Reviews with content warning for Grief - At First Spite

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

At First Spite by Olivia Dade

54 reviews

garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Did a decent job portraying the fmc living with depression, I felt it was realistic.

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smutfortwo's review against another edition

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emotional sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I absolutely adored this novel. Athena is someone who thrives on new and different challenges and when her world comes crashing down decides to stay put out of spite because she also can't afford to go anywhere else. She is so personable and lovely and builds this community around herself, but she also deals with some really heavy mental health issues. Matthew is the type of caregiver that gives everything to other people and completely depletes themselves. He’s also a bit uptight at the start but Athena starts pranking and trolling him (he doesn't get it at first) and when he finally gets it, starts giving a little back. They really develop a teasing, playful friendship that becomes an actual friendship and I really love how their characters evolve and grow.

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b_png's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

The character development really shines bright in what the characters say and their actions. Both mains are lovable in their own way and make the best of their situation. I love that the leading lady has such a relatable story to people trying to find their way through life, and I appreciate her rough patch in the book being so realistic. Our leading man was written so flawlessly that by the end of it, I was rooting for both of them to heal and find love within each other and themselves.

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jennp28's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

More great curvy-girl MC vibes from Olivia Dade. This one gets intense for some bits in the middle there. Definitely check the content warnings if mental health is an issue for you. But thus story does a good job of weaving a love story around a crisis - there’s no magic fix, no loving someone enough to make it better, just acceptance and support. Some great romance tropes thrown in there and you have a pretty enjoyable (if emotional at times) read.

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brookey8888's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed this! I really appreciated the depression representation and thought it was handled well. Athena was such a wonderful character and just unapologetically herself. Matthew was the sweetest ever and was so cute. Their romance was so sweet as well. I liked the small town vibes and the friendships. This was also really funny had times, but had some more serious moments.

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ghostmomxoxo's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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callidoralblack's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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samchase112's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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kellyjcm's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

This defied my expectations, and I was initially quite reluctant to read it due to early marketing? discussion? I'm not sure. Whatever I heard made me think it featured a love triangle, then an unredeemable hero, etc. I even heard on a recent Fated Mates episode it featured a virgin hero, which further muddied my thoughts. And I LOVED all of Olivia Dade's books in the Spoiler Alert trilogy. So not exactly sure where my hangups originated, but I wasn't planning to read it until a book club pick made the decision for me.

I LOVED it. It's funny, it's spicy, it's sweet, it's emotionally mature. It has two MCs over the age of 35. No love triangle. The FMC's body size - not a plot point.

The virgin hero thing - not a big deal. It comes up once during their first time.

And it has PINING for days. I cannot wait for more in this Harlot's Bay series (absolutely phenomenal name).

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pie_rogue's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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