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A review by bookishmillennial
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
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