Mate

Wanted more excitement. It did keep me hooked until the last few chapters

Ali Hazelwood takes another step into her paranormal romance world with Mate. This is a companion to Bride. This story blends political tension, fated mates, and a heroine caught between species. If you have read Bride, this setup will feel all too familiar. This one never quite pulled me in despite being exactly the kind of book I usually love. Serena Paris is a rare human-were hybrid. She is living on the edge of multiple worlds and never fully belonging to any of them. When danger closes in, she is pulled back into the orbit of Koen Alexander, an alpha who claims her as his mate. What follows is a story about survival, identity, and the push and pull between autonomy and protection. The bones of the story are strong. There is a clear attempt to explore found family and what it means to choose your place in the world. The issue is that I never felt emotionally connected to any of it. The biggest hurdle for me was engagement. The pacing dragged enough that I kept losing track of the story. At one point, I had to look up the plot because I kept drifting off mid-listen. This book managed to beat my insomnia into submission, which resulted in multiple naps. The relationship dynamic also did not work for me. The overprotective, possessive alpha paired with an inexperienced heroine was not a trope that works for me here. Koen’s intensity leaned more controlling than swoony. Serena’s passivity and naivety made it difficult to invest in her as a character. Their bond is meant to feel inevitable, but it needed more emotional depth to be convincing. There are flashes of what could have been. The found family within the pack is one of the stronger elements. Serena finding a sense of belonging for the first time adds warmth that the romance alone does not carry. The cameos from Bride characters were also a highlight. They grounded the story in the same world without making it feel like a direct sequel. The spice is undeniably present, but it was not for me. The knotting scenes crossed from hot to off-putting. Both Koen and Serena lacked confidence in those moments, though Koen at least tried to project otherwise. The tone in these scenes veered into cringe territory. Heat paired with awkward delivery does not land. To Hazelwood’s credit, the world building is smoother here than in Bride. The politics between species feel more cohesive and the stakes are clearer. Stronger structure cannot fully compensate for characters that fail to resonate. I did not care enough about Serena or Koen to stay invested in their journey. I wanted to love this because I have enjoyed Hazelwood’s contemporary romances. Unfortunately, her fantasy romances have not worked for me.

I really enjoyed this follow-up of the little paranormal world Ali Hazelwood created. Serena, just came out as the first half human/half werewolf hybrid person. She is in the care of Koen, the Alpha wolf of the northwestern pack. She also happens to be his mate. Only he can’t love her. But he does anyway. But everyone wants her. There is a huge ransom on her head. What will he do to protect her? 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️’s

In my most recent reads, it is extremely difficult to find a well written "were" storyline that isn't cringy, predictable and unenjoyable. I did not realize that this was technically book 2 to a series, but honestly, I don't think I missed much but minimal background information (book 1 focuses on Misery whereas book 2 is Serena). I loved Koen's character - his dedication, loyalty and sarcasm. All a girl could ever want.

Great humour.