3.5

Honestly, just fine. I liked Rowen enough as a protagonist, especially her hardness towards the world. But her development felt rushed, and the big bad didn't feel like a big surprise to me. Would have liked a further deep dive into the lore and Rowen's aunt even more because I thought it got brushed aside in the end.

"Everybody lies. And in knowing their lies, I become the keeper of their secrets."
Lies on the Serpent's Tongue is the second book in the Bittersweet Hollow series and it does not disappoint. This is about a girl who can smell the lies of others and uncovers mysteries in the small Appalachian town. The book was a page turner from beginning to end and was such a good sequel. This was written really well and all of the characters in this were great. I loved how this took place in a small Appalachian town. Overall, this is one that I highly enjoyed and would recommend to any reader who loves fantasy or mystery books. Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review of Lies on the Serpent's Tongue by Kate Pearsall.

I had a really hard time getting through this one. There were suspenseful moments, but overall I found my mind wandering a lot and I struggled to get through it. I didn’t connect to any of the characters sadly. I think this book had a great premise. It promised a lot but just didn’t deliver for me.

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue || Kate Pearsall
4.5 stars

"If the four of us sisters were one body, Linden would be the heart, Juniper the spirit, and Sorrel the brains. I'm not sure what they'd say I would be. Maybe the muscle. Or the mouth."

"I'm not saying that I know at eighteen that you and I will be in love forever. I'm saying that even if we hate each other again tomorrow, I'd still want you to live."

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC.

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue takes place after the events in Bittersweet in the Hollow, but instead of Linden, Rowan is the main character of this story. As a reminder, each of the 4 James sisters has an ability and Rowan can detect lies. There is a whole lot going on in the tiny town of Caball Hollow. The Bone Tree is damaged and strange things are happening, such as animals appearing that aren't indigenous to West Virginia, objects are going missing, along with memories, and people are losing pieces of their souls. Not to mention there is a mysterious death, the appearance of a John Doe who won't awaken from a coma and some out of town people looking to capture local legends on camera for their Youtube channel (oh, hello Moth-Winged Man, you're back again), who aren't quite who they seem. Rowan, believing there is a connection to it all, sets off on a quest to figure out what is going on as this is affecting her family on a personal level. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately...) Hadrian Fitch is also trying to figure out what is going on and he needs her lie detecting abilities to do so.

Compared to Bittersweet, I enjoyed Lies on the Serpent's Tongue more. Where Linden was sweet as honey, Rowan is a prickly holly bush, and I prefer a feisty main character. I continue to love the magical realism and paranormal elements to these small town mystery thrillers. I also enjoyed the enemies to lovers storyline between her and Hadrian. The slow burn and moments of tension between these two gave me butterflies and had me looking forward to the next scene between the two of them. I also found this story a bit more suspenseful and mysterious than the first book, and I was not able to predict the ending. As with the first book, Kate Pearsall does a marvelous job worldbuilding and is so descriptive that I can see the scenes play out in my mind.

I'm not the biggest fan of series past 2 books nowadays, but, I love that the author is allowing each sister to shine in their own books in this series and will continue to read this series as the books release. If you're looking for a mystery thriller, that isn't too scary and that has the perfect mix of romance, pick this book up, but please read Bittersweet in the Hollow first!

-young adult
-mystery thriller
-enemies to lovers
-small town
-magical realism
-paranormal
-witchy
-1st person POV
-book 2 in a series

Content Warning: violence

I really enjoyed Bittersweet in the Hollow, the first book in this series. I love the James women!

We are back in Caball Hollow which is in the Appalachia mountains of West Virginia. It’s an eerie small town and the James women history with witchcraft, the bone tree, the Moth-Winged man stories and now sightings of the Wampus Cat just adds to it all. I enjoy the lore of the James women and the atmosphere of the setting.

I feel like this book is way more atmospheric than book one and much more creepy. Rowan, one of my favorite of the James sisters, because of her fiery personality, she is restless but she finds her calling when she is forced to volunteer for the Forest Service and she is one brave young lady. She is alone in the forest except for basically a treehouse and a walkie-talkie. For someone young, she’s really responsible and doesn’t complain about things, which I love about her.

The mystery about community members missing items and essentially maybe missing parts of themselves is what brings Rowan and Hadrian (the Moth-Winged Man) together. Between these two and their attraction to one another, we learn more about the forest, the Otherworld, the bone tree, and what would happen if the bone tree died. I also loved the storyline about Zephyrine who is Gran’s lost sister.

I do feel like this book was help transitioning to what’s going to happen with book three and so I feel like we didn’t get to know Rowan as much as I wanted. We were in her head a lot which is great but I wanted to see her interact more with her sisters and Hadrian. I loved her scenes with Hadrian but I love them so much I wanted more.

Final Thoughts:

This is a great sequel and I can’t wait to read more about the James sisters and Caball Hollow!

I'm so excited we got a sequel to Bittersweet in the Hollow!!!
I love Rowan and all of the members of the James family, and especially her antagonistic, I'll work with you because I need you not because I trust you, of course, I don't have feelings for you relationship with Hadrian, whom I would totally date in real life.

In this one we see Rowan volunteering for the forestry service and I enjoyed this change of scenery for her. I thought she really came to life out in the woods and found something she could call her own. I just really enjoyed every aspect of this book, the vibes were 100% there, the characters were very well written, and the story kept me engaged from beginning to end. I'm keeping my fingers crossed we will get stories for Rowan's sisters as I'm totally not ready to leave Cabal Hollow and the James sisters just yet.

I need to start this review by saying I really do enjoy this series. The James women are all very interesting characters, and I love that the author is taking the time to tell a story from hopefully each of them. I have my delighted suspicions about who will be next with the fervor of a reader theorizing about a beloved series.
That being said, Lies on the Serpent's Tongue does a lot of things very well. It begins with a great recap of Bittersweet in the Hollow, and there is plenty of moderately spooky elements to keep it thrilling. Rowan's brand of magic is scenting lies, and that's such an interesting one to have! I found it so interesting and realistic that even people who know of her skill still lie knowing she can detect it. Knowing a lie is a lie is not the same thing as knowing truth.
Some fun romance tropes were included like One Tent (variation of one bed, maybe the YA version?) and fake dating. My one issue is that this book does feel a little underdeveloped. I wish it was longer and could explore new family relationships and provide a less rushed conclusion.
This series is fun but dark YA. I can't really think of anything else I've read like it, and that is perhaps the highest compliment I can pay an author. I can't wait to read them all.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers - G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC!

5 ⭐️. Kate Pearsall has done it again. The James family keeps us in their intricate web time and time again. I loved following Rowan’s growth and seeing how the whole family comes together to chase the answers to questions only Caball Hollow can produce.

This was a pretty solid read. It had moments that truly sucked me in but otherwise I wasn’t all that interested in the characters. I wasn’t fully invested until chapter 19 and the pacing was a bit too slow for me. Still, it’s a good book that I would tell others to check out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I read Bittersweet in the Hollow and enjoyed it and as such, was excited to jump back into that world. Lies on the Serpent's Tongue tells the story of a new James sister, Rowan, and Hadrian. They are both dealing with issues stemming from the Bone Tree, which connects the real world to the Otherworld. Overall, I liked this story but struggled to get through the book despite its short page length. The pacing was a tad slow for the first 60% or so and I didn't feel like I learned too much about any of the characters as the story moved along. What this book does continue to do very well is create an atmospheric and spooky setting.

3.25 stars!

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Lies on the Serpent's Tongue on January 7, 2025.

This might be the first time in a long time when I wished a book were 100 pages longer. I also had NO IDEA I was picking up a sequel (I think it's supposed to be an interconnected standalone?), so it might have filled in some gaps had I read Bittersweet in the Hollow first. But this book had SO MUCH POTENTIAL for greatness if we'd just had a bit more time with the plot and characters.

The writing is gorgeous, the setting is super atmospheric and spooky, and I was really intrigued by the characters. But there were so many references to the first book to fill in certain gaps that I found myself confused at times. It felt like the previous book left off a massive cliffhanger, and this book picks up where it leaves off, but from a different sister's perspective. And while I love the idea for that narrative style, I just wish we'd had more explanation and time to get to know the characters within their own story.

I honestly can't say what I really learned about Rowan in this book? She has older sister vibes, can navigate the forest really well, is stubborn and hot-headed at times, and can smell lies. That's about it. I'm not sure what actual growth she went through? It almost felt like she was more of a placeholder for the reader to step into a scary Appalachia story.

And the romance was... not in the room with us? Once again, there are references to their past and interactions in THE PREVIOUS BOOK but we barely see them spend time together on the page in this book. Plus, he apparently reveals himself to be MOTH MAN at the end of the last book? And now he's the love interest in this book? Like girl what is happening.

The plot twists and suspense were great, but everything just felt so rushed because there were not enough pages of this book. Give me a 400-page book with all the lore and family history and relationships played out, and this could've easily been 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and PRH Audio for the ARC and ALC.

I thought this book had an interesting beginning but I lost interest at about 25%. I was also not aware that this book was a sequel otherwise I probably wouldn't have requested it.

I read Bittersweet in the Hollow earlier this year and really enjoyed the way the author described the setting and atmosphere of Caball Hollow. The characters were lovable especially the James women.

Rowan was not a major character in the first book and I was looking forward to her story in Lies on the Serpents Tongue. Though I enjoyed the book overall, the pace was a bit slow and it took a while to get into the book. I found the plot to be lacking and I missed the restaurant interactions from the first book. Overall, I recommend it if you enjoyed her first book and will continue to read her future books.

4.5 stars
——————

YES YES YES. I loved this book, making Kate Pearsall an instant buy for me.

I devoured this book in two days. I loved Bittersweet in the Hollow when I read it last year and this was such a well written follow-up. The setting and the folklore add to the plot and the ambiance. I love how this book interjects and elaborates on James family folklore throughout the book. Rowan’s gift is featured heavily and furthers the plot. Caball Hollow is such an interesting setting and plays into the book well. The small town vibes and this everyone knowing everything was really important to the plot and was handled so well. The expansion of this town and this world hooked me instantly. The plot as a whole was engaging from the beginning and maintained that interest throughout. There was tension and twists and both were well written. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, something twisted and I was back to questioning everything. The writing was even better than the first.

I love the characters and the James women’s connection. Rowan grows so much across the novel and her relationship with Hadrian is well developed, developing off of their strife in book one. I thought the buildup to the romance was interesting, though a little expected. There was good tension between them and I loved the evolution of them as people playing into the romance plot. Less miscommunication would have been nice, but I understand its relevance. We get the perfect amount of side characters and the sisters and their gifts are wonderful in the plot.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I cannot wait to see where this series goes next.

Wow. What a great story and a great follow up to book #1 in the series, Bittersweet in the Hollow.

I’m really excited for anyone who has read the first book to read this one. Or if you haven’t, go ahead and read book one before this one comes out.

My only issue was a slight pacing issue, but that could have been a “me” thing. Other than that, I loved every single minute!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam for providing the ARC!

Once again, I am obsessed with this series. Hadrian and Rowan are an iconic duo that create such interesting lore to Caball Hollow. In the last two days I have spent reading this series, it has become instantly one of my favorite series of this year, and MY GOD I cannot wait to see where it goes.

Kate Pearsall does such a fantastic job creating a Tim Burton-esque cottage core environment in Caball Hollow. The love story between the characters is so BEAUTIFUL and I am just so excited to see Juniper and Sorrel’s story. Hadrian and Rowan are such complex characters and I love how everything doesn’t tie up in a neat little bow, that there is more to explore and add onto, especially with auntie Z. I’m seriously in love with this series and recommend ANYBODY to read this.

It’s got murder mystery, it’s got romance, it’s got intrigue, it’s got found family and bad ass sister family dynamics and I am OBSESSED OBSESSED OBSESSED.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for supplying me with an egalley and finished copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
When this popped up for request I was super excited. The publisher had sent me the first book to read and review and I really enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. So when I saw this I jumped on the chance to get a copy. And then a finished copy showed up in the mail for me and I knew it was meant to be.
If you haven't read the first book in this series, stop here as there may be spoilers in this review with regards to that book. And this book picks up right after the first one ends, so you'd be lost if you didn't read that one first! The world that is established in that book as well as the developed characters can only be understood if you have read these books in order.
After the tumultuous summer the James girls had, things are finally settling down. But the Moth Winged Man, always a myth in Caball Hollow but now made real, is still haunting the area. The myth is definitely a reality. While the first book focuses on Linden and Cole, this book focuses on Rowan and Hadrian.
Rowan James continues to scent lies on people tongues as they tell them. And things are not what they seem when she takes a job to help the forest rangers be on the look out for poachers. She isn't expecting to ever see Hadrian Fitch again but he ends up in her path anyway, flitting between her world and the Otherworld. Together they try to solve the mystery of the slowly dying Bone Tree while navigating their attraction to each other.
It's nice that Pearsall does not simply focus on a romance between Rowan and Hadrian. She builds the world out more than what we saw in the first book and gives the characters the space they ned to grow and develope. At the same time, I do wish there was just a bit more of them in that capacity in this book. You can feel their pull to each other but the scenes aren't really there to back it up.
Pearsall does a great job continuing to build the fantasy world that is within the boundaries of Caball Hollow. I feel like the pacing of this one is a bit slower than the first. There were areas where things dragged for me a bit. But the tension, banter, and mystery made up for it and kept me wanting to turn the pages to find out what happens. One of the things that prevented me from giving this book 5 stars was the fact that at some points the story line almost felt disjointed and confusing. I had to turn back pages a few times in order to truly understand what was going on or what had just happened.
Pearsall does a great job with describing the area, though. I've not spent time in this part of the country and I really felt as though I was right there. It was easy to picture the area in my mind.
The ending leaves you seeing there could definitely be a third book if the author chooses, though it does wrap up fairly well. I'm hoping we get to see the stories from the other sisters!
This series would be perfect for people looking for a bit of a spooky read during Halloween season!

While “Bittersweet in the Hollow” wasn’t a perfect read for me, it got a lot of things right, particularly with regards to the atmosphere of mystery and creepiness that surrounds Caball Hollow. I also always enjoy stories about a bunch of sister with magical powers, so there’s that. Rowan didn’t play a huge role in that story, but I was definitely intrigued by her character and excited to see where her story would go in this sequel!

So, to get it out of the way, this one probably came in at around or a bit below the same level as “Bittersweet:” in that, I definitely see parts that I appreciate, but it also failed to capitalize on its strengths in a way that would have elevated it to a higher level for me. But let’s start with the good, as always. Like “Bittersweet,” one of the biggest strengths of this book is its overall tone and the vibe of this small town and the dark woods that surrounds it. It worked out in a strange way that I was reading two books back-to-back with this general setting (Adrienne Young’s “A Sea of Unspoken Things” was the other), and I found that I appreciated the use of this setting just as much here as I did there.

Beyond the mysteriousness of the woods and the dangers it contains, I also liked the exploration of small-town life. Particularly, the challenge of living in a town with such a limited population where you know everyone, for better or worse. Forgive and forget becomes a necessity to functioning in an environment like this, sometimes for very practical, economic reasons, as we see here with the family’s café that depends on the town folk for business even if some of them have behaved in truly terrible ways.

However, as I read, I found myself really struggling with the pacing and some of the plotting of this book. It’s just a very slow read, taking a long time to really get started, with what feels like numerous “false starts” to the plot. Further, as I continued to read, I was dismayed to see so much time spent on events and characters from the first book. In some ways, Lindon was allowed to overshadow Rowan in Rowan’s own book, which is always disappointing. I’m not sure whether the author simply didn’t have a robust enough storyline for Rowan herself or what. But I do think this book may have been more successful as a novella or shorter companion piece. As it stands, it feels as if Rowan was short-shifted as a main character.

In a similar way, the romance was very lackluster. It wasn’t bad, and I did enjoy moments with the romantic lead. But at the same time, I failed to really feel any chemistry between these two characters. I felt as if I was being told they were developing feelings for one another, but I wasn’t getting any of that on the page. For a character like Rowan with her particular ability with lying, there should have been plenty of material to build a complex romantic relationship, so it was disappointing to see the book flounder in this way.

Overall, this was an ok read. If you enjoyed the first book and Lindon as a character, this one is probably worth reading simply for the large emphasis on the events of that book and that character. If you were hoping for a truly fresh-feeling story and a clear development of Rowan as her own character, however, you may find yourself as disappointed as I was.

Rating 7: The story shines with regards to its atmosphere and mysterious vibes, however, weaker characters brought it down a bit in the end.

Link will go live on Jan. 10 on The Library Ladies

Absolutely LOVED this book. The tangled family tree. The sisters and all their foibles and fierceness. The special abilities and otherworldly environments. Couldn’t put it down! When is the sequel coming?

3.5 stars, rounded down

I had high hopes for Lies on the Serpent's Tongue since the setting and atmosphere of Bittersweet in the Hollow had been so beautifully written, but sadly, after reading it, I feel very much the same about this one as I did the first one.

The descriptions of Caball Hollow and the surrounding national Forest were immersive and well-done, but the plot was thin and underwhelming, and it didn't really grab my attention. It felt like we were getting parts and pieces of a dozen different smaller mysteries, and then instead of taking the time to work through them, we were simply told how they were resolved. It also relied heavily on rehashing plot points from the first book, and the story here didn't have much to stand on on its own. The pacing was incredibly slow, up until the ending, which then felt rushed by comparison.

The romance aspects are no surprise considering there was so much tension and build-up between Rowan and Hadrian in the first book, but their relationship just felt a little off to me here, and I can't quite put my finger on what it is that I didn't like about it.

All in all, this wasn't a bad read, I just wouldn't go into it with high expectations.