Ali Hazelwood

A Human hybrid and an Alpha Were claw against the bonds of fate in the highly anticipated companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Bride.

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…

Mate

"I could spend the next hundred years cataloging new things about him, and never be done. He could be the project of my lifetime. Just like I’m his."

 that I wouldn't be jumping into this sequel, but Ali Hazelwood fooled me into submission with 

 and so I was excited to read this book. Now, my ratings for Hazelwood's books always hover around 4 stars, I do thoroughly enjoy her writing, it's easy reading, I typically fly through them quickly and I generally enjoy them for the most part, but they're not anything particularly mind blowing. I usually really enjoy her MMC's, even if I have to look past the fact she always writes the same huge, tall man with a large appendage, but in 

 I just wasn't sold on him or her writing. I don't know if I just have an aversion to the domineering, broody "alpha" type and that's why werewolf romances don't ever really work for me. I don't know. But hey, I would be lying if I said I wasn't entertained by this book, there was a lot missing from it that meant it didn't work for me, and maybe I should stop trying to make myself enjoy paranormal romance when I know it keeps letting me down.

The characters in this book are probably some of my least favourite so far that Hazelwood has written. I mentioned Koen before but I also didn't particularly love Serena or any of the other side characters in this book either. From the first chapter I did not like Koen's attitude, he was abrupt and an asshole, and some of the things he said to Serena really put me off, straight off the bat. Like, ok, you don't want a relationship with your mate but do you have to speak to her like she's a waste of your time!? I get that his attitude is meant to make sense the further into this book you get, but no, it still didn't make it ok for me. He's pushing her away because of his pack and his responsibilties, and that makes sense, but his personality is just not doing it for me, and so I found it hard to root for him and Serena. I also found their romance to be very surface level, it felt to me like the only things he liked about her was the fact he was biologically attracted to her, she looked beautiful, her cooking and how good in bed she was. The internal monologing from Serena at least gave some insight into why she liked him, and seeing her progression from simply finding him attractive and safe to actually falling in love with him did work, but it mostly felt one sided.

Serena was interesting, I thought there was a nice basis for her character here, a lot of trauma to work through and the coping with dark humour was funny at times, but in the end it was just too much for me. Their banter went on for pages and pages, and I was exhausted. This was a very dialogue heavy book, and sometimes I just wanted them both to shut up. Her lying to Misery was definitely not a fave trope of mine, but I did find the plotline of her only having a few months left to live fascinating, although I worked out what was wrong with her by about 20% in and thought it was relatively obvious. I was hoping this book and her illness would be more about some dark ties to her past, and we got that a little bit with the whole tie in to the cult, but I just wanted more from it instead of it all boiling down to sex. It felt like the cult storyline was background noise to their romance and I think that let the story down. I will say, though, that I was cracking up laughing about the whole celibacy covenant thing, the fact that she needed him to sleep with her for her wellbeing and he couldn't do it because of "Were law" genuinely made me laugh, and it made for some pretty good tension too. But even then, there were a whole bunch of plot holes surrounding this, like I feel like all the Weres should have been able to scent their 3 day sex bender on them after they left their nest, especially after Serena mentioned she could scent the exchange of bodily fluids on other people in the pack. Some things just didn't align in my mind.

I'm going to be honest and say, I don't think paranormal romance is my thing, and I am ok with that. I'm disappointed, but at least I have worked that out about myself. I think reading Koen say 

 when she started her Heat just really sealed the deal for me, because it gave me the biggest ick I have ever experienced reading a smut scene and I couldn't shut it out. The whole knotting thing too, I don't think I'm ever going to be on board, unfortunately. But I do think if paranormal romance is your vibe, then you probably will enjoy this book more than I did and that perhaps this is more of a me thing than a huge problem with the book itself. Sure, I think there were some problems with pacing, plot and character but maybe that means less when you actually enjoy this genre, I'm not sure. Either way, this was a firmly "meh" book for me, and I think from now on I'll just stick to Ali's contemporary romances. But, just watch me, I bet you I won't stick to my word, she'll write a third in this series and I'll make this same mistake yet again... oh well 😅

“If today was my last day, I’d be happy to have spent it with you.”

Genevieve 

"I could spend the next hundred years cataloging new things about him, and never be done. He could be the project of my lifetime. Just like I’m his."

3.5⭐

I told myself at the end of Bride that I wouldn't be jumping into this sequel, but Ali Hazelwood fooled me into submission with Deep End and Problematic Summer Romance and so I was excited to read this book. Now, my ratings for Hazelwood's books always hover around 4 stars, I do thoroughly enjoy her writing, it's easy reading, I typically fly through them quickly and I generally enjoy them for the most part, but they're not anything particularly mind blowing. I usually really enjoy her MMC's, even if I have to look past the fact she always writes the same huge, tall man with a large appendage, but in Mate I just wasn't sold on him or her writing. I don't know if I just have an aversion to the domineering, broody "alpha" type and that's why werewolf romances don't ever really work for me. I don't know. But hey, I would be lying if I said I wasn't entertained by this book, there was a lot missing from it that meant it didn't work for me, and maybe I should stop trying to make myself enjoy paranormal romance when I know it keeps letting me down.

The characters in this book are probably some of my least favourite so far that Hazelwood has written. I mentioned Koen before but I also didn't particularly love Serena or any of the other side characters in this book either. From the first chapter I did not like Koen's attitude, he was abrupt and an asshole, and some of the things he said to Serena really put me off, straight off the bat. Like, ok, you don't want a relationship with your mate but do you have to speak to her like she's a waste of your time!? I get that his attitude is meant to make sense the further into this book you get, but no, it still didn't make it ok for me. He's pushing her away because of his pack and his responsibilties, and that makes sense, but his personality is just not doing it for me, and so I found it hard to root for him and Serena. I also found their romance to be very surface level, it felt to me like the only things he liked about her was the fact he was biologically attracted to her, she looked beautiful, her cooking and how good in bed she was. The internal monologing from Serena at least gave some insight into why she liked him, and seeing her progression from simply finding him attractive and safe to actually falling in love with him did work, but it mostly felt one sided.

Serena was interesting, I thought there was a nice basis for her character here, a lot of trauma to work through and the coping with dark humour was funny at times, but in the end it was just too much for me. Their banter went on for pages and pages, and I was exhausted. This was a very dialogue heavy book, and sometimes I just wanted them both to shut up. Her lying to Misery was definitely not a fave trope of mine, but I did find the plotline of her only having a few months left to live fascinating, although I worked out what was wrong with her by about 20% in and thought it was relatively obvious. I was hoping this book and her illness would be more about some dark ties to her past, and we got that a little bit with the whole tie in to the cult, but I just wanted more from it instead of it all boiling down to sex. It felt like the cult storyline was background noise to their romance and I think that let the story down. I will say, though, that I was cracking up laughing about the whole celibacy covenant thing, the fact that she needed him to sleep with her for her wellbeing and he couldn't do it because of "Were law" genuinely made me laugh, and it made for some pretty good tension too. But even then, there were a whole bunch of plot holes surrounding this, like I feel like all the Weres should have been able to scent their 3 day sex bender on them after they left their nest, especially after Serena mentioned she could scent the exchange of bodily fluids on other people in the pack. Some things just didn't align in my mind.

I'm going to be honest and say, I don't think paranormal romance is my thing, and I am ok with that. I'm disappointed, but at least I have worked that out about myself. I think reading Koen say “You need to be fucked, Serena.” when she started her Heat just really sealed the deal for me, because it gave me the biggest ick I have ever experienced reading a smut scene and I couldn't shut it out. The whole knotting thing too, I don't think I'm ever going to be on board, unfortunately. But I do think if paranormal romance is your vibe, then you probably will enjoy this book more than I did and that perhaps this is more of a me thing than a huge problem with the book itself. Sure, I think there were some problems with pacing, plot and character but maybe that means less when you actually enjoy this genre, I'm not sure. Either way, this was a firmly "meh" book for me, and I think from now on I'll just stick to Ali's contemporary romances. But, just watch me, I bet you I won't stick to my word, she'll write a third in this series and I'll make this same mistake yet again... oh well 😅

“If today was my last day, I’d be happy to have spent it with you.”

I love how Ali Hazelwood has branched into the supernatural world. She still has strong, independent female leads, but has so many more options for hot romance. This was a great follow up after reading Bride.

Amanda 

𑣲 | “i would throw away my pack, my life, and my entire world for you. which is the exact reason i cannot have you.”

unfortunately i wanted to love this, as i adored bride. but this fell so flat for me. it was slow, boring and not gonna lie i fucking hated koen. he was mean, and yeah i get it, he has his reasons. but he literally could have done ANYTHING else to push her away. ignore her. forget she existed. but no he had to be a raging asshole? sorry but thats just not what im into. 

i did like serena, she was funny and i loved her and misery and wish we could have gotten more. also wish serena wasnt so much of a mystery. like we know nothing about that girl??? like hello give me something!!

also koens use of shit like stinkwaffle or whatever the fuck he says, literally made me want to throw up. 

𑣲 | “i would throw away my pack, my life, and my entire world for you. which is the exact reason i cannot have you.”

 

— ❀ 2/5 

 

unfortunately i wanted to love this, as i adored bride. but this fell so flat for me. it was slow, boring and not gonna lie i fucking hated koen. he was mean, and yeah i get it, he has his reasons. but he literally could have done ANYTHING else to push her away. ignore her. forget she existed. but no he had to be a raging asshole? sorry but thats just not what im into. 

i did like serena, she was funny and i loved her and misery and wish we could have gotten more. also wish serena wasnt so much of a mystery. like we know nothing about that girl??? like hello give me something!!

also koens use of shit like stinkwaffle or whatever the fuck he says, literally made me want to throw up. 

smut scenes were wild though!!

I really loved this book. I had just finished reading Bride and really enjoyed it, so it was fresh on my mind. Serena and Koen's relationship dynamic was so fun to read about; the sarcastic humor between them was great, and the plot with the cult made it really interesting. I kind of wished we had seen more of Misery in the book, though; for being best friends, they don't really talk a lot. The only thing I didn't really like was how rude Koen was to Serena at the beginning and how he brushed off the mate thing, so she didn't really understand the intensity of it. I understand that that's his personality, but you would think he would be a little nicer to his mate. But I loved seeing their relationship evolve throughout the story; it was really beautiful to see the journey and get to the end of their story. 

Maggie Hotmer

Well what should I say, I liked this more than I should 

Marie

Loved it! This story really took me some place else, amazing characters (fun, humor and with depth!) and plotline!

Emma Kamer

It was good. I think I liked bride way more than this maybe because the territorial behavior was far more in this book which made me feel uncomfortable. 

The jokes about chaining her like a prisoner might be a kink to some, but that just heightened my anxiety. 

Keira 💫

It was good. I think I liked bride way more than this maybe because the territorial behavior was far more in this book which made me feel uncomfortable. 

The jokes about chaining her like a prisoner might be a kink to some, but that just heightened my anxiety. 

I love the Bride/Mate universe that Ali Hazelwood is building, and I hope there will be more of it. I especially liked Mate, I liked learning a bit more about the pack(s), and their hierarchy and politics. I really liked the PNW forest setting for the Den, it felt like it made sense for wolves to me. Serena and Koen have great chemistry, and the banter back and forth is what I've come to expect from Ali, top notch. 

Megan Murray 

Lili V Guba

Hannah Bateman

I hadn't genuinely laughed at a book SO MUCH in so long 

Annabella

Cici Pearson

If Ali writes it I am gonna gobble it up and I did just that!!  

Brittany Peterson

I am howling at the moon hornily

If Ali writes it I am gonna gobble it up and I did just that!!  

Mate

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