A good start to a series. The FMC was hilarious in her reaction and acceptance to everything happening in the beginning. The banter was funny. I appreciate the awkwardness of the FMC and the chance for her to grow as the book continues.

At first, I didn't think I was going to like this book, but as I continued I started to enjoy it and become invested in the plot.

This book is about a Scottish, brutish, Berskerking who marries an unassuming human, special education teacher with no romance experience to speak of, But.... like the title implies, is that who he marries?

I feel torn in two about the FMC, Elizabeth's character. She definitely has positive attributes and I was able to relate with her on some things but she also had the vibe of "I'm not like other girls." I won't expand, but it partially made sense with the plot, but just a few times it gave me the ick,

Callen is a fierce, demanding Bersker king who expects obedience and cooperation. What he doesn't expect is to be interested in his wife, and she too soon learns there is more to Callen than she initially thought.

The plot of like book was compelling, there was a point where I said I NEED to know what is going to happen. The chemistry is fun and slow and I did not see the plot twist coming. Overall I'm ready to read book two and very grateful that I got this audio Arc.

The Wrong Bride
By Gena Showalter & Jill Monroe
Narrated by Mhairi Morrison

What would you do if you woke up in a strangers body, married to a Scottish berserker?

Well, American teacher, Elizabeth “Elle” Darcy, tries to tell the hot billionaire Scot, Callen Bruce she isn’t who she is.

Oh, and their fated mates!

It was an adventure to go through the soul switching and learning the traditions of the berserker’s.

Amazing job by the narrator, Mhairi.

I was absolutely in love with Callen and rooting for Elle.

I can’t wait for more of this series!

I really wanted to like this book. The story idea seemed really good and the might actually have gotten a higher rating but the female narrator definitely made this hard to listen to. Her pace was a little awkward. Sped up it was a little better but then it was too fast at times and ok at others. Also the pronunciation was off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an advanced listener copy of this book.

The Wrong Bride by Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe is a delightful blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure, set against the stunning backdrop of Scotland. From the very first page, the book had me hooked with its intriguing premise and rich storytelling.

The plot centers around Elizabeth “Elle” Darcy, a tourist who unexpectedly finds herself swapping souls with a manipulative, gold-digging bride. In her new identity, Elle is thrust into a completely foreign world, where she is married to a fierce Berserker King. As she navigates this dangerous new life surrounded by Berserker Kings and malevolent shifters, Elle’s journey becomes one of both survival and self-discovery.

The chemistry between Elle and the Berserker King, Callen Bruce, was on point. Their relationship evolved from a fierce dislike to one of passion, with each moment feeling authentic and genuine. Their interactions are a wonderful mix of tension and tenderness, which made their journey together even more compelling.

The book expertly weaves together magical elements, betrayal, plot twists, and an evolving romance, keeping readers fully invested. The twists and turns in the plot toward the end, kept me on the edge of my seat.

The narration by Mhairi Morrison was great. Only thing that would have made it better was her American Southern accent, throughout the narration Elle didn't sound like she was from born and raised in Oklahoma, so that was not so believable. However, following other narrators on social media, I know it is difficult to go back and forth between the twang of a Southern accent to a Scottish accent. So kudos for the attempt.

Overall, The Wrong Bride is a captivating tale that seamlessly blends adventure, romance, and a touch of the supernatural. Whether you're a fan of fantasy or romance, this book is definitely worth picking up.

**Book Review: *The Wrong Bride* by Gena Showalter (4⭐️)**

*The Wrong Bride* offers an intriguing mix of fantasy, romance, and adventure set in Scotland. The story kicks off with a Berserker King, a friendly tourist named Elle, and a scheming lady with plans to betray the king — all intertwined with a soul swap that adds layers of complexity. The premise alone hooked me, but I did find it a bit challenging to get into the story at first, especially with the audiobook narration. It didn’t quite grab my attention in the beginning.

However, by the second half of the book, I was completely hooked. The pacing picked up, and the characters really came into their own. The dynamic between the Berserker King and Elle, the tourist, was a lovely aspect of the book. Their relationship progressed naturally, and I found their interactions heartwarming and authentic as they navigated the twists and turns of the plot.

The combination of magical elements, betrayal, and their evolving connection made for a thoroughly enjoyable read. By the end, I was fully invested in the story, and the second half definitely made up for the slower start. Overall, *The Wrong Bride* is a delightful read for anyone who enjoys fantasy with strong character chemistry and a good dose of adventure.

**Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

I had high hopes for "The Wrong Bride" 🤞, but unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations 😐. Despite its intriguing premise 📚, the story struggled with pacing and character development 🕒.

The narration, while enthusiastic 🎙️, didn't quite resonate with me. The breathy, drawn-out speech pattern made it hard to focus on the story 🙅‍♀️, and even speeding it up didn't improve the listening experience 🎧.

I wanted to love the characters, especially Ellie 👧, but they felt a bit one-dimensional 👎. Her internal dialogue, while relatable at times 💬, didn't quite ring true for her age 🙅‍♀️.

The romance, too, felt a bit forced 💘, and the world-building could have benefited from more depth and detail 🌐. The plot relied on convenient devices, like the shooting star legend ⭐️, which felt a bit simplistic 🙄.

Perhaps with some further development and refinement, this series could reach its full potential 📈. Unfortunately, "The Wrong Bride" didn't quite capture my heart ❤️, and I won't be continuing with the series 👋.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the free Advance Listening Copy (ALC) 🎁, which allowed me to share my honest review 📚!

Firstly, i wasn't to say thank you to Netgalley and everyone else for allowing me to listen to this advanced copy.

Next i want to say I wasn't really sure about this book going in. The beginning was kind of slow to me but it picked up. I mean, soul swapping, mythical creatures and challenges to the death? It's got everything. Lol The end does seem kind of rushed to me though. Regardless, I liked it.

What a fun read! I've not quite seen this "soul swapping" before and it was a treat to see how the characters handled it. This was a new take on a lot of "old" tropes for me and I enjoyed every word. I mean, how can you go wrong with a man in a kilt?

3.75/5. Thanks to Ms. Showalter, Miss Monroe, the publisher and netgalley for the audiobook ARC/ALC.

I really enjoyed this book, especially as a break from the more serious and atmospheric novels I've been listening to lately. This one - both because of the narrator (Mhairi Morrison) and the relationship - was a really fun ride. I thought the narration really complimented the main character's (Elle) written voice. The flirty tone that's inherent in the genre really shone.

The romance between Elle and Callen, her husband-not-by-choice-but-by-surprise-body-switching, was just the sort I like. It also helped that <spoiler>he was a single father with a 6 year old daughter that Elle, a teacher in her real life, was able to connect with.</spoiler> The two of them go from cold to hot to very hot in a way that made me grin while I listened in.

The only thing I wanted more of was the world building. I know this is listed as the first in the series, so I'm hoping more novels mean more revelations. More information about the Berserkers, shapeshifters, and magical potions are always welcome!

What a wild ride with The Wrong Bride, the body switching was a first for me definitely kept me interested. Very fun and very little spice the narrator did an awesome job with the voices. I can’t wait to listen to the next book.

This whole thing from start to finish was a wild crazy ride that I loved every second of! The narrator did very well with the accents! I truly hope there will be more to this series and world because this was so fun! This fmc was spunky and funny and I loved getting to learn with her! Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

If Beauty and the Beast met in modern times and then went to Scotland and got mixed up in some magic…this would be the story. Great fun! And kept me guessing a bit as the mystery unfolded. The tension between the fmc and mmc was quite good and will have me seeking this author out again. As for the narration…gah…standing o. Stunning voice and narrator did a pretty brilliant job with the American accent!

The Wrong Bride was a wildly awesome ride. I loved the premise of it and enjoyed the story even more. It was funny, interesting and intriguing. I loved the world, the magic and the characters. It was packed with twists and turns and the twists had twists on them which I loved. The narrator did an awesome job bringing this fish out of water story to life. I loved listening to her. She kept my attention and had me wholly engaged throughout. I enjoyed her telling of this story. This was such an enjoyable and entertaining read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I definitely recommend it.

Good plot, liked the heroine. Both the plot and characters are well developed. Quite slow at times. See that there is a sequel but I don’t think it’s intriguing enough to continue on, unless it’s about another character then perhaps I’d be inclined to read it.

Narrator 5⭐️ crushed it with the accents

TheWrongBride by GenaShowalter and JillMoroe, Book One of the Kings of Fury series is a 3.9 ⭐️ read.

Vacationing in Scotland, schoolteacher Elizabeth “Elle” Darcy anticipates picturesque landscapes, castles of old and kilt wearing charmers, not awakening in someone else's body.

Worse, that someone just married enigmatic billionaire Callen Bruce. Though that’s not the biggest problem.

To the rest of the world, her new “husband” runs an elite empire. But behind his public persona, he’s a king of berserkers locked in an ancient, supernatural war with wolf-shifters.

—:—:—:—:—

The twists and turns in the plot will keep you guessing, something you will see as clear as day while others will come to surprise you. I really didn’t want to put this story down.

I have a fond place in my heart for special education teachers so I loved Elle from the beginning! I've never read a berserker paranormal romance before but ended up really loving it. Truly got approved for this audiobook and listened to it in a day!

The narrator, Mhairi Morrison, did an amazing job! I sometimes struggle with staying engaged with audiobooks but I couldn't stop listening to this one! Morrison brought the story to life in such a fantastic way. I truly sat in silence when it ended wishing there was more.

Content warning: Drugging and forced marriage. It does have a HEA though!

The Wrong Bride was a chaotic little ride and would be a great place for someone newer to the genre to start out. Lighthearted and fun, sometimes you need a read that's not too deep and this was giving easy moments of internal dialogue and interaction. Overall, the world we were introduced to was interesting and I found myself wanting to know more and more.

Okay so this was a hoot and a holler. Elizabeth Darcy is a hilarious mc and I was incredibly entertained by her internal monologue. I listened to this almost in one sitting because I needed to understand the mystery and wanted to watch the story unfurl! It reminded me a lot of an Ali Hazelwood romance book, so I definitely recommend this to any of her fans.

When I request books I do not look at reviews as I don’t want to color my impressions on the wrong way. However, had I done so I probably would not have requested the audio book.

I did not realize that this title came out back in September 2024 . The audiobook however is set to be released on February 25, 2025

Reading the description it had so many great facets that made me want to read it. Unfortunately, the execution was troublesome. I’ll leave it to the other reviews to give options about the content as I echo many of them but I will comment on the audiobook.

First, I am thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Dreamscape Media through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

I feel horrible to say this but this was one of the worst narrations I have listened to in a long while. Had I had to listen to it at regular speed it would had had to be my first DNF of an advanced copy of a book ever. The long drawn out breathy speech pattern was mind boggling to me. I realize that (thankfully) you can speed up the narration rate but I always listen to it as recorded to assess it. I even played it for other adults in my house hold and was asked to turn it off as it was so hard to listen to.

The problem with speeding it up is that it also changes the pitch making the voice higher and higher. Anyway, the narration was so unsettling that it made it hard to concentrate on the story coupled with the odd pacing and editing issues made a perfect storm.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again