Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantasy | Publication Date: February 6, 2024

Thank you PRH Audio for the free audiobook copy!

☕ Quick Take:

A steamy, tension-filled paranormal romance with Hazelwood’s signature clever heroine. Misery’s world of Vampyres and Weres is a thrilling departure into the supernatural.

📖 Synopsis:

In this gripping paranormal romance, Misery Lark, the only daughter of the Southwest's most powerful Vampyre councilman, finds herself entangled in a dangerous alliance. She’s no stranger to being an outcast, but now she must marry the Alpha Werewolf, Lowe Moreland, to maintain peace between the Vampyres and Weres.

Misery has her own secret agenda, and navigating life among the ruthless Weres only complicates things further. Lowe rules his pack with strength and justice, but he’s suspicious of Misery. And for good reason—she’s hiding something. But as they grow closer, their forced marriage sparks a dangerous attraction neither can deny.

Misery’s journey is one of betrayal, politics, and the desperate lengths she’ll go to for the one thing she truly desires. Bride is an intense, emotional story about love, loyalty, and the thin line between trust and destruction.

💭 My Thoughts:

I was pleasantly surprised by how Bride blended Ali Hazelwood’s trademark genius heroines with a paranormal romance setting. Misery’s intelligence and skills with coding and technology added a refreshing layer to her character. It’s a nice twist on Hazelwood’s typical academic-driven heroines, but this time set in a world of Vampyres and Werewolves—a fun departure from her usual contemporary romance style.

The chemistry between Misery and Lowe was palpable, filled with tension and betrayal, which made for some seriously steamy moments. However, I did feel that the explicit detail around werewolf anatomy was unnecessary and pulled me out of the romance at times. It didn’t entirely detract from the story, but I agree with the sentiment that the focus on it wasn’t crucial to their relationship.

Despite that, I still enjoyed the dynamics of their marriage of convenience and the mystery swirling around Misery’s true motivations. The blend of political intrigue and emotional stakes kept me engaged, and the betrayals were satisfying in the best kind of way.

As for the narration, Thérèse Plummer’s voice took me a bit of time to adjust to. Initially, she didn’t sound quite right for Misery’s character, but her performance grew on me as the story progressed. Will Damron had less narration, but he did an excellent job of capturing Lowe’s internal struggles and intensity.

🌟 Final Thoughts:

If you’re a fan of Ali Hazelwood’s smart, capable heroines and want to see them in a paranormal world filled with Vampyres and Werewolves, Bride is the book for you. While some aspects could have been toned down, the tension, romance, and mystery make for a thoroughly enjoyable read.