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At First Spite

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks

A Library Journal Romance Pick of the Month

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. 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?

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      December 18, 2023
      The adorable opener to the Harlot’s Bay series from Dade (Ship Wrecked) delivers all the laughs of a well-crafted rom-com while gracefully portraying characters struggling with mental health issues. Sparks fly when Athena Greydon meets Matthew Vine. Too bad they’re at her engagement party to another man and Matthew turns out to be her fiancé’s older brother. The pair clash upon discovering their connection to each other, especially as Athena’s fiancé, Johnny, has told her all about Matthew’s efforts to stop the marriage, citing Athena’s inability to stay in a job without getting restless. Flash forward eight months and Matthew has succeeded: the engagement is off. But Athena’s already sunk all her savings into buying the tiny spite house wedged in next door to both brothers’ properties, which was supposed to be a wedding present from Athena to Johnny. Matthew soon realizes he was wrong about Athena and does his best to make amends for blowing up her plans and maybe even breaking her spirit—even as Athena sets out to get revenge by blasting monster erotica audiobooks at all hours, arranging creepy dolls in her windows, and rickrolling Matthew on the radio. Even when at odds, however, the pair share an intense attraction, enhanced by a shared intellectual curiosity and a deep understanding of each other’s anxieties. Equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, this charming love story will have readers clamoring for another visit to Harlot’s Bay. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary.

    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2024

      Dumped and jobless, Athena Greydon channels her newfound rage into a life for herself in her ex-fianc�'s dream home, aptly named the "Spite House." It would be the perfect place for a new start if it weren't for the fact that the house sits a little too close to her ex's jerk of a brother, Dr. Matthew Vine III, who doesn't hide that Athena is his least favorite person. What does one do with so much free time and a jerk next door? Enact a revenge plan, of course. But things don't always turn out as planned, and Athena might just discover that sometimes love can be found behind a disapproving frown. Though this book is a fun romantic comedy, it isn't without its difficult moments; a large portion of the novel focuses on depression and grief, which Dade (Ship Wrecked) wonderfully conveys through Athena and Matthew. Joy Nash's narrative style makes the characters fly off the page, from Athena's depressive episodes and snark to Matthew's broodiness and burdens. VERDICT Dade is able to explore serious feelings and emotions in characters whom readers can connect with in this fun and witty enemies-to-lovers romance.--Allia Nisa

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Joy Nash gives a sparkling performance of this enemies-to-lovers story, the first in a new romance series set in small-town Maryland. Athena finds herself stranded in Harlot's Bay when her fianc, Johnny, breaks their engagement. She has left her teaching position and has impulsively purchased the ten-foot-wide Spite House as a wedding gift for Johnny. Next door lives Johnny's brother, Matthew, the pediatrician who convinced Johnny to end the engagement. Athena is angry with Matthew and provokes his ire by playing erotic audiobooks through her open window. Yet Athena cannot help finding herself drawn to the handsome, capable doctor--and he to her. Nash's performance is lively and well paced, and her characterizations are robust and engaging. Nash's spirited performance adds zest to this audiobook. M.J. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

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