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louisepea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Sexual content, Abandonment, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Racism
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Murder, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Death, and Racial slurs
Minor: Gore, Drug use, Grief, Violence, and Death of parent
emilywemily6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Xenophobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Kidnapping
theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely loved Misery. She’s dark and sarcastic and had me howling like a wolf multiple times. Lowe’s level of mystery and broodyness was perfect.
The spice was spicy and the plot sucked me in like a vampire sucks on a vein.
I wish the climax had been more descriptive. Misery’s father monologued forever—which helped Misery and readers understand absolutely everything—but what could have been an epic scene was glossed over in two sentences. I wish there had been more.
The ending was left open for a second book and I hope Hazelwood makes this into a series!!!
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Confinement, Death, Blood, and Cursing
Moderate: Gore, Murder, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Death, and Gaslighting
Minor: War, Car accident, and Death of parent
sierrabowers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Abandonment, Blood, Cursing, Gore, and Stalking
booknerderika's review against another edition
4.5
I hope that ending means there will be a part 2!
Graphic: Sexual content, Kidnapping, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
elledanie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Abandonment, Cursing, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
kalefactory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Racism and Abandonment
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Emotional abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Classism, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement and Medical content
Minor: Death, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, and Stalking
most of these warnings are still relatively minor and refer to the b plot which comes in like the last 50 pages or solawbooks600's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Score: Five out of ten.
What an underwhelming reading experience. Again.
Let me get this straight: Ali Hazelwood is not the author for me. Bride is the third book I've read from her, but she always disappoints and never seems to improve. I gave her three chances when I read The Love Hypothesis and then Check & Mate, but Bride was at the same level, not above it. Perhaps I should stop reading from her.
It starts with a prologue that lasts for a few pages, then it cuts to the central storyline with Misery Lark, a vampire, sorry, Vampyre (I'm cringing at this) living in the Human (uppercase) world. The pacing is slow at first and continues to be so, as Bride is around 400 pages. Bride only appeals to three types of people, those who like paranormal romances, those who enjoy fantasy romances (romantasies for short) and Hazelwood enthusiasts. I am not any of them. Hazelwood's latest creation stumbles in every possible aspect, so I'm unsure where to start, but I'll try.
First, the plot. As implied by the term romantasy, the narrative revolves around the relationship between Misery and Lowe Moreland, a Were (uppercase, and presumably short for werewolf.) Is it me, or romantasies don't work for me? I like fantasies with strong worldbuilding, not novels about romances in a fantastical setting with no worldbuilding (contemporary and urban too.) It leaves behind so many unanswered questions. Expanding upon the world would improve the romantasy genre. Where do the Weres and Vampyres come from? Why are they at war with each other and the Humans? Bride doesn't explain that. The characters lack depth, so saying they had chemistry would be a stretch. Increasing depth and character development would've made me enjoy Bride more, but I can't recommend this one in its present state. Those also looking for compositions with literary value should look elsewhere. At least the conclusion is heartwarming, as the couple is together in the end.
Graphic: Blood, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Full trigger warnings: War themes, physical assault and injury, blood, grief and loss depiction, death of peoplesammymilfort's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Child death, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, and Confinement