I REALLY wanted to love this one. The concept is so unique (to me, anyway). And it’s set in Scottish lore, something I’m not familiar with, so I was excited to dive into something different than my standard fae romantasies.

Unfortunately, The Wrong Bride fell flat for me. The plot was too thin and the characters were too one-dimensional. A plucky heroine just wasn’t enough to carry it for me.

Let’s start with the plot. Elizabeth is an American tourist in Scotland who gets drugged by Isobel so Isobel can swap bodies with her (referred to as soul switching). Elizabeth wakes up in Isobel’s body, married to Callan, king of the Scottish berserkers. Callan - and all of his court & subjects - clearly dislikes and distrusts Isobel, but he believes Isobel/Elizabeth is his fated mate (called a fire brand). It turns out soul switching is super taboo and carries a death sentence for all involved, so she can’t tell Callan the truth. So poor body-swapped Elizabeth - who has a big crush on her hubby - has to pretend to be Isobel and figure out how to gain his trust. She ALSO has to deal with the real Isobel upending her life back in the US and blackmailing her for money. Not to mention a shape shifter who’s out to destroy Callan.

Sounds interesting, right? Unfortunately, the way it plays out was not…at least, not for me.
• The only expectation of a fire brand is to keep her fated berserker calm. That’s it. So she has to…be his peace?
• Also, almost every rule is broken. The risks we were told exist? Dismissed without repercussions. The danger of certain things happening? Don’t worry about it. It’s cool. The stakes just didn’t matter after a while.
• And by the end, the soul-switching just felt like a convenient plot device.

Despite all of this, I do plan to read book 2. I just really hope things tighten up in The Stolen Bride.

Overall this was a good and interesting book. I found the character development worked, the story while totally in a fantasy realm in modern day time was unique for me. Not a normal genre that I read.

Narration was good, few spots it was hard for me to stay in the story.

Overall good book, would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

I am definitely in the minority, but I hated the breathy narration. I almost DNF because of this but stayed for the story. I think I would have liked it better if I had read the book.

A cute paranormal romance set in Scotland.
Ell is on vacation in Scotland, hoping to live out her Scottish Highland romance fantasy, when she suddenly wakes up in the wrong body. She finds herself married to a Berserker King who hates her guts, and she has to navigate a whole new magical world filled with dangers-especially her husband.
Surprisingly, this book had a lot of plot and tension without relying on any spice.
Ell was a totally relatable book girl with a lot of personality.
The narration of the audiobook gave the book a lot of character and even made some of the cringeworthy scenes enjoyable. I especially loved the use of accents, which made it feel like a more visual Scottish romance adventure.
Overall, I had a lot of fun listening to The Wrong Bride.

⭐⭐⭐.5
What an unexpectedly delightful paranormal romance. At it's core a basic fantasy of many married to a rich sexy man with a thick accent, and he leaves you alone to read all day, and yet it was still an interesting ride. This book doesn't have spice and it really didn't need it. The world building wasn't extensive but enough to paint the picture and keep the story flowing through it. It does say book one so maybe we will continue the world building in book two? Side characters were hit and miss and only really started to have any meaning on the main plot at the end.

What lost stars for me was the ending. <spoiler>I will just break my own laws and everyone else is seemingly going to look the other way???? Not a fan of that and would actually read book two to see if that comes up again. Also, just letting the ex get away made my eyes roll while wondering if that will be apart of some minor future plot line as well. Regardless of what he says about how he feels towards her.</spoiler> I guess all over the lack of consequences and deeper questioning in this book was just not my vibe.

I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator, Mhairi Morrison was fantastic. Her perfect accents made this a joy to listen to, and you really felt like you were actually in Elle's head and living this story as her. If she narrates book two I will definitely be listening if nothing else, to hear her lovely voice again.

💙Body swap
🤍Fated Mates
💙Immortals
🤍Enemies to lovers

ALC provided by Dreamscape media via Netgalley, so I could write this honest review. All opinions are my own.

I tried so hard to like Callen more, but with all of his past relationships and history, I found it hard to want Elle to be with him. I enjoyed the plot of this book and the fantasy feel you get, but I was left wanting more explanation of Berserkers and Callen’s history with his brother.. I hope to continue reading on with this series as it has so much potential!

This book is quite a wild ride. Freaky Friday meets wolf shifters meets forced marriage. I honestly couldn't put it down because of all the wild twists. Does it make any logical sense in the world? No. Was it a fun time? Yes, yes absolutely.

I have been wanting to read a book by Showalter for years and honestly thought I had, but it turns out I have only admired their works on my TBR (To Be Read) list. So, I was excited to listen to this audiobook by the duo Showalter and Monroe.

The story takes place in Scotland, where Oklahoma native Elizabeth Darcy is preparing to return to the States after a vacation. While waiting at a table before her flight, a red-headed woman joins her. The next thing Elizabeth knows, she wakes up in the redhead's body and is married to a King—the King of the Scotland Berserkers. As Elizabeth tries to figure out how to return to her body, she must navigate the strange world she has been thrust into.

This book is intriguing and reminiscent of the early 2000s in tone, which I personally enjoyed, as those book series were my favorites! It's fitting since both authors began their careers during that time. I love the sarcasm, wit, and banter throughout. Elizabeth's inner voice is as chaotic as my own.

The romance aspect is decent; it revolves around a fated mates concept, so there’s some supernatural chemistry at play. However, Elizabeth is charming enough for both herself and her love interest, Callen. Although the romance is sweet, it remains minimal, and surprisingly, there is no spice in this book, which might catch readers off guard since both authors are known for their steamy work.

The whole soul-swapping situation is supposedly punishable by death, yet it seems to happen more frequently than one would expect. Additionally, there was quite a bit of repetition that could have been edited to enhance the pacing and keep the story on track. The ending felt rushed; everything happened so quickly that it was explained away in a whirlwind of complications.

The narrator, Morrison, does a fantastic job of bringing Elle's personality to life. Her American accent is also quite good!

Overall, this book is fun, different, and interesting. It's worth a read if you enjoy stories featuring a strong female main character who doesn't back down when faced with a man who could literally kill her.

A big thank you to Dreamscape Media,, Netgalley, Gena Showalter, and Jill Monroe for giving me this ARC in return for my honest review!

This book was delightful! Whimsical, funny, and an easy listen. It follows Elizabeth Darcy who is tricked into swapping bodies with a woman named Isabel. She wakes up to discover she’s married to a broody billionaire who hates his new wife and doesn’t believe her when she tries to explain what’s going on. Not only that, he’s the ancient king of a group of berserkers who are in the middle of a war with evil wolf shifters. She does everything she can to get back into her own body and salvage her life from Isabel’s mishandling.

This audiobook is so easy to listen to and follow along. The narrator did a great job with her different voices, emoting, pacing and overall keeping the narration expressive and fun.

I loved reading this book, I found myself laughing out loud at a few different parts. The fact that she was a teacher and kept trying to use tactics for dealing with ornery children on rude adults was especially funny to me. The topic as a whole I think is hard to write; she’s in the body of someone who has done some pretty terrible things to the people around her and Elizabeth has to not only deal with the fallout but also figure out exactly what those terrible things were. It’s also hard falling in love with someone who can’t see what you really look like. Every time he compliments her there’s a question of whether it’s her he’s interested in, or the body she’s occupying. That being said, I think the authors did a really good job navigating all of these different hurdles and produced a well written, enjoyable read. I can see that they intend this to be a series and I look forward to reading more in this universe.

I was unfortunately left with quite a few questions at the end of the book that I do not expect to be resolved in sequels. (My guess is that this series will be interconnected stand-alones following each of the berserker kings finding their loves.) There a lot going on before the story even begins; there is a bargain made between Isabel and Callen that we don’t really get the full details of, Isabel did a lot of messed up stuff to Callen and his family that is never really fully explained, and there are some events in the book that I couldn’t tell if they really happened or they were faked by the antagonist. In this world it is a death sentence to swap bodies with someone so Elizabeth can’t really get to the bottom of why they’re married or what is going on around her. She does get some information but I would have liked to get a tidy explanation.

That being said, I still give this book 3.75 stars, (rounded up to 4). All spice in this book is behind closed doors, so I would rate it 0 out of 5 on a spice scale. I really enjoyed listening to this book and if you’re looking for a whimsical romantasy, you’ll like it too!

love Gena Showalter books but if you are looking for a lot of spice this isn’t for you. It was a good story so I had no problem finished reading it. This was a easy read and a page turner for me. I love the storyline and there were definitely twists that I didn’t expect.
If you enjoy body swapping, twists and turns are fun and unpredictable and a broody grumpy sunshine this book is for you. I didn’t enjoy the narrator. She does well with accents however I did listen to it at a quicker speed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had so many emotions listening to it and honestly if their is another book in the series i am looking forward to reading it as well. I love reading because of all the places books take you too, but i especially enjoyed this little trip to Scotland. I had fun readin it. You have done a great job guys. Congratulations......
I have made a review of this novel and it will be available on our website sometime in the coming week if you are interested in checking it out.

Thank you @genashowalter @jillmonroebooks @dreamscape_media and @netgalley for the ALC (Advance Listener Copy)

I really enjoyed this listen! It had Outlander Vibes with a modern aesthetic plus a sprinkle of wolves and Norse Mythology.

The narrators cadence was a smidge slow, but once bumped up to 1.5 it was a good listen. I found her variety of accents and voices to be perfect!

I give this series starter 4.5 stars. If only this book had come out in the era of Black Dagger Brotherhood and the Fever Series! It’s right on par with both of them!

I enjoyed the premise of body swapped. The twists and turns were fun and unpredictable! The MMC has broody grumpy sunshine down to an art! The FMC is smart and quickly rolls with the punches.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an easy to follow storyline, good narrative inflection and an escape to Scotland!

#netgalley #netgalleyreads #thewrongbride #jillmonroebooks #genashowalter #kingsoffuryseries

The premise was so good, and I was invested on how Elle was gonna to resolve the soul-switching thing, but this book has end up being like a parody.

Isobel and Elle's characters were so stereotyped, the bad bad girl who drinks and dresses up, vs the good good girl who reads and wears jeans. And the end? Its confusing and cliché. It was like watching a bad soap.

I give it three stars and no less because I liked the book at first, and I enjoyed some scenes. Id recomend it if youre in search of a book with loads of drama and wattpad vibes.

The narrator was good, I liked the way she talks. She acts, not solely read the lines.

4.25 Stars

I really didn't know what to expect when I hit play on this audio ARC. I really haven't read much from Ms. Showalter - I think I've read a book here and there - but she is not one of my go to authors.

The plot on this book was definitely unique. We get to meet Elizabeth “Elle” Darcy. She is a special needs teacher who has saved for most of her life to take a trip to Scotland (she REALLY has a thing for men in kilts). Anyway, on the last day of her vacation she is about to head to the airport to catch her flight home when a strange woman sits down next to her. After asking her some really weird questions, the last thing she remembers is that things become very fuzzy.

Elle wakes up the next morning in a strange place, in a wedding dress no less, and does not remember how she got there. Top it off with the fact that when her supposed new husband walks in, it becomes VERY apparent that he can NOT stand her. Oh, did I forget to explain that she no longer looks like herself? She is in the body of that strange woman that she met the day before (think Freaky Friday). After struggling to understand what the heck is going on, she immediately tells this man that she is not his wife “Isobel”, and that she doesn't know him. When that doesn’t work, she tries to run. Oh, things become difficult when she discovers that she is in a CASTLE, with bodyguards, a butler, a chauffeur and full staff…..but unfortunately finds that they all work for HIM.. It is very easy to dislike our MMC at the very beginning, before we get to know him, because to be honest, he really is awful to her.

Apparently Isobel was an awful, AWFUL person whom everyone hates (for very good reason). None of the things that Elle tries (screaming that she’s been kidnapped, saying she’s not Isobel, trying to escape) well, none of it works because Isobel ( the real Isobel)was extremely cunning and spent the prior few months doing things just like that in preparation of making the switch - changing her accent, acting like she had amnesia, behaving in a crazy manner and just a bunch of kooky things to make her husband frustrated enough to think that this is her latest attempt to annoy him.

We eventually discover that what she did, it’s called a “soul switch” - dark, dark magic that has been outlawed for centuries and is PUNISHABLE BY DEATH for BOTH PARTIES (regardless of whether or not both parties knew about it in advance). *Yikes!*

And let me say that Isobel (the lady that was SUPPOSED to marry our enigmatic billionaire and MMC Callen Bruce), is straight up evil. The kind of self centered, narcissistic psychopath that is just scary. Elle realizes very quickly that if she is here in Scotland, then this lady must be in her own REAL body living her life (probably screwing up her life) in her home back in Oklahoma in the United States. She is completely terrified when Isobel threatens the life of her best friend - her mother- saying that if she does not continue to play along, something long, painful and terrifying will happen to her mom.

Little by little, Elle begins to learn that this is a whole NEW world that she is exposed to. Immortal shifters, Berserkers, magic and the craziest thing of all….Callen is the KING of the Berserkers! Things move very quickly with this story line. There is action, drama, and intrigue. Okay, no more plot summaries.

One of the only things that bothered me was that there was maybe a bit TOO much mental introspection from Elle (we are in her POV to be fair ) but her moods and her "plans" changed many, many times. They went from one plan to another, to another, sometimes so quickly that it made my head spin. There were times when I wanted to just say, "enough already..." But, for the most part, this was an extremely fun and easy listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This audio ARC will be out for publication on Feb 25, 2025.

ALC REVIEW
Title: The Wrong Bride
Author: Gena Showalter, Jill Monroe
Narrator: Mhairi Morrison
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This is a 3.5⭐️ for me!

Overview: Elizabeth "Elle" Darcy is vacationing in Scotland when she meets Isobel. She loses consciousness while talking to her and wakes up as Isobel during her wedding to Callen Bruce, the Berserker King. She tries to find a way to return to her life, but realizes it's not as easy to do when she seems to be bonded with her abrupt husband and liking the life she is learning in this new world.

Tags & Triggers: The story is generally light but has violence, manipulation, deception, death of family (off page), gaslighting, and trickery

Thoughts: It was an easy paranormal romance to listen to and I liked Elle's voice as a protagonist. She is pretty witty with her dialogue and found ways to make the most out of her situation. The dynamic she has with Callen was easy and I liked that her skill as a special education teacher was used to bond with his daughter.

I also enjoyed the lore around the firebrand and soul switching. This makes the history of the world a bit more interesting with why soul switching is forbidden. It also seems to be the start of a series so I think Tavish and Sorcha will come back to wreck more havoc in the future books.

I thought it was sweet overall, but I also thought there were moments when it was a bit disjointed with how the romance evolved.

Mhaira Morrison also did a good job narrating this story as a single narration audio.

Definitely recommended to those who like paranormal romances with tension but no open door scenes.

Pick this up if you're looking for:
❣️Paranormal romance
❣️Body switching
❣️Fated mates
❣️Forced proximity
❣️Urban lore
❣️No spice

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for being given a chance get an ALC of this book. All opinions on this book is my own.

The premise of this book had me hooked. Going on a singles vacation to Scotland, getting body swapped and kidnapped and married to a mythological berserker billionaire? Sign me up.

The narration was fantastic! I really enjoyed the different voices the narrator made for the characters.

The story felt a little disjointed at times but there were a few instances where it gave me a similar feeling to bride. Also I never seemed to know what would happen next and it kept me guessing until the end. The tension was delicious but I feel like I would struggle more than Elle did about a man falling in love with me while I’m in another woman’s body.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced listeners copy.

The writing felt too immature for me, and the narrator was a miss as well. The premise sounded really good but the execution didn't land.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be an interesting take on body swapping and along with the berserker mythology, it made for a unique paranormal romance. As a main character, Elle relies on her wit and teacher sensibilities to navigate this life she finds herself dumped into. And swoon worthy Callen fills the Scottish berserker king role well.

The storyline felt well paced to me and their growing attraction felt more natural than the insta-lust you usually see with fated mate tropes. A bit of twist and turns made it fun to listen to but it was somewhat predictable at times.

This is the first audiobook that I have listened to by Mhairi Morrison and I would not hesitate to pick up another by her.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

While this book explored intriguing themes, I had a hard time connecting with the story. However, that is obviously on me, and not the book. I recognize that it has great potential to appeal to other readers and I encourage others to try it out! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

I loved this quick paranormal fantasy read. Elizabeth is on a vacation in Scotland when she is soul switched with Isobel on the eve of Isobels wedding to King Calum. But Calum is awful and Elizabeth has her work cut out for her to keep the secret that she is not the real Isobel and to stay alive.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5