"A Cruel Thirst” had me hooked from the start. The world-building was super easy to follow, the characters were deep, and the story was nonstop excitement. I’m usually not into YA books, but this one kept me locked in. The twist on vampiros was really unique, and I loved it.

I’ll admit, I cringed a bit here and there—mostly because the MMC has the same name as one of my uncles 😂😂. But honestly, this book felt so different from anything I’ve read before.

Carolina & Lalo were such great characters, and the banter? Straight-up 10/10. My only complaint is that I wish there was more romance.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
A Cruel Thirst written by Angela Montoya is a fantasy romance that uses folklore to create a really interesting plot. The way that the lore of vampires was laid out in this book was not only eye-catching but a good speed for the novel. It was duel POV from both leads in the novel which I absolutely love in a book. The book starts with Lalo Villalobos and then we later get introduced to Carolina Fuentes the heroine of the book.

The romance of this book was SO GOOD. The chemistry was off the chart, and the way that the romance was written was interesting. The longing that was portrayed in the book from both parties was to die for. Both characters were their own person in the relationship, but together, they were STUNNING.

All in all, it was a wonderful book definitely 5-stars, and something I would 100% reread again. I also would read other books that this author wrote.

First off, I loved Nena and Fernanda. They added the perfect amount of humor to the story.

I loved the relationship between Lalo and Carolina from the beginning. It felt real and raw, and it grew as the story developed. Their banter was great, even when she was trying to kill him.

I loved the strong family element.

I loved that Carolina and Lalo, as well as other characters, changed throughout the story.

The world building was great. I could imagine the time period and the area they were in.

There could be a slight language barrier with the use of Spanish words, but the author writes in a way that makes it understandable. The use of these words fit the flow of the story perfectly, and I feel like they made it that much more interesting.

I was captivated the entire time. There wasn't a moment where I didn't want to keep going. I laughed, I gasped, and I even cried.

I struggled to get into this book and never really succeeded. I could put it down for weeks at a time and felt no desire to find out what happened next. I kept being pulled out of the story by the dialogue and actions of the characters that just didn't fit with the time period the author seemed to be going for. I love the cover and the vampire lore but the super modern attitudes dropped into this backdrop did not work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for access to this arc.

A fiery vampire slayer and a bookish vampire have to band together-what could possibly go wrong? Well…a lot! From hilariously awkward encounters, to honor duels, this book has heart pounding action paired with delightful humor.

I loved the headstrong FMC and huntress extraordinaire, Carolina. Her snarky quips and internal monologue added so much levity and I loved how she pushed back against the patriarchy. It paired so well with Lalo, our kindhearted, slightly awkward, and frankly uncoordinated, vampire. As someone who loved Buffy and sad boi Angel, this star-crossed lovers relationship spoke to my soul!

I also really enjoyed the plot of trying to figure out how to reverse the curse. As Lalo and Carolina dove further in the history and lore, I couldn’t wait to find out more and learn with them! I would have loved even more in this respect- with some of the scenes going further into the reports and entries. I think this would have helped to deepen my understanding of the curse and what occurred, especially at the end with the reveal.

Overall, I had a lovely time reading this. I felt it was fast paced and easy to engage. The characters were enjoyable and played off each other well! My favorite aspects were the humor, banter and lighthearted moments, which brought so much fun to this read. The writing was great and I will absolutely be checking out other works by this author!

Thank you so much, Angela Montoya, Joy Revolution, and NetGalley for an ARC of A Cruel Thirst. It was a joy to read and give my honest review!

4.5/5 stars
1/5 spice (kissing only)

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Fake engagement
Vampire/vampire hunter
Stabby FMC
Introvert MMC
Opposites attract
Banter
Big family dynamics
Found family
Dual POV

Seriously, hands down was super surprised by all the humorous moments in this book, but it was soooo good. I had a lot of fun with this book and really couldn't put it down.

Carolina is head strong, stubborn, willful, stabby, and fierce. I loved how unafraid she was but had a hidden vulnerability when it came to her family. Everything she did was for the love of her family. And the same applied to Lalo.

I loved how Lalo wasn't your typical vampire. He hated it and tried so hard to hang on to his humanity. It didn't bother me at all that he was shy, guarded, and academic. He relied on his brains to get things done. The meet cute between him and Carolina was just hilarious.

I'm itching to read this again it was just so entertaining. Overall, this was a quick read, but mostly because I wanted to keep reading. I highly recommend this book for fans of historical romances, paranormal elements, and diverse characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

I loved this! Carolina is a strong warrior who wants her family to acknowledge that she can care for herself and be a hunter. Lalo is trying to get rid of vampires and undo his curse. Carolina and Lalo's first meeting had me laughing and giddy. Angela does a phenomenal job adding comic relief to this book, making it a fun read. It was refreshing having Spanglish sprinkled in and the scenes where they are dancing and the dresses being described were great. The side characters were also so fun to read about.
A huge thank you to @NetGalley for sending me this E-ARC, it in no way influences my review.

What could a book about a vampire and vampire hunter (talk about enemies to lovers!) do for me in December? As a member of the scaredy pants club (self nominated) but also a fam of vampires, something told me that this book needed to be requested.

December can be very griefy for some of us (blue Christmas anyone?) and A Cruel Thirst does a beautiful job at exploring grief in various forms - the grief Lalo feels for the loss of his family, his grief in becoming a vampire, and Carolina too explores her grief...in her own unique way.

Worry not! This is not a heavy griefy book, it's just what I connected to from the start (well aside from seeing an almost duplicate of one of my tattoos). You'll get adventure, found family, some laughs, and so much more. A good palate cleanser for yours truly as I haven't picked up a YA novel in quite some time.

Many thanks to @hearourvoicestours for this opportunity, all thoughts are my own.

I absolutely adored A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya! This YA Latinx vampire romance fantasy had everything: it was fun, silly, funny, and sweet, with so much heart woven into every page. Carolina and Lalo were the perfect main characters—charming, relatable, and brimming with chemistry. Carolina’s fiery determination paired with Lalo’s gentle kindness made for a captivating opposites-attract romance that had me rooting for them from the start. The angst, yearning, and delicious slow burn between them were almost too much to handle (in the best way!). And the secondary sapphic romance? Absolute chef’s kiss. Montoya seamlessly brought the pueblo to life with rich cultural details that made me wish I could linger there forever.

The story perfectly balanced high stakes with humor and heart, and I couldn’t get enough of Carolina and Lalo’s banter. Carolina’s boldness in defying societal expectations to chase her own destiny was inspiring, while Lalo’s struggle to reconcile his kindhearted nature with his vampiric instincts was touching. Their journey, fraught with danger and tinged with bittersweet longing, unfolded beautifully against the backdrop of a compelling hunt for a shared enemy. Every moment felt alive with tension, hope, and the possibility of love. By the end, I was grinning ear to ear. A Cruel Thirst is a must-read for anyone craving a swoony romance with a bite!

Thank you SO SO much for approving my request! I was absolutely stoked when I heard about this book as vampires are my everything.

Unfortunately I had to DNF as I wasn't getting hooked at all. But the writing was fantastic and the plot very interesting.

Firstly thank you NetGalley and Angela Montoya and for picking me to be an ARC reader!

I applied for this ARC because it sounded interesting and It’d been a while since I read a Vampire book and this story was such a fun ride! The story and characters and the plot were great! And the humor in this book was fantastic. I found myself laughing throughout the whole book and really enjoyed the story!

Lalo, the MMC, is a sweet guy who would prefer to stay indoors and read than go out and explore but has been haunted by the death of his parents and wants to get revenge on the Vampire who killed them. I loved his character and the growth he went through finding his strength and will to fight for what he loves that he didn’t realize he had all along.

Carolina, the FMC, was a feisty headstrong stubborn woman who loves with her whole being. We see her grow and become more flexible with her thinking as she comes to the realization that not everything is black and white. Watching her interactions with Lalo were some of my favorite scenes in the book. And the romance was so sweet in the book!

Overall the book I thought was great and I’m interested to see what other books this author has written! If you’re looking for a Vampire book with slow burn enemies to lovers romance, vampire hunter/vampire, fake dating/ fake engagement and a stabby FMC then this is the book for you!!

CW: Implied Intimacy Ch 14, Mild Language sprinkled throughout, Violence and death, fade to black implied Ch 42

4.5 rounded up

✨ARC Review✨

Thank you to NetGalley, Joy Revolution Books, and the HearOurVoices tour for my e-arc. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Summary:

Lalo has recently been turned into the creature he hates most in this world, un vampiro. Forced to flee and not wanting his sister to suffer the same fate, he decides to travel to Del Oro, the pueblo where he believes the original vampiro was created, in the hopes that someone here may be able to help reverse what has happened to him. But, the first person he meets is a stunning woman who wants nothing more than to drive a stake through his heart.

Carolina desperately wants to prove to her family that she is a capable vampire hunter. To avoid being married off and shipped away, she decides to kill a vampiro on her own so her father will finally acknowledge her abilities and allow her to fight with the rest of the guard. Unfortunately, the first vampiro she runs into is extremely attractive and says he wants to rid the world of sedientos forever.

With a common goal, they decide to put aside their differences and fight this evil together while also battling their growing feelings for each other.

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Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the characters we are introduced to. Lalo is an awkward, bookish nineteen year old and that does not change when he becomes a vampire. He is incredibly clumsy and prefers to fight with his knowledge as opposed to his fists. He makes for a very entertaining character as he is comedically bad at being a vampire, adding to his overall charm. He didn’t ask for what happened to him, and refuses to give in to the thirst and lose himself in the process. Carolina is incredibly headstrong and always speaks her mind, no matter the situation. She is incredibly confident in her abilities, and while she does wish for her father’s approval and blessing to fight alongside her brothers, her confidence in her own skills never wavers. She is a badass huntress, and while she is incredibly tough and initially comes off a little rough around the edges, she has a soft spot for her family and those she loves. I especially loved her relationship with her abuelo and her cousin Nena. Together, these two are a great pair full of quick wit, lots of banter, and plenty of swooning!

I also really liked the merging of vampire lore with Mexican culture and traditions. And, rather than just list the rules/restrictions associated with vampires and give no further explanation, the story is interspersed with letters and passages explaining where each ability and power a vampire possesses comes from and why it persists. This made the vampires themselves infinitely more interesting. The story also stresses the importance of family. Even though we are focused on Carolina and Lalo and their budding relationship, their drives to protect their family and those they love never wavers. Throughout the story, Lalo remains steadfast in his goal to protect his sister and ensure her safety above all else. And with Carolina's character, we are shown the importance of remembering and looking to our ancestors. And while we can carry the pain of our ancestors and be forced address mistakes they may have made in order to move forward, we can also recognize the immense amount of love they passed down, and that that should not be forgotten. I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a book with well rounded characters, a lush setting, and a swoonworthy romance!

Check this out if you’re looking for a book with:
🩸Cinnamon roll vampire
🗡️Badass Vampire huntress
🥀Lots of banter
🇲🇽Mexican mythology
💍Fake engagement
🤫Family Secrets

CW/TW: Animal Death, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun Violence, Violence

Rich with fantasy, culture, action, and love! I absolutely loved this book! The story follows a vampire huntress and a vampire who doesn’t really want to be a vampire. Think Zorro but if Zorro was the FMC. I was so invested in this book, the fantastical and cultural elements that created the world in this book. Angela is now an auto-buy author for me. If you like swoony YA romantasy this will be a 5 star read for you as well!

I do love me a vampire story but this was everything Lalo and Carolina were amazing main characters their banter was epic. I'm not going to say anything else but if you read this you will not be disappointed.

I loved Angela's world building and character building and I would love love to see a book about Fernanda and Nena as they were both very funny. I also loved they way Angela introduce a huge plot twist which was very surprising and a stroke of pure and utter genius in my opinion.

I now want to read more of Angela as I really enjoyed her writing style.

For all the above reasons A Cruel Thirst receives 5 big fat stars

Angela Montoya, you’ve done it again!! I think I loved this book even more. I know the second book published after a successful one is always hard, but you blew it out the water!

A vampire and a vampire hunter… except he was recently turned and doesn’t really want to feed on humans and suck their souls. And she wants to extinguish every vampire. But they get caught in a compromising position and have to pretend they’ve oh so fallen for each other and have decided to become engaged. I love it.

I enjoy that Lalo’s heart is so pure and good and essentially the antithesis of his kind. Carolina is fierce and cares deeply, and eventually that shroud does extend to Lalo. I love that like the first third of the book she’s trying to kill him, and then it shifts to ok I guess we’re working together but I’m still suspicious of you, to oh I love you 🥺👉👈 it is indeed a fine line between love and hate.

I loved the side characters too, and the landscape created. It just was so good and I loved this. Angela Montoya has definitely become an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for having me. Also this cover? STUNNING 🤩

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun! The dynamic between Carolina and Lalo was what really shined and carried this book. It was a little bit insta-lovey but they were so fun to read as their relationship grew that I will overlook it.

I also love the trope of strong, capable, fighter girl and slightly pathetic, nerdy, silly boy (think Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable). Their banter was so funny and some of their interactions genuinely had me giggling, especially the scenes where they are really just becoming friends.

The plot of this book, while interesting and is about unraveling the secrets of our ancestors, it did take a backseat to the character development, which I’m honestly not mad about.

Anyway, if you want to read a fun, fast-paced book about a boy who is about the worst vampire ever written and the vampire hunter girl he convinces not to kill him by simply being the sweetest, clumsiest boy, then do I have a book for you. Highly recommend!

Lalo’s parents were murdered by a female vampiros whom he sees in his nightmares ever since that fateful night. And now, he has finally found her and is ready to exact his revenge on her.

Except, things don’t go quite the way he planned. When he confronts his parents’ killer, she disarms him and forces him to become a vampiros. Now, Lalo and his sister must leave, and they head to Del Oro where his last hope is to possibly turn back into human.

Carolina is a Fuentes, a vampiros hunting family in Del Oro, with her Abuelo being the best. Until one night, they’re attacked by many vampiros at once and her Abuelo loses his life and Carolina vows to kill every vampiros out there. Until she meets Lalo who does not act the way a typical vampiros would and is far too handsome too.

Together they make a reluctant alliance to try to find a way to end all vampiros everywhere.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its banter, the dark humor set in a rather bleak world, a rather stabby angry FMC with a cinnamon roll MMC who just cannot handle being a vampiro, and a lovely enemies to lovers romance that is also filled with a lot of sweetness.

This book was also about family and the ties and connection one has with their family and what they’re willing to be to do to protect their family and loved ones.

Lalo was an unexpected surprise for me. He was such a layered and complex character that is a grumpy bookworm who doesn’t like people, and is rather squeamish and would never hurt a human, he’s the last person who should be a vampiro, and yet, it was oddly humorous and endearing when he was made into one and he still had that humanity in him and determination to make it right before he was too far gone, all to protect his sister.

Carolina was to be expected. She is a proud vampiros hunter and after her Abuelo dies by vampiros, she of course is angry and wants to destroy them all, no matter what. For her to meet Lalo who is not like other vampiros must have been quite a shock. He helped her see that it’s not black and white, like her Abuelo said before he passed and she was able to grow and let her pride go and instead choose to do what’s right and not focus on only her anger and herself. Her growth was rapid, but wonderful.

The romance and plot are very fast-paced, but it added to the thrill of the story. The romance is a bit quick, but I found it very sweet, despite the stabby moments, and I loved these two together who were able to find someone who understood the other despite their odd or quirky ways.

This was a truly enjoyable book. I love the darkness mixed with the humor and romance. Angela Montoya has a way with words and romance that I just love and I look forward to more by Angela!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fantastic read! The main character's were great and their personalities make you wish it wasn't a fantasy book and the chemistry between Carolina and Lalo was wonderful! It's a story full of humor, interesting twists, action, mystery and more! The banter and romance between the characters, the mystery of finding the cure, and the vivid descriptions kept me turning the pages wanting to know more! If you are looking for an enemies to lovers fun and entertaining read you should give this one a try! Thank you Tbr and Beyond Tours and Angela Montoya for sharing this book with me!

This was super cute!! I like this author, she has a great writing style and unique stories. With that said I didn't give this a 5 star because it personally was a little too YA for me.

There was limited romance and a lot of it was cheesy. This would be great for someone who likes fantasy that isn't spice or romance heavy. The writing is a bit immature so may be better for some younger readers!

With that said, her writing is awesome and her stories are well plotted out. If this were a genre I read a lot this would def be a fav!! You should read this if you like YA vampire romance, so cute!!

I’ve read a lot of vampire books, but each one could not be more different. A CRUEL THIRST, my fifth vamp read this year, draws from Mexican folklore and introduces a vampire who willingly suffers to maintain his humanity.

In Angela Montoya’s historical teen romance, Lalo Villalobos “sucks” at being a vampiro. Haunted by his initial deadly rampage when first turned, he refuses to become like the monster who killed his parents. Despite the pain and weakness, he will not feed on another human life.

Lalo and his sister Fernanda travel to Del Oro with a desperate plan to reverse his curse. Lalo’s research suggests that it might be home to the first vampire, or sediento. But it’s also home to a large family of skilled sediento hunters.

Carolina wants nothing more than for her father to see her strength and ability to hunt sedientos just like the men. After multiple failed attempts to prove herself by killing Lalo, the two become allies. Together they hunt for the original vampiro, whose death could vanquish all the monsters in his lineage, including Lalo.

I love Carolina’s confident and determined nature. She’s a great foil to Lalo’s gentle and straight-laced personality. Their sparing - both verbal and physical - is fun and flirty, keeping the tone light despite some dark subject matter. Carolina’s adventurous spirit and impulsive actions show Lalo, who previously found comfort in a quiet and cautious life, the joys of truly living.

A Cruel Thirst is a YA romance written for a teen audience. It’s also a fun, quick paced adventure for anyone who enjoys folklore-inspired stories with feisty female characters and sweet romance.