Thank you Netgalley for a gifted advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

DNFed at 71%

The actual audiobook narration was fantastic, but I did not enjoy any part of the story. I don't have much of a stomach for gore and this has a significant amount of that. I did not find any part of the story unique or interesting, all of the characters were awful, and the pacing of this was strange and caused the story to drag for me. This was already not my taste but then was not interesting or well done. I could have sworn this was marketed to me as a sapphic vampire story? But this is gothic horror and not much more.

The very beginning of this book is bone chilling! Honestly, this whole book is so good and chilling. It was creepy and disturbing but I couldn't put it down! This is definitely going to be a spooky season reread!

Blood on Her Tongue was as bloody, twisted, and creepy as I expected it to be. However, it didn't exactly blow me away.

I am extremely picky when it comes to gothic settings in books. Sometimes they can be difficult to wrap your head around, sometimes the writing can be a little too flowery and lush, and sometimes you lose the plot entirely. I am so excited to say that was not the case with this book. With a refreshing new twist on the vampire genre, this book does start a bit slow and takes just a bit of getting used to. Once you get in the groove, however, you won't want to stop. The plot is action-packed, mysterious, and the vivid descriptions don't leave much to be desired. Really the only reason my official rating is 4.5 stars is because of the slow beginning. I immediately bought Johanna's other book and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Reader beware- while this is marketed as a sapphic book, that's really not the plot, it's a minor detail. This is definitely more of a horror/mystery.

This gothic horror was so unique !! I don’t think I e ever read something like this and that I loved so much!! Definitely will be recommending this to all my horror and gothic book friends.

This is gothic horror at its finest! You’ve got a “bad run of luck in life” FMC, her problematic sister who’s always had it easier, a centuries-old bog mystery, and a horror fable thrown in!
Summary: Lucy leaves her simple life of companionship to her elderly mistress and rushes to her ailing twin’s aid when Sarah is overcome with a bout of mental illness. It all starts when her husband and the doctor find and research a bog body found from centuries ago. Sarah was fascinated by the find and insisted on engaging in the study. Soon after, she is not herself and growing increasingly strange by the day. When Lucy visits her sister, she find just how serious the situation has become. Why is Sarah craving blood and refusing to eat? Why does she have violent outbursts? And how does she know the name of the mysterious bog woman from centuries past?

Review: This one had me reeled in! I typically teeter between 2-3 books at a time, but I was so invested in this story that I couldn’t take a break from it to read something else! The mysterious ailment reveals itself horrifically as the story unfolds and so does the horror of the long ago fable. The ending was perfect and so satisfying. This is definitely one I will recommend to gothic horror fans! Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher for gifting me an ALC. all opinions are my own.

This book was horrifically intriguing. The author gives a note at the beginning of the book that describes how she researched various disorders and mental illnesses. As the book progressed, I was constantly wondering if the events as the sister was telling them were true (yes, I know this is fiction) or if this really was a mental illness. The book is told from Lucy's point of view. She has a twin sister who has fallen ill, so Lucy goes to visit her. Strange things are happening, especially after Lucy reads her sister's journal about a bog woman. I have to say, this book made me angry and upset at how women were treated in the past. They were their husband's property, and if the husband felt his wife had too much emotion, she could be sent away. Granted, the case in this book would most definitely warrant that. I was not upset with the ending of the book, and it was fabulous to see that sisterhood and family could care so much for each other, even during horrific times.

First of all, I highly appreciated the content warning at the beginning of the novel. Too often horror novels don't include them, or if they do the audiobook doesn't bother narrating them. So Huge props there.
Blood on her Tongue is a gothic I have been looking forward to for a while now. After the discovery of a bog body, Sarah begins writing increasingly frantic and unhinged letters to her twin sister sarah. Culminating in a letter from Sarah's husband begging Lucy to come before its too late. Lucy finds a shell of her sister and so begins the dark and twisted reveal of secrets the two women ahve long kept hidden from each other.
This book was so entrancing I read it in one sitting. I loved the setting and atmosphere. The entire novel takes place mostly in the manor home Sarah married into. You can already figure some things out, but the ending and how you get there was a total surprise.
This novel is a great example of "the real monsters are man" and a number of times i had to get up and go for a walk because I was so shocked by what was just said or done.
The book does have a section in the middle where it seems to stagnant a bit. The tension dies down, and it becomes less of a horror. But by then I was so enthralled by the relationship between these two women that I kept reading when I normally would have set the book aside for later.
A wonderful gothic read with great historical insight into dutch medical/feminist/lgbtq history,

Blood on her tongue is a gothic horror story set in 1887 Netherlands. This story follows twin sisters, Sarah and Lucy. Sarah becomes sick with a mysterious sickness, and her behavior takes a dark and scary turn. I enjoyed the narrator of the story, but the pacing felt a bit slow for me at times, with not much happening in the story. I did enjoy the spooky atmosphere and sisterly bond! This would be a great read during Halloween season.

Quite the macabre story! The time period that this is set in was plenty dark for women, especially if they deviate from the strict expectations of the men which usually means a one way trip to the nearest asylum. It was interesting to hear the fact that when a blood transfusion was needed back then, it was taken only from men in most cases and they are stronger and hence their blood is superior to that of women. So when you add in a mysterious woman dug up the bog buried in the way to make sure it could not rise again then a strange illness and almost death, you get a tale full of visceral gore but also a bond between sisters and Lucy's struggle to find out what happened with Sarah and why and also deal with the men in her life.

This was fun to listen to and the narrator did a great job of bringing the characters to life, even if it made me go EWWWW! a few times with the lovely gory descriptions. I was quite satisfied with the ending. Sisters before Misters! And finding freedom to choose your path!

Ａｕｄｉｏｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Blood on her Tongue by Johanna van Veen. This is my first book by this author, and wow! Wow, in the best way—this book was deeply, horrifyingly good. I think this is the year for vampire stories.

The audiobook is narrated by Emily Tucker, and she did a good job bringing the scary elements to the story. She was easy to understand and listen to! I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Tantor Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this one sounded so good plus that cover! Gothic vibes to the max, sisters, horror, queer rep - it was all right up my alley but for some reason I struggled to get into it and ultimately decided to DNF mid-way when it wasn't serving me and I just found myself forcing my attention. Just not for me I'm afraid. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Loved this gothic tale about twin sisters! Supernatural tale that dives into the story of Lucy coming to the estate to visit her ill sister Sarah. Sarah has fallen ill after she discovered a body in the bog. The story becomes very dark and grim as Sarah isn't quite herself. Her husband wants to put her in a mental hospital. Their marriage isn't the best however typical for 1800s. Lucy can no long allow this to happen to Sarah and she feels that something is painfully off about her sister. This is a creepy story. I loved every minute of it. I will be purchasing the physical copy and rereading it immediately.

I absolutely devoured this book (pun intended). This was so gruesome and horrific but in a very understated way. I loved the relationship between the sisters and how it evolves throughout the book. The gothic horror setting provided the perfect background reminiscent of Dracula. I will definitely be reading more from this author. The narration perfectly captured the essence of this book, both haunting and terrifying at times. So good!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My Thoughts:
Where do I even start with this book?? 😳 Blood on Her Tongue isn’t something I usually go for since it’s gothic horror, but I’m so glad I picked it up.

The atmosphere was incredible—cold, eerie, and full of dread. There were scenes that genuinely made my mouth drop open in shock 😱. The sense of unease builds so slowly and beautifully, and I was completely hooked.

I really enjoyed the narrator for the audiobook 🎧—she captured the tension and emotion perfectly and made the story even more immersive.

I did enjoy this book a lot, but I’m still not sure how to feel about the ending. I have so many questions 🤯. Some things felt intentionally left vague, which fits the gothic vibe, but I was left wanting just a bit more closure.

Overall, it was such a haunting, emotionally charged read. If you’re into atmospheric horror with sisterly bonds, creepy estates, and slow-burning tension, this one’s for you 👻📚.

As the Andrew sisters would say, Lord help the mister that comes between me and my sister. I think it’s beautiful that the story revolved around sibling love rather than romantic love. As much as I loved My Darling Dreadful Thing and I love lesbian horror, I loved reading something that was so beautifully innocent yet rotten at the same time? The narrator kept you interested with their exciting way of voicing the characters. Overall, I loved the experience of this novel. I didn’t know where it was going to go at first but it ended beautifully.

3.75 STARS

Fun read. It’s like the author said let’s do sense and sensibility meets Dracula. The sister relationship is strong and enjoyable to read. The gore was bloody and very well descriptive. I would definitely read another book by this author. The narrator had a great voice for this gothic tone.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for my arc in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio arc. I honestly really enjoyed this. Was gripped right from the beginning and enjoyed every minute of this audio book. If you like gothic horror then I would check this out.

Initially I thought this was going to be like a Dracula’s bride retelling but I was so wrong. This was so much better! Victorian gothic and it was eerie, ominous and grotesque from start to finish and I gobbled it up in one sitting! Check your content warnings for this one. A fresh take on vampirism and bog bodies, my first time reading a novel by this author and I must read more. I hated the characters but regardless appreciated their dynamics and what they brought to the story. The pace is slow but the horror elements fueled my interest and kept me sat. The writing is phenomenal, the ambiance is consuming, and the gruesome details had me wincing at times. I could not put this down and it will easily go on my reread shelf.

Thank you Netgalley, Tanor Audio and Johanna Van Veen for the e Arc of Blood On Her tongue.
Narrated by Emily Tucker

Who can resist a Vampire story? I can't and this book is beautifully written which tackles more than just blood sucking. Set in the Netherlands, in 1887. Sarah, Lucys twin sister becomes upwell and Lucy goes to unravel the mystery before Sarah is committed to an Asylum. The narrative opens in letter form as Sarah writes to Lucy regarding seeing a " Bog Body" and becoming completely obsessed in researching why this body was buried, nailed to wooden bars and a large rock in her mouth. For the first 1/4 of the book we get to know what Sarah is investigating as well as snippets of Lucy coming to look after Sarah. These aren't really clearly marked in the chapters which can be a little confusing but I do believe, after reading this book, it adds to the unsettling, atmospheric edge of knowing where the plot is going with added dread.

Johanna's description of Sarah, or Not Sarah as Lucy refers to her goes from being the women she knew as a twin sister to something completely inhuman. It's slow burning, sets you on edge and explores not only the class/ expectations of that timeline, the bonds that not only sisters have. But how twins just know what's going on with the other. I literally binged this book within 2 days ( work got in the way !) and I loved every word.

I loved Emily Tucker who narrated this book. Her voice added to the whole atmosphere of the book and her cadence suited the pace.

4 .5 stars for Storygraph, 5 stars for Netgalley