Bride was one of my favorite reads of last year, and Lowe Moreland has officially claimed the top spot as my favorite MMC of 2024. I dove back in last weekend for some vampire/werewolf romance comfort, fully embracing my Twilight girlie roots, and I’m happy to report that Bride by Ali Hazelwood is still a six-star read on the reread.
Keep reading for my full review, spoiler-filled summary, ending breakdown, and a list of spicy chapters.
Bride
Description
A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance.
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.
Trigger Warnings
You can find a list of all trigger warnings for Bride on Ali Hazelwood’s website.
Tropes
- Vampire/Werewolf
- Marriage of Convenience
- Fated Mates
- Slow Burn
- STEM
- Forbidden Love
- Sworn Enemies
Synopsis
Bride is Ali Hazelwood’s new paranormal romance novel where Vampyre Misery Lark enters a marriage of convenience with Alpha Werewolf Lowe Moreland.
Which Ali Hazelwood books have you read?
Which Ali Hazelwood books have you read?
Lowe and Misery before the events of Bride
Misery Lark is the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the southwest. Instead of living with the Vampyres in the Nest, Misery lives in human territory, where she was sent as a child as the Vampyre “collateral”. A collateral is an alliance exchange between the two factions in which both parties send an important member of their group to be killed should things go awry between them.
During her time as collateral, Misery acted out due to feeling isolated and alone. In response, they brought in a human companion, an orphan named Serena who became like a sister to her. Serena and Misery grew up together, becoming each other’s entire world, especially for Misery.
After her collateral term ends, Misery returns to the Vampyre Nest but realizes she’san outcast among her people despite having sacrificed her entire childhood for them. Misery instead lives in the human lands in disguise as a penetration tester. She files her teeth dull and fakes a Circadian Rhythm disorder so she can work nights.
Lowe Moreland is an alpha werewolf and a pack leader. Originally living in Europe and earning an architecture degree, Lowe had been living a quiet life. However, after his pack runs into issues and the pack leader Roscoe becomes unhinged, Lowe returns to the were territory and challenges Roscoe, after which he becomes the pack leader. Lowe’s little sister Liliana (Ana) Moreland is under his care after he becomes pack leader, as their mom passes away during the conflict.
Misery and Lowe Get Married
One day, Misery gets summoned back to the Nest from human territory. Her father, who is the head of the Vampyre Council and practically rules with absolute authority, informs her that the alliances between Vampyres, Weres, and humans is more fragile than ever. He has arranged a marriage with the leader of the Alpha Pack werewolves in exchange for a Vampyre bride. Misery scoffs and declines.
However, her best friend Serena Paris has gone missing. As a journalist, she investigates financial crimes, and while chasing a story, she disappears without a trace. Misery is desperate to find her, and the only lead she has is a scribbled name, L. E. Moreland. When she hears the name of the Alpha Werewolf she’s supposed to marry, Lowe Moreland, she has little choice but to agree to this marriage of convenience in support of the fragile but dangerous alliance and in hopes of finding her best friend.
On their wedding day, as Misery and Lowe see each other for the first time, Lowe is visibly stricken after scenting Misery. Misery assumes it has something to do with her scent being rancid to him, since they are mortal enemies. She overhears Lowe and his pack members saying that he shouldn’t have to live with her, which further strengthens her belief that Lowe doesn’t want to be around her.
They have their first dance, and someone attacks Misery. Lowe steps in to protect her. After the attack, he suggests they stay out of each other’s way and then disappears, leaving Misery to spend her wedding evening alone.
She moves into Lowe’s mansion in the were territory and begins living in the quarters next to his. Misery’s every movement is monitored, although she doesn’t object in order to preserve the historic peacekeeping alliance and for her own reasons: to gather as much information as she can from Lowe about Serena’s whereabouts.
Misery and Lowe Begin Working Together
Misery Looks for Clues about Serena’s Whereabouts
As Misery continues living alone but under watch in Lowe’s estate, she falls into a quiet routine. One evening, a small child sneaks into her room. She introduces herself as Ana, Lowe’s sister. Despite Misery’s lack of emotional experience, Ana babbles and begins spending time with her.
Misery doesn’t run into Lowe very often. However, when she does, he clearly has trouble tolerating her scent. She starts taking more frequent baths.
A were named Alex is assigned to follow her around. Misery questions Alex, who is terrified of Vampyres, about the werewolf collaterals sent to the Vampyre side. She learns that Gabrielle is considered Lowe’s mate.
A wolf named Max attacks Misery despite her attempts to disengage. Eventually, to defend herself, she bares her fangs. Lowe walks in during the encounter. The situation de-escalates, but nobody believes Misery when she says she was attacked.
Lowe and Juno (one of his seconds) discuss Max’s accusations that Lowe is a traitor for marrying a Vampyre and whether Max might be a loyalist. Misery learns that some weres are not supportive of Lowe’s leadership and are actively working against him.
She finds Ana in her room more frequently, and the two of them begin spending time together. Despite her reservations, Misery begins to grow attached to the child.
Later, Misery breaks into Lowe’s room to search for evidence related to Serena but finds nothing.
The next day, there’s a barbecue, which Misery watches from her window. She sees Max trying to lure Ana away from the group. Despite the sun burning her skin, she rushes out to stop him. She realizes Ana was being used as bait, and Max was taking her to find the loyalists.
They interrogate Max, who stays silent. When it looks like the pack may resort to violence, Misery uses her thrall to subdue Max’s mind. After they dismiss her, she takes the opportunity to sneak into Lowe’s office to look for more information.
She gets caught.
Lowe confronts her, asking what she was snooping around for, clearly aware of her scent throughout his room and the house. Misery comes clean and tells him everything. Lowe reveals that Ana is part human and part werewolf, something no one else knows, and that Serena may have discovered the truth.
They discuss their options, and Misery and Lowe agree to work together to find out who abducted Serena and who might be aware of Ana’s identity.
During the conversation, Misery also reveals that she likes eating peanut butter, which is extremely taboo for Vampyres.
Visit into Emery’s Territory, Lowe and Misery Get Closer
Lowe and Misery begin working together, and Misery is given access to investigation materials.
The full moon arrives, and Misery is instructed to remain inside. Ana decides she wants to stay with Misery too, keeping her company. Misery starts spending time with Juno and begins getting closer to other wolves in the pack.
Eventually, Lowe is invited to Emery’s territory. Misery watches as Alex tries to teach Lowe how to install spyware, but as a disastrously tech-illiterate person, Lowe completely fails. Misery eventually convinces Lowe to take her with him despite his reservations. He agrees on the condition that Misery must be marked.
The two of them take a private plane to Emery’s territory. When the plane lands, Lowe begins the task of marking Misery. It involves touching and licking her, bringing them physically closer. The moment becomes unexpectedly intimate and starts to turn sexual.
Later, they talk the incident through. Lowe admits he’s never done it before. Misery is surprised, assuming he would have marked Gabrielle, his supposed mate, but Lowe says he did not. He also explains that mate bonds are not always reciprocated.
That night, Lowe has trouble falling asleep. Misery helps him the way she used to help Serena, by scratching his head. Lowe eventually falls asleep while Misery watches over him.
The next day, during dinner, Misery excuses herself to go feed, and Lowe follows her under the pretense of being a dutiful husband. They sneak into Emery’s office to install spyware, but guards follow and catch them.
Thinking fast, Misery suggests pretending she is feeding on Lowe. Lowe tells her to go ahead and do it for real. The guards immediately leave after seeing Misery feed on him. The moment escalates again, and the two get carried away, becoming physically intimate.
Their visit is cut short when they receive a call that Ana is sick. They fly back immediately. Misery helps care for Ana using the same methods Serena used to care for her when they were younger. Ana recovers from the flu.
Misery later talks to her brother Owen about the feelings she experienced while feeding on Lowe. Owen warns her not to overthink it, explaining that feeding can become intimate.
Sometime later, Lowe and Misery run into each other. They admit they have feelings for one another while Misery snacks on peanut butter. Just as they’re about to kiss, Misery collapses because she has been poisoned by the peanut butter.
For the next few days, Misery is in constant pain. Lowe is out of his mind, barking orders and yelling at everyone around him. He is frantic and completely overwhelmed by Misery’s condition. Eventually, they bring in a Vampyre doctor who gives her an antidote. Misery begins to recover.
When she awakens, she finds a large white wolf, Lowe, guarding her. She asks him to sleep beside her, which he does, curled up next to her in his wolf form.
Bride Ending Explained
Misery fully recovers from the peanut butter poisoning and things become more and more intimate between her and Lowe.
Ana is sent away for her own safety and Lowe wants to send Misery away as well, but she refuses, not wanting to leave him.
When Misery needs to feed the next time, Lowe refuses to allow her to feed from a bag and instead asks her to feed from him directly. It escalates, the situation becoming sexual, however they don’t have sex as their biologies are different and they’re incompatible.
Alex finds a human Were Bureau employee named Thomas Jalakas and Serena. They realize he must be Ana’s father, who is also now dead. They arrange a meeting with the former human governor to confront him. The governor offends Lowe and eventually he confesses that he got Ana’s father killed.
Oween arranges a meeting and tells Misery and Lowe that he is going to challenge him and Misery’s father. Gabriella attends this meeting as well.
Misery is apprehensive about seeing Lowe and his mate together, but they are not all over each other. Instead they cordially exchange pleasantries, and Lowe cannot even remember what Gabriella studied in college.
On their way back, Lowe suggests stopping by Misery’s apartment. When they arrive, Lowe is overtaken by Misery’s scent all over the apartment. They hook up again.
Misery begins putting two and two together: Lowe’s constant diligence around her, his attention to her, the way he lost his mind when she was injured, the way her scent affects him, and his nonchalance towards Gabi, and realizes she’s Lowe’s mate. When she asks Lowe about the mating bond, Lowe rejects her claim and tells her she’s wrong. He leaves her alone at the apartment, breaking Misery’s heart.
Mick comes to pick her up to take her somewhere safe but injects her with something. Misery realizes Mick is working with whoever kidnapped Serena. She wakes up in an attic bound with Serena. They try to escape but fail.
Eventually they are escorted to their captors, which is revealed to be Misery’s father. Misery realizes her father found out about half-werewolves and wanted to put a stop to the knowledge from spreading, since a human-wolf alliance would be catastrophic to the world. She also realizes that Serena is the first half-wolf half-human hybrid and that’s why she was abducted.
Soon, Oween brings Lowe in handcuffs. Misery’s father tries to have Lowe give up Ana in exchange for Misery. Misery tells him he would never do that, but her father confirms that Mick has told him she is in fact Lowe’s mate.
Serena, in her and Misery’s secret language, tells Misery she can shift into a wolf. Misery signals this to Lowe. On his command a fight breaks out, the wolves subduing Misery’s father and guards.
They return to Lowe’s territory a few days later with Serena wanting to be closer to people.
Misery finds Lowe having packed her stuff. She confronts him, Lowe wanting her to have the best life possible and be free, while Misery confesses she’s in love with Lowe. Even though she doesn’t have the hardware for “wolf mates” she wants to be with him. Lowe confesses his love too, revealing that he only had her stuff packed because he’s getting special Vampyre-safe windows installed.
The epilogue ends with Lowe and Misery happily ever after and Serena living in the wolf territory with them. Koen arrives to visit them, and when he sees Serena, his mating bond snaps into place.
Review
What's your favorite Ali Hazelwood book?
What's your favorite Ali Hazelwood book?
My Favorite Quote to Hook You 📣
“You think, but you don’t know. You don’t know anything about what it’s like to find your other half, I would take anything she chose to give me—the tiniest fraction or her entire world. I would take her for a single night knowing that I’ll lose her by morning, and I would hold on to her and never let go. I would take her healthy, or sick, or tired, or angry, or strong, and it would be my fucking privilege. I would take her problems, her gifts, her moods, her passions, her jokes, her body—I would take every last thing, if she chose to give it to me.”
Ali Hazelwood, Bride
I mean… The yearning. The devotion. Just… can’t.
Spicy Chapters
I gave this book 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. Whether you want to get to the heat or want closed-door modifications here’s the list below.
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 30
There’s a reason why Lowe Moreland is my favorite MMC of 2024…
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