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A review by thelilbookwitch
At First Spite by Olivia Dade
5.0
I loved a lot about this book -- the premise (which "brothers" is not usually a plot/trope I engage with but I trusted Dade and was not disappointed), characters/character growth, the chemistry, the setting, the build up, but my full rating is 4.5 stars due to some aspects that are personally not a favorite.
Using spoiler for those since, again, personal preference:
1 - Use of "baby" is one that gets my ire going, especially when it happens very quickly between characters and really made me distance myself from scenes that normally I'd be savoring. Petnames are cute in real life, but not in books for me.
2 - Amazing-the-Literal-First-Time-I-Have-Ever-Done-Anything-Sexual-Before is another one that, for a book so grounded in beautiful reflections of reality, really required far too much suspension of disbelief for me
The tender moments with characters coping (or not) with their mental health were incredibly well done, and felt like a hug as I read them, and I'll probably buy my own copy to reread whenever my brain is being particularly blue.
Using spoiler for those since, again, personal preference:
Spoiler
There were two main icks for me:1 - Use of "baby" is one that gets my ire going, especially when it happens very quickly between characters and really made me distance myself from scenes that normally I'd be savoring. Petnames are cute in real life, but not in books for me.
2 - Amazing-the-Literal-First-Time-I-Have-Ever-Done-Anything-Sexual-Before is another one that, for a book so grounded in beautiful reflections of reality, really required far too much suspension of disbelief for me
The tender moments with characters coping (or not) with their mental health were incredibly well done, and felt like a hug as I read them, and I'll probably buy my own copy to reread whenever my brain is being particularly blue.