Thank you to Random House Children's, Joy Revolution, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Opposites attract in this high-stakes, emotional roller coaster of a YA fantasy novel written by the wildly talented Angela Montoya. My only experience with vampires before this book was the Twilight series, and one of my biggest issues with those books is how poorly written they are. A Cruel Thirst is written so well, with imagery that flies off the pages in a way that truly immerses you in the world. The characters come alive (well, some of them do — undead joke!) while you're reading because Angela took the time to figure them out and learn everything about them. And what I really loved is that even though they were thrust into adult situations, they still felt like young adults. They were smart, but foolish at times, just like teens are. They felt authentic and I loved watching them grow throughout the book. My favorite thing about Angela's books is the love that goes into creating her female main characters. Carolina is tough, strong, determined, and knows her worth even at 18. When I was 15-19, I wish I had more books featuring badass women, so I'm glad that teens now get to grow up in a world with female characters that reflect the women they want to be.

This book was such a joy to read and I can't wait to read whatever Angela writes next!

A solidly entertaining tale of a vampire seeking to end his curse and the vampire hunter who ends up entwined in his quest.

Lalo Villalobos watched his parents be slain by un vampiro and then suffered each day as no one believed him. Forced to seek justice alone, his attempts left him as one of the very monsters he was seeking to punish. And when his maker threatens his little sister, his last remaining family. Lalo knows he must put his vampiro knowledge to the test and do whatever he can to end the vampire curse and keep his sister out of his maker's hands. Absconding into the night, they travel for a pueblo that Lalo believes to be the start of it all, racing against time to try to end the curse before his maker can find them.

But when the siblings arrive in the pueblo, they attract the attention of the Fuentes - especially that of Carolina Fuentes. When she discovers Lalo's nature she'll stop at nothing until she has ended his existence. For you see, the Fuetnes have been hunting vampires for generations. And, with the loss of her abuelito still fresh in her mind, Carolina wants to rid her pueblo of the vampiro scourge for good. But Lalo is more than he seems and suddenly Carolina finds herself WORKING with him. Together the vampiro and the vampiro hunter attempt to find the root of Lalo's affliction and save Abundancia from sedientos once and for all. And they just might learn a little something about themselves along the way.

This was an extremely entertaining take on a vampire fantasy. I've never read one with Spanish/Hispanic influences before and I really enjoyed the deviation from the typical. I will admit, it took me a little while to get into this story, but once we were introduced to Carolina I was hooked. I loved her fire, her stubbornness, her love of family. She's feisty and capable and everything I love to see in a heroine. And Lalo was not your typical MMC. He was intelligent and bookish and far from athletic. He spoke awkwardly and found himself in more than one moment of embarrassment. It was fun watching Carolina come to his rescue time and again. But, that being said, he wasn't incapable. He just had a different upbringing. They complemented each other very well.

With a dual POV, we get to see the narration alternate between Lalo and Carolina. Montoya handles the transitions between narrators well. There are times when the story moves forward only to take a step back when the narrator changes so we can see what is going on in the other main character's head and I very much enjoyed that back and forth. The story ebbed and flowed like a wave.

I am very happy with this read. I honestly wish there was room for more in this world. And perhaps there could be. After all, they've ended this scourge - perhaps there are other monsters they could hunt together in the future?

3.75 ⭐️ A Cruel Thirst is a wonderful YA romance following a vampire and vampire huntress. My favorite part of the story was Lalo’s struggle with his identity. His emotions were so raw and real and really made me root for him. I wish we had seen Carolina struggle to come to terms with the fact that she loved a vampire, and that her family created vampires, a little bit more. She seemed to accept these massive realities a little too quickly and easily. I thought that the romance was adorable, especially from Lalo’s side. I wasn’t as convinced about Carolina’s feelings for Lalo though, and wish we had seen her inner thoughts about him develop more. It seemed like she went from hating him because he’s a monster to being totally comfortable around him and loving him, with little transitions. This was an incredibly fun and interesting story. I loved the mythology and Mexican folklore and tradition that weaved throughout.

A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya I DEVOURED because it was so amazingly good. If you like fake engagement, enemies to lovers, a vampire that doesn’t feast on humans, historical and mythology elements, feisty bad ass FMC, family secrets, great banter and vampire hunters then you will love this book.

Carolina Fuentes comes from a family of vampiro hunters and is currently training to become one against her father’s wishes. Her father wants to arrange her marriage to a family friend so he can get her out of town to keep her safe. Lalo Villalobos is a simple boy who loves to keeps his nose in books. He suddenly loses his parents when vampiro’s attacked his town and he is out for revenge. When he confronts the vampire mistress who did it, she instead bites Lalo and changing his life giving him the curse he fights to not change his life.

Montoya wrote a fantastic book and this was my introduction to her, I cannot wait to read more by her. She did a great job with the storyline and plot. I felt like I was in the story with Lalo and Carolina. ALL of the characters were so well written. I loved Carolina she was such a bad ass FMC who was constantly trying to take Lalo out. I loved that we got a taste of Mexican culture throughout the book. I was so into this book I completely forgot it was YA!! I cannot tell you enough to go read this book and go on Lalo and Carolina’s journey with them. Thank you so very much to Joy Revolution and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

The thing that initially hooked me to this book was the trope vampire and vampire hunter and the beautiful cover. The romance was very cute but the pacing felt a little off to me. The chemistry was amazing between Carolina and Lalo and I’m so glad they both had got character development! Overall, would reccomend!

+ Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the
ARC
This was very middle of the road for me, as in I didn't hate it but I also can't say there was anything I loved about it. It took me forever to get through and I honestly didn't care to pick it up.
Vampire huntress X Vampire that's trying to find a cure for vampirism sounded like a wonderful idea, but it just fell kind of flat.
It was an easy read, but very juvenile in the conversations and the pacing was strange.
Insta
for someone who hated vampires, the FMC falls
almost immediately.
Overall, not terrible if you're looking for a quick, kinda goofy read, but I wouldn't pick it back up.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it twice… I’m not usually a vampire person, so I was a little wary of this one. But Idk why I was. I fell for Angela Montoya’s writing last year when I read her debut. And this one was even better.

Ok so one thing I really liked in this one was the lore. And the way he was only feeding off animals and stuff from the butcher. It wasn’t the sparkly vampire kind tho. It was more along the lines of he was a bad ass because he was trying SO HARD not to take the lives of anyone. It felt a little unhinged because how did he have the will power? And how did he make sure that he had enough and wasn’t killing his own self. It was a lot and I wish that we got a little deeper into it, but then again, it was already over 400 pages, so i was like eh ok lol

The romance was also really good too. I know the trope of vampire and vampire hunter is very much over done, but I still think it was done well. She did try to off him at some point and she did not make it easy on him when she finally did decide to be with him. The fake dating took me by surprise tho lol Because I had no idea how she was going to essentially stomach him for that long lol But I also remembered that Lalo was such a sweet person, he just had a really damned soul. But the fact that he was doing everything he could to reverse this even when he had no idea how it was going to effect him was so crazy. I loved it so much.

I think I wanted more of a background from Carolina and her family tho. I think it would be cool to get a pre-quel because the tea that is dropped in this one had me like sitting up in the dark like OMG! I just wish we got more info on that side because that’s the side that’s coolest to me. And I hated that she lost her abuelo like this without telling her the full scope of everything. And yes I know this might be spoiler filled, so my only hope is that one day it will be like an added scene or something lol

This was so much more than I thought it was going to be. I’m not a fan of vampires (thanks Twilight) but these are not your average ones. I hope there’s more to come!

I really liked this book. It was fun being in a world with vampires. I loved how they were vicious and dark. I also really liked the forbidden romance in this. They weren't supposed to fall in love since they are enemies, but they do it anyway. I thought the story was cool and I had a fun time reading it. It was just missing a little something for me, but I'm not sure what.

I must confess that reading the first few pages of A Cruel Thirst gave me doubts. The voice of the characters felt younger than I liked. However, as I kept reading, I found the story exciting and enjoyable.

The dramatic plot kept A Cruel Thirst going at a steady pace. Each chapter, we learned a little more about the world and the people inhabiting it. The snippets of documents in between each chapter were particularly insightful with information on the sedientos. Carolina and Lalo’s ability to discover pertinent information and connect the dots was exceptional. However unwilling, they made a great team. Their antics entertained me endlessly~

I normally roll my eyes when characters ogle over one another (especially if they’re repetitive about it) but in Carolina and Lalo’s case, I found their mutual attraction endearing. Both were very aware of their progressing feelings. Despite some fighting, every time Carolina and Lalo were together, it felt right. He was the perfect gentleman and she was his skilled lady.

The story came full circle with a most satisfying ending. It’s been ages since I really enjoyed a YA novel so thank you A Cruel Thirst!

A Cruel Thirst had a great pace that kept me engaged from start to finish. The dynamic between the characters was a highlight, with the side characters adding more to the story without overshadowing the main plot. While I felt the connection between the Lalo and Carolina was a bit rushed, their motivations were clear and relatable. The ending was interesting, even though it felt slightly rushed as well, and it provided a satisfying conclusion to the story. Overall, this was an enjoyable read with compelling characters and a solid plot, and I would definitely recommend it.

This was my first time reading Angela Montoya’s work, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that it will not be my last! This was so much fun. Of course, I don’t need to be sold when it comes to Mexican vampires and vampire hunters, and I think the story more than delivers on all the best parts of that premise.

While they are absolutely not the same kind of story, I think if you enjoyed “Vampires of El Norte,” you would be able to appreciate that this story is hitting on a lot of those same notes, but for a YA audience. There’s suspense, there’s action, there’s intrigue, there’s coming of age, there’s forbidden romance, and I was pleasantly surprised to see there were a lot of comedic elements and moments of comedic relief in the story as well.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Carolina and Lalo, because the gender dynamics that would traditionally be assigned to them in this kind of story are pretty much swapped. Even though Lalo the vampire, he’s a pacifist, he’s very timid, he’s very shy and self-doubting. It’s Carolina who is confident, aggressive, seductive, powerful, take no prisoners, even though as a human, you would think she has a disadvantage. The fact that they’re two opposites on the extreme ends of the spectrum and the fact that they’re forced to work together even though they would seem like natural enemies is what makes their interactions and their budding attraction so much fun to read.

I also appreciate what the story has to say about interrogating the nature of monstrosity—how it’s not something that exists in a vacuum and how it has no loyalty to either good or evil. It doesn’t take sides. It can surface in anyone of any nature. At first, it would seem like Lalo and the other sedientos are the true monsters because of their viscous natures. But Carolina also has to confront the fact that her own ancestors, even as righteous vampire hunters, were also monstrous n their own ways and enacted violence and cruelty when it befitted their agenda—just as her family continues to do. I like how that conversation is woven into the story and how Lalo and Carolina are using the power of their unlikely union to finally turn those tables and fight back against their inherited legacies of violence.

I can’t say it enough: this was a super fun and entertaining paranormal romance with a compelling Mexican twist. Every time I picked it up, I had a great time with it. I will say the ending is a little bit too hand-wavy for my taste, as in things end up happening For Reasons without any real explanation or in-world logic. But overall, I still thought this was fantastic and I'd love to read more from this author in the future!

This book had all the best tropes.. enemies to lovers, he falls first, and "touch her and die". the banter in this book is to tier! Strong and stubborn FMC with bookish MMC. I loved the dynamic of Lalo and Carolina. Angela Montoya wrote some amazing main characters.

Absolutely adorable story with lot of heart! I fell in love with the characters right away. The supporting characters once again had personality. The vampire lore was new and interesting. I can't wait to read more from the author!!!

Thanks netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

I think this book was good but I was expecting more. It felt so rush. I needed more. More intrigue, more passion, more drama, even more characters. I think this book would have benefitted from a side story. Also the MMC needed a bucket of personality and courage.

Thank you Random House and Net Galley for an e-arc of this book

I enjoyed this so much. Angela’s writing is so crisps and so vivid. I absolutely loved Sinner’s Isle and as soon as I heard about her second book, I was overjoyed. I loved Lalo and Lina. I love how soft Lalo is and how tough Lina is. It’s so refreshing to read about strong female characters. I loved the way their relationship progressed throughout the story and I was absolutely crying at the ending.

I had so much fun reading this book! It was yet another reminder that I’m a vampire girl through and through 💖

I absolutely adored the relationship between Carolina and Lalo in this! Both of them had me giggling and squealing like a schoolgirl. Their banter was just perfection! I was laughing every other page.

In addition, I loved that Carolina was an absolute terror! She had Lalo on his toes the whole time 😂 He loved it tho. He loved her chaos and absolute lack of chill. And I absolutely understand why! Naturally, tho, I was also putty in Lalo’s hands. He was just so sweet and delightful. I adored him too.

The only thing I wasn’t able to say in my review for this book over on TikTok/Instagram (because it was part of a promotional tour) was that…despite how gorgeous this cover is…there are absolute strangers on it 😭 The colorism popped off with this cover because in the novel both Carolina and Lalo are described as having brown skin. An absolute disgrace that such a stunning cover had to play the characters dirty like that 😩

It took me a minute to get into A Cruel Thirst, mainly because as someone who speaks mainly Spanish at home and was always chastised for speaking Spanglish or the mixture of Spanish and English spoken in the same sentence, reading the lines that were half in English and half in Spanish was a little hard for me to process.

After I got over it though, the story line captivated me. Vampires are one of my favorite myths. Twilight had me in a choke hold and Vampire Academy is still one of my favorite series. The song "Novels about Vampires" by Candi Carpenter is one of my favorite songs of the last few years. Completely serious.

So this book called to me from the get go. It was fun and funny and emotional and was just so much fun to read. The emotions that were felt during this read were at one point overwhelming. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Carolina and Lalo were so cute and relatable. Carolina just wanted to be taken seriously and the way she grew throughout the story was amazing. She kept being confronted by situations that would force her to reflect on herself and her past actions and she would immediately understand, for the most part. That was low-key one of the only parts of the book that were a little unbelievable. It was beautiful to see though.

Lalo was so awkward and adorable, my heart couldn't take it. He just wanted to protect his sister and make sure that his parents didn't die in vain. He was literally every older sibling ever. He was so bookish, I immediately identified with him. The chemistry between the two of them was explosive from the start. It was a slow burn enemies to lovers but it was hot when it got going. It was innocent enough to still be considered YA but I would venture to suggest maybe a little bit of an older YA than you would think. Only because, while there was no graphic descriptions of any romantic moments besides how their kisses made them feel, it is pretty detailed about that.

The scenery was so descriptive and captivating. I felt the brambles and the heat from the fire. The little bit of Mexican culture sprinkled throughout was also awesome. The descriptions of papel picado were great and I just genuinely loved the story as a whole.

10 out of 10 would recommend.

This was lovely. The first half of the book could’ve been paced better as it was quite slow. Not slow enough to stop reading though. The tension between Lalo and Carolina was wonderful. Sometimes having a light enemies to lovers doesn’t come through well but this was refreshing, just enough banter. The closed door romance was actually well written as well. I enjoyed this a lot.

Angela Montoya is incredible. I will read literally anything she writes and A Cruel Thirs was AMAZING!! I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!!! It was so much fun and absolutely hilarious. The easiest 5-stars of my life.

Dark, magical, and full of potential, A Cruel Thirst has a haunting vibe and intriguing worldbuilding. While the concept drew me in, the uneven pacing and underdeveloped characters hold it back. A decent pick for fans of broody dark fantasy, but it left me wanting more. Pace at the beginning was perfect and then picked up out of nowhere and felt rushed.