A solid first book in a new fantasy romance series.
I really enjoyed that this book focuses more on the fantasy political plotline than the romance itself.
The slow burn, marriage of convenience, the forced proximity, the enemies to lovers was done so well in the backdrop of political drama, a kingdom trying to avoid war, magic lessons and found family.
There are some spices scenes towards the end.
I really liked how supportive the MMC was to the FMC even though he doesnt really know her that well, giving her time.
looking forward to the next one!
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for an eARC.

"I have collected a thousand words, and yet I cannot find a single one to tell you what comes alive inside of me when you are near."

★★★★☆ 4.5/5

I have a soft spot for marriage of convenience, he falls first, slow burn stories, so when I came across the description of ’The Serpent and the Wolf’, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it—and it did not disappoint.

I like a romance with a plot and this was exactly what I needed. Rebecca Robinson creates a slow burn romance set in a well built world of countries in tension, witches and coven, and a politically charged plot. I usually don’t like political reads but this was a still easy read where it didn’t feel overwhelming, but rather just part of the story.

And the romance, slow burns can feel like they drag on too long, but I feel Rebecca Robinson did it just right with Vaasa, who has her fair share of reasons not to trust powerful men, and Reid, the Wolf of Mireh, a strong but moral leader who can’t help but be intrigued by his wife who tried to kill him on their wedding night. The pacing is perfect, and you can truly feel the connection between the Vaasa and Reid build layer by layer especially on her end. Reid’s a fall first kind of guy and don’t we all love a green-flag man? I know I do. Reid is thoughtful, flirty, supportive, and so so clearly dedicated to earning the trust of the Vaasa. The tension between them felt earned, and each moment where Vaasa’s feelings begin to shift made me excited for them.

Ultimately it is a solid debut, and I will definitely be excited to read book number two.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this eARC.

"Not him. he is merely a green bean."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🤩

Wow. Wow. Wow.

This was a lot more political that I usually read; which I didn't realise going into it.
HOWEVER, I ate it the heck up.

It gets right into the action and doesn't stop.
The last 20% had me in a complete and utter chokehold.
There were tears, there was kicking feet, smiling like an idiot, punching the air, gasping, and even sitting up forcefully in disbelief.

Usually, I have a love hate relationship with a slow burn. I LOVE when the slow burn finally burns, but I also hate the slow burn while I'm reading because JUST KISS ALREADY.
This is, without a doubt, the BEST slow burn I have ever read.
This will truly be my benchmark for all slow burns going forward.

What a gem from a debut author; I can't wait for the rest of the series!

"I have learned that home is seldom a place; it is people, the most unexpected of them, that give us roots." || "I have collected a thousand words, and yet I cannot find a single one to tell you what comes alive inside of me when you are near."

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this eARC.

This was a really enticing read, with some twists and turns that I did not see coming. The storyline was also something different compared to most other fantasy books.
The tension between the main characters was *chefs kiss*, and I love the analytical mind of Vaasa.

The Serpent and the Wolf is a serious contender for my favourite read of 2024.
I don’t even have the words to string together my thoughts because the ending of this book has altered my brain chemistry, but I’ll try my best.

This book has:
🌎 Politics that rival Crescent City/SJM with world building
🗡️ Enemies to lovers/Forced marriage
🔥 Slow burn
🔮 Magic/witches
🪦 “Who did this to you?”/Touch her and die vibes

The MMC is a walking GREEN flag. Yep you read that right, a romantasy with a GREEN FLAGGED MMC!
My pet peeve with majority of romantasy male leads is that they are always toxic in some way but Reid Cazden is far from it. Our FMC, Vaasa Kozár, is a boss in her own right and maintains that status to the very last page.
Even the side characters (who each get a fair amount of spotlight) are enjoyable and make this book everything that it is.

I am absolutely in awe that this is a debut novel and I am SO excited to hear that it’s been signed on for a trilogy 😮‍💨🤌🏽
I have no idea how I’m going to survive the wait until the second books release!

4⭐️
2🌶️
“Is that what you need, Wild One? To be in my bed?....Will you bring the knife?”🐺🐍

Vaasa tying her betrothed (Reid) to the bed and leaving him bleeding? Iconic. What more do you need to know?

The Serpent and the Wolf pulled me in with its immersive world-building and the way the characters’ growth unfolded—watching them grow and learn through the story completely drew me in! The ending was gut wrenching and left me desperate for the next book!

And Reid? Whisper in my ear anytime Headman. “Pretend you love me, Wild One. And make it convincing.”. That line alone had me ready to pledge my loyalty. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next!

Tropes:
⭐️Who did this to you?
⭐️Bad ass FMC
⭐️Enemies to lovers
⭐️Deadly magic
⭐️Slow burn
⭐️Found family
⭐️Arranged marriage with fake dating
⭐️Twister politics


Thank you Rebecca Robinson and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review⭐️

3.5 stars

After the death of her parents, Vaasa is forced by her brother into an arranged marriage with a (soon to be) ruler from another kingdom. We were dropped straight into the middle of Vaasa and Reids wedding night where she seduces him, puts a dagger to his throat and then runs away while he is tied to their bed.

I really enjoyed Vaasa as our fmc. She was the perfect amount of cunning, fierce and strong willed! She had a lot of character development throughout the book as she struggled with accepting herself while learning about her magic. I loved reading about her healing journey and the found family through her coven. I do wish there was some more insight and background to the magic system though but hoping we will get that in the next book.

Vaasa and Reid's relationship was the perfect authentic slow burn and gave me ALLL the feels. Reid was always so attentive and patient towards Vaasa. They had really good tension throughout the story and I loved to read about them pretending to be into each other in public but they actually weren't (but they secretly were). We love a good fake dating trope

I appreciated the political intrigue. There was a lot of scheming throughout the book due to an upcoming election for Reid and it was so much fun to read! I wish some of the politics could have been a little more clear like there were a lot of names and places dropped and sometimes I struggled to follow along but idk if that was just me

Overall this book was a fun time and had a lot of potential to be great but the execution just fell a little short for me.

I love a really good romantasy and Rebecca Robinson delivered.

The writing is flawless and the plot is very unique. The pace runs quick at the start and then mellows out before picking up again towards the end.

I love the magical system. It’s simple yet unique, involving witches and the different magic they possess per coven. There’s a political aspect to it too, as our FMC grew up being shaped as an ambassador between countries, which gave her a strategic mindset.

The chemistry between our couple was great. I LOVE the marriage of convenience trope but I hope that there would’ve been more “dramatic” moments for them during their slow burn phase.

The only snag for me was that it was so hard to get into the politics aspect with, remembering the names of places and following on the “strategies” outlined. I’m very anal with reading, I need to understand each thought process and with the war games described , I just couldn’t keep up.

The cliffhanger builds enough excitement to make you scream for more.

Overall though, if you’re looking for a good, entertaining romantasy, this is for you.

You will love this if you love:
🐺 Marriage of convenience
🐺 Slow burn
🐺 Bad ass FMC
🐺 Cinnamon roll MMC (think Cassian)
🐺 Found family

I'm beginning to think romantasy just isn't for me. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. The main characters felt generic and like they didn't really offer anything new to the genre, and it was jarring to be thrown into the middle of things which I think threw me off a bit. The main male character didn't feel too fleshed out compared to the female main character, and so it was hard to get invested in his character when it was quite two-dimensional. The writing style didn't particularly draw me in, and I found it a bit choppy in terms of pace.

The Serpant and the Wolf

By Rebecca Robinson

This story has everything - witches and magic, warriors, arranged marriages, sibling rivalry and even politics!

Vassa is coming to terms with the recent and violent death of her mother when she is sent to a new territory for her arranged marriage. Unhappy about the arrangement Vassa attempts to flee in a quest to find the answers she needs to survive. Drama and danger follow her as her murderous brother keeps track of her movements within her new home.

I loved this story - it's plot, pace and twists were all fantastic as was the strong fmc and the other female characters surrounding her. Definitely worth a read! I am hoping there is not too long to wait until the next book!

Thank you Rebecca Robinson and Netgalley for the arc read!

Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy ‘enemy to lovers’ read this is perfect however it really is lacking in some really basic features when it came to the world building.

Aside from just name dropping people/places, there was little to none information and reasoning behind the story. Nothing was ever explored and was just way too vague for me to want to continue.

Thankyou to Rebecca Robinson, Simon & Schuster (Australia) and NetGalley for a free copy of The Serpent a the Wolf ARC. All thoughts and options are my own and should deter you for reading what you love.

Vaasa no tiene el control de su vida; solo es una pieza intercambiable para su hermano, quien la utiliza para mantener su alianza con otra nación. Por ello, deberá casarse con Reid y hacer todo lo que él le ordene. Pero también deberá obtener toda la información posible y dársela a su hermano o de lo contrario la asesinará.


Disfruté la lectura y quedé intrigada con ese final. Espero que en el siguiente libro se desarrolle más el mundo, porque en este las descripciones son muy escasas y aún quedan muchas dudas por resolver, como el sistema de la magia etc.



¿Será esto una duología, trilogía o saga? Necesito saber qué va a pasar, tendré que esperar no sé cuánto tiempo para leerlo, pues retomaré la lectura solo cuando esté completo.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.6/5 stars

- Arranged marriage
- Enemies to lovers
- Slow burn
- Found family
- Political intrigue

Rebecca Robinson has crafted a captivating and unique novel, rich with political intrigue. I truly believe this debut is the start of thrilling series.

Admittedly, it took me to get to 30% before I was truly invested (hence not the full 4 stars) but after that, this world had flipping through the pages like I didn't have to be awake in a few hours. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories magic system, and the enchanting world-building had me wishing for more. However, what warmed my heart was the beautiful sense of found family. I adored the slow burn tension between Vassa and Reid. Watching Vassa learn to overcome her inner barriers and build connections was something I felt many people could relate to. Her emotional journey was well-written and made me feel deeply for her.

And to top it all off, that intense cliff hanger at the end?! This has me so incredibly excited for the next book. I cannot wait to see what Rebecca Robinson has in store for us!

The Serpent and the Wolf is the first instalment of a romantasy duology and is the debut novel of author Rebecca Robinson.
This book follows Vaasalina Kozár, heiress to the Asteryan empire, married off to the foreman of Mireh: Reid Cazden. Mere weeks after her mother’s death, a black curse that promises death follows closely behind her and Vaasa must use whatever means necessary to find out how to cure the affliction that plagues her. Even making a deal with her now-husband.
I absolutely loved this book. I am such a big fan of romance with a plot and The Serpent and the Wolf certainly delivered. Vaasa is a deeply compelling and complicated character, and her struggles feel so real it’s very easy to empathise, despite it being a character in a book. The author spoke about how she created Vaasa when she was feeling similar turmoil, so the writing is authentic and so real. Her story arc was very well done.
I know the book is marketed as a romantasy, but it didn’t really feel like one. I expected a lot more of the traditional magic/creatures/other-worldly elements rather than a primarily human story with a few paranormal features. This did start to change towards the end, so perhaps the sequel will continue on the trajectory.
I really enjoyed the political intrigue; the worldbuilding was done at a comfortable pace and it was refreshing to read about a democratic system rather than the commonly used kingdom/royalty. It opened up a lot of avenues of exploration and the politics were just as good as the romance. The set-up of the foremen and councillors were a bit hard to keep up with at times, it took a while for me to make sense of their system.
The romance: *chefs kiss*. I love a slow burn. Love it. This was a slow burn done right. Other authors should read this book and emulate how to write a slow burn. It felt really genuine. The found family aspect was also wonderful.
I demolished this novel in two days and I can’t wait for the sequel.