January 22, 2024
Misery definitely doesn’t love company in this funny and thoughtful urban fantasy romance from Hazelwood (Love, Theoretically). As the daughter of a leading Vampyre council member, Misery Lark is used to being used. She spent ages eight through 18 as the collateral in an uneasy Vampyre-human alliance, essentially held hostage in the human world. Just when she’s finally free to live her life as a computer security expert, her best friend disappears and Misery is summoned back to her father, who aims to use her as collateral once more, this time in a Vampyre-Werewolf alliance that must be sealed with a marriage. She’s ready to refuse—until she realizes her future husband may be linked to her missing friend and she sees a chance to get answers. Alpha Lowe Moreland isn’t a stranger to duty, but even he’s a bit surprised with this marriage of inconvenience and how much he enjoys having a member of the much-hated Vampyre race in his territory. With the specter of an interspecies war on the horizon as well as threats from within, he has to balance attraction and protection while still holding on to his sanity. It’s a new subgenre for Hazelwood, and she navigates it well, slowly teasing out the sweet and spicy supernatural romance. This is a treat. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.
Starred review from June 1, 2024
Narrators Th�r�se Plummer and Will Damron perform a love story starring two very different beings. Vampyres, Werewolves, and Humans have long been at odds, each seeing the others as enemies. When Misery, the daughter of the Vampyre Southwest council leader, agrees to marry Lowe, the Alpha of the regional Weres, they hope to maintain the peace; however, Misery has another, more personal motive for the arrangement. She's looking for her best friend, the only person she's ever cared about--and Misery suspects she may be lost in Were territory. The two foes reluctantly grow closer as other forces try to disrupt the tenuous treaty. Each chapter begins with short snippets told from Lowe's third-person point of view, which are expertly performed by Damron, who imbues the few lines with Lowe's intensity. Plummer, who narrates the majority of the story from Misery's first-person point of view, is expressive as she captures not only Misery's voice but also those of the other characters. VERDICT A unique take on the star-crossed lovers trope. Listeners who enjoy fun and funny paranormal romances, such as those by Molly Harper, will be delighted with this production.--Amanda L. S. Murphy
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