Title: Mate

Series: Bride #2

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Genre: Pnr Romance

Year of publication: 2025

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BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Bride – my review

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BLURB

Serena Paris is orphaned, pack-less, and one of a kind. Coming forward as the first Human-Were hybrid was supposed to heal a centuries-long rift between species. Instead, it made her a target, prey to the ruthless political machinations between Weres, Vampyres, and Humans. With her enemies closing in on her, she has only one option left – if he’ll have her.

As Alpha of the Northwest pack, Koen Alexander commands obedience. His authority is so absolute, only a fool would threaten his mate. It doesn’t matter if Serena doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.

But power-hungry Vampyres and Weres are not the only threats chasing Serena. Sooner or later, her past is bound to catch up with her – and Koen might be the only thing standing between her and total annihilation…

I am not an Ali lover like everyone else seems to be. I loved The Love Hypothesis but not any of her others. And that made me sad. That was until Bride came out. A paranormal romance from Ali AND I LOVED IT!  So, of course, I needed Mate!

A human hybrid – Serena
An alpha were – Koen
Mates.
Superb.

The blurb, the characters, the story, the spicy, the banter; I was obsessed. It was such an addictive, easy read.

This author needs to write more pnr romance/romantasy and soon!

⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5

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Sound like something you’d like?

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Books I Was Reading On This Day Over the Last Ten Years

Goodreads to the rescue!!!!

2025 Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon
2024 Variant Lost by Kaydence Snow
2023 House of Hades by Rick Riordan
2022 Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
2021 Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria
2020 Moti on the Water by Leylah Attar
2019 Forever Immortal by Amelia Hutchins
2018 This Savage Song by VE Schwab
2017 The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
2016 Six by Ker Dukey

What are yours?

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hope you’ve had a good week!

I’ve only gone and read a book again this week, and I’ve started another! Get me and all this reading malarkey!

I haven’t been posting on Bookstagram, haven’t requested any arcs or consulted my tbr list and it feels like loads of pressure has been taken off and I’m reading for fun again. It’s so refreshing!

All I did this week was work and I got a pedicure so it was a run of the mill week!

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🎧 A Witches Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

See my review soon!

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Stats – Storygraph stats: July
Feature – Stacking the Shelves: July

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Book Review – Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Feature – September Releases

What have you read lately?

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! And audiobooks. Don’t forget audiobooks!

In other words, if you can read it or if it can be read to you – no matter how you got it – it belongs in Stacking the Shelves.

The Stacking the Shelves meme was originally hosted at Team Tynga’s Reviews. It is currently hosted by Reading Reality.

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I’m actually quite impressed (of myself!) Only 2 books!

Books I Bought

Daybreak by Autumn Woods
The Book Binder by Helen Scheuerer  

Advanced Reader Copies

None, zero, zilch!

I’d better get reading!

 

I always keep track of my books read in the year but, for 2026, I decided to keep track of my monthly reading stats as they help me understand my reading habits and to try and help me stay motivated.

It was a rubbish month of me not wanting to read but I made myself read 2 and then mood read another!

I’m taking a break from Booksta this month to try and see if that relieves some ‘book pressure’.

Hopefully next month these stats will look better – cross fingers!

A measly 3 books read📚
1361 pages📃
All romantasy🧛‍♂️
Three 5 star reads ⭐️

How many books did you read in July?

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Cover Freebie

I chose ‘People and faces’

Here we go…..

Holly by Adalyn Grace
The Roommate by Rosie Danan
The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore
The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare
Namesake by Adrienne Young
The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna
Dark Fae by Caroline Peckham
Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye
I Kissed Shara Wheeler
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

What are your favourite people covers?

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hope you’ve had a good week!

What’s that? She’s read a book?!

Tis true. By some miracle I really fancied listening to an audiobook so I picked one and listened to it in 2 days (my airpods ran out of juice so had to split into 2 days!)

And that’s progress! I haven’t wanted to read a book in so long, I’ve just been doing it out of necessity. I am elated!!!

I didn’t do a Sunday Post last week because a) I hadn’t read anything and b) I worked a ridiculous amount of overtime and I was tired. But I’ve had a break this weekend whilst I await some defects to be fixed so yay me!!!!

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🎧 Mate by Ali Hazelwood
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

See my review soon!

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Unboxing – Fairyloot Romantasy: July
Calendar – Hello August

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Stats – Storygraph stats: July
Feature – Stacking the Shelves: July

What have you read lately?

Just a little post to wish you a happy August!

“Leaving any bookstore is hard, especially on a day in August, when the street outside burns and glares, and the books inside are cool and crisp to the touch.” ―Jane Smiley

“Breathe the sweetness that hovers in August.” ―Denise Levertov

Fairyloot Romantasy – July 2026

The Cost of a Crown

Perfect for readers that love:
🩶 Morally Grey Female Leads
⚔️ Deadly and Dangerous Trials
✨ Forbidden Magic

The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly

🖤 An exclusive redesigned cover by @lettersbylila_ with foil
🖤 A reversible dust jacket featuring a colourway variation of the trade cover
🖤 Full colour character artwork on the hardcover with foil by @ekilateral.art and design by @amysharpillustration
🖤 Character artwork on the endpapers by @ekilateral.art with foil by @blanca.design (different front and back)
🖤 Digitally sprayed edges on all three edges by @flarity.art (foreedge) and @blanca.design (top and bottom)
🖤 Author letter with a digital signature bound into the book.

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BLURB

On the mist-shrouded Isle of Eireann, buying magic comes with a price.

But when her beloved older sister is gravely injured, Maeve risks everything to buy the forbidden magic that might save her. In exchange, Maeve trades her life to a ruthless and dangerously alluring rebel leader. Bound to do his bidding, Maeve finds herself thrown into a deadly competition to become the next queen and stand beside a prince rumoured to be more brutal than his tyrannical father.

With the isle on the brink of war, trust and survival come at a terrible cost-one that will tear Maeve’s world, and her heart, in two.

What would you sacrifice to survive?

Sound like something you’d like?