This book keeps you hooked from the very first second. I could not put it down. The vibes and the setting are immaculate. The MMC is not just the common bad boy, he really is a murderer but still he grows on you somehow. The FMC is also perfect and really badass. I loved the shape-shifting aspect Nadi has and that she is just such a smart character. The plot twist at the end had me screaming. Absolute 5 star read and one of the best reads of the year!

I dont normally say this when writing a review, but this was really well written. It has a polish to it, where if you are looking for a more intellectual read vs fun read, youre honestly going to be receiving both. A fantasy mafia romance with a fae assassin where the MMC is actually hate-able? Gimme. This didn't disappoint at all. I couldn't stand the MMC (Raziel) but I also really freaking liked him. The author wrote him so realistic that I was getting the ick from him because men are just, well, men; cant live with them, cant live without them. The FMC (Nadi), absolutely love her. She is perfect on absolutely every single way— smart, cunning, strong, and unable to help herself when it comes to a crazy hot male hahaha. Like do I blame her for her love hate relationship here? Nah. Not even a little. This story was a lot of fun and I found myself finishing it in one sitting.

Thank you Netgalley and Thenerdfam for the arc and audiobook of this

I received this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️ - rounded up
Spice: 2/5 🌶️

This book was pretty faced paced that took off right from the start. The FMC is fae who is seeking revenge on the MMC and his family who are vampires by posing has his bride. I think it lacked some depth in both character and world development. That being said, it was a pretty easy and quick read for me.

This book will appeal to people who like:
🩸vampires, fae and humans
🩸 dark romantic fantasy
🩸 mafia family
🩸 glamour magic
🩸 marriage of convenience
🩸 enemies to lovers
🩸 hidden identity

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for gifting me with this eARC.

(3.5/5) The Serpent's Bride is a fast-paced dark vampire romance that had a lot of great aspects, but I didn't 100% connect with the execution.

I really liked the way this book was set up—I'm a SUCKER for an assassin FMC out for revenge. Her backstory was really interesting, and I like how she ended up with our MMC.

The vibes of this book were overall a great time. The mafia-like dynamics mixed with corrupt vampires was a cool spin.

With that all being said, I feel like I just kept wanting more from this book. A lot was introduced but it felt like it just kept scratching the surface with where things went. Interestingly, some parts actually felt repetitive which was frustrating as a reader since the author could've chosen to further develop the other parts/plot points introduced.

At times, I also struggled with the internal dialogue of our FMC. She went in full guns a blazing but then folds the moment she sees his face. I wish the author chose to build up their attraction a bit more before having her simp over the MMC.

At this time, I will not be continuing this series. Even though I had a good time with what we got, I'm just not invested enough to continue.

Thank you to NetGalley, Second sky books and the author Kathryn for this amazing book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was so fast paced, dark and entertaining and I genuinely am so excited to read the next one! I’ll 100% be picking up the next one in the series as well as Kathryn’s other series’.

If you’re looking for a dark, vampire, romance featuring an assassin, betrayals, deception & more!! This one is for you!

Author: @kathrynannkingsley
#TheSerpentsBride
Second sky books

It had good promise and i am sure people who enjoy multiple pov this is a must read. Personally multiple pov is just not for me since it messes with my head to much and i like the focus to be on one MC and not multiple

Did someone say INSANE enemies to lovers??
This book had me sitting/ Standing at the edge of my seat the WHOLE time!

You follow Nadi, a ruthless shapeshifting fae whose family was slaughtered by a vampire mafia prince. Years of precision planning, and all the anger, lead her to impersonate the sacrificial bride slated for Raziel Nostrom, the vampire who destroyed her life.

But things don’t go quite as planned………
Think all your favorite tropes Authentically wrapped into one great book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75)

I really enjoyed The Serpent’s Bride! Kathryn Ann Kingsley knows how to hook a reader, and I ended up binging this in just three days.

The premise had me curious right away: vampires vs. fae with a mafia-and-revenge angle? Definitely my kind of thing, and not something I’ve read before. Our FMC is a ruthless assassin out for revenge after losing her family, and I immediately liked her for it. The MMC, on the other hand, is the violent and fearsome “bad guy” who is responsible for that. When the two finally meet, their banter and instant sexual tension had me hooked. Honestly, I found their push-and-pull even hotter than the actual spice (personal taste 👀).

The plot surprised me in some ways but was also a little bit foreseeable at times. There’s one choice the FMC makes that didn’t really line up with how she was set up earlier, and it frustrated me more than a little 😇.

Overall this was a fast, enjoyable read with a world and characters I want more of. The ending was a bit rude (how dare you cut it off there), but it definitely sets the stage for more action in book two. I’ll be picking up the sequel for sure.

Amazing. No notes.

For real, if you like morally grey characters that are closer to the darker side and dark fantasy this book is perfect for you.

Nadi is such an interesting female character; she is an assassin and has little remorse about her line of work. She marries Raziel in order to exact revenge on him and his family, and their tension is off the roof. Raziel is definitely a villain, but he is also more complex than that. I loved their relationship so much. I couldn’t put this book down; the plot was so engaging, and the ending had me screaming! It was so good, I can’t wait for book two!

Oh my god this book is so so good. I received it as an arc this morning and read it in one sitting with barely any pauses. I literally forgot to eat because I couldn’t put this book down. The story follows a vampire and a fae, a wonderful dark romance with an enemies turned lovers plot. The character development in this book was absolutely wonderful and it was so well written. I want the second book now and I’m so sad I will have to wait. Thank you to Nerdfam, second sky, Hacchette audio UK, and NetGalley for an arc of this book. I would recommend this book to literally everyone, it is one of the best romance books I’ve read in a long time. The plot is not predictable, and the story path is much different from other vampire dark romances which you don’t find much anymore. I will literally be recommending this to everyone I know. I will definitely be buying a copy the second it comes out on August 28th.

Nadi is a unique fae-turned-assassin after her family was murdered right in front of her. She spends years polishing her skills and building funds to carry out her single plan: kill the vampire that took everything from her.
Razael is our dark mafia vampire that gives us a little taste of the dark side. Smart, brutal, and cunning with his own agenda.

The intensity thickens as Nadia plots her revenge and it was entertaining to see both their plans unfold all while they internally battle the shift in their hate to something more.
This was a fast-paced enemies to lovers with twist at the end that has me REACHING for book 2!

I was able to listen to the audiobook and read the ebook at the same time. The audiobook is solo narration and she did a fantastic job playing Nadi’s part, I just wished we had a male narrator since the story is written in dual POVs.

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for the ALC and eARC! These are my honest opinions.

thank you NetGalley and The Nerd Fam for an e-arc and e-alc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

The Serpents Bride is a dark, spicy vampire romantasy full of revenge, betrayal, and enemies-to-lovers tension. Our heroine, Nadi, is a shapeshifter fae who disguises herself as the bride of Raziel Nostrom—the ruthless vampire prince who killed her family—in order to infiltrate his powerful clan and kill every last one of them. But once inside his world, she discovers Raziel is as magnetic as he is deadly, with a pull she can’t ignore. Caught between her thirst for vengeance and the dangerous attraction sparking between them, she faces the ultimate choice: strike him down, or risk falling for the enemy she swore to destroy. Perfect for fans of true enemies-to-lovers romance, mafia-style vampire drama, and marriage-of-convenience tropes.

I went into this book blind as a bat and while the beginning felt a tad bit slow, it picked up swiftly and I couldn’t put it down. Nadi is a strong and powerful woman set on revenge, and will do anything to avenge her family. I absolutely LOVED her character and the way she handled herself and the stressful situations she was constantly thrown into, especially while pretending to be someone completely different.

Raziel on the other hand is dark, powerful, and possessive in everything he does. When Nadi, disguised as his bride, continues to surprise him, he becomes more than a little protective and obsessed with her. This man had me wondering what I’d do if the mafia vampire clan were real, what would I do in that position!

I loved the destructive yet magnetic dynamic between these two, and I was constantly on my toes waiting to see what would happen next.

This book was fast-paced, had the true enemies-to-lovers arc, and the perfect amount of spice to breakup the high stakes plot. I listened to the audiobook and read the book simultaneously; the narrator did a wonderful job and I was very pleased with how much I enjoyed it. I was thoroughly addicted to this story and am slightly disappointed it ended the way it did, but I guess it’ll keep me excited to read the next book!

This is such a good story. I knew after just a little bit that I was going to love it.
It’s kind of slow burn but not. It’s hard to explain exactly. The FMC is a bada$$ she goes into the home of her enemy number one but wearing someone else’s face. Her plan… kill everyone. She ends up wanting the MMC and their chemistry is off the chain. He can barely hold back from his need for her.

This is told in third person but still from both povs which is interesting. Dual pov is usually in first person so it threw me off just a little… definitely not enough to affect the story at all.

The audiobook is narrated by Desiree Ketchum who is an amazing voice actress. She did a great job! I only wish there were two narrators since we got both povs but again, it didn’t affect the story one bit. She is so good!

This is my first book by this author and she killed me with the cliffhanger she left us on… oh the irony! I cannot wait to get the next book! I hope it doesn’t take too long to come out.

Eighty years ago, Raziel slaughtered her entire family—but spared the her, unaware she wasn’t in her true form. He should have finished the job.

Now, she’s back.

Disguised, dangerous, and driven by vengeance, she’s taken the place of the woman meant to marry him. Her plan is simple: get close enough to kill him. But nothing about Raziel—or the twisted bond growing between them—is simple.

As truths unravel and secrets ignite, one thing becomes clear: she may not be the only one wearing a mask.

A story of revenge, deception, and slow-burning desire—this is a dark spicy fantasy with a morally grey FMC and MMC, a marriage of convenience, and an ending that will leave you reeling.
I didn’t see it coming... and now I need book two.

The Serpent’s Bride is a dark and addictive vampire romance that blends mafia politics, fae vengeance, and the kind of push-and-pull tension that keeps you glued to the page. Nadi is a fierce, morally grey heroine whose single-minded pursuit of revenge collides with Raziel, a brooding vampire prince with more layers than he first lets on. Their chemistry is sharp, dangerous, and just the right amount of unhinged.

What worked best for me was the pacing and atmosphere. The world felt modern but dangerous, with vampire power plays and fae secrets adding to the stakes. The cliffhanger ending landed perfectly and left me already anticipating the next book. While there were a few moments where I wanted deeper character development or more emotional groundwork, overall this was an entertaining and satisfying first entry in the series.

If you love enemies to lovers, marriage-of-convenience setups, and morally grey characters circling each other with equal parts lust and threat, this one delivers. A solid start that promises an even wilder sequel.

This was a really quick enjoyable read in a world that is on the brink of full modernisation- with a wild underbelly.

This books was an intriguing read. Set in a world where vampires and humans are the top species and fae are forced to live ‘below’.

Nadi, a fae is an assassin who is out for vampire blood. A specific vampire family. Razeal is the vampire and his family she is out to assassinate.

Through the book we get to see both Nadi and Razeal struggle with this ‘role’ in life and their attraction to each other.

It’s dark in places so please check your triggers.

I really felt for both characters and the people they had been forced to become by circumstance. The ending although not a huge surprise - was still a bit of a surprise, and also has me excited for the next book in the series.

A good different take of vampire, fae and human dynamics that I’ve not seen before.

She's married to him but wants to murder him and his entire family.

Nadi, a shapeshifting fae, watched Raziel, one of the mos tpowerful vampires alive, murder her entire family when she was younger. He let her live due to her being able to shift into a human but that was the only reason. Now she's back and sh wants revenge. Raziel is supposed to marry a young country girl due to a deal gone wrong with her dad, but Nadi will not let that happen, she shapeshifts and takes the girl's place as his unlucky betrothed. She always thought Raziel and his family were horrendous people (well they are) but as they get to know each other, feelings and situations change. Will she be able to get her revenge or will she succumb to his traditions and let him kill her?


I love that we get to see a strong FMC who will not back down against the people who destroyed her life. It did take me some time to get into the book and unfortunately I did not love it as much as I hope I would, it felt like the characters weren't fully developed and could have had something more to them. Especially Nadi, I just could not relate and felt like she was a bit all over the place. But other than that, I enjoyed the tension between the two main characters as they don't really know what to do with each other, whether to hate each other or just accept it.

Thank you to netgalley and Second Sky books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This book was SO good! It had everything you could want in a dark fantasy—spice, vampires, fae, revenge, and even an arranged marriage. From the very first page, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. The pacing, the tension, the twists—it had it all.

And that cliffhanger… I’m begging, please don’t make us wait too long for the second book! I need to know where this story goes next because I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. Highly recommend if you love dark fantasy with bite.

I have no words for this book, I absolutely DEVOURED it and finished it in just under a day. I didn't realise how fast the story had gone until I came to the end and couldn't read anymore. I loved the storyline between Nadi and Raziel and am very intrigued to read more about Raziel and his motivations, as I know we mainly heard from Nadi and hers.
The ending was a complete shock as well!
I really loved the writing style and can't wait to read more

Thank you for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well written. I would definitely recommend this book to others. I also very much enjoyed the ending and will definitely read the next installment.