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.

for lovers of what we do in the shadows and carnival cruises

this is so crass and upfront in the best way. I adored Rebekah’s character, what a cool bitch! I felt very little for Hugh and was frankly pleased with Rebekah’s choice to ditch him at the end. I found the backdrop of this mysterious war interesting and the fact none of the characters seemed at all fazed spoke to their ancient age and own self interest

Outrageous and funny, I am teetering on that 5th star.

I will definitely be checking out more from this author

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

What a little banger. Only Lovers Left Alive if they were the energy vampires from What We Do In The Shadows and on a queer cruise. This was such a great little read, it felt like a fun romp but also has some introspection about relationships, jealousy, privilege, and lowkey the toxicity of the art world.

Loved the writing, the unabashed horniness, and the plot and characters were incredibly fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC.

This was such a great, weird little time! The cover drew me in, the plot got me interested, and Rebekah’s narrative voice kept me going to the end. I’ve never read anything written quite this way, and knowing the slight WWDITS inspiration makes a ton of sense to me. I always enjoy a stream-of-conscious style narration and this book did that really well for me.

There were some smaller things I didn’t love. Particularly, I found myself confused about the time period. I know our main characters have been around for a long time, and had assumed this took place in a modern day world, but the wartime references made me think maybe otherwise? Additionally, the war felt mostly unnecessary to me as a plot point at all. I don’t know if it was intended as a way to keep everyone tied to one setting or if I missed something, but it confused me.

Overall, I just had a fun time with this one. It was serious when it required it, and silly in all the other places. Do recommend and will be reading more from Lindsay!

(4.5 rounded up) Wow, this was a delightful surprise. It’s romantic and sexy and gothic and extremely queer. The plot is pretty simple - A vampire couple is on a cruise vacation and become entangled with other vacationers onboard. It’s a nice mix of horror and comedy and parts of it felt like the kind of silly that “What We Do In the Shadows” has perfected. Rebekah was my favorite and Heaven was a fun villain. Because of the short length, the world-building in this isn’t super well-developed, but I was not bothered by that at all. This is just a good time. The synopsis alone is great and if you read that & are further intrigued, definitely give the full novella a try.

This was everything that I wanted in this novel from the description and in the genre. I enjoyed the idea of vampires on a cruise and thought this had a great balance from a horror novel to the comedic elements. Lindsay Merbaum has a great writing style and am excited for more.

I had an absolute blast reading this. It’s that type of hilarious horror that just hits the spot. I’m obsessed with Hugh and that is all.

Cruises, queerness, jealousy, shapeshifting, vampires, and an awesome cover—how was this ever not going to be a great book? The balance of horror and comedy worked really well in my opinion, and honestly this was just so much fun to read.

The main couple were both really interesting characters, and the FMC especially was an entertaining and well-written character with all her toxicity and messiness. I liked her journey throughout the story and the way her character developed, and even though this book is so short I feel like she was characterised really well.

There are maybe some small criticisms that could be made about the world-building, and a few unanswered questions about how society as a whole works in this book, but I don't think this is much of an issue because it didn't impact how entertaining and fun the book was at all.

I had a great time reading this and if you like messy, queer, slutty vampires then you will too!

Thanks to NetGalley, Creature Publishing, and Lindsay Merbaum for providing me with an eArc of this book in return for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from the first page with its unique plot and amusing characters. Lindsay spins a delicious tale of all the debauchery our vampires get into on this ship. Loved this story.