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bookishbeans's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I REALLY wanted to love this book. "Paranormal romance? Werewolves and vampires? Count me in!" Is what I said before I picked up the book. Had I known it would be in a contemporary setting and that the pacing would be all over the place, I wouldn’t’ve picked it up. I liked the development of Misery and Lowe's relationship, but the rest of the book was simultaneously too fast and too slow for me. Prepare yourself for long chapters with this one, if that's not your thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Xenophobia
themichellegray's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
I was knot expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did!
Bride is a fast-paced paranormal romantasy with the perfect balance of worldbuilding, mystery, humor, and spice. I really enjoyed the writing style as well as the cast of characters (and their banter) who all showed major growth by the end. While this was an extremely predictable story, it was altogether fun and easy-to-read!
Bride is a fast-paced paranormal romantasy with the perfect balance of worldbuilding, mystery, humor, and spice. I really enjoyed the writing style as well as the cast of characters (and their banter) who all showed major growth by the end. While this was an extremely predictable story, it was altogether fun and easy-to-read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Abandonment
Moderate: War, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Violence
Minor: Classism and Death of parent
percervall's review against another edition
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
While I started this out of morbid curiosity because everyone and their dog were talking about it on TikTok, I really, really enjoyed this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Murder, Death, War, Torture, Classism, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
kendoftheworld's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As an aroace enby who is sometimes sex-repulsed, I always find myself amused and simultaneously horrified when reading extremely cishet romance novels … but maybe not for the expected reasons.
Things I liked: Serena, Sparkles, and Owen. That Owen’s final speech to their father is basically soft-coded for “I plan to not make America great again, I plan to make America comfortably insignificant again,” which, *finger snaps.* That none of the women in this book are in any sort of competition with each other. That platonic same-sex friendship is maybe the only major plot point. (I don’t consider sex a plot point, but that’s me.)
Things I didn’t: Basically, the main Romance (and specifically Omegaverse) Thing™️ where really good sex is a) the whole point of the book, b) fundamentally transformative, c) what every normal person is built for, and d) where all the meaning and belonging of life is stored up for folks to experience.
As I mentioned, I’m an aroace enby. I will never experience romance or sex the same way as an allosexual, and I have been raised like everyone else to see romance and sex as extremely meaningful—more meaningful than platonic friendship, because the book never climaxes or ends on platonic friendship even if the author considers it important. The book never ends with someone trying to figure out if life is going to ever be as meaningful for them as everyone else, simply because they’re not built to experience love the same way. And in a book where that *exact* question is raised repeatedly, as a result of biological difference, it’s even more heartbreaking for the conclusion to be “I’d totally still love you if you didn’t love me back or experience love the same way—but isn’t it awesome that we do, in the end, feel the same way for each other and were silly silly people for thinking we were biologically incompatible and *didn’t* experience sex in all its mind-blowing fullness in essentially the same way?”
It’d be nice if someone were biologically compelled to really really like me, sexually and/or romantically, because then I could know for sure that life was meaningful and worth continuing for no other reason than that such relationships apparently make us feel it is worth continuing. It’s not Ali Hazelwood’s fault for amplifying this narrative since literally no one else I’ve ever read has managed anything else, but it does feel particularly galling here, perhaps because she *knows* and she wants to *try* at an inclusive romance. And we quite literally pay for romance books to be the way they are.
I’m not saying I hate being me right now, but I do always hate myself at least a little bit for being such a … (I’m laughing at myself here a bit) … misery melon about the whole thing.
I do dream of a world where a misery melon like me can find a meaningful ending in a romance book that doesn’t involve being transformed by mind-blowing sex, though.
Things I liked: Serena, Sparkles, and Owen. That Owen’s final speech to their father is basically soft-coded for “I plan to not make America great again, I plan to make America comfortably insignificant again,” which, *finger snaps.* That none of the women in this book are in any sort of competition with each other. That platonic same-sex friendship is maybe the only major plot point. (I don’t consider sex a plot point, but that’s me.)
Things I didn’t: Basically, the main Romance (and specifically Omegaverse) Thing™️ where really good sex is a) the whole point of the book, b) fundamentally transformative, c) what every normal person is built for, and d) where all the meaning and belonging of life is stored up for folks to experience.
As I mentioned, I’m an aroace enby. I will never experience romance or sex the same way as an allosexual, and I have been raised like everyone else to see romance and sex as extremely meaningful—more meaningful than platonic friendship, because the book never climaxes or ends on platonic friendship even if the author considers it important. The book never ends with someone trying to figure out if life is going to ever be as meaningful for them as everyone else, simply because they’re not built to experience love the same way. And in a book where that *exact* question is raised repeatedly, as a result of biological difference, it’s even more heartbreaking for the conclusion to be “I’d totally still love you if you didn’t love me back or experience love the same way—but isn’t it awesome that we do, in the end, feel the same way for each other and were silly silly people for thinking we were biologically incompatible and *didn’t* experience sex in all its mind-blowing fullness in essentially the same way?”
It’d be nice if someone were biologically compelled to really really like me, sexually and/or romantically, because then I could know for sure that life was meaningful and worth continuing for no other reason than that such relationships apparently make us feel it is worth continuing. It’s not Ali Hazelwood’s fault for amplifying this narrative since literally no one else I’ve ever read has managed anything else, but it does feel particularly galling here, perhaps because she *knows* and she wants to *try* at an inclusive romance. And we quite literally pay for romance books to be the way they are.
I’m not saying I hate being me right now, but I do always hate myself at least a little bit for being such a … (I’m laughing at myself here a bit) … misery melon about the whole thing.
I do dream of a world where a misery melon like me can find a meaningful ending in a romance book that doesn’t involve being transformed by mind-blowing sex, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Cursing and Abandonment
Minor: Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Dementia, Grief, Vomit, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, and Self harm
emmabeeslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Blood
Moderate: Xenophobia
lizzie_b99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I didn't like this as much as Hazelwood's last book, but it has lots of great elements in it, but I wanted more depth in some places. It's stated repeatedly that there is extreme animosity between the Humans, Weres, and Vampyres, but where does the blood from the blood banks that Vampyres use come from? Does part of the arrangement between the Vampyres and Humans involve giving some of the blood that would have gone to medical care to Vampyres? Misery and all Vampyres rely on these blood banks for their survival, but how they're operated is never really spelled out in as much detail as I would have liked.
Part of the epilogue was likely intended to open up the chance for a sequel to this novel, but I wished for more of a conclusion for the main story. The epilogue could have included Lowe marking Misery and the customs around it; what punishment Lowe and Owen gave Owen/Misery's father and whether Misery ever finds out about it; what happens to the politician who conspired with the father; what the future holds for Serena and Ana and people like them; what Owen does in the early days of his leadership; if Serena finds her parents, etc. . I get wanting to show that there's the possibility for a sequel, but I felt like there were multiple threads of the novel that needed to be tied up. The discussion about Serena's background was a bit confusing too since it sounded like Misery's father was saying that Ana's parents were Serena's
I really enjoyed the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter that gave some insight into Lowe's thoughts. Those were definitely some of my favourite passages of the novel. I did enjoy the romance of the novel, but the depth of feelings seemed to develop too quickly for people who have just met. I know the mate thing invalidates that to some extent, but still, it seemed to be a bit fast, especially since they didn't spend that much time with each other at first. I think the 3rd act breakup speech also needed some work . I did enjoy this take on Weres and Vampyres and there interactions with Humans, but I felt like some more background info and the Epilogue needed some more work. This is Hazelwood's first novel in this genre, so I'm excited to see how her writing in it develops if she continues in it!
Part of the epilogue was likely intended to open up the chance for a sequel to this novel, but I wished for more of a conclusion for the main story. The epilogue could have included
I really enjoyed the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter that gave some insight into Lowe's thoughts. Those were definitely some of my favourite passages of the novel. I did enjoy the romance of the novel, but the depth of feelings seemed to develop too quickly for people who have just met.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, Abandonment, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
madamenovelist's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Xenophobia
If you don’t mind paranormal romance where the supernatural characters feel like cosplayers rather than supernatural beings, and you don’t mind omegaverse with no omegas and an alpha that’s more like a tumblr dom, this book is for you. I looooved the premise (political marriage between monsters sign me up), but it was hard to stay immersed in a world that felt like it was only surface level paranormal, and there’s only alphas and betas in were packs, almost all non-sexy action happens offpage because Misery’s basically a pro atticwife, and the hero and heroine neither of them have a single goddamn personal interest. Not a bad book, the twists were clever and it was engaging and kept me reading! I just wasn’t the target audience.leechspit's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.75
Ali Hazelwood knows how to write characters. This book was no exception. This is the modern paranormal trope-romance we deserve.
Misery is a wonderful character, she's figuring out her life, and she is learning about love, family, and Weres. She has so much and so little, and it's hard not to want what's best for Misery. In a way though, she is her own comedic relief, and it's refreshing. Lowe is the golden retriever, touch-her-and-die, Alpha Husband with little fuss but a lot of heart. The little snippets before the chapters, our portal to Lowe's mind, are incredible and delightful.
There is a bit of world building, along with mentions of alliances and newly appointed leaders, so it's not a long winded graphic sexual o/b/a novel, but an almost plot driven novel with a great cast of side characters. The Were interactions with Misery are hilarious, and the interactions with Ana, are heartwarming. I didn't actually place Ana as being younger than 10 based on the writing, but I can appreciate that writing children is a difficult task unless it's your main genre. I see a lot of comments about the author's writing children, but this is not the book for it.
All in all, a sweet, fast-paced paranormal romance novel, and yes, there is a few spicy scenes, (🌶️🌶️🌶️/5) and yes, there is a conversation between the characters about the thing in we do NOT mention. A great enemies-to-lovers, golden retriever, slow burn, that is light and filling with a great Happily Ever After ending, with a possible to be continued. 5/5 I would be delighted to see another book in this universe.
Misery is a wonderful character, she's figuring out her life, and she is learning about love, family, and Weres. She has so much and so little, and it's hard not to want what's best for Misery. In a way though, she is her own comedic relief, and it's refreshing. Lowe is the golden retriever, touch-her-and-die, Alpha Husband with little fuss but a lot of heart. The little snippets before the chapters, our portal to Lowe's mind, are incredible and delightful.
There is a bit of world building, along with mentions of alliances and newly appointed leaders, so it's not a long winded graphic sexual o/b/a novel, but an almost plot driven novel with a great cast of side characters. The Were interactions with Misery are hilarious, and the interactions with Ana, are heartwarming. I didn't actually place Ana as being younger than 10 based on the writing, but I can appreciate that writing children is a difficult task unless it's your main genre. I see a lot of comments about the author's writing children, but this is not the book for it.
All in all, a sweet, fast-paced paranormal romance novel, and yes, there is a few spicy scenes, (🌶️🌶️🌶️/5) and yes, there is a conversation between the characters about the thing in we do NOT mention. A great enemies-to-lovers, golden retriever, slow burn, that is light and filling with a great Happily Ever After ending, with a possible to be continued. 5/5 I would be delighted to see another book in this universe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
sorumn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
I wasn't expecting to be like wow I liked that omegaverse light book but here I am and I have to say it was a really fun read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Xenophobia
queenkath32's review against another edition
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Stalking, Xenophobia, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, and Kidnapping