4.5 stars. I love a marriage of convenience, even when it’s a political alliance to keep two species from going to war. Bride is a paranormal departure from Hazelwood’s previous books, although Misery is an unabashed tech nerd in addition to being a Vampyre. Lowe the Were is typical of Hazelwood heroes for his (mostly adorable, and baffling only to himself) obsession with the woman in his life. And there’s plenty of steam…plus knotting. I’m curious if we’re going to get another book in this world, given the ending. I hope so!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I’ve finished Bride! I’m a bit of a hard sell on romance novels, but I really love them when they’re done well, and I thought that Hazelwood’s debut was done really well. This book is my first return to her work since then, and I didn’t enjoy it quite as much, but I did have fun. A few thoughts:

1) Ali Hazelwood is extremely good at breezy first-person narration—which I know from trying is a lot harder to nail than it seems. Writing that feels effortless rarely is.

2) Hazelwood also knows her audience, and she balances romance with juuuuust enough plot to keep the book rolling forward. The word-building isn’t complex, but it’s not meant to be.

3) The love interest—Lowe—is less compelling than, like, most of the other characters in this book. He more than anyone else feels like an archetype more than a person: the broody, possessive alpha. It makes him just kind of … boring to read about. I feel like I’ve read him a thousand times before.

4) OK, gotta admit, I was NOT expecting this to turn out to be an ABO novel. I guess knowing that Hazelwood came up out of fanfic, I probably should have guessed, but I did not guess, and I was very surprised. That’s not, like, a problem with the book or anything, though. Just know what to expect going in.

5) I’m uncertain whether this book took the “fake marriage” trope as far as I would have liked to see it go. I want deals behind closed doors about how they’re gonna act in public! I want personality clashes about what it even means to have a marriage of convenience and what they’re obligated to do. This book opted for more of a we’re-really-just-not-gonna-address-it approach, and on the one hand, I get that neither of our characters are the “talking about their feelings” type. But on the other hand, the layers upon layers of miscommunication got frustrating.

WOW

What a surprise. I was excited to see Ali break out of the typical contemporary romance, but I didn't expect a new favorite.

I loved how this is a pretty easy entry into omegaverse, but gives a bit of a taste for how it works. I absolutely loved Misery she felt so unique from other FMCs from Ali. Our hero is just as engaging to read from.

Review will be posted on 2/15/24
Misery Lark (yes, that's her name) is the daughter of a big wig in the Vampyre world. She has gone through most of her life being used as a chess piece in various alliances with the Werewolf community. This time her father has arranged her marriage to Alpha Werewolf, Lowe Moreland. At first, Misery gives this whole opportunity a hard pass until she realizes that Lowe may be the key to finding out what happened to her best friend who disappeared in Were territory never to be heard of again. So, Misery enters this marriage of convenience with that mission in mind, but as time goes on, she realizes that there may be something between Misery and Lowe, even though they are vastly different. Also, she is surrounded by enemies, so things start to get difficult for her. Bride by Ali Hazelwood is her first paranormal romance that had me laughing out loud; it was a lot of fun!

Everything that readers have come to expect from Hazelwood can be found in Bride. There's a spicy romance that is a slow burn, witty dialogue, laugh-out-loud moments, and fantastic writing. My only issue was the world-building; I felt readers might have benefited from more setting in order to buy into the "fantasy" world a bit better. I also think I didn't love this book as much as the average romance reader because I am not sure paranormal romances are a genre I still enjoy. I really liked the genre in my twenties, but I think it didn't translate to this point in my life. I prefer Hazelwood's STEM romances, but keep this in mind--if you love paranormal romances, you will love Bride.

I’m a huge fan of Ali Hazelwood’s contemporary romance novels so I couldn’t wait to see what she would do with a paranormal romance, & no surprise at all, she knocked it out of the park!

Bride is a werewolf-vampire romance so there’s all of these forbidden love/enemies to lovers vibes, but then there’s also a missing person storyline with lots of intriguing twists and turns. Lastly, there’s a wonderful found family vibe. I thought this combination of elements made for the most binge-able of reads!

I really loved the premise of the story too and thought it was quite unique, an arranged marriage between Misery Lark, the daughter of a powerful vampire, and Lowe, an Alpha werewolf, to uphold a peacekeeping alliance.

Misery is such a fantastic character. She’s smart, snarky, determined, & she’s a survivor. Her father pays her little attention, aside from when he needs to use her as peacekeeping collateral, which is how she ends up spending her childhood living with humans & now finds herself wedded to a werewolf.

What I also love about Misery is that she has a big heart in spite of her upbringing. She has intense maternal feelings for Lowe’s little sister, Ana, who steals every scene she’s in. Lowe is very protective of his little sister & softens toward Misery when he realizes that Misery is equally protective of Ana. I thought it was so sweet that Misery found what felt like a real family in the most unlikely of places.

The romance is a slow burn and I enjoyed every minute of watching these two try to make sense of the feelings they start to have for one another, feelings that should be impossible. Once they figure it out, be prepared for some spiciness!

Starting off by saying, every new Ali Hazelwood book becomes my new favorite Ali Hazelwood book. Needless to say, the book was perfection. The romance was beautiful written. It had Ali Hazelwood's quirkiness that had me giggling constantly. This last one is new for when I talk about her books but her world-building, nothing short of spectacular. I hope everyone reads this at least once. I will definitely be reading it more than once.

This book is stunning. It's falsely advertised as omegaverse which implies extremely different elements that the story does not have. It still pulls on some aspects of omegaverse which gives this book an edge in the erotica realm of fiction. I enjoyed it, It was great!

This was an absolute delight! I’ve never read a book by this author that I didn’t enjoy and this was no exception. I was so excited to hear that she was writing a paranormal romance so I’ve been hyping this one up for a while and it totally lived up to my expectations. Bride was such a great mix of romance, humor, mystery and action!
Misery was such a great MC to follow. She was so humorous, headstrong, sarcastic and genuine. I loved getting the story from her perspective but I also really enjoyed that the author included little glimpses of Lowe’s perspective at the beginning of each chapter. Lowe was down bad for Misery from the beginning and I loved getting to see their romance blossom.
This book had it all from marriage of convenience to fated mates to forbidden love to found family. I really liked this group of characters and it was so funny but heartwarming to see Misery reluctantly allow herself to be accepted into the world of the Weres and let herself care for them as they started to care for her.
I loved the paranormal/fantasy elements of this book but the only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars from me was because I wanted a little more from the romance storyline. Earlier on in the book as things were building up, I was hoping for just a bit more romantic tension. There were some small moments but I think it could be pushed a little further in the first half.
I enjoyed this so much and I’ll obviously continue to read anything this author writes!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Bride by Ali Hazelwood is a fantasy novel, that is so different then her normal rom-coms. I have mostly enjoyed all of Hazelwood’s stories, but I was surprised reading Bride. Ali you have changed the game, as I totally loved Bride. It was a fantastic story with Vampyres and Weres, and totally blew me away. I certainly hope you continue this fantasy world.

We meet Misery Lark, our heroine, who is the daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman. Misery has spent many years living among humans, hiding the knowledge that she is a Vampyre, with only her very close BFF, Serena, knowing the truth. Misery’s father summons her, and wants to establish a peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their enemies, Werewolves. He is proposing a marriage between Misery and Lowe Moreland, the new leader and most powerful Alpha of the Were’s. At first, Misery refuses the proposal, until she hears the new leader’s name, and decides to accept. Misery’s secret reason to accept the proposal is that her best friend, Serena has disappeared, and she is determined to find her.

After Misery marries Lowe, she is surrounded by Were’s, who do not like her; but in a short time, she begins to earn respect from them. Lowe’s 6-year-old sister Ana, is constantly visiting Misery, whom she befriends. Soon Misery helps Lowe in writing and printing, which will lead to friendships along the way.

Turns out that on his wedding day, Lowe recognizes Misery as his mate, and doesn’t tell her, since he had no intention of staying married for the year. Lowe was well liked by those who supported him, as he was very loyal, caring and always willing to help others. In a short time, he realizes that he is falling for Misery; and helps her in trying to find the missing Serena. When Owen, Misery’s brother confides in her that he wants to remove their father from the council, and surprisingly he befriends Lowe to team up.

Bride is an enemy to lovers story line, especially revolving around a forbidden romance, as it was a fantastic world building, and lots of action. Misery finds herself also falling in love with Lowe, but not knowing that he too has fallen for her. As we get closer to the end, there are some steamy scenes between them. I really loved Misery and Lowe together. I got to really like Serena after she is found. The last ¼ of the book was very exciting, especially when Misery is missing, with Owen and Lowe teaming up to find the culprit. I do not want to tell too much more, so not to ruin the story for you.

Bride was a terrific story, which was so very well written by Ali Hazelwood. I have said previously that I was blown away how much I loved this book, as I want more from this fantastic fantasy world. I enjoyed many of Hazelwood’s rom com, but she outdid herself in Bride. I wholly suggest if you are a fan of Ali Hazelwood, you need to be reading this new genre. Totally awesome.

This was the first Ali Hazelwood book I’ve ever read, and I have to say it can’t possibly be the last. THE CHARACTERS--oh my god. I can’t tell you the last time I fell in love so fast WITH BOTH love interests. Misery is sarcastic, witty, and relatable, and Lowe puts up with every ounce of it in stride. Pairing them with a rounded cast of characters that checked both of them (Misery more than Lowe bc...well, alpha) regularly, especially the sweetest little Ana 😭.

The magic system was unique and creative, keeping me guessing without feeling like it was trying too hard to be something it wasn’t. I feel like after the Twilight era, people seemed a little too scared to put out vampire/werewolf books. Instead, they just called them anything but vampires/werewolves and gave them the same traits. However, there was enough new material here, with the blood colors, boundaries, and human/were/vampire feuds, to make it feel fresh and new.

This book had the exact right amount of everything. World building? Check. Spice? Check. Banter? Check. Plot? Check. K N O T T I N G? You guessed it, check. I haven’t laughed and kicked my feet so much with a book since...well, I don’t know when the last time was. I’ve been talking about this book genuinely and nonstop since I finished it. Please, someone confirm if we will get more after that ending? I beg??

Thank you so much for the review copy!

This is my first book into the omegaverse and I really enjoyed it!! I actually think this is some of Ali Hazelwood’s best writing, and the story had me wanting more. I was kicking my feet and giggling at some moments! Overall, a great romance book with a slightly predictable plot but I truly enjoyed myself!

Bride by Ali Hazelwood is a riveting romance, with a slow burn but oh so delicious unfolding of the relationship between Misery and Lowe that develops into a steamy, hot story. From the very first, I found the novel all encompassing and the voice of Misery compelling and witty. I love the humor and the twisty plot.

One of the other reasons I found the story so compelling is how intriguing the plot is, as you dive into the mystery that Misery is chasing and Lowe ends up involved in as well. And the answers aren’t quite what you expect which makes the story even more delicious. The supporting characters are complex and the ending gives such a satisfying ending. I especially like where I can see the room for development of other characters. And the chapter headings written from Lowe’s point of view make for the perfect counterpoint to Misery.

If you like spicy romances with intrigue and mystery and a romance that will make your heart race, this is a brilliant paranormal love story. I love the characters, the wit and the intrigue. The narrative is a riveting romance with wonderful depth and an incredible ending that will make you want to read more from this author and her world.

This book had delightfully oddball found family, dialogue I laughed out loud over, and romance that will make you ask some awkward questions about basic biology. Also it’s about werewolves and vampires. I really loved it and also want no one to know that I read it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

This was really a great read! I am so impressed by Hazelwood and every book I read from her I like more and more. Misery was an awesome main character and you can't help but love her for being unapologetically herself. I liked the forbidden romance with Lowe and how they overcame their differences. The inclusion of vampires and werewolves really worked and again, I couldn't be more impressed by Hazelwood's range in her writing.

Truly a great read. I hope this becomes a series. Thanks to Berkley for the gifted copy!

FIVE STARS, NO NOTES!!!

Admittedly, this was not my first foray into Were romance, but it was my first adventure with the *ahem* omegaverse. AND I LOVED IT!!!

This book will not be everyone’s cup of tea, I know that, but if you were a wolf girl (or still are), then you’re going to like this. I feel like my 10-year-old kid heart has just discovered the next best thing after reading her favorite wolf book (Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater), except now I’m an adult and can appreciate the spicy scenes.

And don’t even get me started on how I’m in a Vampire phase right now, so this was literally the best of both worlds for me.

THANK YOU ALI HAZELWOOD, THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE!!!

This might be Ali Hazelwood's best work of fiction yet. Though it's a significant departure from her STEM-based romances, there are remnants of her science background that help to bring the story to life. The world She's built is immersive and complete. The storyline is full of tension and it's hard to keep track of who's trustworthy. I absolutely love this book and much to my surprise, it's my new favorite title by Ali Hazelwood.

4.5 ⭐️

Ali hazelwood knocked it out of the park with this paranormal romance. If grew up as die hard twilight girlie this is for you! 🧛🏻‍♀️🐺🩸

One of my top marriage of connivence books! Misery our sassy Vampyre lead marries Alpha Were Lowe in order to keep peace between the two species. The slow burn + banter between Lowe and Misery was delicious! Ana & Misery’s interactions were hilarious.

I also just loved the action/suspense of trying to find Serena who happens to be Misery’s sister!

An arranged marriage to keep the Weres, Vampyres, and Humans from going to war with each other -- I'm all in for this title. I really have liked this author's contemporary romance titles and this one was even better in my opinion. I was drawn into this narrative right away, and I couldn't put this one down until Misery said I could!

There's some great world building here, and very engaging characters. I fell for Misery Lark right away and became invested in her story. And then there's her father, and her new Were mate. I've read quite a few paranormals in my day, but this one just seemed so fresh and entertaining. There's plenty of action, which I love, and plenty of slow burn as Misery and her new mate find common ground.

Loved it! I need more of this world!

✨Would you rather be a vampyre or a werewolf?✨

It’s a tough choice, but I’d go with werewolf 🐺!

eARC review. Thank you @berkley, @alihazelwood, and @netgalley for the eARC of Bride. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

➡️ Swipe above for the Goodreads synopsis ➡️

Misery Lark has spent most of her life as Collateral. Literally. Removed from Vampyer society as a child to live with the humans as part of a delicate alliance, Misery has never really had a home…until she met her best friend Serena. Imagine Misery’s dismay when Serena goes missing and the only clue Misery has to follow is the name of the Alpha of the Were pack/her future husband via arranged marriage, L. E. Moreland. Marrying a Were and becoming Collateral once more isn’t an ideal situation, but Misery will do just about anything to see her best friend safe and sound. Even moving into the home of her natural enemy where she is an unwanted outsider at best and and a dead vampyre at worst. Will Misery be able to infiltrate confidential Were information in order to find her friend, while at the same time, navigating life at the Alpha’s compound? Or will her growing attraction to her mortal enemy/husband bleed her plan dry?

Ali Hazelwood is one of my absolute favorites. I’d literally read her DMV application, then put it on my bookshelf to reread later. 🤣 It will shock no one to know that when I heard that she had written the romantic fantasy book baby of my wildest dreams, I did a little happy dance. Bride is the stuff bookstagram wishes are made of and I’m so happy to report that it’s even better than all I imagined and hoped for!

I know A LOT of you have this book on your tbr. I’d rather give away my Ali Hazelwood special edition collection before I spoil anything for you, so I’m going to be intentionally vague.

The enemies to lovers trope is so amazingly well done. I couldn’t put the book down until I knew how everything played out between Misery and Lowe. Also, it’s Ali Hazelwood, so the spicy scenes are 🔥! If you’ve ever had questions about werewolf and/or vampire sex, you’ll find your answers between the pages. 👀

The big mystery Misery was determined to solve had me turning pages way past my bedtime. The little clues sprinkled throughout the book as well as the twists and turns of the plot held me captive until all the pieces of the puzzle were put together. Also, Bride ends in a way that leaves the door open for a second installment, but also is satisfying if she decides to leave it as is.

Let’s just say this book is absolutely enchanting. If you’re a romance fan, you need to read Bride. If you’re a fantasy fan, you need to read Bride. If you’re a romantic fantasy fan, you absolutely need to read Bride. It’s as simple as that.

In the pages, you will find:

🧛‍♂️ Vampyers
🐺 Werewolves
🧛‍♂️ Complicated family dynamics
🐺 Mystery
🧛‍♂️ BFFs
🔥 Spice
🐈 A cat that is both a total jerk and a sweetheart 🤷‍♀️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Is Bride on your tbr? Let me know in the comments!

Amazon review link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/0593550404/R3O72BPAZKVCQM?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

Goodreads review link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5651526290

#alihazelwood #Bridealihazelwood #berkleyromamce #taylorswiftsongs #romantacy #romanticfantasy #vampires #werewolves #bookstagrammer #readersofig #bookishlove #bookgram #bookpost #bookobsessed #booksofinsta #readingaddict #readingislife #allthebooks #readerslife #alwaysreading #instareader #bookloversunite #bookcommunity #bookhoarder #bookworm #bookreviews

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴.”

I cannot recommend this one enough! It was such a cute and cozy read.

What to expect:

🩸Fantasy/Paranormal romance
🩸Contemporary urban setting
🩸Arranged marriage
🩸Forced Proximity
🩸Vampire FMC
🩸Werewolf/Alpha MMC
🩸Forbidden romance
🩸Mystery Plotline
🩸Witty banter
🩸Found family
🩸He falls first
🩸Political Drama
🩸Fated Mates
🩸ABO (ish)
🩸”Mine”

For my full thoughts, head over to Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3AfiV3LySx/?igsh=MTlvNHlsdHM5ZTg4Mw==

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 🖤