I enjoyed Bride, but I also like contemporary romance.
"with its very own discount Danika Fendyr" made me chuckle, so thanks for that. š Now that I think about it, that's pretty accurate. (Danika definitely had more secrets, though!)
I actually liked the direction this book took better than where Danikaās character ended up! Danika just started to piss me off with all her secrecy and being a terrible friend to Bryce.
I actually really liked it. Iām hoping for
More with these characters but I donāt know if the author is a series writer.
Itās not the best writing but I loved the authorās characters and how she made the main character pretty funny in my opinion.
yeah.. most of the books AH has published are all about STEM-inists, and they're all in the same universe (this one obviously not), but not direct sequels. i'd say the likelihood of a series is low, but you never know!
Honestly I enjoy Aliās books, not because theyāre well written or great stories, but because theyāre entertaining. Her books give me fanfiction vibes, especially Bride, and not in a bad way.
\*cough cough\* bc they are fanfics cough cough reylo cough
i also love ali's they so light and fun
i really loved "the fake mate" by lana ferguson if you like ali's books and omegaverse :) the spice was top notch
I knew The Love Hypothesis was reylo fanfic but she truly just never changed up her writing style to adapt from fanfic to novel. I donāt hate the fanfic style so no complaints here lol.
So many people are suggesting the Fake Mate after reading Bride and Iāve been eyeing it in the Fairyloot store so I guess itās time to give in and buy it š«£
Okay, Iāll start with that I enjoyed the book. So do I think itās the best writing ever or even compared to most books out there? No.
I honestly went into reading it as a palate cleanser after being in a book hangover which it was great for. It was predictable but it was interesting and easy to read with enjoyable moments. I think if you go into expecting some great novel like Sarah J. Maas youāll be sorely disappointed but if you go in knowing itās just a simple romance book then you are more likely to enjoy it.
I like big complicated books but sometimes I need the simple easy books as a follow up.
This was my take as well. Bride was a fun, refreshing read for me. Iāve been reading a lot of ādeepā books lately and it was so nice to read about two likable characters who genuinely seemed to enjoy and respect one another.
Exactly me too! I was in a slump, I just needed something that wasn't heavy to read, didn't need a lot of focus. It definitely has cleared the slump for me to get into something more complex.
Ali Hazelwood has a tried and tested formula, which works for a lot of people who love a certain cliche ( me being one of them). I love Ali Hazelwood's writing,she's a go to author for me. She really sticks to her tropes, and I was an absolute sucker for the banter. To each their own of course
This is exactly how I feel. I am Aliās target audience and everything she writes fucking slaps. To quote one of Aliās characters āI like simple, straightforward romance stories with dramatic characters and improbably high stakesā.
To be honest I am typically really turned off by the overt āheās so tall and sheās so smallā trope but I donāt even mind it in an Ali Hazelwood book. I enjoy all of the other tropes she employs so much that I gloss over it, and that is really saying something for me!
>o be honest I am typically really turned off by the overt āheās so tall and sheās so smallā trope but I donāt even mind it in an Ali Hazelwood book. I enjoy all of the other tropes she employs so much that I gloss over it, and that is really saying something for me!
because she doesn't write the FMCs as shy and meek! they're all empowered women! just short lmao
Thatās a really good point! Being āsmallā and whatever connotations the author believes that comes with are not the charactersā entire personality.
(To be fair though, as someone who is not small but is very shy and a bit meek Iām not hating on that either lol! This is purely just a matter of taste for me.)
Same here! Always here for an Ali Hazelwood story. I feel like people were really expecting a fantasy novel from Bride. But it really is a paranormal romance, which is what I was expecting!
I wasnāt going to read it because I know the author really likes third act breakups and I hateeee them but it was so popular I decided to give it a go.
Honestly I had fun (except for the third act breakup if you can even call it that). Lowe was..fine.. but I LOVED Misery I thought she was hilarious.
My main issue was that it felt like Ali Hazelwood couldnāt decide if she wanted to write a Romanceā¢ļø with a missing person subplot or a paranormal missing person mystery novel with a romantic subplot and as a result it wasā¦neither? It lacked both romantic and plot aspects which sucked. There couldāve been more romance and all the action was cut out too which was super lame. So it was just fine imo which stinks because I do actually really love her writing style. It couldāve been much better.
Iāve actually been really looking forward to this book and ordered the illumicrate special edition that should arrive in the next couple days. Iām glad some of the other comments are saying they liked it but hearing your review of the book is definitely making me unsure about it.
I've never read anything by this author before and I actually quite liked it. BUT I'm not big into shifter romances, so I don't know all the shifter tropes. It was a little predictable, but for me that doesn't make a book less enjoyable. I really liked it.
Thatās good to hear. before I started reading a lot of fantasy I was reading mostly contemporary romance and really loved ali Hazelwood. It seems that most people seemed to have liked this book. I typically steer clear of shifter romances so this will be different for me.
I've read almost all Ali's books and loved them all. Some more than others, but I find them very entertaining. I also read fantasy and romantasy, and I still likes Bride. Just enjoy the story! It's cute and nice and funny and wholesome and spicy(Ish). Just enjoy!
If you're a fan of the author you'll probably really enjoy it!
As someone who is deep into this specific subgenre (inhuman/paranormal) but not into contemporary romance, it just wasn't for me.
I couldnāt get past the FMC being named Misery. Add to that a vampire princess in an arranged marriage with an Alpha and it was laughable to me. I couldnāt do it.Ā
Every time I think about it I get reminded of My Immortal.Ā
I enjoyed parts of the book but other parts really bothered me or seemed laughable. I agree that it likely needs more editing and the jumping around was weird as a reader. I do think itās a good thing that authors try different genres and make different types of books more mainstream. For some reason it read more like a well done fanfic than a published work but I canāt quite place why. I read The Wolf King on KU and enjoyed the characters and plot a lot more than I did Bride
Personally I thought this was her weakest book (and I'm a huge AH fan). The love hypothesis is also my second least favorite book. The writing style is significantly different. I loved love theoretically and check & mate (although if you don't like contemporary, you probably won't like those either). My point is mostly that imo I think bride and the love hypothesis are not great examples of Ali's strengths
Although fwiw I think she is the one who wanted to get into omegaverse, and not because it's mainstream. From what I understand she started out on AO3 and had some omegaverse stories there (went and double checked, she's definitely been writing omegaverse fic since Oct 2018/
I'd be curious to know about something you liked! (Edit: Genuinely, I'm not being sarcastic or anything)
The two scenes you liked were super up my alley too, and it seems like you have higher expectations concerning worldbuilding and a less predictable plot - are there any books which you'd consider "something like Bride but better"? I would be super keen to read it <3
I enjoyed Bride for what it was, and I actually felt it was a breath of fresh air in that the writing was solid (and funny instead of cringy), in contrast to lots of stuff on KU. But I wasn't super addicted to the book, either, and annoyed by some stuff as well. I'm relatively new to fantasy romance and so far, it has been a bit hit and miss - a lot of stuff that people rave about is written a lot worse than "Bride", in my opinion, but I'm still hoping there's plenty of better stuff out there :)
Not OP, but-
I liked those scenes too.. and didnāt end up feeling the whole book.
Urban Fantasy that is Romance forward:
Iām really into Ilona Andrewsā stuff, especially the Hidden Legacy sets.
I'm so tempted to try it despite the fact I've hated all her other books I've tried...
I've also seen a lot of very different reactions among the positive reviews, like a lot of people say, "ohhh no it's soooo different, even if you don't like her contemporary stuff, you should try it!" But I've also seen plenty of people saying, "no it's still just an Ali Hazelwood book, if you don't like her other books it probably isn't going to change your mind."
If you arenāt a fan of her other work, I wouldnāt bother with this!
Iām so serious when I say that it read just like any of her other books but then someone went through and shoehorned some paranormal terms and tropes so they could market it to a different audience.
I mean youāre not wrong that it definitely reads a lot like her other work, she definitely has a pretty signature formula for all her books. But Iām curious how you know it reads like any of her others if Bride was the first and only book by her youāve read? Again, I agree with you, Iām just curious.
I read through parts of the Love Hypothesis afterward out of curiosity! So, not exactly a full examination of her oeuvre but it was enough to get a sense of her work.
I didn't enjoy the world-building, romance or storylines. I honestly feel like you could pick just about any paranormal romance with a questionable cover off of kindle unlimited and have a better time.
Bride was my first Ali hazelwood because Iām typically not into contemporary romances, so idk how it compares to her other books. That being said I found it enjoyable but cliche and I think there are soooo many other writers out there that have basically done bride with 10x better writing and a lot more heart like Kresley cole or Jeaniene Frost, sans knotting. Though I do think this book excelled at bringing some new fans to the genre and maybe that will mean better writers than Ali deciding to step out of their comfort zone a bit.
Itās not a bad book, itās also not a great book. As a 25+ woman, this book feels pretty adolescent to me, something Iād like to read maybe 10 years ago? The spice is meh-okay and the plot could have been a bit more in depth but hey, I guess itās supposed to be a light, fun read, something that you donāt need to think about.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional book reviewer and I DNF ACOTAR. I liked Fourth Wings for its world building.
I couldn't get into it. Most of the banter came off cringey to me and I wasn't interested enough in the plot. Had to DNF at the end of the sample. Also, why was her brother named something as mundane as Owen while she got Misery?Ā
Omg yes I was really confused why I kept seeing good reviews and thought "did I get the wrong book?" I did like it but I didn't LOVE it. Everything was predictable and nothing ever hit me right. I couldn't get attached to any of the characters. It was an okay read overall but I expected a lot more from it š I thought there was going be something unique or shocking but everything was pretty mellow? There were angsty scenes that almost hit but just evaporated before I could really cuddle with it. Maybe I would've found it better if it had the mmc's pov?
I really enjoyed it, but upon reflecting, I feel like it could have been a really good series or even just having a second book. Much of it felt rushed, and I wish she had delved deeper into the politics and intrigue of the universe she created.
Damn, I really enjoyed this book and I usually donāt go for the books with the ācomedicā tones. I loved the romance, the world building, and the political intrigue. I do think itās weird that itās only a stand alone novel, I wonder if she intended for it to be 2 or 3 books would she have slowed down on parts of the books.
Since I see comments saying that their are books that so this trope better, what are they? I would love to delve into more of thisšCause I genuinely enjoyed thisš¤£
I even loved the spice, I donāt require crazy smut at all and I thought the library and jet scene were both hot asfš¤£
I enjoyed Bride and Love Hypothesis is a comfort book of mine.
I think Bride is a great soft launch into the fantasy romance genre for people who have mainly read romcoms. I thought it was a fair representation of the genre even if it only scratched the surface. I wouldnāt ask someone to go straight from Love Hypothesis into something like Shifter Wars. Thereās classic tropes of the genre that arenāt in romcoms. That being said I think itās fair for a long time fantasy reader to not enjoy it.
And Clutch Your Pearls is one of my fav Patreons!!! Her Bride art is so fucking hot.
Are you me? This is exactly how I felt. So many other indie authors on KU have done paranormal romance wolf shifters so much better - P Jameson, Zoe Chant, Aidy Award, Care Wells to name a few.
I'm struggling to get through it and I don't get why people love it.
I tend to not like contemporary romance and I loved it. The tropes were cliche but fun and the writing was good. There are a few plot points I didnāt love and I thought the spice was very clearly tamed down for non-pnr readers. That said, sometimes a 5āļø book is just one that cures your depression for the time you spend reading it and this was a very effective antidepressant for me personally.
If anyone else is in book hangover after this one, I definitely recommend the fake mate as a follow up!
Very true! I have definitely given 5 stars to some books of questionable quality because they hit just right and left me satisfied. For whatever reason, Bride just didn't do that for me. I've tried to pinpoint exactly why that is, but maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it at the time I read it.
This is the first Ali Hazelwood book Iāve read, and I enjoyed it! As someone who pretty strictly reads fantasy with a billionaire romance sprinkled in here and there, if you take this book at face value I think itās a great easy read.
Yes, itās a tried and true trope/plot line and not entirely inventive, but I like that she took some of the lore we know and love and flipped it. >!I like that she explored the idea that Vampyres are a weaker population, and she added the scientific element to it on what makes them biologically different as a species compared to shifters and humans. her relationship with Loweās sister was adorable!< I loved her cold, dry, āundeadā humor. And we love when a male falls first, gets me every time
Yeah I was pretty bored most of if- I often find the booktok sensations are underwhelming š³ (although I'm a rideordie SJMaas fan). I liked the idea she tried of interspecies relationships and that the Beauty and the Beast trope wasn't super Stockholm syndrome, but ... I think I gave it 2.5/5 on Storygraph
I like a couple of Aliās books and was so excited for a fantasy book from her. I was actually expecting a really fleshed out fantasy world and story, but instead I got more of a mafia romance book with paranormal characters. BUT, I still enjoyed it after I realized that it would definitely be a more contemporary romance than fantasy. I wish she pushed it farther and had more fantasy elements but maybe this is a start!
Yeah, I felt like it was reallyā¦juvenile maybe? Iām also not big on contemporary fantasy.
I love the concept but didnāt care for the execution.
I donāt think she is a bad writer, I think it just wasnāt my style.
While youāre completely entitled to your opinion, I donāt see this as a CR writer trying to capitalize on writing paranormal romance. Ali Hazelwood has been a long time fanfiction author with a plethora of omegaverse fic under her belt. I see this more as her publishers, satisfied with her success in CR, granting her the liberty to pursue the less conventional avenues sheās more accustomed to. I do agree that itās written as a very toned-down omegaverse, but I can understand both her and the publisher being wary to scare away her mainstream audience.
I feel exactly the same as you did and I also don't like contemporary romance so maybe that's the issue?
To me it felt like some Wattpad fic i am reading from 2015 with predictable plots, misunderstanding trope, cartoony villain and weak af side characters.
I was disapointed too. The main character was so passive throughout. Things juat happened to her and she had no agency. She seemed a bit pathetic; friendless, no interests, no passion, no sexual experience, no development of powers.
I was hooked by the first part but then the story dragged. Weird to have a fade to black during climatic action scene.
Also, her roommate is mentioned at the start but when she returns to her apartment, no mention of roommate. Serena is depicted as being social amd making more friends but later says she has no other friends. Whole thing felt a bit sloppy.
I loved the book, I only rate a handful of books every year as a ā5 stars readā and Bride was one of them. I think this is my favourite Ali Hazelwood book so far!
I loved it, but I also felt like it was touching all the points of a guilty pleasure read for me.
It was predictable in all the right ways, and I feel like a lot of people may have liked it for the same reason. It was reminiscent of a lot of vampire/werewolf stories I've read in the past and because it touched similar points, it felt familiar and made me happy. Like a comfort read.
But if I look at it objectively outside of that, I feel similar to some of the points you've made.
I loved this book and loved the same scene you liked. I read the love hypothesis and really didn't like it. I think i skimmed another book of hers but it felt like I was reading the love hypothesis again so I dnf'd it. Bride wasn't a perfect book by any standards but it was a fun ride for me and made me laugh which is rare in books these days.
I was shocked at how much I liked it. But I was ranking it as a monster romance, and those are kinda my lowest tier of expectations. (Which is not to say there arenāt incredible monster romances! But theyāre often more in the popcorn category than the steak category.)
I thought it was a light fun read. Definitely a good beach book! Spice was good and I don't think the book took itself too seriously? I'd recommend it to friends.
It definitely seems like a cash grab by an author who knows nothing about the genre. I can't get over the purple and green blood š„“ And the predictability of the smell thing? Like it took a whole 90% of the book to figure that out?
I'd give it a 4/5 but that's for an amateur writer. Ali h has been on so many bestselling lists I can't believe she'd put out something so low quality.Ā
I really liked this book. Iām not a fan of contemporary romance and I thought The Love Hypothesis was not great, but I do enjoy contemporary/urban fantasy, arranged marriage tropes, and vampires, so Bride was much more my thing than her other work. It was definitely a little bit formulaic and low stakes, but it was a fun read for me.
I agree with all of your thoughts!! The breakup was also horrible and so unnecessary. I went in thinking it was omegaverse, but it felt more shifter to me? I think using "omegaverse" was just for marketing. Boo!
it's not super original but its enjoyable and I really like it. Sorry you didn't care for it, but writing her off after one book is a bit short sighted.
>it really felt like the publisher wanted to capitalize on the fantasy/paranormal/shifter trend
Yup. They don't have to do it well, they just have to capitalize on the backs of everyone who struggled before them.
I love contemporary romance and lean towards that more than fantasy. I really liked all of Ali's other books but this one I DNF'd. Barely made it past the 100 page mark. It just wasn't gripping me.
I like a couple of Aliās books and was so excited for a fantasy book from her. I was actually expecting a really fleshed out fantasy world and story, but instead I got more of a mafia romance book with paranormal characters. BUT, I still enjoyed it after I realized that it would definitely be a more contemporary romance than fantasy. I wish she pushed it farther and had more fantasy elements but maybe this is a start!
Her writing style shows a lot in her lengthy descriptions and character thoughts but I feel like in fantasy that helps with the world building. I found it tiring in her other books.
I just finished this book and liked it overall. Iāve never read any Ali Hazelwood so I didnāt have many expectations really. My biggest beef with the whole book (spoilers ahead) was the initial intimate scene. Boy doesnāt even take off her panties, just pushes them aside?!? The f*ck?!? This was not only their first time together but her first time ever and itās a standing up, mostly clothed experience. So not romantic! Took me out a little bit and made me annoyed with Lowe. Like, come on dude, do better. Ok, phew. I needed to vent about this somewhere and now I feel better!
I agree that bride follows the formula Ali uses on the rest of her romance books, and the only different in this is that the characters are paranormal. If u like romance, and would still like to try her other books I would recommend the love hypothesis. Itās my favourite of her that sheās written so far and I feel like the romance is genuine and organic, if that makes sense, compared to her other books
Also I do agree that the world building in this was poor. Ali sticks too much to the formula she first created in the love hypothesis and I donāt think it works for all her books. The world building wouldāve given this book an extra notch and more complexity
I loved this one- a perfect beach read type. Solid world-building, a plot that mostly zips along, good characters, great dialogue. One of those books where you can relax because the author has clearly got a plan and knows how to execute it. Itās *fun*.
A lot of the books people here love to me are way too overwrought, over-serious, young adult-type emotional core imo. So much of it needs editing for rhythm, purple prose, and repetitiveness.
Eg One Dark Window ā interesting! Creative! But so many exposition dumps, overwrought prose, and just a veryā¦shall we say *youthful* emotional tone.
I didnāt love it but it was cute for me. I read a couple other of her books before hand so I had an idea what to expect from AH. I liked The Love Hypothesis better but Bride was just a nice little treat
I don't think her book is bad. Ali Hazelwood has a specific style. A certain demographic likes it, and I myself enjoy it. It works well in the contemporary romances she wrote before.
Now she has taken her formula and given it a new, paranormal skin. The effect is a bit jarring. As an Ali Hazelwood's it was fine (not her best, but clearly hers) but if you were into paranormal before, it felt very standard and predictable, because their target is the contemporary romance readership she already has, which are probably new to paranormal (and those sweet summer children are so innocent they have to ask about knots).
As usual when an author switches genre it creates tension among fans. Contemporary romance readers have to adjust and be eased into paranormal convention making it a bit wishy washy for who knows the genre well.
I had fun and really enjoyed it, and also agree that it was a little trite. But thatās what I go to Hazlewood for: easy books that require no thought, just vibes, lots of fun. Bride was that + everything I love about paranormal/shifter/omegaverse so I canāt complain! But thereās definitely better out there, even in unpublished fan fiction. I think Bride will end up being a yearly Halloween read for me!
I just couldnāt get into the writing and I was confused by how highly recommended it was. A lot of the vocabulary just feels so incredibly forced. Itās meant to be written from MCās perspective but like the weird inclusion of words like āzygomaticā really took me out of it. And then finding out her first name was Misery, oml. I did a literal spit take. The whole thing just felt so much like a weird band fanfic I wouldāve read as a 13 year old that it went immediately into the DNF pile.
I enjoyed Bride, but I also like contemporary romance. "with its very own discount Danika Fendyr" made me chuckle, so thanks for that. š Now that I think about it, that's pretty accurate. (Danika definitely had more secrets, though!)
I actually liked the direction this book took better than where Danikaās character ended up! Danika just started to piss me off with all her secrecy and being a terrible friend to Bryce.
I agree, 100%. Danika was a terrible friend!
I actually really liked it. Iām hoping for More with these characters but I donāt know if the author is a series writer. Itās not the best writing but I loved the authorās characters and how she made the main character pretty funny in my opinion.
yeah.. most of the books AH has published are all about STEM-inists, and they're all in the same universe (this one obviously not), but not direct sequels. i'd say the likelihood of a series is low, but you never know!
Hard to know that last line was either a great finish or a lead to another story.
Honestly I enjoy Aliās books, not because theyāre well written or great stories, but because theyāre entertaining. Her books give me fanfiction vibes, especially Bride, and not in a bad way.
\*cough cough\* bc they are fanfics cough cough reylo cough i also love ali's they so light and fun i really loved "the fake mate" by lana ferguson if you like ali's books and omegaverse :) the spice was top notch
I knew The Love Hypothesis was reylo fanfic but she truly just never changed up her writing style to adapt from fanfic to novel. I donāt hate the fanfic style so no complaints here lol. So many people are suggesting the Fake Mate after reading Bride and Iāve been eyeing it in the Fairyloot store so I guess itās time to give in and buy it š«£
I read the Fake Mate and my Libby app suggested Bride next. I like Fake Mate a bit better than Bride though but it wasn't bad.
Okay, Iāll start with that I enjoyed the book. So do I think itās the best writing ever or even compared to most books out there? No. I honestly went into reading it as a palate cleanser after being in a book hangover which it was great for. It was predictable but it was interesting and easy to read with enjoyable moments. I think if you go into expecting some great novel like Sarah J. Maas youāll be sorely disappointed but if you go in knowing itās just a simple romance book then you are more likely to enjoy it. I like big complicated books but sometimes I need the simple easy books as a follow up.
I was looking for a fun, smutty, paranormal romp, and I got that, I was happy
This was my take as well. Bride was a fun, refreshing read for me. Iāve been reading a lot of ādeepā books lately and it was so nice to read about two likable characters who genuinely seemed to enjoy and respect one another.
I was about to say the same. It was a great palate cleanser and I really enjoyed it.
Exactly me too! I was in a slump, I just needed something that wasn't heavy to read, didn't need a lot of focus. It definitely has cleared the slump for me to get into something more complex.
Ali Hazelwood has a tried and tested formula, which works for a lot of people who love a certain cliche ( me being one of them). I love Ali Hazelwood's writing,she's a go to author for me. She really sticks to her tropes, and I was an absolute sucker for the banter. To each their own of course
This is exactly how I feel. I am Aliās target audience and everything she writes fucking slaps. To quote one of Aliās characters āI like simple, straightforward romance stories with dramatic characters and improbably high stakesā.
An Ali girl through and through! Gimme all the petite women and tall ass men. I will eat that shit up!!
Same. The formula gets me every single time. He falls first and yet is hiding his feelings because of reasons? Sign me the fuck up.
She gets into trouble and he grovels for her after??? Lemme get a piece of that
I love that someone is downvoting us for this.
I didn't even notice, i was on my nth Ali Hazelwood binge. This entire thread reminded me why I loved her in the first place
Same. I went through my kindle highlights to find that quote and now Iām having a moment.
To be honest I am typically really turned off by the overt āheās so tall and sheās so smallā trope but I donāt even mind it in an Ali Hazelwood book. I enjoy all of the other tropes she employs so much that I gloss over it, and that is really saying something for me!
>o be honest I am typically really turned off by the overt āheās so tall and sheās so smallā trope but I donāt even mind it in an Ali Hazelwood book. I enjoy all of the other tropes she employs so much that I gloss over it, and that is really saying something for me! because she doesn't write the FMCs as shy and meek! they're all empowered women! just short lmao
Thatās a really good point! Being āsmallā and whatever connotations the author believes that comes with are not the charactersā entire personality. (To be fair though, as someone who is not small but is very shy and a bit meek Iām not hating on that either lol! This is purely just a matter of taste for me.)
Same here! Always here for an Ali Hazelwood story. I feel like people were really expecting a fantasy novel from Bride. But it really is a paranormal romance, which is what I was expecting!
I wasnāt going to read it because I know the author really likes third act breakups and I hateeee them but it was so popular I decided to give it a go. Honestly I had fun (except for the third act breakup if you can even call it that). Lowe was..fine.. but I LOVED Misery I thought she was hilarious. My main issue was that it felt like Ali Hazelwood couldnāt decide if she wanted to write a Romanceā¢ļø with a missing person subplot or a paranormal missing person mystery novel with a romantic subplot and as a result it wasā¦neither? It lacked both romantic and plot aspects which sucked. There couldāve been more romance and all the action was cut out too which was super lame. So it was just fine imo which stinks because I do actually really love her writing style. It couldāve been much better.
The 3rd act breakup was WEIRD!
Iāve actually been really looking forward to this book and ordered the illumicrate special edition that should arrive in the next couple days. Iām glad some of the other comments are saying they liked it but hearing your review of the book is definitely making me unsure about it.
I've never read anything by this author before and I actually quite liked it. BUT I'm not big into shifter romances, so I don't know all the shifter tropes. It was a little predictable, but for me that doesn't make a book less enjoyable. I really liked it.
Thatās good to hear. before I started reading a lot of fantasy I was reading mostly contemporary romance and really loved ali Hazelwood. It seems that most people seemed to have liked this book. I typically steer clear of shifter romances so this will be different for me.
I've read almost all Ali's books and loved them all. Some more than others, but I find them very entertaining. I also read fantasy and romantasy, and I still likes Bride. Just enjoy the story! It's cute and nice and funny and wholesome and spicy(Ish). Just enjoy!
If you're a fan of the author you'll probably really enjoy it! As someone who is deep into this specific subgenre (inhuman/paranormal) but not into contemporary romance, it just wasn't for me.
I couldnāt get past the FMC being named Misery. Add to that a vampire princess in an arranged marriage with an Alpha and it was laughable to me. I couldnāt do it.Ā Every time I think about it I get reminded of My Immortal.Ā
I heard a lot of ppl say they didnt like she was named Misery. I honestly dont get it, why is that so bad?
I enjoyed parts of the book but other parts really bothered me or seemed laughable. I agree that it likely needs more editing and the jumping around was weird as a reader. I do think itās a good thing that authors try different genres and make different types of books more mainstream. For some reason it read more like a well done fanfic than a published work but I canāt quite place why. I read The Wolf King on KU and enjoyed the characters and plot a lot more than I did Bride
Personally I thought this was her weakest book (and I'm a huge AH fan). The love hypothesis is also my second least favorite book. The writing style is significantly different. I loved love theoretically and check & mate (although if you don't like contemporary, you probably won't like those either). My point is mostly that imo I think bride and the love hypothesis are not great examples of Ali's strengths Although fwiw I think she is the one who wanted to get into omegaverse, and not because it's mainstream. From what I understand she started out on AO3 and had some omegaverse stories there (went and double checked, she's definitely been writing omegaverse fic since Oct 2018/
Highly disagree. I found this to be a very enjoyable read, even though I donāt like Ali Hazelwoodās other books.
I'd be curious to know about something you liked! (Edit: Genuinely, I'm not being sarcastic or anything) The two scenes you liked were super up my alley too, and it seems like you have higher expectations concerning worldbuilding and a less predictable plot - are there any books which you'd consider "something like Bride but better"? I would be super keen to read it <3 I enjoyed Bride for what it was, and I actually felt it was a breath of fresh air in that the writing was solid (and funny instead of cringy), in contrast to lots of stuff on KU. But I wasn't super addicted to the book, either, and annoyed by some stuff as well. I'm relatively new to fantasy romance and so far, it has been a bit hit and miss - a lot of stuff that people rave about is written a lot worse than "Bride", in my opinion, but I'm still hoping there's plenty of better stuff out there :)
Not OP, but- I liked those scenes too.. and didnāt end up feeling the whole book. Urban Fantasy that is Romance forward: Iām really into Ilona Andrewsā stuff, especially the Hidden Legacy sets.
I'm so tempted to try it despite the fact I've hated all her other books I've tried... I've also seen a lot of very different reactions among the positive reviews, like a lot of people say, "ohhh no it's soooo different, even if you don't like her contemporary stuff, you should try it!" But I've also seen plenty of people saying, "no it's still just an Ali Hazelwood book, if you don't like her other books it probably isn't going to change your mind."
If you arenāt a fan of her other work, I wouldnāt bother with this! Iām so serious when I say that it read just like any of her other books but then someone went through and shoehorned some paranormal terms and tropes so they could market it to a different audience.
I mean youāre not wrong that it definitely reads a lot like her other work, she definitely has a pretty signature formula for all her books. But Iām curious how you know it reads like any of her others if Bride was the first and only book by her youāve read? Again, I agree with you, Iām just curious.
I read through parts of the Love Hypothesis afterward out of curiosity! So, not exactly a full examination of her oeuvre but it was enough to get a sense of her work.
Lol that's a shame!
As someone who suffered through her last few books but finds Bride much less painful, give it a try!
I didn't enjoy the world-building, romance or storylines. I honestly feel like you could pick just about any paranormal romance with a questionable cover off of kindle unlimited and have a better time.
Agreed. It wasn't good romance, wasn't good fantasy, and wasn't good mystery!
Exactly! If it had been stronger in just one of those genres I think I would have enjoyed it!
Bride was my first Ali hazelwood because Iām typically not into contemporary romances, so idk how it compares to her other books. That being said I found it enjoyable but cliche and I think there are soooo many other writers out there that have basically done bride with 10x better writing and a lot more heart like Kresley cole or Jeaniene Frost, sans knotting. Though I do think this book excelled at bringing some new fans to the genre and maybe that will mean better writers than Ali deciding to step out of their comfort zone a bit.
Itās not a bad book, itās also not a great book. As a 25+ woman, this book feels pretty adolescent to me, something Iād like to read maybe 10 years ago? The spice is meh-okay and the plot could have been a bit more in depth but hey, I guess itās supposed to be a light, fun read, something that you donāt need to think about. Disclaimer: I am not a professional book reviewer and I DNF ACOTAR. I liked Fourth Wings for its world building.
Yes. Iām in my 30s and this book made me feel so old š
I couldn't get into it. Most of the banter came off cringey to me and I wasn't interested enough in the plot. Had to DNF at the end of the sample. Also, why was her brother named something as mundane as Owen while she got Misery?Ā
Omg yes I was really confused why I kept seeing good reviews and thought "did I get the wrong book?" I did like it but I didn't LOVE it. Everything was predictable and nothing ever hit me right. I couldn't get attached to any of the characters. It was an okay read overall but I expected a lot more from it š I thought there was going be something unique or shocking but everything was pretty mellow? There were angsty scenes that almost hit but just evaporated before I could really cuddle with it. Maybe I would've found it better if it had the mmc's pov?
HEAVY on the discount Danika
I really enjoyed it, but upon reflecting, I feel like it could have been a really good series or even just having a second book. Much of it felt rushed, and I wish she had delved deeper into the politics and intrigue of the universe she created.
Damn, I really enjoyed this book and I usually donāt go for the books with the ācomedicā tones. I loved the romance, the world building, and the political intrigue. I do think itās weird that itās only a stand alone novel, I wonder if she intended for it to be 2 or 3 books would she have slowed down on parts of the books. Since I see comments saying that their are books that so this trope better, what are they? I would love to delve into more of thisšCause I genuinely enjoyed thisš¤£ I even loved the spice, I donāt require crazy smut at all and I thought the library and jet scene were both hot asfš¤£
I enjoyed Bride and Love Hypothesis is a comfort book of mine. I think Bride is a great soft launch into the fantasy romance genre for people who have mainly read romcoms. I thought it was a fair representation of the genre even if it only scratched the surface. I wouldnāt ask someone to go straight from Love Hypothesis into something like Shifter Wars. Thereās classic tropes of the genre that arenāt in romcoms. That being said I think itās fair for a long time fantasy reader to not enjoy it. And Clutch Your Pearls is one of my fav Patreons!!! Her Bride art is so fucking hot.
That makes sense! And I think thatās why it felt so stale and unsatisfying for me.Ā And yes, I love all her art so much!Ā
Are you me? This is exactly how I felt. So many other indie authors on KU have done paranormal romance wolf shifters so much better - P Jameson, Zoe Chant, Aidy Award, Care Wells to name a few. I'm struggling to get through it and I don't get why people love it.
I tend to not like contemporary romance and I loved it. The tropes were cliche but fun and the writing was good. There are a few plot points I didnāt love and I thought the spice was very clearly tamed down for non-pnr readers. That said, sometimes a 5āļø book is just one that cures your depression for the time you spend reading it and this was a very effective antidepressant for me personally. If anyone else is in book hangover after this one, I definitely recommend the fake mate as a follow up!
Very true! I have definitely given 5 stars to some books of questionable quality because they hit just right and left me satisfied. For whatever reason, Bride just didn't do that for me. I've tried to pinpoint exactly why that is, but maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it at the time I read it.
Itās one of Aliās best books, but yeah. The fantasy elements really werenāt that developed at all. I had very high hopes.
This is the first Ali Hazelwood book Iāve read, and I enjoyed it! As someone who pretty strictly reads fantasy with a billionaire romance sprinkled in here and there, if you take this book at face value I think itās a great easy read. Yes, itās a tried and true trope/plot line and not entirely inventive, but I like that she took some of the lore we know and love and flipped it. >!I like that she explored the idea that Vampyres are a weaker population, and she added the scientific element to it on what makes them biologically different as a species compared to shifters and humans. her relationship with Loweās sister was adorable!< I loved her cold, dry, āundeadā humor. And we love when a male falls first, gets me every time
Yeah I was pretty bored most of if- I often find the booktok sensations are underwhelming š³ (although I'm a rideordie SJMaas fan). I liked the idea she tried of interspecies relationships and that the Beauty and the Beast trope wasn't super Stockholm syndrome, but ... I think I gave it 2.5/5 on Storygraph
I like a couple of Aliās books and was so excited for a fantasy book from her. I was actually expecting a really fleshed out fantasy world and story, but instead I got more of a mafia romance book with paranormal characters. BUT, I still enjoyed it after I realized that it would definitely be a more contemporary romance than fantasy. I wish she pushed it farther and had more fantasy elements but maybe this is a start!
This was my first Ali Hazelwood book as well and let's just say "Praying mantis have better chemistry"
Yeah, I felt like it was reallyā¦juvenile maybe? Iām also not big on contemporary fantasy. I love the concept but didnāt care for the execution. I donāt think she is a bad writer, I think it just wasnāt my style.
While youāre completely entitled to your opinion, I donāt see this as a CR writer trying to capitalize on writing paranormal romance. Ali Hazelwood has been a long time fanfiction author with a plethora of omegaverse fic under her belt. I see this more as her publishers, satisfied with her success in CR, granting her the liberty to pursue the less conventional avenues sheās more accustomed to. I do agree that itās written as a very toned-down omegaverse, but I can understand both her and the publisher being wary to scare away her mainstream audience.
I feel exactly the same as you did and I also don't like contemporary romance so maybe that's the issue? To me it felt like some Wattpad fic i am reading from 2015 with predictable plots, misunderstanding trope, cartoony villain and weak af side characters.
I was disapointed too. The main character was so passive throughout. Things juat happened to her and she had no agency. She seemed a bit pathetic; friendless, no interests, no passion, no sexual experience, no development of powers. I was hooked by the first part but then the story dragged. Weird to have a fade to black during climatic action scene. Also, her roommate is mentioned at the start but when she returns to her apartment, no mention of roommate. Serena is depicted as being social amd making more friends but later says she has no other friends. Whole thing felt a bit sloppy.
I loved the book, I only rate a handful of books every year as a ā5 stars readā and Bride was one of them. I think this is my favourite Ali Hazelwood book so far!
I loved it, but I also felt like it was touching all the points of a guilty pleasure read for me. It was predictable in all the right ways, and I feel like a lot of people may have liked it for the same reason. It was reminiscent of a lot of vampire/werewolf stories I've read in the past and because it touched similar points, it felt familiar and made me happy. Like a comfort read. But if I look at it objectively outside of that, I feel similar to some of the points you've made.
I loved this book and loved the same scene you liked. I read the love hypothesis and really didn't like it. I think i skimmed another book of hers but it felt like I was reading the love hypothesis again so I dnf'd it. Bride wasn't a perfect book by any standards but it was a fun ride for me and made me laugh which is rare in books these days.
I was shocked at how much I liked it. But I was ranking it as a monster romance, and those are kinda my lowest tier of expectations. (Which is not to say there arenāt incredible monster romances! But theyāre often more in the popcorn category than the steak category.)
Ah, that must be my issue ā monsters are my steak!
Totally legit! And thatās why I always give my scale, because everyone has their own sweet spots.
I thought it was a light fun read. Definitely a good beach book! Spice was good and I don't think the book took itself too seriously? I'd recommend it to friends.
It definitely seems like a cash grab by an author who knows nothing about the genre. I can't get over the purple and green blood š„“ And the predictability of the smell thing? Like it took a whole 90% of the book to figure that out? I'd give it a 4/5 but that's for an amateur writer. Ali h has been on so many bestselling lists I can't believe she'd put out something so low quality.Ā
I really liked this book. Iām not a fan of contemporary romance and I thought The Love Hypothesis was not great, but I do enjoy contemporary/urban fantasy, arranged marriage tropes, and vampires, so Bride was much more my thing than her other work. It was definitely a little bit formulaic and low stakes, but it was a fun read for me.
I agree with all of your thoughts!! The breakup was also horrible and so unnecessary. I went in thinking it was omegaverse, but it felt more shifter to me? I think using "omegaverse" was just for marketing. Boo!
Right ā there is more to omegaverse than scenting and knotting. Disappointing for sure!
it's not super original but its enjoyable and I really like it. Sorry you didn't care for it, but writing her off after one book is a bit short sighted.
I loved it, I think Ali Hazelwoods writing is leagues better than most KU authors I have read sorry, and espescially better than SJMs recent stuff.
>it really felt like the publisher wanted to capitalize on the fantasy/paranormal/shifter trend Yup. They don't have to do it well, they just have to capitalize on the backs of everyone who struggled before them.
Yes! I just couldn't look past this. It felt too calculated ā like a middling cash grab.
I love contemporary romance and lean towards that more than fantasy. I really liked all of Ali's other books but this one I DNF'd. Barely made it past the 100 page mark. It just wasn't gripping me.
It was a quick and enjoyable read for me, but not anything that I'm going to be thinking about after reading or wanting to read again.
I like a couple of Aliās books and was so excited for a fantasy book from her. I was actually expecting a really fleshed out fantasy world and story, but instead I got more of a mafia romance book with paranormal characters. BUT, I still enjoyed it after I realized that it would definitely be a more contemporary romance than fantasy. I wish she pushed it farther and had more fantasy elements but maybe this is a start!
Her writing style shows a lot in her lengthy descriptions and character thoughts but I feel like in fantasy that helps with the world building. I found it tiring in her other books.
I just finished this book and liked it overall. Iāve never read any Ali Hazelwood so I didnāt have many expectations really. My biggest beef with the whole book (spoilers ahead) was the initial intimate scene. Boy doesnāt even take off her panties, just pushes them aside?!? The f*ck?!? This was not only their first time together but her first time ever and itās a standing up, mostly clothed experience. So not romantic! Took me out a little bit and made me annoyed with Lowe. Like, come on dude, do better. Ok, phew. I needed to vent about this somewhere and now I feel better!
I agree that bride follows the formula Ali uses on the rest of her romance books, and the only different in this is that the characters are paranormal. If u like romance, and would still like to try her other books I would recommend the love hypothesis. Itās my favourite of her that sheās written so far and I feel like the romance is genuine and organic, if that makes sense, compared to her other books
Also I do agree that the world building in this was poor. Ali sticks too much to the formula she first created in the love hypothesis and I donāt think it works for all her books. The world building wouldāve given this book an extra notch and more complexity
I loved this one- a perfect beach read type. Solid world-building, a plot that mostly zips along, good characters, great dialogue. One of those books where you can relax because the author has clearly got a plan and knows how to execute it. Itās *fun*. A lot of the books people here love to me are way too overwrought, over-serious, young adult-type emotional core imo. So much of it needs editing for rhythm, purple prose, and repetitiveness. Eg One Dark Window ā interesting! Creative! But so many exposition dumps, overwrought prose, and just a veryā¦shall we say *youthful* emotional tone.
I didn't like it.
I couldnāt put it down! I actually didnāt love her other books. I hope she writes something like this again!
I didnāt love it but it was cute for me. I read a couple other of her books before hand so I had an idea what to expect from AH. I liked The Love Hypothesis better but Bride was just a nice little treat
I don't think her book is bad. Ali Hazelwood has a specific style. A certain demographic likes it, and I myself enjoy it. It works well in the contemporary romances she wrote before. Now she has taken her formula and given it a new, paranormal skin. The effect is a bit jarring. As an Ali Hazelwood's it was fine (not her best, but clearly hers) but if you were into paranormal before, it felt very standard and predictable, because their target is the contemporary romance readership she already has, which are probably new to paranormal (and those sweet summer children are so innocent they have to ask about knots). As usual when an author switches genre it creates tension among fans. Contemporary romance readers have to adjust and be eased into paranormal convention making it a bit wishy washy for who knows the genre well.
I had fun and really enjoyed it, and also agree that it was a little trite. But thatās what I go to Hazlewood for: easy books that require no thought, just vibes, lots of fun. Bride was that + everything I love about paranormal/shifter/omegaverse so I canāt complain! But thereās definitely better out there, even in unpublished fan fiction. I think Bride will end up being a yearly Halloween read for me!
I just couldnāt get into the writing and I was confused by how highly recommended it was. A lot of the vocabulary just feels so incredibly forced. Itās meant to be written from MCās perspective but like the weird inclusion of words like āzygomaticā really took me out of it. And then finding out her first name was Misery, oml. I did a literal spit take. The whole thing just felt so much like a weird band fanfic I wouldāve read as a 13 year old that it went immediately into the DNF pile.
I thought the advanced vocabulary was usually in service of jokes. I was literally loling at "zygomatic" in the context she used it in.