Would you marry Lowe at first sight? I would

Hola libritos,

It has been quite some time without a new post, I’ve had a challenging year, but I finally returned with a review of Bride. And all I have to say is Ali Hazelwood has done it again! I am so sorry to the non-Ali Hazelwood fans because you’re going to be so sick of me and everyone else who enjoys cheesy romance novels.

Not only is Bride fun, spicy, and silly, but it’s refreshing to read a work that did not take itself so seriously. I just know Hazelwood had so much writing this novel.

And I enjoyed reading it! This novel is an adult paranormal romance with an arranged marriage between a vampire and a werewolf! Prepare to dive into a world with bite!

Summary:

Werewolves and Vampyres have been at war for centuries despite both having declining populations-due to constant fighting. Misery Lark is the daughter of a powerful vampire councilman but has lived a most of her life as a human, taking night shifts, wearing contacts, and filing her fangs down. She prefers her life with her human best friend Serena in their little apartment than with her Vampyre family. But when Serena does not return home for several weeks, and Misery’s father asks her for the ultimate favor, she can’t help but agree.

All Misery must do is marry Lowe, the most powerful alpha wolf in the Southwest. Misery suspects Lowe knows something about Serena’s disappearance, but she cannot investigate when he always has eyes on her. Misery cannot stir the pot too much because her marriage to Lowe will bring peace to both species as long as they both still alive.

However, Misery never expects to fall for Lowe or that she may have never truly known her best friend.

Thoughts:

Before I can proceed in this review, I must give a disclaimer to readers who are curious about Hazelwood’s latest venture- this novel has a sprinkle of ABO and knotting. Those of us who consume fanfiction until the early hours of the morning have probably heard of these terms and have probably read a few. But for readers encroaching on this unfamiliar landscape ABO is…a different beast entirely. That said Bride focuses more on the urban fantasy and politics of its world than it does on the ABO dynamics. So even if you’re hesitant about these topics rest assured it does not make up much of this book.

“Miresy is so so soooo pretty. I loooove her ears.” He presses his lips together before resuming his reading.”

Bride
Ali Hazelwood

The world of this book is quite interesting. Instead of a world where supernatural creatures live in the shadows, their existence is public knowledge to the human race. Even more interesting the wolves and the Vampyres are more preoccupied with not starting a war with each other than causing chaos in the human world. Luckily Bride is set in an urban fantasy world which means this novel is set in our world but includes paranormal elements. That makes this novel much more digestible for impatient readers like me. I really enjoyed the way Hazelwood blended the world of Vampyres, humans, and wolves together.

Misery, Misery, Misery. Our vampyre heroine does have quite a miserable backstory as she lived most of her life as a political token of peace and amongst humans. Because of this upbringing Misery’s is austere and sometimes rude. Which shouldn’t make her loveable but her loyalty to uncover her best friend’s disappearance at her own expense, made her so charming. As I continued to read Bride, I realized Misery’s seriousness was just a front she puts up. This became quite apparent when Lowe’s sister Ana cracked Misery’s shell quickly after meeting her.

Misery’s grumpiness did not sway Lowe at all. Much to everyone’s surprise, Lowe does not care about starting a war amongst the Vampyres despite his reputation as one of the most powerful alphas to ever live. He rather spend time with Misery. Lowe is the type of husband who’s obsessed with his wife, even though he’s quite subtle about it in the start.

“God, you’re just so fluffy. And . . . sorry, but you’re kinda cute. I know you could murder me in less time than it takes to stick a straw in a blood bag. But you’re soft. And your coat is not even sparkly pink. I don’t know what you were embarrassed about, you majestic fluffball—yes, fine, I’m going.”

Bride
Ali Hazelwood

Like Misery, Lowe had a lonely upbringing and placed his own loyalties above his happiness. Which makes him a great match for Misery, but it’s his wits and cleverness that made me adore his character.

What I really loved about Misery and Lowe was that they immediately begin referring to each other as husband and wife despite being estranged. I found it hilarious; and I grew to anticipate these moments in the novel.

The romance in this novel is a slow burn, and most of the plot revolves around Misery searching for clues on Serena, navigating wolf politics, and babysitting Lowe’s sister Ana. All of which could cause the plot to drag or have readers rapidly turning pages in anticipation of the romance, but I found these plot points enjoyable, especially the politics. I am not the type of reader who enjoys politics in fantasy worlds, but I understand they are necessary and help ground books. Which is why I was surprised that I enjoyed these elements in Bride. Maybe I am evolving and maturing, or maybe Hazelwood knows how to write intriguing novels.

Ali Hazelwood may get hate for writing novels with similar plot arcs, characters, and love interest, but I like many others, will eat it up every time. Let Ali Hazelwood have her Stem baddies! I loved that she made Misery a Vampyre coder! It’s silly and iconic at the same time. I love it!

I’m sure some readers may find Bride extra cheesy and the plot dragging on, but I believe that was Hazelwood’s intent. If you’re looking for your next read to get you out of a book slump, check out Bride!

I hope you enjoyed this post book lovers until next time let’s all live in libros,

Gabriela