Member Reviews

Hilarious, fast-paced, and swoony! This book is a great romance for fans of Sarah Hogle. I found it fun and easy to read through.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Spite is an enemies to lovers in the workplace trope. This story left me wanting more and less. More from Wyatt’s perspective and less building jargon. This was just okay for me.

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This was an easy and fun romcom about a woman who decides to get revenge on her cheating ex-fiance by building a vacation rental next to what was supposed to be their future home together. Dani commences Project Spite House hoping to mess with her ex’s beautiful views outside his house, and enlists coworker Wyatt’s help with the architecture. She’s always thought of him as a stone cold man who enjoys making interns cry, but the more they work together the more Dani realizes just how wrong her assumptions may have been.

This novel is perfect for readers looking for an easy and low-level conflict story. Between some angsty romance books I’ve been reading at the time of this review, I just wanted something quick and enjoyable that wouldn’t require too much brainpower. This story moved at a snappy pace and I didn’t feel there was too much filler content to pad the story. The plot is straightforward–albeit quite predictable–but I was more interested in the chemistry of the main couple than any twists this book may have offered.

At first glance Dani and Wyatt seem like polar opposites, with Dani being outspoken and outgoing and Wyatt more of a stoic and standoffish individual. But once they start working together, it becomes obvious that Wyatt couldn’t be more of a teddy bear. I got some serious Spanish Love Deception vibes right off the bat after their few interactions - our girl was so oblivious to the fact that Wyatt was definitely interested in her!! Why else would he offer to help with her vacation rental project for literally no charge except to ask Dani to help his grandmother with some interior designing for her curtains hahaha. I think she was a little too caught up in getting revenge on her ex to see all of the signs Wyatt was sending her way.

While these two had good funny banter and several heartfelt conversations, I felt the chemistry was lacking just a little bit. I think I was expecting more sexual tension because of the Aaron Blackford vibes I got from Wyatt, but the tension in this story was minimal. I didn’t hate it; as I mentioned I didn’t mind the easy and straightforward plot that I read, so I think I happened to be in the right mindset for this story when I read it. If you want more angst, conflict, and twists in your romance books though, you may find this one falling short of those expectations.

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Oh my goodness!!! I LOVE the grumpy x sunshine trope. I love a broody hero that secretly has a soft side and often shows it to our heroine. And that is what we got! I loved the premise of the book as someone who isn’t afraid to say she’s petty and I love the creative way of executing revenge! This book had the right amount of fluff and angst and made me want to room with an elderly woman with hyper dogs and awesome revenge plans!

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One day I'm going to figure out why I expect a bigger plot from romance books, but damn if I don't.

I did really enjoy this one. Our main couple are cute, I enjoyed getting to watch them fall for one another.

If you're a hater of the miscommunication or lack of communication tropes, skip this one. It will make you seethe in anger.

I loved Iris and her doggos, they were a giant highlight of this book for me. Such an interesting woman! Getting to see pieces of her life was one of my favorite parts, I wish there'd been more of them.

Overall I think if you're looking for a cute rom-com with a little SPICE this will work just fine for you. I will definitely look for more books by Anna in the future.

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I truly enjoyed this enemies to lovers romance from Anna E. Collins. It has everything you want in a romance and then some. With a sassy main character, a host of excellent friends, and a broody man with a heart of gold. Love at First Spite was hilarious, with Dani trying to execute a revenge plot alongside her hilarious friends, all while denying her interest in surly Wyatt. Except, they are working together to build Dani's revenge home and well, it turns out love is best served alongside revenge.

I felt like I was part of the book, walking alongside Dani as one of her friends as she salved her heartbreak with revenge and ignored the signs of a good love right in front of her. It felt authentic, with Collins charming writing bringing every character and scene to life. It was the romcom I needed in my life.

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Love at First Spite is an easy read and I look forward to reading more from the author. That being said, the characters (except for Mia and Iris) got on my ever loving nerves! I suppose that is part of what made this an entertaining and fast paced read for me, but if you are not a fan of miscommunication or a lack of communication leading to drama - this may not be the book for you. And while appreciate that it really did highlight the audacity of men (especially rich white men), I feel there was a missed opportunity in making sure that a certain someone was meted out just punishment for their actions. That left me really unsatisfied - but i guess that is also true to life.

3.5 out of 5 wine glasses.

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Love at First Spite by Anne E. Collins had an opening scene that caught my attention. However, I thought it was excessive for Dani to build a spite house next to her ex-fiance Sam. It felt a little messy, and I couldn't understand the level of revenge. I know many others enjoyed this book, but it was not my favorite. I could have used more romance focus between Dani and Wyatt and less about getting revenge on Sam.

Thank you, Graydon House and Harper Audio, for my complimentary copies for my honest review.

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This book was incredible. It was heartwarming and I loved the characters (except for the one I was meant to hate). That said, Collins did a fantastic job of humanizing the “enemy”, and giving me reasons to both despise him and understand him. Which was hard to deal with at times, if I’m being honest.

Interior designer, Dani is cheated on by her fiancé and to get revenge she not only cancels the wedding and destroys her dress, but decides to buy the plot of land next door to the house they were meant to share. Here, she decides to build a “Spite House” where she and her friends devote their time and decorating skills toward everything her ex hated, just to drive him mad. What she doesn’t expect is just how low they’re all willing to go, the people who are willing to help, and the feelings she might develop along the way.

This book wasn’t just about overcoming a break up, but learning how to both respect oneself and move on from the obstacles faced in life. I loved the humorous moments, and found myself constantly relating to Wyatt’s fear of betrayal and abandonment due to health issues.

As an added bonus, this book is also phenomenal in audiobook format – although I had to speed it up a lot!

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Love at First Spite by Anna Collins is a romantic comedy partially set in the workplace. The book opens with Dani playing paintball with her cousin and partner in crime, Melissa, in her wedding dress on what would have been her wedding day. This is just the beginning of Dani’s spite and revenge against her ex.

She buys a piece of property next door to him and decides to build an Airbnb just to make him mad. Wyatt is the crumpy co worker that ends up helping her with the house. I found it interesting that Wyatt was dealing with a disease but other than that we didn’t get a lot of his side of the story. Maybe because it was written from Dani’s POV.

It is a romantic comedy; so slightly unrealistic with fun and petty revenge leading to a happily every after.

language - 4 f word used 27 times, shi& and d@mn were used approx 15 times each
sexual content -a couple scenes
drinking - she gets drunk at least twice that i remember.

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

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At the beginning of the book we were introduced to Dani and her best friend/cousin paint balling in her wedding dress on what was supposed to be her wedding day to her cheating ex fiancé. But we also get to meet Wyatt her grumpy coworker when she bumps into him at a bar after and sparks subtly begin to fly from there.

Once set on a path for revenge on her ex for shacking up with the person he cheated with, Dani, her landlord, and her best friend start to build the spite house with their pooled cash, with Wyatt’s help as their architect.

As Dani and Wyatt continue working together sparks fly and they begin a “just until the house is done” relationship that was clearly more from the beginning.

I loved that Dani was from Idaho, even if where was named is all the way across the state from me… I also loved the discussion of Wyatt’s Ménière’s diagnosis as the information was accurate to my understanding of this disorder and it’s unfortunate impacts it can have on individuals lives that have the varied side effects as were mentioned for Wyatt. I always love when disability inclusion is apart of the media we consume as this is close to my heart due to my line of work, and I feel that it is important to include representation of all minority groups.

Thank you NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC of this book!

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This was a cute book and very reminiscent of the Hating Game. I had the same struggle with this one where I couldn't warm up to the hero. I adored the heroine and her cousin and landlady but the hero never seemed to grow or change. It was unique to have him struggling with a disease but his conflict management skills were terrible. Overall. I enjoyed the story

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Nothing beats a good story about spiting an ex LOL. Super fun read about Dani, a recently single woman who puts her anger of her recent break up to some interesting use. And along the way meets someone else who puts a bump in the road and plans. Really enjoyed this!

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thought the whole plot idea was a little weird until the author's note at the end that explains that these spite buildings are real, which is definitely a little weird but at least the story makes more sense. still found this one rather unreal, and get it most of the rom-coms are unrealistic...But this one lacked so much detail that it was never very immersive: minimal physical and environmental descriptors. And for as awesome as Wyatt is supposed to be, he's so flat; another washboard abs, stoney demeanor, constantly tossing Dani around so we know he's strong. Overall, this is fine. Just fine.

Thanks NetGalley and Gradon House for an ecopy to review.

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A delightful and steamy enemies to lovers office romance sparkling with wit and charm. What starts out as revenge against an ex becomes the romance she can’t deny. This is such a cute love story about a down on her luck designer building a house with a grumpy and hot architect who knows his way around designing a house. An entertaining and surprisingly endearing read.

Dani never went through with her wedding, so when the lot she originally wanted to buy with her ex-fiancée sits unbought, Dani buys the land with a few friends and devises a plan to build a spite house to drive her ex crazy. Dani gets the grumpy Wyatt Montego to help her build the perfect revenge vacation rental.

At first I wasn’t so sure about a book focusing on revenge, but this was a positive surprise with a lot of feistiness and character growth. Dani and her quirky friends added some drama to the story making this and eventful and entertaining read. The first few chapters were a little slow, but the story grew on me, along with the relationship between Dani and Wyatt. This ended up being a somewhat steamy read with lots of witty banter and sizzling chemistry.

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Ok I really, really liked this book a lot! It is super cute and fast paced. I love the idea of a revenge spite house AirBNB! I wish Wyatt would have been more communicative but I understand his reasons. I highly recommend reading this book!

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Really enjoyed this book! Such a fun read with great character development! Such a fun one and great to grab!

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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book. All opinions are my own. Perfect for romance fans who enjoy a modern take on the genre. This is a cute book with a fun plot! Dani buys a slice of land near her ex-fiance's home to build a rental property purely to spite him. She works with a colleague, and while previously she found him unappealing, through their planning meetings she's seeing another side of him. Fun, lighthearted read, great to take on a vacation!.

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Dani Porter estava prestes a se casar com quem acreditava ser o amor da sua vida, até descobrir que ele a estava traindo com a corretora de móveis. Decida a se vingar, ela compra o terreno ao lado do dele, para construir uma casa que irá acabar com a vista da casa e tirar a paz do ex. Mas ela precisa de um arquiteto, e o único disposto a ajudá-la é Wyatt Montenegro, seu colega de trabalho, que parece não gostar de ninguém. Wyatt é arrogante, as pessoas choram quando trabalham ao seu lado, mas conforme os dias passam, Dani percebe que existe mais nele por trás de sua fachada.

Quando comecei a ler esse livro, eu esperava um enemies to lovers, mas Dani e Wyatt acabam entrando em um relacionamento amigável bem rápido. Isso não me fez gostar menos da história, o romance é uma delícia e mal posso esperar para ler mais livros da autora. Existem outras questões que se eu contar podem acabar sendo spoiler, mas que foram muito bem abordadas pela autora. Recomendo muito para quem busca um romance divertido e queira se encantar por esses personagens.

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This is a cute romcom where an interior designer, Dani, falls in love with an architect, Wyatt.

Dani called off her wedding to Sam when he cheated on her with their realtor. For revenge, Dani buys the lot next to Sam’s house, the house she and Sam were suppose to build a future together, and decides to build a vacation rental. She hires her coworker, Wyatt, as the architect and soon Dani forgets about getting revenge on her ex, instead she’s focused on spending time with Wyatt.

I think this was my first romance revenge book. I still don’t understand why you would spend thousands of dollars on a property just to get revenge, but to each their own! Ha! This was a sweet workplace romance. I loved their chemistry and the tension. I think Dani and Wyatt make the perfect couple.

It was a fun, light romcom.

Thank you to Netgalley and Graydon House for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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