Love at first spite: a novel

First-time romance author Collins' rollicking, fast-paced novel set in Seattle begins with a vivid image of Dani Porter in a paintball-splattered white wedding gown. Dani is channeling her distress at being dumped weeks before her wedding into detailed, innovative revenge against her ex. An interior designer at a residential architectural firm, she buys a small plot of land adjacent to the house her fiancé owns and plans to build a vacation rental property to ruin his view and peace and quiet. Although she has an adversarial relationship with Wyatt Montego, the top architect, who is as stuck-in-the-mud as he is brilliant, he is, unfortunately for her, the only one who agrees to design the house. It turns out that Wyatt has Meniere's disease (an inner-ear disorder), and Collins depicts his struggles with great care. A bit of breaking-and-entering, arson, and architectural and design prowess are tied to madcap schemes involving a proliferation of eyesore gnomes and a live action role-playing scene at the building site. Fans of Emily Henry's tales will enjoy Collins' imaginative rom-com.

A scheme for revenge against a cheating ex takes an unexpected turn in Collins's snarky but warmhearted debut. Seattle interior designer Dani Porter dumped her fiancé, Sam, when she learned he cheated on her with the perky real estate agent who sold him what was supposed to be their first home as a married couple. Now, Dani's cooked up the perfect revenge. With help from her eccentric landlady and her cousin (and "partner in crime") Mia, Dani buys the plot next-door to her former dream house and plans to block Sam's views by building a "spite house" she'll rent to tourists. Dani's search for an architect leads to an uneasy partnership with prickly Wyatt Montego, described as "like a handsome ogre who is forced to work with the local villagers, but ends up scaring them half to death." Despite her early misgivings, the project progresses steadily and Dani finds her opinion of Wyatt improving. But can romance born in the midst of revenge against an old lover possibly work long-term? For readers, the answer will be obvious, but Dani and Wyatt keep the story both surprising and entertaining. Collins is sure to win some fans with this one. Agent: Kimberley Cameron, Kimberley Cameron & Assoc. (Jan.)

DEBUT Cheated on weeks before her wedding, Dani Porter is out for revenge--and fast. Annoying her ex-fiancé with loud construction and ruining his picturesque view with a vacation rental? Perfect. But trying to build a house quickly and cheaply means Dani has to accept help where she can, even if it means working with someone as haughty and disagreeable as architect Wyatt Montego. All that time they spend in close proximity soon lowers Wyatt's defenses, and Dani is drawn to the quiet, thoughtful man with closely guarded secrets of his own. As her Spite House nears completion, Dani must reckon with her true reasons for building it--and question whether revenge is a dish best served at all.VERDICT Contemporary romance fans will breeze through this sweet, sexy story of revenge gone wrong, featuring a lush Washington State setting, quirky side characters, and two adorable Great Danes. For fans of Tessa Bailey, Jen DeLuca, and Kerry Winfrey.--Rachel Alexander, Peabody Inst. Lib., MA

An interior designer builds a "spite house" to get revenge on her cheating ex…but falls for the grumpy architect who's helping her design it. Dani Porter's happily-ever-after imploded when she found out her fiance, Sam, cheated on her a month before their wedding--with their realtor. Dani can't seem to move on until she realizes that the lot next to Sam's house--her former home--is still for sale. With the help of her BFF/cousin, Mia, and her new landlady, Iris, she pulls together enough money to buy the lot and start construction on the Spite House, an Airbnb that will block Sam's view and remind him of her every time he looks out the window. The only problem is that Dani barely has enough money to cover the build, and she needs to find an architect on the cheap. Enter Wyatt Montego, a gruff architect at her firm who strikes fear into the hearts of their co-workers and has even been known to make them cry. As they get to know each other, Dani realizes that Wyatt's standoffish personality is hiding his vulnerability--but will he ever open himself up to her? And can Dani ever give up on her revenge scheme and let go of the past so she can have a future with Wyatt? Dani and Wyatt have loads of chemistry, and Collins ratchets up the sexual tension as they get to know each other, although the story loses some steam in the middle when they hit numerous roadblocks that are largely created by a lack of communication. Still, they're an engaging couple, and the side characters are entertaining (particularly Iris, a delightfully eccentric widow who supports Dani with humor and wisdom). Dani's struggles to get over her ex are believable, and Wyatt is the perfect grumpy romance hero with a heart of gold. An enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story that's sure to delight rom-com fans. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

First-time romance author Collins' rollicking, fast-paced novel set in Seattle begins with a vivid image of Dani Porter in a paintball-splattered white wedding gown. Dani is channeling her distress at being dumped weeks before her wedding into detailed, innovative revenge against her ex. An interior designer at a residential architectural firm, she buys a small plot of land adjacent to the house her fiancé owns and plans to build a vacation rental property to ruin his view and peace and quiet. Although she has an adversarial relationship with Wyatt Montego, the top architect, who is as stuck-in-the-mud as he is brilliant, he is, unfortunately for her, the only one who agrees to design the house. It turns out that Wyatt has Meniere's disease (an inner-ear disorder), and Collins depicts his struggles with great care. A bit of breaking-and-entering, arson, and architectural and design prowess are tied to madcap schemes involving a proliferation of eyesore gnomes and a live action role-playing scene at the building site. Fans of Emily Henry's tales will enjoy Collins' imaginative rom-com. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

DEBUT Cheated on weeks before her wedding, Dani Porter is out for revenge—and fast. Annoying her ex-fiancé with loud construction and ruining his picturesque view with a vacation rental? Perfect. But trying to build a house quickly and cheaply means Dani has to accept help where she can, even if it means working with someone as haughty and disagreeable as architect Wyatt Montego. All that time they spend in close proximity soon lowers Wyatt's defenses, and Dani is drawn to the quiet, thoughtful man with closely guarded secrets of his own. As her Spite House nears completion, Dani must reckon with her true reasons for building it—and question whether revenge is a dish best served at all.VERDICT Contemporary romance fans will breeze through this sweet, sexy story of revenge gone wrong, featuring a lush Washington State setting, quirky side characters, and two adorable Great Danes. For fans of Tessa Bailey, Jen DeLuca, and Kerry Winfrey.—Rachel Alexander, Peabody Inst. Lib., MA

A scheme for revenge against a cheating ex takes an unexpected turn in Collins's snarky but warmhearted debut. Seattle interior designer Dani Porter dumped her fiancé, Sam, when she learned he cheated on her with the perky real estate agent who sold him what was supposed to be their first home as a married couple. Now, Dani's cooked up the perfect revenge. With help from her eccentric landlady and her cousin (and "partner in crime") Mia, Dani buys the plot next-door to her former dream house and plans to block Sam's views by building a "spite house" she'll rent to tourists. Dani's search for an architect leads to an uneasy partnership with prickly Wyatt Montego, described as "like a handsome ogre who is forced to work with the local villagers, but ends up scaring them half to death." Despite her early misgivings, the project progresses steadily and Dani finds her opinion of Wyatt improving. But can romance born in the midst of revenge against an old lover possibly work long-term? For readers, the answer will be obvious, but Dani and Wyatt keep the story both surprising and entertaining. Collins is sure to win some fans with this one. Agent: Kimberley Cameron, Kimberley Cameron & Assoc. (Jan.)