Good Spice, Bad Writing: Bride

The Good Spice, Bad Writing team give their "hot or not" take on Bride by Ali Hazelwood.

Created by the Podcast Team at the Harris County Public Library.
www.hcpl.net

Podcast Team Members include: Beth Krippel, John Harbaugh, Mary Mink, Dylan Smith, Sadina Shawver, Alinda Mac, John Schaffer, Jennifer Finch, Katelyn Helberg, Darcy Casavant, Darla Pruitt and Nancy Hu 

Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Harris County Public Library's Reading Room Radio, where your to be red pile gets a little more exciting one micro podcast at a time.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Hello, and welcome back to Reading Room Radio.

unknown 0:14

Woo!

SPEAKER_00 0:16

This is our segment called Good Spice, Bad Writing. And today we are going over our news book Bride by Allie Hazelwood.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Yeah, and let's get into it.

SPEAKER_00 0:28

Yeah. Okay, so first things first. Essentially, it's a paranormal romance. Um, it's a vampire who enters an arranged marriage with a werewolf office. So in this world, there's three countries it's humans, werewolves, and vampires. And they all secure political alliances by using each other as collateral and having arranged marriages. I love an arranged marriage. Like you know what's always proximity.

SPEAKER_01 0:53

Something's always gonna happen. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's a werewolf and a vampire.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

So there's a lot of differences there.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

I mean, it wasn't a bad thing.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

One's hot, one's cold.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

It caught our attention. That's why we wanted to read the book. But you want to talk, I think we want to talk about a little bit more about the spice levels.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Okay, yeah, yeah. So this one definitely ends up being a four, but the spice levels don't happen super often, and it's more around the end. So it feels like a three, but there is of course one more intimate scene.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

And I think the spice levels helped. I mean, it wasn't a bad book. So I the spice levels helped us in what what we enjoyed about the spice levels because I personally enjoyed all the level two. I I enjoyed the tension. I wish it started sooner. I think half of the book was me trying to get to some tension.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Like get I would like, please get to the point. I know you like each other. I could tell. Because literally it started off with the wedding. Spoiler alert, right? They got married. We already know. I always the the cold distance CEO, the cold and uh hard alpha, or someone that can't like someone that can't get close to him. He's always the sweetheart at the end. I mean, that's the plot twist, and I know it's a it's a thing that always happens in all these patterns, but I enjoy it. And that spice level, I was like, oh, this is so fun. Oh my gosh. He likes her, like you know, like and I agree.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

I think everything leading up to them finally having like their intimate moment was really good, but I would say that I did not enjoy this book. I actually to me it felt fun in the beginning, like it was kind of just boring, and I was like, let's get to it. And but once it got once it led up to the first like level two scenes where there's like biting, right? Because they're vampires and werewolves, that's what you expect. Those were great. And then we got to the final spice scene, and I was like, yuck.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

I just want to say that I was I was curious.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

I said, where are they gonna go with this? It's a female vampire and a guy werewolves.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

Like, how is this working?

SPEAKER_01 3:03

I wanted to see how it worked. Okay, I'm curious. I said, are they gonna fall in love? Or they're gonna say, Oh, you know what?

SPEAKER_00 3:10

We're incompatible, we can't and they kind of did say that they were incompatible at first. Like he's very scared to like uh go past them, like teasing each other, oh yeah, biting each other. Those things were great though.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

Um I was eating those up the early ones, but definitely this is not like Twilight. If you think of Twilight, if you think of like werewolves and vampires, Hot and Twilight, they were completely different. They didn't talk to each other, they didn't like there was always a war between them. We're so different. You know how people say, would Bella, what would happen? Like, but would Bella have chosen Jacob, or would she would have chosen Edward? This one's more Edward and Jacob ended up together.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Oh my god, I would love that. This is the somebody write that now.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

This is what it is. This is what this is what it is. If Jacob and and and Edward ended up together, but how is that gonna work? It was a fun plot, like it caught our attention.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

But you're right, the spice levels, you mentioned the biting, that when you get to that scene.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

The plain scene is amazing. But then of course he has the marker so that everyone knows that he's her or she's his or whatever, and it's so like we know that's happening. We've read a wolf book.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Every time it's like the scene is me reading the me reading the book, like cackling while the ghost in my room is like hitting me in the shoulder.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

Me kicking my feet off.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

Really, really good. I think she did really good.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

Even her bite scene, because like she's a vampire, but in this world, vampires don't really drink blood from from directly from people, they get like blood bags or whatever. But so this is her first time taking blood from another creature. She took it from him, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

And he said, you know why she didn't do bad in that one? Because I enjoyed when she like the main uh character was low.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

He uh was like take whatever you want, right? Right, right, right, right, right. Okay, those are so great. So I feel like we had so much hype, and then we get to their first scene, and it's like, what the heck is going on here?

SPEAKER_01 5:12

The expectation because she wrote the the level two tension so well. Yeah, I was hoping that once they reached the level three and four, which is the worldly realistic three times or more spicy scene in this book, that it was gonna be what we you can't expect everything, but we were expecting a little more than what was getting. Yeah, I think that's where she lost, she lost me.

SPEAKER_00 5:36

Yeah, for those who don't know, they mentioned something called nodding, and that may be something you need to look up on your own. It's it's a little too close to what real dogs do, which I think really took it out for me. Like it really grossed me out.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

I'm not gonna lie, yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

The reason the like our last book, The Wolf King, was so good was because there wasn't unnecessary information like this. The mate thing makes sense, it's cute, it's sexy, the nodding is just icky. I hated it. I really did hate that.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Yeah, I I was I was like, oh, this is not important. I'm gonna fast forward, you know, like skip these pages, and they kept on bringing it up, and I was like, please stop talking about that.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

That point that I feel like that was more mentioned more than the mate thing.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

I know. I was like, no, go back to the romance, go back to the tension.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

The tension. I don't like this. And you know what? Some people are just not good at writing. Oh my gosh, no. I have maybe some beef with Allie Hazel. I I will say, like, while I did like the attention scenes, and I think she was really great at that. Some of the writing was a little too quirky corny for me.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Did you want to get to the rating of the book?

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

What did you want to rate this book?

SPEAKER_00 6:39

The rating, I would maybe I really I think I am like a prevalent hater because I think it's like a two for me. I feel like you know what? It's because we came from the Wolf King, which was not only great tension, great actual scenes, but like also amazing writing. It really was excellent writing. And I'm we're waiting for that third one. It's in May, but like you're right.

SPEAKER_01 6:58

No, you're right. We went from a level 10 to a level two to it's our fault for starting with a wolf with a wolf book that we enjoy so much, and now we're looking we were looking for a wolf book that would feed us.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

Yeah, that we're like, please, we want something. A little flat. And I think it would have been a cool concept. I love the idea of it, but I just think there was like there needed to be a little more creativity in it. She could have done a lot more with it. You're right, but it a lot of people like this book, so that's why I think I'm a hater.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

And I was gonna give it a I was gonna give it a four. Okay, oh wow, I was gonna give it a four because I I am a quirky person, and if you I like Camp Brock. If you know, we know, okay? Like I so I grew up with all these you know, but we I'm kind of used to like characters that can have a little their the way they talk and stuff. Great, whatever, it's fine, I can handle it. But she lost me, and I give this a three and a barely a three because yes, we're talking about the spicy scene, and we were talking about it earlier. Like, what in the avatar was that? Like what the tells like Avatar had like something. I was like, what is happening? Oh actually, don't mention it. I don't, you know what? They shouldn't be together.

SPEAKER_00 8:11

Like, what's funny is I genuinely think only like you and I didn't like that scene. Like, I think a lot of people do. I don't know, something about it. Like, I feel like we were reading it, we looked at each other like, what is happening? Like I think was like horrible.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

No, I need I I need people to like actually read this book and let us know. Like, is it just us? But I gave it a three just because I I have hope that maybe it'll get better. It was that, and what really brought it down was we talk you talked about the plot, right? They got married, they're within the wolf and the vampire and stuff, and we're talking about them. And I love the tension in the beginning before every chapter. We have a quote that he is thinking inside, and something that he mentioned was that she's not like he imagined she's more in every possible way, and every chapter he's mentioning how she's amazing, he can't live without her ever again. He even tells her in person, I would never be able to live without you, I need you. And then at the very end, at the very end, in you know how I feel about this. When she finally caught on, like, oh my gosh, you like me. We are like mates, we're mates, we're soulmates, we're maids.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

He's like, Don't say a word you don't know. Mind you, he's been using them the whole oh my gosh, he out of my nerves.

SPEAKER_01 9:29

I was like, What in the avoidant are you? Because he was giving her all of these. I like you, I love you, I can't live without you. My wife don't hurt her. I'm gonna protect her. And then at the very end, he's like, actually, I need you to leave my castle and my house.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Right, and it's like I hate when it's the facade of like I'm protecting you. It's like she's a grown woman to me, and she can make her own decisions. And a man doesn't need to be like, I know more than you, and I'm trying to protect you in this way. He's I'm so tired of that troupe. She kept pushing her away. I hate him as a communication trope. I really do.

SPEAKER_01 10:01

She grabbed him and she's like, Do you not hear me? Yeah, I love you. And he's like, I don't know. Um I don't know how I feel about that.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

I think he likes to heart in a very mean way. Like he uses all of her like vulnerable things for noise. Yeah, I feel like if even if you were trying to do this, I think there was a there would have been so many better ways to do it. He was and right after they finally do it, no, right after the spicy scene ruined. It was already bad, and now it's ruined. No, you're right.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

No, you're right, because I was like, I was laughing. I was like, oh my god, the tension between them. Girl, are you blind? He loves you, and me, I'm like getting along with him. I'm agreeing. I was like, yeah. And then at the end, I was bamboozled. He tricked me. Yeah, I was like, wait, are you telling me you did all of this to win her attention, to show her you love and care for her? And then at the end, you are like, I don't want you, I don't want to be near you. And he literally, after that spicy scene, no one says something like that or I just thought you were attractive. I just thought you were attractive. So I just wanted to be with you for that reason, but I don't actually love you.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Yeah, he like ruined his image, and I was magic.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

Red he had red flags after red flags after red flags. Because I was like, in my eyes, I was like, Oh, he's such a green flag. Look at him doing all these good stuff. And then, who are you? Who possessed your body? And I didn't recognize him anymore, and that's why I was like, I don't know who you are, you're scary.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

Even even when they like have their moment of explaining to each other, he doesn't even really apologize until she mentions it. And then he's like, Oh yeah, sorry. He already ruined his image, she forgave him super fast.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

It's because she's in love, and it was she's in like it's in her first love.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

I can be in love and not act dumb like that.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

I I know it's a boy. Yes, yes, and no, because this was her first love. She's never been in a relationship, she never, not even a boyfriend, not even like you know, a kid crush. Like, I was like, girl, this is legit your first love. And so she fell hard. I guess. And at the end chapter, she became a little I know she became a little obsessed.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

They're like mutually obsessed.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 12:13

He definitely is obsessed with her.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

What was the issue? Why he was pushing her away.

SPEAKER_00 12:17

Pushing her away because just to protect his house to protect her.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

But protect her from what?

SPEAKER_00 12:22

Because he didn't like that. He found out that she was his mate from the get-go, and he was like, This is I don't want to have her be trapped and be here with me because she knows she's my mate, but we're in a forced marriage. I want her to be able to live free. And if she were to choose me, it's on her own accord, not because we're married for a political alliance or because she is technically my mate. I think his issue was that like the other person doesn't have to necessarily consensually get to agree to be the mate. So he wanted her to like decide on her own. But that's why I'm like, he could have said it so many other ways.

SPEAKER_01 12:55

So he just couldn't have open communication with her.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 12:58

All of this was because he couldn't communicate.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

Yeah, and that's always what it is.

SPEAKER_01 13:02

I'm about to lower my level of the rating of this book.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

But yeah. No, it's a go ahead and uh check this book out if you're interested. I mean, we both give it very different ratings, but I think overall, I think it's still really good book to read.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

That's why.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

It was fun.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Yeah, it was a fun book. I think it was a fun book. I don't see anything bad other than me not liking the ending.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Yeah, and I think a lot of people probably would feel that way. I mean, she does have a second book that follows up with this one. We're not reading that one, but it is called Mate. We definitely probab recommend it. If you've enjoyed this one, you should read that next one. But our next book is gonna be The Raiders of the Lost Heart by Joe Segura. Yes. And it's about these two archaeologists. Humans! Yeah, humans, we're going human, we're going normal.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

We're going back.

SPEAKER_00 13:45

Yeah, exactly. We're going to Aztec Ancestry. We're going to Mexico.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

Oh, right.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

So it's two archaeologists. It's enemies to lovers, it seems like.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

Um, real enemies to lovers, because that's where we're scholars. Yeah, because this one was not enemies of lovers.

SPEAKER_00 14:00

It was enemies of others.

SPEAKER_01 14:01

Not really.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

They're enemies in the sense that like their people have been enemies.

SPEAKER_01 14:04

Ugh, no, I needed more attention for them to be enemies.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

But yes. So make sure to check that one out with us, and we'll also be having a special guest for that one. Thank you, and we hope to see y'all soon. Bye.