5 ⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

OOOOOH YALL THIS WAS GOOOOOOD?!?
First off, I devoured this in two sittings because I didn't realize how badly I needed a good vampire/fae book into I sunk into this (hehe get it?)

I immediately knew I was going to love Nadi but my gOD Raziel?????? Please, I would volunteer to be a personal human caprisun for this man in a heartbeat and say thank you as I pass away.

Now the thing I need to discuss.... HOW DARE THAT BE THE END????? I FEEL BETRAYED AND NEED MORE ASAP!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley & Second Sky for the gifted eARC.

“I act the monster, threaten to kill you, and stage a mass murder, and it’s business as usual. I show a little affection, and you act as if I’ve grown a second head”

In short:
Clever. Addicting. Sexy.

Tropes/Highlights:
- Urban Romantasy
- Vampires vs. Fae
- Fae shapeshifter/ assassin FMC
- Vampire mafia family MMC
- She wants revenge
- Morally black characters
- They both plan to delete each other
- Enemies to lovers / forbidden romance
- He falls first
- Hidden identity
- Dual third person POV

Plot Summary:
After a human man owes a debt to the vampire mafia, he sacrifices his human daughter to an arranged marriage to a notoriously vicious vampire. Because of old vampire traditions/lore, he can either drain the girl dry (to her death) or turn her after their wedding
—But the FMC is actually fae and a trained assassin with shapeshifting magic that has taken the form and place of the human girl because of a 80 year long vendetta against this vampire for murdering her family in front of her.
He is supposed to kill her and she is supposed to kill him, but they find themselves unable to deny an innate & curious attraction to each other that really fucks up their plans.

My Thoughts:
Wow. This was such an addicting read. Literally stayed up all night and could not put it down.

The plotting is clever and is well balanced with the romance. Both mains inner monologues are really funny and interesting to their development.

The ending wrapped up so nicely and I’m excited to see where this series goes

Thank you NetGalley & Second Sky for this Arc I was drawn in by the cover then I read it fae & Vampires yes please!

Was drawn in right from the start loved there chemistry together will definitely read the next book

This was a first by this author and will 100% be reading more

BK-R
2🌶️
POV: 3rd Person, Dual POV
🎧: 5/5 - Single Narration, Desiree Ketchum
New Adult Vampire Romantasy

To start off, thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC of The Serpent’s Bride!

Faye family member goes against vampire. Vampire kills Faye family members one fake girl escapes and becomes assassin. Assassin girl has vendetta to kill vampire. Will she?

This is a fun story of a woman out for revenge. The Serpent (aka vampire prince) killed her family so she is planning to take his.

This book was on track to be a 5 star read. However, the uncle subplot and why she did what she did was off. Where does the loyalty come from? I also don’t believe she redeemed the vampire, Raziel, enough for her to fall in love with him. Suspected mate bond here? So for these reason, I took a star away. Still a great book!

THAT ENDING?????
I will be recommending it out.

Now I need book 2!

•
•
•
•
•
Spicy Chapters: 7, 19, 25

She's a shifter fae assassin, he's a vampire mafia boss, and they're supposed to kill each other. I was hooked from the start.

Both main characters are morally black, not just the MMC, which I appreciated. The story is fast-paced and engaging. I didn't want to put it down until I was getting closer to the end and then I would purposely put it down just because I didn't want it to end just yet.

Nadi is strong-willed, conniving, and deadly, and Raziel is mysterious and charming even though he's a cold-hearted (literally) killer. The Vampire mafia family dynamics were also fun to watch Nadi navigate. And that ending?!? I'm kind of upset I read this as an ARC because now I have even longer to wait for Book 2.

I really enjoyed this book. This is the first book in a new series. It follows the FMC, Nadi, a fae woman who sets out to get revenge on the vampire prince Nostrom by impersonating the woman he's supposed to marry but hasn't seen. Along the way, she finds herself falling in love instead.

The chemistry and banter was great, and the spice was fun - though not particularly dark for a dark romance. I listened to this on audio, and I thought that the narrator did an excellent job. I would always appreciate a dual-POV narration with two narrators, but the narrator did a great job differentiating the voices.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Review: The second I saw the words dark vampire romance I said sign me up right now! I thought going into this we would see a morally grey vampire who would slowly change and soften for the FMC, but I'm so thrilled that wasn't the case. We see him stay morally black through the whole book and he's very unapologetic about it. The FMC stays just as strong and holds her ground against him and that is honestly one of my favorite things. They are equally messed up and I was here for it the whole time.

The characters were fantastic, the world building was interesting, all the tension between them was there, and I loved the banter and dialog between them all. Omgosh we can't forget that ending!! I didn't see it coming and I just need to know what happens next! I seriously loved that twist! This is the perfect book to pick up during the fall/spooky season and I highly recommend it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, The Nerd Fam, and Second Sky for allowing me the chance to read this book. I will be keeping an eye out for the next one.

Read this if you love:
~Dark Vampire Romance
~Revenge Plot
~Dual POV
~Mafia Vibes
~Marriage of Convenience
~Slow Burn
~Enemies to Lovers

First things first—this one ends on a cliffhanger. Second, this isn’t the spiciest read (our characters are pretty classy, and there aren’t a ton of steam-heavy scenes), but honestly the enemies-to-lovers tension carries the story beautifully. The main character's dynamic is sharp, dangerous, and magnetic in a way that keeps you reading.

I’ll admit—it took me a little while to really settle into the story, but once I did, it paid off. The mafia-vampire family setup, the revenge plot, and the push-pull romance all came together into a dark, gothic-feeling tale that leaves you teetering between love and betrayal.

Normally I’m not a fan of third person POV, but it worked here. Kathryn Ann Kingsley managed to keep it immersive and smooth without pulling me out of the story. Not bad at all.

“My little bloody bride, my killer, my little murderer—you like it rough, hm?” He grinned, flashing his fangs. “Do you like it when it’s violent?”


Nadi is one of the last fae left in the Wilds, her clan was known for shapeshifting. Fae are ruthlessly hunted down by vampires and humans alike who think they’re nothing more than beasts, or weeds that need to be pulled. She is deeply traumatized by watching Raziel Nostrom command her entire family to 🔪 themselves in front of her as a child. She dedicates her life to k!ll!ng them all.

The Nostrom clan are the richest, most influential vampire family, and also run the seedy underbelly of every metropolis.
The matriarch of the family, Volencia, k!lled the patriarch by cutting him into pieces and planting them in the walls of their ancestral home. She has three children, Mael, Lana, and Raziel.
Mael is the heir and head of the family businesses. He’s the one who shakes hands with the mayor and looks more like an angel than a vampire. He runs the drug shipments.
Lana is in the skin business, and is basically a madame of a huge human trafficking ring.
Raziel is the enforcer. He has a special ability, he’s able to command someone to do anything he says so he is known as the Serpent.

The vampires have a tradition that goes back to before they joined with the humans to build a metropolis out of the Wilds. A sacrificial bride or groom will be given by the leader of a human clan to guarantee safety for them.
Raziel, who is known to use his partners as toys mentally and physically breaking them until they’re found dead or stumbling around the city unable to form a sentence, is ordered to take a bride.
Since this isn’t a love match they’ve never met and the bride is nothing more than a symbol and tradition. Nadi finds the bride and shapeshifts into her form to infiltrate the family and finally get revenge.

I read A LOT of enemies to lovers romance and Kathryn Ann Kingsley is one of my top 5 authors who can write a MC who’s so irredeemable you have no idea why or when you started loving him. Everything she writes is golden.

Thank you Second Sky, NetGalley, and Kathryn Ann Kingsley for letting me read the eARC I cannot wait for the second book!

★★★★
The Serpent's Bride by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
Release date: 8.28.25

"I will disguise myself as the vampire’s bride.
I will win over his family.
And then I will murder every last one of them."

The Serpent's Bride (Bloodlines book 1) is a new dark romantasy that has captured my heart. This book was so deliciously addictive that I read this book front to back in one sitting in less than 6 hours. #teamnosleep
This book was that unputdownable!

Although I am not usually a fan of writing in 3rd person, the author did a stellar job and kept me engaged from the very beginning.

This book does end on a crazy cliffhanger that had my mouth agape and my feet kicking in the air! Savage but in the best way possible. Can't wait for book 2! 🖤

If you love-
● Dark romantasy
● Slow burn
● Arranged Marriages
● Shapeshifter fae/ Assassin's FMC
● Morally grey vampire/ Mafia MMC
● Enemies to lovers
● Hidden Identity
● Revenge
Then this be the one for you, boo!

Huge thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

3.5 ⭐️

This was an entertaining and easy read with a vividly structured world where vampires clearly dominate the hierarchy. The witty back-and-forth between characters added a lot of charm and energy to the story. However, Nadi's repetitive inner dialogue and Raziel's ongoing indecision did slow things down at times. Still, the intriguing ending has me looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wow wow wow!!! 5 freaking stars!!

Okay so first off, this book had me hooked but also yelling at the pages. I will say.. I really think it would’ve hit harder as a proper dual POV like, it could still be in third person, but the way it kept switching mid-chapter between Nadi and Raziel was kinda messy and pulled me out sometimes.

Now, Nadi? Badass!! Straight up. I love a good revenge trope and she came in ready!! Her fae power is wild too! A shapeshifter?! That’s such a cheat code for a revenge plot and I was eating it up. Raziel was giving BDE right out the gate and I was here for it I'm sorry 🤣 The man just screams “I run this” and honestly, it worked.

I cannot stand his mama though. Whew. Every time she popped up I wanted to throw the book.

And then… the freaky scenes!!!! Let’s just say Raziel definitely has that daddy energy, and Ms. Kingsley did not hold back.. at all 👀

& then EXCUSE THE ACTUAL HELL OUTTA ME!! Ms. Kathryn Ann Kingsley really closed the book like that and just expects me to wait patiently for book two?? Absolutely not. I need it right now because that cliffhanger was rudeeeee. I honestly truly didn't expect that at the end 😭😭😭

Thank you NetGalley, Kathryn Ann Kingsley, and Second Sky for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

I need the second book! The Serpent’s Bride was so much fun to read. This is the perfect start to an enemies to lovers series. Nadi who is a fae, will do whatever she has to do to get revenge against a high profile vampire who murdered her family…..

The character development was phenomenal. You can read the subtle change in the characters thoughts and feelings as the book progresses.

I enjoyed the duel point of views. I believe the writing was cohesive and it flowed very well. Never had to stop to re-read something I didn’t understand.

The chemistry between the two main characters Nadi and Raziel is atomic. The book was 🌶️ 3/5.

I will read the next book as soon as it’s available.

Summary: The Serpent, a murderous vampire prince, is scheduled to marry a sacrificial bride, site unseen. The bride that shows up ends up not being the human country girl he was expecting, but a shifter fae seeking against him revenge for the death of her family. But along the way, plans change and unexpected feelings develop.

Thoughts: This was the definition of enemies to lovers! I know for certain I would not be able to fall for this sort of enemy after what was done lol. She went through some seriously extreme measures to seek this revenge. I feel like this was a great opening book for the series. The last chapter had my jaw on the floor!! This was such a great read, I can’t wait to see how the next book takes off!
The audio was also an easy listen to follow!

Thank you to “The NerdFam” and “Second Sky Books” for the ARC copy!

📖&🎧
4/5⭐️
3/5🌶️

Ok, that was such a fun time! Great characters, Engaging plot, Steamy tension, Fluid writing, and Great dialogue!

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🌶️🌶️

Third-person POV is usually not my favorite, but wow, Kathryn did it so well! Both of these characters were so fun to read! A hidden identity is one of my favorite plot lines, but this took it up a notch with our shapeshifting, Raging, Tough FMC. Combine that with the morely black vampire mobster, and wow, the tension was delicious!

Everything about this flowed really well. The pacing was perfect. We got a significant amount of detail for a 332-page book. The character development progressed nicely. The spice was hot and tasteful. And a dialogue-driven storyline was the icing on the cake for me.

If you are looking for a plate-cleaning, tension-filled, fisty fantasy read, I highly recommend it!

After that ending.... I can't wait for Book Two, and it looks like we don't have to wait too long, Jan 2026! I look forward to reading more from Kathryn in the future!

Thank you, NetGalley and publishing, for the ARC read opportunity!

2,8 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for this arc in exchange for my honest review! 🖤

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, and I have mixed feelings. The premise had potential and I do enjoy the whole dark romantasy vibe with arranged marriage trope and vampires, but it didn’t completely hook me. Third person POV isn’t really my favorite, and it made it harder for me to connect with the characters ☹️ Sometimes the narrative felt a little confusing — it would suddenly shift focus from Nadi to Raziel — and I wished there had been a lot more detail about the fae and the world overall. Another thing that bothered me was Nadi herself: she never really had a solid plan, her threats didn’t lead anywhere, and I was expecting a bit more from her as a character. On the other hand, Raziel stood out as dark and truly morally black (not even gray), which surprisingly helped keep me engaged. The pacing picked up in the second half, and while it wasn’t exactly unforgettable, the ending left me curious enough to see what comes next! 🐍🌹

This was a fun twist on the typical vampire book. The heroine of this story is impersonating the vampire's bride in hopes of killing him and his family at some point. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself fascinated by him. He is cruel and heartless, and the family uses him to murder and kill but there is still something about him that she finds vulnerable.

I will leave the rest of the storyline for the reader to explore because I don't want to give anything away and it's definitely worth the read. Even more exciting is that there will be another book and I suspect it will possibly be even more fun that the first one.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I really enjoyed listening to this book because it utilized accents very well and made the storyline feel more authentic to me. This was such a fun listen. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the audiobook and ebook.

Hot damn, this book blew my expectations away. Going into this, I expected a standard morally gray love interest and a heroine who is violent but somehow still gentle and feminine. These tropes are so standard in romantasy right now, but Kathryn Kingsley pushes past that and gives you something darker. Raziel is legitimately a bad dude. He was raised a killer but genuinely enjoys hurting people. Nadi is an assassin who has plenty of blood on her hands. And while she has some compassion, she is brutal in pursuit of her goals. I loved the world building - the combination of urban romance and fantasy makes for a great setting. Spice is also delightful. Lots of longing, which I always appreciate.
I wait with longing for the next book!

Thank you Netgalley and Second Sky for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great storytelling and a series of events that kept me hooked from the very beginning! Can't wait for more!

The Serpent’s Bride is a dark, seductive and utterly addictive fantasy romance that blends mafia politics with vampire lore in a way that feels fresh and compelling. At its centre is Nadi, a shapeshifter whose life has been defined by vengeance after Raziel Nostrom, a vampire prince, destroyed her family. Her plan is simple yet deadly. Disguise herself as his human bride, infiltrate his powerful clan and destroy them all from within.

What unfolds is a story of dangerous temptation, simmering tension and conflicting loyalties. Raziel is everything Nadi expected him to be—ruthless, magnetic and lethal, yet his charm and intensity complicate her mission at every turn. Their chemistry crackles on the page, and the push and pull between hatred and desire makes this a riveting enemies-to-lovers tale.

The world building is rich and immersive, with mafia-style politics, family intrigue and high stakes that keep the tension sharp throughout. Kingsley’s writing balances dark atmosphere with passion and vulnerability, creating a story that is both violent and intoxicating.
The ending delivers a cliffhanger that leaves you desperate for the next instalment.

This book is perfect for readers who love morally grey characters, forbidden romance and a plot that keeps you on edge until the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.