At First Spite by Olivia Dade

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊⯨

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

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.

My Review:

At First Spite by Olivia Dade is hands down one of the cutest audiobooks I’ve listened to in a long time. It quickly became my companion during my drives to and from work, and I found myself looking forward to getting in the car just so I could press play. This wasn’t just a light, fluffy romance, it was the kind of story that wraps itself around your heart. There were moments that genuinely had me choked up, especially the scenes with Athena’s parents. They are so loving and supportive, and whenever a book highlights strong parental love, it brings up thoughts of my own parents. I miss mine deeply, and this story touched that tender place in my heart in a way I didn’t expect.

Athena is such a refreshing female main character. She’s bubbly and warm, but she’s also strong and deeply sensitive. I loved that balance in her. She feels real, someone who can be optimistic and still struggle, someone who can be confident and still have vulnerable moments. One of the things I appreciated most was how her being plus-size was handled. It wasn’t the main focus of the story, and it certainly wasn’t treated like a fetish or a problem to overcome. She is written as sexy and desirable simply because she is, and that felt empowering without being heavy-handed. Her body is just part of who she is, not the plot.

The book also thoughtfully tackles depression, showing that it’s okay to struggle sometimes without letting that struggle define your entire life. I loved how the characters allowed space for those hard moments while still holding onto humor, hope, and love. It made the emotional beats feel authentic rather than overwhelming. My feelings were all over the place while listening, there were sweet, flirtatious moments that made me smile, deeper scenes that made me reflect, and tender interactions that made my chest ache.

At its core, this story follows a hot librarian trying to start over in a town she originally moved to because of her ex-fiancé and his controlling brother. Watching what unfolds between them is pure magic. There’s chemistry, there’s tension, and yes, there’s some playful monster-adjacent spice woven in—but this is not a monster-smut book. The steam enhances the connection rather than overshadowing the story. Overall, this book is heartfelt, romantic, emotional, and unexpectedly healing. It made me laugh, it made me tear up, and it left me feeling full in the best way.

(This is the PERFECT COVER!)