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Member Reviews

Let your freak flag fly in this Twilight inspired novel about a vampire and a werewolf getting it on like Donkey Kong. A fun little romp from Hazelwood's normal STEAMy romances, but still entertaining and sexy as hell.

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I found the first 50% they weren't enemies, they weren't lovers, they were just.... there. The second half was better, and I can see why people love it. Unfortunately, I did not. I think because there species were enemies it was a lot of implied moments that they were enemies, but both had already said they didn't really follow their species' belief systems so it didn't make sense.

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I would like this injected into my veins. This book is—like all Ali Hazelwood books—laced with drugs. It’s addictive, and seductive.

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This being Hazelwood's first foray into the world of fantasy, I was both excited and anxious to see how she would handle the new genre. I have to say, I'm not sure this one worked for me.

Hazelwood is well known for her grumpy x sunshine duos, but she switches that out this time for a grumpy x grumpy combo that felt a bit repetitive at times. While side characters helped to relieve some of the monotony, overall I was underwhelmed by this story and the romance compared to other books of hers I've read.

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My Rating : 4/5
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Honestly, Misery was one of my favorite Ali's Female main characters, and her relationship with Ana and Serena was the best. She was so effortlessly funny, snarky and cynical, and the way she riled up people made me laugh out loud. Though I absolutely hated the 3rd act breakup, I really liked that ending and the way karma gave back! ( Iykyk)
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Thank you PRH International & Netgalley for the gifted arc !

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As I expected, I flew through this book in a day. The writing is so fun and funny that I really didn't want to put it down. It was surprisingly a lot more sweet than I was expecting, but I kinda loved that.

By about 50% I was sitting there thinking to myself, "didn't people say the spice was positively scandalous?". I knew there was the presence of a certain something in the book (which is foreshadowed by Hazelwood herself in the dedication lmao). But I had yet to see any such shocking spice myself. No sooner did I think "where's the spice, friends?" then the book was like "it's me, hi". It's not really wild if you've read any kind of romantasy before, like say with blue aliens? But for a romantasy novice it could be.

The one thing I felt a little disappointed with was the climax (no pun intended). The conflict felt rushed and out of character, or maybe it's just the kind of conflict that I don't tend to prefer in my romance books. While I'm a little sad about the ending, overall I did really enjoy the book and I'm absolutely going to read whatever Ali Hazelwood publishes next.

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one thing about ali, she knows how to have a good time!! this book was so different from her others and i'm not mad at it! hoping we get more books like this from her in the future😭

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I have loved every single one of Ali's work and this was no exception! You're in for a treat if you love Ao3 fanfics and of course, you have to enjoy every single bit of this book. This is not for everyone, so please check content warnings before picking up!

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This book explored intriguing romantic themes! I usually love monster romance! However, I had a hard time connecting with the story and that is obviously on me and not the book. I recognize that it has great potential to appeal to other romance 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.

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I think Ali Hazelwood needs to write more fantasy. I've enjoyed a good amount of her books, but this one was so fun and unserious despite having stakes and I really think this is her forte. Everyone freaking out about knotting is dull and boring and useless and has never been in a fandom. Like sorry, in the book world, you're the weirdo. Anyway.

Misery Lark is a vampire getting an arranged political marriage to Lowe, leader of the werewolves. She's spent a good chunk of her life living with humans, so her time back in what I would call the ~magical world~ isn't going that well for her. I mean, her dad shipped her off like cattle the first second he could. I do not think this book is enemies to lovers like some of the reviews say, they're both attracted to each other from the start. This isn't just a romance though, there's somewhat of an underlying plot, where Misery is trying to figure out what happened to her missing friend, Serena. Lowe helps too.

Romance (and smut) happens, discoveries are made and it's a fun time! I love all the side characters too, especially Ana and Koen (werewolf niece and werewolf friend). We don't see many vampire characters in general, but Misery and her brother have a good bond despite spending years separated from each other.

Overall: it's fun! Like don't take it so seriously.

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I was a little hesitant to read this one- I've enjoyed Ali Hazelwood in the past, but this is the first paranormal romance she's written and they aren't always my favorite. I admit that I was wrong- this book was amazing and I couldn't put it down. Misery, a Vampyre, has agreed to marry Lowe, the Alpha Were, in order to form an alliance between their territories. I love marriage of convenience stories and this one was so well done. I can't wait to see what she does in the sequel!

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Fav read of 2024. What a gem. No notes. This was amazing. I cannot wait for more in this series. Bride was everything that I wanted from a werewolf/vampire romance and I've read it so many times.

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Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy of this title.

I really enjoyed this book. Different than what I have come to expect from Hazelwood but delightful.

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This was really fun! I've never read an Ali Hazelwood book before, but I thought the world was pretty well thought out all things considered. I'd like to see her do more in this world, in fact, think she will!

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Bride by Ali Hazelwood is a paranormal romance that explores the dynamics between Misery Lark, a Vampyre, and Lowe Moreland, an Alpha Werewolf, in a marriage of convenience.

As newly minted omegaverse fanfiction enthusiast, I was intrigued by this premise. But while the book had its enjoyable moments, it didn't fully meet my expectations. The romance followed familiar patterns, but didn’t really deliver on the omegaverse part lol.

Additionally, certain plot developments felt predictable, and the pacing was uneven at times. While it was a fun read, it didn't completely satisfy my craving for a trad pub omegaverse story.

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I have seen a lot of differing opinions on this one but I enjoyed the writing and the banter. It is this author's first paranormal romance. I wouldn't say it is special in the genre but it has her humor and is a good fun read.

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Okay fanfiction queen.This was interesting one from Ali Hazelwood. Not my favorite but a lot of my friends liked it and actually loved it.

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One of my favorite reads this year. Ali Hazelwood never disappoints me, but her fantasy debut is made of my dreams. I loved the signature level of pining and angst and tension that was present, but also the plot devices that sped the relationship along a bit. I honestly don't have much to say because I have no critiques. I did absolutely love the motherly relationship between misery and Lowe's sister and I also was left wanting a sequel with the way the book ended. I hope Ali Hazelwood plans of expanding this universe in the future!

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Misery is a character I've immediately loved. She is so grumpy and has a great dark humor! Also, she is beautiful and a computer genius (hacker). And a vampire, of course. But somehow she does not feel at home in the vampire nest, so she lives hidden in human territory. At first, it feels strange for her to live as another species in were territory. Lowe, her were husband, does his best to ignore her. But slowly, they are getting closer and closer...

I loved reading the fluffy story between Misery and Lowe. Especially in uncertain times like these, it feels good to read something cozy. Despite their different species and different times of staying awake, Lowe and Misery find a compromise. I liked the fact that Lowe as the Alpha is a digital analphabet while Misery is a genius hacker. In my opinion the mate-topic was a bit too much discussed.
Certainly, I will also read other books by Ali Hazelwood. Besides the story, I do like the book cover very much. It is dark and mysterious. Hazelwood has a wonderful style of writing, I always said "just one more chapter" when I wanted to go to sleep. A wonderful, spicy and cozy paranormal RomCom!

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I LOVE Ali Hazelwood and was really excited to receive this arc, especially as she steps outside of her STEM romances. But this book was just okay for me. It was very quick, and very low stakes. Was it enjoyable? Yes. Did I laugh? Also yes. But everything was just so surface level that I just couldn't find myself connecting with any of the characters.

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