3.5 Stars
Sloane Parker is less than excited when her husband surprises her and her best friend, Naomi, with a birthday trip… a girl’s weekend away in a cozy cabin. Sloane hasn’t been able to find much happiness or thrill in her life lately, and Naomi is determined to change that. Against Sloane’s wishes, Naomi plans a crazy night for them with some strangers they met the night before. The night takes a dark and wild turn, and Sloane and Naomi’s lives are changed forever.
Forced to leave her old life behind, Sloane is on a path to determine if she can find happiness or joy again. This new life will take some major adjusting after all - new friends, new rules, new cravings…
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I thought this was such a fun read! It’s such a cozy little horror book with just enough gore but plenty of feel-good vibes. It’s a story of friendship and how it’s never too late to find yourself.

Cackle is one of my favorite books and this one had a similar vibe yet didn’t quite live up. I felt like it was lacking in character development and history of the vampires - I would’ve loved to know more. The romance also felt a bit rushed and there were definitely some cheesy parts.

What I liked:
- Friendship theme
- The gore
- The cozy horror vibes
- The epilogue!

What I didn’t like:
- How the romance played out
- Lack of character development of vampires
- Some plot points felt random or underdeveloped

All that said, I really enjoyed this quick spooky read and think it’s a perfect book to cuddle up with for spooky season!

Rachel Harrison does such a good job writing horror in a unique and different way. Her take on different horror elements is refreshing. Her female main characters are always so quirky and end up finding ways to better their lives.

This book was a quick read and different than other paranormal stories I have read. The two main female characters are likable and relatable. It’s truly a story about friendship and found family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

GoodReads review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6710603406

I really enjoyed this one, more than I did Black Sheep, less than I did Sharp Teeth (Sharp Teeth is my favorite of Harrison's books thus far). If I have a gripe about this book, it's simply this: I really wanted the heroine to get out of her "I hate myself, I'm a monster now" mode, and wanted her to start wrecking stuff. Once she did, I liked her a lot more. If I'm going to read about vampire ladies, I want them to go full-on "eat the patriarchy, eat the rich, eat the incels". I support women's rights and I especially support their wrongs, and the wrongs, once we got there, were GLORIOUS.

Also, I really wanted one character to get eaten, but alas. He lived.

A quick read focused on the relationship between two best friends on a girls weekend. Rachel Harrison is so great at building that unsettling, off-kilter vibe that keeps you in suspense!

Thanks to NetGalley for free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

So Thirsty is the perfect Fall read! It features everything you have come to love from bestselling author Rachel Harrison: complicated relationships, supernatural creatures, and a raw, real protagonist that you'll be rooting for.

Vampires are something that have always fascinated me. Even as a young child I wanted to have fangs and roam through the night. Alas, I grew up to be human with no interest in human blood, so work it shall be. No fun at all.

Seeing Harrison release a vampire novel, I threw my money at whoever would grant me a copy. What an exciting time to be a blood thirsty ghoul. There was something amiss when it came to this novel though. *fake faints* I was kind of let down by it and it just didn't live up to my bloody expectations. What a cruel, cruel world.

This started off slow. I mean molasses dripping slow. I know we couldn't just jump right into the mouth of a hungry beast but that's what I wanted. No tap-dancing around waiting for the inevitable to happen. It took some time to get there but we eventually did and it got better. Even with all the blood spilling and lurking, it still wasn't my cup of blood.

So Thirsty was an okay vampire novel. There were parts that I liked and it was enjoyable to a point. There was something missing for me and I'm not sure what. I can see other readers really loving this one.

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison is a vampire story like no other. Solane has been unhappy since college. Her best friend since middle school Naomi, who lives life to the fullest and lets nothing get in her way. For Solane's birthday her husband Joel sends her and Naomi to a resort to celebrate. Naomi just wants to drink and have fun, while Solane wants to stay in and do nothing. The first night out Naomi ditches Solane at the bar to talk a guy. Thats when Solane notices a stranger lurking in the shadows. The next night Naomi and Solane show up the house of the guy that Naomi meet to party with his friends. Solane wants nothing to do with the people or the party and wants to leave. The night turns into her worst nightmare when they are both attcked by a creature and Naomi is dying from her wounds. In order to save them Solane must make the ultimate choice that she can not take back and will change their lives forever. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Berkley for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

Rachel Harrison is a gift to writing. Her stories are so insanely approachable, they're fun, they're tragic. So Thirsty (for me) is about a woman who got so good at believing she didn't deserve things that she forgot how to allow herself to live, to be happy. Also, about our friendships and relationships, and how they're hard and infuriating, and sometimes impossible, but sometimes they'll save your life. Or end it, I guess. I'm rambling. Harrison works magic with her stories, and I'm so on board for more and more and more.

Vampires are having a comeback and I, for one, am loving it. I'm also loving takes on vampires where they're not mysterious and glamorous but just kind of immortal weirdos who rob blood banks. So Thirsty was at turns horrifying, funny, gross, and wholly compelling.

Thank you so much to Rachel Harrison and Berkley Publishing for the perfect spooky season book. You know it’s fall when Rachel Harrison comes out with a new book, and this one was perfect for the season! This book was about Sloan, a woman who is just getting by in life. She is in a predictable and loveless marriage, celebrating her birthday with a friend by going on a girls weekend. When she meets up with her troublemaker friend Naomi, she knows things are going to get wild.

Naomi plans a wild night out, and the friends end up meeting some mysterious strangers. Then things take a turn that completely changes the course of their lives. The friends are now dealing with eternal ramifications of their choices, and all the complicated thoughts and feelings that come with eternal life.

Thoughts: Another fun book, this one about vampires! This was a book about feminism and bloodlust, the perfect combination. This book was a quick and fun read, and gave off Thelma and Louise vibes. I loved the group that the girls met and all of their fun personalities, regardless of the kind of pointless romance thrown in.

This book was about finding happiness and making decisions for ourselves. It is about doing things as a woman and not depending on a man to live our lives. It had such a wonderful female friendship, full of heart, humor, and a bit of horror. 4-stars!

Rachel Harrison is a favorite at this point. This was somehow managed to be a sexy, action-packed and poignant story about aging, friendships, self-discovery and empowerment.

I have loved all the Rachel Harrison books I've read. Unfortunately, I felt "So Thirsty" was her weakest book to date. The main plot took 35% of the way to get started, as a result, it felt very rushed. I didn't believe in the power of the friendship between Sloane and Noemi because I felt Noemi was just a terrible friend. There was a fair amount of redundant whining and questioning by Sloan throughout. I would still read any book Harrison brings forward and would heartily recommend her, but this book being an exception.

This definitely seemed like it would not be my thing based on the description but I did like it, as preposterous as it was. And man some of this was REALLY gross! Give it a shot if you're not sure!

A fast paced fiction title. Explores themes in aging and the changing dynamics of friendships throughout life. I enjoyed that this had a different approach to vampires and that all the loose ends of the story tied together. A satisfying read!

Two friends vacationing at the Finger Lakes attend a party with a group of strangers and have their lives up ended when they are turned into vampires. They embark on a road trip looking for a safe place to hide out while dealing with their new reality. Book started off strong then fell apart.

Rachel Harrison has done it again with another story about friendship. Oh, and all the creepy vibes.

Sloane and Naomi have been best friends for years and can't be more opposite. Sloane is cautious and fine with the status quo. Naomi is wild and free and is always looking for fun. When Sloane's husband surprises her with a weekend getaway for her and Naomi she's prepared to get out of the monotone of everyday life, though, she finds it perfectly acceptable. On this trip Naomi is determined to get Sloane to starting living more so she sets up a night with a group of mysterious strangers. And this night changes them both forever.

This book really explores the ebbs and flows of a long friendship. How a strong bond can get you through so much. Even becoming undead. Harrisons girl relationships in her books are always my favorite part but this one I think I enjoyed Sloane's relationship with herself the most. Really getting to delve into her past, her present, and ultimately her future shows the many facets that women have and how all of us as people are products of our environment on some level. But we're always changing and evolving and your relationship with yourself is most important.

As always the vibes are there - lots of blood in this vampire book. I loved the take on vampires and how the girls deals with it. Though I was yelling at them at times I can't say I'd act any differently in their position. I also loved some scenes (that I won't spoil) because they reminded me of The Return which is the first book I read from Rachel Harrison and when I became a fan. However, out of all of her books I think this is my least favorite only because I felt like there was so much more that could have been explored. I felt it ended too suddenly - I wanted to know so much more. It could just me being greedy but I think this book would be a good series.

I love Rachel Harrison, her books are always so fabulous. This one comes out right on the cusp of spooky season and I highly recommend you put in on your TBR now so you have it in time.

This book is about Sloane and her best friend Naomi and vampires. There really isn’t a whole lot that goes on in this book, rather it is a character driven book. While character driven books aren’t normally my favorite, this one delivered in the best possible way. I loved reading about the two best friends and their journey together. They really were best friend goals and acted more like sisters. The pacing on this book was fast, though I read it slow because I wanted to savor each moment with it. The attention to detail in this book is spectacular and it makes for a very vivid read, yet it wasn’t upsetting, just made me squirm a little at times. Despite all that, this is a vampire book so there is a little bit of gore.

This is one of those books that is classified as horror, but I would consider it light horror, or cozy horror because it isn’t really scary.

3 stars!
(started the last weekend in May, set it down for over a month, and picked it back up to finish)
Full review for my Patreon on Monday but here are some reading notes:
Themes:
Female friendships that evolve over time
Opposites attract/female friendship highlights women who chose very different paths in life
Infidelity/Staying in a loveless marriage/settling (kind of the main thrust of the book, hence the title)
Traveling/Retreat w/ a bestie
Toxic relationships
Vampires
Paranormal Romance
Identity
Consequences
..
Summing this one up in my own words, based on my reading experience, I would say that So Thirsty is in line with Harrison's other friendship-centered books like Cackle and The Return. The main character/narrator Sloane is unhappy with her marriage/life choices and goes on this retreat with her lifelong best friend, Naomi, who lives her life more independently and unhinged. The two women struggle to make sense of each other as they navigate traveling and making decisions--it seems like the gap between them is wider than it has been before so it's causing tension. To complicate things further, Naomi insists on going to a house party with some strangers--eager to step out of her comfort zone, Sloane acquiesces. This leads to a pretty significant, life-altering event.
Personally, these two women did not feel real to me, they seemed like caricatures/stereotypes. The vampires were underdeveloped and introduced a paranormal insta-romance that felt rushed. I don't think there was anything fresh or new added to either the whole "girl retreat" trope or vampire lore. We've all read books or watched movies where one friend is the wild child and plays everything fast and loose much to the annoyance of the more conservative, "play-it-safe" friend who is slightly jealous or resentful of the wild child. And long to be more independent and carefree but feel trapped in the life they have settled into.
Reminded me a lot of the friend dynamic between Rayanne and Angela on My So-Called Life. In fact, the vampire Sloane hooks up with is kind of a Jordan Catalano/Lestat hybrid.
I was entertained, that's why I finished. And I'm thankful for the Epilogue, but I honestly wanted more from this one. Recommending to Rachel Harrison fans, fans of horror centered around the female experience, and paranormal romance/Twilight fans (this one will satisfy)

"I know that wherever we find ourselves next, we'll be different once we get there. I'm afraid of meeting our future selves. Afraid of what they'll be capable of."

Despite this being a vampire novel, this was 100% a book about aging and the fear we all have as time slips through the hourglass. But what if we could freeze it right where it is? To keep even another grain of sand from falling. Would you be okay with the person you are? Or would you take the time given to finally start living?

"There's a carousel off to the side. A small one, with only a few horses. I can tell it was beautiful once, though the colors have faded, and the whole thing is covered in dust. I feel sad for the horses, trapped in here, frozen. Unable to dance around their forever loop. There are so many ways to be stuck, aren't there?"

This was such a unique horror novel. I have been obsessed with vampires for a long time, always imagining what I would do if I had all the time in the world. This was the gritty version of vampires that's rarely ever shown. How just because you can live forever, doesn't mean it would be easy, or pretty. I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Sloane was a believable character and I found myself relating to her more and more as the novel went on. The moral dilemma of who she is now, versus who she was. We all have an ex we wish we could have broken up with like that. The need to do things the right way. We will all have that fear of aging eventually. I found my first wrinkle while reading this book and had a small freak out about it. But it's fine. All in all this has made it to the top of my favorites by this author.

Since I discovered Rachel Harrison's writing with Such Sharp Teeth, I've really enjoyed her unique way of building stories. I'll read anything she writes and I trust that it will always be a five star read for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sending me a digital ARC of one of my most anticipated novels of 2024!

Rachel Harrison wrote a vampire novel! I have read Cackle and Such Sharp Teeth by her and I have found her style to be incredibly cozy and easy to read. Her books revolve around horror-adjacent feminine lead stories with feminist themes. So Thirsty kept this trend going and provided introspection for women like me.

Sloane has a cozy and safe life for herself. She has a husband, a house, and her beloved peach tree. When her wild friend Naomi invites her on a birthday retreat, she dreads the mischief they will get into. Naomi has an ulterior motive and wants to force Sloane out of the comfort zone she has created for herself. She gets what she wishes for when they cross paths with an eccentric group of vampires that changes the course of their lives.

The message of this story is bravery and knowing that change can be scary, but it can also benefit you in the long run. Much of this book also focuses on the friendship dynamic of Naomi and Sloane and their unhealthy coping mechanisms, but authentic female relationship with each other. This theme was clear to me, but the novel spent a lot of time characterizing and developing their relationship.

This book was incredibly character-driven with almost no plot. The conflicts within this book feel incredibly low-stakes with strangely easy solutions. The main conflict was not the chaos and destruction that both Sloane and Naomi cause- but rather how each other responds to it. I appreciated the juxtaposition between the characters and how they represent two aspects of being “not brave, but not cowardly”. I wish Sloane’s conflict had a neater conclusion that felt more satisfying.

This book is coming to me at a transition point in my life, so perhaps I feel a more personal connection to Sloane and her desire for comfort over happiness. It was an impactful message that I wish the book spent more time developing. Still, it certainly reached its target-audience and I appreciate that it exists in the world for people like me.

If you’re looking for another great Rachel Harrison novel with low-stakes (hah!) cozy horror, sexy vampires, and a compelling feminist story about taking your life back, then So Thirsty will be published September 10th!