Twin sisters, toxic relationships, oh and the dead coming back to life and feasting on blood, what a time to be alive in the Netherlands in 1887. Lucy and Sarah are twin sisters, Sarah being the more beautiful, vibrant one while Lucy was the more reserved sister. They love each other but also envy one another... and when Sarah marries the man that Lucy is in love with things only get more twisted. Then Lucy gets news that Sarah is sick, refusing to eat, speaking nonsensically, and becoming obsessed with a centuries old corpse that was recently discovered on her husband's estate. Lucy hurries to find out what is wrong with Sarah while also dealing with the fact that she's been having an affair with Sarah's husband... but when Sarah begins to slip into madness, gouging out her own eyes... and then being presumed dead until Lucy hears her scratching in her casket... only for Sarah to come back to life... things only get more twisted. As "Not-Sarah" reintegrates into the household things only spiral further into madness as Lucy begins to realize that whatever has come back in her sister's body has an appetite... but also still has all the memories of her sister. Lucy now must decide where her heart lies, with the complicated relationship with her sister or with the man she's in love with but is realizing she never really knew. This was such an interesting story about the relationship between siblings, about the complicated and twisted sense of family and obligation, and most of all, the lengths we will go to for our loved ones. I loved the gothic atmosphere and the slight vampire vibes from this. The relationship between Sarah and Lucy was so fun to read and just so layered and complex. It's a fantastic read and I would absolutely recommend it!

Release Date: March 25, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A gothic horror masterpiece, Johanna created a creepy atmospheric vampire novel unlike anything I’ve ever read. I was going into this expecting your traditional vampire lore but I was so wrong. I have a special interest in late 1800s medical and mourning history so this really was perfect for me, the amount of small details that were added really carved a special place in my heart for this author. This story asks how far would you go for someone you love even if that someone might not be the same person you knew. I can’t wait to sink my teeth in to Johanna Van Venn’s debut book immediately! (Pun definitely intended 🦷) Thank you to NetGally and the Publishers for the opportunity to read this early for review.

This was an incredible gothic novel. Johanna has struck again. I loved this story and was sucked in immediately. There were quite a few times where I cringed due to the gore; however, Johanna's author note made it very clear what to expect from the novel. I was invested in Lucy and Sarah's story. Also the men in their lives were INFURIATING and 100% got what they deserved. Not Sarah was so incredibly creepy and it was easy to picture her. I appreciated following Lucy's story and her struggle to determine if she would rather live with Not Sarah or not have a sister. Overall I really liked this one and highly recommend to anyone who enjoys gothic horror.

This has been the year for Dracula-esque retellings and I am a huge fan of it. The second I read the synopsis for Blood on her Tongue, I knew my gothic horror loving heart was going to be a fan.

This has been the year for Dracula-esque retellings and I am a huge fan of it. The second I read the synopsis for Blood on her Tongue, I knew my gothic horror loving heart was going to be a fan.

Lucy and Sarah are twin sisters and not only share a face, but also the feeling that they are not a fully formed person without the other. Lucy is called upon by her brother-in-law to come care for Sarah who has fallen ill and seems to be rambling nonsense about a woman in the bog. Lucy is fearful that Michael will have her committed to an asylum as Sarah had a previous bout of insanity after the death of their small daughter. 

Blood on her Tongue is, as you can imagine, a gory scene full of blood, death and the sisterly bond that not even death can break. 

Is this a vampire novel? I don’t really think so in the traditional sense. There are certainly aspects of the vampiric trope, but also it is a new spin on the timeless tales of Dracula’s seduction and control and what becomes of the victims. 

This book is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of description of abuse and bodily fluids so please read the authors trigger warnings at the front before deciding to start. However, if you’re like me and see the art in this disturbing content, I highly recommend picking this one up. Blood on her Tongue will be available on March 25 2025 at your local bookseller or library.

********SPOILER ALERTS**********

As one of three sisters, I felt a draw to the connection between Lucy and Sarah. They not only love each other deeply, but they also have a competition between them. Michael was first Lucy’s love interest, but Sarah was able to win him over with her charm and wit. Therein lies the deceit and hidden affair as Lucy tries to outshine her frigid sister. 

The love connection between Sarah and Katje was weird for me. As much as Sarah continues to declare she is not, there was still the feeling that she was an abuse victim looking for another domineering relationship to give her direction. The sapphic scene was quite gruesome for the squeamish but did add an interesting turn to the whole feeding aspect.

Well, that was an experience.

BLOOD ON HER TONGUE is true gothic horror. It’s a dark, bloody mess of a story. It’s thought provoking, atmospheric, intense, well written, creepy, gory, and at times, tender.

I’m not going into any detail because this is a story that should be read with no preconceptions.

Definitely read the Author’s Note at the beginning. Johanna van Veen lays out what’s to come, and if you can’t handle that, you won’t want to go further.

*Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the free eARC, provided via NetGalley.*

UTTERLY DARK AND UNHINGED YET POETIC

That's how I would describe this book. I should have known the level of darkness since there's a page of trigger warnings, but still...

I am not accustomed to this type of writing and theme, so it took a while for me to adjust. And you know what, I kinda like it — or maybe it's only this book, who knows?


Anyways, this is perfect for readers who like:
✅gothic horror vibes
✅dark and disturbing matters,
✅eerie and mysterious
✅historical setting

I rated this book 4.5⭐

This novel is infact a love story. One filled with blood and horror. One that asks if the only family you had left completely transformed into something outside of societal norms and beyond reality, how far would you go to keep them?

The more gruesome parts are fantastic, they all have great build up and tension before the incident takes place. And when it did it wasn't in a way I expected. Personally I have a hard time with historical fiction, alot of it tends to just be women suffering with no resolution. Here Lucy gets to push back at what is expected of her when it comes to protecting her sister. Lucy as a character is fascinating, she's very clasist and views her self as morally grey. She's always on the edge of a decsion, despite how moving quickly can only help.

I would recommend to fans of both historical horror and gross nasty women.

This book made me want to gnaw on something out of frustration. And then turn to vomit. The descriptions are so on point, so in your face, and in your eyes. I would eat and lick up every word and punctuation this author ever puts to page after reading this incredibly infuriating novel. I wish I could go into depth on why I feel the way I do about this, so I will be encouraging all I encounter to read this book.

Blood on Her Tongue was a highly anticipated 2025 release for me and what a wild ride it was! I thought the cover was gorgeous, read the premise and I was on board.

The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister was one of my favorite reads last year, and I feel like this cured the book hangover The Bog Wife left me in — the two aren’t all that similar, I just love a bog setting, what can I say!

I really loved this book. It’s creepy as hell and the setting was absolutely perfect for the story. The horror was written really well and painted such a vivid and visceral picture in my mind (I hated it, it was perfect). I could feel it in my bones that some plot points were going to happen, but I still found myself shocked reading HOW they happened.

Consistently reading this late at night certainly was… a choice by me. It’s so creepy!!! But I ended up staying up until 3am last night desperately trying to finish the book.

It’s unsettling, eerie and atmospheric as hell with a gripping story about just how deep a sister’s bond will go.

I loved Johanna Van Veen’s writing style and am eager to read more of her work. Women in horror never disappoint, what can I say?

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC and the opportunity to read this book and share my honest thoughts!

First of all, I loved the setting of this so much! The Netherlands in the gothic late 1800s with all of its rules of polite society and the overarching feelings of darkness and mystery were a big reason why I was drawn to this book.

In this story, we follow Lucy, whose twin sister, Sarah, has become increasingly ill and perhaps even a little bit mad, if her jumbled letters are any indication. Lucy travels to the bleak and foreboding house Zwartwater where her sister and her husband, Matthew, reside, and learns of strange happenings with a bog body that were recently found on the property. And it seems as if Sarah’s illness and corresponding fits of madness coincided with the finding of that terrible bog body…

I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did this book touch on the love between sisters and that even more complex bond between twins, but also on feminine rage and the lengths one goes to for family. I will also say that it did contain a fair amount of body horror and gore, so be prepared if you a bit squeamish like me! While the author’s first book will remain my favorite, I enjoyed this gothic horror and it will remain with me for a while to come.

* Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Johanna van Veen for this ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. *

I tend to go into horror books with a fair bit of scepticism, since I find they tend to get too outlandish or over the top at some point. Blood On Her Tongue, however, was written so beautifully that its the first horror I would describe as perfect. Beyond that one word, I can't think of what else a review might say about the story and how well it's written that might do it justice - its something one simply needs to experience to comprehend.

The way van Veen has written the story gives you such a deliciously eerie setting while flawlessly combining the supernatural with the realities of the era, in a way that really shows how much research she’s put into relevant topics of the plot. Anyone who loves gothic and/or horror stories would find that you won't be bored for a second while reading Blood On Her Tongue, and I can't wait to reread this in the future.

Whoa. This was an incredibly well-written novel, but it's not for the faint of heart. Lots of horror/gore with a side of women being treated very, very poorly. It's incredibly original - I expected a straight up vampire story, and this was definitely not that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

What in the world! I was so ready for a gothic romance, and got just the opposite, BUT a gothic story about twins checks most of my boxes so I was extremely excited to jump into this one.

Every single character in this book was unhinged and it was a great time. I never knew what to expect and when I thought I knew what was coming van Veen would prove me wrong again. The atmosphere and tension were done so well that I felt like I was the one going to be locked away in the asylum.

I also liked a lot of the commentary that was made about women (and men) and I was gripped from the beginning.

In the end all I can say is, good for you ladies! Give this a try, but be ready for the gore and a few unexpected twists.

actual rating: 1.5. this book freaked me out. i knew that it would be gothic and creepy but i didn’t think that it would be that bad. i was wrong. the book was that bad. i had to take multiple breaks because i couldn’t handle it. the characters were kind of lacking though. there were many times where i felt like the characters were “too modern” but that might just be me being a historical accuracy freak. also, the second half of the book was so bad. it was like the author gave up and was just spoon feeding us the information.

Blood On Her Tongue was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. I knew from the first chapter this was going to be an easy 5 stars.

The best thing about this book is its atmosphere. You will feel haunted, horrified and at times disgusted but it is done so incredibly well. This book is gothic horror at its best.

At its core this book is about twin sisters and their devotion to each other. The relationship of the sisters feels real even at its most toxic and obsessive. Lucy gets confronted with some really interesting moral and philosophical questions, the most obvious naturally being how far she will go to protect her sister.

As every good Gothic book needs, this book has an ominous estate - Zwartwater, named after the black water in the bog that surrounds it. Needless to say, the setting lends itself to some very chilling moments and atmospheric story telling.

Which brings me to the seriously beautiful prose of this book. The biggest draw of gothic literature is the beautiful descriptions of the utterly macabre and this book nails it in every chapter, every sentence.

If you are a fan of Crimson Peak and Carmilla, you will love this book.

I have grown such a love for gothic horror and this one did NOT disappoint. The writing style was done so well I could picture every scene in my mind. The characters were written so well and I honestly found myself rooting for a character that perhaps we shouldn’t have been rooting for. There’s so many amazing aspects to this story and I strongly recommend it to everyone who loves horror! The story is so unique!

4 ⭐️. the gothic moors and mysterious bog people had me hooked from the beginning. the book plateaued mid-way for me and then picked up speed at the end. women are truly devious and not to be fucked with. pop off ladies.

ty to poisoned pen press & netgalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

From the first chapter, I knew I was going to love this book—and I was so right. I didn’t realize how starved I was for a dark, gothic horror until I tore through this eerie, morbid, and sometimes downright unsettling story.

But Blood on Her Tongue isn’t just a chilling gothic tale—it’s also about sisterhood. Lucy and Sarah, once close but now fractured by their differences, are forced to face their past and mend what’s been broken, all while dealing with something truly terrifying. Their relationship was just as gripping as the horror unfolding around them.

Johanna van Veen has officially made it onto my list of star authors. She knows how to craft a haunting, atmospheric read while still delivering real emotional depth. If you love gothic horror with heart, you won't want to miss this!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and the author for gifting me a copy of this book so I can give my honest review.

I struggled through this one because of how mind-fucky it was, but it ended up all coming together in a way that would make sense on a re-read. Would recommend with the caveat that they would HAVE to finish the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advance copy of Blood On Her Tongue.

I dare say that this book is truly grotesque. Blood On Her Tongue is a gothic horror that follows a young woman named Lucy, who goes to visit her ill twin sister, Sarah. Her sister has been diagnosed with a bit of insanity due to a fever of the brain and has been obsessed with a corpse that was recently found on her estate. However, Sarah takes a turn for the worse, including having a new thirst for blood. Lucy will have to unravel the mystery of her sister's illness before she is committed to an asylum. But there may be more to her fever than she is letting on.

I had no idea what I was in for. It started out so typical and then, BAM! It all went out the window from there! I love a book that throws you for a spin! Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, something would happen, and I would have to start all over again. The twists were wonderfully twisty. Blood On Her Tongue was also surprisingly disturbing, but in the best way possible. It was continuously unsettling, such as the scene with the coffin...if you know, you know. Not to mention that there is plenty of body horror, gore, and grossness. I'm not one to gag at books... but this one managed to make me gag. That's not a bad thing. If anything, I'm impressed. Me and spit just don't go well together.

I really enjoyed Lucy as a character. Her way of thinking was very relatable, along with some of her habits, like when she was writing diary entries or fidgeting with specific items to calm herself. I also loved how you're rooting for the male characters to get what they deserve. They sucked, but in different ways. Sarah, herself, was just as unsettling as you may expect, if not more. The descriptions of her body rotting and smelling of death and her own dog wanting nothing to do with her. All red flags but were written to make you even more disturbed.

Although, I do think there were a few points that were a bit sluggish, and the ending is a little bit anticlimactic, I loved this. Once I got into the thick of it, I couldn't put it down.