Bride by Ali Hazelwood: My Book Review of Her Paranormal Romance Debut

Is there anything Ali Hazelwood cannot write?! The woman continually knocks my socks off with her romance books and Bride, her new paranormal romance, is already one of the best books of 2024. Read my full book review of Bride by Ali Hazelwood below to see why I love this book!

*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Bride Summary:

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice.

And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

Bride: My Review

Just when I think Ali Hazelwood can’t give me yet another amazing book, she dives into paranormal romance and gives me THIS!

This is one of the best slow burn romances I’ve ever read!

If you love romance books with the best characters that carry a story with suspense and sweetest of slow burn romances, then you have to pick this up.

Ali Hazelwood has been one of those one-click authors for me ever since The Love Hypothesis and especially after Love, Theoretically, which I adored and was one of the best romance novels of 2023.

She proved over and over that she could nail the STEM-focused romcoms with the best enemies to lovers stories.

Because of this should could have just stayed in that lane and I would have been a completely reader, but then she ventures into paranormal romance and I AM IN LOVE!

I absolutely had so much fun sinking into her world where Humans, Vampyres and Weres really don’t mix. In fact, the threat of conflict between all of the races is always simmering which is why they started the Collateral system.

Misery Lark is the daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman and she was chosen as the Vampyre Collateral at age 7 when she was forced to live among the humans – never a part of their world and also never being accepted as one of her own.

Now as an adult, secretly living among the Humans, she becomes a pawn again, agreeing to marry a powerful Were Alpha to keep the peace between Weres and Vampyres though she also has her own reasons for agreeing to the marriage of convenience.

Overall, I thought Ali did a great job creating this paranormal world but she did it through the amazing characterization of her two leads – Misery and Lowe.

Misery could have been this one-dimensional character but I loved all of her layers! She was a hacker, a fierce friend, a loner and someone so strong and yet also so tragic.

I adored her snark, her honesty and her moments with Ana.

I loved how Lowe and Serena (her bestie) could see how her life as a pawn impacted her view of love and how she approached life.

Hazelwood didn’t just state the facts or even have Misery give some introspective self-reflection, but she used Lowe’s feelings and the discussion of Were mates to really flush out how Misery was treated and how she deserved more.

Lowe is one of those alpha males you totally fall for because he was a strong, capable and compassionate leader who also has a heart of gold evident in the way he treated his sister and Misery.

It was so easy to fall for this man.

Even if you’re not a fan of paranormal romances, or even vampire romances or werewolf romances, you’ll enjoy this book because it’s really just a good look at people and difference and how we develop misconceptions and treat people differently due to our diversity.

It truly is one of the best slow burn romances between two people who were just honest with each other when they didn’t have to be.

Despite these two people such strong, capable people, they were also vulnerable in their feelings and the firsts they were experiencing with each other and Hazelwood wrote those moments perfectly.

I didn’t care for the moment of conflict at the end because I think the events leading up to it and Misery’s honest sharing didn’t require the hurt that was laid out, but I get that something had to turn and the tide to give that moment of conflict to the story  and I got over it.

I’m so hoping that we get another book in this world given the moment that occurred in the epilogue and I can guarantee that I will be reading it.

This is one of the most anticipated romance books of 2024 for good reason because it’s simply amazing and I highly recommend it!

Related Book Lists:

• Best Marriage of Convenience Books
• Best Werewolf Romance Books
• Best Vampire Romance Books
• Best Enemies to Lovers Books
• Ali Hazelwood Books in Order
• Most Anticipated February 2024 Romance Books
• 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards Nominees for Best Romance

More Books by Hazelwood:

• Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
• Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
• Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
• Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

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