So fun and witty and bloody with amazing themes of friendship while serving up great horror and mystery!

Have you ever had a thirst so strong that it consumed you? Every thought, every breath, leading back to your desire to drink. You are going out of your mind thinking of a way to curb your ever-building thirst...

Sloane and Naomi have been friends since they were in school. Always joined at the hip. They even have the same dream, leading them to the same destination over and over. Sloane is quiet and more reserved, while Naomi is daring, reckless, and sucks the life out of everything around her. For her birthday, Sloane's husband is treating them to a girl's weekend. Naomi is determined to have Sloane get out of her own way and have a blast. That night out leads to a change in their entire lives. They find a group of friends who are a little weird, seem a bit rough around the edges, and Naomi jumps all in. Sloane is bound and determined to get back to the hotel. But they never make it back. Their lives have taken a dark turn. Where they lust after one thing...blood.

If you need a spooky vampire read, this one has it all. It is fun, edgy, romantic, and brings a different vibe of vampires to the table. I do wish the vampires in the book were more fleshed out. I would have loved to know where they came from and how they became creatures of the night. Thank you to Berkley Publication for my finished copy of this creeptastic read.

I think Rachel Harrison is a master at balancing relatable themes/topics through a fantasy or paranormal lens. Sloane and Naomi are flawed people with many insecurities but their loyalty and friendship to one another truly knows no bounds. I loved the vampire side characters that they meet and the eventual romance Sloane had with Henry. Another thing I love about this authors books is the way she slides in the horror elements as some scenes were gruesome but in a way that was highly entertaining. It was nice to see the two women come into their own with this new perspective on life and figuring out that they actually don’t have to settle and can embrace their true self. I wasn’t expecting to love this but it just hit all the right notes for me and I was pleasantly surprised. Can’t wait to read whatever the author writes next!

Reading this book was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I’m glad I gave it a try. The story introduced me to a fascinating world of vampires that left me wanting more. The friendship dynamics were compelling, and I found myself genuinely caring about the characters. There was a bit of insta-love, which felt somewhat rushed, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.

By the end, I wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, but strangely, that didn’t bother me. The story’s ambiguity didn’t turn me away; instead, it added a layer of mystery that kept me intrigued.

If you’re open to stepping outside your usual genres and don’t mind a bit of uncertainty, this book might just surprise you as it did me.

This was my first book by this author and I quite enjoyed it. I could totally empathize with the FMC and her having an existential crisis. The best friend character drove me quite nuts and I don’t think the friends have a healthy relationship, but their banter made things interesting.

The bits of gore throughout the story were just the right touch to offset the humor. My library customers will love this horror/comedy!

I love vampire books and I love this author, so this book was a delicious and delectable reading experience for me. It's sultry and sensuous, it's vulnerable and questioning, and it left me wanting more. I feel like the ending left room that if Harrison wanted to write a second book featuring these characters she could.

I loved the relatability of the characters. Traversing old and rocky relationships, staying stuck in a place when you know you should move otherwise you will just continue to sink. Being forced to break out of one's rut, the importance of having a supportive truly great friend even if they are rough around the edges, aren't we all a bit rough around the edges?

If you like Rachel Harrison, if you like horror romance, if you like vampire books, then this book may just be for you and I hope you love it as much as I did.

SO THIRSTY is the perfect book if you're in the mood for a spooky read! I liked that it also incorporated true friendship and a touch of romance as well. The overall story was very engaging and unforgettable. I've never read anything with vampires and I really can say I actually enjoyed it. Rachel Harrison is a talented writer and I will be reading her back catalog now.

Many thanks to Berkeley and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared closer to publication day on my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews).

3.5 rounded up - I enjoyed this enough but definitely not my fav of Harrison’s. I liked themes of female friendship and choosing how you live your life. But I found Sloane and Naomi a bit grating, in opposite ways, which I think is partially the point but there were times where I was rolling my eyes at them. There’s a little bit of romance, which was fun and I wanted more from. I think my biggest issue is that even though this delves into big topics, it all felt fairly surface level. But if you look at this more of just a fun ride and don’t think too hard, it is a good time that obviously gave some Twilight vibes!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Pub for my e-ARC of So Thirsty!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🩸 love a good vampire story
👯‍♀️ would do anything for your bestie
🫥 have ever felt invisible
🎂 dread your birthday

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Sloane Parker is dreading her birthday. She doesn’t need a reminder she’s getting older, or that she’s feeling indifferent about her own life. Her husband surprises her with a birthday-weekend getaway—not with him, but with Sloane’s longtime best friend, troublemaker extraordinaire Naomi. Sloane anticipates a weekend of wine tastings and cozy robes and strategic avoidance of issues she’d rather not confront, like her husband’s repeated infidelity.  

But when they arrive at their rental cottage, it becomes clear Naomi has something else in mind. She wants Sloane to stop letting things happen to her, for Sloane to really live. So Naomi orchestrates a wild night out with a group of mysterious strangers, only for it to take a horrifying turn that changes Sloane’s and Naomi’s lives literally forever. The friends are forced to come to terms with some pretty eternal consequences in this bloody, seductive novel about how it’s never too late to find satisfaction, even though it might taste different than expected.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

Another amazing one from Harrison! I loved Black Sheep last year, so I was really excited to see what she came up with next. This twist on vampires was a lot of fun. I loved that she got to experience it all with her best friend, Naomi. The story is a lot deeper than becoming a vampire though - Sloane is dealing with deeply rooted trauma and trying to finally let go of it all, not just to save her relationship with her best friend, but to accept her new life as a vampire. The story is a bit on the long side, but the action and thrills of it all really ramped it up at times. Overall, a fun one, especially if you’re into vampires!

This was fine. It’s like if the writing in Twilight was good in a lit fic way. I liked the characters but have beef with the plot. It was a bit boring. I kept waiting for something big to happen and it felt very pedestrian. The ending should have made me emotional but it didn’t. It felt rushed and muddled and their decisions didn’t make sense to me. I could tell that it was meant to feel special but it fell flat for me.

Harrison does not disappoint. This book is the perfect spooky season - vampire romp you've been waiting for. Loved it! Dang. I'm so thirsty. Please excuse me...

I just adore Rachel Harrison and So Thirsty was fabulous. I will forever read anything she writes! Will purchase for my libraries.

I’m a sucker (😏) for a good vampire story, and this one delivered!

The vibes in this alone were fantastic: a little bit creepy, surprisingly funny, and slightly seductive. I really loved the way the vampires were portrayed in this book, as well as the physical rules around being a vampire (i.e. sunlight exposure, eating/drinking, how death works, etc.). It felt like a more modern take on the trope, and I was here for it.

The relationship between Sloane and Naomi felt a little tumultuous at times, but it also felt pretty real for people who had been friends since they were young teenagers. Their loyalty to one another was nice to see, especially given some of the situations they get into. I also really liked how Harrison wove in the feminist messages throughout Sloane and Naomi’s experiences, and the parallels that were drawn- definitely gives you some things to think about and makes excellent points.

The short chapters made this one super easy to binge, as well as the propulsive story. I was absolutely flying through the last 40 pages of this book, on the edge of my seat, tense about what was going to happen next. This will definitely be one of my favorites this spooky season.

"A woman must learn to take life by the throat after a night out leads to irrevocable changes in this juicy, thrilling novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Such Sharp Teeth and Black Sheep.

Sloane Parker is dreading her birthday. She doesn't need a reminder she's getting older, or that she's feeling indifferent about her own life. Her husband surprises her with a birthday-weekend getaway - not with him, but with Sloane's longtime best friend, troublemaker extraordinaire Naomi. Sloane anticipates a weekend of wine tastings and cozy robes and strategic avoidance of issues she'd rather not confront, like her husband's repeated infidelity.

But when they arrive at their rental cottage, it becomes clear Naomi has something else in mind. She wants Sloane to stop letting things happen to her, for Sloane to really live. So Naomi orchestrates a wild night out with a group of mysterious strangers, only for it to take a horrifying turn that changes Sloane's and Naomi's lives literally forever. The friends are forced to come to terms with some pretty eternal consequences in this bloody, seductive novel about how it's never too late to find satisfaction, even though it might taste different than expected."

Obviously, always here for the vampires, but really here for just the stunning cover illustration. That is just, perfection.

"It seems the cruelest fate, to die scared."

"Though, just because you have all the time in the world doesn't mean you can't still waste it."

This was my first book by Harrison, and I was entertained! I'll definitely be checking out her other books, specifically Such Sharp Teeth and Black Sheep. As far as this book goes, though, it felt 'safe' in its vampiric journey. For some reason, the stakes never felt high for me. This could easily have been an expectation situation but it did have some highlights that I enjoyed, including some great quotes like the ones above! I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a quick read as the chapters fly by and to anyone that loves vampire stories.

Thank you to Berkeley Pub and NetGalley for this ARC copy!

Unfortunately Rachel Harrison’s books are starting to sour for me a tiny bit. This was still entertaining in a superficial way, if all you want is a book that will keep you entertained and turning pages without needing much depth or meat to the story, this is perfect. It’s a great airport book, the sort of book that is easy to tune in and out of without the sort of complexities that make that difficult, this is the perfect book for you.

I have loved her books, but she’s falling prey to the Ryan Reynolds problem, what we call a shtick, one trick pony, & these things are usually great in the beginning but then after awhile you get sick of it and want something else. That’s def what’s happening here. If this were the first book of hers I’d read I’d probably have rated it a 4 just based on readability and enjoyment, but bc I’m getting sick of reading the same book, it’s gotta be a 3. Not bad but just repetitive at this point, some people love this, when they read an author they just want more of their shtick. For those this would be perfect, but for me this is a 2.75.

I would also title this one Vampiric Thelma and Louise. ;) The main character/narrator Sloane is unhappy with her marriage/life choices and goes on this retreat with her lifelong best friend, Naomi, who lives her life more independently and unhinged. The two women struggle to make sense of each other as they navigate traveling and making decisions--it seems like the gap between them is wider than it has been before so it's causing tension. To complicate things further, Naomi insists on going to a house party with some strangers--eager to step out of her comfort zone, Sloane acquiesces. This leads to a pretty significant, life-altering event.
Thankful for the epilogue but I was wanting more from this for some reason. It just seemed like Sloane and Naomi were both pretty confused and having trouble sorting themselves out. It does end beautifully which I think is what everyone wants from a Rachel Harrison novel. She can write the heck out of female friendships for sure!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this e-arc.*

I really wanted to love this one more 🙁
The women felt like mundane stereotypes, and the vampire aspect seemed way too forced. The writing was excellent, and I was entertained the whole time, which is why I could finish it. I will be looking into more of her work!! I recommend it to those wanting to jump into a Halloween/fall book; it isn’t super creepy. So grateful for the ARC from Netgalley 🧛🏼‍♀️🫶🏼

This was a super-fun, wild ride. I enjoyed the author's irreverent humor and the strong character development. The ending was a bit too rushed for me, but I still had a great time reading this book.

So Thirsty
by Rachel Harrison
Narrated by Brittany Pressley

Thank you partner @berkleypub @prhaudio for the free ebook & audiobook. #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram #prhaudio

About the book 👇🏽

Sloane Parker is dreading her birthday. She doesn’t need a reminder she’s getting older, or that she’s feeling indifferent about her own life. Her husband surprises her with a birthday-weekend getaway—not with him, but with Sloane’s longtime best friend, troublemaker extraordinaire Naomi. Sloane anticipates a weekend of wine tastings and cozy robes and strategic avoidance of issues she’d rather not confront, like her husband’s repeated infidelity.

But when they arrive at their rental cottage, it becomes clear Naomi has something else in mind. She wants Sloane to stop letting things happen to her, for Sloane to really live. So Naomi orchestrates a wild night out with a group of mysterious strangers, only for it to take a horrifying turn that changes Sloane’s and Naomi’s lives literally forever. The friends are forced to come to terms with some pretty eternal consequences in this bloody, seductive novel about how it’s never too late to find satisfaction, even though it might taste different than expected.

🩸 My thoughts:

Geezus! This is exactly the vampire book I needed and wanted. It was impossible not to devour this book… I tried to savor it but I did not succeed. If I wasn’t reading it on my kindle, then I was listening to the audiobook and now I need a physical copy stat! It’s dark and witty with a dash of spice making this story perfect for me. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, was phenomenal and really brought this story to life. I’d recommend both versions of this book! Everyone that reads or listened to this book is going to completely lap it up and if they don’t… they read it wrong. Honestly though, it’s perfect for spooky season and it’s just what I was looking for as my mood shifts from summer to fall. Are you looking for a story to satisfy? A story to… quench your thirst? Get ready because So Thirsty hirs shelves September 10th!!

Happy reading 📖 🩸🎧