Athena Greydon has hated her ex fiancé’s brother Matthew Vine since the first time they met. When she moves into the house she bought as a wedding gift for her cancelled wedding, Athena didn’t realize her nemesis would be her next door neighbor.

For the most part I loved this! The enemies to lovers trope was so well done. From the overheard conversation at their very first meeting, Athena and Matthew made perfect enemies. I loved their banter and the chemistry between them. The slow burn made way to an excellent payoff.

There were two elements I didn’t love. One was the timing of Matthew and Athena’s first kiss, and the other was how quickly they jumped into calling each other “baby” and the frequency of its use. I don’t dislike baby as a pet name but for some reason its use here felt like overkill.

I love Olivia Dade and will definitely be returning to Harlot’s Bay for the next installment in this series!

Recommended for romance readers who love: 😈 enemies to lovers 😆 ex’s brother 😇 he’s a virgin 🃏 pranks as revenge 🏘️ forced proximity (neighbors) ❤️‍🔥slow burn🧎‍♂️ excellent groveling


TW: depression, former death of a child/sibling

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the advanced copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I have liked everything I've read by Olivia Dade but I *loved* this one. The story opens with Athena feeling super awkward at her own engagement party in the delightful hometown of her fiance - Harlot's Bay, Maryland. She's feeling uncomfortable for a few reasons, but the main one is that she doesn't really know anyone except her fiance, Johnny, and she's worried about meeting her future brother-in-law Matthew for the first time. She knows from Johnny that Matthew doesn't approve of their engagement, and has been actively trying to talk Johnny out of marrying Athena sight unseen because he doesn't think she's responsible enough and basically is worried that she will expect Johnny to support her. She and Matthew have an accidental meet cute at the party until they both realize who they are and then minutes later Athena overhears Matthew harshly talking to Johnny about how he needs to end things. And that's all in the prologue! The actual plot starts with Athena, recently dumped by Johnny like two months before the wedding, moving into the house she bought him as a wedding present which is... connected to his own row house in Harlot's Bay. Luckily, he's out of town (celebrating their honeymoon in Hawaii solo which is basically a one sentence description of who he is as a person), but unluckily she runs right into Matthew, who lives... on the other side of her new house. He's shocked to see her there and feels incredibly guilty for his role in her breakup with Johnny. She considers him an enemy but slowly starts to warm up to him when he starts coming into the bakery where she's working and leaving her huge tips to help out with her financial situation, then helps get her another job when she loses that one, and somehow, they become friends. Athena learns that Matthew has basically raised Johnny since he was an infant and their other brother died, and that ultimately he wanted Johnny to break things off because he didn't think he would be good enough for Athena. Matthew, who has been secretly lusting after Athena since the engagement party, learns that she has some mental health issues that lead to a pretty serious major depressive episode. One of the most romantic scenes I've ever read was Matthew helping Athena bathe (in a totally non-sexual way) when she is in the depths of that episode. Olivia Dade works some kind of magic to depict depression and grief in very sensitive ways while still writing a story full of humor and love.

Olivia Dade simply does not miss! I am an unabashed Olivia Dade fan and was thrilled to get my hands on this ARC. This story takes an unflinching look at what happens when you have people living their lives at extremes - one unmoored and floating through life and the other with the weight of the world and all the responsibilities on their shoulders. Neither extreme is a good one as Athena and Matthew learn as the story unfolds The author also dives into the realities of depression and while it was heartbreaking to read, the author takes great care. This story gives us Olivia's trademark wit, humor and banter with some delightfully petty shenanigans to boot. And all the monster romance lovers out there will get a kick out of a certain recurring theme through this book. If you don't love a third act break-up, you may struggle with this one but the grovel?!?!? CHEF'S KISS! I can't wait to see what else she has in store for Harlot's Bay.

I adore Olivia Dade's novels, and her newest book is no exception. Athena is a great main character, and felt very real. Messy, and just someone I could be friends with. Normally you don't find a character suffering with depression in a romance novel, and I felt it was accurately portrayed. Slow burn romances are my favorite, and this one was very sweet. Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well-written, believeable, heartfelt, and heart-wrenching romance. The heroine is fat, but nothing is made of it. Both the hero and heroine have emotional problems that they need to work through--and they do it together. Have tissues handy, and be prepared for the extensive quotations from monster-fucking romances.

Recommended.

I was very excited to start Olivia’s new series! I missed her writing so much. This book has one of my favorite tropes: ex’s brother. I usually love it because of the forbidden aspect. In this book there’s also big mental health representation, which I loved. Athena’s depression was so well explained. Finally putting a name to what was happening to her was crucial for her recovery and I think this is very important. Talking about mental health and calling things by their names is a big step towards healing and erasing the stigma around mental illnesses. Matthew’s support and care was also so perfect. Athena got to navigate her feelings with the safety net of Matt’s love and I could feel the care Olivia put into this aspect of the book to make it a part of their romantic development, but without romanticizing a serious matter like depression. Perfect balance.

As much as I loved the majority of the book, I struggled with the love “triangle”. At first, I didn’t understand Matthew’s motivations to break Athena and Johnny up. I felt like he was very manipulative. When later Matthew explained their family’s issues, I could understand him a bit but I still didn’t get why he thought he had a say in his brother’s love life. I could smell the third act conflict from miles away and it bothered me a lot. This is a shame because it is a great book, but I don’t think I like Matthew’s behavior.

TW: Depression, death of a child

Rating: 3/5
Steam level: Open door, 2-3 scenes, high level of detail

ARC provided by Olivia Dade and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Words can not express how much I absolutely LOVED this book. Olivia Dade really hit it out of the park with this one.
I feel like this book is written for those who did what they were supposed to do but still feel lost. They went to college, and got the degree, but still feel like they are floating around and not grounded. This is for them.

We meet Athena after she has been dumped just weeks before her wedding. While that in of itself is a horrible thing to go through, Athena had purchased the spite house that shared a wall with her now ex-fiance as a wedding gift. And since it was too close to the date of the wedding and some other financial reasons. Athena needs to up and move her life to this small town and live in the spite house...next door to her ex. OH! And add to that, across the alley from her ex's brother who is basically the reason why she is without a husband and stuck in this predicament.
Chaos ensues because Athena is just the best character and is easily loved by the small town. Although she is loved, Athena struggles to find her place in this town, just like she has struggled to find her place in the world and goes into a really deep depressive episode. And who helps her out, but none other than the uptight ex's brother, Matthew. Thus begins a whole journey of discovery for both of these characters. They both learn, grow, and love. And they do all of this while the ex is off on the honeymoon...so what is going to happen when he comes back? Well, you will just have to see for yourself.
This book had some amazing characters that really pulled you into the story. Monster smut makes an appearance and I am HERE FOR IT.

Olivia Dade writes amazing romance! Her characters are complex and relatable, and the romance has just the right amount of reality!

I have enjoyed all of Olivia Dade's recent books and was happy to find that, despite it being part of a new series, I enjoyed this one just as much! She has a talent for creating stories and characters that draw you in.

I read an early copy through NetGalley! Thanks. I have loved reading Olivia Dade books. She writes real authentic characters. The way that Dade writes through Athena’s depression really hit home and is the reason for my higher rating. I wish that all people struggling had such a strong support system and access to healthcare. Athena, Johnny and Matthew are all extremely privileged and have strong supports and infinite money.

*Spoilers*

I knew Athena wasn’t in love with Johnny when she flirts with a stranger at her own engagement party???

I do feel that this book will not age well because of all the niche pop culture references. I thought that the monster fucking book club was ridiculous and funny at first, but then Dade leaned too hard into it. I didn’t like the term “professor google.” It seemed unrealistic that Matthew lives under the biggest rock on the planet and needed meme/pop culture lessons.

Matthew is a virgin??!! But of course he’s amazing at sex. What. I hated that.

And a love triangle is my least favorite trope. Johnny seemed confused and the conflict didn’t really work for me.

I loved this book. I've always enjoyed romance reads, but a lot of times, I feel they're a fluff read that doesn't really have any depth. At First Spite is the opposite of that. It felt like it could be real people finding themselves and each other. I myself suffer from depression and the author handled it so well. Normalizing what people who struggle are going through. It was really moving.

When I first started this book, I thought this is a long book for a romance. This goes right back to the depth that's woven into the stories and the characters. It never felt long. In fact, I didn't take the time to look and see how much was left.

I can't say enough good things about this book. It's definitely going down as one of my favorite reads this year.

This book is hilarious, tender, sexy, and kind to its characters and its readers. I feel like I know these people after one short (and delightful) read, and I can't wait to read more books in Harlot's Bay!

Johnny Vine suddenly ends his engagement with Athena Greydon after his older brother, Matthew Vine, voices his unhappiness with the relationship. Athena planned on quitting her job and moving to Harlot's Bay after getting married to Johnny, so she is stuck with nowhere to live and no job. Before Johnny broke the engagement, Athena purchased the town's spite house (the small house next to Johnny's house) as a gift for her future husband. Now, she is forced to live in the spite house while she figures out what to do next. Athena soon learns that Matthew is her next door neighbor and she sets off to make his life as miserable as possible to punish him for ruining her relationship with Johnny. Matthew struggles to acknowledge his feelings for Athena because he feels like he is betraying his brother.

I really enjoyed the first 50-75% of the book. Olivia Dade goes all in on the enemies-to-lover trope in this book. However, I was a little disappointed with the ending of the book. It felt a bit rushed and almost like something was missing. I thought Matthew's actions toward the end of the book were too unrealistic. I felt like Athena was a very likable and believable character. The constant references to monster romances in this book started to get old. Fans of Ali Hazelwood, angst, and enemies-to-lovers romance books will like this book.

Content: sex scenes, death of a child, depression and suicide

3 Stars I've really enjoyed the other Olivia Dade novels I've read, so I was excited about this one. Sadly, it was a bit of a disappointment and just not my cup of tea. There were a lot of heavy topics discussed for a novel that seems from the cover that it'll be light and fun, but I guess that's what I get for judging a book by its cover (literally). I also didn't particularly like the MMC and didn't fully understand the motivation for his actions. I did like the emphasis on body love and struggling to accept and love your body as it is.

3.5 stars

I enjoy Olivia Dade's books. This one I felt lukewarm about. I just struggled to get into it and struggled to finish it. I will say, the heavy topics discussed were a lot, and more things like this should be talked about in books. Idk, this one just wasn't my cup of tea.

I enjoyed this book, the writing flows well and it's an easy read. There isn't much plot apart from the romance so if that is a trigger for you, I wouldn't recommend this one. There is depiction/representation of depression and body diversity/positivity so those are a plus. There were a few 'ehhh' problematic moments, at least for me.


Spoilers:
Soooo....I don't love the way the love interest is depicted. I get what the author was going for, he was basically "dad" to his little brother. He convinces the brother that the girl isn't right for him using some reverse psychology, I guess? But it basically just looks like him trashing the MC. Then, the love interest is super into self-flagellation/self-denial. So when the brother wah wahs and says give her up if you love me, he barely hesitates. IN addition, he's also a virgin, apparently, which is mentioned in like one sentence and NEVER addressed again. I find it hard to believe hot, small town doctor would have made it out of high school without someone seducing him, let alone nearly 40. I also think it deserved more air time, because if she deflowered him, that puts her in a position of power. I also must say the whole "let's sleep with my ex's brother" probably should have given the characters more pause, particularly since brother is more like Dad? Anyway, those were the parts that really threw me. There's also a bathtub scene that felt a little ehhhh.

Another winner from Olivia Dade. There is always a lovable charm to her work, and this is no exception.

I appreciate a love story that doesn’t shy from how multifaceted people are, and how their past affects their decisions, behaviors, relationships. Especially when the characters are close to 40 years old.

Communication isn’t always clear, but when it is done so with humility and care it’s beautiful to witness. So are the connections between people who take the time to do so.

I think many readers will see something familiar in Athena’s struggles (in themselves or a loved one), and am grateful the clarify between depression and grief and both shown and told. This aspect of her story will absolutely help people in their real lives as they escape into this fictional one.

I also love that her fat body in this world is never an “issue” to be dealt with. We need more of that, especially in romance.

From addressing mental health to steamy scenes to painful pasts and new perspectives on the things that matter, this book manages to weave in important topics with humor, kindness and unputdowndownness. I loved it.

I like Olivia Dades books but I must admit this one wasn’t my favorite. I loved the idea of the spite house and the relationship between brothers was good and I did like the depiction of depression, but I felt like the main relationship just didn’t work for me. The two characters seemed like they weren’t acting like real people.

I thought the concept was cute, but the execution fell flat. I also had some major issues with the shower scene and then the references to it later during a spicy scene.

Totally obsessed with this book! I want Matthew to be real, what a fantastic love interest and what a wonderfully crafted story. Loved loved loved it. My favorite one from this author so far.