Book Review: Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 6, 2024
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis.

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 is Ali Hazelwood’s first foray into paranormal romance. I was skeptical going in – not because I didn’t think she’d do a good job, but because I haven’t read paranormal romance in so long, I didn’t know if I would still like it. Turns out, I do!

Bride follows Misery, a Vampyre who has been passing as human and living in the human world for the past few years. Her father, who is head of the Vampyre council, calls her home and tells her she has to marry Lowe Moreland, the Alpha Were. She will live with him in Were territory and another Were will marry a Vampyre and live in Vampyre territory. This arrangement is supposed to ensure peace between the two factions, as a betrayal by the Vampyres would get Misery killed and vice versa. It’s mutually assured destruction.

Of course, an attraction forms between Misery and Lowe but it’s complicated. Their marriage was supposed to be all business – Weres and Vampyres do not get romantically involved. And how would the physical aspect even work? The interspecies intimacy was a little weird but still very spicy and well-written.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bride. Misery has the same dry sense of humor that her female protagonists are known for, and I loved the banter between her and Lowe. Lowe has a younger sister that Misery, to her chagrin, grows to like, and their relationship is cute.

A sequel to Bride called Mate is due out in October. I can’t wait! Highly recommended.

Other books by Ali Hazelwood I’ve reviewed:

The Love Hypothosis
Love, Theoretically
Check & Mate
Not In Love