When I got approved for Bride I almost had a panic attack. So thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

I never thought I would live in a world where Ali Hazelwood writes a fantasy romance between a werewolf and a vampire. Let me tell you, I ate this up.

Ali Hazelwood will always be an auto buy author for me. She has such an engaging writing style full of witty banter. Her exceptional writing really allows her characters to shine.

This book excels when it comes to the inter character relationships. Where it falls a little short is the plot and world building. I can forgive this though because the point of the book is to highlight the romance AND it seems like we will be getting a follow up book in this universe (OMGGGGGGG).

This is my first Ali Hazelwood and what a book to start with! I’ll say, I’m definitely wanting to read her others.

This felt like a Twlight/True Blood/Hunger Games combo. It definitely reads like a very very spicy YA novel. I’m not a fantasy reader (although in my younger years I loved the above mentioned books and show).

I think this book is going to make a lot of waves. There’s definitely a fresh spin on an old trope. I liked the characters and felt engaged in the plot. For me it was a bit nostalgic since this isn’t a style I read and I’m far removed from my Twilight days.

It’s not 5 stars because it’s a bit youngish and predictable for me, and the first couple chapters I felt really lost. Definitely stick through it, the first 10% might feel confusing but you’ll quickly get oriented.

10/10 no notes 100% A+ no review could do this book justice. Just read it. If you’ve never read an Omegaverse before, this is an excellent intro and if you’re an omegaverse fan, this one will be an instant favorite. Absolutely yes. Read it now.

This has been one of my most anticipated reads ever since Ali announced it for a few reasons:
1) I have devoured and loved everything she's written so far
2) First and foremost, I am a vamps & weres STANNNN
3) I am a sucker for some ABO dynamics!!!!

The latter two reasons were why I was particularly over the moon when shortly after Love, Theoretically was published, Bride was announced and teased with some *strategic emojis* (🪢👀) in the caption.

While I have loved Ali's prior novels — I do recognize that up until this point, her characters and their stories have all kind of felt like the same thing in different fonts. (And don't get me wrong, I still ate it up!) I was a bit worried that Bride would fall into that once more, and I'm pleased to say that it didn't!

Bride showed new aspects of Ali's range, and I loved it. I adored the characters in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed her unique spin on the vampyre and were lore. When I read romances I usually don't enjoy the political machination plots as much, but I found myself enthralled by those in Bride. Ugh, I just loved it. I had a ridiculously good time reading it. I can't wait to listen to the audiobook when it releases in February!

Welp... that was bad...

There is nothing I hate more than an MC who tries to weaponize her incompetence. She acted SO STUPID... Like no person is that dumb. She doesn't know the difference between a ladle and a spatula? Has absolutely no idea about werewolf lore, but agrees into a political marriage with them?

Why did it turn into a mafia romance?

The smut was so cringe. He says "I want to live inside you".

No thank you...

Bride is a fun little stand-alone that takes on the classic vampire versus werewolves debate. We follow our main character Misery, a vampire, as she is married off to the Alpha, Lowe, of the nearby werewolf population. This book has a little bit of everything. Mystery, romance, sex, politics, weird familial obligations, knotting, coding. It was almost too much at times, but the story is not very high stakes so it's easy to get lost without losing plot.

And honestly, this was hilarious. There are a lot of long dramatic speeches, edge lord pining, intrusive thoughts, and dubious science. Not many of the paranormal elements of the world are explored except for anything relating to their coupling (which is fine we all know about vampires and werewolves), but because of the zero pages spent on building the world, the story read like self-insert fanfiction.

Realistically, this was a 2.5 star for me. The miscommunication in this made me roll my eyes. The sex almost made up for it. To me, the ending did not justify his actions. In addition to this, Misery drove me up the wall. She felt unfinished as a character, which was odd since this was in her POV. I don't think I read any genuine thoughts or opinions from her perspective. Everything was description, we were told the story from her POV, but Misery herself comments very little on it.

Still, a fun little romp that is exactly as advertised.

Ali Hazelwood has turned into an auto-buy author for me. Her books are SO FUN and I always have the time of my life reading them! This one was no exception; finished it in one sitting, was giggling screaming sweating kicking my feet the entire time.

I loved the romance in this! Lowe and Misery were soooo sweet together and it was so cute to see their relationship grow. Spice was spicing. The side characters in this were great, too! I loved both of their relationships with Ana. I’d rate this a 4.5 just because I wasn’t super thrilled with how the third act conflict played out (THAT convo between Lowe and Misery near the end had me absolutely spiraling) but the ending was pretty cute! Hazelwood’s books just bring me so much joy. I will eat them all up.

3.5 stars. She's the STEM rom-com queen so I was very curious to see Ali Hazelwood's take on a paranormal romantasy. Misery Lark is a Vampyre forced into a marriage of convenience with Alpha Werewolf Lowe Moreland, and let’s just say the two species do not get along. After accepting her fate in order to protect her kind, Misery moves to the Were territory for a year with her respectively jacked Were husband. The husband that might be hiding secrets including the whereabouts of her missing friend, Serena.

I flew through this book thanks to Hazelwood's signature banter, characters and spice. Misery and Lowe don't just bang, they knot! And you'll know exactly what that means if you read the book, just know that it's kinda kinky. But not as spicy or action packed as you'd think, it's honestly a lot of conversations between our leads. And baths. Lots of baths. Die hard fantasy fans need not apply because a high fantasy you will not get. It's just nice to see that Misery isn't the teeny-tiny FMC that we're used to seeing in Ali's other books, she's tall this time! I was shooketh. Lowe is still somewhat of a boulder of muscle because Ali likes her men to be so broad they don't fit in doorways, but he's written in such a sweet way that you swoon a little. I was honestly waiting for them to do the monster smash from the moment they met.

That said, I will say that I predicted the ending and find the mate trope to be incredibly tired at this point. Upon further reflection, I could've used more development with the plot and world building - like I couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Maybe the story was a little too simple or lacking action with the politics and magic systems or I might've built this up to be something way more epic than it actually is. But I still had a bloody good time.

Special thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

I DEVOURED this book! It is the perfect mix of fantasy, romance, mystery, and spice. Ali Hazelwood is always one of my must read authors but she really showed out with this one. The world building was perfect and I hope beyond hope this is the first in a series! Must read for all fantasy fans.

In a world where Humans and Vampyres are at peace due to a flimsy collateral system in which each sends a child to live among the other for a set period of time, thus ensuring both groups' safety from the other, new leadership is elected and she has run on a platform ending the collateral system. Misery, the daughter of a politically powerful Vampyre, served as Vampyre collateral as a child, and now, given the instability, has agreed to be married to a Were, essentially serving as collateral again, but this time for peace between the Vampyres and the Weres.

But Misery has a reason to accept this dangerous proposal. Her best friend, Serena, disappeared one day, and the only clue she left behind was a scrap of paper with the name of the Were Misery is about to marry.

Lowe, the ruthless leader of the Weres of the region is new to the role, having recently ousted the previous Alpha. His main goal is to keep his pack safe, especially his 6-year-old sister and Misery’s presence threatens to ruin everything.

This *steamy* romance is author Ali Hazelwood’s first foray into paranormal romance, and it’s a wildly good time.

Misery, daughter of one of the most powerful members of the vampire council, once again finds herself being sacrificed "for the good of all vampires". When she was a child, she served as collateral and lived with humans. Now she is to be married to a werewolf to protect vampire/werewolf relations. She doesn't expect the werewolf, Lowe, to be thoughtful and even kind. As Misery learns more about Weres and becomes better friends with members of Lowe's pack, she finds herself wondering if her relationship with Lowe can last beyond the year they are supposed to be married for.

Although Bride is a paranormal romance, which is a new genre for Hazelwood, the plot feels similar to her other Steminist novels. A surly man develops deep feelings for a competent woman who doubts her abilities and is oblivious to his feelings. Despite this, the novel is engaging and Hazelwood's worldbuilding is interesting, especially rooting vampire and werewolf lore in science rather than magic.

I love Ali Hazelwoods STEM books. They are well written and the humor is sassy and smart. Most of the PR books I’ve read tend to follow a similar format. They are the strongest. They are the best and a lot of sex thrown in.

Bride was…different. Hazelwood’s classic humor and levity was there. However, she changed things up. One species knew they where weaker. One species was OTT from the others.

Misery was fantastic. I love her humor, her ability to be above everyone, especially those that treated her like crap. Lowe was alpha but not overbearing. He wanted nothing but the best for Misery, did he go about it wrong? I thought so, but it worked still.

The con about this book, I saw each of the twists coming. It made sense and it was interesting though. Classic Hazelwood and I will read it again in February as well as audiobooking like I do all of her books.

Misery, a vampyre, and Lowe, the Alpha werewolf of his pack, have agreed to a marriage of convenience. They hope to maintain a tense treaty and keep the peace between their kinds. Misery has other reasons to agree to the marriage, and Lowe has several secrets that he refuses to reveal as well. You’ll find mystery, fantasy, romance, and spice in Ali Hazelwood’s newest paranormal romance.

Ali Hazelwood is an all time favorite author of mine, so I knew I wanted to read this book despite it being different from her STEM novels. It surprised me how much I loved it as a person who rarely reads fantasy. However, this book has all of the things I’ve come to love in Ali’s books- a feisty but hilarious FMC, a grumpy but ultimately lovable MMC, spicy chemistry, banter, and fun takes on romance tropes. In addition, readers will explore a world of humans, vampyres, and werewolves. You’ll find marriage of convenience (lots of “my wife” comments), enemies to friends to lovers, and forced proximity in this one. I enjoyed that this book was a bit darker than Ali’s others, with more of a mystery running through it. I am hopeful there will be a second book based on the ending of this one! If you enjoy a good rom com or paranormal romance, I definitely recommend giving this a try!

Thank you to Ali Hazelwood, Berkley Romance, and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF THIS BOOK.

It was so Ali coded but also so different from her other books. I loved it. We need more fantasy like books from Ali. It was giving mafia vibes and I was eating that up!!!! I am having trouble organizing my thoughts on how much I loved this one but it literally was perfection.

I will read anything that Ali Hazelwood writes. She is a gem and I adore her.

I wanted to like this more! I’m sorry Ali 😭 This was just written in classic fanfic style and it didn’t translate well for me. I genuinely cannot get past the main girl’s name being Misery Lark, either. I liked Lowe! I think the problem with the characters is that they’re always more of a caricature rather than their own creation with depth.

Also green eyes/green blood, purple eyes/purple blood? No thanks.

I did (k)not think I would ever be reviewing a traditionally published paranormal omegaverse book on my feed...ever. But here we are, and I had the TIME OF MY LIFE.

Misery Lark is a Vampyre who has lived in the human territory for most of her life, both by force and by choice. When she is summoned back to Vampyre territory by her father, she finds out that she is going to be married to the Alpha of the Were pack in order to broker peace. Having seemingly no other choice, she agrees to the political marriage of convenience. What she doesn't expect is to enjoy spending time with Lowe, his little sister, and ultimately the pack. All while she keeps a secret from Lowe as she investigates the disappearance of her best friend. Lowe is definitely the Alpha of the pack, but as Misery gets to know him she realizes how kind and compassionate he can be...and how protective.

I truly could write a whole dissertation on this book and the renaissance of the omegaverse being traditionally published, but I'll try to write some coherent thoughts here! This was a 5 star book for me, no questions - it was fun, funny, and SUCH an escape, which is exactly what I wanted/needed.

I had an incredibly fun time with this book! It sucked me in and I finished it in under 24 hours. The humor was top notch and I really think Ali's writing shines here. The writing in this book was captivating from the very first moment and kept me engaged the entire time. Truly from the first chapter I knew I wouldn't want to put it down - and only did under duress of it being literally midnight and having to work the next day. I loved the banter between Misery and Lowe!

This is single POV which is not usually my favorite for a romance novel - BUT I think this is 100% the right choice for this book! And we do get to hear little snippets of Lowe's thoughts at the beginning of each chapter.

If you're scared about the Omegaverse stuff (or don't know what it is), I would say in some ways this is a very tame version and in other ways it's way more than I expected from a traditionally published book! I'm not (knot) an expert in Omegaverse but this also isn't my first rodeo with it but ultimately I think this will be mostly accessible to romance readers - perhaps particularly romance readers that have read some paranormal or dark romances. I'm really fascinated by this turn in traditional publishing and am so looking forward to seeing the reception this book gets - because I very much loved it!

Read this for:
- Paranormal romance (Vampyre/Were)
- Arranged Marriage/Political Marriage of Convenience
- Fated Mates
- Top notch humor and banter
- Forbidden Love

Huge thanks to the #joyfulchaosbookclub for working to get us widgets of this book! Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Bride publishes February 6th and is (k)not one to miss!

This book had no reason to be this GOOD. This was so different than her other books (big fan here) and I was skeptical about the switch from STEM girls to STEM vampyre, but she really nailed it. It was werewolves and vampyres, but also funny and endearing, with an intelligent and strong fmc…and Ali once again shows that she can write a great love interest.

It did originally catch me off guard that it was very much a romcom, but it really ended up working and I would catch myself laughing out loud. I hope there may be another book written in this world, maybe about Koen? 👀 It’s been a long time since I stayed up past my bedtime to read a book, and this did it for me.

I’ve been hype about this book since the moment it was announced to the point where I groveled for an ARC so thank u so much to Berkley for sending me an advanced copy ❤️❤️

I devoured this book in 2 days. It was a little slow at first but I’ll give that to any fantasy world that needs some sort of world building. It really picks up and the SEXUAL TENSION BETWEEN THESE TWO IS WHEW

Ali Hazelwood is very good at making you fall in love with her characters. I think Misery and Lowe are different because more than grumpy/sunshine it’s more like bound by duty/fucked by duty and the subsequent attitude it pulls out of them lol Misery has such an attitude with everyone it was fun to see her mouth off to the most powerful beings that could tear her to shreds and stand her own

Also I think this is the dirtiest, nastiest smut I’ve read from Ali 👁️ and I loved every second.

So glad I got to sink my teeth into this early ❤️❤️

Ali Hazelwood can do no wrong. She served up a paranormal romance that is tender, lovely, funny, and achingly romantic. A soft boy alpha who cuts off the crust of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich who can ALSO wipe out an entire room of enemies????? Like. Do you need to know more about this book, you guys? Do you? A million stars.

This was so good!! This had all the right elements: marriage of convenience, opposites attract, forbidden lovers, slow burn and more. I really enjoyed this and liked that it wasn't a big world-build. It was simple to follow along and I liked the mystery in this story as well. I read this in a few hours because it was just super entertaining and I couldn't wait to see what the ending was going to be. I can't wait for the next book!