If you're thinking this won't be like Hazelwood's other books simply because it's a fantasy this time, get rid of that notion now. Because regardless of the vampyre and were mythology added to this one, it hits that same sweet spot that all other Hazelwood novels reach. And if that's not what you're looking for, now you know. But if you could read The Love Hypothesis one thousand times and never get tired, you're going to be so happy in the world of Bride. As my rating suggests, that is exactly what I was hoping for, and once again Hazelwood did not disappoint. And I sincerely hope this is not the only fantasy novel we will see from her. I had so much fun in this world, which is very similar to ours but with the little addition of warring factions of vampyres and weres. I enjoyed the way we were shown the world slowly, small pieces at a time throughout the book. It pulled me in, always wanting more and unable to put the book down just so I could see it all. It's not groundbreaking by any means, but it was captivating and I loved seeing how things unfolded as we learned more about the dynamics between these groups and the history that got us to this point. And the romance, as always, hit just right. Deliciously slow burn, literally genetic mortal enemies to lovers, what's not to love? I'd certainly consider it her spiciest novel to date, so if that's what you're here for you won't be disappointed. If the previous Hazelwood novels have been your jam and the current romantasy trend is something you enjoy, prioritize this one.

This book is bonkers in the best way. It's deeply Twilight-y and I mean that with the utmost affection.

I was anticipating a fantasy novel featuring vampires and werewolves - solely based on the cover and description. Instead, I read paranormal romance set in the 21st century featuring a marriage of convenience between a Vampire and a Were and I loved it.

Misery is a reluctant vampire, who has never really fit in with any species and who has been used as a political pawn by her father since childhood; literally used as collateral. When her one true friend, a human named Serena, goes missing, Misery is willing to do anything to find her; even agreeing to a marriage of convenience to Lowe Moreland, a Were Alpha.

Misery does not believe she has the "hardware" to care for or even like anyone other than Serena, or to understand love, and she is convinced that Lowe hates her. Obviously, she is wrong on all counts. Her husband feels the opposite of hate for her, his precocious six-year-old sister, Ana, has wormed her way into Misery's heart, and she finds herself confused by all the pesky feelings she's suddenly feeling.

Bride was such a fun and surprisingly sweet read, the banter and slow burn between Misery and Lowe was top tier; every time he called her wife, I swooned a little. Lowe was so kind and protective of her, and Misery wasn't quite sure what to do with that as she was not used to anyone caring for her wellbeing. Misery slowly learns to open herself up to caring for others, to risk her heart and it was lovely to read. I also adored all of the side characters and I really hope we get Serena's story in the future, because that ending was such a tease.

Ali Hazelwood has really hit it out of the park with her last three books and I am here for it.

I really hope there is a second book to follow Bride and if it isn't called "Groom" I am going to be VERY disappointed.

This book is utterly fang-tastic. I want to go back and read it again for the first time.
Ali's first foray into the omegaverse is brilliant and Bride is now my fave Ali Hazelwood book, by far.

I loved how Ali created the world of Vampyres and Werewolves in large part by having the FMC, Misery, be learning a lot about Vampyres and Werewolves herself, despite being a Vampyre herself. Misery is an incredibly sympathetic character; she has been used as a pawn in political games by her own father; her one and only friend has disappeared; she is married off to a stranger; and now lives amongst Werewolves who distrust her. Despite receiving so much suspicion and animosity, Misery doesn't become a bitter, angry person: she demonstrates compassion for others, humour, and maintains her focus on finding her friend.

The MC, Lowe, is intriguing from the first moment we meet him and as we learn more about him through Misery's POV, the layers unravel of the Alpha werewolf who has spent his life putting others before himself but who also needs and deserves someone who cares for him.

I loved all the little details that Ali includes in the story so that when we get to the end, there are surprises but surprises that make sense. I also loved how each chapter begins with a couple sentences that are Lowe's point of view and give us insight into what he is thinking about Misery. For the reader, it becomes obvious very early how Lowe feels, and we get the joy of following along as Misery begins to better understand Lowe and his feelings, as well as her own.

Bride is definitely one of my fave books of the year, hands down, and I can't wait for more people to get to go on this journey!

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, the author, and the #JoyfulChaosBookClub for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I have read every Ali Hazelwood book, and have enjoyed them all. But this one... I LOVED this one. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, marriage of convenience - everything I need in a book. I am much more inclined to pick up a contemporary romance, like her previous books, but I loved everything about this one and need more! Ali Hazelwood has truly found her calling, and it is with Supernatural Romance.
These are my favourite characters she has ever written, and I flew through the book. I didn't want it to end. I had been in such a reading slump before this, but the chemistry of the characters, and the relationships and politics of the story were so well written.
I have already raved about this book to all my reader friends, and all my librarian friends, and I have it on pre-order for both my library, and my personal collection.

A must read for romance fans.

This. Book. Was. Everything.

As I'm writing this review, it's been a little over a month since finishing it, and it's still so fresh in my mind. Do you know how rare it is for me to remember the entire plot of a book after 24 hours has passed? (The answer: VERY VERY RARE!)

This book has everything you need—light mystery/suspense, enemies to lovers, an arranged marriage, some found family elements, a fun <i>Twilight</i>-meets-<i>Crescent City</i>. And chapter 14-15? It's the new ACOMAF chapter 55. I need you guys to trust me on this. I think it's perfect for the fantasy/paranormal romance girlies who want that fantasy setting without an overwhelming amount of worldbuilding. Not too dense but also very unique!

Was this better because I read it in October and really wanted a vampire / werewolf book to make it feel more like Halloween? Maybe. I'm not apologizing for loving this book though! The ending made me think there might be another book in the works for this vampire / were crew and I can't wait! 🤞 🧛‍♀️🐺🌶️

Misery is a vampire, daughter of the most powerful vampire council member, and has also served as collateral most of her childhood and therefore doesn't really fit it anywhere. Her best friend Serena, who lived with her as a child, has recently disappeared. Misery has been looking for her for a while, and when her father tells her she is to wed the Alpha of the local were pack to create a new alliance, her first instinct is to refuse. She has done enough. Then she hears his name, it's the same name she found in Serena's apartment and her only lead.

When Lowe sees Misery for the first time on their wedding day, he knows he is f*#@$ed. He just needs to get this over with and continue with pack business as usual. He is a new Alpha, after having challenged Roscoe, the last Alpha. Things have been tense since their transition and there is a group of "Loyals" who would like to see him challenged.

Think marriage of convenience, major were/vampire vibes, and a bit of forbidden love. The werewolves and vampires have been enemies for a long time. They have a history of murdering each other and this new alliance is a shaky truce that both sides aren't sure will work.

I loved getting to know Misery, Ana, Alex, Lowe, Owen, and Serena. I REALLY hope Ali Hazelwood turns this into a series so we can keep reading!

Thanks to netgalley and Berkeley publishing for an ARC copy to review.

thank you berkley for the arc. this book was a dang good time. i ate this UP. y’all aren’t ready for lowe moreland!!!!!! my new fav ali hazelwood characters!!!!! the world building was so fun to journey along with. i want to be apart of lowe’s pack pls……

In search of her best friend, Misery agrees to an arranged, inter-species marriage facilitated by her Vampyre father. This paranormal romance offers witty banter, pure relationships and a somewhat unpredictable twist.

This is the first Ali Hazelwood I've read and I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I typically stay away from romance books due to the predictability and unoriginal storylines, but I appreciated the small hint of fantasy that was included. I think this sets it apart from other books in the genre. Overall thoughts:

• The entire knot situation was a little weird.
• I'm a sucker for a good bite/sex scene.
• The relationships dynamic between Misery and Ana was so pure and wholesome.
• I find most relationship banter to be unrealistic but enjoyed the Misery/Lowe banter

Cute read, especially around Halloween time. I will check out some of Hazelwood's other books.

Omg, y'all.

The cover made me nervous about this once, but lawd I could not stop reading this... aside from when my phone died and forced me to sleep... but I was mad about it.

It's the enemies to lovers / only one bed vibe we normally get from Ali, but also vampires and werewolves. Like, think twilight vibes but spicy and with much more shenanigans going on.

It's wild and wacky but I don't even care. Just a fun time.

*swoons* *swoons again* Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After devouring her Steminist books, I was highly anticipating Bride and it did not disappoint! Paranormal romance is my bread and butter so I knew I needed to read this. One thing that was really fun, while this had vampires (or vampyres) and werewolves (or weres) I could still see the the STEM/science influence. Instead of a magic system for vampires and werewolves, it's science based. While not delved into in detail, it's explained that vampires and werewolves diverged from humans through run-of-the-mill gene mutation. It reminds of A Discovery of Witches in how it sciences fantasy (which I am a fan of when it's done well - which this is). Also, the main character is named Misery, which I find absolutely hilarious.

I won't go into too much detail since there's still several months until release and I don't want to spoil anyone. I will give a couple quick thoughts though. One, for the steamy fans out there (aren't we all) I will say the spice doesn't pick up until later in the book, but once it does *fans self*. Hazelwood plays with some great vampire and werewolf/shifter tropes seriously amp up the steam.

I have two complaints. While not explicitly stated, there is a thing that is obvious to the reader from the end of the first chapter. The main character does not figure out this thing until maybe 80% of the way through the book. While it's a conclusion that can be made regardless due to the genre, it was frustrating to have it feel very obvious and in-your-face only to not get brought up for so long. My second complaint has to do with how the third-act breakup is handled. Lowe handles it...badly. I really disliked what he did in that scene (essentially gaslighting Misery) and how easily she forgives him later. There are a lot of ways to have a third-act breakup where one part of the relationship isn't a complete asshole, but this wasn't that. It honestly felt kind of like a dealbreaker for me. I can't help but think that if someone can do that once, what's to stop them from doing it again? Especially if they already know they love the character they are supposedly doing it for. This doesn't ruin my love of the rest of the book, but it really did put a damper on the ending.

As of right now, this seems to be a standalone, but let me say, I'd love to see more books in this world! One thing I was thinking about as I read it is that I'd love to read a romance in which the alpha is the woman lead. Generally in shifter romance that I've read or know about, the guy is the alpha, which plays into well-trod romance tropes. As someone who's always ready to flip a trope on its head, I want some alpha women and the men (or women!) or love them!

All in all, I really enjoyed Bride and can't wait to keep reading whatever Ali Hazelwood has to offer. Lowe was annoying at times, but I can put up with him for the joy that is Misery (ha!). Also, the spice is *chef's kiss*. There were some great side characters (seriously loved Ana, the were pack is great, and Misery's friend Serena is a delight). I'd honestly love for a whole bunch of them to get their own romances. I definitely see myself going back to read this again and can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy in February!

I love Ali Hazelwood and have read everything she has written. This has been one of her most well written and interesting books. I love that she's branched out into writing fantasy romance and I think she absolutely wrote a bestseller. Misery was such a fun character and I enjoyed getting to follow her story and Lowe was a great leading man. I'm anxiously anticipating a book 2 in this series!! I need more books from this fantasy universe.

When I heard that Ali Hazelwood was writing a Paranormal Romance I was super excited. I have read several of her past books and was looking forward to reading something outside of her usual STEM romance, especially in a genre that I enjoy. Starting out the first part of the book was a little slow going, but after a while I started to enjoy it more and stayed up reading late into the night. This story is a marriage of convenience between a vampire and were wolf that will hopefully join together two species that have a long history of hatred towards one another. I loved the of the main character, Misery, who seemed cold, but was really a softy. She cared deeply for others, but was so used to be disappointed and rejected most of the people she was around. Lowe, the main male character has to step up and become the Alpha of his pack, and then marry this stranger from a different species. We don't really get to hear his point of view, but you get an understanding of the hard decisions he has to make. I enjoyed their love story, but I wasn't entirely happy with the big reveal and how Lowe reacted. Saying that, I think this is a really good read, and I look forward to more stories from this world. Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This might be my favorite Ali Hazelwood book of all time! It was absolutely fantastic, and I think she should write more paranormal stories. I loved every single character in this book, and I can’t say anything else other than this is pure perfection.

As my first Ali Hazelwood, I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I really loved the writing style, and Hazelwood does a great job with characterization. Each character had their own personality, voice, etc.

This book had multiple plots to keep the reader entertained. There is an overarching mystery to solve, but there is also the enemies to lover's romance as well. Having multiple points to the book really kept it fresh and interesting.

The romance in this made me swoooooon! There were some super steamy scenes and lines if dialogue that I absolutely loved, I just wanted more! I was definitely giggling and kicking my feet with this one.

The only minor things in this book that I wanted more of was chemistry between the two main love interests. Despite a mating bond, they had zero in common personality-wise. I did not think a mating bond made up for the speed at which they fell for each other or their want to be together forever. I also felt the beginning half of this book went by slowly. The book really picks up at the halfway point though!

Highly recommend!

I'm so happy Ali took a chance and branched out into paranormal romance!! This was the BEST vampire (vampyre) book I've ever read and I devoured it so FAST!!

A forced marriage to form a political truce between their two species sees vampyre outcast, Misery and Were alpha, Lowe forced to live together creating the perfect storm for tons of secret pining (him), found family, assassination attempts, missing person drama and all the STEAMY sexy times I could have ever dreamed for. Lowe and Misery are perfection together (even if they don't realize it).

While this was only a single POV story, the snippets at the beginning of each chapter into Lowe's mind/thoughts were utterly delightful! I cannot wait for the next book in this series/world. I am HERE FOR IT ALL!! Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Huge props to the cover designer for a FANTASTIC piece of art too!!

I'll be honest - when I saw a paranormal book from Ali Hazelwood I paused for a second as I'm only familiar with her in the contemporary world but as i started this book I realized I couldn't put it down.

I love the idea of an alpha wolf being paired with a vampire. I think anyone who frames this as "enemies to lovers" though may not see it exactly that way as really the only "enemy" feels I got from it were from people aside from our main guy Lowe Moreland.

the characters were interesting and the story was engaging... did I figure out who was causing the issues early on... I sure did, though I'm very suspicious normally so I had my gut feelings and I was happy to note I was right.

I really enjoyed the build of the relationship between Misery and Lowe and am really excited to see what else Hazelwood does in this genre!

Thanks for the early copy!

This book was a strange departure from Hazelwood's usual contemporary work. It felt underdeveloped in most aspects. The lore between the vampires and werewolves was just there with no backstory. This lack of backstory made the arranged marriage seem pointless. The stakes never felt very high.
Misery seemed to have no personality or interests of her own. There was so much mentioning of Serena, but no real connection to her. The Serena storyline could have been expanded. The chemistry between Lowe and Misery was nonexistent. This book was so dialogue heavy that it made it difficult to pay attention to other action.
This book also lacked Hazlewood's usual spark and sense of humor.

Wow! This made my Twilight loving teen heart happy!

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Misery Lark. At the beginning of the chapters there are little snippets from Lowe’s thoughts and I loved getting just a tad bit from him! Misery is a vampyre who finds herself marrying a were when alliances need to be formed for security. I love a good marriage of convenience and this one did not disappoint! It was everything I wanted and more. Lowe and Misery learn to trust and work with one another slowly. They become more than just a political arrangement and it was *chef’s kiss*! The spice between them is quite high which isn’t my personal taste but I know others will really enjoy that.

Misery is a great character. She has grown up away from her own specie and has one friend who ends up disappearing and she is on a mission to find her. Even though Misery acts like she doesn’t care you can tell she just wants a place to belong. Found family is definitely found in this book and it made me so happy for Misery! She also creates a bond with someone close to Lowe and it was ADORABLE. I loved every moment of their interaction.

Lowe is the Alpha in his territory and man do I want my own! He is rough around the edges, but loyal to the end. He protects his own. He is a good brother and a great friend. There is nothing I didn’t like about him. He is also a lot more open-minded than some and I liked the relationship he cultivated with Misery. He never had any ill thoughts about her being a vampyre.

It’s always interesting to see what an author does with vampyres or werewolves. The way they were perceived in the book was different than what I have read before and I really liked that. It was fresh and made me interested in learning more about these two groups.

The plot is filled with romance and a mystery. They worked really together and got me hooked! It was hard to put down as I needed to know what would happen next. Everything wraps up well at the end and there was a hint of maybe another book being written in this same world? I am hoping so because I need more!

Overall, this was a really good book!

I dont know how I ended up reading ANOTHER? werewolf book this month but I have to say, I eat up Ali Hazelwood's work every time.

This was an interesting read for sure but a fun one (that kept me invested!). I really enjoyed the goofiness of the plot and tbh it wasn't bad for a werewolf x vampire super overused cliche trope.

Would recommend if:
a) you are an ali hazelwood stan like me
b) you like trashy books like me
c) you miss your twilight fanfic days like me

Thank you netgalley berkeley for an advanced copy in exchange for an hoenst review!