Mafia Vampire?

Hello?!

A love story based off revenge but attraction is stronger than most think. We get spice, angst, dark romance and enemies-to-lovers. What more can we want? 300 pages of pure intrigue leaving us on a juicy cliffhanger - chefs kiss!

Often, slow burns frustrate me, but Kathryn Ann Kingsley’s The Serpent’s Bride was a different type of slow burn. Nadi, the FMC, helped with that and the mafia themes within the story. I was very much invested in her revenge goals. She used glamour to disguise herself as the vampire’s bride, and then she was off to unalive the entire family. She had her reasons. She didn’t anticipate how charming and drawn she was to the vampire mafia prince—Raziel. The other complex issue is that Nadi has glamoured herself because she is Fae.

As I mentioned, it is a slow burn, but the character development and action kept me distracted until those spicy scenes happened. It was building, I could feel it. I do love Raziel’s character. I can see why Nadi was so captivated by him and incredibly conflicted too.

Now, the ending does end in a cliffhanger. Yes, this is Book 1. You won’t get spoilers from me. I don’t do that. But what I can say is that I was surprised.

***Check your TWs***

Tropes:
-vampire mafia MMC
-shape shifter fae FMC
-fantasy romance
-dark romance
-forced proximity
-hidden identity
-marriage of convenience
-enemies to lovers
-revenge plot
-banter

I love Kathryn’s books so much. This one was no different. I didn’t want to put this one down. I ate it up and left no crumbs. I’m impatiently waiting for the next one now. That cliffhanger was insane! I saw some of the ending coming, but only a tiny portion. Some of the twists had my jaw on the floor.

Nadi is a shapeshifter who hijacks Raziell’s wedding as a way to get closer to him and his family to carry out her revenge plot. Raziel killed her family, and she is determined to give him what he has coming. Nadi is such a brilliant and badass FMC. I loved her. Raziell seems to be very misunderstood. I am eager to learn more about him in the next book as well.

This one is a must-read for fans of vampire and fae romances. Kathryn always delivers fantastic books. This is available on KU. I hope you enjoy it too.

3.5⭐️ I enjoyed the whole vampire mafia lord x aqua fae assassin vibes. I loved the premise being an enemies to lovers/arranged marriage with the fmc having a revenge arc against the mmc and his family. This definitely was a fast paced read and is like a mix of dark romance and fantasy.

I did enjoy the world building, learning about the history between the fae, humans, and, vampires. I also thought Nadi’s backstory was a perfect setup for a revenge arc.

Some flaws about this for me was that I felt like Nadi’s inter-monologue was very repetitive and annoying at times. I also didn’t like the insta lust. I wish that attraction was built up more before her just immediately lusting over him every time she sees him. I feel like that took away from the whole revenge arc plot line.

The ending did leave off on a cliffhanger so I am interested to see what happens in book 2. I have to think about whether I will continue the series or not.

I loved this book from the start.
Nadi is going to pose as the bride of Raziel, since he never saw her it was easy. Him and his family need to die for killing her family years ago. But he also has to kill his bride after they are married as it is part of a sacrifice. These 2 spending time that they had together was a spicy sometimes and sometimes had me laughing.. I did have a feeling how the book was going to end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the copy to review.

oh my god !!!!! i absolutely loved this book so much i will be getting a physical copy very soon and i cannot wait for the next book to come out!!!! Kathryn if you see this PLEASE PUT ME ON YOUR PR!!!! im so obsessed with raziel and nadi. OBSESSEDDDDDDD!

The Serpent Bride is a morally black parade of characters, and I devoured every bite.

I am a monster in more ways than one. A Fae of the Wild, despised and disdained. But also the monster Raziel created when he slaughtered my family with a smile. For eighty years, I’ve lived for revenge. Now he’s getting married, and I can conveniently shapeshift into his bride-to-be. I’m in the belly of the beast. Among the vampire mafia. They don’t know who I am, but I know exactly what I’ll do. I’ll tear them apart piece by piece. And Raziel? Oh, I’ll take my time with him. I’ll kill him slowly, savoring every second.

That’s the setup, and the delivery? Perfection. The cliffhanger? Jaw-dropping. I kept asking, how is this going to play out? and the ending was both shocking and perfection.

The cast is dark, dangerous, and morally black to the bone, but each with reasons that make you understand, if not forgive. Nadi’s backstory is tragic, her vengeance soaked in blood and wrath, and you can’t help rooting for her. She’s driven, ruthless, and unstoppable, until she collides with the very vampire she hates most.

Raziel. The man who shaped her darkness. The vampire who’s haunted her every thought for decades. She wants him dead. She wants him closer. And yet, like calls to like. Their tension is electric, twisted, and impossible to look away from.

I adored their hate, their disgust, the push and pull of their obsession and possession. This book has sunk its claws into me. I’m ravenous, and I need book two now.

ARC Review

Wow! I’m not usually one for Urban/Vampire/Mafia romances these days, but this one was really well done.

The enemies to lovers (kind of) trope was more believable in this one than some more recent books I’ve read, so that was nice as well. Plenty of back and forth and lines blurred there, especially with the twist at the end.

The world is different enough, although it still felt very urban to me. I did love the conflicting views of the Fae/Wilds versus the more urbanized Vampire/Human world, as well as the impact it has on our FMC.

There is a decent plot to spice ratio here, which is always a plus for me. Nothing too dark if that’s what you’re looking for though.

I’m very anxious to see what’s in store next for Raz and Nadi, especially after that cliffhanger!

Thank you NetGalley & Second Sky for this advance copy!

Mr. & Mrs. Smith if he were a vampire prince of the mafia and she were a shapeshifting fae assassin bent on revenge.


How do you get back at the man who murdered your family right before your very eyes? For Nadi, the answer is simple: disguise herself as Raziel’s bride, win over his family, and murder them all one by one.


I devoured this book in just two sittings. The drama felt like a dark, supernatural soap opera. I had to know what would happen between Nadi and Raziel! And I’m always a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers romance (pun intended).


That said, I wished the world building had been stronger. The setting was hard to place, and I would have loved more detail to ground the story in time and place. I also wanted to see Nadi’s interactions with Betty on page, they could have had a Deadpool-Weasel situation. The overarching series plot blended too tightly into this plot, leaving book one to end on a cliffhanger without much closure. And at times, there was a bit more telling than showing.


Still, this was a fun, bingeable read with a storyline that kept me enthralled. If you love dark mafia romance layered with vampires, fae, and delicious enemies-to-lovers tension, this one is definitely for you!

What a great story!
I got the 1920s Gangster ears vibe from this book with a twist on Fae and vampires. Loved it!
I feel like the world is not your usual setup, and it's really is refreshing. The world building is not overwhelming, just the right amount to easily understand.
One of my favourite during the story is the sassy tone we have during the FMC POVs, but also liked how complex are the characters.

I loved this story it’s exactly what I needed.

I cannot believe the twists and turns and our man is very morally grey which I very much enjoyed!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this early e-arc.

I need the second book like ASAP!!! I must know what happens next.

I love when 2 hot unhinged people come together. The FMC and MMC, despite being murderous, calculating and unforgiving, were incredibly likeable. The start was like How to Lose a Guy in 10 days but for killer vampires/fae. The dual POV made this a great story and would count this as true enemies to lovers. I flew through this book and can’t wait for the next!

✨️ Attention my vampire lovers!✨️

Happy Release Day to this diamond!!

Vamps are my guilty pleasure and have been for as long as I can remember, and this brought such an amazing twist on a classic vamp story.

This journey was compelling, emotional, and completely captivating. From the first page, this book had me hooked to it. You feel the rage, pain, and emotional anguish that these characters have been through, and you find yourself rooting for both leads.

The ending is quick, brutal, and literally left me with my mouth hanging open!

✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

Nadia has had one moment stuck in her mind since she was a little girl. The image of Raz Nostrom, vampire prince, and torturer of the reigning mafia, killing her entire family while she watched.

She has grown up with one goal in mind. End him. He might not know her, but she knows everything about him, and she will find a way to end him. She is just waiting for her opening. Her patience wears off. Raz is getting married to someone he has never even seen before. Perfect.

One thing no one knows about her is that she is Fae. She has the rare ability to be able to shapeshift. She finds the girl and switches places with her, but doesn't realize just how over her head she is.

She is willingly walking into the den of a murderer and the more she is there, the more she enjoys his company....this wasn't part of the plan.

✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

Please give this one some love! You won't regret it!

Thank you to @netgalley, @bookouture, and @secondskybooks for the opportunity to read this ARC and a huge shout out to @kathrynannkingsley for writing this amazing story!!

SPOILER ALERT 🚨

The Serpent’s Bride was the second ARC I had the honor of reading thanks to Second Sky Books and NetGalley.

I’ll be honest—when I first downloaded this book, I devoured the first two chapters in one sitting… and then promptly put it down. The opening chapter of a forced marriage between a vampire and a human, a brutal murder, and a fae assassin soaking in a post-job bath, I felt tangled in too many backstories at once. It sat untouched on my Kindle for over a week before I finally decided to give it another chance.

I’m so glad I did. Once the story found its stride, it pulled me in fast. Kingsley knows how to deliver tension, intrigue, and those delicious twists that keep you saying, “Just one more chapter.” Still, I often caught myself frustrated by the setup: how could Raziel—the vampire MMC and enforcer of a mafia vampire clan—not realize the bride he’s about to marry isn’t the helpless human sacrifice he thinks she is, but Nadi, the shape-shifting fae assassin determined to kill him in revenge for her family’s murder? But credit where it’s due—Raziel eventually proved himself sharper than I gave him credit for, and by the time I hit the cliffhanger ending, I needed to know what happens next.

For all my eye rolls at the cliché one-liners sprinkled throughout, the story itself kept me glued to my Kindle late into the night (I’m a bedtime reader through and through). Kingsley’s writing is vivid, fast-paced, and immersive, even when the dialogue sometimes veers into cheesy territory. If you can push past a few cringey catchphrases, you’ll find a thrilling, layered fantasy romance that refuses to let go.

Overall, the serpents bride is an entertaining read that many embrace, this genre will thoroughly enjoy. Will, I read the sequel? Yes, I probably will. I just hope Kingsley limits her use of silly one liners and focuses more on the interplay of characters along with a stronger opening.

I NEED the next book now!

The Serpent's Bride is true enemies to lovers. Raziel and Nadi wanted to kill each other but couldn't ignore the chemistry between them. I loved the tension and watching them try to fight the attraction.

Kingsley writes the best morally gray characters. Raziel and Nadi are the perfect match. I loved that Nadi wasn't innocent and naive. She might not be as brutal as Raziel but she's done some questionable stuff to accomplish her goal.

The book did start a little slow and took me a few chapters to get into it. But once it picked up, it was impossible for me to put down. I did not see that ending coming and I will be anxiously awaiting the next book!!

If you're looking for a book with vampires/fae, hidden identity, forced proximity, and morally gray characters, pick this up now! Thank you Second Sky and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! Vampires and Fae? Count me in. Add a sprinkle of dark romance, spice, an arranged marriage and a mafia-esque family? I'm not above begging.

A fairly straightforward plot; Nadi, a shapeshifting Fae, assumes the role of Monica, a human destined to marry Raziel, the bloodthirsty vampire who killed her siblings and parents. By infiltrating from the inside, Nadi hopes to beguile the vampires into prolonging her time with them before her 'sacrifice' is to be made - the human bride must die or be turned. Things get complicated when Nadi starts developing feelings, beyond hatred, for her husband.

Nadi was a really great FMC, you get the inner monologue of a feisty Fae assassin but the outward act of a human around a family of terrifying vampires. I also love that she is morally grey herself!

Raziel is your typical morally black MMC. He's blood-thirsty, ruthless and has a reputation that precedes him. Despite only marrying 'Monica' to appease his family, he soon becomes protective of her and you start to see his feelings falter. His dommy side is absolutely delightful (🥵) and the spice is truly scrumptious.

I did expect a bit more spice but I think I'm just being greedy. I will say though, we got a couple of biting scenes (vampire lovers, iykyk) and they were wonderful. 10/10, no notes, give me more.

Don't go into this expecting loads of lore or world-building - the storyline, romance and characters are very much the focus, not the world or its history. As a result, I think this is a book that fantasy and non-fantasy readers alike can enjoy.

An easy read with a compelling story and plenty of tropes & plot points that I love meant that I flew through The Serpent's Bride. The pacing felt a tiny bit slow initially, however it soon picks up. The last 30% of the book was a one-sitting read and the last 10%? (THAT ENDING. WHAT?) Wow. I didn't see that coming, but I loved it.

I'm so excited for the second book - I absolutely NEED to know how it continues.

Thank you so much to Second Sky Books for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my review.

Nadi, a shapeshifting fae, has waited decades to enact her revenge against Raziel Nostrom—the ruthless vampire prince who murdered her family when she was a child. Her plan? Impersonate his unseen human bride-to-be and get close enough to kill him. But what happens when the lines between vengeance and desire start to blur, and her enemy turns out to be more complex, dangerous, and alluring than she ever imagined?

This book was such a ride. I’m talking mafia vampires, morally grey fae assassins, betrayal, sizzling chemistry, and a cliffhanger that had me literally staring at the wall in silence. Kathryn Ann Kingsley created this dark, glittering world where no one is innocent and every choice is tainted. I knew I was a goner from the first chapter.

There wasn't a whole lot of world building but I did like the vampire mafia politics, the Wilds, the history between fae, humans, and vampires. It wasn’t overly dense, but it set the stage perfectly for the drama to unfold. I also really enjoyed that both Nadi and Raziel were villains in their own right; there was no “good girl/bad guy” trope here, which made their dynamic even more intriguing.

That said, I will admit some of Nadi’s inner monologue felt a little repetitive at times, and Raziel’s “what do I do about my wife?” waffling dragged slightly. But honestly? With how fast-faced the story was I carried through so easily I didn’t even care.

Overall, The Serpent’s Bride was a fast-paced, dark, sexy, enemies-to-lovers read that gave me exactly what I wanted: danger, betrayal, morally grey characters, and addictive tension. It’s not the darkest romance I’ve read, but it was such a perfect balance of fantasy, mafia vibes, and romance that I couldn’t stop reading. This was a solid 4.5 stars for me, and I can’t wait to dive into the sequel!!!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky publishing for providing me with an ARC.

This was a fantastic start to a new series. Raziel took the lives of Nadi‘s family in a brutal massacre leaving her with a thirst for revenge. A fae shapeshifter, Nadi takes the place of Raziel‘s bride-to-be with a plot to murder him and his entire family, but doesn’t take into account for the possibility that she might fall for the enemy. This book had my attention from start to finish and that cliffhanger has me dying for book two.

This book is oozes revenge. And I am a sucker for it. I liked how the FMC is just as morally corrupt as the people she’s determined to destroy. Some of the inner dialogue and motivations where a bit repetitive, but overall I enjoyed this story fueled by revenge, murder and morally gray leads. Looking out for the sequel!

I received an ALC courtesy of Second Sky & NetGalley. Thank you for the review opportunity!

Y'all the level of nostalgia and yearning any time someone utters vampires and romance together- absolute chokehold. The Serpent's Bride... oh the burning intensity! With a marriage on convenience, a woman who is out for revenge stepping in to pretend to be the intended bride to be? Edge of my seat!

I love a read that knows it's genre- you will not find any shortage of the smutty goodness you expect from cover alone and yet I was holding my breath over the danger, twists, turns, and betrayals happening at every corner. Fast-paced, thrilling, and enough twists to send you on a wild ride- my only complaint is that ending that leaves you gripping the edge of a cliff because HOW do I recover from that? How can I possibly be expected to just accept that the follow-up isn't out yet or even confirmed of any hard dates because we just got this one!