At First Spite

Starred review from December 1, 2023

Athena Greydon's fianc�, Johnny Vine, has broken off their engagement days before the wedding, leaving Athena nowhere to live--nowhere except the house that she bought him as a wedding gift, using almost all of her savings. There, only an alleyway separates her from Johnny's brother, Matthew, the man who told Johnny to ditch her. While Athena has no choice about where she lives, she can make Matthew pay, whether that means putting creepy dolls in the windows or playing monster erotica at top volume. Matthew knows he made the right decision when he convinced Johnny to leave Athena, but he also understands that he's messed up her life, so he'll do everything he can to make things easier for her--while secretly wishing he could have her for himself. This swoony contemporary romance is well-written and paced, but what really makes it shine are the intricate characters that Dade (Ship Wrecked) has brought to life. Readers will connect emotionally with Athena and Matthew, laughing at their witty banter and tearing up when they're vulnerable. VERDICT Buy multiple copies of this title, because it won't stay on the shelf.--Heather Miller Cover

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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.

Starred review from December 1, 2023
Athena Greydon initially purchased the "cozy," 10-foot-wide Spite House as a wedding gift for her fianc�, Johnny Vine. Then Johnny, based solely on advice given to him by his older brother, Matthew, inexplicably dumped Athena four weeks before their nuptials. Broke and homeless, Athena moves into Spite House despite the fact that it shares a wall with her now ex-fianc�'s place and that the fault-finding, fastidious Dr. Matthew Vine III lives a mere four-foot alley away. However, Athena's new plan to lean into the spirit of Spite House and bedevil Matthew in all sorts of deliciously petty ways unexpectedly goes off the rails when she discovers Matthew actually isn't the monster she has made him out to be. With the sublime launch of her new Harlot's Bay series, Dade (Ship Wrecked, 2022) once again dazzles and delights readers as she delivers a heart-meltingly romantic, sensually steamy love story that also embraces body positivity and thoughtfully explores such real-life issues as clinical depression and grief. Wielding a devilishly wicked sense of wit that extends to the creation of a fictional romance author and her monster love stories, Dade deftly demonstrates her mastery of love and laughter.

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December 15, 2023
A woman takes up residence in a "spite house" located four feet from the home of her ex-fiance's brother. When Athena Greydon buys her fiance, Johnny Vine, a "spite house"--a 10-foot-wide home created to annoy the neighbors--in his hometown of Harlot's Bay, Maryland, as a wedding present, she isn't expecting him to call off their engagement soon after. But, at the encouragement of his older brother, Matthew, who thinks she's irresponsible, he does just that. Athena, though, has no desire to sell the impulsively purchased home. Instead, she's going to move in and make Matthew's life a living hell because he just so happens to be her new next-door neighbor. Despite everything Athena does to irk him, like blasting erotica audiobooks at full volume, Matthew remains surprisingly nice. Dade thoughtfully includes trigger warnings at the beginning of the book because, while Athena is drawn in all her chaotic and petty glory, she's reckoning with a lot of intense emotions--namely, loneliness and heartbreak. She goes through an accurately portrayed depressive episode, which injects a heavy, sorrowful tone that contrasts with the rest of the book. Matthew is calm and caring, not wanting to add to Athena's heartache while attempting to be mindful of their mutual connection to Johnny. The biggest downside of the book is Dade's attempt to do too much. Pop culture references and memes are shoehorned into a mental health journey that often shifts the focus away from the romance. Some jokes run a little too long, and that space could have been used to further untangle the knot of Athena and Matthew's complicated dynamic. Dade's romances, though, routinely show that people contain multitudes and that life is about offsetting personal pain with things that bring joy, and this one is no exception. Though the slow-burn romance is unbalanced, there's a nuanced and intimate depiction of depression and caretaking.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.