October Reading Stats
Tag: Ali Hazelwood
5 Quotes from Last 5 Books
These are five of my favourite quotes from the last five books that I have read!!
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
“Honey,” I ask, lowering my sunglasses to the tip of my nose, “are we rich?”
Walking Practice by Dolki Min
“Being a mess is totally different from knowing you’re a mess.”
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
“I’m gonna be real with you,” I reply. “I don’t give a shit.”
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
“Am I dead? Is that why I’m so comfortable?”
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
“There’s something about this room that’s making a little ball of dread form in the pit of my stomach.”
Bride Review
Bride is a fast paced, easy to binge paranormal romance with just the right mix of gothic atmosphere, humour and heart. The whole setting feels moody and cinematic, with enough bite to keep it interesting without ever feeling too heavy. If you’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, this is the kind of book that can pull you out of it.
Misery and Lowe are such a great pairing. Misery isn’t your usual brooding vampire, she’s witty, sharp and has a warmth about her that makes her easy to root for. Lowe, on the other hand, is calm, grounded and genuinely kind in a way that feels refreshing for a werewolf character. Their connection builds slowly but with purpose, and the banter between them had me smiling the whole way through. The slow burn was perfection, though I’ll be honest, the spice wasn’t my favourite.
The side characters really added something special. Serena, Ana and Alex all had strong personalities and I loved the friendship dynamic that surrounded Misery. It made the story feel more alive and balanced out the romance nicely.
The plot itself is engaging and emotional, full of small twists and tender moments that kept me invested from start to finish. I do wish there’d been more world building, because the Vampyre Were alliance had so much potential. I wanted to know more about their history and how their politics worked, but it sometimes sat in the background while the romance took centre stage. Still, the writing is easy to follow and Hazelwood’s humour shines through in just the right places. It’s great seeing her step away from her usual academic rom com setup and try something new.
The ending felt a little rushed but it wrapped things up well enough to leave me satisfied. I really enjoyed the emotional payoff and the way Misery and Lowe’s relationship evolved into something strong and genuine. It’s got that signature Hazelwood chemistry, just in a darker and more supernatural setting.
Overall, this is a fun, addictive romantasy that blends humour, heart and a touch of chaos. It’s fast, funny, and full of character and even though a few things didn’t completely land for me, I couldn’t put it down.
⭐️4/5 stars This one really surprised me. It’s not perfect but it’s definitely one of Ali Hazelwood’s stronger books.
Worth the hype?!
Every year I am definitely influenced by social media to pick up certain books that are super popular or just generally hyped! And for some reason all the girlies have been gravitating more towards fantasy and romantasy, or at least that’s what’s coming up on my FYP over the last year or so. I have 5 books that I thought were worth the hype and another five that I didn’t quite like or understand as much as the masses…
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman – wild, weird, unexpectedly touching, and genuinely funny. Definitely worth the hype!
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith – This has potential, but I wanted more depth, more connection.
The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli – this just had me hooked right from the start!
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli – unfortunately didn’t live up to my expectations after the first book!
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros – the dragons and the plot twists did it for me!
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood – Just ok… Scarlett was a little too insecure for me, Lukas was everything!
Gild by Raven Kennedy – I had very low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised!
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett – I had to DNF after this book literally put me to sleep.
Quicksilver by Callie Hart – just enough spice sprinkled onto this pretty typical fae storyline with some fun twists and turns along the way!
Powerless by Lauren Roberts – just an unnecessarily long, tropey book
Deep End Review
Deep End was a quick, enjoyable read, but it didn’t quite match what the blurb promised. It was marketed as a kinkier romance, but the so-called “kink” was mostly just discussed rather than explored. The scenes were steamy, but nothing out of the ordinary for the genre. If you were expecting something bold or edgy, you might be left wanting more.
Lukas was definitely the highlight for me. He was mature, caring, and grounded, with a thoughtful backstory that made his character feel real. I liked how he showed up for Scarlett even when things between them were supposed to be casual. His actions made it clear how much he cared, even when he tried to keep it light on the surface.
Scarlett was a bit more complicated. She’s kind and relatable in some ways, but her constant uncertainty about Pen (Lukas’s ex and her friend) dragged on longer than it needed to. Pen had moved on and given her blessing, yet her presence still caused unnecessary tension. Scarlett often seemed to put Pen’s feelings ahead of her own, which became frustrating.
I also couldn’t help noticing how often Lukas being Swedish was mentioned, it got to the point where the repetitiveness was annoying and I’m still undecided on the “troll” nickname. The chemistry between the leads had its moments, but I wanted to see a bit more emotional development alongside the physical side. I believed Lukas was all in, but I wasn’t completely convinced about Scarlett.
That said, the pacing kept me turning the pages, and the ending was sweet. While it wasn’t quite the romance I expected, I still enjoyed the ride.
⭐️3/5 stars I was pretty engaged the whole time and it was quite charming.
Amy Leigh Reads 