A review by hollanddavis
Bride by Ali Hazelwood

5.0

 Am I giving 5⭐️ to an Omegaverse book after the travesty that was Fake Mate? Yes, and I stand by it. The relationship between the MCs, the mystery, the entire Were/Vampyre system went above and beyond my expectations. I went in thinking the Were and Vampyres were going to be vaguely Twilight (2008) or Underworld (2003) but it felt wholely new. The interactions between the different species didn’t feel forced or like an info dump. New information was brought up naturally in conversation or the reader learned from context clues, as it should be. It was small details that brought the world together and made it real, like an olive blush because of green blood. Something I never would’ve thought of until Hazelwood put it into words. Tying strings together before I even thought to question them.

Even though this was a new genre for her, this book felt so classically Ali Hazelwood because you can’t help but fall in love with the MMC when he says stuff like:

He shakes his head, eyes burning into mine. “You’re not a problem, Misery. You’re a privilege.”

I was worried because alphas are usually short tempered, controlling, and rude in media, but Lowe was unexpectedly kind, considerate, and respectful. He was a leader without being a bully and it was refreshing.

The relationship between Lowe and Misery was nicely paced, and didn’t feel forced. They had the proximity to get to know each other and form mutual trust before delving forward in their relationship. Was there miscommunication? Yes, but nothing worth clawing your eyes, so I wouldn’t avoid this book because of that alone. Generally, the two were relatively open in their communication given the circumstances, and I appreciated it.

I loved that there was the mystery to drive the plot forward. We were given enough information to keep us hooked and guessing, but I was still left blindsided at the end (in a good way). Genuinely entertained.

Have I been converted to the omegaverse from my historical romances? Probably not, but I definitely don't regret dipping my toes into the genre