture references is a bit much in this one if that’s something that bothers you
- I know it mentions that Athena uses them a lot as a character trait but the analogies and metaphors are so constant that it kind of gets confusing to the point that sometimes I can’t follow and don’t know what we’re talking about anymore.
- Throughout the book while she is having a depressive episode the book continues to tell us that she is safe with Matthew, that he’s not taking advantage of her, and that it’s not selfish of him, and he definitely doesn’t expect more. I feel that the actual actions taken do not reflect this.
- It felt like I was being gaslit by the writing to think that it was totally okay and actually ~*romantic*~ that he kissed her in the middle of a mental breakdown while she’s naked in the shower with him there because she can’t wash herself. I do not think that’s appropriate and I do feel that it’s taking advantage. She’s literally breaking down crying. & Then we’re just told by the writing afterward that it was actually so sweet and definitely in good faith.
- After he took all of that time saying he didn’t see washing her as romantic and promised she was safe with him he still kissed her. To me, that’s a break of trust and just plain yucky. She was searching for comfort in any way and he took advantage of that.
- Confused about some of the movements like I couldn’t picture the next kiss scene interrupted by the phone. He pushed her back into the couch cushions, stood bed tween her legs, and also somehow bent her over? Over what if she’s facing him? Confused.
- I had horrible plus size dating deja vu. When she said, “you want to keep this a secret?” And he was like, “not secret, PRIVATE.” Like… So let me get this straight. He ruins her engagement, pushes his way into her life, makes himself her support system when she’s EXTREMELY depressed, vulnerable, and alone in a new town with no one else. Tells her he’s not taking advantage of her when he literally is. And then when they finally get together he wants to keep their relationship a secret. I would kick this man to the curb so fast.
- The line about her being “excited to plant her flag in him” bc he’s a virgin is icky.
- Near the end she talks about how they can’t be everything for each other and obviously you can’t base your happiness all on one other person. Like okay? That’s good I guess but idk how she got there mentally with the actions that they took conveying the exact opposite.
- The ending was fine. I wouldn’t have forgiven Matthew but that’s just me
- I don’t really understand Johnny’s magical glow up either. He spends a month in Hawaii and all of the sudden comes back a good person and condemns all of his past actions and behavior and immediately sees he was wrong for asking Matthew to do what he did? Love that for him but not sure how it happened.
February 12, 2024
At First Spite is the newest release from Olivia Dade. I’ve read a handful of books from this author now and I’ve definitely had some hits and misses. This is a contemporary romance where the heroine moves into a house between her ex-fiancé and his brother (who actively got their wedding and relationship canceled), and her romance with said ex’s brother!
Athena is engaged to Johnny and when the story starts, she is at their engagement party and bumps into a man there who she ends up connecting with pretty quickly. They both love information and looking things up on google and kind of banter and hit it off quickly. Shortly after her fiancé shows up and Athena is introduced to the mystery man who ends up being Matthew, her fiancé’s brother! Athena ends up overhearing the two brothers arguing shortly after with Matthew trying to talk his brother out of the relationship. We cut to months later and Matthew got his way, with Johnny dumping Athena just a week before their wedding.
Things get even more awkward when Athena, who was a highschool teacher but quit her job to move to her ex-fiancé’s small hometown, also has to move into the house she purchased as a wedding gift to her ex…which just so happens to be situated between his and his brother’s houses. His ex isn’t around as she’s moving in because he still left for what was supposed to be their honeymoon trip, but his brother Matthew is there and is super pulled to Athena. We find out he’s been into her for a long time and just didn’t think her with his brother was the right move for either of them. Matthew has always taken care of his brother, they are partners of their own pediatrics practice, and he honestly kind of took the father role to him.
Athena and Matthew start spending time together and both fall pretty easily, there is a scene where he helps bathe her (which ties into the special edition dust jacket cover I saw). I really don’t get why this is described as a romcom, it has a lot of heavy themes going in within the story and deals with depression for a main character for a good bit of the story. Athena struggles with what she wants to do with her life and the choices she’s made, she’s 36/37 and still unsure of a job she wants to have for any length of time (she likes to be able to quit and move around as she wants). Matthew as well has some repressed trauma from his past (from when he was a child), that he has kind of overlooked to take of his brother. I just felt like the vibe of the book was off at times because of these mixed feelings going on in the story.
I did like that we have characters in their upper 30s (close to 40) and seeing the realness of their feelings and emotions. Matthew was sweet and I liked the romance we do get from them (it does get pretty steamy and we have a virgin hero too), even if it felt way too soon after her being with her ex/his brother. I guess if you know what you’re getting into with this book, you could definitely still enjoy it. But for me, it was just okay.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, all thoughts in this review are my own.
CW: grief and clinical depression, mentions an accidental death of a young child (didn’t occur on page)
Athena is engaged to Johnny and when the story starts, she is at their engagement party and bumps into a man there who she ends up connecting with pretty quickly. They both love information and looking things up on google and kind of banter and hit it off quickly. Shortly after her fiancé shows up and Athena is introduced to the mystery man who ends up being Matthew, her fiancé’s brother! Athena ends up overhearing the two brothers arguing shortly after with Matthew trying to talk his brother out of the relationship. We cut to months later and Matthew got his way, with Johnny dumping Athena just a week before their wedding.
Things get even more awkward when Athena, who was a highschool teacher but quit her job to move to her ex-fiancé’s small hometown, also has to move into the house she purchased as a wedding gift to her ex…which just so happens to be situated between his and his brother’s houses. His ex isn’t around as she’s moving in because he still left for what was supposed to be their honeymoon trip, but his brother Matthew is there and is super pulled to Athena. We find out he’s been into her for a long time and just didn’t think her with his brother was the right move for either of them. Matthew has always taken care of his brother, they are partners of their own pediatrics practice, and he honestly kind of took the father role to him.
Athena and Matthew start spending time together and both fall pretty easily, there is a scene where he helps bathe her (which ties into the special edition dust jacket cover I saw). I really don’t get why this is described as a romcom, it has a lot of heavy themes going in within the story and deals with depression for a main character for a good bit of the story. Athena struggles with what she wants to do with her life and the choices she’s made, she’s 36/37 and still unsure of a job she wants to have for any length of time (she likes to be able to quit and move around as she wants). Matthew as well has some repressed trauma from his past (from when he was a child), that he has kind of overlooked to take of his brother. I just felt like the vibe of the book was off at times because of these mixed feelings going on in the story.
I did like that we have characters in their upper 30s (close to 40) and seeing the realness of their feelings and emotions. Matthew was sweet and I liked the romance we do get from them (it does get pretty steamy and we have a virgin hero too), even if it felt way too soon after her being with her ex/his brother. I guess if you know what you’re getting into with this book, you could definitely still enjoy it. But for me, it was just okay.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, all thoughts in this review are my own.
CW: grief and clinical depression, mentions an accidental death of a young child (didn’t occur on page)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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