Bride by Ali Hazelwood Narrator: Therese Plummer, Will Damron
Published by Penguin Audio on February 6, 2024
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Length: 12 hours, 47 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
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….
Branching out from her smart new adult romances, Ali Hazelwood’s book, Bride is a paranormal romance that harks back to the vampire/werewolf craze of the 2000’s. As a huge fan of Vampires (sorry Were lovers), I was excited to read a fresh take on the subject.
Misery Lark lives between worlds. Although she is a Vampyre, she was raised by humans, as a hostage to the unstable peace between the two societies. As an adult, she’s spurned the political intrigue and machinations of Vampyres, choosing to remain in the human world. When her closest friend disappears, she finds herself back in the thick of things. Desperate for answers, she is willing to do anything, including placing herself at the mercy of the most powerful Alpha Were, Lowe Moreland and his pack.
On the surface, Misery might be hard to like. She’s cold and sarcastic and seems to want to keep herself apart from others. It isn’t entirely clear if her behavior is related to Reactive Detachment Disorder or just being a Vampyre. Through her interactions with Ana (Lowe’s little sister), Lowe, and by understanding her motivation for agreeing to the marriage, her true character is revealed; and it is hard NOT to like her.
Not much needs to be said about Lowe. He embodies all of the Alpha character traits I love so much (strong, trustworthy, determined, loyal) but isn’t an overbearing a**hole. It is obvious he cares deeply for his people and is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the good of the pack. Lowe and Misery learn more about each other through easy banter, life-endangering escapades, and moonlit talks on the roof, and it is hard to not see them as a perfect match, despite what their respective societies say.
Bride is fast-paced and doesn’t give the reader much time to grasp the intricacies of the world. There is no data dump and limited context clues. The reader is thrown into this arranged marriage, with very little input or background, and one is left feeling as confused in this new world as Misery herself. Political intrigue drives the plot of the book, and I thought this aspect was well-constructed and interesting. It felt a little rushed towards the end. I like that Vampyres are not automatically the apex predators normally depicted in this genre; they’ve amassed power through scheming and less than savory dealings.
I would have loved to have more time with Misery and Lowe getting to know each other. The chemistry between them felt more about the werewolf alpha mate bond than about an actual connection. I feel like the end result reflects what I wanted to see happen; it just didn’t play out with as much detail as I prefer. The moments they were together really stood out and I wanted more of that in the earlier part of the book.
There is no question, Ali Hazelwood is a fantastic author and writes with a modern style that feels natural and unfussy. I like the originality of the characters and the world, but wanted a little more in the actual plot. Because I believe in her ability as an author, I look forward to reading her next attempt in this genre.
Narration:
I really enjoyed Thérèse Plummer’s narration. She communicated a dry reserve for Misery without being wooden. While the bulk of this book is in Misery’s POV, there is a statement at the beginning of each chapter that is supposed to be Lowe. It isn’t actually stated it is Lowe speaking, which is where the audio version of the book has an advantage. I think these small outtakes were really enhanced by having them read by Will Damron whose deep growly performance communicated a perfect level of intensity.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Therese Plummer
Therese Plummer is an actor and voice over artist living and working in New York City. Favorite roles to date include TV: Rose Nerrick, The Good Wife, Andy in Law and Order SVU. Stage: Celebrity Row; New York Theatre Workshop, Under Tillage, The Irish Repertory Theatre. Off-off Broadway credits include The Vagina Monologues, Suzanne in Twilight of the Gold’s and Madeline in the Award Winning Samuel French Short play The Sweet Room. Comedy Credits include Improv at Upright Citizens Brigade and Stand-up at Caroline’s Comedy Club. Therese also performed her one woman show, Ribbons Undone, at the Here Arts Center.
Therese records audio books for Audible.com, Recorded Books and Talking Books, Inc. As an adolescent counselor, Therese spent five years utilizing Drama therapy techniques in individual and group settings before moving to New York. She shares a passion of creating, helping and entertaining and feels incredibly lucky to do all three.
About Ali Hazelwood
I’m Ali, and I write contemporary romcom novels about women in STEM and academia. I love cats, Nutella, and side ponytails. I’m also currently learning to crochet, so as you can tell I’m a super busy gal with an intense and exciting life!
| Rating Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Plot |
 |
| Writing |
|
| Characters |
|
| Dialogue |
|
| Narration (Audio) |
|
| Overall: | |
I've developed a preference for audiobooks over the last few years, which allow me to complete chores, run carpool, or work on my many building and craft projects while 'reading.
My all time favorite selections include Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, and all of Robin Hobb's books set in the Farseer world. Honorable mentions to Elle Kennedy, Penny Reid, Meljean Brook, Ann Aguirre, Krista and Becca Ritchie, Jeaniene Frost, and Kristen Callihan.
Friend me at Goodreads.
- 🎧The Briar Club by Kate Quinn @KateQuinnAuthor @SaskiaAudio @HarperAudio #LoveAudiobooks @4saintjude - September 6, 2024
- Bride by Ali Hazelwood @EverSoAli @tplummer76 @jwdamron @BerkleyPub @PRHAudio #LoveAudiobooks @4saintjude - August 2, 2024
- 🎧 One Last Gift by Emily Stone @EmStoneWrites #HeatherLong @PRHAudio #LoveAudiobooks @4saintjude - July 5, 2024
I’m so glad you liked the book! I absolutely loved it. I hope she writes more in this world. And just how talented is Ali Hazelwood? I mean she writes STEMinist contemporary romance, she’s proven she can write YA and now she’s dipping her toe into the paranormal romance genre? What more does she have up her sleeve? Great review!
I haven’t read this one yet, though I do really enjoy paranormal romances. Though I agree, it’s important to develop that connection between the two main characters. I’m hoping to read this one in the fall.
It sounds like one I would love to read. The cover didn’t draw me in, but your review did.
I was curious how it would go with PNR. Sounds like a good one in the old style. Great review, KC!
I loved this book. But I agree that it would’ve been lovely to see more of Lowe and Misery together. Those snippets of Lowe’s thoughts at the start of each chapter was priceless.
I should read this. I believe I even have it on my TBR list
I really enjoyed this one and hope maybe she’ll do another in this world. Great review!