Bride

To grow as individuals and enter healthy, fulfilling relationships, the characters of Bride must realize that love goes beyond the demarcation of species, culture, and outward appearance. This is a common theme in the romance genre, and Misery and Lowe are yet another iteration. Both characters start the novel seeing themselves in negative ways, which hold them back from being in a relationship. For example, Misery assumes that she doesn’t have the capacity to love as deeply as a Were, and Lowe believes that they are not sexually compatible. Slowly, they realize that their feelings for one another transcend so-called boundaries, and that they are indeed compatible on every level. They discover that a couple who makes the determination to communicate and work together will overcome the obstacles their respective societies have set up for them, emphasizing the positive nature of looking beyond culture and physical appearance. This applies not just to the fictional world of Vampyres and Weres, but to the human society of our world.

While many romance novels focus only on the leading love interests, Hazelwood applies her message about transcending boundaries to the text at large. The three warring species—Humans, Weres, and Vampyres—all assume things about the others.