Bride by Ali Hazelwood Book Review
Bride by Ali Hazelwood is a lighthearted and spicy romantic fantasy story set in modern times with the addition of rival paranormal creatures. It’s fun, low-stakes, and easy to read.
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Bride
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Narrators: Thérèse Plummer & Will Damron
Pub. Date: Feb. 6, 2024
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Pages: 416 pages / 12 hours 48 minutes
Rating: 4 stars
Spice: 4 hearts
Content Warnings: swearing, attempted murder, explicit sex, & kidnapping
Synopsis:
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.
Book Review
Thank you to PRH Audio for the ALC of Bride by Ali Hazelwood. All opinions are my own.
If Ali Hazelwood writes it, I’ll read it. I’ve read all of her books, but this is her first attempt at the fantasy genre.
Thoughts
This was such a fun book! If you like witty dialogue, rival creatures, and paranormal spice, then this book is for you!
While I don’t necessarily think this book is a standout in this genre, I do think it was a fun and enjoyable story that I found entertaining and relaxing.
Many fantasy stories can be stressful because of the plots and never knowing who might die, but this is not that type of fantasy. I would describe it more as an urban fantasy. It didn’t really feel like a fantasy because the characters had regular jobs, and it felt very real life (except for the paranormal creatures).
I liked the friendship that formed between Misery and Lowe, and I loved the conversations they had. Also, I found a lot of this book to be funny and lighthearted, and I really appreciated that aspect.
I listened to the audiobook of this narrated by Thérèse Plummer & Will Damron and appreciated the different narrators (even if Lowe’s chapters were super short). The voices fit the characters, and I thought they added to the story.
My biggest issue with this book was the spice. I’m not a big fan of spice anyways, but the werewolf smut was very weird.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a lighthearted and spicy romantasy.
Where to Read & Purchase
You can purchase a copy of this book at the following retailers:
Bookshop.org (supports independent book stores) [affiliate]
Libro.fm (audiobooks that support independent book stores) [affiliate]
→ get a free audiobook when you start a membership
Amazon [affiliate]
Books a Million (BAM) [affiliate]
AbeBooks [affiliate]
Have you read Bride or any other books by Ali Hazelwood?
I would love to hear your thoughts! Comment down below.