I was in the middle of reading this book when it expired in my Netgalley app. What I read was great and I was enjoying the book.

Vampires mixed with Mexican lore?!? Yes, please! This was so GOOD! The MC's were fantasic and had amazing chemistry. I couldn't put it down! If you want a standalone fantasy, pick this up immediately!

-Vampire x Vampire Huntress
-Buffy meets Pride & Prejudice
-Enemies to lovers
-Fake engagement
-Curse

Thank you Angela for this delightful book!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed Angela Montoya’s debut last year, so I was excited for what she would write next. And when I heard about A Cruel Thirst, I was especially excited about the concept and how it subverted the vampire archetype, along with a fantastical reimagining of Mexico in the 1800s.
One of my favorite parts of the book were the little interstitial bits, from quotations to articles, which help to flesh out the world and its lore beyond what is conveyed in the text. From the setting of Del Oro to the lore with the Fuentes family and the vampiros, it helps to flesh out the narrative in a beautiful way.
Lalo and Carolina are both intriguing characters. Lalo is a newly created vampire, and he’s dealing with his teen anxieties and awkwardness along with the dread about his new state of existence. Carolina, meanwhile, is from a vampire-hunter family, and is determined to avenge the family members she lost at the hands of vampires, and prove herself worthy of her family’s legacy, as well as dodge her father’s machinations to marry her off.
The romance was super-sweet, full of witty banter and a connection that developed over their shared care for those they love, not to mention a greater mutual enemy.
I enjoyed this book overall, and would recommend it to readers looking for a culturally rich romantic fantasy with vampires.

Loved this hillarious vampire story! It's a little less bloodthirsty than I'm used to with vampires but I think it builds on a well established YA vampire Canon and will bring in new readers.

ARC Review!!!!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!!!

This was such a fun read, got hooked on right from the beginning. I love the concept of Vampire Hunter x Vampire!!! UGHHH give me more!!! Lalo and Carolina are everything, they were literally made for each other. The banter from the beginning and throughout the whole story is everything! I love how they realized they were liking each other but didn't want to do anything due to them being who they were. Very literal enemies x lovers. The whole book flowed nicely and it was such a quick read.

4 Stars!!!!

This was such an enjoyable read! I had a smile on my face multiple times from all of the cute banter between the two main characters. What is better than a vampire hunter & vampire romance?

I went into this pretty blind because the cover drew me in. We follow Carolina, whose family hunts vampires, and Lalo, who is desperately searching for a way to cure himself after being turned into one. Carolina is tough and independent, trying to prove to her father that she is strong enough to join the guard. Lalo is not your typical vampire. He's obsessed with books, clumsy, and somewhat awkward, which made me love him right away.

The writing was fun and witty. I thought the pacing was great. The plot was pretty predictable, but I read a lot of fantasy, and I still had a great time! This was a well done YA romantasy!

Thank you NetGalley and Joy Revolution for an early copy in exchange for this honest review.

A Cruel Thirst is a delightful take on vampires inspired by Mexican mythology. The quiet, bookish, newly turned man is on a mission to find a cure and protect his sister from the vampira who turned him after killing their parents. He meets his match in a firey vampire hunter, and together they discover the origins of the vampiros and set out to stop them once and for all. I loved the true enemies to lovers development, and their banter was top tier.

You can expect -
Vampire x Huntress
Mexican Mythology
Ancient Curses
Enemies to Lovers
Fake Engagement
Banter
Only One Horse
Stabby FMC
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Late-teens MCs

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC for my honest opinion.

The book cover and title really caught my eye. The overall story is good. My main complaint was that the middle of the story it seemed to drag a little bit while the ending moved too fast during the climax of the story. Otherwise, i’d recommend it for anyone who enjoys romance stories with vampires.

➸ 5 stars

“Hope is a strange thing, don’t you think? It can pull you out of your darkest thoughts, but also leave you destroyed if that hope turns into nothing greater.
That’s when we must lean on the people who care for us the most. They hold us steady and do the hoping for us when we no longer can.”

𓍢⊹ ࣪ thank you to netgalley for the advanced readers copy!

🥀 vampire x vampire huntress
🩸 enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
🗡️ dagger to throat
🥀 fake engagement
🩸 latinx fantasy
🗡️ unique mythology based off mexican lore
🥀 forbidden love
🩸 cinnamon roll mmc x strong/feisty fmc
🗡️ addicting banter

“That was the thing when one lived in a great rancho with their family and their family’s family—even in the silence, there was noise.”

words cannot explain how much i love this book. reading a book where i feel represented was truly such a wonderful experience, my culture and my language written in these pages made me utterly beam with joy!!! to me, it felt like i was a part of this family. everything about the family relationships, family trauma, the humor, siblings/cousins, the culture, the setting, the food, the fiestas, just felt so real.

full in-depth review will be available on my goodreads soon!

I really enjoyed A Cruel Thirst. I loved both of the main characters and their relationship was adorable. I liked how it was about a vampire and a vampire hunter, but the way the plot unfolded was different than I expected in the best way. I highly recommend this book.

I absolutely loved this book. With a cinnamon roll MMC and a witty FMC, this was an upgraded Twilight. I am hypercritical of YA vampire romantasy, and this was genuinely really well done. Hats off to the auth0r for seamlessly integrating the romance into the plot. I didn't expect this one to be a tear-jerker, but I was really moved by both main characters relationships with their families and each other. Highly recommend.

carolina and lalo, i love you SO MUCH!! this book means a lot to me, especially the latinx representation and for the fact that the main couple has an fmc who calls the shots and an mmc who loves and supports her!! like what could be better (it’s like it was made for me) ❤️‍🔥 the tropes included felt natural and i loved the new take on vampire/vampire hunter 🙂‍↕️

on the other hand, i loved the lore, the mythology, and the new take on the origin of vampires !!

i wholeheartedly recommend this book, the writing is amazing, the characters are lovable and admirable, and the plot gets you hooked almost immediately 🗡️❤️‍🔥

thank you to netgalley for this e-arc! all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

1) yayyyy I finally completed an ARC on time/early (mostly because this book was such a delight to read!).

2) was this book very cheesy near the end? Absolutely. Was it totally unrealistic for them to have fallen in love in so short a time period? For sure. Did I still eat it up like a good Disney romance movie? Yup.

I'm sooooo glad I took another chance on this author after their debut failed to satisfy me (if you'll recall, I loved the idea of "Sinner's Isle" but thought the execution was lacking and the characters 2D). This book was ALSO a great and unique idea, but actually this time the execution was done well!

Was it very YA and the characters very much teenagers (18 and 19)? Yup. Did I love it anyway? Yup.

Vampire x vampire hunter is Such a great trope, one I don't think I've read since Vampire Academy book 4. And! for this author to flip the archetypes on their head and have the FMC be the confident vampire hunter and the MMC to be the unsure, scholarly one who was turned into a vampire against his will! I loved it! I usually don't like that particular MMC archetype (scholarly and shy), but it really *worked* in this novel and was charming instead of awkward!

I laughed multiple times out loud and highlighted so many things in this book! The MCs' banter was so great and their chemistry believable.

Also, I wasn't sure how the author could resolve everything in such a tidy (and happy!) fashion, but she more than managed! (I will give her leeway on the unclear logistics of clothing and body part positioning in space in some of the scenes, this book was so fun to read.)

I tore through this book in <24 hours and highly recommend reading it when it comes out! (Also: the cover is phenomenal, look at them!!)

A Cruel Thirst by Angela
3.9⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 0.7/5
Cursing: mild
Format/Source: ebook ARC from NetGalley
Genres/Tropes: fantasy, romance, vampires and their hunters, enemies to lovers
Audience: Adult
Setting: 1829 Abundancia
New words:
Characters: Carolina, Lalo, Fernanda, Nena, Maricela, Abuelo
👍 short chapters, multi POV, vampires and their hunters, book loving MCs, strong, battle ready FMC
👎 Cursing, sexual preferences, Spanish without translation

Description:
Carolina Fuentes has always wanted to join her family in hunting down the bloodthirsty monsters that plague her pueblo. But these days, her father wants her out of town with a husband of his choosing. That’s not happening. Carolina plans to show everyone that she’d make a better vampire slayer than wife. But when she runs into a sediento that is not only handsome but kind, she questions everything.
Lalo Villalobos doesn’t act on impulses. As the eldest of two, his duties were to carry on the family business, marry, and have children. But then he is turned into a sediento and must flee the city, taking lives as he goes north, where he believes the first vampire was made. Surely, the pueblo there will have the answers to reverse this curse or end sedientos altogether. Lalo runs right into a beautiful young woman who’d gladly stake him.
Fortunately, mostly for him, they share a common enemy. They can stop these evil beasts. Together. And if along the way, Lalo and Fernanda discover what it is to truly live and love, then they’ll have won anyway.

My opinion:
A Cruel Thirst is a fast-paced novel with young and fun main characters that grow throughout the novel. The short chapters and multiple POVs make for effortless reading. I love that both MCs love books. Carolina is a very strong athletic woman in a time when this was extremely abnormal. She is an exceptional woman to read. I always adore books about vampires, and the addition of vampire hunters with a twist just added to the allure of this book. I did not appreciate the cursing in this novel, and I feel it detracted from the book. I do not care for certain characters' sexual preferences either. I enjoy learning new languages, but I prefer the translation to be available in the book or its footnotes. I do not want to have to look up multiple words in each chapter...this detracts from the flow of the book. I enjoyed this novel overall and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romantasy with another language you have to research.
#bookstagram #arcreader #booklovers #romantasybooks #booktok

A Cruel Thirst || Angela Montoya

"Her life force burned as brilliant as any flame. But it was not something to be contained in a hearth. She was a wildfire. One could only sit back and watch her burn. And every part of him burned for her."

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. Book is out 12/17/2024.

Carolina Fuentes has always wanted to become a vampiro hunter like the men in her family, but her father wants her safe, married and far away from their pueblo, which often seems to be attacked by vampiros. Lalo Villalobos was always the responsible older sibling, but when his parents are murdered by a vampire and no one believes him, he sets off on his own to destroy the vampire that ruined his family. However, he, himself, becomes a vampiro and now he's desperate to end vampiros forever. When research takes him to where he believes the first vampiro was created, he runs into Carolina Fuentes.

Instinct tells Carolina to kill Lalo, however, he is different from any vampiro she's come across and when she learns that he aims to forever rid the world of vampiros, she agrees to work with him. In return, he plays the part of her fiancé to prevent her father from marrying her off to a man she despises.

This is a stand-alone novel that has you cheering for both characters by the end. I loved how strong and ferocious Carolina was "You are despicable," he said. "No, I am capable. Most men can't differentiate the two.". And, I loved how caring and selfless Lalo was. I found the two complimented each other perfectly. The story was very well done and had elements of romance (fake fiancé, enemies to lovers, dual POV) that I really enjoy. I recommend this read if you're looking for a stand-alone romantasy.

-romantasy
-stand-alone novel
-enemies to lovers
-fake fiancé
-dual POV
-fade to black love scene

Who doesn't love a romance between a vampire and vampire hunter? I read this authors previous book and wasn't a huge fan but I liked A Cruel Thirst a lot more! I've never seen the vampire lore presented in this book and I found it really interesting! I think fans of Divine Rivals will enjoy this book a lot because it had similar vibes!

In a world where the one thing people fear most are Vampiros, Carolina and Lalo are probably the only two people that are NOT afraid.
Lalo, determined to kill the Vampiro that killed his parents, finds himself on the other side of the coin. Suddenly turned into the Vampire he once set out to destroy. Lalo is now on a mission to figure out how to end this centuries long curse even if that means putting his own life at risk.
That is until he meets Carolina. Carolina, the daughter of a Vampire hunter who wants to prove that she is capable of fighting as hard as any man.
Born in loyalty for their families, the two of them, still wary of each other, set out on a mission to discover the truth about the curse and put an end to it once and for all.

Lalo is the perfect mix of cute and shy and smart.
With his silly little mustache and his unwavering loyalty to his sister, I don’t think I’ve wanted to throw my kindle across the room more than when I was reading his internal monologue.
Carolina is the strong female lead every romantasy deserves. Fighting to save all of humanity, not allowing her father decide who she should marry and trusting the person that should’ve been her sworn enemy wile falling in love with him despite the fact that he’s a vampire. (not that I could blame her)
And Please do not get me started on the banter!
The added Mythology and introduction to new cultures and traditions is one of the biggest reasons why I enjoy reading, period, and this book was choc full of it.

Also love that this is LGBTQ+ friendly.

Angela Montoya’s A Cruel Thirst is a gripping, dark fantasy that immerses you in a world of danger, betrayal, and powerful secrets. With fast-paced action and a complex, fierce protagonist, Montoya delivers an intense and captivating read. The vivid world-building and emotional depth make this a must-read for fans of high-stakes adventure and intricate plots. A thrilling start to a series that promises to keep readers on edge.

This was a really fun read, full of so much Latine culture and a take on vampires I hadn’t seen in books before. The pacing was a bit faster than I would have liked but that’s about it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya.

Synopsis: A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together--against their better judgment—to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible romantic fantasy.

I really annoyed the writing and I felt like the story was as not just about the love that developed, but friendship between the main characters as well. Lalo is so sweet and I loved the contrast with Carolina’s feistiness. They really complemented each other and I loved the calmness that Lalo provided when Carolina was being hot headed. At times Carolina’s naiveness was a little annoying, but I understand that she had been stuck in the same mindset her entire life and that’s hard to change. I enjoyed the banter, the character growth, and just the story as a whole. I can’t wait to read more by Angela Montoya!