* Thank you NetGalley & G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

This is my second ARC from this series, and Lies on the Serpent's Tongue is a great follow up to Bittersweet in the Hollow. Lies on the Serpent's Tongue follows Linden's older sister, Rowan, as she navigates lies, a broken Bone Tree, and items that keep going missing. In some ways, Rowan is a more relatable character than Linden was - she reacts to the town's distrust and mistreatment of her family with anger, and she is unable to allow herself to be apart of the town or forget the way they've treated her.

The Bittersweet in the Hollow series is a slow-as-syrup fantasy set in an Appalachian forest town that is fun, not too hard to understand, and I will continue to read as more come out. I'm excited to see more from the other James sisters!

Thank the heavens because Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue did not suffer from the dreaded ‘middle book syndrome’ wherein the whole series starts to fall apart due to eye-rolling fillers. Though I have not yet posted my review for the first book, Bittersweet in the Hollow, a simple Goodreads search would show that I gave it a 3-star rating due to issues that I just couldn’t let go. But that’s another story in a separate post. Let’s focus on the Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue.

Well, not so much time has passed ever since the events in Book 1; everything in Caball Hollow was going back to normal. Or is it? It started off as something that can just be swept under the rugs, but the residents of the small town are not only losing things but also losing their memories associated with the said things. For our inquisitive heroine, Rowan (one of Linden’s sisters), this felt like an omen for more bad things to come. And the bad things did come. First, fauna not only endemic but haven’t been seen and documented to inhabit the Appalachian Mountains are roaming the area. Second, there was her mortal enemy (and prolly greatest crush of all time), Hadrian Fitch, arriving at her doorstep bloodied and almost dying. For a supernatural being, who could have attacked and wounded him? Third, an unknown and dying person was discovered in one of the areas of the Appalachian Forest.

Just like her sister Linden, Rowan was not one to sit around while mysterious things are happening around her. While I admire the girl’s tenacity, I cannot help my frustration from surfacing at how competent the James girls are at solving mysterious murders putting the Sheriff Department to shame. There’s just an incongruence between the skills of Sheriff’s force vs. the James girls’. Come to think of it, Rowan and her sisters are surely bestowed with different powers but most of their lives were spent going to school, helping with the day-to-day chores in the Harvest Moon diner, gardening, foraging for herbs and stuff, and mixing tinctures, etc. They just don’t have the skills for investigating murders so I cannot wrap my mind around the idea that the Sheriff Dept. members are just a bunch of louts mooching off money from the government while less competent girls are doing their work. This is actually my biggest in Book 1 and now, in this sequel, too. Like how many times can the persons of authority be incompetent? Don’t they have any skills development training from Books 1 to Books 2?

Had the author resolved the issue I’ve mentioned above, I would have given this book a 5 star rating. The mythos and the lore were beautifully elaborated by the author. Some of my unanswered questions from Book 1 were finally closed out. The twists were intricately positioned in the whole story for maximum shock factor. My hats off to Kate Pearsall for mentally straining me as I made a lot of guesses about who’s the culprit until the end. I was flabbergasted and at the same time, awed at how it all came together. And how can I forget about the giddying romance between Rowan and our resident liar, Hadrian Fitch? If there’s one thing I can say, I have shipped them since Book 1 and it’s gratifying to witness how they overcome their differences and made things work.

To sum it all up, Lies on Serpent’s Tongue had just redeemed the whole series for me. Kate Pearsall really upped her game with this book as she masterfully crafted a story that is eerie and poignant at the same time.

I liked it, I think it is the amount of spookiness I can deal with. I would consider it, one of the perfect readings for the upcoming Halloween season.
Unfortunately, I read it without knowing it was the second part of a series, so, at the beginning, it was a little rough for me to adjust to the topic and secret. Still, as I continued reading I understood better and ended up loving it.
I would say this is a mix between "Over the Garden Wall" meets "The Reaven Cyle" and if the story continues with the sisters and their love lives and adventures, getting to develop their powers I would say it a little like "Finding love" series by Joss Stirling, but in a spooky, witch-ish and obscure way.
I'm eager to read the first one and the next ones coming.

Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue was phenomenal. I was worried I wouldn’t love it as much as Bittersweet in the Hollow, but this one was just as good, if not better. Kate Pearsall is quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite authors and I can confidently say that I’ll read anything she writes.

In this book we read about Rowan, the James sister that can smell lies like burnt matches. We did get to learn a bit about her in Bittersweet, but having her for our FMC was great. She’s definitely my favorite of the James sisters. There’s new mysteries going on in Caball Hollow and a new creature. Rowan keeps seeing animals that shouldn’t be in that part of the world, from magpies who sound like they’re laughing to adders not native anywhere near where they’re at. Items are being stolen and then forgotten. So, Rowan teams up with Hadrian, despite her distrust and knowledge that he’s a liar, to figure out what is happening and help her family.

I was hooked from the beginning of this book and honestly a little sad I read it so fast. I absolutely love this world with all the magic and folklore. Each woman in the James family is written so well and so distinct and realistic. Probably one of my favorite fictional families ever. This would be an excellent read for spooky season- the atmosphere in the forest, the mysteries, spells and dash of romance. It’s a unique page-turner that anyone looking for a good YA book should check out. It’s definitely easy to become invested in this story. I really hope Pearsall keeps writing, I’d love to see more books in this world, maybe about the other sisters? 😉 An easy 5 stars for me. Thank you so much to Penguin Young Readers Group & Netgalley for the ARC.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

(3.5 stars)

this was truly a beautifully written novel, with every image in this novel illustrated so vividly. for a story like this one, where the location plays such a strong centre role in the plot, this is definitely a strength. the lore of the world ties into this very nicely as well.

i also adored the characters, especially hadrian. he was such a sweetheart, especially whenever he called rowan "love". it was very cute. his character arc and backstory seemed interesting, but my only complaint is that i feel like we barely scratched the surface of his character.

the relationship journey with rowan's parents definitely was a highlight for me. seeing two people fall in love all over again is such a delight, and the way their story is told is so beautifully bittersweet. i would love to see more of them.

my main complaint with this story overall lies with the length. it's too short, and as a result, i feel that many relationships feel underexplored. we barely saw much of rowan's relationship with her sisters, and as someone who has not read the first book, it was hard to differentiate them as individuals. and whilst rowan and hadrian's romance was a highlight for me, it still felt there should've been a little bit more established between them before the novel came to a close.

I did enjoy the first book a little more than this one, but I still enjoyed reading Rowan's story and returning to Caball Hollow. Just like the previous book, I would have loved a bit more spookiness, but it was fine.

Bittersweet in the Hollow was one of my favorite books I read last year and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. Thankfully, it is just as good as the first book!

I love these characters so much, and I was so happy to be back in their world. I love the relationship between Rowan and her family, I loved the eerie forest atmosphere.

Highly recommend these books!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Another incredible addition to the James family lore! Highly recommended for YA library collections and fans of supernatural mysteries!

Also, as a Native Appalachian, I LOVE Pearsall’s ability to capture our food, geography, weather, culture, and PEOPLE without resorting to condescending stereotypes!!! Thank you!

3.5/5 rounded up to 4!

i really enjoyed the first book, bittersweet in the hollow, and reading from linden's pov, so i was eager to start lies on the serpent's tongue and read about rowan (and hadrian too to be honest). i couldn't help but compare this book to the first one and i have to say it took a bit longer to get into the heart of the story and the mystery, and then at some point it felt like there were many things happening and different plot point developing at the same time, either related to the different mysteries or to the james family, and i was wondering how the author could manage to wrap everything up nicely, but the author managed to do it well. the novel was very nicely written and i loved the atmosphere created by the setting of caball hollow, the bonds in the james family, and the romance part. i hope we'll be able to get books about the other two sisters, juniper and sorrel, in future!

arc provided by netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC.

2.5/ 3 stars

Note that I didn't read the first book since I didn't know it was a series.

Reading the synopsis, I thought it would be a horror/thriller "keep you on the edge" type of book. Sadly, it didn't feel that way for me. It took me 30% for me to get into it and I loved 30-48% mark before the second half of the book. I loved the ominous signs while Rowan was volunteering in the Forest. It was creepy and atmospheric. However, by the second half, the book turned full-on supernatural mystery and it kinda lost me. Some parts like the ending felt rushed. I did like the plot twist toward the end. The romance was cute, and I wanted to see more of them together.

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue is one of the best books I read this year. Yes it is. I rated this book 5 stars and loved every single second of it. So so so good. Loved everything about it.

I am so glad this book exists. Rowan, the James sister who can taste lies, and Hadrian, the mysterious lying man who lies and who she definitely has a crush on deep deep down. This was another great mysterious set in the Appalachian mountains with monsters of folklore, magic, and interesting new characters.

Also, this is me yelling at the author and publisher that I need a book about each sister, please!

Oh man, this was SO good. I loved the first book in this series and I highly anticipated the sequel. The sequel went above my expectations. I was so happy to be back in this spooky, Appalachian town. This time we follow along with Rowan and her quest to figure out why the people of her town are losing their memories. But she is not alone, she has to team up with her mysteries enemy, Haridan. Will they be able to save the memories of the town's people?

What I enjoyed:
- everything! But, no really, this was SO GOOD! I loved Rowan and her ability to smell a lie. She was such a fun MC.
-enemies to lovers
-spooky and witchy atmosphere
-fast paced and kept me interested the whole time.


My fingers are crossed we get a third book! I cannot get enough of this book world. I would love to read more about the James family and their small town. 5 stars out of 5. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Amazing book. Love the character development amazing story line . Will definitely recommend. Good job

Brilliant! Thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected twists, turns, and the romance! The only downfall I see is that the ending could have been a little more derailed and drawn out.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for making my dreams come true with this ARC.

Bittersweet in the Hollow was my favorite YA read of 2024, one of my favorite overall reads of the year and I’m over-the-moon that Rowan is the subject of the second book.
Only months after the event of Bittersweet in the Hollow, Rowan finds herself angry (as always), aimless and itching for a fight with Hadrian Fitch who disappeared without saying goodbye. With the autumn chill comes strange happenings in Caball Hollow-items going missing, strangers showing up dead, and maybe most unusual of all magpies laughing in the woods of Appalachia. One night when Hadrian shows up at Rowan’s door asking for a favor she makes a deal to work with her nemesis in order to help her family and try to get answers to what plagues her community.

This book is the perfect “spooky season” YA offering. The women are fierce, the air is crisp and the mysteries will leave you guessing.

I deeply want to be a James sister and for honorary James status I recommend making yourself a cup of tea and enjoying this book by candlelight, extra credit for reading on a cold and windy fall night!

This book is a YA fantasy and it runs a little dark. This is the second book in the series (Bittersweet in the hollow). The characters are very likable and you’ll quickly be invested. The author does a wonderful job of hooking you in quick and keeping you interested. This book would be perfect for a halloween read.

Another Appalachian novel which did not disappoint. This book follows Rowan and is mystically intriguing with excellent writing. Highly recommend

I have been waiting for this book for over a year and it did not let me down!! These books are absolutely underrated, I could sing their praises all day. I love Kate Pearsall’s prose, it’s so beautiful and creates such a rich atmosphere and feeling to her books. I wanted to live in Caball Hollow and work at the Harvest Moon diner with the girls, I truly didn’t want to leave the world of this book. The pacing in this is even quicker than Bittersweet in the Hollow, which made this such a fun, propulsive read. I wasn’t sure if Rowan and her story would live up to Linden’s in the previous book, but I loved Rowan and really enjoyed following her as a character. If you want a magical, spooky time you need to read this.

ARC provided by NetGalley