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My love for this one snuck up on me – I’m not usually a big fan of paranormal romance, but I love all things Hazelwood, so I was willing to step outside my comfort zone. And I’m so glad that I did! This jumps right in, immersing the reader into this fantastical world as our couple meets at the altar and gets married right away. It’s a new spin on the arranged marriage trope, pairing up a Vampyre and a Were Alpha in a tentative, unsteady alliance. I’ll openly admit that there was more world-building and less romance than I prefer in the beginning, but as soon as this couple starts spending more time on the page together, my love for the story grew and grew. We get mostly the heroine’s perspective with tiny snippets from the hero, so it very much felt like a “Hazelwood” romance in so many ways. I could feel the complexity of the hero’s feelings, even as the heroine pieced together the situation. The forbidden component (they’re literally different species) paired perfectly with the arranged marriage and forced proximity, slowly building up the relationship until it was something truly special. By the end, I was totally wrapped up in the story and hoping that we’ll get more from this world, so it was a very successful read.
The story follows Misery, a Vampyre who finds herself getting married to a werewolf she’s never met. Misery is no stranger to putting aside her own needs for the good of her people, so being used as a pawn in a treacherous alliance with the Weres doesn’t intimidate her all that much. She also has her own reasons for agreeing to the arrangement, though Misery would love if her new husband were a little more receptive to having her around. One look at Misery had Lowe avoiding her at all costs, and every moment they spend together seems to send him further and further away. But as Misery gets to know her husband in bits and pieces, she realizes what a great man he truly is. The two strike up a tentative truce that has them growing closer, and it’s not long before feelings begin to shift. Unfortunately, though Misery and Lowe are already married, there are still obstacles that could keep them permanently apart.
I blame the over-saturation of the market back in the early 2000s on the reason why I don’t seek out paranormal romance these days, but I’m willing to cross into that territory for an author whose writing I love, and Hazelwood certainly fits the bill. The beginning had a different vibe than I’m used to from her, and it took a little longer for me to get drawn into the story. But once I was, I was all in. I loved the slow build to Misery and Lowe’s relationship, and how they were able to find commonalities despite their very different upbringings and overall anatomy. I loved the tension that simmered in the background, and I loved how they grew closer a little at a time. This might actually be Hazelwood’s spiciest book yet, though the romance takes the longest to get going. There are some excellent moments of sexual tension and Lowe reveals a side of himself that was immensely compelling. The mystery element was interesting too, and I became more invested in it than I anticipated. I could totally see this being the start of a brand new series, and I’m hoping we get more from this group of characters. It was the kind of book that got better with every page – I loved it!
Releases on February 6th – preorder today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TAJsRQ
Blurb:
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 from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis.
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.
Releases on February 6th – preorder today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TAJsRQ
About the Author:
Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).
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