Vampires in a romance novel, wait…what?? Yeah! Ali Hazelwood did it again. “Bride” by Ali Hazelwood features Paranormal Romance. Last time when I read “Love, Theoretically” (the bestselling) and “Love Hypothesis,” I was just thinking about how she did that, and again, she did.
As a fan of contemporary romance (This book follows contemporary romance), I loved it. To be honest, I was delivered a pre-copy of this book. Some household tasks made this review a bit late, but I am here with all you want.
Like I always say, I’ve gathered some juicy thoughts for you. Let’s hop on to the book.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood Overview:
“Bride” by Ali Hazelwood represents a dangerous union between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha hero, a Werewolf. They become so deep in love that they make the reader fall in love with the book.
The most potent Vampyre councilman of the Southwest has a daughter, Misery Lark. Misery Lark is not accepted among her kind. She’s now being asked to maintain peace between Vampyres and their enemies, the Werewolves. To do this, she must give herself up for a marriage alliance, even though she doesn’t want to. The Alpha of the Weres, Lowe Moreland, is cautious of her.
But Misery has her own secret motives for agreeing to this alliance, which involve something she deeply cares about. She’s ready to do anything to reclaim what’s important to her, even if it means living among the Weres, alone with their Alpha.
Basically, Misery and Lowe are a different-specie couple fighting and dealing with deadly assassination attempts. They miss their family and need rest from all the problems going on. The most difficult is dealing with their biological incompatibilities.
The author says:
“Bride may be a bit of a change of pace for me, but if readers choose to pick it up, I hope that my love and gratitude for the paranormal authors who came before me will shine through the pages—and that it’ll be as much fun to read as it was to write.”-
Ali Hazelwood at B&Nreads
Genre:
“Bride” is a romance novel with fictional characters. Sometimes, it feels like a “Fairy tale,” but it’s not that kind. The outclass contemporary romance in a paranormal world with romantic Vampyres and Werewolves is such a great fantasy.
The book offers humorous fiction and emotions embedded with love.
Main Themes:
The book “Bride” offers the following themes.
Love and Relationships: The book explores the complexities of love, trust, and vulnerability in romantic relationships.
Personal Growth: Certain aspects Highlight the importance of self-reflection, healing from past traumas, and embracing personal growth.
Finding Happiness: We Examines the idea of finding happiness in unexpected places and learning to let go of preconceived thoughts.
Friendship: The book showcases the value of strong friendships and support systems in one’s life.
Marriage of Convenience: The book elaborates on various aspects and results of forced marriage.
Except for these, we see a lot of fictional creatures and world-building. The slow-burn romance between the Vampyre girl and Ware Alpha is of great importance.
Age Recommendation:
“Bride” is not that age sensitive. A reader about 15 can enjoy as much as a mature reader. There are some spicy tensions, but they are enjoyable. YA’s and adults are meant to read this kind of book.
If I have a 13-year-old audience, please avoid romance and focus on other things, LOL!
Book Summary:
“Bride” has included world-building in the story. There are 3 kinds of species: Humans, Vampyres (vampires), and Weres (werewolves). They all hate each other and stay away. Now, they are trying to build alliances. Here come the main characters: Misery, the daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman and the Alpha of the Weres Lowe.
In the prologue, we see they are getting married. They are going to marry each other for the alliances of the wolves and the vampyres. They meet first on the day of their wedding 🙂 The first chapter begins with the story before their marriage. The time going back and forth may cause confusion, but everything falls in line when reading in a flow. The book follows fun and humor throughout.
“What I am is an adult woman with agency and the tools to make choices. Feel free to, you know, treat me accordingly.”
Ali Hazelwood, Bride
Misery has a good sense of humor despite having a bad past. Her childhood was not good; her father was bad. She has been living with humans, hiding her identity. For the sake of Vampyre’s safety and their power, her father used Misery. He set a forced marriage of Misery and the Were’s Alpha, Lowe. The romance goes a little slow with the plot.
| Publisher | Berkley |
| Publishing Date | February 6, 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 416 Pages |
| Title | Bride |
| ISBN-10 | 0593550404 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0593550403 |
As Misery is a Vampyre, she doesn’t know what she means to Lowe (her husband). By smelling, she gets to know who Lowe is to her. Lowe, the Were Alpha, doesn’t really enjoy Misery’s company. Although Misery is a funny and happy character, their love for Lowe, which develops soon, changes her.
There is the use of modern technology. Misery herself does coding. There is the use of mobile phones, cars, laptops, etc. Then, we get to see slow-burning romance and paranormal romance tropes. The story doesn’t seem complete; I think this will be a series. Another companion novella could also be added to it.
Here’s all for you in this Spoiler-Free Summary section. Let’s head toward my small opinions about the book.
My Review:
“Bride” is a marriage of convenience, forbidden, Vampyre x werewolf romance full of witty dialogues and so much potential for an amazing new series! I couldn’t stop reading it; having no new book will break me 🙁
The good thing about the book is that it unexpectedly offers diverse and dynamic characters. Misery finds herself marrying Lowe Moreland without her permission. Contrary to her expectations, Lowe rules fairly and honestly, making an unexpected connection between them. “Love” starts developing, and you know, love is always beautiful.
The plot felt very engaging. The storyline revolves around Misery’s journey as the daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman tasked with brokering peace between Vampyres and Weres while uncovering the truth about someone important to her.
The book mostly covers Misery’s point of view. I wanted to have more of Lowe, but… what can I do :/ Misery, being a funny character, sometimes acted extra cringe. The plot was sometimes disconnected from the previous story, but you’ll get the points after a bit of confusion.
Ali Hazelwood showed readers how to rock and roll in a fantasy universe by creating the most intelligent, quirky, and nerdy heroine free of stereotypes. Themes of enemies to lovers and forbidden love may initially make us think we’re in for a Twilight-like romance story. However, I assure you that this complex story offers so much more.
Is This Book for you?
The book is mainly for the enthusiasts of Romantic Comedy and lovers of contemporary romance. You can question yourself as to whether you can read adult fiction or not.
For those who love diverse and relatable characters, “Bride” is an excellent option to go for them. Still can’t decide? This is Ali Hazelwood’s content; if you are one of her previous fans, go and read it.
If you are reading for the first time, I recommend you to start your novelistic journey with this; you’ll love it.
To read the official content warnings by the author, Click Here.
Conclusion:
In Ali Hazelwood’s “Bride,” get ready to sink your teeth into a romance unlike any other! Step into a world where vampires and werewolves collide, as Misery Lark, a Vampyre bride, finds herself wedded to Lowe Moreland, an Alpha werewolf, to secure peace between their warring factions. But their union is anything but smooth sailing as they dodge assassination attempts and navigate their striking differences.
With heart-pounding suspense, sizzling chemistry, and twists you won’t see coming, “Bride” will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Don’t miss out on this tale of forbidden love.