I was totally hooked by this weird little novella filled with lust and debauchery. As someone who doesn't read horror a lot, I kept waiting for it on tenterhooks but thankfully this didn't have the slasher kind of horror I was expecting, so if that's something that's making you hesitate on this this book, never fear.
I loved both Rebekah and Hugh, and I was really invested in their relationship - I really hope we get to see them again one day.
'Only Lovers Left Alive' meets 'Fatal Attraction' by way of 'What We Do In the Shadows', this was so strange and messed up yet hilarious - I couldn’t stop reading. I still don't really know what to make of it, other than really enjoying it.

Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum is a witty, smutty romp with a unique twist on vampirism, set against the backdrop of a queer Black Sea cruise. The premise is fresh, and the blend of horror, comedy, and hedonism makes for an entertaining ride. Rebekah and Hugh’s narcissistic adventures are filled with sharp dialogue, outrageous antics, and moments of dark humor.

However, while it was fun, it didn’t quite match my personal vibe. The over-the-top tone and self-indulgent characters felt more exhausting than engaging at times, and I didn’t fully connect with the plot’s emotional core. Still, it’s a unique and bold book that will appeal to fans of campy, chaotic horror-comedies.

The cover is stunning! I love the modern font with the older artwork behind. The story is perfect for a vampire lover like myself. The characters were very well described and the plot is interesting. But the book has some problem with the pacing. Sometimes it's too fast and sometimes it's too slow. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum. This novel takes an intriguing concept—a vampire-filled adventure on the open seas—and delivers a darkly atmospheric tale with some engaging moments.

Merbaum’s descriptive writing shines, vividly bringing to life the eerie ambiance of the ship and the brooding allure of the vampires. The setting is unique and immersive, adding an air of mystery that sets the tone for the story. The characters are diverse and intriguing, each contributing to the sinister vibe of the narrative.

However, while the premise is promising, the pacing felt uneven, with some parts dragging while others rushed through key developments. The story occasionally lacked focus, making it hard to stay fully invested in the characters or their arcs. Additionally, some elements of the plot felt underdeveloped, leaving unanswered questions that might frustrate readers looking for a more cohesive resolution.

Despite these drawbacks, Vampires at Sea offers a moody, gothic atmosphere that will appeal to fans of vampire lore and maritime adventures. It’s a solid read with room for improvement and an intriguing setup that could inspire future tales.

Definitely not your average summer romance! Polyamory and vampires are often viewed as going hand in hand, but this takes on a whole different tone when everything is happening in the confines of a sailing vessel. From the first page, you are immediately transported to another world aboard the cruise ship, with each chapter focusing on consecutive days. Life on board a cruise ship is detached from reality, which Vampires at Sea reinforces ten-fold.

There were some honest character portrayals and while I didn’t particularly warm to any of them, they were all very distinctive and I disliked them for various reasons. Heaven was the one who really grated on me and I think the author described them in such a way that the annoyance I felt was quite intense. For me, that is a sign of excellent writing!

The relationship shift between Rebekah (the narrator) and Hugh was realistic and believable and highlighted how people’s needs and desires can change over time.

It’s written so skilfully that you forget vampires and shapeshifters are the creations of imagination. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I requested this, but I definitely got a lot more than I bargained for!

I really did not enjoy this book. It was short but felt like it went on forever. I didn’t enjoy the stream of conscious style of writing. Rebekah came of as manic in the beginning. The constant overly descriptive rambling of every object and setting was annoying and not needed. I forgot that they were vampires until about 70% in when she meets Misha. It felt like an after thought the rest of the time. Im sure some will devour this. Sadly, I didn’t.

Two emotional vampires, Rebekah and Hugh, go on a queer cruise. They meet a magical non-binary being, Heaven, who threatens to tear their relationship apart.

"There are those of us who don’t rely on the consumption of flesh to survive. There are those who are preternaturally strong, immune to pathogens, who live on and on, aging ever so gradually without killing a damn thing. Not a single beast, not even a plant. At least, not on purpose. Not usually. I’ve never cracked open the red heart of a pepper and scooped out its insides. Spicy roots and lacy collars of lettuce have nothing to fear from us. Did you know tomatoes scream? Well, they do. So you tell me, who’s the monster?"

While there is definitely some good in this novella, overall it was not for me. Both the tone and story are all over the place. Merbaum uses a stream of conscious style storytelling, which can be very hit or miss. Sadly Vampires at Sea was a miss for me, and needed a bit more editing to bring it all together. While there were some quotes that resonated with me, overall I found the prose and storytelling too chaotic for my taste.

I think a big part of not enjoying the story was me not 'getting' the humour. Instead of finding Rebekah's behaviour and inner dialogue funny, I just found myself getting bored and annoyed by her. This might totally be on me, but I expected a sexy vampire story. But Rebekah has a way of making sex sound absolutely mundane and uninteresting. There were times she made interesting observations, and I did appreciate some of her character growth and love for Hugh over the course of the story. But overall she is too unlikeable for me to enjoy her as the main character and narrator.

"Love has rendered him obtuse. If you can call it love. I’m not so sure anymore. I think he might be under a spell, which is worse. Love inevitably runs its course, but spells can last forever."

The best part about this novella is the diverse representation. Lots of queer characters and polyamory throughout. Especially the character of Heaven is a great example of this.

Vampires at Sea might be for you if you enjoy queer stories, and don't mind unlikeable characters and stream of conscious storytelling without much of a pay-off in the end.

I think I have different tastes than the other reviewers, cause I hated this with passion. What an insufferable cast of insufferable conceited awful characters. I cannot abide by these aristocratic people who think they are better than everyone. It was a real struggle to get through this. The writing is atrocious to be honest, really pretentious and doesnt click for me at all, or even make too much sense. I hated all of it, not sorry.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I wasn’t quite sure what I expected from this book, but I will say that what I got wasn’t it. The three stars are for the queer representation, and for the right audience, I am sure that this is the perfect novel. Unfortunately, there was so much sex, and it was just not my cup of tea.

The concept is great. Cruise ships are, by nature, pretty creepy things, and being stuck with supernatural beings on them would be an unpleasant experience as a normal human being at best. This book covers that to some extent, but involves a few more twists and turns that you might expect.

I wasn’t surprised at the end to read about the ‘What We Do In The Shadows’ influence on this book, as it has been somewhat of a current madness for me also. I just wished for a little more gore and darkness, and a little less of the sexiness. But maybe that’s a me thing.

A perfect short read with weird vampires.
Loved it.
Great writing and characters tha intrigued me .
Higky recommend.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in October next year. Yeah a solid very horny toxic kinda philosophical novella. It took me a bit to get into it, but I liked it. The ending was really fitting. Normally wouldn't call it a happy ending but I think in this specific case it was.

"There are those of us who don't rely on the consumption of flesh to survive. There are those who are preternaturally strong, immune to pathogens, who live on and on, aging ever so gradually without killing a damn thing. Not a single beast, not even a plant. At least not on purpose. Not usually. I've never cracked open the red heart of the pepper and scoops out its insides. Spicy roots and lacy collars of lettuce have nothing to fear from us. Did you know tomatoes scream? Well, they do. So you tell me, who's the monster now?"

think of this for a second ok? the ocean, somewhere in Europe, in a cruise ship and horny lonely queer people although some of them aren't humans. you like that thought? then stay reading.

fuck. sorry. this was so so good. this is the dark comedic horror i NEED. first the cover? hello? it reminded me of a renaissance painting. it was so delightful, gothic, romantic and sexy. the plot was very straightforward- a vampire couple (Hugh and Rebekah) is on a cruise vacation and become entangled in a love triangle. the protagonist is who i fell in love with because at times she is so shallow and deep, then she's a bitch, then she get so depressed you started to feel for her, then she's horny, then sad again haha. the characters are so well written you think you actually know them.

the author did an amazing job with the antagonist, Heaven cause i hated them with all of my being. i just wanted to go inside my kindle and pull their hair or smash their heels with a hammer so they will fall flat FACE FIRST on the floor lmao BUT, they played a huge role in the story.

so....if you like vampire, queer characters, orgies (YES orgies), comedic horror short story, Vampires at Sea is a perfect Summer read for you because this book comes out in May 2025.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR READERS WHO LOVE WEIRD BOOKS LIKE ME.

In general I don’t usually go for novellas, but with this one I am glad I did. I found myself both living and hating the characters. If you want a fun, spicy vampire store with kind of sort of temporary love triangle… this is perfect!

Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum is the kind of book that will captivate you from the first page. Once you start, you won't be able to put it down—you’ll want to devour it in one sitting! This thrilling read combines an exciting mix of fascinating characters and an irresistible premise: vampires on a cruise ship. Add strong LGBTQ+ representation and horror elements, and you have a winning combination that feels fresh and captivating.

The story is fun and gripping, blending suspense, humour, and richly developed characters to create an engaging, unforgettable experience. I loved every moment of it. If you’re looking for a unique and immersive read with a touch of horror and diversity, this book is a must-pick.

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for providing me with an e-book ARC in exchange for my honest review

Wow just wow.. so the interpersonal relationship between the two main characters is a little hard to understand maybe it's just twisted 🙈 but there is queer representation vampires a bad ass female lead poly representation I really enjoyed this

This novel was just plain fun. I was gripped all the way from the dedication to the ending.
I really enjoyed the main character Rebekah in her unapologetic authenticity. She had such a great internal monologue, and she was super crass, bitchy, and messy. Meanwhile, our antagonist is the patron saint of toxic positivity and influencer-isms. This title was a great short and sexy beach read with a lot to say about reciprocity and changing needs in relationships. Some surprisingly great and original moments. I felt the WWDITS influence but this really feels like it goes beyond that.
**Many thanks to NetGalley and creature Publishing for providing an ARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review!**

A unique and intriguing novella with compelling characters (despite the fact several of them are not human!) and strong sense of place created abord the cruise ship.

Vampires at Sea answers the most burning question of our time: what would happen if you combined Only Lovers Left Alive and What We Do In the Shadows and that gave birth to two vampires who then went on a cruise with a non-binary influencer?

If that isn't a question you have ever asked yourself, well, I can't help you.

Vampires at Sea is an interesting short novel. Rebekah, our narrator and protagonist, is a fascinating and funny character. She is at turns immensely shallow and surprisingly deep. The book revolves around her coping with an unexpected change in her centuries-old relationship with her husband, Hugh. Saying much more gets into spoilerdom, so suffice it to say that things get weird.

There were some moments of true originality in this book. And some of the quiet scenes were remarkable. The ending, however, goes very big and feels the tiniest bit rushed. So, not a perfect book, but a very good book.

This book is the type that once you sit down and start it, you’ll find you suddenly devoured it all in one sitting! An extremely enjoyable read with very interesting characters. However, I do think the ending was a bit abrupt and confusing at times and that’s why I knocked a star off. All in all I had a great time reading this and enjoyed the unique take on vampires!

Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum is a short romantic horror novella, aka, right up my alley. At the time of writing this, I have not yet decided whether this is getting a four or a five. It was beautifully queer and the main character was out. of. this. world. She was amazingly built and solidly independent. It does not often happen that a main character is that good and also my favorite character. Stunning writing as well, very well-developed for a book thats not set to release for another whole year. I think I am talking myself into giving this five stars, I genuinely cannot think of anything negative to say. I will definitely be picking up more by this author in the future.