This was a thoroughly fun story that had a lot of great tropes like enemies to lovers etc but it was done really well. This was such an interesting take on the vampire genre and I really enjoyed getting to know Carolina, Lalo and the other supporting characters. I found myself laughing out loud at parts of this story as well. The romance angle is done well and I really enjoyed how the Fuentes family and Lalo's sister was an important part of the story as well.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I’m in love with Lalo 🥺 please can he be real?

I was beyond excited when I read the blurb. Vampire x vampire hunter? Yes, please! Vampire hunters are so underused in romance, and this sounded perfect. But guys, this book is a prime example of “story” versus “plot”. Yes, there’s a story, but the plot is very weak. The characters seem to be thrown into random scenes without causality, as if the author had rolled dice to decide on the scenes. I found myself questioning the characters and their motifs, and the narrative quickly became stale. There’s no real “hook”, and I solely kept reading because of Lalo.

Nevertheless, I’m going to keep an eye on this author because the characters are strong. I think a different editor could do wonders here. 🖋️

READ THIS BOOK!

A perfect YA romance fantasy with lots of heart and humour.

Lalo and Carolina have my whole heart and seeing dance around each other and try to convince themselves that they don't like the other was equal parts hilarious and frustrating.

There aren't enough words to describe how much I LOVED this book.

This is (imo) a PERFECT example of what a YA romantasy book should be. It has romance at the forefront and an amazing fantastical world that isn't too over-the-top or overly complicated. The history and the twist to basic Vampire Lore was incredibly well done and I appreciated that it was set in 1600s Latin America/Mexico.

This author has cemented herself in my heart as someone I will be checking out forever. I'm hoping to read her debut Sinner's Isle soon and I will DEFINITELY be looking forward to ALL of her future works.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me.

I just couldn't get into this book as it was slow and annoying at times. Also I thought there would be more romance.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

So, I heard Zorro meets Buffy and I knew it was a need!

Lalos parents were killed by vampiro and no one believes him, so in his attempts to hunt the responsible one down, he ends up becoming what he hates. He flees his home town to save his sister and also look more into a possible way to stop all vampiro in a small town where they can hide

In this town, Carolinas family have spent their lives hunting vampiro and she doesn't understand why she can't do the same just because she is a girl. All she wants to do is put an end to the vampiros plaguing her town and avenge the deaths of her family and friends before this

Enemies, but with the same end goal, Lalo and Carolina must work together to find out if what they dream of is possible, and they might just find something they don't expect along the way too....

This was such a fun journey, the banter between the two was so much fun and there was even a wee tear at times!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ink Road books for the early review copy. Out January 16 in the UK and I believe next week in the US. If you love angsty little vampires and Slayers, sorry hunters, you'll love this one!

I have been waiting to read this book for the longest time!!

I love the relationship between the two and the author really did an amazing job on the world building!

Who doesnt love a vampire...

A Cruel Thirst is a wonderful read! I had so much fun with it.

Lalo is a recently turned vampiro who is searching for the first ever vampire and revenge. Lalo meets Carolina on his journey, a young woman whose family are vampiro hunters but whose father will not let her join the family business. When Carolina and Lalo collide, they decide to work together, in a relationship of convenience.

Montoya writes such rich history, that pulls you in, from vampiro lore to Fuentes family history from 1562 to present. I loved the relationship between Lalo and Fernanda, and how they integrated seamlessly with Lina and Nena, a little found family.

Thank you to Black & White Publishing, Ink Road, Angela Montoya and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

── .✦my thoughts:

this book was definitely on the younger side of YA for my personal taste and i found characters and dialogue to be cheesy.

the beginning was slow going making it hard for me to get fully invested. it never really picked up and i found it to be rather dull especially for a vampire novel.

romance fell flat for me but a big part of this is because i couldn't connect to the characters i ended up not caring. i wanted more tension and chemistry. i also found it to be insta-attraction turning insta love very quick.

although this book didn't work for me i think others will find it more enjoyable. this was all just personal preference and in the end i just couldn't connect to the story.

This was an easy-reading and enjoyable vampire ride!

I enjoyed the characters, and the romance was sweet. Love the vibes of Carolina being bold and her dorky vamp boy being clumsy.

I particularly liked the main character’s cousin and the other's sister, though this is also my main criticism as the main two characters for me don't have enough charisma to carry the story. I found the dialogue between them to border on cheesy quite often and it personally took me out of the tension of the story.

Overall, enjoyable and an easy read, but not particularly memorable for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC.

A fun and banter-filled enemies to lovers YA with real bite - this is Twilight if it had actual high stakes and more blood. Multi POV between Lalo the reluctant vampire and Lina the overenthusiastic vampire slayer adds needed layers to the story, and insight into the characters' decisions. The supporting cast - and sapphic romance subplot - rounds this off as a great little YA fantasy read.

This was so incredibly FUN!! It was go go go from the first chapter, I was gripped from the start and was not let go at any point. The characters were both passionate and also so unserious- it was such a pleasure to reach such light characters. The story and relationships didn't bog down the story or feel dragged out. The family dynamics were explored so well, I loved all the comedic moments- the duel, the pushing each other into rooms to hide and getting into uncomfortable situations that ultimately progress the romance. I loved that although it was a story about pain and loss and revenge to some degree, it was also full of joy and gratitude for the families these characters have, their friendships, their home. I do think some parts were a little simple but I think for a YA, it was a brilliant exploration of family and duty and identity in a world where things often feel tumultuous. I also loved this take on vampires, the lore about the gods and the origins of vamps was so interesting and I love how it played into the story throughout and wasn't just an info dump at the start.

overall, this was so fun, I enjoyed it so much- genuinely couldn't out it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I could put this book down – absolutely loved it.

This book was brilliant. I found Carolina and Lalo's interactions so entertaining - their banter was top class!
Nena and Fernanda were fabulous supporting characters. The interactions between all the characters was done so well and is definitely one of the main factors of this book being so enjoyable to me.
I'm finding it difficult to articulate how much I enjoyed this amazing book.
100% will have to check out the author's other works. And would love a little novella with a follow up or even Alma and Vidal's story. So much in this world I'd love to explore.

A Cruel Thirst was an entertaining and fast standalone that centered on two characters, Lalo & Carolina. Lalo being an attempted vampire hunter after the killer of his parents, who was turned against his will. Carolina, training in secret to prove herself in her family of vampire hunters. The two cross paths as Lalo travels to her town investigating tales of the first vampire to finish the curse.

I really enjoyed the reversal of roles in this one, Carolina as the confident hunter and Lalo as a rather awkward bumbling vampire! The two get closer under the pretence of a fake engagement to allow them to further Lalo's research and hopefully bring an end to the curse of vampirism once and for all. There's some loveable side characters and a rich sense of community in the setting which helps flesh out this tale, it potentially could've used a bit more time to flesh out the adventures near the end and flesh out some more of the characters (most of the story takes place at Carolina's family home and some of the side characters get a bit sidelined near the end and before they begin their journey)

Worth a read if you're after a fast paced standalone with a fun relationship and take on the vampire + vampire hunter.

Thanks to Netgalley + Black & White publishing for the chance to read this arc!

I liked Montoya's debut Sinner's Isle well enough when I read its audiobook back in August, and I was quite pleased when I was granted an ARC for this one. I think that audiobook's narrators outperformed their work so well that the quality of Montoya's writing didn't really sink in for me, because I didn't really like A Cruel Thirst.

The one word I believe would describe this book the most is lacking. The worldbuilding, the characters, the story, everything is too one-dimensional and simple. Rather than focus on the potential interesting parts, like the vampire lore or the family history, the story mainly revolved around the awkward, clunky romance between Carolina and Lalo. I know the story is supposedly over 400 pages, but it felt a lot shorter than that in my ARC copy, and the "enemies" part was over very quick, because these two were getting sappy over each other too much too soon for my tastes.

Speaking of which, Carolina and Lalo are good ideas of characters, but not enough. Carolina's only motives to do what she does is to prove to the men in her life (i.e., her father) that she's a capable vampire hunter; her other traits directly relate to that. Her feminist 101 "I can make my own decisions without a man!" attitude got so old so quick. Plus, there were moments where Lalo held her down or got slightly assertive in convo, and it's highly implied she wanted to submit to him during those circumstances. It was very weird and uncomfortable, especially when the writing reads for younger YA rather than the character's actual ages (~18). Lalo was a strange one, because, I dunno if it's just me, but he felt so neurodivergent to me. The cleanliness, the social awkwardness, preferring books to people, the refusal to convert to the norms of being a vampire, it felt way too clear to me, but I highly doubt that what Montoya's intentions are, given that none of the adverts she has been putting out for this book on her social media hint at that possibility. I know people can just have those traits without being neurodivergent, but I really feel like the author missed out on a huge opportunity here. Alas, Lalo is not really a fully fleshed out being character beyond the constant reminders he's a stick in the mud.

The vampires act exactly how you expect they would in this book. Besides Lalo, they are generally characterized to be bloodsucking, irredeemable monsters, but we barely get to see any in action throughout the whole book. Their origin is explored by our leads, but so much of it is primarily pushed aside, only given in slight sprinkles from random manuscript excerpts at the end of the chapter, until the very end. There's all these things about gods, the land of the dead, how Carolina's ancestors are responsible for vampires, but it didn't really add up with me. It especially boggling when knowing the setting is in Alta California, as in Alternative California. So, does that mean this world exists in an alternative version of past USA, or is it a different country all together? It's obvious this takes place in the past, but when. I dunno, it's never really explained at all and trying to make it make sense is making my head hurt.

All in all, this wasn't for me. I'm sad, because I thought Montoya would improve from her first work. But if this the signifier of how her next works will go, then I'd prefer to stop here, unless I'm convinced, otherwise.

I really enjoyed A Cruel Thirst, it is a historical YA vampire love story about Lalo a fledgling vampire and Carolina a Vampire hunter. It was so fast paced and I loved that it was steeped in the rich world building of Mexican culture and lore/mythology with an engaging plot line that was so beautifully written from the beginning to end. It was such a fresh take on a vampire story that made me enjoy and appreciate it so much more!

I loved that both Carolina and Lalo had their own character growth throughout the book as well as together. I absolutely loved the banter between them and their interactions had me highlighting so much I always love a slow burn romance and this one was perfect.

Highly recommend to anyone who loves fantasy as well as a really beautiful and sweet romance.

A refreshing take on a vampire romance, this is a perfect portrayal of enemies to lovers - and opposites attract!

A vampire and vampire huntress work together to find an end for his curse… and fall in love along the way.

The chemistry between Lalo and Carolina is top tier, and the banter had me chuckling along. It’s beautifully written and captivating from the beginning.

This such a surprising book, a true romantasy.

I’ve literally got tears in my eyes at this book, it was so romantic and enjoyable. I really liked the combination of fantasy with culture and language.

Lalo and Carolina were true enemies and in trope fashion they end up lovers. Lalo is a vampiro who didn’t choose this life and is on a mission to end this curse once and for all, his sister comes along for the ride. Carolina is from a long line of vampiro hunters, she is determined to prove herself.

There’s banter, romance, literally the most enjoyable realisations that they had caught feelings and some really tense vampiro hunting moments.

I really wanted this book to work for me but it just didn’t really hit the spot. I think the way that this book has been packaged makes it seem as though it will be adult or NA however the story seems to be decidedly in YA territory with the characters both being on the young side but also acting like that. I still read a fair chunk of YA stories so that alone would not have been something that didn’t work for me however I found the pacing to be a little bit too on the slow side and I didn’t feel as though the character work was all that strong and the characters felt a little two-dimensional.

I did like that Montoya brought in some different vampire mythos so the vampires don’t just drink blood but also take life and, with that life, memories. I enjoyed this unique spin on vampirism although it did feel a little bit underutilised.

I think going into this book knowing that it is both a YA story and quite slow-paced would change the reading experience and make it more enjoyable but for me it just didn’t work and that is a shame.

I absolutely love vampire x vampire hunter romance and this was such a good read.
I loved the banter between characters and the imagery was so easy to picture, from settings to detailed fight scenes.
The dynamic was very different to a typical vampire relationship and I think this would appeal to fans of The Mortal Instruments.