🩸 A Cruel Thirst 🩸
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Thank you @netgalley @randomhousechildrens and @joyrevbooks for this eARC!
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First of all, let’s just talk about this STUNNING cover! I immediately wanted to read it because it is so, so beautiful! I’m a sucker for character art on the cover.
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A Cruel Thirst is a historical fiction story that follows Lalo, a fledgling vampire, and Carolina, a young woman from a long line of vampire hunters that must work together to eradicate vampires from the world.
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And I’ll leave it at that! Going into it sort of blind I think brings a lot of fun to the story. Just know that I love Lalo with all my heart ❤️
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One of the best parts of the book was the writing! It was so easy to read and before I knew it, I had read half of the book in one sitting! I finished this in a day and a half or so and I was so sad it was over! It was such a fun, atmospheric romance that included a lot of Mexican-based lore on the origin of vampires. Reading this during spooky season was peak vibes 🤌🏻🤍🎃
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I definitely recommend reading this, especially during the fall season if you can! I can see this really helping with a reading slump too!
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Is this something you’d like to read? If you’ve read it, feel free to DM me so we can talk more about it! ☺️
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#acruelthirst #earc #netgalley #canva #fallreads #yafantasyromance #vampires #bookstagram #readerlife #readersofinstagram #bookrecommendations #historicalfiction

Despite me taking forever to read this book, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience reading it, especially because I was craving a good vampire romance book. I love the chemistry between Carolina and Lalo and their development, I love the humor they both have, and I really enjoyed them as characters. I feel like they went through a good development while still staying true to who they are in terms of personality. The storyline was also enjoyable to follow and I really appreciate the different bonds these 2 have with their families. My complaint about this book was that the last 15% felt so, so rushed. It would've benefitted from an additional 30-50 pages to wrap up the climax of the story and the after of it.

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a good vampire enemies? hate? to love book with a good plot to accompany it

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

It's a little younger than the genre a usually read but overall a nice basic vampire and human vs evil story. Pace was a little fast and flow were sometimes off in certain parts of the book but overall decent storyline.

I was really excited about this book, as it was one of my top picks for 2024. Sadly, it ended up being more about the atmosphere and romance than I expected. I was hoping for a stronger plot beyond the love story and more detailed vampire lore, but it felt a bit underdeveloped in those areas. The writing style also seemed more suited to a younger YA crowd. I think this wasn’t for me, but a lot of people might like it!

This was such a fun read! Absolutely loved it! Literally had me giggling on every page.

A Cruel Thirst is set around the most adorable virgo that ever virgo’d, I swear lol. Lalo Villalobos, an absolute introvert aims to avenge the murder of his parents by an evil vampire while Carolina Fuentes, a badass slayer, is determined to prove to her Papa that she is worthy of joining her family of slayers despite being a woman. When Lalo accidentally gets turned into a vampire, his only hope is to get help from the Fuentes slayers to break the vampire curse before the evil vampire catches up to him and his sister. But Carolina is a stubborn badass. Before Lalo has a full chance to explain himself, Carolina is set on ending him. Soon, he and his sister are wrapped up in the Fuentes family with a fake engagement and possible romances to boot. What follows is thrilling, adventurous and adorable hijinks!

Lalo is so endearing. I loved his dedication to protecting his little sister. And the way he just hates everything except a good book and being alone had me cackling! Carolina’s determination and stubbornness pops off the page as well. I could truly relate to her frustration for not being taken seriously simply because she's a girl. I loved how badass she is–the entire role reversal, in fact, between Lalo and Carolina was so refreshing. Not to mention the relationships with their family members. The banter is his real and hysterical!

A Cruel Thirst also has deep lore built into its world that I found so intriguing. Angela Montoya threads together beautiful vampire and Aztec mythology. I loved the origin of vampires in this story, how the afterlife is described with Tecuani and the way it played such a huge role in each character’s lives. I especially enjoyed following Carolina, as Lalo’s very being made her reevaluate her place among her family and in the world.

Honestly, I could just read endless chapters of all the characters arguing and Carolina and Lalo bickering, getting the better of each other. This story was so reminiscent of A Princess Bride and similar favorite adventure reads. Truly, truly had a blast reading this!

A Cruel Thirst is perfect for romantasy lovers who are looking for vampires. Montoya provides a unique spin on the vampire/vampire hunter trope. Her characters are wonderful, and the book brims with humor, and banter that will entertain any fantasy romance reader. This book is filled with cultural lore and myth, which is one of the hallmarks of Montoya's stories. A perfect choice for spooky season!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children’s for letting me read A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya! This was excellent, all the dark vampire vibes, perfect October read. Also, that cover, stunning!

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: vampire hunter x vampire, paranormal, vampires, fake dating, Hispanic culture

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 10/9 and will be posted to my book blog on 10/10 and to Instagram on 10/19.

This book had an interesting take on vampires. The basics are there--blood sucking, can't enter home without invitation, can't stand sunlight, etc.--but there were also things that altered slightly, such as how vampires lost a sense of themselves once they drank human blood, that they can see memories when they drink, and how some of them are tied to specific areas of land. A lot of vampire stories also don't try to explain vampires, but of the ones that do, it's usually some kind of magic. In this book, a trickster/death god, Tecuani, is responsible for vampires and thus vampires must obey the same rules he does (which neatly explains both how they hover between life and death and why they can't do certain things like go into sunlight or enter a home without an invitation). I liked this aspect of the story and thought it was a unique setup.

While vampires are "Tecuani's children," they can be made the normal way as well. They hold onto their lives and personalities at first, but once they drink blood, they become twisted into something terrible. So, unlike a lot of other YA stories, vampires are pretty much completely evil here...except for Lalo. Lalo is a special one, and while the question of why he's different isn't ever fully answered, the reigning theory he + others go with is that his first drink was from terrible people so he saw terrible memories and wanted to be as far away/as different as possible, whereas other vampires see lovely memories and yearn for more of them, twisting them into monsters.

I definitely felt bad for Lalo. His and his sister's parents were killed in front of him by a vampire, but since vampires aren't widely known about in this world, no one believed him. He's spent the past year leading up to the book's opening researching vampires and trying to figure out everything he can so he can avenge his parents (this alone is a funny thought because Lalo is a very bookish, clumsy scholar, not a warrior)...and then he gets turned into the very thing he hates. It's not a great situation all around, but Lalo handles things pretty well and remains focused on his goal of eradicating vampires, changing himself back to human again (if possible), and protecting his sister. That latter goal in particular is one that guides him, and it's clear he loves his sister deeply. Lalo also has a big heart and is a genuinely caring person who wants to help others.

Carolina, on the other hand, also wants to help people, but she's fiercer and more of the warrior type. Because her father has forbidden her from training to be a vampire hunter, she and her grandfather have been training in secret. Carolina also wants to help people and kill vampires, but a large part of her is also driven by the need to prove to her father that she'd be a good hunter. This ends up getting her into some sticky situations, but luckily she grows over the course of the novel and realizes she's been doing the right things for the wrong reasons and that at times it's backfired and hurt people.

I liked the side characters, particularly Carolina's abuelo, Carolina's cousin (Nena), and Lalo's sister (Fernanda). Nena and Fernanda are in the book more than Carolina's abuelo. Nena is more interested in flirting, balls, and eventually getting married than Carolina is, but despite their differences, Nena is always willing to help and support Carolina, even if that involves illicitly hunting (or helping) vampires. I liked Fernanda a lot. She's the younger sibling and more outgoing than her brother, but like Nena she's more than willing to step up and do what's necessary. Fernanda is quite dedicated to ensuring Lalo is safe and can be very fierce when the time calls for it. Nena and Fernanda also have a romance subplot, and the two of them work very well together.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it had a unique take on vampires. The romance is pretty quick, but the pacing of the book doesn't make it feel like instalove except the 'insta-attraction' at the very beginning.

I had high hopes for this vampire novel as it was one of my anticipated reads of 2024. Unfortunately this book seems to only revolve around the vibes and romance. I was hoping for more plot outside of it, and more lore of the vampirism with more information described in the book but was left lacking. The writing felt more-so geared to the younger YA reader audience then 15-18 which is the tone I prefer to read in YA.

However if this doesn’t bother you then this could be a good read fit for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a free ARC!

Oh my goodness, I could not put this down! I requested for the beautiful cover and stayed for the intriguing story. I loved the characters and the quest to essentially cure vampirism. It also had some very cute YA romance. Loved it!

This book = perfection.
I loved this book so much.

Carolina Fuentes has always dreamed of hunting the monsters that terrorize her village, but her father insists she marry and leave town. Determined to prove she’s better suited to slaying vampires than being a wife, Carolina’s plans change when she meets Lalo Villalobos, a handsome and kind vampire. Lalo, once destined to carry on his family’s legacy, was turned into a vampire and forced to flee, seeking a way to break the curse. When Carolina and Lalo cross paths, they realize they share a common enemy. As they fight together to destroy the evil creatures, they might also discover love along the way.

I couldn’t put this book down, it was so enjoyable. I loved the romance and banter between Carolina and Lalo. They are so perfect for each other. The chemistry was so good!

My favorite character I have to admit is Lalo’s sister, Fernanda. I love sassy and sarcastic little sisters.

My only complaint is that the way the cure to vampirism was a little anticlimactic and too easy but the journey was great.

Hail Queen Angela Montoya, you have outdone yourself.

I am not going to lie when I say the cover and premise are what made me decide to reach out and see if I could get an advanced copy of this book. The art is stunning and our main characters are everything I imagined they would be.

The premise follows Lalo and Lina. One a vampire and the other a huntress. The two become entangled with each other when Lalo sets out north with his sister in the hopes of answers about how the first vampire is turned. Lina, on the other hand, would rather drive a sharp pointy stake into his heart.

I loved Lalo and Lina and their relationship. The banter. The chemistry that oozed off the pages. You could see the slow burn for these two lovebirds. Honestly, I was cheering them on since their first meeting. Both of them were nicely fleshed out.

Lina's sorrow upon losing her Abuelo tugged at my heart. I kinda did see it a mile away but it still hurt especially for Lina because plot device is always needed to drive a character forward and grow them. It was the same for Lalo but in slightly different circumstances. He went out to hunt the vampire that destroyed his family only to be transformed into the one thing he never wanted to be - sentito.

I LOVE vampire romances. I have loved them since I was a teenager and this one was a hit for me. I know this is Ms. Montoya's sophomore novel and I am going back to her freshman novel. I have had that one on my radar for some time and since this one hit all the right boxes for me, I am sure the other one will too.

*Disclaimer: Thank you to the author, her publishers, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions of this review are mine and mine alone.

This book has officially stolen my heart, wrapped it up in a cozy, vampire-filled embrace, and then shoved its way to the number 1 spot of my faves list. This was an incredible journey, and I can’t thank Random House enough for the ARC. Honestly, so grateful Angela Montoya even exists and wrote this story into existence because I would be missing part of my soul without it!

As a vampire enthusiast, I knew this book was going to be a fun read but I was NOT expecting the western, Regency(ish), Spanish themed mashup. Add in the beautiful enemies to lovers, the sprinkle of banter, y el español? I’m aghast, I’m cooked , take me out of the oven I’m done. It was the reading experience I didn’t know I needed but will never recover from. Have I peaked? Probably. Will anything top this? Doubtful.

There were moments I was nervous about where the ending would take us. But Angela? She wrapped that up so perfectly she put bows on it and made sure there were no questions left. Honestly, I’d trust her with my will at this point. Angela, have your people call my people.

Folks, do yourself a favor and mark your calendars for December when this baby drops! You won’t want to miss it.

i love vampires!!!!!!!

4 ★

arc review:

first i want to thank netgalley and angela montoya for sending me this arc! though i struggled a little, i actually ended up really enjoying this one.

this is a mexican based mythology/lore i believe (don’t quote me on this im not 100% sure!) and it was really fun. i liked the take on vampires and what happens to our main characters in relation to vampirism. i feel like the vampire tropes can get a little trusting frustrating and almost a bit too spicy depending on the book, but this was a really unique and fun version of vampires!! this is a vampire x vampire huntress book and the little quips / banter was to die for. i loved how strong the fmc was, she took NO shit from anyone. i also loved how fiercely she cared for her family and even our mmc and fernanda.

i will say, the romance is just a tiny bit insta lovey but not too crazy! she quite literally hates our mmc but also finds him wildly attractive so it balances out in my book! i also loved to see a little lgbtq representation in here as well which was nice. this reminds me a lot of the first like two seasons of teen wolf (if you know with allison and scott, and her family) it’s a strange comparison but one that my brain thinks makes sense haha!

overall the plot and the world was good. i liked the lore and the little excerpts we got through out the story! it was again really refreshing to see this take on vampirism and i liked the way everything wrapped up!!!! such a fun little vampire ya romantasy!!!

go pick this up on release day! dec 17th!!! thank you again for the arc ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was a cute YA fantasy, but I unfortunately DNF'd. It was a bit too YA, and I understand I'm above the target audience, so I'll definitely be recommending this to the teen community! It just wasn't for me, but I'm sure the characters and story will be well-loved among YA readers. Pick this up if you're looking for a spooky story with vampire lore!

This cover is toooo good! I enjoyed this one much more than Sinner’s Isle, which I was a bit let down by. But this was fun! Lalo and Carolina were so cute and funny together, and the whole premise of “a vampire who sucks at being a vampire’’ is so enjoyable. I flew through this fast and was entertained for the majority. Would def recommend this one for a spooky fall time read!

This was such a fun twist on vampire romance. Watching the hunted become the hunter and the dynamic between them was delightful.

Cruel Thirst is an interesting take on vampires. The plot was good and I enjoyed the little snippets of Spanish that were thrown in throughout the story. There were places where it felt like the story was dragging and that there could have been more character interaction/dialogue to convey the same narration. Those spots made the book drag some. Overall, I liked the book and I like the way it all came together at the end! I would recommend to others!

This book was magical! I truly enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. It is filled with Aztec mythology, Latino characters and the Spanish language. I fell in love with this book which is saying a lot because I don’t typically read YA books. I finished in 1.5 days. Angela Montoya has such a way with words. This book will make you laugh, cry, get angry at the world and build up your hope in humanity! Lalo and Lina are a wonderful couple. If anyone can recommend a similar book with Taino mythology please let me know. Tlazocamati.