Member Reviews
This was SO fun, I absolutely loved it!!! Supernatural romance is not my typical read, but I’m so so so glad I gave this one a chance! A fun revamp on old school lore, a hysterical, sarcastic FMC (reminds me of some Emily Henry FMCS), and some supernatural spice! Well done, Ali Hazelwood! I’m very excited to see what other kinds of stories (supernatural, STEM or otherwise) she has up her sleeve!
[#adpr] Thank you so much to @littlebrownbookgroup_uk and @yourswithlovex for this gorgeous hardback advance copy of Ali’s newest fantasy debut, Bride. My review is honest.
∙ R E V I E W ∙
I absolutely adored Ali’s fantasy debut. I flew through this in two days, and didn’t want to leave the house at one point I was so engrossed.
I was drawn straight into the story the moment I met Misery - a witty, sarcastic Vampyre. Proud and stubborn, she is also fiercely loyal to those close to her. 🧛🏻♀️
Let’s not forget about Lowe - the Alpha Were, and Misery’s husband. He is quiet yet watchful, doesn’t miss a thing and will put everyone before him. I adored him. 🐾
This book is filled with mystery and intrigue with so much sarcastic banter that you cannot help but just laugh so much. The interactions between Lowe and Misery were brilliant, and between Misery and Ana (who is the cutest character ever!).
Once again, Ali has written a strong, independent female character who is having to fight in a difficult world. She has nailed it and I know I will re-read this over and over.
Read if you like:
❤️ Marriage of convince
🖤 He falls first
❤️ Forced proximity
There may be a day that comes where I don't rate an Ali Hazelwood 5 stars but it isn't today! Everything just worked, the plot, characters, romance--it all came together so well. I like so much that you can see her fanfic roots so much in Bride but in a way I think is accessible and enjoyable to non-fanfiction readers. It's also incredibly sexy and fun. Ali Hazelwood remains an all time favorite!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was such a surprising delight! I could not put it down and was thoroughly entertained. There were a few things at the end I wish happened differently, but overall this is one of my most favorite recent reads. I'll be reading more Ali Hazelwood in the future - and really hope she continues to do paranormal romance.
I’m sorry. Did an omegaverse book just sweep the spot as my favorite Ali Hazelwood? Yes, yes it did. This book gives so much to the trope gods. Arranged Marriage, Forced Proximity, Touch her and Die, protective big brother, knots…. oops - Did I say knots?
Anyway - this book is a wild, fun read, a surprisingly slow burn, with heavy heat through the second half. Highly recommended for the Twilight teens who grew up wanting a little spice in their books!
When I learned Ali Hazelwood, the queen of swoon-worthy STEM romances and my favorite romance author of all-time, was releasing a paranormal romantasy starring a werewolf-vampire arranged marriage, I was on the floor and so excited to read this book. Have I already pre-ordered 2 different special edition copies? Yes...don't judge.
Misery Lark's marriage of convenience with broodingly handsome werewolf Alpha, Lowe Moreland was electric, filled with tension both delicious and dangerous. Ali Hazelwood masters the art of slow burn, weaving witty banter and simmering attraction into a tapestry that kept me glued to the page. It took several chapters for the enemies to actually become lovers, but when they did, I simply couldn't get enough of it.
Also, if you've ever thought Ali Hazelwood's contemporary romances were spicy....Bride sets the entire book on FIRE. Maybe it's the forbidden romance or all the built up tension, but the spicy scenes between Misery and Lowe were truly built up until the final chapter.
Beyond the romance, I had so much fun diving into the mystery and world that Ali Hazelwood has created. She takes a fun spin on what we know about paranormal creatures, and truthfully, my only wish is that this book was part of a larger series and not just a standalone. There's so much backstory I would love to dive deeper into, and all the characters could stand on their own as main characters of their own novels. It's been a while since I had so much fun reading a fantasy romance that captivated me and reminded me of my early days as a paranormal fantasy lover, but Ali Hazelwood is bringing me back.
Overall, this book a perfect blend of romance, fantasy, and humor, with characters you can't help but root for. If you're looking for a daring escape filled with sizzling chemistry, witty dialogue, and a dash of the supernatural, then sink your teeth into Bride!
5 stars. This book was so good. Learned so much about werewolves and the omegaverse. This was my first book like this and I LOVED IT. The plot was entertaining. The tension between Lowe and Misery. The Vampyre / Were dynamics. I was here for it all. And know I know all about knots (smirky face). Will forever be recommending this book and anything Ali Hazelwood because I love her as an author and all of her writing is so unique!
I am not a paranormal romance reader but since I have read other Ali Hazelwood books, I thought this would be a good gateway book. The story was interesting and the world building is accessible (but why did vampire need to be spelled with a y) and I did enjoy the book overall. My biggest gripe is that though the subject matter is completely different, I feel like all of Ali's characters are the kind of carbon copy characters of one another and would have loved for some fresh personalities.
Many thanks to Berkley & Netgalley for the ARC.
I I LOVED the characters & plot for this book (a political, arranged marriage between a vampire & werewolf). the best kind of hehe haha, kicking your feet, giggling, kind of romance. a very fun time!
for me personally, something just felt missing. i wish i could pinpoint it exactly. maybe it was the story and how it all unfolded but i just needed more. the story didn’t click for me which is why my rating isn’t amazing. read this for a fun time!
Absolutely loved this book! It was everything I wanted and more from Ali and a paranormal romance. I cannot wait for the next book!
This book was fantastic. My only complain is that the first couple of chapters were disorienting. I wasn't sure where I was, who was speaking, what was happening, and it made me want to put down the book. I'm glad I stuck with it though! The banter, the character development, everything was so great!
I’ve loved all of the contemporary rom-coms that I’ve read from this author, so I was excited to see a vampire-werewolf variation outside of her typical genre. However, this isn’t quite what I had in mind. Maybe in my naïveté I was expecting an Edward-Bella situation or something. 😂
The main plot of this book is the relationship between the Vampyre bride and her Werewolf groom, which eventually ends up being completely taken over by their physical attraction and intimacy. There’s a small investigative mystery subplot that interested me, but it was overshadowed by the physical interactions between the MCs.
I loved the tone and comedic air of the writing, I just think my expectations were inaccurate for the reality of what this was. I haven’t read much (if any?) other primarily paranormal romance books and it just might not be for me! I’m sure many readers will love this style.
I listened to this via audiobook and enjoyed the performance. Thank you @prhaudio for the advanced review copy. I had no complaints with the narrator!
Perfect for you if you like:
Vampyre + Werewolf paranormal romance
Spice begins to overshadow plot
Quirky and humorous tone
Enemies to lovers
Ali Hazelwood just keeps proving she thrives in every genre she chooses to write. This was captivating from page one. Everything about Bride was amazing. I had the time of my life and can’t wait to read more paranormal from her!
I don’t have the words to describe how much I loved this book. Classic Ali Hazelwood blended with paranormal aspects and that essence of fan fiction that sucks one into the writing so much that it’s hard to stop reading or escape the world that’s been built up! I absolutely loved Misery and Lowe’s relationship, from their awkward marriage to their blazing chemistry and eventually their deep newfound love. I also loved the pack dynamics and the cutest little kid you could think up (Lowe may not be a “single dad” but that trope was semi-present too).
(k)Not everyone’s cup of tea I’m sure, but as someone who has read this genre within fanfic it hit the spot just right. It’s not a fantasy romance, people. It’s urban paranormal. There doesn’t have to be tons of world building or super fantasy-like descriptions of the various creatures. The descriptions of vamp and were society are just right.
Thank you PRH international for the arc!
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! My actual rating is 4.5 stars but I rounded up. I was honestly a bit weary that Ali went a different route with this book but honestly Ms Ali Hazelwood just has me in a chokehold!! I usually don't love the fated mate trope but I feel like it was done very well here. I also loved Misery's relationship with Ana :( ♡
OBSESSSSSSED OMG do I need to start reading werewolf smut?!?! I was VERY skeptical but after seeing a trusted reviewer rave about this, I had to try. I adored this book from start to finish and couldn't put it down. A welcome reprieve from the STEM trope she loves but wow, I hope there is a book 2! Highly recommend. This one is for the quasi-fantasy girlies who liked Fourth Wing but can't handle ACOTAR.
A seriously fun paranormal romance read that wraps mystery, intrigue and the threat of war throughout the story! Everyone knows that werewolves and vampyres (the author's spelling of vampires so I feel like I need to use it too!) don't mix, but what if you need to in order to save your people from war? Toss in some humans with dubious motives at best and you have a tenuous and explosive situation in hand. Then take a sweet, smart and sarcastic woman who has been used as collateral her entire life by her father to the betterment of his people and a strong, menacing Alpha werewolf and force them to wed. Yep, you guessed it! A very rocky marriage that has some interesting surprises in store for your reading pleasure! Toss in some traitors in the midst and backroom dealings to try and cause a war so you have suspense on top of romance! I am absolutely in love with the relationships that have been woven between the characters, but I have to say the female lead is one of my all-time favorites. I love that she is written to think she has no feelings, but her actions show a whole other truth! This was my first book from this author, but I'll definitely be looking for more from her and especially hoping that we'll get more of these characters as it appears there might be another mate match in the future!
Bride was my first book by Ali Hazelwood and I must say, it surprised me positively in many ways.
From the very beginning, I found myself drawn towards Misery's character - she was so funny and relatable! I loved her dry and dark sense of humor. Lowe's character was also really likeable, and I appreciated that he wasn't your typical Alpha character (namely, an arrogant, self-important a$$hole), but someone who was introspective and caring. I also enjoyed the short snippets of his perspective at the start of each chapter.
The world-building, albeit not super-detailed, was pretty coherent and the mystery subplot kept me hooked.
Initially, I thought this book was headed towards being a 5-star read for me, but I ended up rating it 4⭐ (paradoxically!) because of the romance element.
While Misery and Lowe were perfect for each other on paper, their chemistry just didn't come through for me as much as I wanted it to. I was expecting a glorious slow-burn, but instead, they kind of just fell into each other with minimal lead-up. I wasn't a fan of the miscommunication trope either, and the whole "knot thing" (you know what I mean if you read it) was definitely cringey and, in my opinion, plot-wise unnecessary.
Despite these minor qualms, I still found the book to be an enjoyable read, and I definitely plan on reading more of Ali Hazelwood's books!
Bride by Ali Hazelwood was another notch in her belt of good books! Her switch to paranormal in this one was perfect as her loyal readers will follow her lead as to what they'll read. This book had good chemistry, some characters to despise, a few good twists that surprised me and a steamy chemistry between two MCs.
Loved it!
This was seriously so fun!
I didn’t really know what to expect, but I had a great time with it. I thought it was funny, had lots of romantic tension, and was mysterious!
I liked that even though it was a single POV, we did get glimpses into the male MC’s head.
I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a different romance!