Spoiler-Free Review

Ah, the classic premise of arranged marriage and forced proximity, helmed by a vampire (sorry, I mean vampyre) and a werewolf. Bride is actually my first Ali Hazelwood book, which I know is a departure from her usual women-in-STEM romances. It’s also my first read in what’s referred to as the Omegaverse. Look that up if you dare.

Before you read this review, I want you to know that I fully let my inner-Twihard take over for this book. I’ll still point out valid criticisms, but let’s be real. I didn’t read this one so I could critically analyze it. I read it for the vibes.

What’s Bride about?

Misery Lark, the daughter of the vampyre leader, is forced into an arranged marriage to the Alpha of the Werewolves as a show of peace between their people. But she has an ulterior motive.

It was a fun time.

While I knew it was a romance, I was pleasantly surprised to find this one also had a mystery subplot underpinning the story. It made for a propulsive story where every chapter had it’s own mini cliffhanger and kept me flying through the pages.

It definitely entertained me. Was it deep? No. Did I want it to be? Also no.

Now, it wasn’t perfect. The worldbuilding at the beginning was clunky and mostly consisted of expository info-dumping, plus the end features a classic villain monologue. It would’ve benefitted from some more finesse. But at the same time, this book knocked out the basics in the first couple chapters so the reader could dive into the story faster.

Not to mention, as with most fantasy/paranormal romances, the worldbuilding is mostly designed to benefit the romance at the center of the story, so there’s some elements you have to just go along with. And that’s okay, that’s part of the fun. Oh, you need to go live with this hot man for the sake of international peace? Of course, yes, makes sense!

Also, was I hoping that a main character literally named Misery would be a dark-haired goth queen? Yes. But alas, she was a blonde woman. Albeit a socially isolated, code-savvy blonde woman.

I think from a critical standpoint, it’s probably a 3-star read. But I had a good time reading it anyway, so I gave it 4 stars.

Should you read Bride?

The writing style is very much on par with contemporary romances and romcoms, so if you haven’t yet ventured into paranormal or fantasy romance territory, this could be a good place to start. It’s also a moderately slow-burn romance as well, which I appreciated. They definitely do not fall in love right away, and there’s some enjoyable temptation-resisting.

It’s still primarily a romance, so it’s naturally more focused on the main character’s internal world and relationships than on a hard external plot. Though, it does make good use of subplots and mystery, and it’s fast-paced overall. Just don’t go into it expecting more fantasy than romance.

If you’re looking for a fun, easy-to-read, modern paranormal romance with a mystery underpinning the plot, you’ll like Bride.