Misery, a vampyre, and Lowe, the Alpha werewolf of his pack, have agreed to a marriage of convenience. They hope to maintain a tense treaty and keep the peace between their kinds. Misery has other reasons to agree to the marriage, and Lowe has several secrets that he refuses to reveal as well. You’ll find mystery, fantasy, romance, and spice in Ali Hazelwood’s newest paranormal romance.

Ali Hazelwood is an all time favorite author of mine, so I knew I wanted to read this book despite it being different from her STEM novels. It surprised me how much I loved it as a person who rarely reads fantasy. However, this book has all of the things I’ve come to love in Ali’s books- a feisty but hilarious FMC, a grumpy but ultimately lovable MMC, spicy chemistry, banter, and fun takes on romance tropes. In addition, readers will explore a world of humans, vampyres, and werewolves. You’ll find marriage of convenience (lots of “my wife” comments), enemies to friends to lovers, and forced proximity in this one. I enjoyed that this book was a bit darker than Ali’s others, with more of a mystery running through it. I am hopeful there will be a second book based on the ending of this one! If you enjoy a good rom com or paranormal romance, I definitely recommend giving this a try!

Thank you to Ali Hazelwood, Berkley Romance, and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF THIS BOOK.

It was so Ali coded but also so different from her other books. I loved it. We need more fantasy like books from Ali. It was giving mafia vibes and I was eating that up!!!! I am having trouble organizing my thoughts on how much I loved this one but it literally was perfection.

I will read anything that Ali Hazelwood writes. She is a gem and I adore her.

I wanted to like this more! I’m sorry Ali 😭 This was just written in classic fanfic style and it didn’t translate well for me. I genuinely cannot get past the main girl’s name being Misery Lark, either. I liked Lowe! I think the problem with the characters is that they’re always more of a caricature rather than their own creation with depth.

Also green eyes/green blood, purple eyes/purple blood? No thanks.

I did (k)not think I would ever be reviewing a traditionally published paranormal omegaverse book on my feed...ever. But here we are, and I had the TIME OF MY LIFE.

Misery Lark is a Vampyre who has lived in the human territory for most of her life, both by force and by choice. When she is summoned back to Vampyre territory by her father, she finds out that she is going to be married to the Alpha of the Were pack in order to broker peace. Having seemingly no other choice, she agrees to the political marriage of convenience. What she doesn't expect is to enjoy spending time with Lowe, his little sister, and ultimately the pack. All while she keeps a secret from Lowe as she investigates the disappearance of her best friend. Lowe is definitely the Alpha of the pack, but as Misery gets to know him she realizes how kind and compassionate he can be...and how protective.

I truly could write a whole dissertation on this book and the renaissance of the omegaverse being traditionally published, but I'll try to write some coherent thoughts here! This was a 5 star book for me, no questions - it was fun, funny, and SUCH an escape, which is exactly what I wanted/needed.

I had an incredibly fun time with this book! It sucked me in and I finished it in under 24 hours. The humor was top notch and I really think Ali's writing shines here. The writing in this book was captivating from the very first moment and kept me engaged the entire time. Truly from the first chapter I knew I wouldn't want to put it down - and only did under duress of it being literally midnight and having to work the next day. I loved the banter between Misery and Lowe!

This is single POV which is not usually my favorite for a romance novel - BUT I think this is 100% the right choice for this book! And we do get to hear little snippets of Lowe's thoughts at the beginning of each chapter.

If you're scared about the Omegaverse stuff (or don't know what it is), I would say in some ways this is a very tame version and in other ways it's way more than I expected from a traditionally published book! I'm not (knot) an expert in Omegaverse but this also isn't my first rodeo with it but ultimately I think this will be mostly accessible to romance readers - perhaps particularly romance readers that have read some paranormal or dark romances. I'm really fascinated by this turn in traditional publishing and am so looking forward to seeing the reception this book gets - because I very much loved it!

Read this for:
- Paranormal romance (Vampyre/Were)
- Arranged Marriage/Political Marriage of Convenience
- Fated Mates
- Top notch humor and banter
- Forbidden Love

Huge thanks to the #joyfulchaosbookclub for working to get us widgets of this book! Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Bride publishes February 6th and is (k)not one to miss!

This book had no reason to be this GOOD. This was so different than her other books (big fan here) and I was skeptical about the switch from STEM girls to STEM vampyre, but she really nailed it. It was werewolves and vampyres, but also funny and endearing, with an intelligent and strong fmc…and Ali once again shows that she can write a great love interest.

It did originally catch me off guard that it was very much a romcom, but it really ended up working and I would catch myself laughing out loud. I hope there may be another book written in this world, maybe about Koen? 👀 It’s been a long time since I stayed up past my bedtime to read a book, and this did it for me.

I’ve been hype about this book since the moment it was announced to the point where I groveled for an ARC so thank u so much to Berkley for sending me an advanced copy ❤️❤️

I devoured this book in 2 days. It was a little slow at first but I’ll give that to any fantasy world that needs some sort of world building. It really picks up and the SEXUAL TENSION BETWEEN THESE TWO IS WHEW

Ali Hazelwood is very good at making you fall in love with her characters. I think Misery and Lowe are different because more than grumpy/sunshine it’s more like bound by duty/fucked by duty and the subsequent attitude it pulls out of them lol Misery has such an attitude with everyone it was fun to see her mouth off to the most powerful beings that could tear her to shreds and stand her own

Also I think this is the dirtiest, nastiest smut I’ve read from Ali 👁️ and I loved every second.

So glad I got to sink my teeth into this early ❤️❤️

Ali Hazelwood can do no wrong. She served up a paranormal romance that is tender, lovely, funny, and achingly romantic. A soft boy alpha who cuts off the crust of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich who can ALSO wipe out an entire room of enemies????? Like. Do you need to know more about this book, you guys? Do you? A million stars.

This was so good!! This had all the right elements: marriage of convenience, opposites attract, forbidden lovers, slow burn and more. I really enjoyed this and liked that it wasn't a big world-build. It was simple to follow along and I liked the mystery in this story as well. I read this in a few hours because it was just super entertaining and I couldn't wait to see what the ending was going to be. I can't wait for the next book!

While this wasn’t my favorite vampire romance, it definitely hit the spot. It was smart and kept me engaged and entertained throughout.

Mother has done it, again. Ali Hazelwood's writing is like a warm tight hug to me. And this PNR-esque romance has me enthralled through and through. I didn’t expect to be this much in love with it. Plus, I love how it was equal parts engaging and engrossing, and she has had created compelling and fully fleshed out characters that are easy to become emotionally invested in. I’m in love!

THIS WAS SO GOOD. Oh my gosh I have loved every single Ali Hazelwood book I’ve ever read & this was no exception. The paranormal romcom of my DREAMS. I had so much fun reading it! The plot was interesting, the world was interesting, the banter (as always) was hilarious & had me actually laughing out loud. I loved loved loved Misery & Lowe so much & those spicy scenes were perfection. Such a good fun time & I am begging this author to write more paranormal romance!

This was a lot of fun! Paranormal but still set in a contemporary society, so it didn't seem too far outside of Hazelwood's wheelhouse while offering the possible setup for an entirely new series (especially taking that ending into account!). Misery and Lowe's romance was my favorite part of the book, and every time the story swerved away from them I kept waiting for the moment when they'd be back together on-page — which is maybe a sign that their dynamic worked a lot better for me overall than the underlying mystery or the political element. Not necessarily my favorite of her books to date (I think <i>Love, Theoretically</i> still holds that honor), but definitely one that feels more out of the box for her, and it's a welcome change of pace as well as setting.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited to get the ARC for this book! I have been a fan of Hazelwood's books and writing style and reading this was no different. It was extremely well paced, excellent heat and an appropriate timeline. No character automatically fell into line or in love, and it was quite refreshing. This was a fun story with a quirky heroine that I would love to see in the next part of this series, since that cliffhanger eludes to their being another book. This was a fantastic read and I look so very forward to the next one!

I didn’t think there was a new take on vampire/werewolf books, but here we are! If you’re looking for a smutty romance with Hazelwood’s signature banter - this is the book for you! While it won’t land with all of her audience, this book is sure to find its people. Very entertaining, would recommend!

Another great book by Ms. Hazelwood! This book was so good. Wonderful storyline with the slowburn romance, engaging plot and entertaining characters. I’m simply addicted to Ali hazelwood’s books.

A supernatural romance that captures all my favorite things about Ali Hazelwood's writing while giving it a fresh twist. Misery agrees to marry the were alpha when her best friend, practically a sister, goes missing. The only clue links to the very man she has to wed. But nothing is as simple as it seems.

I enjoyed The pacing, setting, and characters of this book, and I think Lowe is my favorite male lead so far of all the options. Misery is as funny and interesting as the rest of Hazelwood's leading ladies, that I can't fault anyone falling in love with her. But... Ana steals the show. Way too cute!

Hell yeah! Ali Hazelwood showed readers how to rock 'n' roll in a fantasy universe by creating the most intelligent, quirky, nerdy heroine free of stereotypes and clichés. She possesses magical fingers that can sharpen computer skills for coding and breaking into highly secured werewolf territories!

Themes of enemies to lovers and forbidden love may initially make us think we're in for a Twilight-like romance story. However, I assure you that this complex story offers so much more. Firstly, this book is more than a forbidden romance; it tells the tale of Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyr councilman in the South, and Lowe Moreland, the most powerful Alpha of the Werewolves. Their marriage aims to bring peace and create an alliance between age-old mortal enemies. There's so much happening in the story, including political maneuvering and highly calculated schemes within the territories of werewolves and vampyres. A group of rebels, calling themselves the "Loyals," whose lives have been spared by Lowe, seeks to avenge him by recruiting insiders from their inner circles, blackmailing them into committing treasonous acts.

The story is filled with action-packed sequences, intricate world-building, and intercepted mysteries about Lowe's family line and Misery's inner circle, all of which intrigue readers to learn more. Interestingly, the adventure parts of the book slightly overshadow the romantic aspects. The fantasy world-building and the detailed rules and historical progress among werewolves, vampyres, and humans are depicted intelligently. I expected Ali Hazelwood to excel in the fantasy genre as much as in steamy romance, and I'm thrilled to say she didn't disappoint.

Here's a summary of the events in this book:

After evading several attempts on her life, including bullets, knives, and other lethal weapons orchestrated to kill her, Misery leaves the Vampyre community to live in the human world with her best friend, Serena. She gets a job, wears contact lenses to conceal her irises, hides her fangs, and strives to create a peaceful life. However, her father summons her, proposing a marriage between werewolves and vampyres to establish an alliance during the reign of a new human governor. Misery is too smart not to take the bait, but as soon as she hears the name of the groom-to-be, she accepts the offer without asking for details. Is it a martyr complex, a personal concession, or does she have another agenda for her extremely masculine groom who cannot stand her scent?

After the marriage ceremony proceeds without incident, if you discount the usual suicide attempts against Misery (she's become accustomed to these life-threatening situations since she was once a forced prisoner for a peace offering, but that's another story), Misery finds herself in her secluded mansion, surrounded by werewolves who despise her, searching for a reason to end the forced arrangement. Only six-year-old Anna, Lowe's little sister, acts friendly toward her despite her caregivers' snarky comments about Misery.

When Lowe senses the secret that threatens her unwanted marriage, he offers her an alliance to uncover the mysteries that will ultimately benefit them. However, not only their lives but also their hearts are at stake during this very perilous, full-throttle, wild adventure.

Lowe is more than a vindictive alpha werewolf facade. He's loyal, perceptive, caring, and puts everyone's needs first. He's the first person to show how much he truly cares about her. Could she learn to trust and lower her emotional barricades to let him in?

Overall, this is a smart, riveting, and highly entertaining quirky fantasy romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope there will be more to come, as implied in the epilogue. I wholeheartedly congratulate my favorite steamy romance author for immersing me in a well-executed fantasy world, even though I'm not a big fan of werewolves (I was never on Team Jacob).

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

RATING: 4.75/5 STARS

BRIDE is my new favorite by Ali Hazelwood! I have enjoyed all of her books but recently had been looking for something that was different from her previous formula. This novel blew my expectations out of the water! It was paranormal, werewolf-vampire goodness - so engaging and just a pleasure to read. Think the best parts of fanfiction-style writing compiled into a book with a fast plot and strong character dynamics. I loved Misery and Lowe's chemistry, the supporting characters, the mystery... BRIDE was not what I was expecting at all and I was just really satisfied with it. And that epilogue hinted at a book 2?! I need it ASAP.

Points only deducted because blood and furries and interspecies mating issues really aren't my personal vibe. That said, if anyone can make this not great for me topic bearable and occasionally fun, it's Ali.

"Bride" by Ali Hazelwood is a captivating paranormal romance that weaves together the intricate dynamics of Vampyres and Weres in a tale of forbidden love, political intrigue, and personal sacrifice.

Misery Lark, the daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman, finds herself thrust into a precarious situation when she's called upon to uphold a historic alliance between Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres. This alliance involves marrying Lowe Moreland, the Alpha Werewolf who rules his pack with both authority and justice. Misery and Lowe are from different worlds, and the tension between their species adds layers of complexity to their relationship.

The character development in this novel is exceptional. Misery is a strong and determined protagonist who is more than just a Vampyre bride; she has her own motivations and secrets. Lowe is portrayed as a complex Alpha who is not without his vulnerabilities. Their interactions are fraught with distrust and longing, making their slow-burning romance all the more engaging.

The world-building in "Bride" is richly detailed, immersing readers in a paranormal society filled with political maneuvering and deep-seated rivalries. The author does an excellent job of creating a believable and intriguing world where Vampyres and Weres coexist, even if it's not always peacefully.

Ali Hazelwood's writing is both witty and emotionally charged, and her storytelling keeps you invested in the characters and their journey. The plot is well-paced, with a blend of romance, action, and mystery that keeps the reader eagerly turning the pages.

At its core, "Bride" is a story about love overcoming prejudice and adversity. It explores themes of identity, sacrifice, and the power of choice. It's a romance that defies expectations and challenges societal norms, making it a compelling and thought-provoking read.

In conclusion, "Bride" is a beautifully crafted paranormal romance that will appeal to fans of the genre and beyond. Ali Hazelwood delivers a story that is not only passionate and enthralling but also explores deeper themes, making it a standout addition to the world of paranormal romance.