Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Publishing and OLIVIA DADE HERSELF FOR SENDING ME AN ADVANCED COPY!!! SQUEEEEEEE!!!
*Clear throat* I'm an adult, I'm calm. Don't worry, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
So cards on the table, I walked into this one fully prepared to be surprised. While I love Dade's work, I'm actually not a fan of the Sibling's Partner/Ex-Partner trope. I have 4 siblings and our type runs along 5 different shades of red flags, you know? Still, the description and my trust in Dade led me to request it.
Synopsis according to GJ: After getting swept off her feet by her charming fiancee Johnny Vine, Athena Greydon finds herself dumped a month before the wedding. Unfortunately, it wasn't before the purchase of her wedding gift: A 10-feet wide, 4-story spite house that shares a brick wall with her ex's house. The house is also next to Dr. Matthew Vine the Third, Johnny's stoic brother who talked his brother into dumping Athena. It's a real shame too because they seemed to have a special spark the one time they actually met......
Determined to move forward (and to not ask for any help), Athena moves into the Spite House, planning her next steps and annoying Matthew any chance she gets.... Except he keeps helping her. And asking her questions. And making her feel things. It doesn't matter. It's not like that brief spark she felt for him that first time they met actually meant anything and he likes her, right?
RIGHT?!
Review: At First Spite also reminds me of the fantastic Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborne. Both books follow women in their 30s who feel like hot messes right as they're making big changes in their lives. An archetype I simply adore because it's just so relatable to me. Bring on all of the FMC who feel like flibbertigibbets, will-o'-the-wisps, and clowns!
Still, I'm reluctant to compare the two books more because GAA is a lighter read about finding yourself, At First Spite talks about depression and mental health in a way to hits close to home. When we meet Athena, she is actively trying to outrun the burnout and depression that has been trailing her since before the book's first pages. Sure, she smiles, schmoozes and charms. She excitedly tells people of her plans and even gives people suggestions for their businesses but it's still there, slowly gaining on her.
I've often made the joke that the phrase "Falling into a depression" is misleading because it's rarely as quick and clear as a fall. It's more like a meander or floating adrift. A slow progression that you don't notice or think you have managed until you don't. It works the same way while you're recovering. One day, you look up and realize that you replied to that text message without thinking about it. Dade gets this and makes sure to note that even with support and medication, the slow drift happens.
Something else that struck me about the book is how lonely our main characters are. Usually in romance, we have the best friend characters, the person who pushes our MCs to make big moves, to have emotional breakthroughs, or to add some levity to the whole thing. Athena and Matthew do have those people in their lives but I'm still struck by how lonely the two are. Athena has loving parents and seems to effortlessly make friends wherever she goes and yet, she closes herself off from people. It's unfortunately a common problem, the feeling of needing to perform for others out of fear of their judgment or abandonment.
In the other corner, we have Matthew who despite living in Harlot's Bay his whole life, has only two friends. (Yvonna and Karl, FTW) He spends much of the book putting other's needs above his own and trying to fix things. He was parentified at such a young age and made himself the safe harbor for everyone else. He feels like he has to be there to pick up the slack because people, HIS people failed him. As we go through the book, our view of him goes from arrogant and stoic to this lonely person carrying a burden alone. It's beautiful to see both of them slowly reach out for help, reach out for real connection, and learn that you don't have to be perfect to be loved.
BTW, if you think this book is a heavy read, it isn't. The book is funny, and heartwarming and reminds me of many of my favorite stories. I loved Athena's pranks and the pop culture references were on point. I was skeptical about the ick of our FMC falling in love with her ex-fiance's brother. Not only was I convinced, but I was also convinced by the second CHAPTER! I was fully ready to hold on to this grudge because my new bestie Athena was done dirty!
And yet.....Stupid Dr. Matthew Vine the Third made me love him. He's a chronically offline agoraphobic lobster of a man and I love him. I just want to give him a lecture about self-care while I wrap him up in a soft blanket and make him watch movies. And maybe yell at people on his behalf. How Dade pulled this off, I have no idea.
I give At First Spite 5 stars. I have so much more I could say but if I go on more, it'll end up as a play-by-play of the book and I want you all to read this book for yourselves!
At First Spite comes out on February 13, 2024!!
CW: Parentifacation, death of child (Death is offpage but is discussed), brief use of scene of a patient getting a shot, grief, depression, abandonment, sexual content, including monster erotica
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