4.25 stars I don’t typically read many books based around vampires…so when the opportunity presented to participate in Vampire Weekend and read this book, I grabbed the chance, and am so happy that I did-what a way to be reintroduced to the vampire world! The author has a fabulous way of creating characters that I am pretty sure aren’t meant to be well-liked. Such was with Amber (loved that she was from Wisconsin and all the references to my home state!) and Nicola, two vampires who open a night club in London. The scenery and imagery of disco-age London and present day were too notch. Although the beginning of the book was a bit slow for me, the plot and character growth picked up and I couldn’t then put the book down 1/2 of the way in-much like the author’s first novel. A fun read for this summer for sure!

This book was absolutely phenomenal. Rachel Koller Croft is a master of creating twisted characters, whose fates we get invested in. Nicola might be a psychotic bitch, but after discovering her backstory I couldn’t help but feel a little bad for her. And seeing Amber’s transformation made for a greater sorry. Plus London with its rich history was definitely the perfect setting for a vampire book (maybe I’m biased here because I love London, but I thought it’s perfect).

Be warned, once you started reading We Love the Nightlife you won’t be able to put it down. But it will be such a fun journey that it’s totally worth pulling an all nighter.

If you are like me and are a lifelong vampire fan, but haven’t found a vampire book that really sucks you in in a long time you NEED to pick this one up.

If you like Sex and the City but make it with vampires, then this is the book for you.

Short Synopsis:
Nicola and Amber meet in 1979 at the height of the disco era. They become fast friends and when Amber is at her lowest, Nicola share her fangy truth with her.

My Thoughts:
This was such a unique thriller/vampire novel. It’s a toxic female friendship with a vampire twist. I truly didn’t like either of the characters, but I think that’s the point. It took me a bit to get into, but the second half was so good. If you’re a fan of some fun drama, thriller and fantasy adjacent book, it’s a good pick! The vibes were strong!

I saw someone refer to this as a b!tchy thriller, and that’s the perfect description.

What You’ll Find
🪩 Disco
🩸 Vampires
👄 Brutality
👯‍♀️ Female friendships
🇬🇧 London
🍾 Nighlife
😳 Unlikeable characters

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own. I read this book as part of the "Vampire Weekend" Book Group on Instagram organized by @booksandbedtime and @emilyisoverbooked of @bookedwiththeemilys
I was super excited to be a part of this awesome event! Thank you to Berkley and Rachel Koller Croft for allowing me to be a part of it,

This book was not my typical read as I tend to be quite a scaredy cat and don't read anything with vampires and other mythical creatures. However, the cover drew me in and the plot was enticing! I had also enjoyed Rachel's previous book, so I was interested in reading this one.
I actually really enjoyed this book and was hooked from the first page. If I have to compare it to something, I would say this book is one part
"Twilight", one part of "Sex and the City" and one part of "Desperate Housewives:" the 70s and 80s British party atmosphere reminded me a bit of "Cruella" with Emma Stone, as well.

I am also happy to say that this book was a lot less scary than I thought it would be. There was only one or two scenes in the book that creeped me out. However, I find that I can usually read slightly scarier material than what I can watch for whatever reason. This book was a lot of fun. It made me want to put on Cher, ABBA, and Queen and have a dance party! This would be an addictive guilty pleasure read, perfect for your summer beach bag. However, I must warn you that once you start this book you will also not want to put it down!

I am very much looking forward to Rachel Koller Croft's next book!

—


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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🖤 vampires
🪩 london
🖤 dual POV
🪩 dual timeline

If you are a fan of vampires, I am confident you will enjoy this one. The story follows two female vampires; a bonded pair, maker and companion; through the history of their relationship and during present day. The drama is fun, the twists are unpredictable and the ending is completely unexpected.

To add, I’m a big baby and scared of most thrillers and absolutely avoid horror. This was a light read with just a bit of gore (I mean obviously, they are vampires). This falls very low on the “scary” scale.

📚Thank you Berkley Publishing, The Emilys and the author Rachel Koller Croft for the eARC of We Love the Nightlife!

An electrifying read with a fast-paced plot and well-drawn characters. The tension builds with each chapter, making it impossible to put down. Absolutely thrilling!

3.5 stars.

I thought it might just be me not being in the right mood to read this book, but I'm not sure I enjoyed it all that much? It hit all the right beats: the heightened suspense that ratcheted up more and more, the sweaty desperation of it all, but really I didn't care until the last 20% or so.

This started very strong! The decadence, the pairing of two disco socialite vampires, the intriguing hints at the power dynamics in the vampire world… I was practically licking my lips with anticipation. But unfortunately the things I anticipated never quite came to fruition. One, it was slightly maddening to make it through this entire book and not see even the remotest smidgen of a hint at some sapphic vampire sex or desire. You’re telling me these ladies have spent fifty years doing nothing but go to clubs, dance all night, eat people, and have sex - but never was that sex ever with each other or another woman? Especially considering the front cover?? Two, I felt a bit let down on the vampire politics and worldbuilding front. This story is pretty much just about Nicola and Amber. I wanted to know more about Tamsin and Margaux and more about all those delicious little hints about the vampire world that had me so intrigued - it seemed like a novel setup compared to other vampire stories - but all we really get is how the vampire world relates to our main two. So without any gayness and only minimal vampiric worldbuilding, the rest of the story kind of wore thin for me after a while.

This was so NOT what I was expecting from Croft, and it was delightful! A tail about vampires--their friendship, their toxic games in their friendship, maintaining that friendship, ripping apart from one another. Finding out about their past, their present, and how their stories interweave. It was a fantastic, fun read, and I look forward to her next.

I loved the dark and mysterious world of Nicola and Amber's London. The two vampires have a complicated and compelling relationship after several decades of companionship amidst a changing nightlife scene. Through alternating perspectives and timelines we slowly unravel the plans that both women have for each other. The dry tone and humor throughout was a perfect fit for the book. It was a very fun and glamorous book for fans of disco, toxic friendships, and Interview with the Vampire.

This was… so boring. What a DRAG?! Literally nothing happened and I hate that I wasted my time. It had so much potential and I love a vampire-esq book but this just was not it.

I loved this book! It was different. I loved the character development. There relationships were intense and fun and dysfunctional. I loved the spooky party girl scene. This book was fun, fast paced and I will definitely be reading more from this author.

A codependent toxic friendship and they are vampires! This book was so great. The first half made me fantasize about becoming a vampire myself. Around the middle, I was having second thoughts. And at the end, I wanted to be a vampire again!! lol

I loved the back and forth through time, finding out about "Nicola" and then REALLY finding out about her. I felt sorry for her in a way but she really did go about everything wrong didn't she. I really love Amber and ended up being so proud of her! Fifty years is a long time to be in a bad relationship, lover or friend!! Happy that it ended how it did, I was really nervous there for a while! I know Amber will be a great Maker to Courtneay and they can have a true friendship! YAY!!

3.5 rounded up
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted (free) ARC

I love the way this author writes her novels!! So twisty and suspenseful! This book explores the dynamics between two women who have spent the past few decades together, but are now growing apart. One desperately wants to let go, but will the other let her?

This subject matter was a new one for me, so I was a bit apprehensive going in. I’m not sure I’d venture back into the world again, but I did enjoy the ride!

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 3 ⭐️
WE LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: horror
📖 384 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🪩🧛🏼‍♀️🩸🍸💃🏼🍾🕯️💿
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 8/20/2024

🩵𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🩵

Thank you @berkleypub for the #gifted early copy!

WE LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE initially drew me in with its unique & creative plot set in a London night club, but it quickly lost its momentum, & was hard to finish. Despite its potential, the book draaaagged on, with little happening until the last 80% of the story & it felt too long. While I appreciated the unexpected twist towards the end, the overall execution fell short.

Despite the book's shortcomings, the writing remained strong, vividly descriptive, allowing me to easily visualize the scenes.

With its potential & imaginative plot, I could envision this story seamlessly transitioning to the big screen 🎬. As a book however, it felt slow paced & struggled to maintain engagement.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ alternating timelines
◽️ dual POV
◽️ vampires
◽️ disco
◽️ revenge

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: In 1979 London, two disco-loving women, Nicola, a centuries-old vampire, & Amber, a lively American, meet, altering their lives forever. Nicola offers Amber eternity, but secrets lurk beneath the glamour. Decades later, Amber seeks freedom from Nicola's control, uncovering a history of deadly betrayals. Nicola suggests opening a nightclub to keep Amber close, but Amber plans her escape, risking everything. If she fails, the party ends for good.

I love the previous book from this author Stone Cold Fox, but unfortunately this story was not for me. I think the characters were very good, but the plot was soooo slow. If you love a more character driven story than I would say this is for you, I just need something a little more than this book offered. I still look forward to seeing more from this author!

I wanted to love this one — I really thought it was made for me — but it fell flat. I kept dreading picking it up because the pacing and character building was underwhelming and the plot was lackluster. It was definitely a unique story, and I can see a few of my followers who adore character-driven books picking this one up, but it wasn't for me.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing @Berkleypub, and Netgalley @Netgalley for this arc. All thoughts are my own.


Nicola is a beautiful, brooding vampire for nearly two centuries when she meets the charismatic Amber. When Nicola offers Amber eternity together where the nightlife will taken center stage, she takes her up on the offer, but things are not always what they seem.

Nearly fifty years later, Amber wants to be on her own, away from Nicola’s controlling ways. But is isn’t so easy to break up a friendship, especially when she knows that others who have tried have ended up dead.


Nothing like a codependent toxic female relationship to get your juices going, oh and don’t forget that they’re vampires. This book had some fun and interesting aspects. I enjoyed the dual point of view, but at times I got lost in the past and present timelines. I felt that it sort of threw the pacing off and I just couldn’t hit my stride and it was a little unsettling. To add to it, the writing style was short and choppy. However, the story was still fun, and I enjoyed learning about Nicola and Amber. The cast of side characters helped add to the drama and make this an enjoyable read. I did find it interesting that Nicola and Amber loved clubbing so much that they wanted to do it forever. I am still racking my brain for something I enjoy so much that I would want to do it forever, and the only thing I can settle on is reading. So that has to count for something.

If you enjoy disco and vampires, you’ll love this book.

I have a soft spot for vampire stories in my heart...so I was very intrigued by this real life vampire book. I always find it interesting what "vampire rules" each author lines up for their crew. How much does garlic, sunlight, crosses, stakes in the heart matter, etc?

This book takes on girl friendship, power within friendship, toxic relationships and we watch as one POV is trying to get out and the other is trying to keep her IN. While it may be about vampires, in a really fun and unique way, it's more than that as well,

I found myself kinda pushing myself to read. It seemed like the pacing was a bit off at the beginning. Overall, it was entertaining and a different read.

Thank you go NetGalley and Berkley for the advance e-copy of this book.

If you grew up in the 1970s and/or are a fan of disco music, you might know what song has been running through my head since getting an ARC of this book!!

Nicola and Amber meet in a London dance club in 1979, the tail end of disco’s popularity. Amber, a vivacious young American married to a staid Englishman, longs for fun and attention, so she goes clubbing alone many nights. Both women see each other as kindred spirits, and their shared love of dancing cements their friendship.

But while they may share similar interests, they’re actually quite different. Nicola has actually been a vampire for nearly 200 years, and she thinks Amber might be the perfect companion to spend eternity with. Realizing Amber’s unhappiness, Nicola offers her the opportunity for immortality, where every night can be full of music, dancing, and glamour, without any of the trapping burdens of human life.

While becoming a vampire is exotic and exciting, Amber realizes that she still needs friends, and perhaps more. But Nicola is full of rules and wants to control Amber. And after nearly 50 years, Amber discovers just how far Nicola has gone to keep Amber right where she is, so Amber is ready to start a new life. The thing is, though, leaving Nicola may be the most dangerous thing she does—if she can even succeed.

The book is narrated by both Amber and Nicola, and shifts through time, from Nicola’s childhood in the 1800s to the present. It’s rare to find a story which has female vampires at its core, and these are really fascinating characters.

Rachel Koller Croft’s debut, Stone Cold Fox, was excellent, and this book, while very different, once again proves what a talent she is.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy. The book publishes 8/20.