Yeah so this was dumb, starting with our main character being named Misery. I just could NOT with this book. There are thousands of vampire and werewolf books out there that are actually good. This isn’t one of them. ( )

I am never one to say "this is a book I would take zero criticism for" but listen I f&%king loved this book. I even did full immersive with listening to the audio while I read along and made annotations and my own personal little comments in my book and I just went full heart and soul into this book.
I had Twilight, Crave, Star-Crossed and even Vampire Academy vibes in here mixed with a whole lot of new.
I have tried to read other books by Ali Hazelwood and DNF'd them but this one, I have to say this should be her forte because I am struggling with words to describe how much I am now obsessed with Misery and Lowe and Ana. It has the cheesiness I love in fluff romance, it has the growling male that has you imagining the wildest things 😜🥰. It takes a while for them to get to the spice but oh man, when they get there with the exception of some cringy words it was spice 0 to 100. I'm not even into books (normally) with spice, but Ali, Ms. Ma'am ... ooh wee!!
This is definitely making my top 5 of this year!!!
I base my favorite reads on how books make me feel and this book had me on all kinds of feels.
Fully 5 star rating, hands down.
Note: my reasoning for the comparison is mainly because when I read about Vampires, werewolves and humans those are my go to books.
Trust and believe me this book isn't hyped up enough. My opinion and I will not debate it with anyone!! I had way too much fun reading this. ( )

un Harmony, ne più ne meno.



TRAMA E SPOILER:
La figlia del capogoverno vampirico viene data in ostaggio agli umani come garante di pace da bambina, una volta cresciuta viene nuovamente ceduta in ostaggio, stavolta ai lupi in un matrimonio simbolico:
chiaramente con l'alfa,
che chiaramente è un figo,
che chiaramente sente scattare il molto demodè LegameAssoluto dei Compagni-a-Vita
e di cui lei chiaramente si innammmmmora
con cui chiaramente supererà ogni difficoltà del destino
e con cui poi, chiaramente vivrà per sempre felice e contenta
un po meno chiaramente i vampiri hanno orecchie a punta e occhi e sangue viola e i lupi mutaforma il sangue verde ( )

Representation: N/A
Trigger warnings: War themes, physical assault and injury, blood, grief and loss depiction, death of people
Score: Five out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.

What an underwhelming reading experience. Again.

Let me get this straight: Ali Hazelwood is not the author for me. Bride is the third book I've read from her, but she always disappoints and never seems to improve. I gave her three chances when I read The Love Hypothesis and then Check & Mate, but Bride was at the same level, not above it. Perhaps I should stop reading from her.

It starts with a prologue that lasts for a few pages, then it cuts to the central storyline with Misery Lark, a vampire, sorry, Vampyre (I'm cringing at this) living in the Human (uppercase) world. The pacing is slow at first and continues to be so, as Bride is around 400 pages. Bride only appeals to three types of people, those who like paranormal romances, those who enjoy fantasy romances (romantasies for short) and Hazelwood enthusiasts. I am not any of them. Hazelwood's latest creation stumbles in every possible aspect, so I'm unsure where to start, but I'll try.

First, the plot. As implied by the term romantasy, the narrative revolves around the relationship between Misery and Lowe Moreland, a Were (uppercase, and presumably short for werewolf.) Is it me, or romantasies don't work for me? I like fantasies with strong worldbuilding, not novels about romances in a fantastical setting with no worldbuilding (contemporary and urban too.) It leaves behind so many unanswered questions. Expanding upon the world would improve the romantasy genre. Where do the Weres and Vampyres come from? Why are they at war with each other and the Humans? Bride doesn't explain that. The characters lack depth, so saying they had chemistry would be a stretch. Increasing depth and character development would've made me enjoy Bride more, but I can't recommend this one in its present state. Those also looking for compositions with literary value should look elsewhere. At least the conclusion is heartwarming, as the couple is together in the end. ( )

“I would take anything she chose to give me—the tiniest fraction or her entire world.”

Did I have any idea what I was getting into with this one... no. I heard how good it was and was compelled to check it out. I have to admit it's been a long time since I've read a paranormal romance that I fell in love with. I absolutely adored this book. I really didn't want to put it down the whole time I was reading. Misery is an amazing character who you can instantly like. She is on a mission and will do anything to achieve her goal... even marry the enemy. Lowe and the Were pack prove to be more than she bargained for though. I loved watching her find a place to fit within the pack. It was adorable how awkward they all were around each other. I also enjoyed the way we showcased how different they were but also the things they found common ground over.

Misery and Lowe are the absolute most adorable thing I've read in a long time. The slow burn works really well in this book. It builds all this tension and then it has those awkward moments that are so real. I adored it because it also made me laugh. I loved that we slowly saw Misery begin to care for members of the pack. It adds this whole other element to her personality, especially when she's fighting with herself about it constantly. The found family dynamic somehow made the book a little more. I also loved the secrets and big reveals and issues that the story had. I also loved the way they were played out and revealed. It kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to continue reading. I feel like I inhaled this book. It was exactly the book I needed. I honestly really wish it was a series so that I could get more. I need more. ( )