At First Spite by Olivia Dade [Review]

At First Spite (Harlot's Bay #1) by Olivia Dade
Format: paperback
Source: purchased
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Date read: August 4, 2025

Harlot's Bay
1. At First Spite - Paperback | Kindle
2. Second Chance Romance

Olivia Dade
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

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. Which 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 literally attached to hers. And Dr. Matthew Vine the Freaking Third—AKA the uptight, judgy jerk who convinced his younger brother to leave her—is living on her 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 those 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.

Matthew may not regret ending his brother's engagement, but he does regret what the breakup has done to Athena. He'll help her however he can. If that means finding her work, fine. If that means enduring nightly steamy story hours, so be it. And if that means watching Athena through their windows a bit too often and caring about her a bit too much…well, nothing can come of it. She’ll never forgive him. Even if she did, how could he ever tell his beloved younger brother the truth—that Matthew wants the very same woman he encouraged Johnny to leave?

Thoughts on At First Spite: Oh MAN, I liked this book. Athena was put in a tough position when her fiancé (at the urging of his brother) broke their engagement and she ends up in the Spite House. Which...at least she has a place to live right? Well, the quirky little house is smack-dab between her ex-fiancé's house and the brother who broke them up. So, YEAH. She has a place to live, but she also has to deal with those two every time she looks out the window.

Well, she has to deal with Johnny's brother since Johnny is currently in Hawaii on the honeymoon that wasn't. Going to be honest, I didn't want to like Johnny for being so easily swayed, but he wasn't absolutely terrible (just sort of selfish and painfully unaware of how his actions impact others) and he kind of grew on me at the end.

I also didn't want to like Matthew. I mean, I DID want to like him since he's the lead in this story, but I couldn't see how things would play out since he was the reason Johnny broke things off with Athena and LOOK, I LIKED THE GUY MORE THAN I EXPECTED I WOULD, OKAY?!?! Matthew was sweet. He might have caused the breakup of Johnny and Athena, but he did it for reasons that made sense to him. AND HE WAS SWEET. Like, SO SWEET. Just completely willing to sacrifice his own happiness for others again and again. Which isn't healthy, by any means, but he was forced to be the caretaker of an infant when he was still a kid (I'm giving his parents the stink-eye, btw, because there's so much wrong with that regardless of the grief they were feeling) and making sacrifices became second nature to the guy. And while Johnny was painfully unaware of how his actions impact others, Matthew was ALWAYS aware of it. He was courteous when he was exhausted. He was kind when the world beat him down. He was brave when someone else's well-being was on the line. He was just terrible at putting himself first.

As for Athena, Matthew wasn't wrong in his assessment of why she and Johnny were wrong for one another. She was bright and curious and brought color everywhere she went. But Matthew's words cut her self-worth to shreds (although that wasn't his intention at the time) because it's hard to hear the things you privately think about yourself said out loud. And when her engagement imploded and suddenly she was jobless in a new city stuck living between the two people she least wanted to deal with she started to spiral. Matthew helps her find her rhythm again (after an act of supreme bravery and stupidity) and things sort of moved forward from there.

I know I already said it, but I REALLY liked this book. Athena was wicked smart and Matthew was incredibly patient and kind. I had NO IDEA how their romance would play out seeing how they didn't start on the best foot, but it was SO GOOD. *thumbs up* on so many levels.