Bride by Ali Hazelwood

 

Summary (from the publisher): 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.

Review: Misery Lark is the only daughter of one of the most powerful Vampyres of the Southwest council. Yet she has lived her life as an outcast. As a child, she was offered as collateral and forced to live in human territory, where she was never fully accepted. But as a consequence of her unique and distanced upbringing, she also has never been accepted by other vampyres. Her only friend is her childhood friend Serena. Now, her father is asking her to make a political marriage to a powerful and dangerous werewolf alpha named Lowe Moreland. Misery has reasons of her own to accept the marriage, but what she and Lowe can't anticipate is how drawn they will feel to each other, despite being from two different species who historically typically kill each other on sight. 

This was a very entertaining - and spicy - paranormal romance. The author worked hard to give Misery and Lowe full backstories and complicated histories. The subplot of Misery working to find her friend Serena and also Lowe's affection for his sister were entertaining and added some substance. But I think we are all here for the scintillating attraction between Misery and Lowe. 

Of course, this is at heart a romance. It is not high fiction, but it was highly entertaining, and I ready it very rapidly, anxious to see how it would all conclude. There was great tension between the main characters.

I would love to see a sequel that focuses on Serena's story and her mate!

Stars: 4