A review by bribreez
Bride by Ali Hazelwood

funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.75

4.75⭐️/ 3-4🌶️

Ali Hazelwood is one of my favorite authors, and when she announced that she was coming out with a paranormal romance between a VAMPIRE AND A WEREWOLF, I WAS SO EXCITED! Ali Hazelwood’s take on a paranormal romance combined an arranged marriage, the politics between each species, and seeing our two main characters, Misery and Lowe navigate their new marriage. People often say, marriage is the beginning of a new chapter for couples, but for Misery and Lowe, it was the means of survival and trying to bring peace after years of distrust and more. When Misery is tasked to marry the alpha of the Were pack, it wasn’t like she wasn’t happy to do so, but hey, when it came to the survival of her kind, she gave into the responsibility and did what needed to be done. 

Misery and Lowe were married, not happily, but, when it came to arranged marriages for the betterment of their species, it had to be done. As per usual with Ali Hazelwood, she had me hooked right from the start! Seeing the reasoning why Misery and Lowe went through with their marriage, and the politics along with it made it even more interesting. This wasn’t just a paranormal romance where a vampire and a werewolf got married, it had mystery, politics, family dynamics, and seeing two species trying to work together. Within the first couple of chapters, Ali was able to bring some of Misery’s backstory to life, and furthermore highlight the experiences she experienced when she was the Collateral. All in all, this was a unique and intriguing take on a paranormal romance, and I could confidently say that right away I would recommend this to anyone! 

Misery and Lowe were different in every way from the different type of creatures they were to how they in their own personalities. Regardless, as Misery and Lowe adjusted to their newly married life, they slowly got to know each other, and the initial hostility melted away. At first, Misery wasn’t exactly happy with the new arrangement that came with being Lowe’s wife, but she later saw that there was more to the powerful Alpha. Lowe was an all mighty alpha who won his position fair and square, and yet still had to deal with the politics surrounding his pack and his wife. Ultimately, Lowe and Misery entered in their marriage with the sole focus of bringing peace to their species and hopefully making it out alive. 

Ali Hazelwood really did give us all the KNOTS and more when it came to Misery and Lowe’s romance. Yes, I did indeed include a knot pun, and I’m not ashamed about it. Anyways, I really liked Misery and Lowe, they were great characters, unique, lovable, and on Misery’s part added a flair of humor. I liked the way the politics of the story added a bigger plot line to the story, and it really illustrated the high stakes that inevitably lead to the big reveal. Misery and Lowe were different in every way possible, but little things started to add up that had me seeing them in a new way, as well as having some suspicions that ended up being true. I even liked the other characters like Lowe’s little sister, Ana, she was adorable and she was equally funny. The big brother dynamic Lowe had with his little sister was so FREAKING PRECIOUS AND UGH SO DARN CUTE! Lowe was a fantastic big brother, attentive, a strong leader, and an amazing husband to Misery. Misery had a long way to go in finding happiness and little did she know that her husband would actually be the one for her! All in all, this was a great paranormal romance with vampires, werewolves, politics, betrayal, mystery, spice, humor, and romance.