4.5/5 stars
1/5 spice (kissing only)

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Fake engagement
Vampire/vampire hunter
Stabby FMC
Introvert MMC
Opposites attract
Banter
Big family dynamics
Found family
Dual POV

Seriously, hands down was super surprised by all the humorous moments in this book, but it was soooo good. I had a lot of fun with this book and really couldn't put it down.

Carolina is head strong, stubborn, willful, stabby, and fierce. I loved how unafraid she was but had a hidden vulnerability when it came to her family. Everything she did was for the love of her family. And the same applied to Lalo.

I loved how Lalo wasn't your typical vampire. He hated it and tried so hard to hang on to his humanity. It didn't bother me at all that he was shy, guarded, and academic. He relied on his brains to get things done. The meet cute between him and Carolina was just hilarious.

I'm itching to read this again it was just so entertaining. Overall, this was a quick read, but mostly because I wanted to keep reading. I highly recommend this book for fans of historical romances, paranormal elements, and diverse characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

I loved this! Carolina is a strong warrior who wants her family to acknowledge that she can care for herself and be a hunter. Lalo is trying to get rid of vampires and undo his curse. Carolina and Lalo's first meeting had me laughing and giddy. Angela does a phenomenal job adding comic relief to this book, making it a fun read. It was refreshing having Spanglish sprinkled in and the scenes where they are dancing and the dresses being described were great. The side characters were also so fun to read about.
A huge thank you to @NetGalley for sending me this E-ARC, it in no way influences my review.

What could a book about a vampire and vampire hunter (talk about enemies to lovers!) do for me in December? As a member of the scaredy pants club (self nominated) but also a fam of vampires, something told me that this book needed to be requested.

December can be very griefy for some of us (blue Christmas anyone?) and A Cruel Thirst does a beautiful job at exploring grief in various forms - the grief Lalo feels for the loss of his family, his grief in becoming a vampire, and Carolina too explores her grief...in her own unique way.

Worry not! This is not a heavy griefy book, it's just what I connected to from the start (well aside from seeing an almost duplicate of one of my tattoos). You'll get adventure, found family, some laughs, and so much more. A good palate cleanser for yours truly as I haven't picked up a YA novel in quite some time.

Many thanks to @hearourvoicestours for this opportunity, all thoughts are my own.

I absolutely adored A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya! This YA Latinx vampire romance fantasy had everything: it was fun, silly, funny, and sweet, with so much heart woven into every page. Carolina and Lalo were the perfect main characters—charming, relatable, and brimming with chemistry. Carolina’s fiery determination paired with Lalo’s gentle kindness made for a captivating opposites-attract romance that had me rooting for them from the start. The angst, yearning, and delicious slow burn between them were almost too much to handle (in the best way!). And the secondary sapphic romance? Absolute chef’s kiss. Montoya seamlessly brought the pueblo to life with rich cultural details that made me wish I could linger there forever.

The story perfectly balanced high stakes with humor and heart, and I couldn’t get enough of Carolina and Lalo’s banter. Carolina’s boldness in defying societal expectations to chase her own destiny was inspiring, while Lalo’s struggle to reconcile his kindhearted nature with his vampiric instincts was touching. Their journey, fraught with danger and tinged with bittersweet longing, unfolded beautifully against the backdrop of a compelling hunt for a shared enemy. Every moment felt alive with tension, hope, and the possibility of love. By the end, I was grinning ear to ear. A Cruel Thirst is a must-read for anyone craving a swoony romance with a bite!

Thank you SO SO much for approving my request! I was absolutely stoked when I heard about this book as vampires are my everything.

Unfortunately I had to DNF as I wasn't getting hooked at all. But the writing was fantastic and the plot very interesting.

Firstly thank you NetGalley and Angela Montoya and for picking me to be an ARC reader!

I applied for this ARC because it sounded interesting and It’d been a while since I read a Vampire book and this story was such a fun ride! The story and characters and the plot were great! And the humor in this book was fantastic. I found myself laughing throughout the whole book and really enjoyed the story!

Lalo, the MMC, is a sweet guy who would prefer to stay indoors and read than go out and explore but has been haunted by the death of his parents and wants to get revenge on the Vampire who killed them. I loved his character and the growth he went through finding his strength and will to fight for what he loves that he didn’t realize he had all along.

Carolina, the FMC, was a feisty headstrong stubborn woman who loves with her whole being. We see her grow and become more flexible with her thinking as she comes to the realization that not everything is black and white. Watching her interactions with Lalo were some of my favorite scenes in the book. And the romance was so sweet in the book!

Overall the book I thought was great and I’m interested to see what other books this author has written! If you’re looking for a Vampire book with slow burn enemies to lovers romance, vampire hunter/vampire, fake dating/ fake engagement and a stabby FMC then this is the book for you!!

CW: Implied Intimacy Ch 14, Mild Language sprinkled throughout, Violence and death, fade to black implied Ch 42

4.5 rounded up

✨ARC Review✨

Thank you to NetGalley, Joy Revolution Books, and the HearOurVoices tour for my e-arc. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Summary:

Lalo has recently been turned into the creature he hates most in this world, un vampiro. Forced to flee and not wanting his sister to suffer the same fate, he decides to travel to Del Oro, the pueblo where he believes the original vampiro was created, in the hopes that someone here may be able to help reverse what has happened to him. But, the first person he meets is a stunning woman who wants nothing more than to drive a stake through his heart.

Carolina desperately wants to prove to her family that she is a capable vampire hunter. To avoid being married off and shipped away, she decides to kill a vampiro on her own so her father will finally acknowledge her abilities and allow her to fight with the rest of the guard. Unfortunately, the first vampiro she runs into is extremely attractive and says he wants to rid the world of sedientos forever.

With a common goal, they decide to put aside their differences and fight this evil together while also battling their growing feelings for each other.

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Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the characters we are introduced to. Lalo is an awkward, bookish nineteen year old and that does not change when he becomes a vampire. He is incredibly clumsy and prefers to fight with his knowledge as opposed to his fists. He makes for a very entertaining character as he is comedically bad at being a vampire, adding to his overall charm. He didn’t ask for what happened to him, and refuses to give in to the thirst and lose himself in the process. Carolina is incredibly headstrong and always speaks her mind, no matter the situation. She is incredibly confident in her abilities, and while she does wish for her father’s approval and blessing to fight alongside her brothers, her confidence in her own skills never wavers. She is a badass huntress, and while she is incredibly tough and initially comes off a little rough around the edges, she has a soft spot for her family and those she loves. I especially loved her relationship with her abuelo and her cousin Nena. Together, these two are a great pair full of quick wit, lots of banter, and plenty of swooning!

I also really liked the merging of vampire lore with Mexican culture and traditions. And, rather than just list the rules/restrictions associated with vampires and give no further explanation, the story is interspersed with letters and passages explaining where each ability and power a vampire possesses comes from and why it persists. This made the vampires themselves infinitely more interesting. The story also stresses the importance of family. Even though we are focused on Carolina and Lalo and their budding relationship, their drives to protect their family and those they love never wavers. Throughout the story, Lalo remains steadfast in his goal to protect his sister and ensure her safety above all else. And with Carolina's character, we are shown the importance of remembering and looking to our ancestors. And while we can carry the pain of our ancestors and be forced address mistakes they may have made in order to move forward, we can also recognize the immense amount of love they passed down, and that that should not be forgotten. I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a book with well rounded characters, a lush setting, and a swoonworthy romance!

Check this out if you’re looking for a book with:
🩸Cinnamon roll vampire
🗡️Badass Vampire huntress
🥀Lots of banter
🇲🇽Mexican mythology
💍Fake engagement
🤫Family Secrets

CW/TW: Animal Death, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun Violence, Violence

Rich with fantasy, culture, action, and love! I absolutely loved this book! The story follows a vampire huntress and a vampire who doesn’t really want to be a vampire. Think Zorro but if Zorro was the FMC. I was so invested in this book, the fantastical and cultural elements that created the world in this book. Angela is now an auto-buy author for me. If you like swoony YA romantasy this will be a 5 star read for you as well!

I do love me a vampire story but this was everything Lalo and Carolina were amazing main characters their banter was epic. I'm not going to say anything else but if you read this you will not be disappointed.

I loved Angela's world building and character building and I would love love to see a book about Fernanda and Nena as they were both very funny. I also loved they way Angela introduce a huge plot twist which was very surprising and a stroke of pure and utter genius in my opinion.

I now want to read more of Angela as I really enjoyed her writing style.

For all the above reasons A Cruel Thirst receives 5 big fat stars

Angela Montoya, you’ve done it again!! I think I loved this book even more. I know the second book published after a successful one is always hard, but you blew it out the water!

A vampire and a vampire hunter… except he was recently turned and doesn’t really want to feed on humans and suck their souls. And she wants to extinguish every vampire. But they get caught in a compromising position and have to pretend they’ve oh so fallen for each other and have decided to become engaged. I love it.

I enjoy that Lalo’s heart is so pure and good and essentially the antithesis of his kind. Carolina is fierce and cares deeply, and eventually that shroud does extend to Lalo. I love that like the first third of the book she’s trying to kill him, and then it shifts to ok I guess we’re working together but I’m still suspicious of you, to oh I love you 🥺👉👈 it is indeed a fine line between love and hate.

I loved the side characters too, and the landscape created. It just was so good and I loved this. Angela Montoya has definitely become an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for having me. Also this cover? STUNNING 🤩

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun! The dynamic between Carolina and Lalo was what really shined and carried this book. It was a little bit insta-lovey but they were so fun to read as their relationship grew that I will overlook it.

I also love the trope of strong, capable, fighter girl and slightly pathetic, nerdy, silly boy (think Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable). Their banter was so funny and some of their interactions genuinely had me giggling, especially the scenes where they are really just becoming friends.

The plot of this book, while interesting and is about unraveling the secrets of our ancestors, it did take a backseat to the character development, which I’m honestly not mad about.

Anyway, if you want to read a fun, fast-paced book about a boy who is about the worst vampire ever written and the vampire hunter girl he convinces not to kill him by simply being the sweetest, clumsiest boy, then do I have a book for you. Highly recommend!

Lalo’s parents were murdered by a female vampiros whom he sees in his nightmares ever since that fateful night. And now, he has finally found her and is ready to exact his revenge on her.

Except, things don’t go quite the way he planned. When he confronts his parents’ killer, she disarms him and forces him to become a vampiros. Now, Lalo and his sister must leave, and they head to Del Oro where his last hope is to possibly turn back into human.

Carolina is a Fuentes, a vampiros hunting family in Del Oro, with her Abuelo being the best. Until one night, they’re attacked by many vampiros at once and her Abuelo loses his life and Carolina vows to kill every vampiros out there. Until she meets Lalo who does not act the way a typical vampiros would and is far too handsome too.

Together they make a reluctant alliance to try to find a way to end all vampiros everywhere.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its banter, the dark humor set in a rather bleak world, a rather stabby angry FMC with a cinnamon roll MMC who just cannot handle being a vampiro, and a lovely enemies to lovers romance that is also filled with a lot of sweetness.

This book was also about family and the ties and connection one has with their family and what they’re willing to be to do to protect their family and loved ones.

Lalo was an unexpected surprise for me. He was such a layered and complex character that is a grumpy bookworm who doesn’t like people, and is rather squeamish and would never hurt a human, he’s the last person who should be a vampiro, and yet, it was oddly humorous and endearing when he was made into one and he still had that humanity in him and determination to make it right before he was too far gone, all to protect his sister.

Carolina was to be expected. She is a proud vampiros hunter and after her Abuelo dies by vampiros, she of course is angry and wants to destroy them all, no matter what. For her to meet Lalo who is not like other vampiros must have been quite a shock. He helped her see that it’s not black and white, like her Abuelo said before he passed and she was able to grow and let her pride go and instead choose to do what’s right and not focus on only her anger and herself. Her growth was rapid, but wonderful.

The romance and plot are very fast-paced, but it added to the thrill of the story. The romance is a bit quick, but I found it very sweet, despite the stabby moments, and I loved these two together who were able to find someone who understood the other despite their odd or quirky ways.

This was a truly enjoyable book. I love the darkness mixed with the humor and romance. Angela Montoya has a way with words and romance that I just love and I look forward to more by Angela!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fantastic read! The main character's were great and their personalities make you wish it wasn't a fantasy book and the chemistry between Carolina and Lalo was wonderful! It's a story full of humor, interesting twists, action, mystery and more! The banter and romance between the characters, the mystery of finding the cure, and the vivid descriptions kept me turning the pages wanting to know more! If you are looking for an enemies to lovers fun and entertaining read you should give this one a try! Thank you Tbr and Beyond Tours and Angela Montoya for sharing this book with me!

This was super cute!! I like this author, she has a great writing style and unique stories. With that said I didn't give this a 5 star because it personally was a little too YA for me.

There was limited romance and a lot of it was cheesy. This would be great for someone who likes fantasy that isn't spice or romance heavy. The writing is a bit immature so may be better for some younger readers!

With that said, her writing is awesome and her stories are well plotted out. If this were a genre I read a lot this would def be a fav!! You should read this if you like YA vampire romance, so cute!!

I’ve read a lot of vampire books, but each one could not be more different. A CRUEL THIRST, my fifth vamp read this year, draws from Mexican folklore and introduces a vampire who willingly suffers to maintain his humanity.

In Angela Montoya’s historical teen romance, Lalo Villalobos “sucks” at being a vampiro. Haunted by his initial deadly rampage when first turned, he refuses to become like the monster who killed his parents. Despite the pain and weakness, he will not feed on another human life.

Lalo and his sister Fernanda travel to Del Oro with a desperate plan to reverse his curse. Lalo’s research suggests that it might be home to the first vampire, or sediento. But it’s also home to a large family of skilled sediento hunters.

Carolina wants nothing more than for her father to see her strength and ability to hunt sedientos just like the men. After multiple failed attempts to prove herself by killing Lalo, the two become allies. Together they hunt for the original vampiro, whose death could vanquish all the monsters in his lineage, including Lalo.

I love Carolina’s confident and determined nature. She’s a great foil to Lalo’s gentle and straight-laced personality. Their sparing - both verbal and physical - is fun and flirty, keeping the tone light despite some dark subject matter. Carolina’s adventurous spirit and impulsive actions show Lalo, who previously found comfort in a quiet and cautious life, the joys of truly living.

A Cruel Thirst is a YA romance written for a teen audience. It’s also a fun, quick paced adventure for anyone who enjoys folklore-inspired stories with feisty female characters and sweet romance.

✨✨ARC Review✨✨

Don’t get me wrong I love Christmas and the fun contemporary holiday romances that come with it but, I was starting to get burnt out on them. Then i noticed this book A Cruel Thirst was on my calandra as it comes out December, 17!

Our MMC is Lalo, he usually does not act on impulse and tends to play life safe. Lalo as a child witnesses a vampire murder both of his parents and vows to avenge his parents. On the night he was meant to get his revenge he instead, reluctantly becomes a vampire.
Our FMC Carolina longs to join her family in becoming a vampire hunter. Unfortunately after a tragic accident involving the death of her grandfather, her father would rather marry her off and send her away “somewhere safer” Carolina is determined to not let that happen and prove herself as a vampire huntress.
Together our MCs reluctantly work together to rid the town of vampires.

I loved this book! I enjoyed the relationship development between the two MCs, it went from instant hate, to pining, to passion which are the best elements to any love story. I enjoyed the setting of this story, although Del Oro doesn’t exist it sure felt like it did when I was reading this book!

If you are looking for a fast paced YA novel with vampires definitely check this book out!

Full of all the pining a good vampire/vampire hunter pairing needs! This was such a fun read, with great pacing, wonderfully dramatic characters and the perfect amount of romance for the target audience.

DNF 21% in.

Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours and Joy Revolution for providing me with an arc.

I was really excited for this one as I did love Angela Montoya’s debut book last year but this one fell flat for me. I felt like the characters read really young for being 18 and 19, it would have worked better if they were younger. They also felt pretty one dimensional for me, 21% in I could only tell you basic facts that were surface level for both of them. It didn’t feel like there was any real mystery keeping me engaged and I didn’t care for either of the characters that far in. I did like the world and the lore was interesting but it felt like so much was revealed quickly that there wasn’t anything drawing me in to continue reading this one.

I am sad this one didn’t work for me and I will likely try whatever Angela writes next but this one really fell flat for me.

Review
9.14/10

What Worked For Me

Characters-10

The characters in A Cruel Thirst are wonderful. I loved the family relationships in this book, especially the one between Lalo, Fernanda, and Carolina and Nena. There was tension between the characters in this book, which made for a better story because you could feel what the characters were feeling, and understand where they were coming from. A Cruel Thirst had a lot of characters to follow, but the large ensemble cast was great because you meet so many great characters along the way, however, the story only mainly followed Lalo and Carolina.

Writing-10

This was the first novel I read by Angela Montoya. I loved the writing style, and I plan to read more from the author, The writing was lyrical in a way that made it easy to understand. Having two points of view was the best way to tell this story because as a reader, we wanted to hear from both Lalo and Carolina as they both have different feelings, emotions, and stories to tell.

Plot-9

A Cruel Thrist had a bit of a slow start for me, but I understood why because you need to have the background before getting to the meat of the story. I enjoy slow-burn stories in romance, so this was perfect for me as I got to know the characters as people before they got together. This is an adventure story as well as a romance, and I loved the action as well as the romance.

Genre

I’m looking to get more into Historical Fantasy, and this was a perfect mix of both genres. I loved learning about the period this was set in. The dialogue, as well as the outfits the characters were wearing, helped set the tone for this story. As a fantasy reader, I love strong world-building, and A Cruel Thirst was great in terms of world-building. I loved the addition of Mexican folklore in this book.

“Life isn’t something one just eases through. Life is a constant battle. Every moment of peace, every smile, every kiss that is worth a damn must be earned. So fight with me, Lalo. And if you are too weary from everything you’ve already been through, then I’ll raise my fists and fight for us both.”

In this glittering young adult romantic fantasy, aspiring vampiro huntress Carolina Fuentes and newly-turned vampire Lalo Villalobos must work together to rid the world of vampirism. After being secretly trained by her abuelo since she was a little girl, Carolina wants nothing more than to join her father’s guard and hunt down the vampiros in her town. Lalo’s parents were killed by a vampiro, and he has dedicated his life to researching and killing the beast. However, when he’s turned into a vampiro by his parents’ murderer, Lalo and his sister Fernanda are forced to flee their city and their parents’ murderer in search of an end to the vampiro curse. His research takes him to Carolina’s pueblo, though she would love nothing more than to kill him. When Lalo convinces Carolina they share a common enemy, they work together to destroy the vampiros once and for all, falling in love along the way.

A Cruel Thirst was a captivating novel filled with heart-stopping romance and dazzling adventure. While I was merely enjoying it at first, I slowly became increasingly invested in Lalo and Carolina’s story. Carolina is strong and willful, while Lalo is more quiet and timid in the beginning. I liked their dynamic and how they learn so much from each other, growing as people along the way. They are both so passionate about protecting the people they love, which I think was a key part of why they fit so well together. The plot of the novel was intensely interesting, especially the way the history of the vampiros was intertwined with Carolina’s family line and her pueblo. By uncovering the truth with Lalo, she wasn’t just enacting revenge on the vampiros—she was making amends for the past and helping Lalo create a new future where both their families would be safe. As with many vampire books, I found quite a few parallels to The Vampire Diaries. However, there were unique elements to Montoya’s vampiros that helped separate her novel from the countless other vampire books. I would have liked to see more mystery in Lalo and Carolina’s search for answers, because they seemed to quickly discover the truth and there were no big plot twists. But, I still thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and the way Lalo and Carolina’s romance blossomed in the second half of the novel. Anyone searching for a romantic vampire novel rich with culture and strong familial bonds will love A Cruel Thirst.