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aileron's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Blood
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Grief, Violence, and Death
Minor: Murder, Bullying, Death of parent, and War
shaipanda's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-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
5.0
Holy shitttt how do I keep loving each of Ali Hazelwoods books more than the lastttt bruh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Confinement, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Torture and War
marinajonesreads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
I love Ali Hazelwood! Her books are always so fun and steamy. I was shocked at first to hear she was tackling paranormal, but I shouldn’t have been. It was a can’t-put-this-down-stay-up-all-night kind of read and I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Blood, Cursing, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, War, and Death of parent
queerwword's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping, and Car accident
Minor: Violence and Grief
niamhstorme's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Grief, Kidnapping, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
laurenvoice's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
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? No
4.75
Ali Hazelwood knocked it out of the park with this "romantasy"!
Bride was way much better than I had expected when I heard Hazelwood was releasing a Vampyre / Were love story. I won't lie; I did not think this would live up to her steminist romance collection, but it may have surpassed them.
Misery has to be my new favourite fictional character. Although I have some questions about this Vampyre, I shall ignore them because Misery is too hilarious to question.
One thing I will not ignore, however, is what on earth happens in the "alpha challenge"? Is it a battle to the death, some obstacle course, or a growling contest? I would have liked to know how Lowe became "alpha". Also, is Serena Lowe's and Ana's sister? Oh, and will there be a Koen and Serena sequel?
That's all my questions... well, for now!
Anyway, Bride was a hilarious read filled with some Vamprye throwbacks to the classics, like Twilight.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Classism, and Blood
Minor: Death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Grief
catsbooksandtea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
booksofautumn's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, War, Infidelity, Murder, Violence, Car accident, Self harm, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
jennireadsmaybe's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with and E-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Bride demonstrates Ali Hazelwood's innate ability to create fmcs that are entirely too relatable to the average reader. Misery is a blunt, black cat adjacent, dark humor loving badass. Being in her head was both unlike anything I've ever experienced and so similar to Hazelwood's previous fmcs. I found her backstory extremely intriguing, because though it's similar to other characters in Hazelwood's backlist, it's also so separate because of the fantasy element.
The first 40% is a slog to get through, but once you do it picks up quite quickly. When the plot picked up, I was thoroughly invested to the point that I read 200+ pages before going to bed. The dynamics between vampyres, werewolves, and humans were interesting especially with the addition of a collateral and the political heavy nature of the relationships.
Ali Hazelwood sat down and wrote the horniest scenting scene I've ever read. It truly unlocked a part of my lizard brain. Then throw in the sexual nature of vampyre feeding, I was a freaking mess. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't scream from rooftops about the fated mates twist in here. I thought it was such a unique way to combat the different species understanding of both romance and desire. I'm genuinely so excited to see if she will continue with other standalones in this universe she's created.
Bride demonstrates Ali Hazelwood's innate ability to create fmcs that are entirely too relatable to the average reader. Misery is a blunt, black cat adjacent, dark humor loving badass. Being in her head was both unlike anything I've ever experienced and so similar to Hazelwood's previous fmcs. I found her backstory extremely intriguing, because though it's similar to other characters in Hazelwood's backlist, it's also so separate because of the fantasy element.
The first 40% is a slog to get through, but once you do it picks up quite quickly. When the plot picked up, I was thoroughly invested to the point that I read 200+ pages before going to bed. The dynamics between vampyres, werewolves, and humans were interesting especially with the addition of a collateral and the political heavy nature of the relationships.
Ali Hazelwood sat down and wrote the horniest scenting scene I've ever read. It truly unlocked a part of my lizard brain. Then throw in the sexual nature of vampyre feeding, I was a freaking mess. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't scream from rooftops about the fated mates twist in here. I thought it was such a unique way to combat the different species understanding of both romance and desire. I'm genuinely so excited to see if she will continue with other standalones in this universe she's created.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Racism
Minor: Death and Grief
bookishmillennial's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Writing an honest review on my own accord after reading an ARC 🤎
Writing an honest review on my own accord after reading an ARC 🤎
We’re a seesaw, Lowe and I. Constantly pushing and pulling for a precarious balance on the brink of this . . . whatever this is that we are always about to fall into. Alternating in chaos.
I cannot believe I am about to say this about an alpha shifter romance (because any time a cishet man IRL says the word “alpha,” & especially in a podcast dudebro setting, I vomit a little), but ……. holy shit, this really worked for me!
It’s that tone again. The Alpha one. The one that makes me want to say yes to him, over and over again.
Wtf is this?! The corniest shit I’ve ever read and yet, I am hot & mf bothered over it…
Before we dive into the sizzling hot chemistry that Misery Lark has with Lowe Moreland, let me just say that this may be AH’s best work purely based on the banter and apathetic humor. The banter between Misery and *everyone* in this book is so delightfully goofy and delectable. Misery’s general malaise with life speaks to my existential-crisis-millennial soul and her glib nature was perfect. And she has a right to be! She spent ~15 years in Human territory as a hostage, and after a tiny taste a reclusive life away from the Weres and Vampyres, she is whisked away to marry the Alpha Werewolf, again acting as a peace offering amongst Weres and Vamps. I’d be resigned to a fate bound to service and lost autonomy too.
Before we dive into the sizzling hot chemistry that Misery Lark has with Lowe Moreland, let me just say that this may be AH’s best work purely based on the banter and apathetic humor. The banter between Misery and *everyone* in this book is so delightfully goofy and delectable. Misery’s general malaise with life speaks to my existential-crisis-millennial soul and her glib nature was perfect. And she has a right to be! She spent ~15 years in Human territory as a hostage, and after a tiny taste a reclusive life away from the Weres and Vampyres, she is whisked away to marry the Alpha Werewolf, again acting as a peace offering amongst Weres and Vamps. I’d be resigned to a fate bound to service and lost autonomy too.
“Your cat is welcome among us,” Lowe says. If that’s not a jab, nothing else is.
“Wonder how that feels,” I say breezily, and slip out of the room without glancing at him again.
The mystery element of her best Human friend Serena Paris going missing was intriguing enough to keep my attention, and I was very satisfied with the investigation and unraveling! If AH makes this an interconnected series of standalone romances, Serena’s romance is next👀
The hazard, I guess, of being alone in the world: no one to care that she was safe, and healthy, and alive. No one but me, and I didn’t count. I shouldn’t have been surprised, and I wasn’t. But apparently I still had the capacity to feel hurt. Because no one cared whether I was safe, or healthy, or alive. No one but Serena. The sister of my heart, if not of my blood. And even though I’d been plenty alone, I’d never felt so lonely as after she was gone.
The buildup between Lowe and Misery is explosive yet staggering. I was pulled in slowly and then all at once! I can’t describe how enamored I was with their connection. Lowe is your typical broody, mysterious love interest, but Misery peels back those layers of defense slowly and surely. She does so with her straightforward and unimpressed questioning and tone, but also with the way Misery cares for his younger sister, Ana, whose parentage is a major puzzle piece of this story.
There is something disarming about the way she leans against me, soft and trusting, as though our people haven’t been hunting each other for sport in the last couple of centuries.
Like this^???? So fucking precious and as someone with an ideal, hopeful heart for the state of the world, that shit *touched* me🥹
I have been SO over the “fated mates” trope but I may have been locked back in. I have no idea who is writing this review because only yesterday, I said, “couldn’t be me!” 😅😂 The third-act breakup is a bit rough, *but* very obvious if you’re a seasoned romance reader so just enjoy the ride!
I have been SO over the “fated mates” trope but I may have been locked back in. I have no idea who is writing this review because only yesterday, I said, “couldn’t be me!” 😅😂 The third-act breakup is a bit rough, *but* very obvious if you’re a seasoned romance reader so just enjoy the ride!
“You’re not a problem, Misery. You’re a privilege.”
If this series of standalone romances continues, you can guarantee I will be eating it the fuck up like I did with Bride!
steam rating: 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ at first, I blew a raspberry and whispered, “this is SO CRINGE” when Lowe said he had to *lick* Misery on the plane scene. I was not prepared for how AH turned this seemingly goofy scene into a super hot one. Anyway, from 50% on, it ramps up and it is fantastic. Again, I think her best work.
side note for AH author lore: AH continues her EXTREMELY BIG MUSCULAR HUMONGOUS MAN trope in this — Lowe wears a size 14 in men’s shoes.
read if:
-you were a twilight, true blood, or vampire diaries fan
-you enjoy shifter romance
-you’re curious what “knotting” is in werewolf/mating sex hahaha
-you enjoy unraveling a missing persons mystery
-you are a fan of fated mates, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, found family, paranormal romance, or “my wife” moments hehehehehe
see content warnings below!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, Sexual content, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
Minor: Death and Grief