3.5 star rounded up

The Serpent’s Bride is a strong first book in the series, with an intriguing mix of dark romance, danger, and mystery. I really liked Nadi as a character , she’s clever, determined, and easy to root for, even when her choices are questionable.

The set-up is gripping: Nadi poses as Raziel’s bride to get close enough to take her revenge, but as the story unfolds, their relationship becomes more complicated. Raziel is mysterious and hard to pin down, and I’m hoping we’ll learn much more about him and his true motives in the next book.

It did feel like something was missing, but I think it was the perfect set-up for the next book to be even more gripping. The atmosphere and tension kept me reading, and the ending left me curious for what’s to come. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book.

A solid 3.5 stars – dark, tense, and with plenty of promise for the rest of the series.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Second Sky for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! 🥀🖤🩸

Kathryn Ann Kingsley speaks my language. HITS EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

From the get-go the two MCs are both likeable little murderous shits. And they are the two exceptions to insta-lust because they HATE that they want each other. Both of them being so smart and also self-sabotage plans and scenarios because of that very attribute was a delight. A fae assassin and a crime lord vampire? DESTINED to be - despite the fact that he killed her family. Because she's got a goal. To kill his. Say. No. More. I'M SAT. I finished this in about three hours over two sittings that's how sat I've been.

The secrecy they both maintain, along with the tension, AND paired with a lush urban fantasy setting is going to make book two even more incredible. The opportunity to expand into more and more in the capers coming next have me so incredibly impatient. You're telling me I have to wait to watch them self-implode from all the scheming they're doing because THIS book isn't even out yet let alone book two?! HUH?! 😃 Please. I need these characters back. Immediately! 😫🖤🩸

I would like to thank Netgalley & Second Sky for an advanced copy of this book!

😐....😑....................................Ms. Kathryn, come to the front of the class, please🫴🏼🫴🏼🫠.....WHO ENDS A BOOK LIKE THIS!?!?!?!?!🤌🏻🤌🏻..(Other than a brilliant mastermind).. I just got through having an actual, FULL-BLOWN Regina George meltdown to end all meltdowns lol. And I'm sorry, I would probably have to add Ms Kingsley to my Burn Book lol, very respectfully 🫶🏻.. you evil, brilliant, &, beautiful temptress!

Imagine you're eating a piece of cake made by Gordon Ramsay himself. And while you're right in the middle of enjoying this pure, magically orgasmic experience.. someone just strolls by & rips the plate away. 😭😭😭😭

I was so tangled up in this story & so over the moon with the joy it was bringing..I didn't even realize it was coming to an end! 😭😭.. If you were a fly on my wall at the time, you'd probably think I just lost everything I had in the stock market with the way I was grabbing at my phone and freaking out 🫠

From only a couple pages in I KNEW this was going to be a story that stuck to the bones. And then it just kept getting better & better. Almost like Mr. & Mrs. Smith vibes. They both have a solid plan for the others downfall but they just play so nicely together too..We have a ruthless vampire & a shape shifting fae who's out to venge her whole family.

For me this is without a doubt going to be one of those books I don't shut up about until everyone I know has read it !

I need the sequel to this as fast as humanly possible without rushing the greatness

*The above is my review which as of today can be found on the following platforms:
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StoryGraph

This book was honestly so good, full of tension, spice and plot twists. The world has almost steampunk what vibes, it’s an urban modern world with cars and phones, but it still has oil lamps and the beginning of electricity. It’s a paranormal dark romantasy where above the surface is inhabited by humans coexisting with vampires, and below ground there’s the fae. I love this book because it almost failed like a mafia Romance, the vampires are the crime Lords in this world and the Nordstrom family oversees it all. Raziel Nordstrom is the infamous serpent, the assassin of the family, which roads have crossed with those of Nadi, a which family has been killed by the serpent. She finds out that Raziel is due to marry a bride unseen, and she takes this as the perfect chance to eliminate his family and the serpent himself. Of course things get complicated, feelings and tension are sparking and plot twists are so twisty that you will jump on your feet and scream at the end. A wonderful read that you want to pick up as soon as it comes out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

He’s a ruthless vampire who killed her family… she’s an assassin fae shapeshifter sent to kill him… so why is he calling her his little murderer?🐍🩸

So… this was my first ever mafia + vampire + fae romance and honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. But wow! 🫣— it was dark, addictive, and full of tension in the best way🔥

One thing I really loved? We get POVs from both the Vampire and the Fae. It makes the romance so much more intense, because you see exactly what they’re feeling and hiding from each other, the buildup is chefs kiss 👌🏼

The mafia elements bring that danger and power-play vibe, while the vampire twist keeps it mysterious and supernatural. It’s such a unique mix! 🩸

And that ending!!! just say I’ll be counting down the days until book two, I immediately need to know what happens next 😩😩

If you like dark romance, supernatural worlds, and a touch of danger, this is definitely worth adding to your TBR 🖤🖤

My review is also posted on goodreads and tik tok x

This book is so good! I really like Nadi, she's determined to hunt down "the Serpent" after he k*lled her family, she's out for revenge and the opportunity falls into her lap in an unexpected way.

I really like the build up to this, a little introduction into the vampire world but I love the idea of fae and vampires mixing, two worlds, two ways of life colliding together to make a strange new one for them both.

Nadi is fiesty, determined, sultry, sexy and deceiving! Her personality comes through as times but she just shows she isn't scared of the renowned Serpent. I feel there is more to tell from him and I'm here for it!

After that twist and ending, I'm really excited for the next book!

Thank you Netgalley, Kathryn Ann Kingsley, and Second Sky Books for the ARC!

After a vampire murders her entire family, Nadi decides to pose as his human bride to kill him, and his entire family. Raziel, know as the Serpent, has spent his life using his compulsion powers to kill and maim his enemies. Nadi, born fae, hates him for killing her family and can’t wait to make him pay. The story has a very interesting characters and the pace was perfect. I loved this story and finished the book in a day. I couldn’t stop and just kept going.

The twist at the end was well timed and has me so excited for the next book in the series. I can’t wait to see how the story will unfold!

Thank you Netgalley, Kathryn Ann Kingsley, Bookouture Audio and Second Sky Books for the ALC and ARC

A vampire murders her entire family and she poses as his sacrificial bride! I loved this story and the narrator did a phenomenal job. Her voice was extremely pleasant and did a good job capturing the different characters.

The slow burn in this is delicious and I loved the complexities that this story showed for the 2 main characters. The fmc was determined to kill the vampire's entire family but makes many sacrifices to her own character while she learns that he isn't who she believed him to be during her revenge.

The twist at the end was well timed and I'm very excited to continue this series and see how this will play out!!

ARC and ALC review
Publication date 28 August 2025.

"The Serpent's Bride" by Kathryn Ann Kingsley is the first book in the "Bloodlines" serie.
This is a dark vampire romance.

I received an e-ARC from the Second Sky and an ALC from Bookouture Audio (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

What you can expect:
- dark fantasy
- shapeshifter fae assassin x vampire mafia boss
- revenge plot
- hidden identity
- morally gray characters
- enemies to lovers
- slow burn with spice
- arranged marriage

This book really has enemies to lovers. And they are both morally gray (he is a darker shade of gray).
Nadi is a shapeshifter fae that needs to get revenge on the vampire that killed her parents.
So she shifts into Raziel Nostrom's future bride and plans his death.

This is the first book I read from this author and I like the writing and the world building.
The characters are well developed and my favorite is Nadi. She is so strong and ruthless (but she only kills bad people).
As the book only have Nadi's POV, we discover Raziel from the interactions with her and his reputation.
He is a deathly mafia boss, but is more bark then bite with Nadi.
He kept telling her that he will kill her in a sacrifice and it felt a bit repetitive.
The tension between them is so intense and the slow burn turn into hot spice.

The audiobook is narrated by Desireé Ketchum and she does a good job with all the characters.
It was easy to follow the story and I was a good experience.

I did not expect the twist(s) from the end and the cliff hanger left me speechless.
Hopefully there will be a dual POV (and narration) in the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky as well as author Kathryn Ann Kingsley for this ARC. It was a 3.5 for me as the plot was a bit lackluster and revenge as the main, immediate premise isn’t what I like to read pg. 1. Maybe a chapter or two in.

A fae whose family was murdered by a vampire infiltrates his household by impersonating his bride - planning to kill him and his whole family. Yes, please.

I really enjoyed the more traditional depiction of fae in this one - less glam, more monstrous. It's a take I've been seeing more of recently, and I'm here for it!

This is a great choice if you're in the mood for something lighter, with focus on the main characters rather than heavy world-building. It had a bit of a slow start, but the alternating POVs between Nadi and Raziel within each chapter helped with pacing - we're never stuck too long with one of them and wondering what is the other thinking.

I liked that while Nadi is clinging to her revenge and is firmly in denial of her mixed feelings, we still see the shift in her inner monologue. At the same time, we follow Raziel who is very much aware of his feelings changing and just... goes with it? I don't know, they were both pretty unhinged and unstable hahah, which threw some unexpected situations into the mix.

The ending? Give me book 2 now, PLEASE and thank you. I did NOT expect that!

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

This book was just okay. I did enjoy reading it, for the most part, so I will give it credit for that. However, if we look at actual plot and character development, I found this book lacking.

First of all, let’s talk about characters. I enjoyed Nadi as a character. She’s smart and vicious. What I really hated was that she is described as this rarity, a female with a brain. It diminishes other females in the book to simple-minded, weeping creatures. I liked Nadi, but was putting down all the women around her necessary for making her seem smart and cunning?

Second of all, I hate this love story. Raziel murdered Nadi’s family, in front of her own eyes, and then years later, he’s the love interest? That to me didn’t make any sense and just didn’t work, despite how much the author tried to force it. There is no chemistry here. I love a good enemies to lovers, but I would think the murderer of one’s family would be so repugnant it would never be a consideration to make that murderer the love interest.

Overall, I had a lot of issues with this book, but it was a quick and easy read. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Wow! That ending!! 🤯 I adore a "true" enemies to lovers story, and this was that IN BULK. These MCs were brutal and made no bones about it. The tension, though 🥵🥵 Exquisite. I am eager to see how Kingsley resolves how book 1 ended. If you are looking for a book that really nails that particular trope, and also makes you understand where the characters are coming from, this vampire mafia tale will definitely be for you!😜
4.5🌟

I really enjoyed this!
I’m a huge sucker for anything vampire, and this checked all of the boxes for me!
I feel like this stood out in comparison to other “similar” romantasy books.
I need more asap!

No one writes irredeemable love interests you can’t help but adore quite like Katherine Ann Kingsley, and she’s proven that across several of her series.

This book was no different!

Our FMC is Nadi, a fae woman with deep trauma in her past that was directly caused by Raziel Nostrom, the infamously brutal vampire prince of a mafia clan.
Years later, now an assassin, she’s spent decades honing her craft, determined to finally enact her revenge on him by impersonating the fiancée he’s never met and getting close enough to kill him.

This isn’t the most layered or world-building-heavy story, but it makes up for it with morally grey characters, fun dynamics, and a really sexy back-and-forth between the leads!

As Nadi is ruthless and someone who kills as easily as she breathes, it was entertaining to watch her navigate her revenge plan. Pretending to be his fiancée, learning about vampire mafia politics, and of course the tension and ever-changing relationship between her and Raziel were the highlights of this story.

I do have to say, as with most of Kingsley’s books, while this is supposed to be “dark,” the sex scenes weren’t really anything to write home about. I didn’t even think they were particularly kinky, so for anyone wanting a dark romance with more inventive or intense erotic elements, I’d definitely temper expectations in that regard.

Otherwise, I just had such a blast with this one. Raziel and Nadi were both ruthless in their own ways, and the cat-and-mouse game he (unknowingly) engaged in with her, as she played everyone around her for fools, was executed in such an entertaining way.

The book ends on an exciting note that makes me really eager to see how it all plays out in the next installment!



Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Predictable (in the best way) right up until the last sentence of the book, which left me gaping. I love the badassery that encompasses Nadi. She's no damsel in distress, even if she's maybe a little misguided in her idea of going into enemy territory without much of a plan to kill an entire family of vampires - but I love the confidence and passion. I love when she faced a bad situation (or three?!) she was somehow able to figure her way out of it without needing a male (or anyone) to save her. That ending makes me excited to continue the series! Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Thank you to Second Sky books and NetGalley for this ARC.

When I read the blurb of this book I was so excited to pick it up. Marketed as a dark vampire romance it sounded like something I would love…
In reality, I have mixed feelings about this book. The pacing at the start of the book was off for me - it took me until about 40% of the way in to want to pick this book up. I wanted more world building and more character development (there’s practically none). The plot picked up at around 40% and I thought it was going to turn into a gripping read for me - it was action packed and I was invested. Then it slowed down again…

I struggled with the FMC as she had every reason to hate the MMC and repeatedly stated she was there for revenge etc etc but then acted a completely different way and passed up opportunities to get her revenge? Also, I’m not entirely sure what made her fall for the MMC given what he had done to her, but I guess that’s kind of a trend in dark romance novels.

The ending also fell flat for me - I pushed through the book in the hopes the ending would redeem it but then it ended on a cliffhanger and I don’t even see a resolution? I won’t be continuing this series unfortunately as it wasn’t for me - however if you like dark romance novels I can imagine you would find this enjoyable.

The Serpent’s Wife absolutely devoured me. I couldn’t stop reading (and listening) I finished it in a single day because I was completely obsessed.

This book is dripping with morally grey characters, danger, betrayal, and sizzling chemistry. Nadi is a badass fae assassin. Raziel is a vampire and the man responsible for murdering her family. So yes, it’s true enemies to lovers, and their dynamic is electric. The tension? Delicious. The banter? Sharp and addictive. And the spice? Whew, it was hot without overpowering the plot.

The story has major dark mafia romance vibes, but set in a richly built fantasy world that I found incredibly unique and compelling. Everyone is a little (or a lot) evil, and I was absolutely here for it. The plot twists kept me guessing, and that ending? I need book two in my hands immediately.

I also listened to part of the audiobook, and the narrator did a fantastic job bringing the intensity and emotion of the story to life — definitely worth the listen.

If you love dark fantasy romance with enemies to lovers, morally grey leads, killer tension, and a fresh world, The Serpent’s Wife is a must-read. An easy 5 stars from me. Thanks to Second Sky books for the gifted arc.

My first time sinking my teeth into a mafia style romance and sadly it didn’t agree with me.

Nadi, a fae assassin with a talent for shapeshifting, sees an opportunity to infiltrate the most notorious vampire family when she stumbles across a wedding invitation between a human girl and vicious killer Raziel. Wearing another woman’s face gains her entry to hunt the man that massacred her family but soon she finds herself in more trouble than she expected as their growing tension makes her question her precious loyalties.

I’m not quite sure where to begin. Like I mentioned above a mafia romance is new to me so I am not sure if this follows a typical layout for the plot but for me it just did not work. With everything we are told about Nadi’s loss and trauma it’s very hard for me to understand how a few weeks of horniness could undo that kind of pain. There’s little chemistry between the two other than bloodlust which is fine but I didn’t feel like their private moments together would account for her quick 180 change of heart and his abandonment of character to keep her alive, sure they’re both curious but it’s so surface level I found myself rolling my eyes.

That being said I liked the world building I think the way the vampires and fae are portrayed is interesting even if the former seems more like an excuse to have some gore and hedonism but the shape shifting was interesting and I wish that group had gotten more time. Nadi was so much fun and I really root for her to stay a badass but I feel like she’s going to stay enthralled and that’s disheartening.

I don’t know I feel like this had a lot of good ideas but lost some of the edge to deliver a rather weak romance but I’m hopeful others find it more to their liking.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Thank you to the author and to Second Sky for this early copy!!

I’m just gonna get straight into it and let you know that The Serpents Bride pulled me out of what I consider to be a dire reading slump. I have DNF many books in the last couple of weeks and then I picked this up and read it all in one day..

We have two Morally grey characters. Honestly, the FMC is just as diabolical as the MMC.. and she hates him and when we say enemies to lovers, I find often this is not true. In this book case I would say it’s like enemy to enemies to whatever is gonna come next. And then add Insta lust because despite actually loathing this guy.m She can’t help but be attracted to him and that also piss pisses her off.

This is a vampire romance with vampire x fae. She’s a deadly fae assassin and he’s a mafia family vampire. Their families have intertwined in the most unfortunate way, and our FMC is dedicated to killing him. The best part about this book is that her resolve doesn’t really change. Just cause he’s hot doesn’t mean she’s gonna suddenly not kill him.

There is spice but it builds up the tension before we get there and when we do get there it’s pretty intense. For us and for them.

The ending definitely gives you something to look forward to for the next book and it was absolutely one of those books where I got to the last page and was physically annoyed that we were not gonna keep going

5 stars bebes