Member Reviews
I received this book early from Netgalley.
I really enjoy Ali Hazelwood's writing, so I was happy to hear that she was trying out Paranormal Romance.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the plot moved quickly and I LOVED Misery and Lowe. It was a fun romance that didn't have too much "will they won't they" where it gets annoying. If you already like Ali Hazelwood I would suggest this as a must read, even if you have never picked anything up by her you should start with this!
Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
I'm so excited that Ali Hazelwood stepped out of STEM romance to try something different! This was such a fun, almost contemporary twist on werewolves and vampires.
This definitely still felt like an Ali Hazelwood book. It had her classic brooding hero, misunderstanding/rivals dynamic, with loads and loads of chemistry. This might not be a high heat romance, but the tension is very (very) real.
I've seen this classified as "Omegaverse" and I will say that it is definitely not. This does not have the concept of Omegas at all in it. Just an alpha werewolf with a knot (if you don't know, Google at your own risk). For me Omegaverse is about the hierarchal dynamic, and this just doesn't have that. So I'd go into this expecting standard paranormal romance.
Overall I just had such a good time with this book. It's an addictive, bingeable read you won't ever want to put down. With lots of snark and brooding. If you want a FUN paranormal romance, as a break from the often more dark stories, definitely give this one a try!
If Ali Hazelwood wants to write paranormal romances forever that would be amazing. I grew up reading this genre, I'm looking at you Bitten by Kelley Armstrong, and happily gobbled up more in this genre. I really liked Misery and how strong she was in her search for Serena and everything else her life had thrown at her. ALSO Lowe??? Amazing 10/10 would recommend and watching their story evolve was a joy with some plot twists as well. I really really hope we get a Serena story sometime in the future.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.
I have read and loved almost all of Ali Hazelwood’s STEM romances, so I was excited to read her first foray into the supernatural world. Although I have read my share of supernatural fiction, I realized after finishing this that it hasn’t included much supernatural spicy fiction. And this was very spicy, as her books often are. There were a couple of kinks in here that were not really for me, though I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum. It wasn’t enough to put me off the book, but enough that I will be selective about my recommendations.
Otherwise, I loved the world-building, the found family aspect, the growth and development in the blood family aspect, and the slightly snarky sense of humor that Hazelwood always brings to her books.
Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was soooo fun!! It didn’t have as much romance as I thought it would, but I really liked it that way. The story was very interesting and totally sucked me in, and I loved the main relationship. Plus a bunch of the side characters were so lovely and cute! 4.5 rounded up as I felt like the ending was a little rushed.
🌈Queer rep: none
This was an interesting book! I always enjoy when the storyline is political so this was an interesting read. I’m excited for the series as a whole because I think it will be fun!
I enjoyed the ride that was this book. A lot of people are disappointed because this was marketed more as omegaverse because of the wolf know, but this one isn’t really.
I’m excited to see Ali branch out more!
I was… not expecting to laugh so much reading this! But what a treat. It was heavy on the rom and the com. I’m such an Ali fan (so NLOG)... and have loved every Aliverse book but Bride hits *differently*. I got introduced to the omegaverse during an Ali panel a couple years ago and now here she is introducing me to the *omegaverse*. Instantly obsessed. Misery is so easy to root for. From her childhood trauma to her adult trauma, you want her to get everything she wants and needs.
I fell hard and fast for the Vampyre vs Were world (where humans are still the bad guys lol) and was so anxious to see how Lowe would treat Misery in his company. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. He was the gentlest Alpha to ever exist but also scary and confident and very Alpha-y.
I loved the side characters, the mystery, the familial bonds. I was desperate to find out who to trust and how things would turn out. This was an all-around fun time. I reeeeallly hope we get more stories out of this universe.
Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for a gifted earc of Bride!
This is like nothing I’ve read by Ali Hazelwood and she nailed it! That was amazing. Chef’s kiss amazing! In fact, I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️
THANK YOU @berkleyromance for the ARC of Bride!
For Hazelwood’s first paranormal romance/urban fantasy, I was blown away. The urban fantasy world of vampyres and werewolves that Ali Hazelwood builds is so intriguing. So much so that I actually would’ve welcomed more world building. That being said, the characters are why I just love her writing. Misery is sweet and smart and spunky. Lowe is dreamy and steady and good. Falling in love with them both was a joy. And the plot! I couldn’t put this one down. I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next. Bride is fast paced and keeps you hooked.
The only criticisms I have are that there are:
1. Some choices made by the MCs that didn’t make sense to me, which I think would’ve benefited from further explanation.
3. I didn’t want Bride to end. I just wanted it to keep going.
Overall, Bride is captivating, spicy, and fun and I loved it!
LIKES:
📝 Fun, quirky, yet captivating writing
🌆 Urban fantasy
🐺 Werewolves
🧛🏼♀️ Vampyres
🌶️ Spicy!
💻 STEMinist
👻 Paranormal romance
💞 Found Family
I think fans of Ali Hazelwood who don’t read paranormal romance will like this, but fans of paranormal romance who don’t read Ali Hazelwood won’t enjoy this as much. The world building is lacking and I don’t think that’s something her writing has ever needed before. It’s a slow burn marriage of convenience, and the pacing definitely won’t work for everyone, but I was entertained enough to read it in one sitting/day. Also, while there’s a wolf shifter with a knot this is (k)not Omegaverse which I think got a little confused in the marketing.
Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for my copy to review.
Yes I read this spicy paranormal romance and I’m knot mad about it!
𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 revolves around the marriage of convenience between Misery, a vampire, and Lore, an Alpha werewolf. Their initial distrust towards each other leads to a slow-burn romance that eventually leads to…well, you know.
Despite their initial animosity, it becomes evident that Lore is actually infatuated with Misery. There’s lots of intrigue and a big cast of characters and the writing is very fast paced. Ali Hazelwood creates a world where supernatural beings coexist, adding an element of mystery to the story. Is 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 a life-changing book? No but it’s a fun and often sarcastic paranormal story that’s definitely very unique!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
I really wanted to love this so I went in with an open mind. I really enjoyed the set up of the book. Two different species having to form a peace alliance through marriage. I thought it was interesting to see how the author set up the vampire lore and how this affected our main characters way of life.
It was entertaining in the way that something is when you haven’t read much like it. I did enjoy the found family aspects, especially for someone who has never had a real place to call home.
However, it occurred to me that about half way in this book wasn’t for me. I was listening to the audio so it made it easier to finish but I just found this to be way over my spice preferences and could have done without ever knowing the intricacies of werewolf anatomy!
I also didn’t really ever feel like I got to know or connect to either of the main characters and most of the their relationship seemed to be built around attraction and an unseen pull…after that it was wham bam thank you ma’am for the rest of the ride. 😂 not my style. I also am still wondering what the plot of the book was…because werewolves hating vampires is “knot” enough for me.
This rating is personally based on my PERSONAL enjoyment of the book. I know others have loved this!
OMG. This book.
Unique.
Vampires and wolves - major twilight vibes.
Spicy.
QUOTES
My friend told me there was a weird part, and I would know when I got there, and she wanted my opinion on it.
I got to the weird part and the only thing I could say was “What the actual F???” LOL
If you read it, you know.
After entering an arranged marriage with the alpha werewolf, Lowe Moreland, Misery Lark, now trapped with werewolves, must find a way to be accepted amongst Lowe's people and find out the mystery that brought her to this arranged marriage. Now, as the only vampyre in a werewolf territory, she needs to find out who she can rely on and perhaps if Lowe Moreland can help her in her journey.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood was by far one of my favorite novels by her, especially the way she writes Misery. One of the big reasons why I gave Bride 5 stars was how unforgettable this book is. Not only did I read this in about two days, but, for quite a while, I couldn't stop thinking about Misery and Lowe. While this book focuses on Misery and Lowe's developing relationship especially as enemy species, it also holds quite the mystery that grows throughout the book. As this is a spoiler, one thing I'll say is that the way their relationship develops was a huge comfort for me. Ali Hazelwood really made me invested in not only the mystery and plot but loving characters that weren't Misery and Lowe. The side characters were also incredibly important and a big reason why this book was so much fun to read. By being able to experience how everyone, although werewolf, interacted with Misery made it so much more fun. Whether it was enemies to lovers or enemies to friendship, every relationship was such a key part of the story. Without all the involvements with the side characters and the way they played a prominent part to Misery's growth and personality, I think that this story wouldn't have been as captivating.
Next, Lowe. I loved him as a character. I felt like he was the right level of aggression and love. We see so much development throughout the book and how, even though Bride is only through Misery's point of view, we are still able to see his feelings and personality so well. From the start, we see how much he is affected by Misery, whether as his new wife or the fact that Misery is a vampyre and they don't get along with werewolves well at all. I appreciated how much depth he had as a character and as an alpha werewolf, Lowe was really level headed and really shined as a leader. And, as a love interest, I thought he was perfect. He was a huge reason as to why I loved this book so much. I felt that through watching him through Misery's point of view, we saw how much he changed and how Misery changed being with him. Although complete opposites, their chemistry, banter, conversations, and moments together were well written.
Overall, Bride thoroughly caught my attention. I found myself so engrossed with the story and loving the way Ali Hazelwood really brought so much immersion to the story and to the characters. I'm so glad that I was able to read this and enjoy Misery and Lowe and the world of Bride.
I knew that I was going to love this book before I picked it up and it did not disappoint! I absolutely loved this book! LOVED!
This book was a work of ART!!
I've never read a paranormal romance before, and I was a bit nervous going into it. However, I quickly fell in love with this book and the characters. Misery was such a fun protagonist and the romance was so perfectly angsty and full of tension. I loved the world this took place in and I really hope that Ali Hazelwood will revisit it one day in the future! This has inspired me to enter my paranormal romance era <3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
5🌟 - I loved it!
No surprise here, I loved it!! I am a @alihazelwood fan through and through and will read anything she writes!
I hope this becomes a series, because I need more of it! This has such a fun and creative plot, and I loved Misery and Lowe! I loved all the side characters and thought this was so fun on audio! The angst, the slow burn, the banter!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this advanced copy.
This was my first Omegaverse AND Ali Hazelwood novel. And, oh boy, was it an adventure! 😂
First of all, it is immediately clear what a talented writer Hazelwood is. I was hooked within the first couple of minutes! For the majority of the novel, the story was not much different from other vampire/werewolf books I’ve read. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I just did not yet understand how the omegaverse was different from other fantasy type novels ….
I patiently awaited THE scene everyyyyyyone was talking about. 🪢 The Joyful Chaos Book Club group chat previously went OFFFFFF with all the joyfully chaotic comments about this scene. When I got to what I assumed was the scene, I thought, “OH! THAT’s how it’s different! 😮 Okay, no biggie.” I mean it was certainly not green pepper spice, but it was nowhere near ghost pepper content like I had heard others refer to it as. I would say it was more jalapeño spicy …
Then, I got to the end of the book. And that’s where I uncovered the omegaverse territory I had been seeking. Y’all … I’m not gonna lie … And I might break a few JCBC hearts in the process (sorry!!) … but … I laughed … audibly. And I’m not sure what that says about me. 😆
Please know, this is not a bad review AT ALL!! I LOVED this book! It was completely hooked all the way through. I’m just not sure the genre is my cup of tea. If you’re at all intrigued, definitely give this one a try!
If anyone was going to get me to be obsessed with a vampyre/were romance, it's my queen Ali Hazelwood. She could literally publish her grocery list and I'm like plz take my money.
This book has everything: forbidden romance, marriage of convenience, fated mates, a missing person mystery, sibling bonds, betrayals, a world with a hierarchal system and centuries of bad blood between societies. And I ate it all up.
I loved Mallory and Lowe, I found their chemistry to be fantastic. Ali knows how to write impactful lust scenes that leave the reader breathless for the two romantic leads to just do it already. But I also loved this world we were immersed in and all of the side characters. I often struggle with paranormal romances because these new worlds don't make sense to me, but this one was easy to grasp. I've heard that there is a second book for this one and I am so damn excited for it.
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for this advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I DID NOT ANTICIPATE THAT AN OMEGA-VERSE READ WOULD HAVE ME ON MY KNEES LIKE THIS.🧎🏽♀️
as a huge lover of the STEMinist series by AH, I was very excited to try something different from her but I really did NOT think it would end up as my FAVORITE work of hers!
Bride is packed with a seamless blend of absolute fun, tension filled/slow-burn spice, and a charming tenderness that Ali has PERFECTED!
Everything we love about Ali’s writing is there — the banter, the broody and pining MMC who genuinely LIKES AND LOVES their FMC, and the incredibly clueless FMC who misses all the signs of said love — with the addition of a juicy mystery unraveling in the midst an unstable, supernatural peace treaty. PERFECTION.
Misery has got to be my new favorite FMC by Ali! Her dedication to her chosen family makes her, even as a Vampire, one of the most relatable and completely grounded characters Ali has gifted us.
Lowe is the perfect blend of moody, broody, and gentle. Everything we love in a big, grumpy MMC! the TENSION 🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾✨
This was such an exciting divergence from what we know and love from Ali that is totally worth the read! I can’t wait to see what everything thinks about it when it’s released!