This book was so much fun. I'm always down for a fast-paced, vampire novel! I think Harrison does a great job capturing a funny tone, but she also tackles some more serious issues in this book (like identity and aging bias). I also really loved the friendship between the main character, Sloane, and her best friend, Naomi. It felt authentic and intriguing. The only downside to this is that the ending felt a bit rushed. I was super glad there was an epilogue, but I would have loved if Harrison had dug more into Henry and Sloane's burgeoning romance and a bit more about the vampire lore and how it would affect Sloane and Naomi going forward. Overall, I'm excited to check out more of Harrison's writing in the future since this was such a blast to read.

I gave this book a 5/5 ⭐️. I really enjoyed this book! The characters, the action and some of the suspenseful events. Even though some parts left me with questions, I still enjoyed every part of this book. The beginning was so weird and caught me off guard, but as I continued reading it became more and more entertaining! This was my first book by this author and won’t be my last!

I really wanted more from this book. It was decent, and I enjoyed it, but I think that’s because I just really enjoy vampire books.

The characters felt very…hollow? to me. Like they weren’t properly fleshed out enough. We have a very generic bestie pairing: the wild child that lives impulsively and the good girl that follows all the rules and is slightly jealous of the wild child’s ways.

The vampire lore was very weird in this book, I thought. Some things made sense and there were others that had me questioning things a little. But honestly, this is fiction, so that doesn’t really matter that much. Authors make up their own monster lore all the time.

I was a little confused by the plot. It’s true that I never guessed where we were going next, but it just felt like there wasn’t a solid outline in place? But, that does kind of fall in line with the characters and what they are going through. I don’t know, I guess I just wanted characters that had a little more confidence in their decisions with a solid plan. Every time they made a decision I thought “uh, sure. I guess we can do that. This doesn’t really make sense but sure.”

Overall I would give it about 3.5 stars rounded down. I enjoyed it, but I don’t know. It was just okay. Not bad but also not spectacular.

Wow! What a stunner! Thank you so much to @netgalley and @Berkley for the eARC! I can’t wait to own a physical copy of this. This novel was utterly intriguing and I was absolutely addicted. Things didn’t go quite how I thought they would, but in the best way. This was fast paced with some very creepy and eerie parts - take that and mix-in female friendships, Twilight-esque nostalgia vibes, and feminine rage and you have this exquisite novel. I’m running immediately to read Rachel Harrison’s backlog.

This was my first Rachel Harrison book and from reviews of her others, I knew I’d probably be a fan. When I saw she had a vampire book, I had to check it out. I was surprised by the magical realism becuase I was expecting more fantasy and humor. From the cover, I was expecting Christopher Moore vamp vibes which remains on the top of my “series I wish I could read again”. So Thirsty ended up being much less surface level as Sloane navigates aging, complacency, joyless marriage and, ultimately, a loss of all of things in one fell swoop. The dynamics playing out within her relationships after her transition felt very authentic and relatable despite being the result of a supernatural change. I enjoyed the cast of characters, the emotional rollercoaster of Sloane’s experience, and some slightly new tweaks to vampirism. Minus a star for no fangs. Guess I’m a purist— I like my bloodsuckers to have fangs.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Rachel Harrison, and Berkley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

My first spooky read of the fall season!! This was a little out of my wheelhouse, as I enjoy horror books but am not super into vampires (although I LOVE What We Do in the Shadows!!). Thankfully, the gorgeous cover led me correctly, as I did enjoy this read. I will give a preface that might seem obvious, but this book was a little graphically violent for me as someone who is REALLY squeamish. There is a LOT of blood, and I wasn't expecting it to affect me that much, but it did a bit, so just a heads up if you're sensitive! Otherwise, this was a quick read that was filled with action, adventure, and found family. Naomi and Sloane both were a little unlikable at times, but the cast of vampires made it for it, as I LOVED their found family dynamic. The book flew by, and I couldn't wait to find out what was next in Sloane and Naomi's journey. Other than being a fun vampire book, there is a lot of great commentary here about what it means to live and what friendship looks like. It was a fun read to kick off this year's spooky season!

A modern day Dracula retelling featuring two friends who end up turning into vampires and experiencing a whole new lifestyle. Reformed slut turned surburban house wife... who is so unhappy with herself and her cheating husband... has only one good thing in her life: her best friend Naomi. Wild, stylish, boy crazy; Hurricane of a person. When she meets up with Naomi for their annual trip together Naomi takes them to a party where they meet some very strange attractive individuals... Naomi ends up in an orgy and she herself ends up meeting a mysterious stranger... yet the night unfolds and these strangers turn out to be vampires and when Naomi accidentally gets attacked, it's up to her to figure out what it means for her and Naomi: do they become vampires or do they die? And if they become vampires are they willing to accept everything that comes along with this new lifestyle. I have to say I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved the modern day Dracula take but honestly the main protagonist was such a drag, she really was the biggest downer of a person and the one person you do not want to be in your vampire crew. She got on my nerves so much and yeah I get why she is the way she is by the end of the book but it still was grating on my nerves. Overall it's not a bad modern day retelling and one id definitely recommend for everyone who enjoys Dracula to read at least once.

Release Date: September 10,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I will read everything Harrison publishes. This one though hands down is now my favorite. I like how their plots can be scary, funny, and sexy all at once but not overly sexy (I'm not a huge fan of romance but this book I loved). I absolutely loved the characters, their imperfections and the different ways the embrace the situation they came to be in and how it impacted them. I devoured this vampire tale in one day and that's saying a lot coming from me.

Such a great, fun, easy book to read. I knew it was about vampires, yet somehow it caught me by surprise when Naomi and Sloane encounter the vampires. (Maybe it’s because it doesn’t happen right away?)

Because Sloane and Naomi don’t meet the vampires until later, we get to know them in their present day and past selves. I found this helpful as it really gave perspective as to why Sloane and Naomi are the way that they are, even after they turn.

Overall a really fun, fast read!

Advance reader copy provided by Berkley and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

So Thirsty is another fantastic read by Rachel Harrison. She gives horror some heart (even if it is bloody and still beating).
While on the surface, So Thirsty is a horror about becoming a blood thirsty vampire, the true story is about how, as women, we often put our own wants/needs/desires on the back burner for the sake of making others comfortable. We don't want to disrupt the status quo.
The book also deals with themes of female friendship and our relationship with ourself. Sloane loves and envies her best friend Naomi for the way she always does what she wants, always takes what she needs with little remorse or thought for others.
Honestly, Naomi is the reason this book isn't 5 full stars for me. While I can appreciate a woman who knows what she wants, I frequently disliked the way she disregarded Sloane's feelings and wishes in favor of what SHE wanted. It felt icky that she continued to step all over Sloane and never had to own up to it minus a single conversation. Just because Naomi is a "free spirit" doesn't mean she shouldn't take others (especially her best friend) into consideration.
In many ways it feels like Naomi and Sloane are foils of each other. We see Sloane's growth, but not much of Naomi's.
I wasn't expecting this book to also be a romance, and I really enjoyed the romantic subplot. It was really nice to see Sloane get something good for once. It moved a little fast for my liking, but I still really enjoyed it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the weird cast of characters the vampires presented and loved the "found family" aspect.
They were fun to read about and to imagine what their lives were like outside of the few weeks we see them.
Overall, I highly recommend this book! Aside from some bloodiness, in general I think this would be a great "intro to horror" for those new to the genre. As always, Rachel Harrison delivers a book that will freak you out and make you think. This is the perfect fall/Halloween read!

4.75 stars

So Thirsty was my most anticipated read of the year, and with that comes a lot of pressure. I was hoping for a clear cut 5 star read, and while I didn't quite get that, it was still my second favorite of her books I've read so far. Part of this was because I really didn't like the best friend character of Naomi, with her chaotic sex, drugs, and rock and roll personality, and she played such a big role in the story.

Sloane Parker lives a mundane life by choice, after a reckless youth that nearly killed her. Leaning into the opposite direction as her globe trotting, free spirit best friend Naomi, she now finds herself in a dead end job with a dead end marriage; safe, predictable, and dependable, but not exciting. Approaching the wrong side of her 30s, she can't bare to look at her aging reflection in the mirror, and her cheating husband looks for younger women. When he sends Sloane and Naomi on a birthday weekend away, Sloane can't help but question his motives for getting her out of the house. Once at the swanky resort, Naomi does what she does best and hooks up with a set of flashy European types, and drags Sloane to their house party to celebrate her birthday. At the party, she feels a sense of wrongness, but it still taken by grunge rocker lookalike Henry. When things go south and the women are turned into vampires in order to save their lives, they need to grapple with their new existence and what friends forever truly means. Not much of an annotator, I found myself saving several quotes in my kindle, relatable bites on the ennui of 30 something bored suburban wives and the lengths we'll go to to feel some excitement again, grappling with your aging body, and low self esteem. Rachel Harrison has a knack for writing the bitchy nuance of female friendship, though now after reading almost all of her novels her female leads to tend to have the same personality (hi, it's me). Sloane was an extremely relatable character to me on many levels, but I can see her being frustrating to read for some people, because I frustrate my friends for the exact same reasons. I do wish the ending was a little different, and it would have been more impactful if it ended at the last chapter ambiguously rather than tying up with a HEA epilogue.

Two friends, a weekend getaway, a dark stranger, what could go wrong? Everything. In a flash, Sloane and Naomi’s lives are forever changed and now they have to learn to live with the thirst. I loved this book! It was well written and the story moved at a quick pace. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next. I did find Naomi selfish and annoying at times but that was because I identified with Sloane’s personality more. Definitely a great book to kickoff “spooky season.”

I received a gifted galley of SO THIRSTY by Rachel Harrison for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

SO THIRSTY follows Sloane, a middle-aged woman off on a girls trip with her best friend Naomi thanks to a birthday gift from her husband. Her husband isn't the best of guys, but surely a reunion with her BFF is a sign he's trying. Naomi is the wild child of the pair and she plans for a birthday night to remember, one that finds them at a party hosted by vampires. When things take a dark turn, Sloane and Naomi are faced with a future that is very different from what they expected.

This was a highly anticipated read for me and I was very glad to find that it did not disappoint! I really liked that we had a more mature protagonist. Sloane had a much wilder past than I ever had, but her present self was very relatable. Naomi's character is very wild and I really enjoyed seeing the loyalty Sloane had to her friend, even as her friend at times drove her (understandably) crazy.

I really enjoyed the vampire lore in this book. Some felt comfortably familiar while there were some twists and turns along the way to give it a unique spin. This book is full of dark moments, so do look into trigger warnings if you have concerns!

I really enjoyed this sort of coming of age (coming of ageless?) older character story and it was a book that was hard to put down! I would definitely recommend picking this one up! SO THIRSTY just came out so it is available now!

So Thirsty is about female friendships framed around a vampire story. The cheeky tone used in Black Sheep is back, but So Thirsty doesn't have the same impact.

I love vampires.

Particularly, I love messy vampires who are learning how to be confident in themselves and stand on their own two feet. This book has this, plus a twisted take on the found family trope, sisterhood trope, and just general "what if you were to live forever".

I love how the story progressed through the characters and changed aspects of them in a reasonable and believable way. The feelings and emotions of the main characters are amplified. I also love the implication that blood banks are low on blood due to vamps stealing the blood and making them think it was a clerical error.

I will say, this is a horror novel, not a thriller novel. Don't read this if you can't deal with gore, blood, or the macabre. But, if you love vampires like me, definitely pick this one up!

4.5⭐!

Once again Rachel Harrison's blend of feminist popcorn horror hits all the right notes!

The first half feels like Thelma and Louise showed up at a classic Brad Pit vampire orgy only to have the mood killed by Van Helsing level horror resulting in confusion, thirst, and chaos!

Then the second half felt like the inner thoughts of every woman who was forced into a box and then conditioned to compare themselves against other women, tainting the beauty of their friendships but never letting it defeat you. I'm sure there are so many women who have struggled with self worth, unworthy love, sub-par partners, and an overall pressure to make themselves smaller and to be content with settling.

At times you dislike both FMC and can't understand their friendship but then you remember you love them and both their stories are unique and they behave the way they do largely due to the same, and different experiences theyve had.

I only wish I got almost an equal look into Naomi's head. I feel like a dual POV would have just pushed this over the top for me!

(And side note to anyone who would like to know, both FMC are childfree, there are no pregnancy tropes, and there are intimate scenes but no real spice)

Rachel Harrison has done it again—So Thirsty is officially my new favorite book of hers!

The story centers around Sloane, who is grappling with the approach of her 36th birthday. Stuck in suburbia with an unfaithful husband who doesn't really understand her, Sloane is terrified by the thought of change. On the other hand, her best friend Naomi is her polar opposite, living life to the fullest and embracing every moment.

When Sloane's husband, Joel, plans a surprise birthday getaway for Sloane and Naomi to reconnect and enjoy some much-needed girl time, it seems like the perfect escape. Sloane and Naomi truly are the best of friends, bound by love and loyalty, but what happens when their lives are turned upside down after one night out? Naomi meets a handsome stranger at a bar and persuades Sloane to attend his house party the next night, where things quickly take a strange and dark turn. This is not the kind of party Sloane had in mind, but could the mysterious and alluring Henry intrigue her enough to let loose?

This book is a bloody good time (pun fully intended!). 🧛🏻‍♀️ Rachel Harrison’s storytelling is captivating from the very first page, weaving together wit, horror, romance, friendship, existential crisis—and yes, vampires. The blend of genres creates a unique and thoroughly engaging read that kept me hooked until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Berkley Publishing for providing me with an ARC of So Thirsty. I’m thrilled to have had the chance to dive into this unforgettable story before its release!

Naomi and Sloane are two best friends that never expected their night to end the way that it did. Naomi just wanted to celebrate Sloane’s birthday by having a fun night out. This party wasn’t really Sloane’s type of fun, but she agreed to go anyway. While on vacation together, they go to a party with a group of people that they don’t know. Naomi is invited by one of the guests. Once they arrive, Sloane has a weird feeling about the party. She seems weary about the people that are there. The next morning, they realize that they are changed in a way that can’t be undone. From this point forward, these two women are vampires. The story takes a turn as they slowly learn what it means to be a vampire.

I don’t normally read vampire books, but this storyline seemed interesting. I like how the author made it feel like a realistic event taking place when they were transformed into vampires. It was simply a woman making a deal to save her friend. I thought it was neat how this group of vampires just lived side by side the humans, but they keep their true identities hidden. The author’s writing kept me engaged throughout this book. I was eager to find out about how the women would adapt to no longer living as humans.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, so I waited as long as possible to start it because I knew I wouldn’t want it to end. It’s fast-paced, bloody and a lot of fun.

I loved our main character and her relationship with her best friend, and actually I loved the vampires too. Harrison is so good at writing complicated female characters that you can’t help but cheer on as they transform into a stronger person. I loved the epilogue and could have read on and on.

If you enjoyed Cackle, you’ll love So Thirsty just as much. Thank you SO much to Berkley for my eARC. So Thirsty will be published next week.

So Thirsty was the second book I've read by Rachel Harrison, and it was a fast-paced, paranormal thriller that I could not put down. I thought the pacing for the first 20% of the book was a little slow, but once it took off, I couldn't stop reading, and I devoured this in a day. She is quickly becoming an insta-buy author for me.

I liked that this story was very character-driven, and I loved the themes of friendship, feminism, love, and mortality explored in this. At times, it reminded me of a modern Thelma & Louise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing this ARC!