Tropes:
Forbidden
Ex’s older brother
Slow burn
Enemies to friends to ❤️
Allllll the banter

3🌶️

At First Spite by Olivia Dade is the first novel in the Harlot's Bay series. I was instantly smitten with the history behind Harlot's bay and had high hopes for this story. As you are introduced to the characters, I was looking forward to hearing about Olivia and her living in the spite house (another fascinating detail) but about a little more than half way through the story, I began to skip. And readers, you know that is never a good sign.
Now I know I am reading a steamy romance and I'm fine with that, but I'm not the biggest fan of cryptid sex scenes and this book has much too many of them in graphic detail for it to be a little inside joke as it was at the bakery. And they just kept happening. And not in a little mention but in graphic detail over and over. It just wasn't for me.
It is obvious that Olivia Dade is a fun and talented writer and if this sounds like your jam, then enjoy. But this just wasn't for me. I did finish all the way through because I did care about Olivia and Matthew. But man, I skipped A LOT.

I had a hard time with this one. Usually Olivia Dade is an auto buy author for me, but this was a big miss.

I wasn't sure about the premise (Falling for fiance's brother) and was hoping it would turn around as I read, but it was just not working for me.

Olivia Dade is the front runner in funny heartwarming sexy romances for funny heartwarming and sexy people. With warmth and grace, Olivia Dade explores so many sensitive and real complications of adulting that so many of us face and she shines a bright light on the strength of her characters.

This was another of my most anticipated books of the year and I hated that it was enemies to lovers lol I HATEEEE that trope. But because it was Olivia Dade and I trust her with anything, I just gave it a try. And no, I’m still not a fan, but I did like this one. (Not the enemies bit, but still lol)

Ok so the characters in this were amazing. I don’t think I could love an MC more than Athena. Not only was she cute and bubbly and hilarious, but she didn’t take no ish from anyone lol The things she did to take him down were things I don’t think I could come up with even on my meanest days. The mail thing? I’ve heard about that, but I didn’t realize how much that would annoy me until I read about it happening to Matthew lol Speaking of Matthew, I have to say I was not a fan at first. I knew exactly where this was going and I was not a fan. I messaged my group chat members who had already read it and was like am I going to continue to hate him? They know I’m not a fan of enemies to lovers because they always seem too mean to me lol And I’m sorry but breaking off an engagement is definitely not nice. So no, I was not a fan. But of course there is some under-lying things happening and depression makes an appearance, so I think he was redeemed. (Mostly)

The two of them together was weird. As a HUGE pop culture person, I was so entranced by Matthew’s mind lol How in the world was it that he knew NONE of the things happening around him lmao I I know this is a me thing, but Lordt I felt like he was living under a rock! And Athena being someone who flitted around and did all these different jobs, she knew a lot of different things, and it was hilarious the way they contrasted. But they still found a way to make it work. Idk, I loved the two of them together. Also, the smexy times were weirdly hot. The way he was doing the hot nerdy dirty talk was weird but it worked because I didn’t expect anything else from him.

The mental health struggles I thought were portrayed well. I am not depressed, but I do live with someone who was diagnosed and I did recognize some of the things that were happening with Athena that was happening to them. And I know that doesn’t mean the portrayal was accurate for others, but it seemed accurate to me. But again, I do not have depression so I won’t go into more detail about the portrayal. I’ll leave that up to those that have that identity.

The narrator is one of my favorites too. She also did The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D Jackson. And although I read that one with my eyeballs, I also went and read it with my ears in some parts too. And let me tell you, Joy Nash knows how to get hook you into a book and let me just tell you, I was hooked into this one. She made everything in this novel fun, including the audiobook excerpts lol (Also, please tell me she’s going to narrate the second book too because I don’t think anyone can do Karl’s voice like she can lmao)

This book was so good but definitely a lot heavier than I thought it would be. When I think of Olivia Dade, I think of fluffy romances, so this was interesting to read. I hope to see more of this in this next book, even if the synopsis makes it seem like this is going to be a rom com.

This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. As someone with ADHD, I love reading, but have never truly connect with characters or 'place myself in their shoes.' The story of Matthew and Athena was beautiful, and I will tell everyone I know to read this book. Maybe because Athena was a character with a very similar life story to mine, I have never connected with a character like I did with Athena, and never cried more because of a book. A plus size woman, burnout at a job every few years, a desire to never stop learning, two graduate degrees, and a fun case of depression. I'm lucky to have found my own Matthew and Harlot's Bay community, but reading this book and having that in a book was such an experience, was absolutely life-changing. I loved this book, and it will be my number 1 read of 2024.

I've always loved Olivia Dade for her plus sized representation in romance novels, but this book has given me a new reason to love her; her amazing mental health representation of a person who struggles with depression. This book made me laugh and cry, and it resonated with me as someone who has also recently struggled with depression.

Not to mention that this book as another incredible romance with such an interesting plot about a woman who gave away a little too much of herself in her relationship only to realize it after her fiance breaks up with her. I couldn't recommend this, and Olivia Dade's other books more. She has such a great wit along with the ability to really tug at your heartstrings.

Thank you so much to Avon for providing me with an ARC of this book!

If Olivia Dade writes it - I read it.

Athena is marrying the wrong brother. And both brothers, deep down, know it. So instead of figuring this out early she gets dumped during their engagement and buys the narrowest house on the planet that is directly next door to her former fiancé, Johnny. Because she’s *pissed*.

Too bad Matthew lives on the other side of it and has to deal with her wrath everyday while Johnny goes on THEIR honeymoon. The nerve. Except, Matthew is taking this like a champ, and she loves getting under his skin. I mean, those forearms tho.

Read the trigger warnings on this one because I CRIED during a few scenes and full disclosure I never cry during books. This book touched me in ways I had no idea it would.

This was a good book by Olivia Dade. Not my favorite of hers to date, but still one I enjoyed.

This book was interesting because I felt like the pacing was a bit untraditional. It was a bit up and down the whole book, so if not for the percentage at the bottom of my screen, I might not have known exactly when it was going to end. I don't necessarily think that was a bad thing either.

I like that Matthew wasn't the traditional MMC. He was serious, fairly reserved, and didn't date. He was so focused on his brother and his practice that he never thought about dating. Athena was more free, a bit loud, and spirited in general. The complete opposite of Matthew Vine the Third (and I loved it).

The body positivity and diversity are a given when it comes to Dade's books. She always features plus-size women, and I love it. Sometimes, they have thoughts on their bodies, but usually they don't. Not every women needs to feel uncomfortable in her skin, especially plus-size women, and I'm so happy Dade shows that.

Overall, I enjoyed this book from Dade. I'm not dying to read the next book in the series, but I'll probably pick it up when I have time.

Olivia Dade does it again. If she writes it, I'm definitely going to read it.
This book touched my heart so much. I'm not a crier and this book made me cry on at least 2 occasions. We have Athena and the two Vine brothers, Johnny and Matthew. Athena was engaged to Johnny until his brother Mathew convinces him to end the engagement. The problem is, Athena bought the Spite house right next door to Johnny as a wedding gift and the bigger problem is that it's also right next door to his brother Matthew. So now Athena is stuck in a small house between the last two people on earth she would want to live next to. No job, no prospects and living next to your ex and his stuck up brother....what's a girl to do?!
I loved the journey in this book. I wasn't expecting the dealing with depression theme in this book, but I felt like it was handled well. It connected me more with Athena because I'm a lot like her. Oh and that bathroom scene!! Yes, that was one of the times I cried. I need a Matthew in my life. I think one of the things I love about Olivia's writing is that the FMC is always fat and that is always the least interesting thing about her. Yes, Athena lives life in a larger body and while it gets brought up as something she deals with in living in a 10 foot wide home, it's never a part of the conflict of the story or what she needs to change to find love. She just is a person who lives life in a larger body. She doesn't have to loose weight to find love. Anyway, I absolutely loved this book and I hope Karl is next in this series!!

I loved this book so much. Olivia Dade is already a one click author for me, when I see her name on a cover I'm automatically snagging the book. Speaking of cover, the cover of this book is so absolutely adorable. I'm not usually an animated cover kind of gal, but this one is really cute. This book has it all, really. Some laugh out loud comedy, snarky one liners, relatable characters, hot sex scenes, and a story driven plot. It also tackles issues of mental illness in a very comfortable, authentic feeling way. I also really love the plus size representation and how it wasn't even an issue in this book. I LOVED that.

The premise of this book really caught my attention, but the writing fell flat and the FMC is so overly annoying - I just couldn't make it past a few chapters!

This is laugh out loud, fun, steamy book. It also deals with mental heath. Even when dealing with difficult topic, it’s witty. We cannot help but like the characters…each and everyone one of them. I am not much into forbidden romance but I enjoyed this fun romp of the book.

I really enjoyed Olivia Dade’s Spoiler Alert series. Her body positive messaging with the main female characters is so wonderful. Matthew and Athena both display resilience in their lives, as well as vulnerability that they ultimately show each other. It was a lovely story. Matthew is the perfect grumpy male lead with a heart of gold and Athena is so relatable.

Read this book if you like:
💜Enemies to Lovers
💜Brother’s ex/ Ex-fiancé’s brother
💜Forced proximity
💜Mental health rep
💜Small Town
💜Slow burn
💜Grumpy x Sunshine

Also, this quote... as an educator, this gave me goosebumps and made me feel seen.
“Teaching, to me, felt like climbing a mountain.... One of the giants. Everest or K2. It was this endless march upward, scrambling over groaning crevasses and beneath seracs that could topple at any moment. The summers were only brief stops at base camps. And the longer and higher I climbed, the thinner the air became. I was always running behind schedule, always gasping for breath. Only there was no summit anywhere in sight.”

At First Spite is a ton of fun! It's romantic and soft but with pranks and hilarious shenanigans that will have you laughing out loud while reading. It starts off with our MCs as enemies after Athena's fiancé leaves her right before their wedding because of his brother's misgivings. His brother who happens to be Matthew, the other MC in this love story. It's an enemies to lovers romance with miscommunication and mental health representation. It's funny, sweet, sad, heartwarming, and a bit of chaos at times -- but in the best way. Olivia Dade gives a real look into depression and what the longterm effects of childhood trauma and grief can look like. I love that she doesn't shy away from these tough topics but then she also has a monster romance book club and lots of steamy, spicy, sexy times. This book really just has it all and is a fun read to escape into. Both MCs are relatable in such different ways. Athena is kind of lost when it comes to finding the right job/place for her and Matthew has spent so much time feeling lonely that he didn't even realize how bad it was until he met Athena. Readers will find themselves rooting for this couple -- I know I did. It's an emotional read but you won't regret it!

Some highlights from reading:
*Professor Google
*Monster Romance Audiobooks
*Pranks
*Facing fears to check on someone you care about ( the window scene was so so sweet -- well the first window scene, there's another that is less sweet more spicy (; -- you'll know it when you get to it )
*Paying attention to what the people you care for care about
*WWGMD
*Found family
*Small town vibes
*Forced proximity
*Chicken man

I really enjoyed this book & recommend it to any romance readers!!

Thank you Avon for the eARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book came out February 13, 2024!

Thank you so much to Avon for the advance copy of this book!

I am so so mad at myself for waiting this long to read this book! I was not a fan of Dade's last book so I was hesitant to start this but after several of trusted reader friends raved about it, it was time to dive in.

"You've never bored me. Not for a fraction of an instant."

I honestly thought this was going to have paranormal element (I could've sworn I read that somewhere) but it very clearly did not. A spite house was a new term for me though once I learned more about it while reading it, I realize that it definitely was not a new concept. I love that we got see Athena and Matthew meet at the engagement party before it all went downhill so we could see their spark. When Athena ended up moving in, in between the brothers (which was a choice by the author) they were forced to play nice. I am not sure if I would've done all the spiteful things that Athena did to Matthew just to agitate him. He took it with stride.

Chapter 11 to 13 were the most beautiful chapters and had me in all my feels. Matthew was just so tender and the moments between him and Athena just felt so real. And even typing this was making me emotional. We all deserve to have those individuals who will do whatever it is to make sure you are okay. "I know you're lost right now, Athena. I know you're damaged. But you're seeking new worlds sweetheart, and sometimes that's what happens." My heart just broke for Athena because she had so much change in such a short time and she never fully dealt with those changes. It just felt so relatable and turning 37 this year I felt the failures that Athena felt. It just hit me hard and made me reflect on moments in my life where I needed a Matthew.

Dade is a masterclass of writing sex scenes for plus size characters. She has a way with her words that just make you feel all those ooey gooey feelings. She knows the mechanics of the female body and the partner has the gentleness that you want to read in a romance. There was something about Matthew that was new for me in a romance and thought that was a refreshing take and unexpected. I was so happy she took advantage of their apartment proximity.

I am still rating this book high because of the emotions and reflecting it had me mentaling doing while reading. But the whole brothers triangle was just not something that I enjoyed and I knew there was going to be pain and anger regarding it as always does. Even though I thought Dade did as best as she could with the storyline and I am glad that this was a dual 3rd POV because we got to see the brothers interact. I had so many love hate moments with Johnny and though I didn't fully understand why Matthew was so against Athena in the beginning. It only makes me wonder what Johnny was telling Matthew and making her seem like she was one thing but as Matthew learned he was very incorrect about. Also the moment towards the end at the cemetery just squeezed at my heart. I actually would've loved more about their parents. Perhaps this trope would've worked for me more if there was more time between them reconnecting and not so soon after the engagement ending.

I also felt like she could have cut some parts out to make the book a tad shorter. Did we really need to get the detailed of all the audiobooks (granted I think this sets up for next book)? Or every time someone needed to google something new?

I am looking forward to the next book because honestly I have no idea what Karl is going to look like or anything about him! But his personality was great!

If you are a fan of Olivia definitely check this one out but proceed with caution because even with the antics and small town feels there is also a lot of real topics dealt with.

Athena Greyson hasn't made the best go of things in her life. She's got multiple degrees, multiple failed careers, and now she's also got a broken engagement, a house she bought as a gift for the ex-fiancé, and nothing better to do than move into said house, which happens to be directly between the homes of her ex-fiancé and his judgmental older brother. Dr. Matthew Vine III has done everything for his younger brother, solving all his problems and making his life as easy as possible. But he didn't expect Athena to suffer as a result, so now he feels guilty. Meanwhile, Athena only wants revenge, except maybe Matthew isn't as awful as she thought? And maybe Athena isn't quite the disaster he thought? In this first book in her new Harlot's Bay series, Olivia Dade gives readers a hard-fought happily ever after for two people who never really thought they deserved one. Along the way they drive each other crazy, make each other laugh, comfort each other in sadness, and listen to a lot of really dirty audiobooks.

I have been wanting to read an Olivia Dade for awhile so when I saw this one on Netgalley I jumped at the chance to read and review it. A romance with a fat female lead? Yes, please! And reading romances in February just feels right.

However, I definitely read the synopsis a little too quick and missed the part where the lead's love interest is her ex-fiance's older brother. Romances where one sibling betrays another and I'm supposed to root for them is one trope I can't get behind. It always bugs me SO much and distracts me from the actual story. I just think of the 8 billion people on Earth, there should someone better suited for you than your sibling's ex.

Otherwise, I did enjoy the story. Athena, the female love interest is a book lover which I always love. There's a lot of plot about sexy monster stories and visiting the bookstore. It's also an enemies to lovers trope which is one of my favorite things. I think if the love interests had met each other a different way, this would have been a top tier romance for me. So, I'll have to try other books by this author!

I'm somewhat lost on my rating for this one. Between a 3-3.5
There's some BEAUTIFUL things in this book but there's also some things I REALLY didn't like.


First did like.... Plus size FMC done beautifully.
⚠️SEVERE depression ⚠️ done really well.

Didn't like.
Not a spoiler... FMC gets dumped by ex fiance ends up living in town next door to his brother and oh ya ex fiance lives nearby too.
One of my biggest issues with the brothers, best friend or best friends brother, or in this case ex fiance's brother is the utter BASHING of said sibling that happens. And it is a big part of the plot in this one. This just doesn't sit well with me.
Then she gets together with the brother and he is confronted by his brother and CRUMBLES. Gives her up for this brother that he has continued to bash the entire book.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In my opinion, it takes a LOT to make a book where the FMC starts with one brother and ends up with the other work, but Olivia Dade manages to make it happen. The book starts with Johnny and Athena’s engagement party and a meet cute- between Athena and Johnny’s brother. Then we learn that Johnny broke off the engagement right before the wedding and Athena has moved into the wedding present she planned to give him- the Spite House, a narrow house between Johnny’s house and, unbeknownst to her, his brother Matthew’s house. Throughout the books the reader is introduced to Harlot’s Bay and its residents, who I’m hoping are the subjects of future books in this series. I had a few minor issues with this book, mostly how Matthew’s traumatic past is never truly addressed, but overall I really enjoyed it.