I absolutely love Ali's writing style and after reading her The Love Hypothesis series and seeing this was a paranormal story, I did not hesitate at all to jump on this one.

I truly don't know what to say other than what keeps repeating in my head, "THIS IS BOOK IS FUCKING AWESOME!!"

Ali delivers a very entertaining paranormal romance about forced marriage. I FREAKING LOVE Misery and Lowe and their entanglement. Everything between them unfolded exceptionally well and left me wanting more each time.

This is completely outside Ali's normal STEM based books but she knocks this book out of the park. Her writing ability is uncanny and I absolute love that I am so easily able to picture each scene in my head.

Bride is highly recommended paranormal read that anyone will enjoy.

Ali absolutely knocked it out of the park with Bride! This still had the same feel of Ali's writing in her Steminist romances but more refined - it felt very well thought out and I think contemporary PNR is hands down Ali's calling. It's a great intro for those who are new to the genre and a very welcome addition for those of us who are long time fans. It's just dark enough but still funny & sexy & everything I hoped it would be.

Misery may be my favorite Ali FMC to date & Lowe is absolutely up there in the top 3 MMCs with Levi & Jack. I absolutely adored Ana, Lowe's little sister, who Misery begrudgingly begins to care for. She also plays into one of the key plot points which led to a twist I didn't see coming at all.

Super easy 5/5 star rating & I am begging for a second book for Serena & Keon! Also hoping we get to see more of Misery's brother as their sibling relationship was a great inclusion to the story.

(Thank you Berkley Romance for the gifted copy)

I was a little bit hesitant coming into this book because I've had mixed results with this author's other books, and because this is a new genre for her. However, I quite enjoyed this book and its characters. The mystery aspect also really helped moved the plot forward, and it also helped show us the two leads together and interacting in ways that weren't just purely romance plot related. I liked both Misery and Lowe as characters, although I do wish we got a POV from Lowe - I think that really would have helped with the world building here.

I'm going to start by saying that paranormal romance isn't my thing. I'm not huge into fantasy as a whole, so I was definitely hesitant to dig into this one. But my love for Ali Hazelwood extends beyond my preferences.
While I don't think this has changed my thoughts on paranormal romance, and I probably won't reach for the genre more, I did thoroughly enjoy this book! I read it in two sittings and didn't want to put it down! It was cute and a breezy read, and I think if Hazelwood were to write more (not really a spoiler alert, but the ending hinted at maybe another book in this world? Or at least left the door open for the possibility), I would definitely pick it up.
All in all, I'm pretty impressed with Hazelwood as a whole! She's only been publishing for a few years now, but she has a good number/range of books out (I mean, they're all romance, but I've been impressed in her forays into YA and paranormal).

It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything having to do with vampires or werewolves, but I knew I wanted to read this the moment Ali Hazelwood shared the synopsis. Bride lived up to every bit of hype and all my expectations! I will say the beginning of the story was a bit slow moving as Hazelwood set the scene and introduced us to the characters. Around 40% the pace picks up and I basically devoured the rest of the book. I absolutely loved Misery. She’s strong and yet a bit vulnerable as she ends up aligned with Lowe. And each chapter has a little glimpse of Lowe’s perspective which is just *chef’s kiss*. Ali Hazelhood hit it out of the park (again) with this one!

I liked this paranormal romance! It had Ali Hazelwood’s classic flair and hilarity, but I didn’t connect to the characters as much as her non-paranormal romances.

Nostalgia for Paranormal Romance Fans: Bride - An ARC Review

Having spent a cringeworthy amount of years devouring Nalini Singh’s books and an unhealthy dose of various paranormal romances (some so obscure that I cannot remember the titles), I initially wanted to avoid reading Bride. But after hearing multiple positive reviews, I braved the embarrassing onslaught of memories and dived right in.

And the reviews did not lie. Bride was fantastic. It was a well-written nostalgic walk down memory lane, taking me right back to the romances I devoured religiously. I read the entire book in one sitting and sacrificed precious sleep because I refused to put it down.

What I Liked:

For centuries, a precarious peace is balanced between the Vampyres, Weres and Humans. Misery Lark, the only daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman and, Lowe Moreland, newly-crowned Were Alpha, find themselves in an arranged marriage, dedicated to maintaining peace between the two races by way of the Collateral agreement. They only have to keep up appearances for a year.

That’s all you need to know because Bride does nothing new. If you’ve ever read a paranormal romance, you will know that Bride is the beginner’s guide to the genre. There’s the dissent amongst the three prominent races, the rival wolf packs, sterile vampire politics, evil machinations, an over protective Alpha wolf and lots of funky wolf sex. It’s an introductory level of sorts and the most vanilla cliches ever to the genre. Coupled with Hazelwood’s trademark writing and humour style, you’ve got a winner in our hands.

I particularly liked that there was a lot more storyline here besides your typical romance, even though it seemed a little overdone and boring. But the romance and the plot flowed together really well. Although, I did feel the ending was rather rushed. I would have preferred just a little more depth.

Misery is the perfect sassy vampire to combat Lowe’s big, scary werewolf. While there are a couple of things I didn’t like about Misery (mainly how stupid and ignorant Hazelwood seems to have written her), I did enjoy being inside her head and applauded her steadfast focus with finding her missing best friend, Serena. I admired her relationship with her brother and I love how adorable she was with Lowe’s younger sister, Ana. I loved how Misery is a white hat hacker and worked in tech (a nod to Hazelwood’s other STEM heroines) before the marriage of convenience but disappointed that this was pushed aside to accommodate the paranormal plot and romance. She just became “spouse”, “mate”, “wife”. Did I appreciate Misery going from hyperindepence to being a soft-life girlie? No. We need less of this rhetoric and instead, champion a woman’s independence and capabilities. Or maybe I’m just projecting. I hope we see more of Misery’s tech background being utilised in future novels.

Lowe, on the other hand, I wasn’t a fan of. Only because I’ve grown out of these overbearing Alpha wolves and their overprotectiveness in paranormal romances is suffocating. Like, Misery has proven herself to be an extremely capable Vampyre/woman, having lived and survived amongst the Humans since she was young but werewolves insist on treating their womenfolk like precious cargo. And, with the prevalence of masculine and feminine energies in current social media discourse, it’s not surprising that Hazelwood with her one-dimensional male main characters would channel the same energy. But that has always been the trope of the genre and just something I have to deal with. Like, the only Nalini Singh book I truly appreciated is Branded By Fire, only because the main characters were evenly matched in dominance and skill.

But, criticism aside, I did love his overprotectiveness and dominance. It was more kind than the others in the genre and most respectful of Misery.

What I did think was wonderfully written is the chemistry between Misery and Lowe. I loved that there seems to be a very respectful note in how Lowe treats Misery while she throws sass at him every opportunity she gets. It didn’t help that their interactions felt rather natural rather than forced; and, the initial hints of the mate bond (if you’re familiar with the genre, you’ll get it almost immediately) drove the tension sky high. When they finally sealed the deal, you can best believe I was figuratively screaming and jumping (more like silently screaming at 4AM).

I also really loved all the other characters introduced from the snarky Owen, spicy Juno, to the scaredy-cat Alex, the absolutely heart-grabbing Ana, the sassy Serene and the mysteriously charming Koen. Each character absolutely screamed sequel and future novels but at the same time, all were so beautifully written with their own individual personalities despite the story focusing on Misery and Lowe.

What I Didn’t Like:

My major criticism for Bride lies in Hazelwood’s writing cliches: an unnaturally huge male main character and the nonsensical third act conflict.

It’s becoming laughable and almost expected at this point that any and all of Hazelwood’s male main characters will be uncharacteristically huge, oversized and big in every way with a giant dong to match. I’m wondering if Hazelwood does this for laughs because it’s unrealistic. I cannot understand this obsession with unnaturally large men; is it her fetish? I just imagine a pumped up, inflated muscular Spongebob every time I read these descriptions. At least this time we don’t have the delicate, tiny, petite female main character. Misery is described as tall and being a Vampyre, delicate and small-boned is a given trope.

I can deal with muscular Spongebob depiction of male characters but what I refuse to accept is a lazily written third act conflict, or even the inclusion of an unnecessary third act conflict. I’m completely fine if the conflict stems from an external factor, affecting the main couple if it’s well-written and it makes sense to the overall plot and has been building since the beginning. I absolutely detest when it stems from a lack of communication between the characters, especially ones like Misery and Lowe who have been working on honesty and openness throughout the plot. Then, Lowe suddenly hits us with a, “leave me”, “it’s for your own good”, “we can’t be together”, “I only enjoyed the sex”, all because he wants Misery to choose him of her own volition instead of being influenced by mate bonds and a lonely upbringing. It’s right at the 80% mark on my Kindle which makes it even funnier, in a sarcastic way. Like, could you not have vocalised this to her and discussed it like adults? There were a multitude of other ways to split Misery and Lowe up to move the plot forward; this ridiculous set of circumstances is not it.

Did I Enjoy It?: Conclusion

To sum it all up, I enjoyed Bride immensely. I read the majority of it in a singular sitting because it was just too good to put down and only left the last hour of the book till the next day because it was 6AM and I needed some rest before work. For those familiar with paranormal romances, Bride takes us back to familiar grounds as not much of what was written, described or played out on the page is anything remotely new to the genre. But Hazelwood’s characteristic wit and charm make Bride so entertaining and engaging. I’m honestly hoping that Bride turns into a full-fledged paranormal romance series, minus the muscular Spongebob men, please I beg of you, Ali.

Amusing writing and creative use of vocabulary make "Bride" a delight. And it's great to see Ali Hazelwood move beyond academics! This paranormal story struck me as more political intrigue than romance, but I couldn't put it down. I loved the mystery and the little hints of romantic tension.

First-person, single point-of-view from Misery with just the tiniest hints of Lowe at the start of each chapter was a great choice. It added to the slow burn and allowed Lowe to shine through actions instead of thoughts and words. And when we get there, it sure burns hot!

Misery has the usual Hazelwood heroine flavor: a little sarcastic and irreverent, maybe trying a little too hard. One thing I would love to see from Ali Hazelwood's main characters is physical descriptions that move beyond small and thin women and broad and tall men. If we can have wolves, we can have body diversity!

I would LOVE to see this become a series!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

ali hazelwood's first venture into YA fantasy! while it's not my favorite of her's, i do enjoy stories like this and would recommend it to others.

#PRHInternationalPartner

This is the first book I have read by the author and the truth is that I was afraid because it has a lot of hype and I didn't want that to work against me. The truth is that his other stories caught my attention a lot but when I saw that he was going to publish a fantasy one I said... it's this way. And I was not wrong.

Bride is a story where humans, vampires and wolves exist... and maybe something else that I won't be able to tell you so as not to spoil it. I really liked how it combines the different factions and how they are linked to each other, it is not a "we all live happily" and it presents the push and pull of the interests of each of them.

And in the middle is our protagonist: Misery. I loved his character, his comments, his way of seeing the world, his ideals, his values. I found him to be a super awake, lively character who made me laugh with his witticisms. It gets all the applause from this review. Mind you, I like Lowe, but I didn't connect with him as much as I did with Misery.

We have many characters in this first book (there will be others - I don't know if it will be a series or saga, but I already want the next one-) and each one has their particularities that makes you grow fond of them. Ana is one of them.

What did not convince me at all and that is why the 4 stars and not the 5 is that it leaves MANY things loose, there are reunions that I expected that never happened, the ending was a little abrupt and I felt that I was missing a little emotion .

Beyond this, it was a book that I really enjoyed, that I read very quickly and that I stayed up until 3 in the morning reading because I needed to know what was going to happen.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group; PRHIS for the digital copy I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think I have a single bad thing to say about this book! I loved the whole story- and it was a nice change from the Steminist books we all love from Ms. Hazelwood.
I loved the relationship between Lowe and Misery. Some may find her naivety to be annoying, but I found it endearing that even with all of her set backs, she had the strength and gall to persevere- and accepted love when she was given it (finally in her life!)
I am anticipating a second book, so yay with that :)

So, I think Ali Hazelwood writing Paranormal Romance works for me. This is very lightly Omegaverse, so if you have been curious about Omegaverse, this is a great way to dabble into it a little bit. I really loved the dynamic between Misery and Lowe. Neither really wants to feel what they feel for the other, but also want the acceptance that this political marriage can give to them. The found family that Misery finds with the pack was very sweet as well.
Now, if you don't like Ali Hazelwood's other books, I don't think this one will necessarily work better for you. A lot of her descriptions of characters still track in this one. But with that said, this one worked better for me. Probably because they weren't human, so it was easier for me to suspend my disbelief.
The hint towards another book in this world truly makes me happy, and I am READY for it!

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.