4/5 ⭐
2 🌶

Oh, for God's sake! To be continued... 👀😮(me literally once I finished it..)

Prepare for a dynamic, morally grey packed characters, sassy FMC and MMC that you can easily fall for.

The book don't sparkle with a world building or any special magic system (I am really curious where all of the other reviews saw world building).

It is not even so dark as it intends to be. And the characters have no growth. I assumed that it will be a bit more smut that it was - there were only two spicy scenes. I even slightly lost interest between 75% and 85% of the audio. But the end compensated for all. The end is just jaw dropping!

Do I recommend it - oh, yes!

Honestly, I can't wait for book two.

Maybe in book two we can see a bit of the world building (particularly the Fae one), some character development and maybe just more information about the magic - why the vampires have different abilities, what exactly is the Fae magic. Just a suggestion to the author if she reads those comments.

The narrator did a spectacular job. It made the experience great and the story so vivid. The voice change was incredible.

Thank you to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this Audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and Kathryn Ann Kingsley for the ALC!

If you like your fantasy romance to have danger, sass, and the occasional bad guy you root for, The Serpent's Bride will give you that.
We’ve got Nadi (fae, assassin, shapeshifter) who decides the best way to get revenge on vampire prince Raziel is to slip into the role of his human bride. Naturally, things don’t stay simple. The chemistry was immediate. The banter was delicious. The trust levels between the MC's were non-existent, which made every scene a little like watching someone juggle knives while blindfolded. The world-building was intriguing, fae aren’t the soft woodland sprites here, and the vampire mafia vibes added a dramatic flair.
Desireé Ketchum's narration stood out; her voices suited each character, easily capturing the ancient yet dangerous vampire tone.
Overall: bold, bloody, and addictive. The last chapter left me yelling at my audiobook app like it personally betrayed me. Book 2, you’d better be worth the emotional damage!!!!

The Serpent’s Bride is a deliciously dark and seductive start to the Bloodlines series. Kathryn Ann Kingsley weaves a tale of revenge, deception, and twisted romance that kept me hooked from start to finish. The world-building is rich and gothic, with a blend of vampire lore and mafia-style family drama that adds depth and danger to every scene.

Nadi is a fierce and complex heroine, and her dynamic with Raziel is electric and full of tension, power shifts, and emotional stakes. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, the plot delivered two major twists that completely changed the game. I loved how bold and unexpected they were, and they added real weight to the characters’ choices.

Desireé Ketchum’s narration is outstanding. She brings the characters to life with nuance and intensity, making the audiobook experience immersive and emotionally charged.

Desireé Ketchum’s narration is outstanding. She brings the characters to life with nuance and intensity, making the audiobook experience immersive and emotionally charged.

2.5⭐️ rounding up to 3⭐️

The Serpent's Bride is a story about revenge and falling for the enemy, nothing we haven't read before.

Everything about this audiobook is average. I enjoyed listening to it while on the treadmill but there was nothing special about it that kept me hooked. The twists and betrayals were not unexpected. The romance was exactly as I imagined - there was no swooning or anticipation which was disappointing.

I don't have much to say about this book other than it's a good listen/read if you're looking for an easy read.

❤️‍🔥THE SERPENT’S BRIDE❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥ARC❤️‍🔥

I want to thank Kathryn Ann Kingsley, Netgalley, and Bookouture for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Serpents Bride.

This book was so fun to read! It’s been awhile since I have read a vampire book and this book definitely let me know I have been missing out!!

I think this story was not only well written and hard to put down, but the character development was also done incredibly well.

✨Nadi✨ is such a badass and I love her character. I enjoyed getting to know her story and watching as she adapted to obstacles in her path. It was also so engrossing to follow along as she battled her own inner conflict between revenge and her desire for Raziel.

🧛‍♂️Raziel 🧛‍♂️is a vampire mafia boss who despises fae. His character is smart, ruthless, and hard to resist. He’s a man that doesn’t usually lose control. We watch Raziel show more genuine emotion as the story unfolds which is fun to experience.

And…THE CLIFFHANGER…is off the charts!!! I honestly never would have expected that and now I’m dying to read the next book. I can’t wait for book 2!


Tropes:
Vampires X Fae
Marriage of convenience -Arranged Marriage
Revenge
Hidden Identity
Enemies to Lovers

🎧⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🎧

Dudes. Dudettes. That ending?! I’m still emotionally flailing in the abyss.😵‍💫 I did not see that twist coming, and this is only book ONE?! And it’s not even officially out yet?! The audacity! 😤📚

Huge shoutout to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Second Sky Books for letting me dive into this early. I’m grateful, truly. But now I’m stuck in limbo waiting for book two, and I am not okay.😩⏳

Let’s talk Nadi. She’s on a revenge mission so savage it makes Kill Bill look like a bedtime story.🔪💀 After witnessing the slaughter of her entire family, she sets her sights on the man responsible: Raziel Norstrom, vampire prince and head honcho of the most vicious mafia clan to ever exist.🧛‍♂️🖤

So what does our girl do? She infiltrates his world by posing as his bride. She is not without her own talents. Bold. Brilliant. Batshit insane. And I was living for it.👰‍♀️🕵️‍♀️ Her plan? Take them all down from the inside. But what she didn’t plan for? Catching feelings. Ugh. Classic. Will her heart sabotage her mission, or will she stay sharp enough to finish what she started?

This book had me hooked from page one and gasping by the last line. I want more. No... I need more. Like, yesterday. 🧨📖

And Desireé Ketchum? Absolute queen of narration.👑🎙️ Her performance was so captivating, I couldn’t hit pause if I tried. She brought every scene to life with fire and finesse.

Thank you for a free ARC for this audiobook! Unfortunately, this novel was not for me. I did not find myself enjoying this one, but I'm sure there are people out there that would like this. It's a bit like a Wattpad smut, so if you like that then give this a try!

Vampire. Mafia. Romance. 🩸
If you read that and thought “say less,” then this one’s for you.

Nadia is a Fae woman whose family was slaughtered years ago by the vampire prince Raziel. She’s spent years training and sharpening her assassin skills, all for the sake of vengeance. When she sees an opportunity to slip into the vampire mafia under the guise of being Raziel’s sacrificial human bride, she takes it—hoping to get close enough to finally exact her revenge.

🖤 Tropes & Themes
-Morally grey characters
-Vampire romance
-Mafia romance
-SMUT (yep, capital letters)
-Revenge plot

At times a little tropey (in the best way) and a bit over-the-top, but honestly? This was pure entertainment. A quick, spicy, dramatic read/listen.

⭐ 3.5 stars → 4 on Goodreads

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and Kathryn Ann Kingsley for the ALC, narrated by Desiree Ketchum!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio , and Second Sky Books for providing an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

Story: 4 Stars
Narration: 5 Stars

It should be **criminal** to end on such a cliffhanger when I have to wait to devour the next one!! I can’t wait for Book 2!
Nadi, our fmc, is a shapeshifting fae assassin on a revenge mission on the vampire (Raziel our mmc) and his family that killed her family when she was a child. To get close to him she takes the form of the woman that’s been chosen to marry him and (unsurprisingly) killing him getting more complicated when they can’t keep their hands off each other.

The Good:
Nadi was awesome. I love a morally grey fmc and she didn’t disappoint. Engaging and well-paced story. The world building with the Wilds and underground fae was really interesting and I wanted more of that. Interesting side characters and good spice and ended on a killer cliffhanger. Definitely looking forward to the next one!

Things I wanted more of:
-More world building! I really liked hearing about the Wilds and want to hear more about it.
-More variety in the mcs internal monologues. Both are fairly repetitive so their characters felt a little underdeveloped/stagnant because of that

Narration: Desireé Ketchum did an excellent job with the narration! They did a great job capturing the characters – both the sass of Nati and the old-ness of the vampires, if that makes sense lol. I listen to audiobooks exclusively (s/o to chronic illness lol). I really liked Desireé’s voice for the mmc. It can be hit and miss for me when it is a solo narration or even a dual narration if the voices for the other characters pull me out of the story. Desireé did a great job with this and I definitely am looking up other books they have narrated!

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!

Raziel and Nadi have an interesting dynamic throughout this. In some ways they appear to trust each other and their motives but in others they believe nothing but the worst. I really enjoyed the relationships in this and not completely knowing any vampires motives and how they would manipulate the situation to their benefits. Nadi provided a strong female character who was fun to watch how she handled each situation thrown at her.

The world building with Fae being the "bad guy" was a refreshing take but I don't think we know the full truth yet. I am very much intrigued to explore more of this world and how the two main characters move forward from where we left off.

vampire mafia boss x shapeshifting aqua fae assassin
Enemies to lovers
Hidden identity
Marriage of convenience
And that ENDING???


MAAM WHAT WAS THAT
YOU ALREADY HAD ME AT DARK ROMANCE AND VAMPIRES BIT THIS ENDING ….. I NEED MORE IMMEDIATELY 🫴🏻 💳

Love anything and everything vampires and that stood true with The Serpent’s Bride.

The plot is excellent. The FMC is so cool. And the MCM is so hot.

The narration was really good.

Ends on a cliffhanger, I cannot wait for the second book already!

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.

Desireé Ketchum nailed the narration. Her voice brought the characters to life, making the story even more immersive.

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.

This book is a Dark Vampire Romance with some Mafia aspects.

This isn't my usual style of book but I was pleasantly surprised. I was recommended this book so I thought I'd give it a try and I'm glad I did.
I decided to get the audiobook and the VA was good. The writing in this story was really good and comes across well on audio.

I was really happy to read a book with a strong female lead. Nadi is a skilled assassin and still finds herself in an extremely dangerous situation where one wrong move could end her whole plan. But she's stuck between her plan and her growing desire for her target. The emotions are tangled and complex when hate meets lust and it had me intrigued for each step of the way.

I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read a Dark Vampire Romance with some suspense and some spice.

Overall Rating: 5 ⭐️
Spicy Rating: 1.5 🌶️
Audio: 5 🎧

Wow, this book was exactly what I wanted. It had true ENEMIES, tension, murder, intriguing family dynamics.

I’m honestly at a loss for words how good this book was. The audio was great, though it was a solo narration and there were male POVs (in 3rd person), the narrator’s male voices were excellent and consistent.

The pacing was great, I didn’t find any parts to be slow, and all scenes seemed to have some sort of importance. The last few chapter had my heart racing and I had to put the book at 2x speed because I was so anxious.

The ending truly made me gasp and I will need book 2 as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Thank you Bookouture Audio and Second Sky Books for the advanced review/listening copy.

Both the book & the narration were a 5 ⭐️ plus!

This spicy dark vampire romantasy is a must read/listen if you like enemies to lovers, a badass FMC, and a possessive MMC!

I loved the fact that I was immediately drawn into the story & it moved along effortlessly. Before I knew it, the story came to an end with the best cliffhanger!! I’m dying for book two!

I never thought I’d be reading about mafia vampires, “untraditional” fae (you’ll know) & humans in a world like this one BUT IT WORKS!

The FMC, Nadi, has a score to settle with not only the MMC, Raziel Nostrom, but his whole family ending with their deaths. There is nothing & no one, not even family, she won’t sacrifice to get it done. However, she definitely didn’t count on the attraction they would have for each other!
Loved the fact that both the FMC & MMC were morally dark gray…nothing is off limits.

Kingsley kept shaking things up as well, just when you thought you had things figured out the story took a twist!

Highly recommend & bravo to Desireé Ketchum as the narrator!

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture Audio | Second Sky Books for this opportunity!

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narrator was great and easy to listen to. The storyline was intriguing with the right amount of spice. The twist at the end has me excited for the next book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5!!!
This book was great! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a story packed with action, intrigue, and just the right amount of spice. The narrator did an amazing job bringing every single character to life — each voice was distinct without ever being confusing, which made the listening experience even better.

The plot truly had it all: spice, vampires, fae, an arranged marriage, revenge… every chapter kept me hooked and needing to know what happened next. The pacing was perfect, with twists and tension that made it impossible to stop listening.

And that endinggggg 👀 I’m still not over it! Now I’m impatiently waiting for the second book because I need to know where this story goes next — and I really hope I don’t have to wait too long 😂

I really enjoyed this. The world was easy to understand and the end was a wonderfully interesting cliff hanger. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review.