2.5 ⭐ out of 5⭐
3❤️ out of 5❤️
2.75 🌶️ out of 5🌶️
A Non-Spoiler Synopsis
Misery Lark wanted to be left alone and live anonymously among the Human’s after spending her childhood as the Vampyre’s Collateral. But when her life is upended yet again by the maneuverings of her father, the powerful Vampyre councilmen, Misery has no choice but to answer his call. Despite being a Vampyre outcast, she is being called upon to uphold the alliance between Vampyre’s and their mortal enemy, the Weres.
But what’s worse is that she is not just expected to live amongst the very creatures that want to rip her to shreds; she is expected to marry one.
Alpha Lowe Moreland doesn’t seem pleased with this situation either. His authority goes unquestioned by his pack but that doesn’t mean it won’t go unquestioned by Misery. While Lowe is searching to uncover who or what is attempting to usurp his authority within his pack what he doesn’t know is that Misery has her own reasons for accepting this marriage.
Misery has her own agenda, and this marriage of convenience may be the key in her search for the only person that has ever mattered to her.
My Thots on the Smut and Vibes of Bride by Ali Hazelwood
I have a sneaky suspicion that if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls, you are going to love this book. While that may sound random hear me out. This was the first Ali Hazelwood book I’ve ever read, and given her reputation I think I had a little too high of hopes. I gave this book a 2.5 out of 5 stars because while it was enjoyable to read it was truly down the middle just “ok” to me. Typically, I like a strong plotline and that was the one major thing missing from this book. As the events of the book unfolded it felt like things were just happening to the characters instead of the characters taking an active role.
The reason why I think Gilmore Girl fans would love this book is the dialog. The witty banter between our two love interests was probably my overall favorite part of this novel and strongly reminded me of the banter showcased on Gilmore Girls.
I gave the romance 3 out of 5 hearts because I appreciated how slowly the characters fell for each other. While I love a good fated mates trope one of the major downsides of this troupe is that it can feel like insta-love. Ali Hazelwood completely circumvented this by making the mating bond one sided. The majority of the book is told by Misery’s perspective with just snippets of Lowe’s feelings being shown at the beginning of each chapter. We get to see Misery gradually fall for Lowe, so as a reader you get the benefit of the fated mate’s troupe and a slow(er) burn.
I gave the smut a 2.75 out of 5 peppers. The scenes are very descriptive but do not take place until the later part of the book. I would classify this as a romance with smut not smut with some romance. I don’t want to give too many spoilers on the smut, but due to a certain aspect of Lowe’s werewolf anatomy, there is also a fair amount of non-penetrative sex in this book which I think is rare in the genre. So if you enjoy scenes with fingering and oral this book is for you.
Fans of fantasy may not enjoy this book because while there is plenty of paranormal themes in this book, it is a vampire-werewolf Romeo and Juliet retelling, there is not a ton of world building. The focus is more on the interpersonal relationships. If you’re into witty romance with a fair amount of smut I’d recommend this book. This one is also a perfect palate cleanser if you’re between dense fantasy novels.
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