“Bride”, Ali Hazelwood
Published February 6, 2024
Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…
Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was…
Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.
“You’re not a problem, Misery. You’re a privilege.”
Bride is what happens when Ali Hazelwood steps out of the lab and twirls straight into the supernatural. Somehow, she makes vampires and werewolves feel just as flirty, awkward, and irresistible as her STEM girlies. Knotting is not a new Ali thing, as she’s written plenty of Omegaverse Reylo fics as ever-so-reylo—but it’s fun to see other uninitiated readers gasp in shock when they learn of the shenanigans in this book.
FUN FACT: The first Ali work I ever read was her fic, Willing, after Julie Soto mentioned her during a podcast interview (as Lovesbitca8) with Wine, Wands & Waffling back in late 2019.
Misery Lark, daughter of a high vampire council member, is forced into a political marriage with a broody, alpha werewolf named Lowe. It’s arranged marriage + enemies-to-lovers + claws and fangs. The tension between them is feral.
What I loved most was how Ali didn’t abandon the heart of what makes her books work: her heroines are still messy, complex, and deeply relatable, even when they’re immortal creatures of the night. Misery is prickly, cautious, and carrying emotional baggage that makes every choice feel weighted. Lowe is broody but quietly respectful in a way that keeps their dynamic from slipping into cliché.
And despite being a supernatural romance with knotting, the spice is not wall-to-wall steam. But when the smut hits, it fogs up the room. The push-pull between duty and desire makes every touch and glance feel amplified. That office scene lives in my head rent-free. And honestly, the way Ali blends politics, paranormal lore, and romance is seamless—proof she can dominate any subgenre she sets her sights on.
Content Warnings
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of content and trigger warnings.
kidnapping • xenophobia • blood
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Owned: signed paperback