Paranormal romances are so rarely my jam these days, having read little else during my twenties and thirties, but Ali Hazelwood’s brand of sharp-witted, lovelorn shenanigans is always hard to resist, even more so when her new marriage of convenience romp happens to be of the blood-sucking and howling variety. She takes the star-crossed lovers, fated mates tropes to new heights in this spicy, unputdownable tale of two mortal enemies who agree to marry in order to uphold the peace between their species. I loved the story, the characters, the dialogues, even all the drawn-out miscommunication angst, but Ali Hazelwood had me at knotting, and I’m (k)not embarrassed to admit it. (K)not even a little.
“Be careful with him,” Father whispers, lips barely moving. “He is very dangerous. Do not cross him.” What every girl wants to hear ten feet from the altar.
Misery Lark has always known that her life would never truly be her own to live. As the only daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman, she spent most of her young life being a mere pawn in her father’s political game of chess, and now, at twenty-five years of age, she is to marry the dangerous Alpha of the Southwest pack, as part of a peacekeeping treaty between the Vampyres and their longtime nemeses, the Weres. But what no one knows is that Misery has an ulterior motive to marry the Alpha—her best friend is missing and the only clue to her disappearance leads to wolf territory.
She’s not like he imagined. She’s more, in every possible way.
A hard but fair leader of the largest pack in the country, Lowe Moreland would do anything to keep his people safe, even marry the enemy. But he never expected to have a visceral, all-consuming reaction to his new bride at first . . . smell. And the pull of her only grows stronger and more persistent as they begin to live under the same roof. He learns that Misery’s self-contained way of being stems from a traumatic past that has left her feeling utterly untethered from everything and everyone around her. Yet her every act shows that she feels deeply, and her sword-sharp wit only serves to safeguard a heart that has only known neglect.
“By all means, then, let’s embrace tradition. Should we slice my palm and drip some blood on the sheets? Hang them from the public square?”
His eyes close briefly and he grits out, “I doubt there are any expectations of virginity on your part.”
“Fantastic. I love surprising people.”
As Misery’s secret agenda comes to light, she finds an unexpected ally in her new husband. But as danger begins to stir around them, both from outside the pack as well as from within, their growing trust becomes their greatest strength. Because, in a world of betrayal and secrets, their bond might be the only thing that could save them all.
“A mate is . . . Who you are meant for. Who is meant for you.”
“And this is a uniquely Were experience that differs from Human high schoolers writing lyrics on each other’s yearbooks before heading to separate colleges . . . how?”
Ali Hazelwood’s first foray into Paranormal Romance is an absolute triumph in my eyes. Her prose remains fresh and propulsive, with a cherry bomb of humour on top, making this emotionally-charged, slow burning, rivals-to-lovers romance one I’d recommend unreservedly to anyone wanting to sink their fangs into a fated mates love story packed with heart, sizzle, danger, plot twists, and banter-y goodness all around.
“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. But I won’t take from her.”
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Wholehearted agree with your review. Loved it. Listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed it very much. I haven’t read much paranormal fiction the last few years but this novel was irresistible.
I’m the same, yet I re-read this book twice in a matter of weeks and I just bought the audiobook because I heard the audio is fabulous. I really hope Ali continues writing in this world. xx