This was my first experience reading this author's work and I'm sure I'll be reading more. Thirsty grabbed me right away because it's so different from the usual contemporary romances out there right now. These are real people; real characters -- I felt their emotions and their fears . Sal and Vanessa's relationship is steamy, hot and sexy but make no mistake, the storyline will keep you on the edge of your seat with suspense as well. Interesting and informative, sexy and suspenseful -- I loved everything about this book! I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

Slow start but with one hell of a finish.

This was a bitterly fought for love story, but not so much Vanessa and Sal/Ghost's. The true story for me was seeing the bruised and broken Sal drag himself out of a gritty nightmare and grapple his way back to a new life. Vanessa's love was a hard won prize for Sal, but it didn't define him as much as his desperate victory over past demons.

Recently released from prison, Salvador is every bit a ghost as his street name suggests. Sal is a ghost, a shell of a man haunted by past mistakes and armed only with the desperate will to survive. Trying to save enough money to help his brother in jail while trying to stay out of the clutches of his old gang, Sal has no sweetness or hope in his life. Until Vanessa.

"Whatever you want in a man," I whisper in her ear. "Whatever you need. I want to become him."

At first, the introduction of Alan and the brewery made no sense to me. But as Sal slowly ventured out of his treacherous neighborhood, I finally understood that it is Sal who is the ultimate brew needing the right patience, time, and alchemy.

And again, that was one heck of an ending. Up to the final page, I was at peace with Sal's new lease on life but with one paragraph, I am now hooked and waiting eagerly for answers.

Note: I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This wasn't what I had expected. I'm not sure if many readers will find it relatable.

This is the first book of the Eastside Brewery series. I had a really hard time getting into this book, there are a lot of Spanish words that I could not figure out the meaning of from the text. It was different in that it was entirely from the view point of the male character who has just gotten out of jail and is trying to turn his life around but keeps getting pulled back into gang life. I liked Vanessa, she’s a very strong individual. Interesting twist at the end and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

This review is based on a galley copy from netgalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Thirsty is the book I had been looking to read! I didn't expect how raw and emotional I would feel from beginning to end. The characters were real, honest, and relatable (especially for those of us who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and felt like the odds of attaining happiness were stacked against us). The love story between Vanessa and Salvador might start out a little slow for some readers but the character development is worth the wait. The chemistry between Sal and Vanessa is incredibly sexy and the hot sex scenes will leave sweating for more! This books gets 5 chili peppers from me.

Hmmmm, this was an "Okay" read for me. It starts off really slow, picks up a little bit, but for the most part, left me feeling...blah

Ghost has been out of jail for six months. After living with a homie that cheated on his woman, he finds himself homeless. But only for like, five minutes. Because he's propositioned by a neighbor he kind of grew up knowing. So now he's living in her garage, helping clean through the mess, for only two hundred dollars for two months. He works two part time jobs and is saving money so that he can get an apartment he and his brother can live in once his little brother is released from jail. The twist? The granddaughter of the neighbor is an old crush from school. And although he never dated her, he thought about her a lot while locked up.

Vanessa has been trying not to be like the other cholas. Although she had a little slip a few years back which ended in a daughter. Now with her sights set on being a CPA, she's more focused than ever. But seeing a former school friend starts bringing back old memories and feelings.

Although building the characters is always a good thing while reading, I felt like I spend pretty much the entire first half of this book in blah land. We learn a lot about Ghost and some of his gang affiliations and events. We even get to watch him step outside his comfort zone, learning something new and experiencing different things. But the "pull" of the story was hard for me to stay connected to. I REALLY enjoyed the relationship between Ghost and Alan (father/son type of feel) the most though. Unfortunately, that's probably the only thing that kept me interested.

Reviewed by Chris

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. For me the romance in this book was secondary. The real story was Ghost's reintegration after jail, and his struggle to find who he really is and wants to be. Both the characters and the story were thoughtful, and I was drawn into the world. I'm really glad I got the chance to read Thirsty, and will definitely look for the next in the series.

Thirsty was an okay read for me. I enjoyed the beginning of the book with a few laughs but as the story went on I was losing interest in the story. Maybe because the story seemed to move at a slower pace than what I expected. I liked the characters: Salvador, Chinita, Vanessa, Brianna, Regina, Alan, Barry and even Eddie, although he showed up closer to the end of the book. I didn't believe in the beginning that Sal thought of Vanessa constantly when they barely knew each other as teenagers. However, I did feel the chemistry between them as adults and there were definitely some steamy moments between the two. This book ends with a huge cliffhanger and although I liked the characters, the story itself was just an okay read for me so I'm unsure if I will read the next book in this series.

Thirsty (Eastside Brewery #1)
By Mia Hopkins
A copy of this book was provided via NetGalley for an honest review.
3 stars
This book was started out little slow for me but as I continued reading, the story started to unfold and I wanted to see Salvador Rosas “Ghost” made it out of the Eastside and make something of himself. Ghost grew up with gang life in his blood. His father and grandfather were both part of the local gangs. So it was only natural that he would follow that path. After a stint in jail, Ghost knows that he must walk the straight and narrow; get his life together not only for himself but for his little brother that would be getting out of jail soon. Ghost works 2 jobs at night to make an honest living. But when he must find a place to live, he is not sure what to do.
Vanessa Velasco knows what life on the Eastside is like. She has lived her whole life. She was the road to getting out of there until she found love; causing her to put her plans on hold. But Vanessa is a tough cookie. She knows how the gang life is but when her grandmother offers Ghost their garage to live in, she must put some ground rules down to protect her family.
Sometimes your childhood crushes become a reality. That reality so much more than you could imagine. As we watch Ghost and Vanessa learn to accept fate and trust again, they show each other a side no one else has seen.
I look forward to seeing where their story leads; will they make it out of the Eastside and accomplish more than they thought possible with their lives? Or will the Eastside consume them like most the locals here?

I had not read Mia Hopkins before. I am a big fan! Loved it!! Please pick this one up!

Thirsty is a fantastic read. It is a completely different storyline than I have read before and I loved it. It's a story of a latino gang member named Ghost, who is newly released from prison and trying to walk the straight and narrow. He wants to leave behind his old ways, but once in the gang, always in the gang. There is no escaping. Ghost reconnects with a woman he has always had eyes for, but she wants nothing to do with him or his lifestyle. The story is very well written. It drew me in and I couldn't put it down. It is an absolute Must Read !!!

This is a new to me author. It took me a minute to get in to the world but once I had a handle on the setting and the characters, it was a pretty easy read. There is a whole lot going on in the story and Vanessa and Ghost are just a piece of it. I still felt like I was missing something. Like there was a prequel that I didn't know about.

I enjoyed the time in Ghost's head and his POV. I would have liked to see more of that and him having to deal with his mental health more. There were lots of references to being "thirsty" in the story, but given the title, I was hoping it was more focused on the brewery.

Not a bad read. Nice twist at the end. Book 2 may bring some more clarity.

Unfortunately this was a dnf for me as I couldn't connect with the hero and Vanessa. I sincerely thank you for the opportunity and also signed up to promo this event and will upload all links on release day! Thank You! ~Ratula

This book has some really fascinating characters and situations. You can feel the intensity of this story through the amazing descriptions the author creates. The opening of this book is so good it really sets the pace for a really good story. I love to see the changes in Ghost's character throughout this book and to see the positive influences on him from Alan, the brew master to Vanessa. It was good to see him grow as a man and start to live outside of the gang influence. Chinita was so cute and just a good grandma, willing to give Ghost a chance and a safe place to camp out for a while. The story get complicated and things start to turn for the worse for Ghost but with a little help from his friends he can get thought anything. Alan and his belief in Sal is awesome! Encouraging him to pursue brew master school and trying to give him a chance to try something new and get away from the gang. I do wish it didn't take so long for Sal and Vanessa to reconcile but it was a kind ending.

Salvador “Ghost” Rosas is trying hard to turn his life around, he's been given a second chance of sorts, and is ready to leave gang life behind, but it's not ready to let go of him! When his former boss calls and tells him it's time to get back to doing what he is good at and expected of him all he wants is to be left alone to explore his new life. And that's not the only thing he is trying to avoid, there's a certain sexy landlord wanting his time and attention too, question is can he keep them both at bay?

Vanessa Velasco knows what it is like to be burned by love, she found it once, but sadly it was taken away from her and she found herself a single mother in the end. Now she lives a very guarded life, not only because of her broken heart, but also because of living in a gang riddled neighborhood, the same one that took the life of the man she loved. So, learning that her new tenant is mixed up with the gang leaves her more than a little hesitant about letting him get too close to her and her family, but he surprises her and shows her that he is trying to let that side of his life go, and has hopes of becoming a better man. And before long she finds herself looking at him in a new light...

Thirsty is pleasurable and wickedly erotic tale that is sure to command your attention, squeeze your heart, and spawn a few blushes!! This is a first time read for me and I'm happy to report that it left me with good vibes, the writing style was easy to follow, the characters were well drawn, and the story line was plausible, and stirred up a good case of the feels... overall I'd say it left a good first impression! I enjoyed getting a glimpse into these characters troubled lives, they both had a tough road ahead of them, and it was quite a treat to watch them maneuver through things and watch their relationship progress and flourish into something so beautiful. Highly recommend you take a chance on this one, it's a second chance story that is sure to inspire and warm your heart!

I requested an advanced copy of this title through NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed.

This is a slow building romance. The kind of book you want to spend days with. Good girls, bad boys, single parents, ex cons, neighbors looking out for one another. Drama, intrigue, romance. I gave it 3 stars.

Wow! What a powerful book. I don't usually like first person POV from the hero only, but it really works in this awesome novel by Mia Hopkins.

Sal is 24 and fresh out of prison, having served 5 years for grand theft auto. He just wants to go back to his neighborhood, stay out of the gang, and go about rebuilding his life. He ends up falling in love with a neighborhood good girl, discovering he has more to offer the world than he thinks, and a determination to be the man Vanessa needs.

Thirsty is a beautiful and tragic love story that’s brilliantly written, but a bit slow to start. It’s so easy to love Sal despite his mistakes and Vanessa is a kick-ass heroine. Together they try to rise above the crappy cards they’ve been dealt and learn how to love along the way.

I love a book with an anti-hero. Sometimes I need to read something a little darker than the other books I have read. Something that is more true to life than the romances that I love to read. I got it with Thirsty.

I will warn you guys, Thirsty gets off to a very slow start. But it is worth sticking around for. Oh, so worth it. The author lays the groundwork for Sal and Vanessa’s romance in those first few chapters. More importantly, she explains how Vanessa is connected to Sal.

Sal was trying to rebuild his life after going to jail for 5 years. Trying to stay away from the gang that he was born into is hard. Even harder is trying to keep away from Vanessa. Vanessa is his unwilling landlady who is also the widow of a fallen gang member. Can he stay out of trouble and the gang? Or will he go right back into the lifestyle that he was born into? Will Vanessa and his love survive? Or will it become a casualty?

I loved that the author made Sal imperfect. I loved that he acknowledged that he did wrong in the past and he was trying to move past it. His anxiety attacks and the resulting self-harm made my heart hurt for him. I also like that he was a quiet guy. He didn’t have much to say. I thought that he did make a good try at trying to stay away from the gang. It was hard for him, seeing that he was living in the neighborhood that they ran. But I had to give him credit because he tried so hard to stay away.

I thought Vanessa was kind of witch with a b in the beginning of the book. But I got to thinking about it and you know what, I don’t blame her. She was trying to keep her daughter and grandmother out of the gang. So when Sal shows up in her garage, I don’t blame her for blowing a fuse. He also brought back memories of her husband, good and bad. As the story went on, though, you could see her defenses going away. The only thing that she asked of Sal when they got together, was that he stays out of trouble.

The sexual tension and sex in Thirsty were through the roof hot. Sal was a horny guy from page one. I knew that the sex was going to be good when the scene with Sal masturbating in the shower was hot. I wasn’t disappointed when they had sex. What got me, and what I liked, is that Vanessa and Sal were into kinky stuff. I don’t see enough of the kinky stuff written in romance books. I loved it.

I didn’t see the romance between Sal and Vanessa at first. It was all sex, which was fine with me. The night of the carnival was when the romance part of the book hit me. Sal was heads over heels for Vanessa. But it was rocky because of Sal’s gang association. When certain events happened in the book, I didn’t blame Sal for leaving or Vanessa for kicking him out.

Besides the plotline where Sal is trying to rebuild his life, there are a couple other major ones. There is the plotline with Sal’s father, who died when Sal was in jail. He was greenlighted by the head of the gang. But there is a twist in that plot that surprised me. There is also the plot with the gang and Sal’s relationships with different members. Both of those plotlines were not resolved at the end of the book. They were both left open.

The end of the book was sweet. I loved seeing how far Sal had come from the beginning of the book. Not going to lie, I did have some happy tears towards the end of the book. The epilogue, though, was fantastic.

The author does include a note to the readers from the author. Let’s just say that I am glad that she had such in-depth access to information that helped created her characters.

I would give Thirsty an Adult rating. There are some graphic sex scenes. I wouldn’t recommend for anyone under the age of 21.

I would recommend Thirsty to my family and friends. But with a warning about the sex scenes and violence. I would also reread this book. I enjoyed reading it and connected with the characters.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Thirsty.

All opinions stated in this review of Thirsty are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**