Rachel Harrison has done it again - her usual biting charm is on display here! While her characters are almost always complex and hard to love, they are real - and that's why I love them. Sloane and Naomi were no exception, and I thought their dynamic rang so true that it made me uncomfortable at times. But....that's what made this such a propulsive read - who hasn't had a complex friendship that can be a bit murky at times, but you'd still do anything for them? The vampire aspects left a bit to be desired - I wanted more explanation behind the group the women end up with, as well as more background as to how vampires work in the novel's world. Still, I breezed through this one and will recommend - even though I wanted a bit more out of the paranormal/horror aspects, I still greatly enjoyed it!

Man I really wanted to like this. I enjoyed Harrison's previous books a ton but sadly not this one. It was just so.....I don't have a word for it. I didn't enjoy the main characters, Sloane & Naomi. I honestly really didn't like Naomi, she was selfish and never owned up to it. I Just didn't like this...and that's all.

So much has been done in the supernatural vampire genre. Rachel Harrison has a gift for blending the litfic dreamy-ness and the cold sweat of horror.
Sloane and Naomi are best friends. You get a peek into how lost they both are separately, but how found they are together; once impulsive Nay leads them into a situation they can't reverse out of. I sympathize (but not empathize subjectively) with Sloane's need for control. It's a loose flowing story, generally unserious but seriously fun. By the time you get to the meat (pun intended) the story is over. And honestly, I'm not mad about it. Thank you Rachel Harrison, Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Berkley, for an ARC of this book.

I love Rachel Harrison's books, but this one was a big miss for me. As with Harrison's previous books, she intertwined horror with real world commentary on women and their roles/ identities. This book had a lot of potential, but really missed the mark. Harrison was trying to go into too many directions and cover too many storylines which left everything incomplete. Honestly, she should have cut the romance storyline as it added nothing of value and cheapened the story to that of a Twilight knock off (an ancient vampire falls in love with a boring, plain girl cause she's "interesting." ::insert eye roll::) We never understand the main character, Sloane. She insists she's a practical, passive personality, but she takes it upon herself to make all the decisions which are unwise and impractical. The final issue I have stems from the friendship between Sloane and Naomi which happens to be the other main storyline of the novel. As a reader, I never felt a true connection between them. They seemed like they were only friends because of a shared childhood history. They have wildly different personalities and values, and they never communicated with one another on a deep level. When either one would try to broach an emotional subject, the other one would brush it off. By the end of the novel, their friendship didn't change in any meaningful way.

Though this wasn't Harrison's finest work, I would urge you to read her previous works as she is a stellar writer with fresh, interesting ideas.

Thank you for the free book @berkleypub!!#penguinrandomhousepartner #berkleyIG #BerkleyBookstagram. Thank you for the free audiobook @prhaudio!!

Okay Twilight and Vampire Diaries babies, you have to add this to your TBRs! It comes out next Tuesday!!!

This also reminds me of The Change when it comes to girl power vibes but instead of witches, here we have vampires! So definitely recommend this to everyone who loved The Change by Kirsten Miller!

I was so excited to start this one because it’s my first read by this author and Ive always been curious about her books! Especially since my bestie @bookstagrambykate loved her Black Sheep so much!

I started this off on audio and the narrator was amazing! It was so easy to follow and I flew through the first chapters quickly!!

It starts off with our female lead being gifted by her husband a vacation with her best friend. Somehow they ended up meeting a group of strange people and then their lives had never been the same after that. That’s all I have to say about the plot. It’s very fast paced and bingeable so you can even go in blind with this!

It did take me a short time to finish this and I loved how fast paced this is and very reminiscent of my Twilight days 😂 That being said, there were some scenes in this book that are just not for me and made me feel uncomfortable while reading it 😂 I wont disclose it here for fear of spoilers but you can definitely DM me about it if you’re curious.

Horror • Paranormal • Chick Lit • Romance
Pub Date • 10 September 2024

Thank you @prhaudio and @berkleypub for the free digital and audio review copies. #prhaudiopartner #berkleypartner

This was reminiscent of a modern day Thelma and Louise with paranormal elements.

I went in pretty blind and think you should too. What I do think you should know is that this is fundamentally a story about two besties and their lifelong friendship. Sloane and Naomi are ride or die for life, despite being opposites in everything from personality to demeanor to wardrobe.

The first third of the book I truly thought this was a chick lit feel good novel, which mystified me because of the cover. ...and then the rest of the genres start hitting right as I was having that thought.

🎧 I really enjoyed the narration on audio done by Brittany Pressley. She does a great set of accents from Eastern European to British to French to good 'ole American Valley girl.

🩸This is very mild horror (I didn't find it that horrifying) and of course in a nod to the cover, there be vamps, along with a romance subplot.

The more I sit with this one, the more I appreciate it. Many deeper topics are covered, but in an entertaining and accessible way. Learning about self love, being comfortable in one's own skin, forgiving yourself for mistakes, and being unapologetic for those who can't see your worth.

“It’s because I made a choice. I committed to the life I built with him, a life I like just fine. That’s familiar. That’s comfortable. I fear losing it if I lose him. I fear the unknown.”

Well if that quote didn’t speak volumes for me from my past. This was also the only memorable quote that spoke to me.

I struggled with really truly loving this book as others have. I see so many people loved it, and I love that for you all. But it was just meh. I didn’t hate it, but didn’t love it. I’m just meh. The MC was annoying, the side charters were annoying, and it honestly just felt too rushed to me. I liked the idea of it, but i wish I could have just felt more from it.

I’m def going to give this author another try though because i have other books by her.

Sloane and her high school best friend, Naomi, are sent on a birthday getaway -via a gift from Sloane’s husband. Sloane and Naomi are opposites — Naomi is a wild child full of passion and adventure. Sloane prefers quiet nights and doesn’t like to take chances.

Against her better judgment, Sloane and Naomi go to a party being held at a local mansion by a mysterious and alluring rich guy. The night turns into a wild and horrifying night that changes both of their lives forever.

☁️☁️☁️ɱყ ɬɧơųɠɧɬʂ☁️☁️☁️

Very fast-paced and short! A true Rachel Harrison read that had me stuck like glue! Supernatural HORROR with a bit of lovely gore! Loved it!

Entertaining and yet very sad as Sloane has to find out/remember who she is. A fantastic reminder that life is messy and dangerous, but playing it safe is no life. Pure reading candy.

I typically find myself steering away from vampire novels, but with Rachel Harrison at the helm of So Thirsty I had to give it a chance and damn was it worth it. The author wonderfully weaves together elements of mystery, seduction, and eternal consequences in a way that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Sloane Parker is dreading her birthday. She doesn’t need a reminder she’s getting older, or that she’s feeling indifferent about her own life. Her husband surprises her with a birthday-weekend getaway—not with him, but with Sloane’s longtime best friend, troublemaker extraordinaire Naomi. Sloane anticipates a weekend of wine tastings and cozy robes and strategic avoidance of issues she’d rather not confront, like her husband’s repeated infidelity.

But when they arrive at their rental cottage, it becomes clear Naomi has something else in mind. She wants Sloane to stop letting things happen to her, for Sloane to really live. So Naomi orchestrates a wild night out with a group of mysterious strangers, only for it to take a horrifying turn that changes Sloane’s and Naomi’s lives literally forever. The friends are forced to come to terms with some pretty eternal consequences in this bloody, seductive novel about how it’s never too late to find satisfaction, even though it might taste different than expected.

While So Thirsty is a tale about vampires, at its core it's a novel that explores the complexity of relationships and how our needs and desires can shift and evolve over time. From longtime friendships to romantic relationships, things change and we change with them. Through Sloane and Naomi's journey, we are invited to reflect on their own relationships and consider what it truly means to live life to the fullest. The author expertly navigates these themes with wit and insight, creating a horrific tale that is also thought-provoking.

So Thirsty unfolds at just the right speed, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the journey at hand while maintaining a sense of suspense and intrigue. Harrison's ability to seamlessly blend a bit of humor with the darker themes at hand adds to the overall story, making it engaging and a fun read.

Harrison is a truly outstanding author and their writing shines through in So Thirsty. The author's unique voice adds to the vampire genre, offering a fresh take on familiar themes and stories. While this novel doesn't turn me into a fan of vampire novels, taking a chance on So Thirsty was the correct decision.

So Thirsty is a juicy, thrilling, and emotionally driven vampire tale that had me quickly turning pages. With a strong and darkly humorous tale, Rachel Harrison has crafted a book that is chillingly seductive and undeniably satisfying.

If you’re into stories about female friendship and finding yourself with some vampiric vibes and body horror sprinkled in, do yourself a favor and read this book.

I absolutely loved my experience reading So Thirsty and getting to see Rachel on tour talk even more about her journey with that book made me love it that much more.

Huge thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for my review copy!

This is my fourth read from Rachel Harrison and to say I’m a fan would be a massive understatement. I absolutely love the fun that her reads put in the horror genre.

SO THIRSTY is Harrison’s first vampire story. She delivers a mix of the traditional vampire lore that horror fans know well with her own spin. I loved meeting the vampires almost as much as I enjoyed getting to know our main character, Sloane, and her bestie, Naomi. Speaking of which, these two were so fun to hang out with and watch their friendship lead them through a series of adventures they definitely never saw coming. They each felt entirely unique and realistic in a way where you could probably identify a Sloane or Naomi in your real life.

I loved everything from the fast-pacing to the satire to the modern-day vibes to the feminist-empowerment. If I had to nitpick I would say I didn’t love the ending. It felt like it snuck up too quickly and I would have loved more time with the story. I wasn’t ready for this one to be over so soon!

If you’re looking for a book to devour this spooky season, this one is a great addition to your TBR!

Thank you to @berkleypub @netgalley for my eARC of this book!

Sloane is complacent with her life. She’s hooked on podcasts about past disasters and tragedies, seemingly obsessed with death but also has a clear fear of aging, her husband cannot remain loyal, and one of the few things that brings her joy is her Dyson vacuum. She is not excited to be celebrating another birthday in her mid-thirties, but her husband has booked her a weekend getaway with her BFF Naomi. While Sloane was expecting a low key girls weekend, Naomi plans to help Sloane break out of her shell and brings her to a get together of mysterious strangers. Except once there, things go terribly wrong and have consequences that will last forever.

I absolutely love Harrison’s writing style. She really brings her characters to life. Sloane and Naomi’s relationship has so many layers to it- together they are hilarious, endearing, and difficult all at the same time. With emphasis on strong female friendships, I blew through this book because Harrison creates these characters that make me feel like I know them- or want to know them. I loved that this book took place over a short period of time without need for much backstory or extra unnecessary characters. This book was fun, easy to follow along with, and kept me engaged throughout.

This was my first read by this author and I went out and bought all her books. I love the feminine topics, friendship all mixed with thirsy vampires. So Thisty was fasted paced and an easy read. Not much plot in this book in my opinion, but more character driven.

The state of the world today, it's like a girl can't go out late at night to an isolated orgy without being lured into a vampire den anymore... Such is the situation that our MC Slaone and her best friend Naomi find themselves in.

Let me start by saying I really liked Such Sharp Teeth and I loved loved loved Black Sheep and overall just Harrison's feminist take on common paranormal themes so I had high hopes for this book. While I did love the strong bonds of friendship - Sloane and Naomi are each others ride or die- figuratively and literally- I felt that they weren't well fleshed out as characters. It wasn't clear why either of them were tethered to the men in their lives who didn't treat them well, and given their vastly different personalities, what even tied these childhood friends together as adults.

As for the vampires themselves, they were just B list characters with no traits or backstories that made them seem like individuals or stand out in any way. Only Henry seemed to have a deep and dark past but us readers never get to understand the breadth of what that really is (which would have been super interesting). Naomi was the most complex of all the vampires, fighting between her innate good nature and insatiable hunger and thirsty urges.

While this book contained Harrison's usual fantastic writing and witty dialogue, I didn't feel that this was a new or fresh take on a very commonly done classic sub-genre. I was waiting for the piece that made this book different, and I just didn't get that in the way that I did for another recent feminist vampire novel, We Love The Nightlife.

At less than 300 pages, this read was short and concise like Harrison's books typically are, but I think it would have benefited from a few more chapters to make the characters seem less two dimensional. A fun, propulsive read that unfortunately was just lacking for me, but I have seen good reviews from other readers and so overall I think Harrison fans might like this one.

Rachel Harrison has once again written another must for your spooky season TBR.

In keeping with her tradition of a feminist lens on traditional horror tropes, Harrison basically reframes the "man vs. bear" debate. It asks us if we'd rather choose most men or most monsters- and how to embrace women's wrongs along with women's rights. Certified Good Girl, Sloane, is a reflection of so many of us who settle for good enough (and sometimes not even good enough). Carefree best friend, Naomi, is her complete opposite- wild and free- or so it seems.

When a girls' weekend reveals both women's insecurities and flaws, they are directly confronted with their fates when they attend a party that will change everything...

My only critique of this story is that it got a little messy and convoluted in its messaging in some spots, but it managed to get back on track for the most party. 3.5 rounded up.

Two women go to a party and come back as vampires? I’m sold! This was so fun! The last quarter was so unhinged and a bit rushed but nevertheless, I ate this up!

What to expect:
Friendship
Toxic relationships
Identity
Vampires
Paranormal romance

I’ll definitely be picking up more of this author’s novels in the future!

Huge thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a fun fast paced read. I read it in a day.

Sloane and her friend, Naomi go on a girls trip for her birthday, what could go wrong?

I don’t want to say too much to avoid spoilers, but I loved Sloane & Naomi’s friendship and how they would do anything for eachother.

It’s the perfect book for the start of spooky season. I saw someone describe this as cozy horror and that’s the perfect description.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this eARC.

Short synopsis: Sloane and her best friend Naomi go on a birthday trip, after a wild night out they find their lives are changes forever.

My thoughts: while this one wasn’t hugely original, it kept me entertained and I binged this one in a day.

I liked the friendships between the two main characters, and the campy story of a night of bad choices with forever consequences. It definitely gets somewhat gory, but that’s to be expected with a vampire novel.

Parts felt a bit rushed or underwhelming especially towards the end, but it was the perfect book to get me in the fall reading mood.

Read if you love:
- Vampires
- Girls trips
- Romance sub plot with an age gap
- Self discovery and growth

SO amazing. To best friends get more than they bargained for when they join a seggs party with some questionable individuals. This gives all the vampire vibes you didn't know you needed.