Olivia Dade continues to deliver with this enemies to lovers spicy romance. The main characters are a joy to follow and their connection jumps off the page. Can't wait for her next one!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the e-arc!
At First Spite is a great contemporary romance with a surprising amount of emotions and complex character relationships. I initially picked it up for the plus-size MC and was excited about the messy relationships the story promised. While I loved some parts of the story, I think the book was not for me. The rep was amazing, and I enjoyed Dade's writing style and ability. The difficult topics in this book were handled extremely well, and I would love to check out more from Dade.

I didn't much enjoy these characters. I liked the idea of the Spite House, but not so much the follow through of the story.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Olivia Dade can do no wrong in my eyes!

I've loved every single story I've ever read by here, At First Spite was no different! I really love how Olivia deals with heavier topics, especially surrounding Mental Health. and I felt like she really knocked it out of the park with this one!

I did wish there more groveling and making up for the way Matthew... Idk just was. I wanted to see more from him.

I did love this story and cannot wait to read her future works.

"At First Spite" by Olivia Dade is a delightful and emotionally rich contemporary romance that offers a fresh take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. Set in the charming town of Harlot's Bay, the story follows Athena Greydon, who finds herself living in a narrow Spite House next door to her ex-fiancé's brother, Matthew Vine.

Dade's writing shines in her portrayal of complex, relatable characters grappling with real-life issues. Athena's struggle with her career direction and mental health is handled with sensitivity and authenticity, adding depth to her character. The slow-burning romance between Athena and Matthew is both witty and heartfelt, with their initial animosity gradually evolving into a deeper connection.

The novel skillfully balances humor with more serious themes, including family dynamics and personal growth. Dade's inclusion of diverse body types and mental health representation is particularly praiseworthy, offering a refreshing and inclusive narrative.

While the premise might seem potentially problematic, Dade navigates the complexities of relationships with nuance and care. The emotional journey of the characters is intense and compelling, making for an engrossing read that's difficult to put down.

"At First Spite" is more than just a romance; it's a story about healing, self-discovery, and the unexpected ways love can enter our lives. With its charming setting, well-developed characters, and touching narrative, this novel cements Olivia Dade's reputation as a skilled author in the contemporary romance genre.

I love Olivia Dade. Sometimes she is a bit hit or miss for me, but even when she misses I still adore her. Ultimately this book was a miss for me. The mental illness representation in this book was VERY well done. I think I struggled with the romance because I just could not get behind the way that the Hero spoke about our Heroine and then flipped so quickly. I just couldn't suspend disbelief enough to support the romance. I almost wish this wasn't a romance and was just a regular fiction book that explored these issues. I think that I could get behind it more readily. My favorite part was the concept of a spite house though, loved that.

Athena bought the Spite House for her fiance as a wedding gift. Little did she know that her relationship would end before the ending. To make things work out, Athena moves into the house herself and finds out soon after she has a very unfortunate neighbor: her ex's brother Matthew. She can't stand his mannerisms or him. But come to find out, proximity between Matthew and she may not prove as unwanted as she thought.

I really enjoyed as per usual Dade's humor in this book. I found myself laughing at some point every chapter. I also really enjoyed the foil of proximity with the two characters. It kind of amped up the sexy. And of course, the character ending up working at a library? How else do you make a librarian happy?

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! Thanks for the ARC.

We love a plus size MC, a man who knows how to treat her right, and witty banter. All together, they create a super fun novel in At First Spite. I adored it, read it in a day, and couldn't put it down!

Swoon. Dr. Matthew Vine the Third is my new book boyfriend. Harlot's Bay is the new book town I want to move to and Olivia Dade continues to be one of my favorite authors. I'm generally not a fan of pranks but this book had me rolling with some of the petty stuff Athena pulls on Matthew. This book is for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider and if Harlot's Bay existed, my weirdo self would move there immediately. Olivia Dade, thanks for always making me feel seen.

A cute little enemies to friends to lovers rom com. Olivia Dade is hit or miss author for me, but this one was a hit. I loved the banter, the characters were well thought out, and the chemistry between the two leads was good. A definite recommend.

A slow spite but we got there! I had trouble getting into it, I just didn't see the appeal of Matthew. As the story went on, I grew to see Athena in a better light and Matthew grew on me. This book juggled some difficult topics like depression but Olivia Dade did it in such a delicate and important way. I did want more of the two of them by the end.

excellent book. was so excited to receive this ARC. it became one of my top favorite reads. cannot wait to read more from this author.

This was such a cute concept and interesting read! I felt like I learned a little bit of history. I had never heard of the concept of a spite house and that made this book a unique storyline for me!

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.

Olivia Dade can do no wrong and her first book in the Harlot's Bay series, At First Spite is proof! This enemies-to-lovers tale is contemporary romance at its finest and it would be a fantastic romance just like that, but Dade takes readers deeper and tackles real issues like mental health and childhood trauma with immense care. I can't wait to see what she writes next!

At First Spite
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️➕➕
Author: Olivia Dade

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Avon Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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.

My Thoughts: This is the first book in the Harlot’s Bay series and it has started off with a BIG BANG! Dade is one of my favorite spicy romance authors. I discovered Dade through the prior series, Spoiler Alert and absolutely adored that series. I am finicky about my romance books, I will only read ones with cartoon like covers, I cannot explain why that matters, it just does. Athena gets dumped right before the wedding and has no choice but to move into the “Spite House” she bought her now ex-finance to slowly rebuild her life. The house is really narrow and small. The person that caused the breakup, Dr. Matthew Vine (the brother of her ex-finance), lives literally across the street, or rather alley from her. She does petty things, like Eroica audiobook as loud as she can have it, to get under his nerves. In the process, she finds that he actually listens to her, helped her move, and the loathe turns into another feeling. This follows the tropes of enemies to lovers, ex-finance brother, grumpy/sunshine, and plus size character representation.

I really loved how both of our MCs were broken, they healed together so beautifully, that it just melts my heart thinking about it to write this review. Just a tremendous amount of character growth. I would say the only con would be it is a really slow get together and the third act breakup, I really think we could have not done it here and the story would have been even more beautiful. Props to Dade for doing an outstanding job at mental health representation, done with grace and dignity. I love how Dade balances the really tough sensitive scenes with the heartfelt scenes to have a really balanced story. The characters were well fleshed out, well developed, had witty banter, amazing chemistry, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, spicy, thought-provoking, beautiful, and did I mention spicy? And let’s not forget to mention BRILLIANT!

Warnings: grief, anxiety, loss of a sibling (past tense, recounting event), and depression. Dade did such an amazing job with this book, I highly recommend picking up today. Dade balances witty humor with a deep dive into mental health challenges and does it in a way that really comes across as beautiful. I cannot wait for the second book, Dearly Departed, hopefully later this year. I just cannot say enough to go PICK UP THIS BOOK!

I've loved every Olivia Dade book I've read so far, and At First Spite was no exception. It's a difficult premise for an author to make work--our heroine is engaged until her fiance's brother talks him out of going through with the wedding, ostensibly because he doesn't approve of her, but also because he finds himself extremely attracted to her. She begins to fall for him as well in the aftermath, but our protagonists also have to deal with depression, burnout, and the aftereffects of family tragedy on their way to an HEA. Despite these darker themes, At First Spite still has plenty of funny and sweet moments, and I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and how much they loved one another.

I received an eARC of At First Spite from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for.this book. All of the humor, spice, and great characters I've come to expect from an Olivia Dade book were there. But I was surprised at how compassionate the description of depression was. And how accurate, at least to my experience. Its not often that someone gets it without having experienced it. (I sincerely hope Ms. Dade has not.) I look forward eagerly to the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! Somehow this is my first read of Olivia Dade’s, however, it won’t be my last.

As a plus size woman I appreciate plus size romances so much. This was STEAMY! I had such a great time reading this, I couldn’t put it down and enjoyed the journey so much! Highly recommend for romance lovers!

Olivia Dade has an incredible talent for creating FMCs that are incredibly relatable and that shows in At First Spite. Her characters feel real and alive on page. I didn't quite connect as much with the overall romance and chemistry between the two characters in this one, compared to her other books, but this was very fun and readable.