I enjoyed The Serpent’s Bride very much. The banter was great. I loved Nadi and her sass. Raziel had moments that were off putting, but it made sense at the end.

The ending….What an ending!! I was shook. I can’t wait for the next book and to see where the story goes from here.

3.5☆ 🌶🌶

From the prologue, I was immediately invested. We have an arranged marriage, revenge arc, and a mafia vampire prince!

The world is more modern, and the magic is very simple. This is definitely a vibe read, and it kept me entertained (thus, rounding up). I will most likely continue, especially after that ending 🤯

It did seem a little repetitive at times, considering how short this book is. There were times I wanted a little more plot development, but it seemed to just circle back around.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I think it's the perfect book when you're in the mood for something easy to digest, seductive, and entertaining.

Read if you like:
Fae, vampires
Morally grey characters
Modern world
FMC assassin
Hidden identity
Arranged mariage

Thank you to the Nerd Fam for the ARC!

OK i will admit, for about 20% of this book I wasn’t sure if i could stomach it. I know it was dark but i was def way darker then i expected it to be, particularly the MMC. BUT once i passed the 20% mark i swear i inhaled this book.

We have an insanely badass FMC on a crusade to avenge her family by murdering the MMC and his entire family after he killed HER family 80 years prior.

The cliffhanger basically sucker punched me at the end and ive been left foaming at the mouth for more!

Thank you to Second Sky and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy (ebook + audiobook).

rating: 3.5 stars

I will just start by saying that I had a lot of fun with this book! I am new to the dark romance genre, and I reckon this is a good entry level title. I appreciated that there was no insta-love. Insta-lust I don’t have an issue with as it’s hard to control who we are physically attracted to. I’m not sure if our FMC gave in a little too easily to the MMC’s advances, given what he had done to her previously, but I suppose she was always prepared to get intimate in the name of her cover.

I also appreciated that it was not merely the MMC that was morally grey/black. Our FMC makes a lot of questionable choices, which makes her more real, as she is driven by a need for vengeance and is out to murder an entire bloodline - so of course she cannot achieve that by never getting her hands (or conscience) dirty.

I think to fully get behind a romance with a morally grey MMC I might always just need a tragic backstory or some kind of softer side (Damon Salvatore vibes). This may come in future books, or may just not be this character’s arc and that’s totally okay. However this is probably one of the reasons it could not be a 5 star read for me.

Now that we’ve set up our couple, I’m excited and intrigued to see how the plot and their relationship develop in future instalments.

Thanks so much to Second Sky, Net Galley and the Nerd Fam for this ARC. This book was brilliant. From start to finish I was hooked! If you love vampires, fae, mafia, Assassin's etc then this book will be right up your alley. Its got a morally grey MMC and FMC, its got just the right amount spice, its got character building but its nice and easy to follow too. But omg that ending! it literally has me broken and needing more asap! I loved this book and cannot wait for book 2!

I finished this book in a single day! It is spicy, dark, has delicious tension, morally grey FMC and a morally-black MMC! I am eagerly awaiting the next book!
Book: 4.5

Eighty years ago, Raziel a member of the powerful vampire mafia killed her entire family, and she has spent her entire life dedicated to ensuring his death. When she uncovers that as a means of appeasing the family, a father has offered his daughter as a bride and that the family has never laid eyes on the woman, she knows now is the time. When she switches places with the young woman and infiltrates his household things become complicated when it is clear there is an undeniable tension between them.

Tropes:
- Marriage of Convenance
- Morally Black MMC
- Morally Grey FMC
- Enemies to Lovers

Spoilerish
I think this was a perfect first book, it was fast paced, has enough world-building that I could follow along, but enough questions left unanswered that things felt mysterious and like there is so much more to uncover about the tensions among the vampires, humans and fae. I also am really looking forward to the character development in the second book, we started to see glimpses of another side to Raziel, and we do not yet know his backstory. While he was morally black in many ways, our FMC is also morally grey, she has killed people in the name of revenge, and it really shows how vengeance can corrupt.

I got about halfway through this book but couldn't finish. The concept was just too cringy and too unbelievable. I don't mind enemies to lovers OR dark romance, but I just don't see how the FMC can be believed to fall for the guy who brutally murdered her family. GLEEFULLY murdered, by the way. And then he's not even remotely nice or respectful to her, openly talks about how he plans to just "break her" then kill her after the wedding. I wasn't enjoying the story and I really wasn't finding her attraction to him believable at all. I was looking forward to her taking the whole vampire family down, including him. But it didn't seem like that's where it was going.

Vampires and faes. Mafia and a dark kind of romance. This book had everything I could possibly want in a fantasy mafia story, and I loved every second of it. Raziel and Nadi’s relationship was the kind of push-and-pull dynamic that kept me glued to the pages. Their chemistry was undeniable, but it was the tension—those moments where you weren’t sure if they would kiss or kill each other—that made it impossible to put down.

From the very first page, even just in the prologue, I was instantly intrigued. I needed to know where this story was heading and how far it was willing to go. The world building was vivid and immersive, making the mix of vampire and fae politics feel so real. The mafia structure layered on top of that supernatural world was fascinating.

As the story developed, I found myself constantly wondering who would be the first to truly break—emotionally or morally—and what the fallout would be. The stakes kept climbing, and by the final chapters, I was completely invested in both their fates. 🧑‍🍳😘

Now, I’m counting down the days until the next book, because I need to see where Raziel and Nadi’s journey takes them—and what chaos they’ll leave in their wake

ARC read of this vampy bride tale had me absolutely gripped girlies. Loved it cover to cover. Our FMC was feral, and unapologetically unhinged. Our MMC was lookie-loo clueless. I didn't want it to end. Easy one-sitting read.

Enemies to lovers every day. Any day.

I am so happy I got the chance to read this, I finished it so quickly I almost wished I had paced myself. I really couldn't though, the whole premise of this story had me locked in.

Nadi is an FMC I can really get behind because she knew what she was about, what she was there for, and she stuck to her guns the entire time. Even getting to have a little blissful fun along the way.

Raziel has so many layers to him. I feel as if we have just begun to stratch the surface of who he truly is under it all. We can already see how his family basically just uses his as an extension of their punishing hands, but seeing the wear it takes on him pulls at my heart strings.

With an ending like that, I can't wait to see what comes next. The audiobook of this was also wonderful to follow along with. Desiree did an incredible job and had been one of my favorite female narrators for quite some time now.

I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Nadi & Raziel
Vampire Mafia Boss
Shape-shifting Fae Assassin
Enemies to lovers
Marriage of convenience
Hidden identity

I had no clue what to expect from this one, but I was sold from vampire and fae assassin!

This one did not disappoint! I loved the plot line and I couldn't stop listening, I needed to know what happened next!!

That ending 😱 I cannot wait for book 2!!

The audio for this one is all done by the female narrator, which isn't usually my favourite thing, but I feel like the narrator did a really good job with this!

I first want to thank Netgalley, SecondSky, and Katheryn Ann Kingsley for the opportunity to read the advanced copy of The Serpent’s Bride. I was lucky enough to have been able to receive the audiobook first. You bet I went through and re-read!

I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked right from the first few pages. This book isn’t even out yet but I’m SO ready for book 2! And that ending?! I need more of this world!

Our FMC, Nadi, seeks revenge against the vampire that unalived her family some 80+ years ago. Said vampire is named Raziel and nicknamed the Serpent. Nadi finds the perfect opportunity to get closer to her enemy by taking the place of Raziel’s bride in his arranged marriage. As they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? What better way than take the brides place. Except he’s not who she expected him to be and finds herself in a conflict with her warring emotions and her goal. Then there’s the matter of what happens in the honeymoon..

This book is dark fantasy with fae, vampires, a marriage of convenience, and the usurping of a bride.

Reviews are posted as of Aug 15th on Insta, Goodreads, and Fable.

Thank you to @secondskybooks and @thenerdfam for allowing me to give my own review of this book. 🖤

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book… oh this book.😮‍💨
I was on the edge the ENTIRE time. Absolutely sucked it down.
A Vampire X Fae(in disguise) story?
You know you’re intrigued, so go ahead and keep reading and then add this baby to the TBR.🔥

We’ve got a fierce and feisty, morally grey FMC and a brooding, devastatingly beautiful, morally black MMC.
What else could I ask for?🥵😍
This book kept me glued, with that “gnaw on your nails” type of energy.
This was TRULY an enemies to reluctant lovers dynamic that I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF.
🖤

And that ending?? SCREAMING. 🫠🤯

I was lucky enough to experience The Serpent’s Bride in immersive reading thanks to NetGalley, NerdFam, and @secondskybooks, who provided me with both the ARC and the ALC — and it was absolutely worth it.
This is a must-read for vampire lovers and anyone who appreciates a strong, determined FMC and a morally black MMC.
The premise hooked me right away:
Nadi has spent 80 years plotting revenge against the vampire Raziel and his family — waiting for her chance to destroy them. That opportunity arrives when she glamours herself into appearing human… the human that had been sold to Raziel as his bride. But Nadi isn’t human at all — she’s a fae shapeshifter with a deadly plan.
The story is fast-paced, full of intrigue, and kept me turning the pages the whole time.

While the romance and spice weren’t a perfect 10/10 for me (a bit rushed and surface-level), the plot twists — especially the ending — were fantastic. I’m definitely on board for book 2!
📅 Release date: August 28, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, NerdFam, and @secondskybooks for the ARC and ALC. I voluntarily read and listened to an advance copy, and all opinions are my own.

A vampire mafia prince and a fae shifter assassin have to navigate an unexpected attraction while planning to kill each other. The Serpent's Bride was dark and filled with tension. It was a great start to a new series and I can't wait to read the next book!

The serpent killed her family and now she wants revenge.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, a mafia vampire romance, classic enemies to lovers.

The story does end on a cliffhanger leading into the next book of the series. A ruthless vampire, a shapeshifter fae and an arranged marriage.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ — 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Serpent’s Bride by Kathryn Ann Kingsley is a lethal cocktail of tension, vengeance, and temptation—a vampire romantasy that bites hard and doesn’t let go. Let me tell you, I read it in 4 hours and 20 minutes - I couldn't put it down!

Nadi, is our fae assassin and shapeshifter, and she has trained all her life to kill the vampire who murdered her parents. When the opportunity arises to take the place of his arranged bride, she seizes it, vowing to win his family’s trust and destroy them from the inside. But Raziel Nostrom, the prince of a powerful vampire mafia clan, is not just dangerous—he’s magnetic. His intoxicating smile, his unreadable ruby eyes, and the way he calls her “my little murderer” are as disarming as they are dangerous.

Their relationship is built on mutual wariness and undeniable attraction. Both are feared for who they are, but it’s that shared untouchability that draws them together. Raziel, who has only ever been a weapon for his family, finds himself captivated by someone who cannot be broken—someone who challenges and surprises him at every turn.

The third-person POV did initially create some distance, but that’s exactly what makes the later reveal hit so hard. Kingsley uses it to keep Raziel’s inner world just out of reach until the perfect moment, when the truth crashes in and reframes everything we thought we knew.

Nadi’s character arc is equally compelling—her journey towards her revenge, embracing her own beauty and strength as a shapeshifter, is layered and emotionally resonant. The plot pacing is taut, the world-building refreshingly digestible, and the secondary characters are all sharply placed without stealing focus.

And then there’s the ending. The plot twist was jaw-dropping, the cliffhanger masterful—I am shocked, slightly devastated, and absolutely desperate for the sequel.

Perfect for fans of: true enemies-to-lovers, marriages of convenience, mafia politics with a fantasy twist, and the intoxicating push-pull of two characters who should quite literally destroy each other but can’t stay away.

3.5 ⭐️s

Slow burn with a big payoff. The pacing dragged for me until the end, but the finale hit hard and set up book two to (hopefully) hit the ground running. This one felt like pure setup: heavy on world-building and backstory, with the real crescendo waiting for the last chapters.

But when the spice hit…. Ohhh, she was spicier than a vampire bite at midnight. 🌶️🔥 The tension that’d been simmering the whole book boiled over in the best way.

Tropes & Vibes
🩸 Enemies to lovers
💍 Marriage of convenience
🗡️ Revenge plot
🦇 Vampire mafia family
🌶️ Slow-burn, then explosive spice

If you liked The Serpent and the Wings of Night or Haunting Adeline, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

I’ll be honest—this book had two big strikes against it before I even cracked it open. But I wanted to read it purely because of the revenge and arranged marriage trope. I’m not generally a fan of dark or mafia romance, and I have a strong aversion to blood, so vampire stories usually aren’t my thing. But The Serpent’s Bride completely surprised me. I couldn't put it down.

Nadi is everything I like in a morally gray FMC: dangerous, clever, and fiercely determined to see her plan through. Her shapeshifting ability isn’t just a cool trick—it makes her a constant wildcard, and it’s a big part of what kept me turning the pages (especially after the wedding!). Raziel, her target and reluctant husband, is equally magnetic: dangerous, sharp-tongued, and impossible to read (i.e. incredibly misunderstood). Their dynamic is true enemies-to-lovers, and the banter between them was spicy and sharp.

The world building is interesting with vampire mafia politics in which the humans and vampires cohabitate. Whereas, the fae and "bad" humans are kept beneath the earth in the Wilds, an underground metropolis. I’m not usually drawn to this kind of setting, but here it worked. I did have an issue with the dual POVs which sometimes felt repetitive, instead of enlightening. For example, they both mention their attraction to each other and their desire to kill eachother...over and over and over. The constant reminders slowed the pacing in places. Still, it didn’t stop me from being completely invested—especially once that twist dropped. I can't believe it, but I will be coming back for book 2.

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for the eARC!

This was such a good introduction into a new series!!!

I loved Nadi and Raziel so much and theirs is a true enemies to lovers story. Kathryn does a really good job of writing men that I hate, but somehow have redeeming qualities, and Raziel is no exception. I hate him, but also there is potential there and I can't wait to watch his character arc unfold. Nadi is such a wonderful badass main character and I love that she is putting on this character throughout this book. It really adds a layer to her character and I loved how she grew in herself.

Nadi and Raziel both plan to kill the other and are somewhat hiding it. They are both witty and funny and I loved all of their moments together. I need more of their story now.

For the first book in a Fantasy Romance story there wasn't a ton of world building here. This is somewhat of an urban setting but it is a world where the vampires are basically the mafia. I loved that aspect of it, but the worlds wasn't really well explained other than there are Vampires, Humans, and Fae and they all don't like each other. Hopefully we will get some more world building in the next book.

Thank you to Second Sky for sending me an advanced reader copy of this book!