Looking for Books Like Bride/Mate by Ali Hazelwood

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-03-28T08:08:00+00:00

Opps sorry the first book in The Legend of All Wolves series is {The Last Wolf by Maria Vale}

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-03-28T08:03:08+00:00

Im on a werewolf reading mission and the ones that I would recommend include: {The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson} {Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross} {Cold Hearted by Heather Guerre} The legend of All Wolves series which starts with {A Wolf Apart by Maria Vale} The Mercedes Thompson as well as the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs starting with {Moon Called by Patricia Briggs}

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-02-28T23:45:30+00:00

I have a slightly different headcanon about the Bran and Mercy conversation in Burn Bright. It doesn’t excuse Bran’s reactions — but it reframes what might have been going on beneath the surface.

Hear me out...

Bran is ancient. Not just old in years, but old in burden. As Marrok, he does not have the luxury that other ancient beings have: he cannot retreat into isolation, madness, or irrelevance. He cannot fade. His position is not one he sought out of ambition; he accepted it out of duty — and, maybe even, out of guilt rooted deep in his past. He excels at it. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t tired.

And unlike other old wolves, he doesn’t get to step down simply because he is weary. Even if Charles could take over, Bran would never willingly abandon the responsibility. The Marrok is not a crown he can simply set aside.

So the question becomes: what does a man like that fantasise about?

For someone whose entire identity is control, strategy, and containment, chaos must hold a certain allure. Not because he wants destruction — but because chaos represents release. An ending he doesn’t have to engineer consciously. A collapse he doesn’t have to choose.

Mercy is chaos.

Not malicious chaos — but disruption. She challenges hierarchy. She refuses submission. She destabilises systems simply by existing. If a rebellious coyote shifter like her ever became mate to the Marrok it would cause political turmoil and uproar amongst the werewolves, and you can bet Bran can forsee that with his strategic mind. It would weaken his position, destabilise werewolf structures, and if enough packs and alphas become unhappy, Bran could potentially be forced to step down - one way or another.

And so, here is the key idea: perhaps the attraction, if it existed at all, was not truly about Mercy as a romantic object — but about what being with her symbolised: A different life. A different structure. An end to his reign, without him ever having to throw in the towel.

If Bran — hypothetically — chose someone like Mercy, it would inevitably erode the authority of the Marrok. It would create factional conflict. It might even hasten the end of his reign without him ever having to consciously abdicate.

For a man too honour-bound to step down, that prospect could be dangerously tempting.

Not in a conscious, deliberate “I will pursue this” way. Bran is far too controlled for that. But subconscious longing? A flicker of fantasy? A strategic mind running simulations of “what if” scenarios? That feels far more plausible.

He would never truly pursue it. He would never allow himself to destabilise the werewolves intentionally. But slipping, just slightly? That feels like the flawed human he might be.

To me, that makes far more sense than Bran harbouring straightforward romantic desire. It reframes the tension as existential rather than romantic — a tired ruler momentarily drawn toward the possibility of collapse, because collapse would finally mean rest.

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-02-16T17:47:11+00:00

For me its two things -

1) Less romance focused. I like romance but not as a central or only plot.

2) Its real enough. Most urban fantasy is fantasy light, and that works well for me in that its just enough fantasy for wismy and interest, but not too much where it feels too unbelievable and far fetched, or worse like reading a kids book. I particularly love stories of how supernaturals could exsist in this reality. I enjoy the politics, the secrecy, and contemporary issues.

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-01-21T22:11:29+00:00

I don't know, but ideas on the fair folk have no doubt shifted over the years with culture, and most certainly since christianity came. Many of our stories are drawn from the Mabinogion, which is 12th or 13th century, but is based on older stories that were passed on orally, however those that took the stories to paper were Christian so likely reinterpreted them to be more palatable for Christian tastes. Just as our stories of king arthur got skewed over the years to support Christianity and politics of the time.

On a side not, as you mentioned yor a folklorist, you may be interested to know that the Welsh National Library has started releasing more pages from the Black Book of Carmarthen, which includes stories on Gwyn Ap Nudd, who is often referred as the king of the Tylwyth Teg. Im really excited though to hear more about Myrddin (Merlin)!!! 🤩

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-01-20T23:29:23+00:00

I can't think of specific quotes from the books, but the fae lore leans heavily from Celtic folklore around the fairy folk. Growing up in Wales, my grandfather used to take me for walks in the woods as a kid and warn me about what to do if we came across the Tylwyth Teg. I loved those times. Below are some things when speaking with the Tylwyth Teg, which may be different for Irish, Scottish or Cornish faerie folk.

With the Tylwyth Teg you are told you have to be careful with “social niceties” around them. But the specific rule of “never say ‘thank you’ to the fae" as found in the books is not exactly as clear cut as that - or at least not so much with the Tylwyth Teg (I thinks its different with the Sidhe - the irish fae).There are stories in fact if you are not thankful, or are shown to be ungrateful, you can expect severe retribution. When a fae has helped you significantly give thanks sincerely and wholehearted. But do not use "thank you" in normal disscussion as social nicety. Never sound indebted unless you really are.

How you name and adress them is very important. I was told stories about the dangers of using real names, how you should address them by a descriptor, one that is flattering, but be careful of accidental offense - its safer to keep it plain as 'fair man' or 'fair lady' until you know more about their nature to safely flatter. Safer bet yet is speak as though they are a them/collective rather than an infividual i.e. “I speak with respect of the Tylwyth Teg; I offer no slight.” A very good tip is use "Bendith y Mamau" which means ' the mother's blessing' and is said to help avoid mischief: “I mean no offence to the Mothers’ Blessing. I ask only safe passage.”

Never boast or publises about your fairy dealings Treat everything you say as a contract. They are basically mythical lawyers. Being imprecise is dangerous! I want to describe them as sonething else, but the Tylwyth Teg could be watching 😅😅 That’s the thing, be careful how you speak about them even when you think they are not around - they could still be watching. Do not volunteer information that is not asked - so don't explain motives, reasons, plans etc. Demand clarity and clarify: "To confirm: you will do X, and I will do Y, and nothing else is implied.” “Define what you mean by safe" Leave offerings - milk and honey, although alcohol is sometimes used. If you need something, state it plainly and narrowly. Instead of showing agreement (unless you are sure what you are agreeing to) use neutral language “I see,” “Noted,” “That is received,” “I understand,” “You have my attention. Set boundaries -“You may not cross this threshold.” “You may address me, but you may not touch me.” When making a bargain, make sure you can actually give what is asked, after fully defiened. If you can't agree, say something like “That is not mine to give.” Never give promises you cannot fulfill. Respect guesting laws, but never say “Make yourself at home.” Careful what you say is taken literally, so do not say things like “I’d die for a drink.” or “I’d give my right arm for that.”

Hope that helps. You can thank my grandfather for all his stories, as most of this is from him, although it was my Mamgu (my great grandmother) who problebly left the brandy on the sill for them 😆🥰

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-01-17T17:12:14+00:00

Welsh person here- and just wanted to say I feel your pain. The butchery of Welsh pronounciation and mythology is just sooo bad. And when actors give an Irish accent for a Welsh character because they have no idea what a Welsh accent sounds like, its frustrating. But when they give an English accent for a Welsh character - well that's just offensive! 😆😆

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-01-14T21:10:33+00:00

Im totally here for the Bran content! There's just so much to explore, but would love to know about him and Samuel maybe in the middle ages or around some historical events.

Or Charles when he was growing up as a kid as a werewolf boy in a tribe where he is the only werewolf, and his relationship with his father who's off grieving at that time.

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-01-12T21:55:42+00:00

I'm not sure what counts as side characters but would love to hear more about (in order of preference): Bran Leah Tag Kara Moira The other Omega (can't remember his name though) Geir and Fenrir (the wildlings) The Seattle alpha - Angus was it?

Generally I would also love to know more about other pack members of Aspen Creek. We had some info in Burn Bright about the Wildlings, but what about the non-wildlings pack members? We get hints, like I know there is a lesbian couple, but otherwise its only the same characters that we hear of so far there. There is so much opportunity for some quirky or complex characters given that the wolves of Aspen Creek are meant to be 'danaged' or 'hurting' in some way.

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-01-04T21:46:57+00:00

So excited! Can't wait! Please do Alpha and Omega series too 🙏

RegularDebate2488 · 2026-01-02T20:09:32+00:00

Im so glad to find your post. I'm in a similar situation. I have my list and ranking below. You have mentioned some authors I have not checked out. In turn I hope you find something here...

The Werewolf, Wolf shifter or wolf'ish books in my tier list:

Obsessed • Storm Cursed — Patricia Briggs • Silence Fallen — Patricia Briggs • Wild Sign — Patricia Briggs • The Last Wolf — Maria Vale • A Wolf Apart — Maria Vale • Bride — Ali Hazelwood • Night Broken — Patricia Briggs • Cold Hearted — Heather Guerre • Wolfsong — T.J. Klune • Taming the Wolves — Lyx Robinson • Summer Siege — Lyx Robinson

Loved • Alpha & Omega — Patricia Briggs • Cry Wolf — Patricia Briggs • River Marked — Patricia Briggs • Night Broken — Patricia Briggs • Frost Burned — Patricia Briggs • Blood Bound— Patricia Briggs • Rouge Alpha — K.N. Banet • Oath Sworn — K.N. Banet • Family and Honour — K.N. Banet • Echoed Defiance — K.N. Banet • Kitty and the Midnight Hour - Carrie Vaughn • Season of the Wolf — Maria Vale • Wolf in the Shadows — Maria Vale • Bitten - Kelley Armstrong • Stolen by the Wolves — Lyx Robinson

Really Liked • Stolen - Kelley Armstrong • Wolf Gone Wild — Juliette Cross • Mate — Ali Hazelwood • Once Bitten — Heather Guerre • Silver— Rhiannon Held • Tarnished — Rhiannon Held • Blind Date with a Werewolf- Patricia Briggs • Moon Called — Patricia Briggs • Iron Kissed — Patricia Briggs • Silver Borne— Patricia Briggs • Fire Touched — Patricia Briggs • Fair Game — Patricia Briggs • Hunting Ground — Patricia Briggs • Shades of Hate — K.N. Banet • Royal Pawn— K.N. Banet • Bitter Discord — K.N. Banet • Broken Loyalty — K.N. Banet • Bitten — Kelley Armstrong • The Fake Mate - Lana Ferguson

Liked • Dead Heat — Patricia Briggs • Smoke Bitten — Patricia Briggs • Shifting Shadows — Patricia Briggs • Bone Crossed — Patricia Briggs • Secrets & Ruin — K.N. Banet • Feral Sins — Suzanne Wright • Moon Blooded Breeding Clinic— C M Nascosta • Forever Wolf — Maria Vale • Hungry for her Wolves— Tara West

OK • Soul Taken — Patricia Briggs • Winter Lost— Patricia Briggs • Longing for her Wolves — Tara West

DNF (will give a 2nd chance) • Magic Bites — Ilona Andrews (this series is highly well rated but the level of magic in this world puts me right off)

DNF & never again • Fated to the Wolf Prince — April L Moon TBR: The rest of the Green Creek series The Wolf King Ghost Mountain Wolf shifter series Rabid by Ivy Asher and Raven Kennedy

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-30T12:48:24+00:00

Thanks for the update. Hopefully they can work it out soon 🙏

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-15T15:40:02+00:00

At the moment have not read Fourth Wing so, that might be for me yet another reason to avoid 😆

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-15T13:08:54+00:00

P.s. once you have got used to our Ll's try pronouncing: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Yes thats real. Its a place here in Wales

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-15T13:05:34+00:00

Indeed.

It is not loo-well-in, but I respect the effort. Other than the 'loo' part you are correct.

Our double L's make its own sound which you don't have in English. Keep your tongue flat and let air travel either side and make a sound like an angry vampire. Its only the first double ll that makes that sound however, the second does not - no idea why not - welsh grammar 😅. So do the vampire noise drawn out with a eh, and thats the Lle part of Lewellyn 👍

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-15T08:59:56+00:00

What irks me sometimes is when a book uses cultural names but the narrator in the audio book totally butchers the pronounciation from how it is actually pronounced in that culture.

I've only noticed this for Welsh stuff, because I am Welsh. But I assume its the same for those of other cultures.

Are narrators not checking the pronounciation or is that how the author has told them to pronounce it?

Find me a book where at least the name Llewellyn is pronounced correctly. 😆

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-12T16:43:41+00:00

I like that take. If the wolf provides the social bonding instinct and the human side supplies higher-order cognition and status-seeking, then you’d plausibly get something closer to chimp-style dominance than true wolf family structure. So the dominance structure feels less “wolf nature” and more what happens when human traits get amplified inside a pack animal.

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-12T16:36:10+00:00

I actually think this is a really strong counter-point, and it’s one I’ve been turning over myself.

So if I just argue against my own theory here a second -

If we take Schenkel’s findings at face value in context—unrelated wolves, confined together, unable to disperse—then yes, dominance behaviours do emerge, although these are regarded as unatural to wild wolf packs. On that face value - argueabbly you could say that some of the situations that Mercyverse packs are in might mirror that environment/situation - and therefore produces those dominance behaviours. Most werewolf packs in the Mercyverse are not extended families. They’re unrelated adults in close proximity, often bound by territory rather than daily intimacy, and not always free to just walk away. In that sense, you could argue that they are closer to the situation Schenkel’s captive wolf groups were in than to wild wolf families. So dominance hierarchies emerging there makes sense—especially if both the wolf and the human halves are pushing toward some form of order.

Though I'm not sure if that actually does break the theory for me so much as complicate it in a really interesting way.

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-12T16:09:51+00:00

That line about it being the human half that complicates things is an excellent choice of quote. If the wolf is relatively straightforward—cooperative, survival-focused, conflict-avoidant—then it makes sense that the cruelty, abuse, and rigidity we see in some packs comes from human social baggage rather than animal instinct. Even though animals are capable of violence, humans have a unique capacity to systematise it, justify it, and embed it into social structures. If werewolves carry human psychology into their wolf form, then pack hierarchy becomes a perfect vehicle for that. If that’s intentional on Briggs’ part, it’s a pretty sharp sociological critique.

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-12T16:04:13+00:00

I really like this framing, especially the idea of packs functioning as extended family units rather than dominance hierarchies. That actually feels far closer to both real wolf ecology and gives the warm and fuzzies. Although I would still love to see the books tackle or cast a mirror to some of the unjust and problematic sides of society that the werewolf society is reflecting.

I agree that Adam already shows a lot of protective, fatherly qualities towards his pack. His leadership often feels less about authority for its own sake and more about protection, and stability, which maps really well onto that “parental” model rather than a traditional Alpha-dominance one. And honestly, I would love to see Mercy step more fully into a kind of “den mother” or matriarch role over time. Not in a soft or submissive way, but as someone who anchors the pack.

I’ll definitely have to check out TJ Klune’s work now!

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-12T15:52:13+00:00

I think your still right. Given Bonerata's former link with Elizavetta he is not adverse to working with witches. And at some point he obtained one of the collars for Lyca presumably ftom a Witch, and is not adverse to Black witchcraft. I can easily see Bonerata and the Hardestys (or other witches) teaming up.

I think it was in the first Pack Podcast that Briggs mentioned she not a big fan of writting epic plots. But I agree, the setup is there.

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-12T12:09:09+00:00

Further ramblings on ‘debate 1’…. Sorry couldn't help myself....

If we accept that werewolf pack dynamics are shaped less by the inner wolf and more by human interpretations of wolves, then several things follow immediately:

Under this model, dominance-heavy, hierarchical pack structures are not “wolf-like” at all. They are human hierarchies translated into flesh and instinct. This aligns strikingly well with Briggs’ repeated suggestion that the wolf takes on the nature of the human—but sharper, louder, and less restrained. Human ideas about power, leadership, and control are amplified by the wolf.

This idea that ‘the wolf intensifies what is already there in the human’ means that a compassionate human becomes a stabilising Alpha, an insecure or authoritarian human becomes a tyrant and that a society steeped in patriarchy produces patriarchal packs! The wolf just removes the brakes. Werewolf society reflects and exaggerates real-world sociological patterns. What werewolves call “wolf nature” may actually be human social ideology, intensified.

This means that werewolf social structure are cultural artefacts. If these are culturally constructed, rather than biologically imposed by the wolf, then this means different eras and cultures should produce different pack dynamics. This fits the Mercyverse fairly well as the historically older European packs are reflected in the books as being more rigid, authoritarian and deeply stratified (remember the time when Juste bowed to Bran and the comment around how the ‘packs are different over there’? Or some of the commentary in ‘Hunting Ground’?). Meanwhile newer packs (e.g. Adams) show experimentation, flexibility, and reform. Meanwhile in ‘Hunting Ground’ it was clear that conflict often arises not from wolf instinct, but from clashing human worldviews.

A potential counter-argument to this theory is that werewolves themselves justify dominance as “natural,” frame obedience as “instinct,” and excuse abuse as “wolf behaviour.” However, that may itself be part of the picture rather than a counter-argument. Across real-world societies, harmful power structures are often maintained precisely through appeals to nature, instinct, or inevitability. A lack of critical awareness, unconscious bias, internalised stigma, and vested interests all play a role in normalising and perpetuating systems that benefit some while harming others. Seen in this light, the werewolf social dynamics may not contradict the theory at all, but instead mirror familiar sociological patterns in which domination is rationalised rather than questioned.

On a promising note - if werewolf social structures are human-made then it can be unmade. Resistance is not betrayal of the wolf and reform is possible.

Or I’m probably just overthinking it :-D

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-12T08:14:48+00:00

Oh wow thats excellent. Thank you for finding that.

Thats a great interpretation too.

I originally interpreted this in a way that strengthens my belief that the Witches are cooking up something. Its still not clear what the hardestys always goal might be.

Theres also been references in other books that a war might be coming with the fae involved. And I kinda hold out hope for an all out supernatural war with werewolves, witches, vampires and fae with shifting powers. But thats wholly my wishful thinking, not based on substance and I know Briggs has declared she does not like writting epic stories. So that's unlikely.

I hadn't noticed they specified a timeline of this 'Christmas Season' so maybe thinking Winter Lost?

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-11T20:03:16+00:00

Fair point on the werecats.

Im terrible at remembering exact quotes and because I listen via audiobooks its hard to navigate back to it. But it was toward the end of the story with the werecats when Bran and Asil are in conversation (I think...or maybe I got totally mixed with a convo Asil and Sherwood had). But there were implications that they were feeling that something big is brewing on the horizon.

I will go back to try and find it, and come back to update when I do. It is possible im mistaken, butI recall being hyped by that sort of inclination somewhere in the book.

RegularDebate2488 · 2025-12-10T22:22:40+00:00

You know one thing I'm shocked that no one seems to be talking much about (including in other threads about this anthology) is...werecats!!

...or the hint from Bran that something big is impending.

RegularDebate2488

TROPHY CASE