This had all the ingredients of a great read, but it never came together in a way that was satisfying, and instead fell flat. I was immediately charmed by the blurb – the storyline is completely unique, a little crazy, and I’m always up for a misunderstood grump of a hero. Throw in an opposites attract team-up and some rom com vibes, and I should’ve loved this. I just didn’t. The writing is clunky and some of the word choices were strange. The romance was pretty lackluster, feeling more like a rebound/fling than anything. It’s single perspective, but not done in a way that had me charmed and intrigued by the hero. I didn’t get swoony vibes from him, and there was definitely a lack of chemistry. It just didn’t work, but the foundation of a solid romance is here.
The story follows Dani, a woman who has recently gone through a breakup. Her fiancé cheated, and Dani feels like she needs to do something to settle the score. Realizing that the property next to her ex’s house is available, Dani decides to do something unexpected – build a spite house. She’ll rent out the property and be the worst neighbor ever, and that will (hopefully) make her feel better. Enlisting the help of the moody architect at her workplace, Dani moves forward with her plans. But spending time with Wyatt outside of the office allows her to see a whole other side of the man, and she likes what she sees. As they grow closer, Dani feels like she’s finally moving forward – even if her past is right next door.
On paper, this is exactly the kind of book that I love to read. A mysterious grump of a hero with a softer side that’s revealed along the way, a low angst feel with a deeper storyline beneath the humor, an office romance that sparks as our couple works together. It’s all great, and yet… it didn’t work this time. The spite house was too central to the storyline, and we really needed to get to know Wyatt better. Their relationship fell flat for me, and there’s a reveal towards the end that was a total miss. More time with them and less time on the ill advised scheme would’ve improved the book significantly, though the writing itself was a little rough. Overall, I can’t say that this was a win for me, but there’s definitely some good stuff going on. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this unique romance.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qI1LUX
Blurb:
Falling in love is the ultimate payback in this delightful, breezy romcom about an interior designer who teams up with an enigmatic architect at her firm to get revenge on her ex the only way she knows how: by building a spite house next door
“Filled with sizzling chemistry and delicious revenge, Love at First Spite had me smiling from start to finish. This is one debut you don’t want to miss!” —Kate Bromley, author of Talk Bookish to Me
They say living well is the best revenge. But sometimes, spreading the misery seems a whole lot more satisfying. That’s interior designer Dani Porter’s justification for buying the vacant lot next to her ex-fiancé’s house…the house they were supposed to live in together, before he cheated on her with their Realtor. Dani plans to build a vacation rental that will a) mess with his view and his peace of mind and b) prove that Dani is not someone to be stepped on. Welcome to project Spite House.
That plan quickly becomes complicated when Dani is forced to team up with Wyatt Montego, the handsome, haughty architect at her firm, and the only person available to draw up blueprints. Wyatt is terse and stern, the kind of man who eats his sandwich with a knife and fork. But as they spend time together on- and off-site, Dani glimpses something deeper beneath that hard veneer, something surprising, vulnerable, and real. And the closer she gets to her goal, the more she wonders if winning revenge could mean losing something infinitely sweeter…
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qI1LUX
About the Author:
ANNA E. COLLINS is a Seattle-area author who writes stories about the lives and loves of women. Once upon a time she was a teacher, and she has a master’s degree in educational psychology. Love at First Spite is her first novel. Find her on Instagram, @aeccreates.
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