Rowan James has the unique gift of being able to sense if someone is lying. When Hadrian Fitch (the biggest liar she’s ever known) shows up on her front porch seeking a favor, her first instinct is immediate distrust. As the townspeople in Caball Hollow start to lose important items and the memories attached to them, she accepts help from Hadrian, but only if he is willing to make a deal.

Read if you like:
- supernatural mystery
- appalachian folklore
- slow-burn romance

I flew through this book and loved every second of it. While I enjoyed Bittersweet in the Hollow, I think I liked Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue even more. I love the dark, atmospheric setting of Caball Hollow and the surrounding forest. The romance subplot and relationship between Rowan and Hadrian is well done. They might be my favorite characters out of the series. The characters and family all such have genuine relationships. The mystery was well done and kept me on the edge of my seat.

If you’re looking for a slightly spooky, engaging, folklore filled read, then don’t hesitate to pick up this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for a free digital copy of this book. This is my honest review. Publication date: January 7, 2025.

Thanks but no thanks - I'm DNFing at 8%. I think this is a "me" thing - I don't like small town, mystery mythical/paranormal killer type of stories and that's exactly what this is shaping up to be. I find it to be a bit too caricature-esque in its descriptions of small town life and I don't feel any sort of suspense about the moth man.

First off - I really love YA horror/thrillers. This didn't disappoint. This is a sister novel to “Bittersweet in the Hollow” - I don’t think it’s actually required in order for the book to make sense on it’s own. Although I will note that there are some spoilery bits, so if you are planning on reading both; I recommend reading this one second. I adore this kind of book, how can you say no to a little bit of weird forest, mixed with magic, mystery and some cozy YA horror? =

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers for an advance copy of Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue!

Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue picks up where Bittersweet in the Hollow leaves off, however it is not necessary to read Bittersweet to enjoy Lies. I do recommend reading both though, because they are both great books and Lies builds on things we learn and characters we meet in Bittersweet.

Rowan James can sense when people are lying. She harbors so many secrets of her small Appalachian town. Each of the James girls has a gift and most of the time it feels more like a curse than a blessing.

When the town’s biggest liar comes to Rowan asking for help, she is hesitant. And then things start disappearing, tangible items as well as memories, and Rowan knows she can no longer sit idly by. When a neighbor’s body is found, the stakes increase, and Rowan is thrust into a race against time to figure out who, or what, is ravaging their town.

I really enjoyed this one! Even though it’s listed as a companion, I cannot stress enough that I think reading Bittersweet in the Hollow before this one is the best choice. Lies really expands on everything that we know, and while Kate does a good job at flashing back to fill new readers in, it really wouldn’t be the same as getting the full experience.

I really like the characters. They all have a little internal struggle of right versus wrong, and the lines are blurred pretty grey all around which makes for a very interesting story. The James sisters, aside from Rowan, can be a tad difficult to keep straight at times, which is really my own negative for this story.

It is YA and I’m not sure how well true young adult aged readers will take to the slower pace of storytelling, but I loved it. It was a creeping, foreboding sense of dread and worry that emanated throughout the book until its conclusion.

The Appalachian setting is near and dear to my heart, growing up not far from the mountains and spending a lot of my childhood camping in them. It’s such a fascinating area, full of lore and history…and a population of people who persevere no matter the challenges, who do not get the recognition they truly deserve.

I’m not sure if Kate is done with these characters or not, but I would surely read more if she were to continue.

It was so fun to be back with the James sisters. I truly enjoyed Kate Pearsall's first book, Bittersweet in the Hollow, and this one was just as fun. This magical family living in Appalachia and surrounded by folklore - tied with mystery and supernatural elements makes for a page-turning adventure.

The mystery in this book was taken to the next level compared to the first and has me hoping that the author will continue with this family and their adventures in Caball Hollow.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

It's a rare thing when a sequel lives up to the first book, and rarer still when it surpasses it. When I first read bittersweet in the Hollow I was a bit hard in my review, I really thought the story had potential but it had gotten bogged down in the middle and was trying to tell too many stories at once. However it still stuck with me and I was really excited to hear that Lies on the Serpents tongue would be out soon. I was even more excited when I finished reading it because anything that the first book missed the second book polished. The characters and setting were as lovely as ever, the secrets were revealed in perfect timing and the story was more focused in. I flew through this book but still had time to appreciate it. And I love that the ending leaves an open door for the next book (which better be happening) but doesn't leave such a cliff hanger that you are mad about waiting. Congratulations Kate

Rowan’s journey, balancing her magical gift with solving a murder mystery, kept me hooked. The eerie, small-town charm of Caball Hollow—with its Appalachian setting and whispers of magical realism—was beautifully atmospheric, pulling me into its dark yet enchanting world.

Though the romance subplot between Rowan and Hadrian was minor, it felt heartfelt and added depth to the story. The pacing slowed a bit mid-book, but the mystery remained engaging, and the conclusion tied up threads nicely while leaving room for future installments.

Even without reading Bittersweet in the Hollow, this story stood strong on its own, with clear explanations. The focus shifted more heavily toward magic and the origins of Caball Hollow and the bone tree, diverging from the family-centric mystery of the first book. Still, fans of YA mysteries with magical realism and cozy intrigue will find much to love here!

To be honest I wasn’t aware this was a second book, before I choose to read it. So maybe, that’s why I can’t really understand the story. It failed to grasp my attention despite most reviewers said this book can be read as stand-alone (meaning, I don’t really need to read the first book before reading this book).

I can’t understand the concept, the plot, simply because there are so much references from the first book.

I guess the books is just not for me. I DNF this book for now, but maybe I’ll read it again later when I get to read the first book.

This might need to be a part of your life if you enjoy books with folklore legends, forest and town secrets, truths that have to come out, rivals that might need to rely on each other, and YA Dark Appalachian Mysteries.

I loved the atmosphere and feel to this book, with an on edge feel right away from Rowan, and the book kicks off immediately. Now this IS a companion novel to the book “Bittersweet in the Hollow” which by the way is another good book, but I don’t think it’s actually required in order for the book to make sense on it’s own. Although I will note that there are some spoilery bits, so if you are planning on reading both; I recommend reading this one second.

I adore this kind of book, how can you say no to a little bit of weird forest, mixed with magic, mystery and some cozy YA horror? Kate’s writing is light and easy to read with a flair of romanticism that kept me content. I’m very much hoping we get to see more of the James sisters, but if not, I’m looking forward to reading more of Kate’s work.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue returns to Caball Hollow as Rowan James must team up with her old nemesis to track down what is haunting the Forest before it's too late.

I love a sequel that's set in the same world as the first, but follows different characters. It felt like the rom com series approach, except with a mystery at its core rather than a romance. Kate Pearsall's writing is stunning as ever, and while the plot didn't have me glued to the page the way that book 1 did, I loved getting to return to this Appalachian town with these robust and well-rounded characters. Pearsall also does an excellent job of convincing me to suspend my disbelief; aspects of the characters, their skills, and the mystery that would have ordinarily had me a little secondhand embarrassed felt normal and wholly believable within this world and the story's atmosphere.

I definitely think this is a worthy successor to Bittersweet in the Hollow, and I'm looking forward to any additional installments to this series.

4 stars More supernatural mystery in this sequel than what was in the first story but still kept believable in the fact that it is set in the Appalachian region. Rowen is the main in this story and while I liked Linden I think the new perspective of Rowen was needed to set the scene. Pearsall has set the end up to possibly make another story in this series.

I am an absolutely sucker for novels about Appalachian legends and mythology, so this novel was bound to be a hit. And it did not disappoint. I felt like I was walking with Rowan as she tried to discover what is happening in her town. I found myself surprised that I wasn't constantly jumping ahead to guess what was happening- I wanted to take the mystery of it all at the set pace. The end was very satisfying, so I'm glad I did.

Kate Pearsall returns to the eerie, magic-tinged world of Caball Hollow with another haunting installment in the James family saga. This time, we follow Rowan, the eldest sister, whose ability to smell lies has made her cynical, guarded, and deeply distrustful. When Hadrian Fitch—the town’s most notorious liar—shows up wounded on her doorstep, Rowan’s instincts scream to shut him out. But something sinister is creeping through the Hollow, stealing not just objects, but memories, and even Rowan can’t ignore the growing danger.

Pearsall once again masterfully blends Appalachian folklore with a creeping sense of unease, creating a story that feels both grounded and otherworldly. The slow unraveling mystery kept me hooked, and the rich, atmospheric writing made Caball Hollow feel alive—equal parts enchanting and unsettling. Rowan’s prickly personality added a fresh dynamic compared to Linden’s perspective in Bittersweet in the Hollow, and her reluctant partnership with Hadrian added just the right touch of tension and intrigue.

While the supernatural elements are chilling, they never overshadow the deeply human struggles at the heart of the story—family, trust, and the weight of painful truths. The pacing dragged slightly in places, but the ending delivered enough payoff to make me eager for the next installment. If you love slow-burn mysteries with a touch of magic and folklore, this series continues to be a must-read!

Wow, wow, wow. I found a new favorite series!
I happened upon this series because of the cover and was immediatly intrigued.
So I went ahead and got the first book from my library... and binged book one and two in the span of 24 hours. It´s been a long time since THAT happend. It was THAT good.
Reading the first book is a MUST though, or else one would get spoiled for a big reveal at the end of book one, and one might also feel a bit lost.

I loved the family and the sister bonds, the way that their magic was integrated into their characters and the plot was so well done. The love interests in both books were very swoony - but espescially in this one he does have his dark moments ;) But A+ for the banter.

I do hope so very much that we will get a third and fourth installment for the other sisters because I can just imagine how magical those would be.

(I posted my review/first reaction over on Instagram and am currently editing a reading vlog for my YT channel)

Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that Lies on the Serpent's Tongue is a sequel book until I was about 25% into my arc. Overall, I thought the ambience the vibes were excellent. The writing style was very very lush and phenomenally well done. I really liked the characters in the story, but I definitely was missing some things because I had not read the first book. I did think that the mystery was OK. I’m not a huge mystery enjoyer in general but overall, I thought this book put out a strong work. I would not recommend reading this without having read the first book.

This is the second book in the Bittersweet in the Hollow series.
I liked the mystery of the book, and I couldn't wait to finish it.
The characters are incredible, they felt very relatable and lovable.
Just like the first book I loved the ambiance and the writing style.
I highly recommend this series and look forward reading more from Kate Pearsall.

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

"The smell of a lie is a potent thing, burnt around the edges and foul all the way through."

After a particularly turbulent summer, the women of the James family are just trying to get back to normal and continue serving the denizens of Caball Hollow in the same way they have for centuries. But Rowan James is finding it a little harder than the rest of them, mostly due to the fact that she can smell every time someone lies. And the way the citizens of Caball Hollow will lie straight to your face sets her teeth on edge.

And no one gets under her skin more for their lies than their part time farm hand, Hadrian Fitch. Recently revealed to be a lot more than he seems, he's back after having taken off without a word and he wants Rowan to put her gift to good use. You see, things are going missing and people's memory along with them and the Bone Tree, the gate to the Otherworld, is dying. It won't be long until it's gone for good.

Can she and Hadrian get to the bottom of the goings on before it's too late and someone loses something a lot more precious than an object or their memory.

This was an absolutely perfect follow up to Bittersweet in the Hollow. Picking up practically where the previous book left off, we're quickly immersed back into the world of Caball Hollow. Featuring a lot of the same cast from the first novel, Lies on the Serpent's Tongue deepens the mysteries of the Bone Tree, the James family, the Otherworld, and the Appalachian Forest surrounding the town. And with the ending we're left with, I have no doubt there will be more to learn in the future!

I really enjoyed getting the chance to follow in the footsteps of another James woman. Rowan is a stubborn, hard headed woman. Tenacious, fearless, and fiercely loyal, she will do just about anything for those she holds dear. Intelligent with a good head on her shoulders, she makes for a compelling lead.

I also very much enjoyed learning more about the mysteries of Caball Hollow, the way the Otherworld is tied so tightly to every little thing that goes on in that town and how even the smallest of mountain towns can hide the darkest of secrets. Ms. Pearsall just has a way with bringing you deep into the story and holding you there enthralled until the very last page. It was a hard book to put down!

The James women are clearly not done yet and I for one cannot wait until the next installment. I have a sneaking suspicion who the next James sister featured will be and if I am right, it won't be one to miss!

I’m so happy that I finally got to read this book! The first one is one of my faves of all time!! This story follows a different James sister, Rowan and we get to see her explore this world with the moth winged man and these poachers looking for ginseng, with some romance sprinkled in! This one didn’t grasp my attention quite like the first book however I love watching this world grow and we are learning more about the James Women’s magic along with the other side! I cannot wait for the next book!

Hadrian disappeared from the farm and Rowan was just fine with that. After knowing that he is The Moth Winged Man and all the sacrifices that were made by her mother and Linden to save the ones they love, Rowan isn't sure she can forgive him anyway. She finds herself pushed into volunteering for a position in the woods at a fire watch tower working for Vernie the head Forest Ranger.
She begins to notice things that are out of place and should never be in these woods. This leads her to find that the Bone Tree which is what connects their world to The Otherside seems to be dying. With this people's memories start to go except according to Hadrian they are just memories not that she cares what he says now that he has suspiciously shown back up. Tales of The Wampus Cat a being from folklore have begun circling around. Something is happening and Rowan will have to make her own Sacrifices to figure it out.

I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read #LiesontheSerpantsTongue by #KatePearsall in return for a fair and honest review.
If you loved #BittersweetintheHollow you will love the follow up!