What an astonishing read this was. I can only describe it as like walking into a shared lucid dream. Evocative writing, and what an imagination!

Loved it, thank you so much.

I think the thing that attracted me the most was the cover and the title, the cover is absolutely chaotic and I love it.

It’s a short story, about 180 pages, and the author did a great job of fitting a whole novel into those 180 pages. I loved the main character Rebekah, I loved how much she loved herself, and she was very entertaining.

If you love short stories and vampires, Vampires At Sea needs to be on your radar !

It was a good fast paced read. As much as i enjoyed what i read i wish it would have been longer. Maybe a bit more in depth with the characters especially a back story. I would say its a fun small read.

Emotional vampires Rebekah and Hugh are an old married couple who decide to go on a queer cruise in the Mediterranean. After all, it seems like the perfect hunting ground. On the cruise, they meet another being, Heaven, who quickly pulls Hugh into their spell. Rebekah, however, is on to Heaven and is sure there's some kind of evil afoot. Over the course of two weeks, Heaven and Rebekah engage in an epic battle for Hugh, and maybe Rebekah's life as well.
This was the kind of book that often had me thinking, What on earth did I just read? Still not sure, but I do know I liked it. This book was kind of insane in the best way possible. It's campy and queer and Rebekah is such a messy bitch. It also has a ton of heart on top of all the wild vampire shenanigans; at its heart it really is a story about a hard breakup and a relationship falling apart. There just also happens to be an evil shapeshifter there.

Horny modern vampires on a gay cruise, but make it camp. While this isn't something I would typically be interested in, the length, pace, and comedy made this short read much more enjoyable than I anticipated! I loved the idea of the vampires being energy vampires, rather than your typical blood-sucker. Merbaum manages to not take herself or the story too seriously, and this was the perfect start to pride month. Because of its shorter length, I did finish with questions that are never addressed, so personally I would have loved to see these characters and their stories fully fleshed out.

Thank you Creature Publishing & NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you so much for the ARC! Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t what I was expecting or wanting. I dnfed after day 7/about 46% of the way through.

I requested an ARC of Vampires at Sea because of the beautiful cover, I like vampires and the ocean, and it was in the horror category.

Instead, I got a novella that is just a lot of sex and narcissism. In theory, I think the take on vampires that feed on lust and desire could be really interesting! This book just wasn’t delivering on it for me.

Vampires at Sea also wasn't delivering on the horror at all — which is the primary reason I requested it in the first place.

Finally, I couldn’t connect with the characters and just didn't really like them. I was also struggling with writing style and I couldn't get invested in the plot.

Gets a star for queer rep, but unfortunately this novella was an overall miss for me.

Thank you again for the arc!

The concept was super intriguing but I think the writing was just wonky. The sentences were so choppy in some parts it was super distracting. There was also just a bunch of unnecessary information that led to literally no where plot wise. Rebekah and Heaven's characters were slightly believable and understandable in their actions and motives, Hugh's character and actions were not. It just made no sense.

Sex is the only thing that can make up for poor plot. This couldve been redeemed if the smut was actually spicy and not just a vague brief description or a passing sentence about how they were so horny.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc copy of this book, unfortunately I couldn’t get into it. The writing while descriptive it didn’t grip me.
The characters felt so unrealistic, even for vampires or maybe not vampires? It was all a bit confusing.
Also, I thought it was going to be more of a period setting, and the story to take place in a cruise in the present day,… just weird and not in a good way.

Vampires at Sea is a gloriously indulgent, debauched romp that fully embraces its campy, over the top charm. Lindsay Merbaum delivers a novella that is unapologetically hedonistic, packed with queer sensuality, sharp wit, and a jaded vampire voice that oozes attitude.

Don’t be misled by the beautiful cover art, it has little to do with what’s inside. This isn't your typical gothic horror or high seas adventure. Instead, it’s a short, sharp dose of queer smut wrapped in a knowing wink, with just enough blood and bite to keep things interesting.

If you're in the mood for something bold, fun, and just a little unhinged, something that feels like Interview with the Vampire took a shot of espresso and went to a drag show, then this is the perfect one sitting read for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lindsay Merbaum, and Creature Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
This book was..something, definitely.
“Vampires at sea” promises emotional vampires, desires and sorrows, but honestly it could just be summarized as smut and narcissism, no emotion at all characterizing the characters or -in general- between the main married couple. I’m sure some people loved it, and I’m happy for them - I feel like it’s targeted for a specific niche that must have really enjoyed it!
I was constantly debating whether to dnf it, because I really wasn't interested in the story.

Oh this one is definitely going to be polarizing. It is weird! Be prepared for that! This is a short little nugget of a story. If you are looking for a clear resolution, or answers to questions that arise from the shenanigans of an immortal being, this one is not it. If you're looking for SUPER queer, SUPER horny (like really can't stress enough how horny), super bored vampires on a pleasure cruise experiencing some unexpected feelings, this one might be for you. If you roll with very casual, matter-of-fact smut that is not really about romance, this might be for you. If you're a fan of What We Do in the Shadows, this one might be for you. (The author is very clear about being a fan and being partially inspired by it for this story.) If you're okay with unlikeable characters making decisions you don't understand or necessarily agree with, especially considering, again, that they're immortal beings, this one might be for you.

I had a great time with it. Obviously humor is subjective, but the humor here really worked for me, I think partially because I'm a fan of similar comedy vehicles as the author (like the aforementioned WWDITS). I also really want to support a new small press which is specifically focused on feminist horror, so please pick this one up if it sounds at all up your alley!

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

Happy pride babes! What better time to talk about this queer little novella 🤭

I sat with this one for a little while after finishing it. I liked it, but I couldn't put my finger on why.

I like the concept of energy or emotion vampires (looking at you Colin Robinson) and think in general its a niche of vampire fiction that could use some beefing up. I also enjoyed that the story is seemingly just a slice of life. We are dumped into the story sort of haphazardly and follow our MC through her brief but tumultuous time on a sexy cruise.

There is sex, there is jealousy, there is intrigue.

I would actually love it if we got another novella in the same universe, perhaps following a different vampire experiencing life away from the cruise that we are on in this book. I would love more regardless, so please take that as a hint Lindsay 😅

I was honestly really enjoying this book. The characters are fun and incredibly well-defined in who they are and why. The writing style is really nicely paced. And the story overall is interesting in a fun, naughty way that is both not too complex and not shallow.

Overall, I DNFed this book for personal reasons related to its content. Hence, I have given a neutral star rating. Had these reasons not existed, I potentially would have enjoyed it and given it a higher rating.

vampires at sea was such a strange reading experience but which fully lived up to my expectations: emotional vampires on a gay cruise fucking and sucking 💅🏼

the story is pretty simple, but then not really? there’s this underlying eeriness of them travelling across europe (?) on a gay cruise, ignoring the horrors of the outside world, but then not really being able to escape the ongoing and constant wars that are growing bigger and becoming inescapable. the way those unnamed wars were talked about felt like dread and anxiety creeping in and it felt sort of like a fever dream reading about gays being gays and then bam, hellfire.

i also enjoyed how it’s essentially about rebekah and hugh on this gay cruise finding a third — heaven, who’s not reallyyyy human — but there being sown discontent in their marriage after centuries (?) of being together. rebekah’s sureness turning into anxiety for the future but also about her finding herself again was anxiety inducing but exciting to read. oh, and the intermittent memories of the past flooding in also really helped with the whole ~ atmosphere of the story. i also honestly love the idea of emotional vampires even if i DID expect real blood sucking vampires. but honestly? this would’ve been a very different story if it had been blood and not emotions!

in general, i really enjoyed vampires at sea but i find it super hard to rate because it’s so strange in a way? a lot of things happen in just under 170 pages but then again it feels like nothing happened in a way.

i think if you want:
- surreal escapism and strange prose
- vampires that FUCK
- queer and nonbinary rep
- existential dread
- self discovery and acceptance

that this might be the book for you (especially, and i cannot emphasise this enough, if you want vampires that fuck).

/// thank you to the author, creature publishing and netgalley for the arc.

Love a queer read, especially with vampires. Unfortunately, this didn’t do it for me though. I couldn’t connect to the story or the characters.

This was a blast. If you're looking for a bloodthirsty gore-fest, you're in the wrong place. Queer, campy, and a little absurd? Let's go, baby! An engaging, entertaining piece of horror-comedy with a dash of smut.

The premise is intriguing, but sadly it's badly executed. It was a torture to read so I decided to dnf it :( seriously, does the author really love the word "fuck"??? The prose is boring and the character named Rebekah? I cannot help but keep associating her with The Originals. This is just not for me ;(

I loved that this book didn't take itself too seriously. It was a great palate cleanser after finishing a longer, heavier novel. This was a fun, mysterious, sexy, wild, queer, romp on a cruise ship. As a fan of WWDITS, I appreciated the energy vampire theme, though I'm glad there wasn't a sexy Colin Robinson character.

A great deal of the story was left vague, but I think (hope) that was intentional. There is no information or detail about whatever war is taking place around the Black Sea/Balkans, we don't know what year or time period it is, we have extremely limited background information about our protagonists - Hugo and Rebekah - other than the most basic information. We also never find out who sent them the coupon for this cruise or what their motivation was (maybe just bc Hugo is an artist, or something more sinister?). There is also no background information about the mysterious and irresistable character, Heaven (I assume the shapeshifting intentionally applied to a non-binary/trans character?). In some cases, I thought more explanation or clarify would've been helpful. In any case - this all leads me to believe we are meant to take this book at face value and just enjoy the ride of the story.

I loved the absurdist situation of the plot - energy vampires on a queer art cruise. I didn't find the comedy in this book laugh out loud funny by any means, but it had moments of levity. I was invested in the storyline even though I'm still not 100% sure what happened in the end, or what officially came of Heaven or Hugo.

I had fun reading this, though, and it left me feeling giggly in a "what the heck did I just read?" type of way.

Thank you, NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the eARC!! <3

3 ⭐

The premise had me hooked, but the execution was pretty disappointing. Erotic fiction about queer vampires on a two week cruise surrounded by other queer influencers and individuals? Gimme.

I was hoping dowry of blood level scenes, at least something with similar vibes. Gore, unapologetic smut and violence based on the tags.

Rebekah and Hugh are soulmates, in an open marriage and okay with polyamorous relationships. Upon meeting Heaven- a non binary lifestyle influencer who has the same appreciation for art and poetry as Hugh, Rebekah ends up getting phased out instead. They had so much potential for a throuple but it became a weird and unnecessary love triangle.

We somehow end up going on a wild ride, from reading about Vampire orgies to a minor whodunit subplot with unexplained plotlines to female empowerment? <spoiler>(I respected Rebekah for leaving Hugh, but I have a feeling that 200 hundred or years from now she will probably end up with him again)</spoiler>

With that being said, I LIVED for the mystery subplot where Rebekah was trying to figure out just who or what Heaven is, and that short fight scene.


Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for an early proof in exchange for an honest review.

Humorous in a campy, eccentic way; definitely an acquired taste but a fun read overall. More sex than I anticipated, which is funny in hindsight, like what was I expecting from a novella where two married vampires in an open relationship join a cruise with an orgy? Though the sex is more for plot and character-building rather than outright erotica, and actual kinks are sparse, so it's not /really/ a sex read. The characters are purposefully nasty and over-the-top, including the peanut gallery, very seriously unserious. Rebekah, the narrator, is very off the cuff and seriously horny, like I said I'd sleep when there's not a single horny thought on the page, and I managed to finish in 2 days anyway (yes, I know it's short as is). Heaven, Rebekah's archnemesis and international homewrecker, is a caricature of Influencer Evil that makes everything else appear tolerably tame in comparison. The setting and context of the story is more conjecture than anything else, there's not much in the way of world-building or explanation as it feels more like a casual summer read, whether that means beside a pool or locked up in a room. It's quite versatile in terms of mood. You get the comedy of a catfight, the melodrama of a failmarriage, the mystery of whatever the hell they got themselves into, and so on. Like, I even found myself rooting for said failmarriage, but we all have our weaknesses 😔. A fun, self-contained supernatural romp on the high seas, perfect for those looking to have a love-hate relationship with the narrator.

Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.