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A review by myweirdnormal
At First Spite by Olivia Dade
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book wasn't bad, but the bath scene?????? Very weird. Super uncomfortable. I do not understand why it was in there. Honestly I would've given this book a 3 for that alone, but the window scene was everything I could have ever wanted. Amazing. 10/10.
However....
I wish the whole relationship between the brothers and Athena was thought out a bit better. I wish it had been that her fiance was cheating on her or emotionally abusive/manipulative or <i>something</i>and that's why his brother disapproved of the wedding. Then I could have been more on Matthew's side about pursuing her. But instead it reads like he broke them up, swooped in to woo her, and then acted like he did nothing wrong when Johnny finds out. Literally if my sibling did this I would never speak to them again. And I would be 100% justified.
I just wished there had been a better reason for all of this because at the end I felt super bad for Johnny. Absolutely horrible for him, like he didn't deserve this. And I don't want to feel bad for him. I want to feel happy that Athena is now in a happy, healthy relationship, but I can't because it seems like she was in a happy, healthy relationship before and this guy manipulated his way in between them. I honestly don't think the whole reasoning as to why Johnny wasn't good for Athena was well written or made sense? It felt like the author just kinda shoehorned it in because she needed something to justify what Matthew did.
I don't know. The romance would've been perfect if that had been thought out better, and if the super weird bath scene hadn't been included. But again, THE WINDOW SCENE, wow. Amazing. I want to read it again just for that.
However....
I wish the whole relationship between the brothers and Athena was thought out a bit better. I wish it had been that her fiance was cheating on her or emotionally abusive/manipulative or <i>something</i>and that's why his brother disapproved of the wedding. Then I could have been more on Matthew's side about pursuing her. But instead it reads like he broke them up, swooped in to woo her, and then acted like he did nothing wrong when Johnny finds out. Literally if my sibling did this I would never speak to them again. And I would be 100% justified.
I just wished there had been a better reason for all of this because at the end I felt super bad for Johnny. Absolutely horrible for him, like he didn't deserve this. And I don't want to feel bad for him. I want to feel happy that Athena is now in a happy, healthy relationship, but I can't because it seems like she was in a happy, healthy relationship before and this guy manipulated his way in between them. I honestly don't think the whole reasoning as to why Johnny wasn't good for Athena was well written or made sense? It felt like the author just kinda shoehorned it in because she needed something to justify what Matthew did.
I don't know. The romance would've been perfect if that had been thought out better, and if the super weird bath scene hadn't been included. But again, THE WINDOW SCENE, wow. Amazing. I want to read it again just for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Specifically realistic depictions of depression