In 1979, 2 women, Nicola and Amber, meet in a disco. They love to dance, dress up, and have fun. But, then Amber realizes that Nicola is a vampire. Nicola turns Amber into a vampire. However, after Nicola kills everyone that Amber loves, Amber decides she has had enough. She gets together with Courtenay and develops a female friendship with her, and hatches a plan to take Nicola down.
I am not a fan of vampire books, so this one felt off for me.

Short Synopsis: Two vampire best friends open a disco nightclub.

My thoughts: After LOVING Stone Cold Fox last year I couldn’t wait for this authors second release. The premise itself is just so darn fun. Vampire besties, disco dancing and music, but make it toxic!

This one didn’t quite hit the mark for me like SCF, but it was still an enjoyable read. I always love a story that features the wealthy being bad. And the toxicity in the friendship was something I just couldn’t look away from.

Read if you love:
- unlikable characters
- Friendships
- Dancing and nightlife
- Slow burn

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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If you are looking for a fun, campy vampire read look no further. It’s 1979 in London during the disco era and Amber just wants to have a good time but little does she know there are vampires lurking around! Add this one to your spooky season reading list!
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What a fascinating novel, chock full of supremely unlivable characters. We Love the Nightlife definitely kept me engaged and guessing throughout, and I especially enjoyed the ambiguity of the ending. The reader is left wondering if history will repeat itself. Good, unique read for spooky season.

It was the cover for me...

I absolutely LOVED the illustration and knew that not only did I need this book but I also needed a physical copy . This is literally the perfect coffee table book for spooky season and you know I am all about the decor!

Rachel Koller Croft, is a literal genius and I have become an instant fan.

Even though this book circled around vampires, I promise you, it was done so glamorously and so realistic, you'll absolutely swoon over this sure to be bestseller.

Don't believe me, check it out for yourself :

Locked in a toxic female friendship, two vampires careen toward catastrophe in this dark and dazzling page-turner, set amidst London's glittering disco scene.

London 1979. Two women with a deep love for disco meet one fateful night on the dance floor, changing the course of both their lives forever.

Nicola, a beautiful and brooding vampire for nearly two centuries, can’t resist fun-loving and feisty Amber from America, ultimately offeringan eternity together where the glamour of nightlife always takes center stage.

But not all is what it seems.

Nearly fifty years later, after an unexpected betrayal, Amber wants out from under Nicola’s thumb, but it won’t be so simple to break up this festering friendship when she learns others have done the same—and wound up dead.

Sensing Amber’s restlessness and in one last play to keep her close, Nicola proposes they open a nightclub of their very own, hearkening back to their best days as dancing queens.

Amber agrees but she’s secretly hatching a dangerous escape plan. And if she fails…the party is over for good.

I thought this was a fun read about toxic friendship, and vampires!
It really resonated with me, as I have been going through some friendship break ups recently. (Boo!)
I enjoy reading about friendship drama, I felt like these girls were giving me all the tea. I also love vampires xD
So really just a combination of things i enjoy, done really well!
Really fun read for me.

This cover drew me in instantly, but I didn’t feel like the book followed up on the promises the cover and description made. I didn’t find this book to be as exciting as I hoped. It was still an interesting book and I enjoyed the multiple narrators and dual timelines, I honestly was more interested in the past and would have liked more stories from that. The characters were interesting, but didn’t compel me the way I hoped they would. Amber and her best friend Nicola have a secret, they are vampires. Nicola turned Amber and while she agreed she’s not sure it’s the life she thought it would be. But Nicola doesn’t let anyone go. They share a love of dancing and through the book work on starting up a nightclub. I didn’t find the big twist to be super twisty but it did make sense and felt satisfying. I also enjoyed the ending. This one was 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars because it was a different take on vampires.

In a time where so many vampire books are being released, this one really stood out to me and I loved the way it was done. It was such a fun read and full of backstabbing drama.

You need to be prepared for a little bit of a slower build up than Croft's last book, but I thought it was good and suspenseful in a co-dependent and toxic friendship kind of way.

We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft is a captivating tale set against the backdrop of London's vibrant disco scene in 1979. The story follows Amber, an American housewife yearning for freedom, who becomes ensnared in a toxic relationship with Nicola, a centuries-old vampire. As their bond deepens, Amber's desire to escape grows, leading to a thrilling mix of friendship and betrayal that culminates in an unexpected climax. With its rich exploration of female friendship and the dark allure of nightlife, this novel offers a fresh take on vampire lore that will keep readers enthralled from start to finish.

Best friends….forever?

“We Love the Nightlife” by Rachel Koller Croft is a fun, wild ride that dives into the glitzy, gritty world of London nightlife with a supernatural twist. The story follows besties Amber and Nicola chasing the high and excitement they got with disco dancing. The duo juuuuust also happen to be vampires. 🧛‍♀️

But nothing good can last forever, let alone an eternity. Soon, cracks start forming in what seemed to be a perfect friendship. Amber needs an exit plan and FAST.

It was a bit slow moving for me but the biggest downfall of the book is that we didn’t get MORE. I would have loved to learn more about some of the secondary characters and their history with the FMC.

This was a fun read with a twist I didn’t see coming. 👀

Thank you so much Berkley Pub for a copy of this book!

I am very torn on how I feel about this book. There were elements that I liked but overall it took me much longer to finish and I wasn't gravitating towards reading it compared to other books I was reading.

I cannot pinpoint what wasn't working for me because the story overall was a good premise. The book is told from two alternative point of views and timelines which I absolutely loved. We have Nicola who is primarily told from the past and her family history and eventually how she met Amber during the height of disco. The other point of view is Amber who is told in present time. Amber desperately wants to get out from Nicola's control after she learned that Nicola killed her husband (she promised she wouldn't) and that was her last straw.

Their toxic friendship lasted over the course of 40+ years and Amber was just so ready to separate herself from Nicola but there were some twists towards the end that were unexpected. I love that Croft tried something different and went the paranormal route. Comparing to her debut, Croft knows how to write about messy females.

I had switched primarily to the audio in the second half and I felt that kept me super engaged as opposed to reading with my eyes.

If you are looking for a vampire lite (in terms of gore) with complex relationships with dual POVs - give this one a try!

PS - I will say this book cover is one of my favorite book covers of the year. The lips, the fangs the neon font is all perfection.

3.75

3.75 stars Rachel Koller Croft’s WE LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE is a disco-infused vampire thriller set in London. Told through dual POVs of fanged besties Nicola and Amber, the narrative spans decades - starting in 1979 and going through present day. Because the atmosphere changes depending on the decade, the settings are stylish, neon clad and bloody. At its rotten core, this is a tale about toxic friendships and how tricky they are to navigate and or exit. As Croft writes, “Despite every fucking terrible thing she’s done, there is a part of me that still loves her. She was my best friend. She’s the only family I have left. How could it end up like this?” Vampires. They’re just like us.

As Nicola finds out the hard way, no matter how hard you try, you can never make someone be yours or truly control someone without them becoming resentful. Real and healthy love is letting others be who they are while allowing space for both parties to grow separately and together. If you don’t think Nicola is toxic, you are most likely the problem. Anyone who has been involved in any of these quicksand friendships will be able to relate and or be triggered by all of the red flags Nicola is waving around. This girl is manipulative as fuck from the very beginning and I found myself gasping several times at the audacity she had to plot all of THAT just to keep Amber in her clutches. What a deliciously noxious villain to hate!

This is a glittery way to kick off spooky season and I could easily see A24 adapting this into a movie, complete with a soundtrack that would slay. The plot is simple, fun and flashy, the pacing is breezy, and the twists are welcomed and somewhat surprising while also not being surprising? Either way, those glitter-discoball-vampire vibes were lit and serving honey! I just think I really hated Nicola so much that I can’t rationalize giving this book more than four stars. Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars! This was an unexpected standout read—I loved it! If you're a fan of literally any of the following genres...contemporary fiction, paranormal romance, thriller, horror, etc...this is the book for you.

In 1979, amidst the disco club scene, Amber befriends Nicola, a self-assured, 200-year-old vampire. The duo become fast friends, and Amber agrees to let Nicola turn her. Flash-forward fifty years later, in the wake of a shocking betrayal, Amber wants out of this festering, toxic friendship with Nicola. But the power dynamics, gaslighting, and manipulation between the two make leaving complex.

We Love the Nightlife was unlike any book I've read. I loved how it blended a variety of genres and highlighted the deterioration of a female friendship. The relationship dynamic between Nicola and Amber was fascinating, especially as it revealed Nicole's machinations behind the scenes to keep Amber in line throughout the decades. And the connection between them due to Nicola being Amber's vampire maker added even another layer of complexity. I really enjoyed that this was dual POV as well. Plus the nightlife/club background made for a great setting.

The one thing I wasn't the biggest fan of was how blunt and matter-of-fact the writing was. There wasn't any flowery language. I do wish the writing was a bit more personal and emotional, so I could've connected to the characters even more. Though I loved this book and would absolutely recommend! This would be such a good fall book club read.

Thank you so much to Berkley for sending me a copy of We Love the Nightlife. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)

In 1979, Amber meets fellow party girl Nicola on a London dance floor and it’s platonic love at first sight. Nicola has an intoxicating energy that makes her feel almost superhuman…and it turns out she kind of is. Nicola is an immortal vampire, and she offers to turn Amber into one too. Amber eagerly accepts, looking forward to an eternity of wild nights out.

Almost 50 years later, Amber is both sick of Nicola’s shit and terrified of her controlling nature. Over the decades, Nicola’s grasp on Amber has tightened, and she’s gone from intoxicating to straight up toxic. Amber’s determined to escape, but she knows it won’t be easy. The first step is finding someone to replace her as Nicola’s BFF…and she’s just spotted the perfect target.

Was this a bit of a guilty pleasure read? Absolutely. It is frothy and silly but I had such a blast reading it that I think it absolutely merits five stars. Anyone who can get me, someone who is decidedly not a fantasy girlie, to be invested in the lives of vampires deserves all the awards. The disco-era London setting was vibrant and fun, and the plot was delightfully twisty. I devoured this book while lying on a lounge chair at the beach, and I think that’s exactly how it was meant to be enjoyed! This was the second book I’ve read and loved by this writer, and I’m officially putting her in the “I will read anything she writes” category.

OK Slow burn is so so hard for me. It always feels too slow, with the stakes of the book not that propulsive. What is the point of the book, when are we getting into the thick of it? And this would starts out exactly like that. The story is of two friends, vampires and their life and history. But also, one of them is tired of being under control, being manipulated and wants to leave her maker. But as a reader I couldn't see WHY. The quest to leave was just so so slow, learning more about her own maker, and having a goal of finding her own replacement. I guess in addition the back story, and historical glimpses back in time just slowed the whole thing down without giving too much towards the characters of the book.

I liked the second half of the book. The badassary of the last stand as all the vampires had a bloody last dance. It was glorious, horrific and perfect for a vampire horror story. I also loved that this book focused more on the friendships and not the sexual side of vampires. Servitude and toxic control of one another. In my opinion this book would have benefited from more bloodiness in the beginning, and showing the darker side of the vampires.

Thank you to Berkley for my gifted review. Now all I need is a playlist for this book.

this one was for the party girls and it absolutely was!! Vampires. Disco. Power struggles. Multiple timelines of chaos. Very very toxic but also very very endearing?! The ending was soooo bittersweet!!!

If you haven’t read Stone Cold Fox yet - please go grab a copy - you will fly through it and laugh until your cheeks hurt! This story is set in a very different world but reads like a sister story to Bea in every way and rings true to the Rachel Koller Croft bitches and glamour brand!

Rachel’s newest book comes out August 20 and it’s incredible!! I’ve read 180 books so far this year, I’ve only rated 3 of them 5⭐ and this is one of them!! This is a vampires in London story with disco, dancing, and nightlife.

Vampires are not normally my jam but Rachel knocked it out of the park with this vampire duo! This story is sassy, wicked, fun, and had me cackling throughout. This story is a never ending dance party full of eternal youth and is so bloody fun!!

This is not really a vampire story but about toxic female friendships and escaping them. This has cat and mouse vibes that is so unique! And I just love these gals so much and love being in this world! Rachel has such a unique and incomparable writing voice and her dialogue is incredible.

I am also so incredibly honored for the shoutout in the acknowledgement section! Truly made my whole week and then some when I saw it!!!

Recommend if you:
🪩Enjoy discos and dancing
🪩Are or were a clubbing girl!
🪩Want to go to London
🪩Love Vampires
🪩Enjoy female friendship stories
🪩Love to laugh while reading!
🪩Love reading cat and mouse stories
🪩Want hysterical, biting dialogue

good bones, but i found myself bored!!! boo. :(

the concept of vampires being fully immersed in nightlife is intriguing and clever (perfect way to avoid the sun!) but i didn't find the toxicity of the female friendship compelling or clear enough to fully buy in to why amber needed to/wanted to escape. the pacing felt slow and it didn't have quite the sparkle i was hoping for or expecting! it was described as dark and dazzling but mostly it seemed more dull to me? and i wanted to love it, really, i did, but i'm thinking maybe croft's writing style just isn't for me, as i felt similarly about her first book!

3.75/5 stars, rounded up

Thank you Berkley Pub for the advanced reading copy!

The return of the vampire, and I'm so here for it. Between this and SO THIRSTY by rachel harrison, I'm loving this for us. The adult version of our HS Twilight obsessions haha

The premise of this book was super clever, and the vamps were so fun. Despite that, I wasn't totally engaged and gripped the way I wanted to be, so I switched to audio like 25% through and I'm so glad I did -- I was HOOKED on that format. There were some major twists and turns that I didn't expect AT ALL, not to mention all the little shocks spread throughout. The drama was soooo juicy and even the side characters had me intrigued. This book is all glitz and glam with feminist undertones and a little romance side plot that'll tug at your heart strings.

If you love (or want to love!!!) glam disco gothic vampires and a whole bunch of girl drama, you'll want to sink your teeth into this one. (see what I did there)!

SYNOPSIS -- It's London 1979, and brooding vampire, Nicola, is looking for someone to match her energy. Enter: Amber -- a young, carefree disco-loving American girl trapped in a boring marriage and desperate for an out. Nearly fifty years later, Amber can't believe how things have changed, and she's looking for another out from a very different situation. While Nicola struggles to pull Amber back in, Amber is looking feverishly for a way out for good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this advanced copy. I recieved this as part of the #BerkleyBesties program. All thoughts are my own!

A glittery haze of disco-love, We Love the Nightlife alternates between friends Nicola and Amber during different points in their lives. Amber is a disco-loving housewife at the end of the 1970s and Nicola is the intriguing vampire who convinces Amber to join in her in a life of never ending fun. Flash foward to today and Amber is tired of living under Nicola's thumb and has come to realize that their friendship was never really fun, so she takes steps to plan her escape to a new life.

I listened to this book on audio and I felt like that really added a new level of fun to this story. I particularly enjoyed Suzanne Elise Freeman's chapters as Nicola, she had a certain cadence to Nicola's accent that gave me chills at times. Katherine Lee McEwan was a fantastic Amber and her best work was in the 1970s as Amber as she gave Amber's voice a youthfulness that really emphasized just how young and naive Amber was when she was turned.

The only reason I dinged this a star is that I got a bit confused at times and I had to go back and check certain details because I couldn't remember them later on. Along with this, the book did leave me with a handful of questions that were never answered. But I was shocked by the twist regarding Nicola's sister AND absolutely loved how the book ended with Amber and her companion.

Overall, a fun and twisting tale that I had a fun time with. It definitely has put me in a bit of a spooky mood!