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nerd_kind's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Death of parent, Classism, Confinement, Blood, War, and Kidnapping
Minor: Classism, Gaslighting, Torture, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Car accident, Vomit, Abandonment, and Grief
elledanie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Abandonment, Cursing, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
waldtochter's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Bullying, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death of parent, and War
lawbooks600's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Score: Five out of ten.
What an underwhelming reading experience. Again.
Let me get this straight: Ali Hazelwood is not the author for me. Bride is the third book I've read from her, but she always disappoints and never seems to improve. I gave her three chances when I read The Love Hypothesis and then Check & Mate, but Bride was at the same level, not above it. Perhaps I should stop reading from her.
It starts with a prologue that lasts for a few pages, then it cuts to the central storyline with Misery Lark, a vampire, sorry, Vampyre (I'm cringing at this) living in the Human (uppercase) world. The pacing is slow at first and continues to be so, as Bride is around 400 pages. Bride only appeals to three types of people, those who like paranormal romances, those who enjoy fantasy romances (romantasies for short) and Hazelwood enthusiasts. I am not any of them. Hazelwood's latest creation stumbles in every possible aspect, so I'm unsure where to start, but I'll try.
First, the plot. As implied by the term romantasy, the narrative revolves around the relationship between Misery and Lowe Moreland, a Were (uppercase, and presumably short for werewolf.) Is it me, or romantasies don't work for me? I like fantasies with strong worldbuilding, not novels about romances in a fantastical setting with no worldbuilding (contemporary and urban too.) It leaves behind so many unanswered questions. Expanding upon the world would improve the romantasy genre. Where do the Weres and Vampyres come from? Why are they at war with each other and the Humans? Bride doesn't explain that. The characters lack depth, so saying they had chemistry would be a stretch. Increasing depth and character development would've made me enjoy Bride more, but I can't recommend this one in its present state. Those also looking for compositions with literary value should look elsewhere. At least the conclusion is heartwarming, as the couple is together in the end.
Graphic: Blood, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Full trigger warnings: War themes, physical assault and injury, blood, grief and loss depiction, death of peopletorturedreadersdept's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Kidnapping, Dysphoria, Infertility, Confinement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Bullying, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Car accident
daisycantread24's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Murder, Sexual content, Grief, Blood, Confinement, Gore, and Death
mzquirk's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Cursing
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Death of parent, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Confinement
Minor: Child death, War, Torture, and Murder
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Stalking, Outing, Hate crime, Body horror, Kidnapping, Violence, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Medical content
Moderate: Self harm, Infertility, Grief, Cursing, Bullying, Vomit, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Infidelity, War, and Car accident
abookwormspov's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Confinement, Death, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, and Child abuse
angel__'s review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Die Protagonistin ist mir manchmal etwas auf die Nerven gegangen, weil sie nicht verstanden hat,
Es waren aber auch Plottwists dabei, die nicht unbedingt vorhersehbar waren.
Insgesamt hat es mich ganz gut unterhalten, deswegen ⭐⭐⭐.5
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, War, Racism, Abandonment, Grief, and Racial slurs
Minor: Murder, Confinement, Bullying, Car accident, Death, and Death of parent