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.
BRIDE by ALI HAZELWOOD
Series: n/a
Publication date: February 6, 2024
Published by: Berkley
Genre: paranormal romance
SYNOPSIS
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.
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Praise for Ali Hazelwood:
"Bride is a delight! Passionate and witty and primal in its intensity, Ali Hazelwood's paranormal debut introduces a world as intriguing as its characters. I absolutely adored this read."—Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author
“Ali Hazelwood finally gives us paranormal, with her trademark humor, twisty plot, and spice that doesn’t quit—buckle up.”—Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author on Bride
“Hazelwood unleashes her sparkling voice and wit on a paranormal Romeo and Juliet.”—Ruby Dixon, international bestselling author on Bride
“The romance that blooms from a marriage of convenience is both tender and foxy, indisputably sexy and brimming with heart.”—Isabel Cañas, USA Today Bestselling Author of Vampires of El Norte on Bride
“It’s official. There’s nothing Ali Hazelwood can’t do brilliantly when it comes to writing. LOVED it.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Ali Hazelwood is a romance powerhouse and she's put me firmly back in my werewolf era.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Hannah Grace
"Whenever I want a sexy, witty, delicious romance, told in a fresh and intelligent voice, I read Ali Hazelwood. Prepare to get addicted. Each book is pure joy."—Simone St. James, New York Times bestselling author
“Hazelwood is an absolute romance powerhouse.”—New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren
“Funny, sexy and smart.”—New York Times bestselling author Mariana Zapata
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I'm Ali, and I write contemporary romcom novels about women in STEM and academia. I love cats, Nutella, and side ponytails. I'm also currently learning to crochet, so as you can tell I'm a super busy gal with an intense and exciting life!
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REVIEW
Bride by Ali HazelwoodMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Misery and Lowe are voluntarily entering into an arranged marriage for the good of their respective species. The Vampyres and Werewolves would form a shaky truce between them if their wedding could conclude without anyone killing each other. As the Vampyre Councilman's daughter, Misery is used to sacrificing her happiness and safety for the good of their kind. Her father sent her to live among the humans when she was a child to be what is called the Vampyre Collateral. This is a grudging agreement between humans and Vamps in which a child is exchanged on both sides to live on the alternate side. If the treaty is broken by either side, it's understood that the Collateral child will be killed. Misery's father had no regrets about placing his daughter in danger then, and definitely not now for this dangerous marriage of "convenience."
Heartbeats are like fingerprints, one of akind, distinctive, the easiest way to tellpeople apart. Father’s was pressed intomy flesh on the day I was born, when hewas the first person to hold me, the firstperson to care for me, the first person toknow me. And then he washed his hands of me.
She takes it all in stride though-if there's one thing she's used to, it's being an outcast with a target on her back. Besides, she has her own motivation for agreeing to marry Alpha Were Lowe Moreland.
Misery is a tough, gritty heroine, and very much a loner-with one exception. Serena Paris is her one and only best friend that she met while growing up with in human territory. Their relationship goes beyond friendship, she's like the sister she never had. Vampyres are notorious for being aloof and undemonstrative with their emotions, but Serena is her weakness. She may not be the touchy-feely type, but she has her own snarky, sarcastic way of showing her that she cares. They are very similar in that way, which is why I really enjoyed their scenes together when we finally meet her in the later chapters. I honestly wish we could have gotten more page time with Serena to establish her character early on and their friendship dynamic. She was a fantastic secondary character that held her own and I'm looking forward to hopefully reading her story in the future. There is foreshadowing at the end that hints that she will be paired with a certain Were character and I'm totally down for it.
Lowe is a strong, respected alpha who has also lived a life of sacrifice. He and Misery have that in common and it is one of the first things that they see and respect in each other. They try to keep their physical and emotional distance, but fate has a way of turning plans upside down. Bride has a "he falls first" trope which I actually really enjoyed. You don't really see that with Were/shifter books so I found that to be pretty unique. You also get forbidden romance vibes from them, because they have a lot of obstacles to overcome due to the prejudices of their species towards each other.
Lowe is a very caring, giving person, so despite the intensity of his feelings for her, he conceals his true emotions for much of the book to protect her. This is something that bothered me a bit because it caused a huge conflict in their potential relationship. Lowe unilaterally makes the decision to hide important information from her as well as his true feelings in order to give her the "freedom of choice." He feels that she's been pushed into situations her whole life that trapped her, and he does not want to do the same. My issue is...by not being completely open and honest with her, he is making the choice for her instead of allowing her the free will to make an informed decision. I don't exactly view that as freedom. So the non-communication and dishonesty on his part caused some mildly irritating issues that could have easily been avoided.
There is a mystery side story which didn't have a lot of page time once Misery was living in Were territory which seemed a bit unrealistic for me. She felt desperate to find answers to all of her questions, but we barely see her looking into the matter at all. Also, I found the antagonist very easy to guess from the beginning, so it lacked any surprise towards the end. None of these things were big issues, but noticeable enough to bring up.
I enjoyed the romance between Misery and Lowe quite a bit and felt that they made a complimentary, supportive pair. You get third person POV snippets of Lowe's thoughts regarding her at the beginning of the chapters as well as the epilogue. This gives you some insight into his private internal battle as he struggles with his very uncomfortable attraction. Misery really blossoms under his care and protection. You see a softer side emerge by the end because Lowe is able to make her feel safe and wanted for the first time in her life. She never fit in quite right with any of the species, but he finally gives her a true home and sense of what family should feel like.
I would take anything she chose to give me—the tiniest fraction or her entire world.
I'm glad I chose this book as my first read by Ali Hazelwood. It was a good first impression to her work and I'll definitely be checking out any future additions to this potential series in the future. There is no series listed yet, but all signs are pointing in that direction.
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