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.

The prologue had me instantly hooked. I craved answers like how the vampires crave blood and Nadi's need to vengeance. I needed the backstory and to see this new world unfold. Now book two can't come soon enough.

This book follows Nadi, a fae woman who, as a child saw her family murdered and remembers every detail, including the name of the man responsible: Raziel Nostrom. Many years down the road she became an assassin and during one of her missions, she stumbles upon an invitation to Raziel's wedding. That's when her plan begins to take shape, she must become the bride to get close to his family and kill them all. This world has a blend of vampire and fae politics, where the fae are despised. And as for tropes it has some of my personal favorites: enemies to lovers, instant lust, and marriage of convenience.

Desireé Ketchum did a fantastic job narrating and truly embodied who Nadi and Raziel are through their POVs. She absolutely captivated me and left me eager to go back to the book and keep listening. Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio | Second Sky Books

3.75 ⭐️ 4/5 audio

Thank you to NetGalley and SecondSky for the ALC!!

Okay wow, the only thing better than enemies to lovers is consistent…. enemies with benefits.

fae v. vampires

the fmc is an assassin that sets out to unalive the vampire that unalived her family. she plans to do this by disguising as his betrothed.

One thing about this is that it is exactly as advertised which is more than amazing!! Fun, spicy, vampire dark mafia romance for sure!!

Audio so deserved to be duet narration, but the narrator did a great job on her own. 2x approved for sure. 1x not approved.

Would recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio arc of this book.

I found both of the main characters hard to like at first, neither the FMC nor the MMC felt particularly redeemable, leaning more toward morally black than grey. Despite that, the plot was intriguing and darkly compelling enough to keep me hooked. There’s a twisted, slow-burn tension woven throughout that made it hard to look away.

What really surprised me was the ending. I didn’t see it coming at all, and it left me wanting more. Even though I struggled to connect with the characters, I’m definitely curious enough to pick up the next book and see where the story goes from here.

This was 2.5 for me.

I was able to listen to this via NetGalley! Thank you for the opportunity!

The narration was good - would have liked different characters but understand that is not feasible all the time.

I wish there was more world building as well as character development.

The ending was not a shocker and seemed kind of bland.

2.5 ⭐️⭐️
🌶️ ish

🎧 Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ALC!

Okay, here’s the tea. Nadi’s entire family was murdered eighty years ago, and she’s been patiently waiting for the perfect moment to get revenge on Raziel Nostrom, the vampire who destroyed her world.

So what does she do? She disguises herself as his human bride to sneak into his house and take them all down. Simple, right? Except… she didn’t expect to actually fall for him. Like, hard.

I wasn’t expecting to fly through this one, but here we are. It’s fast paced, gripping, and that kind of darkly addictive read that keeps you up way too late.

Nadi is fierce, smart, and so driven by revenge. She walks straight into danger, and never loses her edge, unlike me, I was biting my nails, afraid she would get caught.

And Raziel? Lord help me. He’s powerful, terrifying, possessive and way too easy to fall for.

Their dynamic is tense, messy, magnetic.
The story is full of danger and longing.
And that cliffhanger? Ugh, ruthless, but in the best way possible. It sets up book two so perfectly that I’m not even mad about waiting.

If you love:
🩸 fae assassin x vampire mafia heir
🩸 enemies to lovers slow burns
🩸 fake marriages with deadly secrets
🩸 revenge, betrayal, obsession
This one’s for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio | Second Sky Books for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

A shape shifting water fae assassin disguises herself as a bride who is being sent for an arranged marriage with a vampire crime lord to seek revenge for murdering her family.

This book is an easy, quick read without much complexions. Unfortunately the world building is non-existent. I wouldn't be able to tell you much about the cities and countries where the story takes place except the fact that it's in a metropolis.
The fantasy elements were not there either. You could just replace fae and vampires with a mafia family and you wouldn't lose any context in the story. I just don't think you can give a character fangs, red eyes and a goblet of blood and call them a vampire.
The characters don't have much depth and backstory. She's an assassin but we never learn what abilities she actually has. She just stabs any target and they die without much resistance. There are many repetitive inner dialogues about her grand plan every time she meets a new family member but in reality there is no actual plan. She wants to kill this entire mafia family but how? We'll never know, she doesn't know either. Overall, sadly, this wasn't for me.

The Serpent's Bride delivers exactly what it promises: a truly enemies-to-lovers vampire romance that doesn't shy away from the "enemies" part of the equation. Unlike many books that claim this trope but feature characters who are merely mildly antagonistic, Kingsley gives us genuine animosity with Nadi seeking revenge against Raziel, the vampire who murdered her family.

Nadi (a fae shapeshifter) disguises herself as Raziel's arranged, sacrificial bride to infiltrate his powerful vampire mafia family and destroy them from within. The pacing is excellent, keeping me engaged throughout, and I appreciated the dual POV structure, though Nadi's perspective dominates the narrative.

What sets this apart from other vampire romances is that Raziel isn't just morally gray, he's genuinely dark. He openly enjoys causing pain and frequently mentions wanting to "break" Nadi, which makes him feel like a proper villain rather than a misunderstood anti-hero. This authenticity in the enemies dynamic is refreshing.

However, I struggled with the romantic development. While the attraction between Nadi and Raziel creates palpable tension, I found it difficult to understand why she would be drawn to someone who killed her family, especially when he shows clear pleasure in her potential suffering. The spicy scenes are well-written, but the emotional foundation felt shaky to me.

The audiobook narration by Desiree Ketchum was excellent, bringing both characters to life effectively. The story moves at a breakneck pace and ends on quite the cliffhanger that has me curious about where the series goes next.

Despite my reservations about the romance's believability, I couldn't stop listening. The book delivers on its promises of spice, genuine enemies-to-lovers tension, and a morally complex (if not outright villainous) male lead.

While the romantic development didn't fully convince me, the compelling plot and that ending have me planning to pick up book two. Recommended for readers who want their vampire romance dark and their enemies-to-lovers trope taken seriously.

Please be sure to check trigger warnings for this one!

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for the advance listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️/5

I would recommend this if you enjoy:
- Vampire romances
- Urban fantasy romances
- Arranged marriage
- Marriage of convenience
- Forced proximity
- Mafia elements
- A strong, badass FMC
- Spicy scenes

Thank you for the ALC Netgalley, Bookouture Audio & Second Sky Books - all opinions are my own.

This book follows Nadi, an assassin, and Raziel Nostrom, an evil vampire, who meet when Nadi steps in to marry Raziel and plans to kill him and his entire family as revenge for what he did to her family.

I requested the Advanced Listener's Copy of the audiobook because:
1) I love audiobooks.
2) Desiree Ketchum is one of my favourite narrators.
3) I love anything with vampires (TV shows, movies, books) and this sounded right up my alley.

I liked Nadi's character because she wasn't an irritating FMC. She was strong, had a goal and didn't give a damn what anyone thought. Her POV was interesting to listen to as how her thoughts differed from the way she was going to un@live other characters to her unwanted attraction to Raziel was entertaining. I definitely preferred her to Raziel and his family as well.

The spicy scenes were well written and weren't cringey which I highly appreciate in books. There was also an element of k!nk thrown in towards the end. It was a fun addition and felt right for the characters likes.

This book is marketed as a dark vampire romance. While there are darker themes and mafia elements throughout, personally I wouldn't say it is as dark as Haunting Adeline. This is a subjective opinion and I would read the content warnings, however, as mental health matters.

Overall, I would re-listen to this book because it was fast-paced, fun and Desiree Ketchum did an excellent job at bringing the characters to life. Additionally, I liked the author's writing, the characters and after that cliffhanger, I do want to pick up the next book.

***Disclaimer: spoiler free (not like my usual reviews) - free advanced copy from NetGallery***

Possible triggers: drug use, kidnapping, gore, gun violence, murder, slavery, smoking, violence

Overall star rating (out of 5⭐️): 3.5

Spice level (out of 5🌶️): 2.5 (very mild for a dark romantasy)

Content review: The Serpent’s Bride starts out promising, but for me it falls a bit flat. The MFC has strong revenge ideas, but it’ll does not get anywhere in the first book. She repeats similar internal monologues but does not act on them. It’s frustrating if a character is presented one way but acts a complete different way, especially if we know their internal monologues. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of the MMC either, as he is presented and presents himself as careless and does not even change for the MFC.

Narrator review: I enjoyed the narrator. She does a fantastic job reading the male segments. It’s great if they have a female and male narrator but if that’s not the case, someone like her can emerge you in the story and let you forget that a woman reads the entire book. Well done, 4 out of 5 stars for that!

Tags: dark vibes, fantasy, hidden identity, mafia, magic, morally grey main characters, paranormal, revenge plot, romantasy, shape shifter, slow burn, strong female character, vampires

Tropes: arranged marriage, he falls first and harder

“I’m going to make you Fu*king suffer!”

Firstly Thank NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ALC of this book. Please note this gift has not affected the way in which I have reviewed this book.

#TheSerpentsBride by KathrynAnnKingsley
is book one in the Bloodlines series, and is a 4 ⭐️ read.

The Audiobook out on 28th August 2025

All her life she’s been training to take revenge on the vampire who killed her parents. But Raziel Nostrom is a prince of the city’s most powerful mafia clan completely untouchable.

When she learn that Raziel is marrying a woman he’s never seen before, she knew her chance has finally come…

She will disguise herself as Raziel’s sacrificial bride, to gain access to his vicious and beautiful family. And she will murder every last bloodsucking one of them!

—:—:—:—:—

This is the first book in a spicy vampire romantasy series, perfect for fans of true enemies-to-lovers, romance, and marriages of convenience tropes.

Oh boy what a journey this book took me on, I love myself a Stabby, badarse, quick witted FMC, and I got it all in this book! It’s a new world to learn for sure, however it’s so well written, that I found myself craving more as the characters began coming to life!

Favourite Quote: “I will disguise myself as the vampire’s bride.I will win over his family.
And then I will murder every last one of them!”

Spicy Level - 🌶️🌶️

Note: Please read and review all trigger warnings before reading any recommended book. We love to read for our pleasure, so keep your mind, and emotions safe!

I'll start with what I enjoyed. I liked the writing style, the narrator did a terrific job, and the brief moments of humour were fun. The pacing was also good. 

As for what I didn't enjoy... I didn’t find any of the characters likeable and they all felt very flat. The MMC doesn’t seem remotely redeemable. I thought there might be some deep reason that the FMC falls for him after what he did buuuut… no. He’s just hot. For an enemies to lovers it doesn't feel at all earned. It’s also insta-lust, but I should have gathered that from the description so that’s on me. I’m icked out from the words ‘assets’, ‘plaything’, and ‘toy’ after this book.

I can definitely see this appealing to some vampire and dark romance lovers, but it’s not for me. I won’t be continuing the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture audio for the ALC!

Genre: Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance

Expected Release Date: August 28, 2025


This is a spicy romantasy book with vampires, enemies to lovers, revenge, and fae.

Raziel Nostrum is a vampire prince. Nadi is fae and has faced horrible traumas….caused by Raziel. Raziel is set to be married to a woman he has never seen. Nadi wants to play the part of his future bride in order to get revenge. She wants to kill his family in exchange for him killing hers. Will she succeed? Will she fall in love with Raziel?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought the world building was done very well, as well as the character building. I’m leery when it comes to romantasy, but I would recommend this book.


I listened to the audio version of this book. I enjoyed the narrator and thought she did a good job. However, I think it would have been even better with dual narrators. It was read a little too slow for me. I had to listen at 2.5 speed in order not to be bored. With that said, that’s just me. I also have ADHD and usually need to listen to audiobooks a little faster than normal.

This book was so good!!! I devoured it in less than a day. I was so intrigued by the plot. Both the FMC and MMC are morally gray, which is an interesting combo. Our MMC is a vampire mafia boss about to receive a human bride as his sacrifice. Our FMC is a fae set on revenge against the MMC for killing her family, so she switches places with the bride-to-be and sneaks her way into the court to kill him and his family. Will she be up to the task of her revenge? Or will she fall for the mafia boss vampire?

But the last line of the cliffhanger.... had me SCREAMING for book 2! I just want to say that this book is something I will be thinking about for ages to come.

Tropes: Vampires, fae, revenge, crime lord, sexy, arranged marriage, switching brides.

Perfect for fans of Filthy Rich Vampires, Bride, and The Shadows Between Us.

Kathryn Ann Kingsley delivers a vengeful FMC and a dark mysterious MMC in a story of revenge, betrayal, lust, and twists I didn't see coming. This is my first book by this author and I was intrigued at chapter one. I was fully invested and could not stop listening for what was to happen next. I look forward to book 2!

Desiree' Ketchum did a great job narrating all of the characters. HEer voice distinctions made it easy to tell them apart. The flow was easy to understand and it was clear when a chapter ended.
The only critique is there were a few times where the cadence in her voice did not match the situation/conversation that was happening in the book. Overall, she catapulted you into the mind of the main character with ease and she kept my attention throughout.

We love an assassin who kills, takes a bath, and pours herself a drink right after—iconic behavior!

From the start, The Serpent’s Bride pulls you in with a sharp, witty, and unapologetically deadly FMC. Nadi is a shifter-for-hire with zero patience, and I adored her immediately - she’s literally got a kill list for the male main character’s entire family. Goals.

This is 100% enemies to lovers, she hates him with a passion and he hates everyone. Literally. But especially the fae. And just to top it off, he killed her entire family 80 years ago. And now she is pretending to be his arranged bride in order to execute revenge on his entire family.

Raziel is cold, brutal, and deliciously dark. At times, I genuinely didn’t think he was redeemable and wouldn’t get past her ‘fae’ background but still, when he says “she is my wife” swooooooon.
We’ve got tropes for days in here, mafia romance, marriage of convenience, hidden identities, enemies to lovers, morally gray (almost black) characters, and spiceeeee.

This book is sharp, funny, and brimming with tension. If you love morally gray characters, dangerous romance, and chaotic inner monologues, you will absolutely adore this book. The ending will leave your jaw on the floor. I listened to the Audiobook and the narrator really did a great job of encompassing the story and both main characters' different personalities. It would however been great to hear his voice, but that doesn't take away from the way the narrator successfully told the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook!

I absolutely loved The Serpents Bride. I immediately connected with the characters, the world building was done in line with the character experiences. The pacing of the story, plot twists, and angst was top tier. The narrator did a fantastic job. I will absolutely be listening to the next in the series!

4 ⭐️ Fun and spicy vampire romance

This book was a quick listen for me, finishing it in a single day. The world building was easy to follow and a nice break from more complex romantsy books.

If you like:
🗡️Strong FMC who can hold her own
🩸Vampire MMC with a violent streak
🧨 Explosive action
❤️‍🔥 Enemies to lovers

Give this audiobook a listen!

Overall I enjoyed it and look forward to further books in the series. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Kathryn Ann Kingsley for the chance to listen to an ARC of this book. 🩷

🖤 Dark, decadent, and dangerously romantic.

The Serpent’s Bride by Kathryn Ann Kingsley is a gothic vampire romance that pulls you into its shadowy world with lush, evocative writing and a sinfully compelling love story. The atmosphere is thick with tension and desire, and the characters walk the knife's edge between obsession and devotion.

🎧 Desireé Ketchum’s narration is phenomenal, her voice perfectly captures the cold seduction, vulnerability, and menace woven through the story. She becomes the characters, giving each one distinct life and intensity. Honestly, her performance elevated the entire experience.

Highly recommend for fans of dark romance who want their hearts racing—for multiple reasons.

3.5 ⭐️

This was an entertaining and easy read with a vividly structured world where vampires clearly dominate the hierarchy. The witty back-and-forth between characters added a lot of charm and energy to the story. However, Nadi's repetitive inner dialogue and Raziel's ongoing indecision did slow things down at times. Still, the intriguing ending has me looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.