Have you ever been engaged and found out that your fiancé is cheating on you with your realtor and now you want to get revenge? Have you ever decided that the best way to get revenge is to buy the little piece of property next to his and build a “spite house” and turn it into an air bnb with all his least favorite things just to be petty and annoy him every day? No? Well, that’s exactly what happens to our main character Dani.  

Dani and Sam have been together for 3 years and are about to get married when she finds out Sam has been cheating with none other than her realtor. She decides to leave him and become the strong independent woman that she’s left behind the last 3 years but this news has left her feeling a little petty and she wants revenge. Not only did Sam cheat on her, he left her off the house HER HOUSE and didn’t buy the piece of land that was supposed to be her studio. It’s time he shows her what it’s like to be on her side of things. In order to get things moving she’s forced to team up with Wyatt Montego, an architect from work, and let’s just say Wyatt isn’t exactly known for his friendly reputation. Dani’s desperate and running out of options so she does what she has to in order to make spite house come together.  

I have to say I LOVED everything about this book. I know it’s early on but this is definitely going to be a favorite read of the year for me I can already tell. It has absolutely everything I look for in a romance. A little cutesy/cheesiness, not a whole lot of smut/spice but still has some and good character chemistry what more can you ask for? I could not put this book down and it definitely was a stay up until 1:30 am to finish it because I just didn’t want to wait until the next day. Dani’s personality was my absolute favorite because I’ve been in her shoes, we love a revenge queen (depending on the situation but this one is justified). Her antics are hilarious and her relationships with her friends and family (Mia) are adorable. Wyatt is your typical romance guy; you love and hate him throughout the book. He’s hot and he’s cold. You understand where he’s coming from but you want to punch him. He’s a jerk at work but he treats Dani completely different. It’s definitely an office/coworker trope but also not at the same time. Either way RUN to go get your copy because it’s super cute and funny and I loved it.

Such a fun adult romance book! Great revenge plot that takes a bit of a dark turn towards the end. Satisfying ending!

If you like a Romcom Slow burn, workplace romance with a bit of revenge then this book is for you!
It is from just the heroine's POV and I'd like to have gotten in the hero's head a bit more.

The friendship between Dani and her cousin Mia was heartwarming and funny! Add in Iris an elderly lesbian aunt of Mia's new boyfriend and Dani's new landlady and Dani's friend circle is complete.

Dani and Wyatt were definitely cute together and I would read another by this author. I just struggle with this POV type.

I loved this book!! It was fast paced and kept my attention enough. It was a cute little love story of Dani and her life. I’d definitely recommend it for a quick cute read.

Usually, I like reading enemies to lovers romance trope. But Love at First Spite did not really fit the mold of enemies to lover romance trope. It's more of forced proximity with a dash of miscommunication romance trope.
Dani plans out her revenge in the best way possible: building a gorgeous house next to her ex's house. Unfortunately, she would need help with this project. She would have to ask her nemesis co-worker, Wyatt. He is very talented in his work that he tends to be very direct. It mostly rubs people in the wrong way, but he changes his tune whenever he talks to Dani. She does not know it yet.
I am telling you miscommunication in romance stories causes so much more drama than it needs to be. If Dani had just expressed her feelings about the reason for the project, then it would not be a bigger mess than it needed to be. Ma'am, I understand you got hurt from your former fiance cheating on you, but don't be messy about it.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

One of my all-time favorite tropes is enemies to lovers, even better if they're work place enemies. So when I saw the description for this one I was so excited to read it. I really liked the book at first too - there was some great banter, I loved the concept of the revenge rental property and it was entertaining! Dani just got to be too much for me - she was a little too whiny for me by the end. And her and Wyatt had like zero communication skills. By the end of the book I just had trouble believing that they were going to be able to make it work. This was still a very entertaining read and I'd recommend it because I did like it - it just wasn't a great read for me.

There were some funny, quirky moments and likeable side characters. Still on the fence about Dani. Overall, a decent read.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The recently released Love At First Spite by Anna E. Collins was a very quick read with humour, revenge, and a co-worker to lovers trope. I enjoyed it for what it was - casual entertainment and a lighthearted read that made me smile (and cry once or twice.) The chemistry worked for me and I loved the cast of characters.

I LOVED this book so much. I did not want to put it down. I loved both Dani and Wyatt, their interactions were cute and grew as they worked together on things. But I also loved Mia, Iris, and the dogs, they formed an unlikely trio who I enjoyed just as much as Dani and Wyatt. I love how it all turned out in the end.

Love at First Spite by Anna E. Collins is a really fun read. Dani and Wyatt’s chemistry jumps off the page from the very beginning. Although I wish Dani had gotten over her revenge plot sooner, I loved seeing how she progressed as a character. The banter was witty and each secondary character found a way into my heart, especially Iris.

The story was okay. The character development was shallow, and the romance wasn't particularly sizzling.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC.

This was a cute read! I thoroughly enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine trope and the banter made it even better. A fantastic addition to romance literature and I tip my hat to Anna E. Collins on a great, debut novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed Love At First Spite. I felt like it was a unique story that I haven’t read before. I read a lot so it’s a true treat when I find something that’s different. I definitely felt some frustration with the main characters during the story due to lack of communication. There were a couple of plot twists that kept me on my toes! The only thing negative is that at time s the story felt a little long and I found myself rushing through those areas.

Overall I’d give this 4.25 stars.

I received this book via NetGalley for free for my honest review which is posted on GoodReads and StoryGraph. Also, I realized that this was already released as an audiobook and I could get it for free from my library via Hoopla. I chose to listen to it that way.

The Review

This was such a charming and witty romance novel. The author struck just the right amount of chords to draw in readers that enjoy narratives that blend equal amounts of romance with humor. Right off the bat, the friendship and bond that Dani shares with characters like Iris and her cousin Mia were so wonderful to see explored not just as a secondary storyline, but as an important aspect of Dani’s character as a whole.

What stood out to me aside from the amazing chemistry between Wyatt and Dani and their character developments overall was the sheer depth of emotions the author explored with these characters. From the hilarious banter Dani had when dealing with her ex to the vulnerable moments when Wyatt let her see the real struggles he has in his personal life outside of the firm and the way they each evolved over time, this novel gave readers a truly engaging and well-rounded view of what a true romance should look and feel like.

The Verdict

A beautiful, entertaining, and heartfelt romance, author Anna E. Collins’s “Love at First Spite” is a must-read novel of 2022! This women’s fiction and romance novel were so beautifully crafted, and the author did such a wonderful job of making the reader feel immersed in the novel’s world. From vibrant settings and relatable characters to an emotional connection to the romance brewing between these two protagonists, this is a book romance and women’s fiction fans will not be able to put it down.

Dani’s fiancé is caught cheating with their realtor a month before their wedding. What’s worse? He didn’t buy the vacant lot next door like he said they would, for her potential future business. So Dani plans payback: buy the vacant lot, and build an eyesore… a spite house. But because everyone in town seems to be busy, she needs to enlist the help of her slightly cranky architect coworker, Wyatt.

This one was more of a mix between a romance, and a revenge story. And frankly, I really enjoyed it because I’m a Petty Betty 😂. I really enjoyed the story, I really enjoyed the characters, and I would love a spin-off story for Mia, and a prequel for Iris (please?).

Also, I love when books have Spotify playlists that go along with them! This one is so fun!

Trope: Enemies to lovers (kind of), workplace romance
Romance: ❤️❤️❤️
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Revenge: 🔪🔪🔪🔪

TW: adultery, chronic illness (vertigo)

Thanks so much to Harper Collins Canada/HCC Frenzy for a copy of this book for review!

I think Anna E. Collins absolutely knocked her debut novel out of the park. I was a little shocked when I went to Amazon to find what else she had available to read, and this was all that was listed. Her style was very Sally Thorne-esk in my mind and others have compared her feel to Emily Henry and Kate Bromley. I haven’t read Talk Bookish to Me yet, but I can totally see the similarities to Henry.

I loved the grumpy goodness of Wyatt and the hyper focus of Dani and I cannot wait to see what else Collins comes up with.

This was such a cute romance, despite it being a book about spite. If you're looking for a fun workplace/opposites attract story with lovely side characters then this is a book for you. It's an easy, and enjoyable read, that will cause you to ask yourself "how did I read 100 pages already?". While it has drama, it isn't as intense or over the top as many romance titles. It also doesn't have in depth steamy action. The word to describe this story as a whole truly is cute.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This funny novel would make a great romantic comedy. It is somewhat predictable, but thorough enjoyable.

BOOK REVIEW: Love at First Spite by Anna E. Collins
Publication Date: January 4

⭐️⭐️⭐️️

CONNECT WITH THIS BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
If you rely upon making assumptions, consequences will "move in" and create clutter to clean up!... ✨😎✨

T.I.M.E. Book Review: A light and breezy romantic comedy filled with both relatable and (sometimes) self-sabotaging circumstances... Give yourself (and the characters) a break though. And enjoy this story involving an ex, a future and the journey we can all relate to in getting from one to the other. Bonus: Perfect theme for HGTV fans... Live, read and learn, ladies!... ✨😎✨
Pages: 298
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sub-Genre: Workplace Romance | Steamy Romance
• T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶🌶 (Medium Spicy)
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Seattle

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: I Flipping Love You by Helena Hunting
Movie: The Money Pit

--------------------

All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This was a fun and cute read! I enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine trope and the banter. A wonderful addition to the rom-com literary world!