This book was a fun time! I am invested in this series!

The FMC is an assassin for hire, but her one true goal is to exact revenge on the Vampire MMC that murdered her family in front of her 80 years ago. As a shapeshifting Fae, she sees her opportunity to pose as the MMC’s sacrificial bride in his upcoming wedding. She tells herself she will do whatever it takes to end the vampire (aka the Serpent) and his entire mobster family, but things become murky very quickly.

I enjoyed the back story of these characters, they could’ve been better developed. I loved that the FMC wasn’t a traditional “beauty” in her true form. It made her more relatable. I wanted to see more of the FMC’s journey to better understand how she became an assassin. It felt like a random afterthought. I would be more emotionally invested if I watched her struggle and believed her pain. I felt the plan of attack should’ve been more developed and emotional for the FMC after 80 years.

I love the MMC. He’s your typical broody, morally grey vampire. I got a taste of why the MMC is conditioned to be the way he is- I just wish I could’ve seen more vulnerability from him- which I suspect we will get more of later in the series! Make their connection feel more genuine and exciting vs forbidden lust. After that ending, I can’t wait to see his character develop more in the next book!

I’d say this was on the milder side of dark romance. And 🌶️🌶️ spice level. Open door, yet tasteful with language choices.

I thoroughly enjoyed the narration of this book, though I think it would benefit from dual or duet narration with a male actor. The female narrator still did an excellent job of letting me know which characters were speaking.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio/Second Sky Books for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

**Thank you to NetGalley & Publisher for the ALC; all opinions are my own.**
GR Review live as of 07/31/2025.

4 ⭐️
3.5 🌶
🎧

I honestly don't know what I was expecting, but this was honestly pretty fun!!! This is a sexy, and spicy story about a fae shifter finally getting her revenge on the vampire family who killed her own. What she doesn't expect is all the complications that a fake marriage (on her end) entails. This is the start of a new series, so just be aware that this one ends on a cliffhanger! The narrator does such a good job with this story and I was captive from the very first word spoken.

If you like:
☆ vampires & fae
☆ mafia wars
☆ biting & arranged marriage
☆ revenge plans
☆ urban fantasy/darker romance
☆ mates
CHECK THIS ONE OUT!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!! I was hooked from the start and the story lines twists and turns definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Definitely an easy to understand world and super easy to read. If you love vampires and fae you will love this book!
🩸 enemies to somewhat lovers?
🩸 female assassin
🩸 dark fantasy
🩸 marriage of convenience
🩸 shapeshifter fae FMC
🩸 vampire MMC

So many good tropes for romantasy lovers! Definitely a spicy book too 😊

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an early copy of the audio for this book.

I had fun with this one. It's the first book in a series, so there was a lot of set up as to the new world we're inhabiting as well as introductions to our main characters and the dynamics between them.

Desireé Ketchum is a captivating narrator. She did a wonderful job switching between POVs which allowed the reader to follow along seamlessly even though the POV switch ups happen within the chapters. I appreciated her attention to nuance and inflection to distinguish between characters as well. I do feel as though this was a missed opportunity for duel or duet narration, but Desireé did a fantastic job overall.

Nadi is a shapeshifting fae who has turned her trauma and grief into her drive for revenge against the man who killed her family. This man just happens to be Raziel, a powerful vampire with a reputation of breaking his victims to the point of madness. Of course their worlds collide in the most unlikely way, and now Nadi has to do all she can to survive while exacting her revenge.

The tension between Nadi and Raziel is delicious. There's a promise of darkness that I feel Kathryn just scratches the surface of in The Serpent's Bride. Kathryn is the queen of giving readers just enough to pull them in before she pulls the rug from under us and leaves us gasping for more with her intentional cliffhangers. Because of that, I will definitely be adding the rest of the series to my TBR.

2,5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to listen to The Serpent’s Bride in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Vampires, vengeance, and veiled intentions 🩸🖤. This dark fantasy romance audiobook promised a twisted tale of revenge and seduction, but my connection with the heroine just never quite clicked. I struggled with her erratic behavior—on one hand, she’s plotting vengeance against the vampire who slaughtered her family, but on the other, she’s already thirsting for him within the first few chapters. And despite the danger he poses, she rarely seems to have a real plan. It left me feeling frustrated rather than intrigued.

I tend to love morally gray MMCs, but this one was just plain cruel—demeaning, controlling, even physically aggressive, and not in a way that felt redemptive or romantic. I prefer it when the MMC is cold to the world and warm to the heroine, but here… she only seemed useful to him, and that made it hard to root for the romance 💔.

The narration also fell a little flat for me. I really wish there had been dual narrators—especially since the POVs alternate. It was jarring to suddenly shift into his perspective with the same female voice trying to push a male tone. It made it hard to stay immersed in key emotional moments 🎧🌀.

That said, there were elements I genuinely enjoyed: the underground fae world was eerie and wild in a good way, the vampires and their magical powers were intriguing, and the spice was handled tastefully 🔥🧛. There’s potential here, especially for those who like their romance very dark and don’t mind morally murky dynamics.

#TheSerpentsBride #NetGalley

⸻

Review: The Serpent’s Bride
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first read by this author and wow, I was not expecting to be this hooked. From the very beginning, the pacing had me completely locked in. I appreciated that there wasn’t an overload of world building up front. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s necessary, but sometimes I just want to dive straight into the meat of the story and this delivered.

Now let’s talk about the audio. Desiree Ketchum was absolute perfection. I’ve been spoiled lately with full cast and duet narration, so I was shocked when I realized it was just her doing all the voices. She brought every single character to life so seamlessly I didn’t even question it. Her performance added so much depth and emotion I couldn’t stop listening.

Also, those plot twists? Did not see some of that coming. And that ending? I’m going to need the next book immediately. Like… yesterday.

Highly recommend if you love fast-paced fantasy with surprising turns and killer narration.

I LOVED this book. Fae x vampire. Revenge. Mafia. Arranged marriage. Slow burn. It was all so good. Was thrown off a bit at the start with her having a tail instead of legs(although at the start I thought she had legs AND a tail but realised at the end it was only a tail). I hadn’t read anything like that before. But once I started I forgot all about that and couldn’t get enough.

The FMC, Nadia was sassy and I adored her. She gave up everything for her revenge. But it isn’t turning out like she planned. The MMC…Raziel…what can I say about him. 🥵 I want one. So badly.

All in all. This book was so good. I’m going to buy a physical copy when it comes out as a trophy. Can’t wait for the second one.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A quick and easy listen or read, for people who like a slightly twisted romance. It would make a good palate cleanser between heavier fantasy or romantasy books and series.

There were a few surprises in there for me (and some good smutty moments), which made it enjoyable, although in some places I'd say the plot pushes the boundaries on suspension of disbelief... the behaviour in pursuit of overwrought revenge made it difficult to identify with the FMC, but I feel like the MMC could get way more interesting in the next installment...

Thanks to netgalley for the audio ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It has a bunch of my favorite tropes in it. But every single one had a little twist to it in which it felt new.

The two main characters in its book are vampire and Fae. I really like that both their ages were older than their physical appearance.

The story is really intriguing because every time I thought oh I knew how this scene is gonna play out didn’t go away I expected. For someone who reads a lot. It’s very nice to find that book that’s still surprises you.

I can’t wait for the next book. I am very curious where this storyline is had it

Not for me, but if you're a fan of dark fantasy romance, you'll probably enjoy this one! I LOVED the setting, it's 1930s mobster with a vampire nobility trope. I liked the main character, I liked that she was willing to make hard choices. The writing wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me. A lot of books do this, where they keep repeating "I can't believe I'm falling for Firstname Lastname of all people. Firstname fucking Lastname." If you read a lot of romance you'll know the style I'm talking about. I didn't find the mmc that compelling, but again I'm not into dark romance. I loved the ending, it was so brilliant. I don't know if I'll read the second one or not, but I know just because this wasn't my thing doesn't mean someone else won't love it. If you like dark romance and want a novel setting, this is the book for you!

Thanks to NetGalley for the free arc, all opinions are my own.

A faerie seeking revenge on the vampire lord that killed her family goes undercover as his human bride. An interesting concept for a book certainly. The execution and writing wasn’t my favorite and I didn’t connect much to the characters which felt a bit 1D to me but it was an ok read and the audiobook was well done.

I really appreciated the opportunity to receive this book early to review. it was enjoyable to listen to and a good story to follow. was not expecting the end and that is what I love. I look forward to the next book!.

Wow! This book was absolutely fantastic. From the description, I thought that I would love the vibe of this but it delivered even more than I expected.

Nadi is a badass assassin but also has so many layers that she feels like such a believable, real character. I love that we also get the MMC's perspective at times so that we know more about his motivations.

The slow burn, banter, the tension... and the spicy scenes were hot! I can't wait to see where this goes!

TW: Blood, gore, mentions of sexual abuse, mentions of sex trafficking, murder, familial death, etc

This was my first Kathryn Ann Kingsley book and will not be my last. What a fun ride The Serpent's Bride was! Nadi is a shapeshifter fae who is out for the ultimate revenge against the vampire that slaughtered her entire family in front of her. She infiltrates his home and family by taking the place of his sacrificial bride but can she kill him before she falls for him?

The blurb for this book grabbed my attention right away, I'm always down for a little revenge plot! I found Nadi and Raziel's chemistry pretty decent, even though at some parts I was flabbergasted at how UNdisgusted she was by some of the things he did. But this is a Dark Romance so c'est la vie and all that right? I got a lot of mafia vibes with how horrible Raziel's family is and how many businesses they are into so this will be fun if that's your jam. There's loads of murder and mayhem but still moments of tender emotions that make you love these two. The ending was expected and not. I knew he would find her out but I did not expect what happened after that, I will definitely be reading the next book!

I listened to this book after being blessed with an ALC and have to say I really enjoyed Desiree Ketchum's narration. She had just the right amount of sass that I imagined for Nadi and she had great inflection and tone. The pacing was perfect for me at my usual 1.25x and she did well with changing up the voice tone for males and females. I will be looking out for more of her narrations.

Thank you so much to Bookouture Audio and Second Sky Books for gifting me this ALC, looking forward to the next one!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in advance.

The Serpent’s Bride offers a familiar fantasy romance setup: a Fae protagonist marries a vampire with the intention of killing him. While the premise isn’t new, I found the execution slightly stronger than in similar stories I’ve encountered. The pacing is fast, the audiobook is relatively short, and the tone fits well for readers seeking light, trope-driven entertainment.

One aspect I personally found less compelling was the character design — the main character is Fae, yet has a mermaid-like tail. I usually enjoy creative fantasy elements, but this particular combination felt a bit unusual to me and didn’t quite resonate, though others may enjoy the unique blend.

The romantic dynamic includes some steamy scenes, especially toward the end — with definite Fifty Shades energy. If that’s something readers enjoy, it will likely add to the appeal. The twist at the end was mildly interesting, but I’m still unsure whether I’ll continue the series.

Overall, this is a quick, easy read best suited for fans of light romantasy with familiar tropes, some spice, and a touch of dark intrigue — as long as expectations are kept in check.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture Audio | Second Sky Books for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion

So this book starts very schematic. You know evil vampire - Raziel- killing off the whole family of Nadi's family., then FMC swearing to kill him and wipe his family too as an act of revenge. I kinda love when authors build on this schematic formula to make something of their own. however this was so schematic that i got disappointed.
Nadi happens to be assassin after waiting so many years to finally get her vengeance and opportunity arises when Raziel's wedding to a human girl is to be happening soon. As a shapeshifter fae Nadi can take the place of poor girl and make her dream kill come true, right?

Now what irked me in this book is that FMC is supposed to be intelligent, trained killer that was preparing for her entire life to take down a clan full of vampires.... except.... no she it's as intelligent as author wants us to believe or prepared as she should be (aka no plan how to do it). not to mention that her "hatred" is literally suppressed by lust within first meeting of her target who, mind you literally killed her family.
I get this is true enemies to lovers but... there is no buildup to lovers part?? just pure lust straight away??

I also get they are both murdering people but where were a bits of chemistry between characters? the moments they connect besides the lust they feel for each other?
It truly felt like there is nothing that connected them together as people. nothing besides the lust. and i have problem with that. i get this was supposed to be spicy (it wasn't ) romance so i guess some people turn a blind eye on it but do we as readers really don't want FMC and MMC to have anything in common OUTSIDE of bedroom? i mean that's just the whole point of romance, right? two people connecting over their faults and fears and likes and dislikes? i found it lacking in this position.

However, I must admit the ending is interesting and probably only reason why this book is rated 2.5-3 stars instead of 2 stars.

I loved the narrator. They did amazing job and yeah it's it (i could rant more but obviously no spoilers). i will not likely read book 2.

I really wanted to love The Serpent’s Bride, but unfortunately, the story just didn’t fully hook me. The premise is intriguing—a female fae sea creature (think fish-like siren) trying to glamour herself into appearing human in order to attract a vampire—but the execution fell a bit flat for me.

The audiobook narration itself wasn’t bad at all. The voice acting was solid and the production quality was good, so no complaints there. My struggle was more with the pacing and character connection. I never felt fully invested in the FMC or her motivations, and while the worldbuilding had potential, it didn't quite immerse me the way I hoped it would.

Overall, this one had an original concept and decent narration, but it just didn’t pull me in emotionally or narratively the way I wanted.

It's not often that when a book finishes I have to pause and say "Well..... SHIT" but this book perfectly managed that. This book will definitely be well accepted with the dark romance girlies. I know some people complain when narrators don't have a duet narrators scenario and when the single narrator portrays the opposite genders voice, but for me I think it was extremely well done in this book and it didn't throw off the story at all. Fae assassins in a vampiric world with insatiable desires for each other and a plot worth sticking around for. I don't normally like this genre also but I'm already planning to read the second book.

Think, vampires, fae, revenge, fake:ish marriage, dark and urban.
What more do you want?
No, but seriously. This was such a good story and such a good vampire book, I can’t wait for the next one!

The narrator did an excellent job!

That cliff hanger!!! OH MY GOSH I need book two yesterday!! I can’t tell you the last time I binged a book this hard but I was addicted. Nadi is a complete baddie who handled everything that was thrown at her with ease. This book left me guessing till the very end! Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.