REVIEW: Bride by Ali Hazelwood

In Bride by Ali Hazelwood, Vampyre Misery Lark is used to being shuffled around at will whenever it benefits her father, the all-powerful and important councilman. To hear him talk, it’s what is in the best interest of all the Vampyres in their territory. In actuality, Misery is used like a pawn by her dear old dad anytime he sees fit. When she learns of the new pact made with their enemies, the Weres, which forces her to wed their Alpha wolf, Misery is at once not surprised and also rather resigned to the fact. But then she meets Lowe Moreland. Handsome, strong, a little untrusting (understandably so), and yet welcoming, he brings her into his home and his territory as his new bride–and to keep the peace between their species.

“You know what makes Alphas good leaders?”
“No clue.”
He huffs out a laugh. “Neither do I. But at times, there are decisions that feel right, deep in the marrow of my bones.” He wets his lips. “You are one of them.”

There’s maybe, possibly slightly more to why Misery agreed to her father’s asinine plan to marry her off to the Alpha Were. Something she won’t be admitting to him or any of the wolves. But she figures if she’s in enemy territory, she may as well learn everything she can about the Weres–and try to stay on their good side while doing it. Misery reluctantly gets pulled into the fold. And she also reluctantly finds herself making friends with some of Lowe’s pack, including one clingy, precocious youngster who manages to annoy and amuse her in equal parts. Lowe, however, is the one Were she’s drawn to, time and time again. And while she knows he has some kind of attraction to–or maybe even feelings for–her, Misery is unsure their sham of a marriage will ever be as real for him as it’s beginning to feel for her.

‘The fact that I feel more at home than ever before with a Were, with someone whose proximity I should have never been in… There’s something wrong about it. Or painfully right.’

A paranormal romance by Ali Hazelwood? Yes, please! Just when I thought I couldn’t adore her books more than I already do, she hit us with BRIDE and not only charmed me, but also left me wanting way more of this intriguing new world.

“You’re not a problem, Misery. You’re a *privilege*.”

CW: View Spoiler » Abduction & captivity, child neglect, attempted murder, murder (historical), blackmail. « Hide Spoiler

While I’m already a fan of paranormal romance–and a fan of Ali Hazelwood!–BRIDE would have sold me on the genre. Full stop. Because it perfectly pulled together what I love about Ali’s writing along with everything I enjoy in paranormal/shifter romances all in one story. The world-building, complex relationships, humor and heart. And the sexy times. Whew, the chemistry between the main characters! *fans face* It all added up to a total page-turner of a novel.

Marriages of convenience or arranged marriage tropes don’t always work well in contemporary stories in my humble opinion. But in BRIDE, it was just the right jumping off point for Misery and Lowe to crash into each other’s worlds. And didn’t they have the odds stacked up against them. What basically amounted to trading a Vampyre (Misery) to the Weres and vice versa to keep the peace between the groups, ended up being a political powerplay that ultimately led to some major changes–and a romance that was so powerful it had to have been fated.

While I enjoyed the twists, turns, and surprises Ali wove into BRIDE, it was the characters that held me spellbound. Misery was a hoot. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and she had a dry sense of humor I couldn’t get enough of. But she was so very compassionate. When Misery loved, she loved fully and completely. There were very good reasons for her to not get attached to anyone given her past, but the way the Weres showed her she had value and was worthy of love? Gah. Hit me square in the heart.

Then there was Lowe. The Alpha Were. He encompassed everything you can imagine in a shifter Alpha: strength, kindness, strong moral compass, intelligence, and the biggest protector of those he cared about. Including Misery. Theirs was an unconventional slow burn romance. And they had more than their fair share of problems. But Lowe’s reaction to Misery and the way he treasured her was the stuff dreams are made of. I can’t wait to see if Ali writes a second book in this new universe like she teased at the ending, just to get more page time with Misery and Lowe. (And Ana, Juno, Koen, Serena, etc…)

QOTD: If an author you enjoy switches genres, do you take a chance on it? Or stick to the genre you’re used to them writing?

Book Info:

Publication: February 6th, 2024 | Berkley |

A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis.

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.