Ali Hazelwood has done it again and was always meant to write a paranormal/fantasy romance. When I tell you this is the kind of book you're reading where you KNOW you want to take it slowly because you don't want it to end yet you want to binge it because you can't get enough. When I wasn't reading Bride, I was thinking about Bride. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and to say I'm devastated it's over *teardrop*

What I would do to read this for the first time again! I'm pretty sure Misery is my fav Ali Hazelwood FMC. I adored her and her dry wit, sarcasm, and humor. I LOVED Lowe right from the start. The slow burn. The angst. Falls first 🤭 the possessiveness of a Were and the loyalty from BOTH of them. Being in his head and thoughts with the intro of every chapter.........yeah!

I didn't think it had too slow of a start either because I was eating it up from start to finish. I really enjoyed the world building and I LOVED the side characters. Lowe's relationship with his little sister, Ana, and the caretaker in him for his people! My heart. As well as Misery's relationship with Ana. So many times throughout the book I was just smiling and giggling, I loved the banter. The little tidbits and the conversations.

I had so much fun reading this and that's what matters most. I was sat for the Weres and Vampyres. Can't wait to read more from this universe! Because she has to give us more.

Miss Ali Hazelwood NEVER MISSES!

This book had me giggling, kicking my feet, and swooning like crazy! Misery is my ideal FMC. She’s strong, she’s witty, and she does not back down! Don’t even get me started on Lowe! I won’t give anything away because you just need to experience this for yourself. Please do yourself a favor and get this book the second it hits the shelves!

Thank you so much Berkley and Netgalley for this arc! I was truly blessed✨

4.5 rounded up! Holy moly. Ali put that good sh*t in here!! Tbh I wasn’t sure for the first like 10% or so if I was going to get on board with this, and then all of a sudden I was obsessed. Couldn’t think about anything else. The mystery?! The romance?! The humor?! Ana?! It was chef’s kiss. There were a few cringey spicy dialogue moments, but overall, I was swooning. Did a little giggle and kicked my feet. This book brought happy feelings in a time of not so happy feelings & I’ll think about it often for that reason alone (but also for the fun that this story brought and the obsession I have for Misery and Lowe).

First and foremost I want to thank Berkley for sending me an ARC of this book!

This was my very first Ali Hazelwod book, and I have heard sooo many good things about her. This is her first dip into the fantasy realm and I have some thoughts!

Now I assuMe from the time I was orginally sent the Arc and when it comes out, there will be some editing, which I think the book could use! Whatever you do.... Do NOT take out the bath tub scene!! I will foErver be thinking of it!!

The overall story of the book was so compelling and interesting. The world was easy to comprehend, and I felt like the 2 main characters had a lot of chemistry! The book did feel drawn out. The main characters really had no real interaction until about 30%. The book really started to wrap up at about 90%. It didn't feel rushed, but it did feel longer than it should've been.

Something I wouldn't mind being taken out.... the Knot. I don't want to spoil anything, but I am still confused on it's purpose and what exactly it is / looks like. There was no real explanation on it, and I feel like it was not needed and was extra fluff... and made me a little uncomfortable for some reason?

Also, the FMCs name being Misery was a bit of a distraction for me.

Now besides the bathtub scene... yes, I had to bring it up again, I love a good old fashioned enemies to lovers. This book was enemies to Lovering! I also love angtsy will they, won't they, and when will they. It fufilled all my angtsy needs! The MMC was giving big broody energy, which I love! I also apppreciated that the FMC was not this small frail little girl next to the big bad wolf. She was a tall queen herself (and as a girl who is 5'11, I lived for it! More tall girls in books PLEASE!). So that was different than most romances and HIGHLY APPRECIATED!

Overall, if you want a fun, different, fantasy read, then this is going to be the book for you!

I loved this departure from Ali Hazelwood's normal contemporary romance! Bride was spicy and slightly unhinged, but in the best way possible. I'd love to see more world building if this continues into a series because I was intrigued by the humans/wolves/vampires community relationship and how things were handled politically since it played a role in this book. I'll read anything Ali writes and want more fantasy romance from her!

I'll be honest, I was reticent about exploring the Omegaverse. But if anyone could get me to read it, it would be my queen Ali Hazelwood. And daaaaaaang this book was GOOD!!

We finally get *angst* and it was honestly nice to have a book outside of normal societal rules. Here we're considering the dynamics between humans, vampyres, and weres. I found that the paranormal lore here was incorporated really nicely, as it never felt like a huge lore dump. I did giggle every time Misery's name came up because it's SOOOOOO edgelord, but it works perfectly because she's not an edgy goth vampyre. And Lowe is just a hunky Were architect with big Alpha energy. Meeeeeow.

I found that the romance really served the plot, rather than the opposite, and it was so enjoyable. I savored this book but still flew through it without even trying. And that ending!? God I can't wait for more.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I really enjoyed this book. It hits a lot of genres I enjoy reading. A melting pot of paranormal romance, some mystery, and friendship fiction. Ali did a phenomenal job of creating a fresh take on classic monsters: vampires and werewolves. This book had vibes of Underworld but wasn't as dark and gritty. There were light moments. The relationships felt real and didn't feel forced. I couldn't put the book down as I was reading, I was so absorbed in the world she created. I feel like most readers will enjoy this book since there was a lot within it that can appeal to readers. I'm hopeful to read more about this world and hope she writes another! Thank you Netgalley and Peguin Randomhouse for the ARC.

Misery is a Vampyre who’s powerful councilman father arranges a marriage with Lowe, an Alpha Werewolf to secure an alliance between their two worlds. Thrust together under tenuous and dangerous circumstances, Lowe and Misery must navigate not only the politics of their world but their growing attraction and affection for each other.

I am a huge Ali Hazelwood fan. I love the way she writes contemporary romance. It's warm, humorous, silly, tender and fun. She can intertwine pop culture and contemporary details that add to the story and not distract while also writing about deep intimacy with tenderness When she announced she was writing a romance novel with a supernatural plot line, I was like huh. that makes sense actually. And I was not wrong!

Bride kept me hooked from the first page and I had to pry it out of my hands to attend family holiday events. While Ali's books are single POV, in Bride she gives you little touches of Lowe’s POV at the beginning of each chapter. This made the book so exciting to me and stoked the wonderful romantic tension you could feel from the first chapter.

Here are some things I loved about Bride
-the mystery plot that keeps you in suspense
-the little insights into his point of view
-the funny and quippy prose
-beautiful sexual tension
-an absolutely perfect caretaking/my wife/touch her and die scene
-single guardian trope with an amazing child!

This book is for the Twilight fans who grew up to love the arranged marriage trope. Out February 6th! Thank you Berkley for the ARC!

AMAZING!!!
A vampire & werewolf romance! I wanted to live inside this story! It was so layered. It was steamy and the plot had twist that made my eyes go wide. I learned so much about werewolf anatomy, I’m still intrigued 👀! I’ll be raving about this book all year!
Thank you Berkley for the ARC!

4.5 I really enjoyed this! The premise of it was definitely different than other shifter/vampire books I have read, but it made it refreshing. Misery was a favorite character of mine. Something about this whole book just worked and it sets us up for more in this world which I am really interested to see how Ali shapes it!

Here are some of my favorite quotes 👀

“You’ve bitten me before. I didn’t mind then.” He leans forward, eager. “I won’t mind now.”

“My smell. Do I smell like . . . ?” “Mine.” It’s a rumble in his throat. “You smell like you’re mine, Misery.”

4.5 ⭐️

I honestly didn’t think that this books was going to be like this!! Because what the hell!!! this book was amazing.

This is my first Vampyre/Were book ever, and let me tell you! its so good! Misery the main character is probably the funniest person ever! the amount of time I laughed at her jokes is unbelievable 😭🤣 (Even tho I know that this is Ali’s sarcasm, I love it!) LIKE HELP SHE IS SO FUNNY 🤣

Lowe is for sure my favorite male main character from all of Ali’s books. He is such a fun character! I honestly love his relationship with Ana its the cutest thing ever.

The Vampyre and Were world was so much fun, I thought that I was going to have a problem with understanding what was happening and the whole world of this book. But its not like that at all! I really liked how Ali made this world of hers so simple and easy to understand. And also as usual, Ali’s writing style will always be my favorite! its just so easy to read!

I adore Ali Hazelwood and was screaming with joy when I received the ebook ARC from @berkely (THANK YOU THANK YOU!) This book feels different than her others in the best way possible!

You will love this book if you enjoy:
❤️Paranormal romance
🖤Opposites attract
🩶Vampyres and Werewolf’s
❤️Fated Mate
🖤Arranged Marriage with Forbidden love

Bride is about Misery, a Vampyre who has been “forced” to marry outside her species to a Were alpha named Lowe; this is essentially to keep the peace between all the territories. In the midst of all of the wedding fiasco, Misery’s best friend Serena goes missing and other stranger things start to occur. She finds herself growing close to Lowe, someone who she shouldn’t have feelings for.

The world building is a bit slow, but in the end very necessary. I liked the different politics between the factions and where each character stands within their own tribes versus the others they are at odds with. Misery is a wonderfully written character, different than most Vampyres since she did grown up in Human territory. Lowe was a tough character to figure out in the beginning but an about rockstar in the end. The transgression of their romance, family and beyond is wonderful! This book felt slower paced than some of her others but do not stop because the last 25% especially ties everything together in still has surprises coming! Overall once this book gets going it’s a great and interesting read. Another winner!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5

an easy 5 star read!
Ali Hazelwood’s attempt at an omegaverse, paranormal romance was absolutely beautiful, hilarious, interesting and downright perfectly Ali Hazelwood.

Misery and Lowe are two incredibly enjoyable, funny, relatable, and genuine characters. Their personalities, dynamic, and overall relationship was so perfect in my opinion! I loved each of them separately and together.

I found Misery’s character to be a stand out among all of Ali’s characters, she felt unique outside of her Vampyre status. Her entire character make up was more pessimistic, darker, and more cynical (in a way) than any of her other female characters. I loved it! It felt refreshing in so many ways.

Lowe is a perfectly mysterious male main character. His personality is subtle and sneaks up on you. He’s funny, kind, genuine and you can tell how much he cares for those he loves. His backstory and depth was so heartbreaking but I love that he took his life into his own hands, lives by his own code, does what’s best for him and his closest friends/family. Him and Ana are absolutely adorable, i loved their relationship!!!

The plot of this book was so intriguing, I was hooked from the very beginning. I loved the mystery aspect, the suspense, the politics, the love story. Ali Hazelwood, per usual, absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one!!!

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the arc!!!

AMAZING SPECTACULAR I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM 😫 Ali never misses for me and the tension in this book?! the longing looks, the little teases about--I dont even wanna say it, just read it and fall in love !!

Bride is a marriage of convenience, forbidden, vampyre x werewolf romance full of banter, witty dialogue, and so much potential for an amazing new series! While I have loved every Ali Hazelwood book I've read in the past, I was getting a little tired of the same old romcom and this definitely brought me back to life. While this is different from her usual in that it is a paranormal romance, I also think the general makeup and how heavily plot-focused this book is, makes it stand out. The romance takes a backseat for most of the book catering to world-building, strong characters, and political mystery. Despite the heavy plot, the slowburn romance was delectable, full of tension, yearning, and undeniable chemistry. If you've read Ali Hazelwood before or are a fan of Twilight-esque romances, I would absolutely recommend this book!

This book is outside of my typically-read genres, but did I stay up half the night finishing it once I started? Yes. Yes I did.

Misery Lark is the only daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman; she has been living in anonymity among humans when she is called to take part in a peacekeeping alliance with their mortal enemies, the Weres. She agrees to enter an arranged political marriage to the Alpha Were, Lowe Moreland, in an attempt to recover the only thing she has ever cared about.

I was absolutely caught up in this storyline: the side plots had enough fast-paced intrigue and mystery to keep me turning the pages; the characters are witty, smart, and likable. Unfortunately the few spicy scenes were almost unbearably cringy, and I found myself skimming over them to get back to the rest of the action.

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for this free e-arc!

4.5 stars! My first Ali Hazelwood book and i am pleasantly surprised by how much i loved it. It was entertaining, easy to read, well written, with very like-able characters and a fun plot. I had such a fun time reading about Misery & Lowe and will definitely be making my way through her backlist. I haven't read a lot of paranormal stories but 'Bride' sure made me feel like i need to read them all.

The characters: Misery is a vampyre who is marrying a werewolf who she doesn't know to form alliances to keep the peace and protect her people. So theres a marriage of convenience which i ATE UP! Lowe the alpha were, is such a strong character, loyal to his core, selfless, and completely and absolutely obsessed with Misery. Our FMC is grumpy, closed off, curios and hilarious. Both of their character development is amazing but seeing Misery trust and come out of her shell was so refreshing and really stood out to me.

The plot: I found the plot to be so entertaining and quite unique in the way she developed the story. All the twists and turns really helped me stayed engaged and interested. The beginning of the book had a lot of info dump which is understandable, as it's trying to explain the politics and the universe, but at the same time i was left wishing for a bit more world building. I craved for more details on how each territory looked like or the intricacies of their world, this is definitely a personal preference and just something i wished more of. There were a lot of plot lines happening at the same time which i throughly enjoyed and i really liked how they all came together and wrapped up in the end.

Ali Hazelwood's writing is so fast-paced and that woman knows how to write romance and spice!! Add this one to your tbr, pre-order, or ask for it as a gift because i promise it will surprise you and leave you wanting more of these characters and this world. I am excited to re-read this one once its released!

Read if you love: Marriage of convenience, forced proximity, vampyre and werewolves, forbidden love, paranormal romance

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

Look, I have said before she could write anything and now I have the proof.
Hazelwood, the QUEEN of hot, angsty, smart, STEM romance, dipped her toes in the fantasy realm and thank all the Gods.
If you're not a fan after this, don't talk to me.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing this advance reader's copy for an honest review.

I don't know how Ali Hazelwood has done it but I am now an omegaverse girlie!!! Everything about this book captured my heart and attention, and she had me hanging onto her very word. I absolutely loved the slow burn romance between Misery (our vampyre girlie) and Lowe (our were king) and their slow but steady development from indifferent strangers to reluctant friends to eventual lovers!!!

The star of this book was obviously the romance, but the omegaverse parts of this romance had my JAW ON THE FLOOR! I see you Ms. Hazelwood and thank you so much. I'm gonna be vague for reasons, but it was everything I needed and more from a paranormal romance, and it was FIRE! I was itching for them to be in the same room because the tension was tensioning!! and the mutual pining!!! It was so good and was further facilitated by only having Misery's POV and it just elevated the whole experience!

The lore that Ali Hazelwood crafted was sometimes kooky (I'm looking at you purple and green blood), but she managed to have everything make sense with the vampire/werewolf lore while also keeping things fresh at the same time. Also, while my favorite part of this book was Misery and Lowe's tension filled relationship, the platonic and familial love representation in this book was excellent and I loved those relationships so much!!

Overall this book charmed me and I can't wait to see if Ali Hazelwood writes more paranormal romance, because she definitely should!

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC! It comes out Feb 6!

Omg I need Ali Hazelwood to write more paranormal romance immediately. This book had me completely hooked from the beginning and it delivered. This was probably her spiciest book yet and I loved it. There were classic Hazelwood specialties including cat lovers, a little bit of tech, and delightful humor. Lowe and Misery were ittt, I could not get enough of these two. Misery was funny, and of course, it was ironic that her name was Misery. Lowe was the Alpha and he was definitely the Alpha. The protectiveness was real and every time he defended Misery, I swear I was swooning. Everything about this was top-tier. I loved the real-world setting, I loved the mix of Weres and Vampyres. I also loved the plot twists and little mystery vibe. This was such a fun, delightful book and I'm obsessed. Thank you to Berkley for giving me an e-ARC to read and review!