4.5⭐️
I honestly wasn’t sure how I would like this book but I actually loved it! This is my first book by this author so it took me a little bit to get use to the writing style but soon I was so intrigued by the story. I loved the plot line and the was completely invested in both Misery and Lowe. I have never read a story with a female vampire and male werewolf. Misery has been sent to marry the alpha wolf to keep an alliance between the two species. She was sassy, strong and such a fun character. Lowe ended up being a complete marshmallow of an alpha. I loved his relationship with his little sister...it made me fall a little more in love with him. I really wish we had gotten more of Lowe’s point of view though. I really enjoyed this book and the ending has me begging for the next book!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the widgets for the Joyful Chaos Book Club and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

I have loved all of Ali Hazelwood's STEM novels and was so excited to read this book where she brings in some of her fanfic roots. Bride is an Omegaverse book featuring an arranged marriage between Misery (a Vampyre) and Lowe (the Alpha Were).

We read this mostly from Misery's perspective as she leaves her home to live with the Weres in their territory. We get tiny peeks at Lowe's thoughts through the introduction to each chapter, but I would have loved even more there. Both were great characters, and it felt like there was a strong motivation for them to pursue the arranged (forced) marriage. I also really appreciated the whole story world.

The banter was phenomenal. The additional characters and the aspects of suspense and mystery caught my interest. But the romance really captured me. It was so clear how much and how quickly he fell, and I loved every moment of it.

This was a neat departure from the other books I've read from Ali Hazelwood, and I am so excited to read another book in this universe.

4.5 stars rounded up

This is, without a doubt, Ali Hazelwood’s finest work.

So, I’m definitely in my paranormal shifter romance era, and Bride combines tropes I love: marriage of convenience, forced proximity, “good girl,” “my wife…” I am feral for a hero who is absolutely GONE for his partner, and because we only get Misery’s point of view, it’s extra delightful to see their marriage become a true relationship throughout the course of the story. I was on the edge of my seat with the rival territory politics, and I did not anticipate the twists and turns along the way. Bride is one wild ride, full of romance, mystery, adventure, and werewolf and vampyre interspecies relations. As someone who is new to the subgenre of paranormal romance, I can say that this was an excellent way to dip your toes in the water. But now, I need more! Perhaps a sequel…?!?!

Thank you @prhaudio for the complimentary audiobook, and Netgalley & Berkley for the advanced copies for the #JoyfulChaosBookClub.

You guyssssssssssssssssss

Miss hazelwood ATEEEEEE and left no crumbs! And bitch there better be a sequel! 👏🏻

Yallllllllllllll this book is FANTASTIC! I ate it right up! Okay okay, I’m not gonna lie I was really nervous going into this one, I love our STEM queen BUT I just wasn’t sure how she was going to do jumping into something a lil different. SHE KILLED IT!

Ali hazelwood is now the queen of MY WIFE 👏🏻👏🏻🥵🥵

You guys have to pick Bride up when it comes out, I promise you it’s so worth it!

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleyromance for this Arc! 🩷

Thank you to Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for my review copies!

I love Ali Hazelwood, and was super curious about what I was getting myself into with this vampyre & werewolf arranged marriage romance. It is somehow so quintessentially Ali Hazelwood though.

If you haven’t dipped your toe far into the paranormal romance scene, this is a great place to start. The worldbuilding is basically just our world but vampyres and werewolves. Our female MC, Misery, introduces you quickly to what you need to know about vampyres, but she has spent most of her time with humans and doesn’t know a ton about them herself.

I always fall in love with Hazelwood’s whole cast of characters - and they were extra fun as paranormal creatures.

The book does start with us finding out that Misery’s best friend and roommate has gone missing. I feel like this mystery element was balanced pretty well, while also giving us the paranormal worldbuilding and the romance!

The 3rd Act conflict was stupid but needed to exist, and the end was very satisfying.

🎧 Therese Plummer also narrated Love on the Brain, and her voice fits so well with Ali Hazelwood’s writing.

PS - Don’t worry, Misery is very knowledgable in computer science (and hacking), so we still have a STEM FMC.

I say it with every Ali Hazelwood book I write a review for: but Ali is my absolute favorite! My queen of romance! And if she says she is switching gears from contemporary STEMinist romance to paranormal, vampire/werewolf, omegaverse I say: whatever you write I will HAPPILY READ!! When this book was first announced, I was very curious as to what it would entail. How much world building would there be? Would the signature Ali humor still be present? Would I be lost given I’ve never read any other omegaverse/shifter romances? And what exactly is a… *whispers*… knot?

For all of my questions, once I got going, I was just laughing at myself because this is an Ali Hazelwood! And she simply has never let me down! At the time I was in a reading slump and unable to find a book that I was enjoying. The second I picked up Bride: slump gone! When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about Misery and Lowe, and just itching to get back to them to find out what happens!!

I think Ali did such an excellent job of establishing the world this story takes place in, with its political intrigue, and explaining the why behind the tensions between species. It was the perfect balance to the rest of the story and the romance in my opinion! Our girl Misery has been THROUGH IT as a child within this political system, and now is being put through it again, through a marriage of convenience, as an adult.

Misery is sooo sarcastic and has such a dry sense of humor. Being in her head had me literally LOLing. Remember my earlier question of would the signature Ali humor be present? WAS IT EVER!! And as does any marriage of convenience worth its salt, there are PRIME moments with our MCs sarcastically calling each other husband and wife! There is one particular scene that simply lives rent free in my brain!! And Lowe… my man, my guy, each chapter starts with a snippet from his POV and let me tell you he is gone for his wife! In addition to the LOLs, there is a subplot featuring a mystery to be solved, which I think really added to the story. I also so deeply loved Lowe’s relationship with his little sister Ana. And Sparkles the cat! I love cats in books!

Where I am so curious to see other’s thoughts on this book is in regard to the more technical parts of this romance. If you catch my drift *insert knot emoji* I think Ali did a great job of not alienating her readers that are following her from her contemporary novels, and have no knowledge of omegaverse (aka me!) I think anyone with any level of knowledge of the genre will enjoy this book and perhaps, those fanfic, shifter romance loving girlies might even enjoy it MORE.

For me personally, I don’t know that I’ll be picking up more omegaverse UNLESS Ali is the one that writes it. What can I say? I’m an Ali girl through and through! But all in all, I had an incredibly fun time with this one! Even though I didn’t necessarily need the knotting involved, I greatly enjoyed every other aspect. And as always, I am eagerly awaiting whatever Ali pens next!

The biggest thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars!

“You’re not a problem, Misery. You’re a 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦.”

Oh PLEASE tell me that this epilogue means that there is another book coming @alihazelwood. 🙏🏻

I am going to date myself here but this book had me transported back to the early 2000’s and the vampire world that I got lost in back then. And I am HERE for a return to that world. Vampires. Weres. Shape shifters. An enemies-to-lovers paranormal rom-com?! YESSSS!

I absolutely adored Misery and her sassy vampyre self. She has so much spunk and fire and she had me laughing out loud through the book! “It must be tiresome, being a decent person, and I can’t relate. I revel in my moral flexibility.” Love her!

Bride is full of action, questionable characters, love, loyalty, interspecies relations, and ohhh the spice. Buckle up, kids. This is one hell of a ride!

I read about half of this book with my eyes and then realized there was an audiobook. After only a minute I knew I’d be listening to the rest of it. Woah it was GREAT! The narrators made Misery and Lowe jump off of the pages and into my soul. I highly, highly recommend it!

“‘What do Vampyres do for pleasure?’ he asks, voice a little hoarse. I don’t want to flash my fangs at him, but it’s hard when I’m licking peanut butter off my fingers…’Please, take this away from me.’”

Thanks for the free #audiobook @PRHAudio #PRHAudioPartner and to @netgalley, @berkleypub, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw that the author was branching into fantasy, I knew that I had to add this book to my TBR list right away! Bride by Ali Hazelwood is an adult romantasy involving Vampyres and Weres. The story revolves around Misery, who was sent into the human world to serve as a sign of peace between Vampyres and Humans. When her sister disappears under mysterious circumstances, Misery's only option is to agree to marry a stranger, the Were Alpha, Lowe, in order to start her investigation. But will she end up getting more than she bargained for?

Here is an atmospheric excerpt from Chapter 1:

"THIS WAR OF OURS, THE ONE BETWEEN THE VAMPYRES AND the Weres, began several centuries ago with brutal escalations of violence, culminated amid flowing torrents of varicolored blood, and ended in a whimper of buttercream cake on the day I met my husband for the first time.
Which, as it happens, was also the day of our wedding.
Not quite the stuff of childhood dreams. Then again, I’m no dreamer."

Overall, Bride is a romantasy that will appeal to fans of the author's previous books, in addition to fantasy readers who have never read her books before. It will appeal to fans of The Twisted Mark series by Sophie Williamson or the Twilight series. One highlight of this book is the contemporary setting with cellphones. The world is not too removed from our own, which made it easy to slip into the world of this book.

One final highlight of this book is the great investigation subplot. I'm glad that in addition to the romance and the fantasy aspects, the book also included a mystery plotline. In summary, this is my new favorite out of the author's books and I'm so happy that she made the step into fantasy. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of romantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in February!

EXCUSE ME!? I will need a few second to recover because... what!? Ali Hazelwood does it again!!!

I was a little worried going into this because is just different than what I am used to. However. I LOVE Ali and I obviously had to read it! Well I am so glad I did because per usual she did not disappoint! Guys this was amazing! I was hooked from the very beginning. Not only did I get a paranormal romance, I also got a story packed of tension and a mystery to solve! It was so entertaining I could not put it down. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The pace of the book was perfection. I love a slow burn with enough action where it does not get boring and that's exactly what Ali gives us. The tension between Misery and Lowe was chefs kiss. Please you have to read it!

Rating: 4.5/5

Thanks Berkley Romance and Netgalley for my gifted copy.

Ali Hazelwood who is mostly known for her contemporary romances has an interesting book coming out. Bride is the first book to a new paranormal series that is still sticking to the romance theme but it’s about the daughter high ranking vampire family who is pulled from living amongst the humans to marry the Alpha of the local Werewolves but the vampires and werewolves aren't exactly besties. There’s angst, drama. This is probably going to check a lot of your boxes as it was an enjoyable read.

Collateral. That’s all vampire Misery is to Alpha Lowe. When she accepts to be his Bride for political reasons, to keep the relationship between Weres and Vampires, she finds herself in Were territory… caring about them, enjoying her time there, and of course, falling for the Alpha. With many twists and turns, upheaval that needs to be rectified, after all is said and done, will Misery and Lowe have their happy ending as mates?

I wasn’t sure where Hazelwood was going to take this story, but I was not at all surprised with her talent, craft, and ability to write a romance story with paranormal elements. Ok, I wasn’t sold on “knots” and a lot of biting and “feeding,” but I get how these details were part of the characters’ identities. Overall, I enjoyed it, though a bit on the long side, and without question, I’d continue to read anything Hazelwood writes!

If you know me, you know I was a little iffy on whether or not I wanted to read this. As a young adult during the time that Twilight came out and then the paranormal romance craze happened, I told myself I wouldn’t read another vampire book again. And for the most part, I haven’t (and if I have, I either DNFed it or mentioned that I don’t actually like them anymore lol) But when I heard about this, I knew this was going to be one of those exceptions lol

I was also a little worried because this felt like it came out of left field. I was so used to Hazelwood’s STEM romances, that this felt odd. But nevertheless, I immediately added it to my TBR as soon as I could lol And now that I’ve read it, I can’t imagine not having read it. So if you’re having trouble wondering if someone who has only written contemporary romance can pull off a vampire romance, don’t worry about it. Hazelwood makes sure you enjoy your time in this world.

I hate to start off on the thing I didn’t like, but it really only makes sense to start here. The world building in this is so BOMB! She doesn’t use descriptive language to tell the setting, but we do get all the background, rules, and like everything besides the origin stories. We even get the story of another marriage of convenience that ended in bloodshed. The only problem is the way it was delivered. It was info dumpy and delivered in clumps throughout the story. As an audio reader, I had to rewind it a few times to go back and rewind it to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I will be reading this again as a buddy read next month, so I will get my Walmart exclusive copy as well as the audio again and I will have a better time getting all the details. But for anyone reading this for the first time on the 6th, just a warning.

Other than that, I really enjoyed this. And I’ve noticed a trend through the readers who have already finished this. If they’ve been reading shifter books, this doesn’t seem to fit their fancy. But if they haven’t read any in a while or have just read their first Omegaverse novel (me lol) then I have found they really liked it. It was like light on the alpha speak and light on him shifting in general. And that pleased me. But I will say, when he DID shift, he DID THAT. lol After reading my first Omegaverse like a couple days before this one, I was a little put out on the way his alpha tendencies were like “ME, WOLF, ME, CAVEMAN.” I was not excited for more of the same. So when this one didn’t have that, I was so much more excited. And the way he explained what a mate was and why he didn’t want to explain it from the beginning?! Lordt I was like legit swooning. Their romance actually worked for me. (Besides the knot stuff lol Which I can blessedly say was minimal. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that lolol No pun intended) I guess it seems like paranormal lite and that’s why I was so into it.

The plot of this was crazy. I’m not even gon lie, I was more into this than the dude that was trapped in freezing cold temps or the girl that was a secret genius chess player. I ATE this up lol I just KNEW that all that was going on wasn’t just that one group. So basically when shit started hitting the fan, I was all in. I could not stop listening. And then I realized I was almost at the end and I didn’t have a clue what was really happening. Usually I have a guess or something, but I didn’t get there this time. I didn’t give myself time to. I just kept listening until it was over. And in the version I read, the ending leaves us open to another book, either a series or a companion novel. And let me just say, I hope there is more. Because I need to know how this is going to end.

I was expecting this to go a completely different way because of my past with vampire novels. But this was a pleasant surprise. I went into this with reservations, but by the end I was cheering on the romance, trying to pick apart the mystery, and learning more than I care to know about weres and vampires. Now, did I also pre-order an exclusive copy, yes, and I don’t regret it. I hope if any of you have hang-ups like I did, you let it go and just open your mind to this fantastical world and get lost in the mystery of this like I did!

I loved this so much! This was my first omniverse book and I thought it was great. I loved the mystery in the background and while I thought I had it partially figured out, I didn’t all the way. If Ali doesn’t continue this series, I’ll cry.

Ali Hazelwood never misses and I will eat up every story she writes. I literally always have a good time reading her books. This book was the perfect combo of her typical writing style, banter and sarcastic fmc but in a fun new setting in a paranormal, urban fantasy romance.

A marriage of convenience between a vampyre and the were alpha?? “Apologize to my wife”?? PLEASE. I loved Misery. I loved Lowe. I loved the lengths they went to protect the people they care about. I loved their romance. Had a good, fun time and definitely recommend.

Thank you to berkley romance and NetGalley for the early copy!

I loved this book. Let me say it a little louder for those in the back: I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK! In these pages you will find everything you like about Ali’s previous books but make it paranormal. Vampyres + Werewolf. Marriage of Convenience. Enemies to Lovers. Forbidden Romance. Political Intrigue. It was absolutely delicious in the best possible way. In fact, I spent five straight hours in the same spot on my couch in one evening devouring it.

I have been spending some time marinating on this story because I loved it so much, and I have narrowed down that the plot in this book is just completely stunning. There are deep themes of friendship and found family with world building that is fun and easy to follow. I was so invested in the mystery that was going on, Lowe and Misery’s budding relationship, and then totally shocked by the twist at the end that I had to stop for a minute and regroup myself. But don’t worry, she’s deliciously spicy too. Totally knotty.

Plus, watching Misery fall in love with Ana was the best thing I have read in this genre in a long time.

Will this be everyone’s cup of tea? Probably not. But is this hands down going to be one of my favorite reads this year? Absolutely. I have been an Ali fan since the beginning and man, she outdid herself here. It was out of her usual box, but so authentically her that I was a goner from the start. I am going to be talking about this one for a long time.

I need more. Please give me more. I would read 170 books set in this world.

#Bride:⁣
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Thank you @berkleyromance and @prhaudio partner for my gifted copies. #BerkleyPartner #berkley ⁣
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I’ll admit it. The previous Ali Hazelwood books I have read haven’t been my favorite. I decided to pick up Bride because vampires and warewolves, duh. I’m so glad I did because this was a snarky, fun, quick read.⁣
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Misery (queue Misery by The Moffats) is a Vampyre. Her dad is super powerful on the council, and she was the literal Collateral as a kid for peace between the alliances. Well, she’s at it again, unwillingly, about to be the bride to head alpha Were, Lowe Moreland. The reason? Her bestie is missing and she’s sure he’s got something to do with it.⁣
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I really liked the plot and how Misery was all for living in the human world. Getting to know the crew was fun, and she had me cackling the entire time. Her self deprivation is my kind of humor so I was down. Of course there’s spice, but the friendship story trumps the romance.⁣
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For those who like:⁣
🧛‍♀️ Marriage of convenience ⁣
🐺 Fated Mates⁣
🧛‍♀️ Twilight⁣
🐺 Enemies to lovers ⁣
🧛‍♀️ Spicy fun⁣
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Out Feb 6th, this book definitely needs to be in your Valentines Day basket ❤️⁣
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QOTD: Favorite Vampire or Werewolf show/book/movie?

This was simply amazing. There’s so much I loved that I absolutely don’t want to spoil. I went in basically blind and I highly recommend that if you want to just stop reading here and go do that yourself!

Okay speaking in generalities I LOVED the worldbuilding. This does just enough but not to much in the time that it has. At times it feels familiar, this definitely leans contemporary/paranormal romance vs fantasy, but there’s still fantastical elements that keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what’s going to happen next. I also enjoyed the pacing as to when lore of either side were explained to each other and some of those moments between Lowe and Misery were so sweet.

There is a child in this but I am marked safe from a romance with an annoying child. She’s pretty chill and also due to some plot elements is absent for a far chunk of it so she isn’t interrupting any of the romance progression.

If you have an inkling of interest in reading this then just read it. This is for people who read any romance subgenre as you don’t need to be a big fantasy reader in order to enjoy this. If you grew up on Twilight this gives you all those same feels except as an adult (and to be clear it’s not like twilight fan fiction or anything like that, just commenting about the vibes and how I couldn’t put this down).

I am a solid Ali hazelwood fan and compared to her other work it still somehow has her signature “I know something the FMC doesn’t know” plot line and the consent king MMC so obsessed with her. But other than that there’s extra romantic suspense/larger world at play elements that differ from her contemporary work. I did find it to be quite different but still with her great writing skill.

Btw for those reading outside their typical genre and cautious about the knotting- it’s understated and this contains similar spice to love hypothesis, less than love theoretically.

I’m so hyped to be a Berkley partner this year which included the chance to read an eARC of this!! Thank you. This was highly anticipated for me and did not disappoint.

Do I already know that Bride is going to be on my 2024 top ten list? Why yes. Yes I do. The reasons are myriad, but let’s lead with the fact that author Ali Hazelwood is utterly BRILLIANT at dialogue. The witty, biting, and clever cadence to Misery’s speech and diction was a joy to read. I also admired Hazelwood’s ability to create her own niche in what many would consider to be established lore, and to create characters who feel one thousand percent real.

One of the clever narrative devices that Hazelwood employs is with the POV. Every chapter begins with a third person snippet into Lowe’s thoughts while the rest of the chapter proceeds in first person from Misery’s perspective. This is true until the epilogue when readers finally get Lowe’s third person perspective. It is such an effective choice in this particular story, and I appreciate the way that Hazelwood uses these subtle POV shifts to the novel’s benefit.

I loved the underlying simmer of chemistry between Misery and Lowe and the way their friendship also evolves as they continue to interact. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Misery and her brother, Owen, which I hope to see more of in the future. (Hint, hint.) I have big hopes for Serena, too, and I cannot wait to read more from this universe.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5/5
I had a really fun and enjoyable time reading this, however it did not fully meet my expectations. I have absolutely loved every Ali Hazelwood book, but this one fell a little flat for me. I feel like at times, the plot would really be picking up, but then it would slow down and I would be a little bored. I loved the rival, enemies to lovers aspect with the vamps and weres, Misery and Lowe were so cute. That being said, I wish there would have been more romance development between them. Lowe has my heart, is such a sweet MMC. I think as Ali Hazelwood writes more of the paranormal/fantasy, they will definitely get better.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint - I loved this weird and wonderful book. Misery is a vampire who enters a marriage of convenience with the alpha werewolf Lowe in order to find her missing friend, as well as promote peace between vampire, werewolves, and humans. And of course, real feelings start! It’s hard to explain why this wild book works so well, but it really does. The writing is charming, the characters are great, the banter is funny, and the steam works well. Of course do not read this book if you’re not okay with paranormal romance, but for me, everything about this book was lovely. I personally think Hazelwood has a gift for writing accessible and fun stories that really suck you in (no pun included lol on this vampire romance). I was invested in this story from the get go, really liking all the character development, and the mystery element really worked for me. This is one of those books that I imagine a lot of people would steer away from if you haven’t dipped into paranormal romance and it’s hard to explain the appeal, but trust me, this book works as a romance and a fast, fun read. Full disclosure, I am not one of those adults that grew up loving Twilight, and I still loved this story, so I don’t think being a fan of this genre is a prerequisite for enjoying this book. Overall I highly recommend this book for fans of Hazelwood, paranormal romance, and mystery.