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chronicallybookish's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Baby’s first OmegaVerse!
So this was… an experience
I can genuinely say I’ve never read anything like this. I’ve kind of always known Omegaverse wouldn’t be for me, and even as tame as this was, this book definitely cemented that fact in my mind—however, it is Ali Hazelwood and everything Ali Hazelwood writes I will surely become obsessed with.
I am so in love with her writing and her characters, and I was curious to see how that would translate into world building. The world in this book is sort of our world, in the sense that cities had the names of cities and they had modern technology and some pop culture references, and yet it was wholly distinct in that the geopolitical atmosphere revolved around interspecies relations, countries didn’t seem to exist the way they do in our world, and of course, Vampyres and Werewolves exist. The worldbuilding was a little muddied in terms of real world vs fictional aspects and the why and how of what was the same or different, however I really enjoyed the politics of the world and how Ali explored the science of Weres and Vampyres.
I also absolutely adored Misery—although it took me ages to get over her name because why would you do that—as a character and narrator. She was voicy, relatable, and far too easy to love. She had so much depth and drive and I felt completely sucked into her head the entire time I was reading. Characters who come off as frosty and closed off but are actually the world’s biggest softies are my personal cryptonite—and seeing her interact with Ana? I was obsessed and read their scenes with a huge smile on my face.
I enjoyed Lowe as a hero, though he didn’t feel quite as strong as the heroes in Love, Theoretically or Check & Mate. Though he was far from a cardboard cut out, I still felt he could have used a little more depth to his character outside of Alpha.
The spice in this book is definitely way beyond anything in any of Ali Hazelwood’s previous books. Not only does it venture into the realm of knotting, but there were a lot more scenes than there have been in any of her prior work. The omegaverse aspects didn’t work for me, but I definitely think that’s a personal preference thing. I have no understanding of the trope (genre?), but I do think this is a pretty mild iteration of it. There are some discussions and semi-vague descriptions of knotting, but nothing more than that. I definitely won’t be picking up any OmegaVerse books in the future—with the exception of anything Ali writes. She will always be the exception.
This book ended in such a way that makes me think that there will be further installments in this world (Ali also confirmed she has another paranormal romance coming in 2025 at her recent Seattle event) and I’m actually really looking forward to it. I really enjoyed this world and these characters and would LOVE to see more of them in the future!
I truly just adore everything this woman writes and I was grinning like a fool and laughing out loud throughout the entire book.
So this was… an experience
I can genuinely say I’ve never read anything like this. I’ve kind of always known Omegaverse wouldn’t be for me, and even as tame as this was, this book definitely cemented that fact in my mind—however, it is Ali Hazelwood and everything Ali Hazelwood writes I will surely become obsessed with.
I am so in love with her writing and her characters, and I was curious to see how that would translate into world building. The world in this book is sort of our world, in the sense that cities had the names of cities and they had modern technology and some pop culture references, and yet it was wholly distinct in that the geopolitical atmosphere revolved around interspecies relations, countries didn’t seem to exist the way they do in our world, and of course, Vampyres and Werewolves exist. The worldbuilding was a little muddied in terms of real world vs fictional aspects and the why and how of what was the same or different, however I really enjoyed the politics of the world and how Ali explored the science of Weres and Vampyres.
I also absolutely adored Misery—although it took me ages to get over her name because why would you do that—as a character and narrator. She was voicy, relatable, and far too easy to love. She had so much depth and drive and I felt completely sucked into her head the entire time I was reading. Characters who come off as frosty and closed off but are actually the world’s biggest softies are my personal cryptonite—and seeing her interact with Ana? I was obsessed and read their scenes with a huge smile on my face.
I enjoyed Lowe as a hero, though he didn’t feel quite as strong as the heroes in Love, Theoretically or Check & Mate. Though he was far from a cardboard cut out, I still felt he could have used a little more depth to his character outside of Alpha.
The spice in this book is definitely way beyond anything in any of Ali Hazelwood’s previous books. Not only does it venture into the realm of knotting, but there were a lot more scenes than there have been in any of her prior work. The omegaverse aspects didn’t work for me, but I definitely think that’s a personal preference thing. I have no understanding of the trope (genre?), but I do think this is a pretty mild iteration of it. There are some discussions and semi-vague descriptions of knotting, but nothing more than that. I definitely won’t be picking up any OmegaVerse books in the future—with the exception of anything Ali writes. She will always be the exception.
This book ended in such a way that makes me think that there will be further installments in this world (Ali also confirmed she has another paranormal romance coming in 2025 at her recent Seattle event) and I’m actually really looking forward to it. I really enjoyed this world and these characters and would LOVE to see more of them in the future!
I truly just adore everything this woman writes and I was grinning like a fool and laughing out loud throughout the entire book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Child abuse, Blood, and Emotional abuse
indieandajean's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Bride is, in a word, sensational! Ali Hazelwood's grasp of character and world building is unmatched, and there is no denying her skill in Bride which does not suffer for being her first book in the paranormal romance space.
I had long since given up on vampire novels as a reader (being the right age at the right time for the vampire YA craze of the late 00's and early 10's made me avoid vampires for a time) but Bride doesn't really come across as a vampire novel and it doesn't rely on the paranormal to give depth to the plot. This novel is, at its core, amazing enemies to lovers content with just the right amount of spice.
Lowe is magnetic and Hazelwood's decision to include his perspective in snippets at the start of each chapter not only added to his like-ability, but was a fresh take on the two POV romance. Misery is easy to feel a kinship with and her snappy one-liners and intelligence makes her a fun character to read.
I would highly recommend Bride to Hazelwood fans, and also to those who read paranormal romance.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the e-ARC of Bride by Ali Hazelwood in exchange for an honest review!
I had long since given up on vampire novels as a reader (being the right age at the right time for the vampire YA craze of the late 00's and early 10's made me avoid vampires for a time) but Bride doesn't really come across as a vampire novel and it doesn't rely on the paranormal to give depth to the plot. This novel is, at its core, amazing enemies to lovers content with just the right amount of spice.
Lowe is magnetic and Hazelwood's decision to include his perspective in snippets at the start of each chapter not only added to his like-ability, but was a fresh take on the two POV romance. Misery is easy to feel a kinship with and her snappy one-liners and intelligence makes her a fun character to read.
I would highly recommend Bride to Hazelwood fans, and also to those who read paranormal romance.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the e-ARC of Bride by Ali Hazelwood in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Confinement
Minor: Racism and Death of parent
sarahyjackson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A shifter/vampire TREAT. I loved Misery so much. Supernatural Buffy snark and spice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Xenophobia
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