I was instantly intrigued when I first read the blurb for this book. Queer vampires on a cruise sounded so fun and weird and exactly like the type of thing I’d love. Luckily, I did love it, but it was tonally very different from what I’d anticipated. While there’s moments of levity, it’s actually kind of a somber book about loneliness and memory. The main character Rebekah is my favourite type of narrator to follow; someone who’s kind of unlikeable but so honest about themselves that they end up being endearing, to me at least. I loved her inner monologue as she reckoned with her feelings for her partner and the new presence of ‘Heaven’. It was so brutal and I loved the unflinching look at how love can become obsessive and twist you up inside. I’m a big vampire fiction lover, especially when writers acknowledge the tropes synonymous with vampires and do something interesting with it. Here, the ‘feeding’ the vampires engage in is that of feelings. They gorge themselves on fear, pain and pleasure instead of blood, with each vamp having their own preference. I think that’s such an interesting way to play with the vampire mythos. For example, in this universe they’d be feared bc of how they can manipulate you into feeling and doing anything they wanted to satisfy their needs. So good, I’d highly recommend!

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up.

This was a fun read, the main character Rebekah has a humourous tone in her narration and makes many funny comments throughout the novel.

Rebekah and Hugo embark on a queer cruise, hoping to spice up their very longgg [open] marriage after a mishap with one of Rebekah’s lovers. Rebekah normally has many lovers whereas Hugo does not. However, when they get on the cruise, the two meet non-binary Heaven. Hugo is immediately enamoured with them, while Rebekah has suspicions about Heaven having ulterior motives.

Rebekah investigates while Hugo falls more deeply for Heaven. Sex, orgies, and lots of jealousy ensue.

I thought this was quite funny but can see based on the reviews that this might not be for everyone.

To note, while there is lots of sexual content, it is low in explicitness and often passes quickly & vaguely.

Firstly, look at that cover!!!! Of course, I needed to read this book. Could you blame me?! Unfortunately, I really did not like it. It was advertised as a sexy LGBTQIA+ horror, and it has the first part but the horror?! Unless spending 14 days insanely jealous on a queer spicy cruise is horror, I didn't get horror..
It was a super quick read, so I finished it, but I kind of wish I didn't. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the plot.. there is an audience for this book I'm sure, but it wasnt me.

I just…did not enjoy this, personally. The pacing was fast, there was little world building, little backstory or depth to the characters, and at times I felt a bit lost on what was actively going on because things weren’t being described or elaborated on to the audience.

The queer and poly representation also felt lacking, if not problematic at times, despite being a queer poly book.

I guess I’m just not entirely sure what the point was? What the book/story was striving to achieve? Meaning there was promise but it didn’t stick the landing. For example, the emotion vampire concept? Thats so cool, I wish it had been explored more thoroughly! Or the MC getting flashbacks of her past self (or previous lives, maybe?) because she’s so old she doesn’t remember who she was before anymore? Also a cool thing I wish had more page-time! It feels underdeveloped, essentially.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lindsay Merbaum, and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book interesting and fun, but I felt like it was a little too short. 3.5 stars.

Rebekah and Hugh decide to go on a queer Black Sea Cruise. They have a secret that they don't want anyone to know. they are centuries old vampires. The meet Heaven, an influeancer and Rebekah and Hugh both become enamoured by them. Now Hugh is acting strange and Rebekah realizes that she is losing him to Heaven's charms. This is a hilarious and spicy book that will have you wanting more of Hugh and Rebekah. The ending was not what I expected and felt that their was more to Hugh and Rebekah's relationship and the book wasn't yet finished with them. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Creature Publishing for letting me read an advanced copy of this novel.

So cruise horror is becoming a thing and I highly recommend everyone read some while on vacation this summer. It's fun, it's low commitment, and 99.9% of the time, your vacation will be better than their vacation. Or at least, that will definitely be the case with Vampires at Sea.

Love bites. Especially on a luxury liner.

Rebekah and Hugh are ancient, sexually fluid vampires who sign up for a two-week cruise to unwind. What better way to feed than aboard a floating buffet of horny queer passengers trapped in the middle of the ocean? It’s indulgent, decadent, and delicious.

At least, it was—until they cross paths with Heaven, a magical, nonbinary influencer with a mysterious allure. Heaven has eyes only for Hugh, and despite Rebekah’s sultry attempts to intervene, Hugh falls hard. Rebekah, consumed by jealousy, spirals into a sex-and-feeding frenzy while trying to expose Heaven for what they truly are: something dangerous, possibly otherworldly, and definitely not part of the cruise itinerary.

It’s a bloody good time, with literally no gore, even when it loses its head a little.

I'm sad to report that this book didn't do it for me.

I was so excited to read about queer vampires on a boat. However, I found the main characters insufferable, and not the "I can't look away" type. I couldn't connect to them at all, and I really thought I would given I'm polyamorous, queer, and love vampires. There was not a lot of actual "vampire" going on. Ultimately, despite the pretty writing, I found this book shallow and I wanted so much more from it.

There is an audience for this, but it is not me. This should be listed as dark romance with a sprinkle of vampires. It is a short one so I did finish it,but kept waiting for more vampires.
Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the opportunity to read.
1.5 star

So Vampires at Sea was different, probably one of the most unique books I've ever read. But in a good, intriguing sort of way! 🦇

The writing is quite poetic 🤔 and with it being set on a cruise basically for monsters and fantasy creatures I can genuinely say it's a one of a kind story.
I think the main characters are quite memorable, and I remember what happened which is a big deal for me 🤣

It made me laugh throughout for sure, I kind of wish it was longer and went more into some of the lore? 🤔 But maybe that's not what this book is about and its just a shorter story with the main events in full view.
I just had a fair few questions throughout and at the end which I'm not sure will be answered 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'd recommend this one for sure if you like to read fantasy style books with abit of a twist. It is abit spicy too 🌶 I found the whole thing really well rounded.
Thankyou so much to Net Galley books for sending me this, it was heavily enjoyed 🥰

Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was ridiculous and fun in the best way possible, though I wish we had more answers. The writing is poetic, and these characters are Lazlo and Nadja coded (from What We Do In The Shadows) FOR SURE, which only added to my enjoyment. It was a book about relationships, temptation, and narcissism, rolled into one quick story. I would have read this as a full length novel to get further answers about Rebekah's past, Hugh (in general), and more about Heaven, shape shifters, the war... basically more detail about everything. Additionally, I found the end a bit rushed, but loved the journey of self-discovery.

This book definitely won't be for everyone, but I enjoyed the ride.

Simultaneously slick and cavorting, this novella flirts with and flaunts to us the sorts of possibilities that come with interactions between the 'supernatural' and 'natural'. Intriguing shades of base humanity color in the experience of these coupled vampires, their loves, lusts, self-interests, and jealousies aboard a queer cruise ship constantly evading the boundaries of land-locked world war. Incredibly amusing and addictive, quick to fulfill and satisfy - this book is a perfect summer date.

Unfortunately, I DNFed this book. I love the idea, and I love the tone it takes for the most part. However, the prose is hard to get through because it is trying to hard to appeal to academics, I think. We don't need three adjectives to describe everything. It bogs down the writing and takes me out of the story. It also felt incredibly forced. As someone in academia and who has read a ton of fiction and non-fiction that read this way, this felt like someone trying to be that when they don't have experience writing like that. I don't know anything about the author, so I say that based just on the writing and how it came across.

I can definitely see the vast majority of readers not gelling with this novella but I kinda had a ball. It's a exceedingly silly, a study in narcissism, gluttony and companionship. It merges several things I enjoy, gay people, troubled relationships and violent supernatural beings. The humor is a tough one, it's so subjective, for me Rebekah's continuous self aggrandizing vacuous commentary ranged from deeply grating to utterly hilarious. I enjoyed her more than I expected to. A fun stream of consciousness odyssey through the mind of a self involved vamp as her relationship falls apart. Not life changing but certainly a decent way to spend an afternoon reading.

4 stars!!

I had a blast reading Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum. Toxic, spicy vampires on a cruise? What’s not to love? The story centers on Rebekah and Hugh, a couple who’ve been together forever. But when Hugh becomes captivated by another passenger, Rebekah’s radar goes off. Is it just jealousy, or is there something more sinister about Hugh’s mysterious new companion?

The book is fast-paced, wildly entertaining, and perfectly balances toxicity, spice, and humor. It leans into its drama in the best way possible.

If you’re a fan of vampire stories, this one is a must-read. Both Rebekah and Hugh are flawed in compelling ways, and their layered personalities keep you turning the pages. Highly recommend!

Vampires, sex, drama... and not much else 🩸⚓

Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum had so much potential: queer vampires, a cruise, emotional feasting, and a mysterious influencer named Heaven? I was ready for a wild, seductive, hilarious ride. And... well, I got some of that. Just not enough to fully love it.

Let’s start with the good: this book is funny! Genuinely made me giggle out loud a few times. The humor is sharp and weird in the best way, and the premise? Absolute chaos in a great way.

But Rebekah... oh Rebekah. She’s obsessed with Hugh, obsessed with herself, obsessed with sex… and not much else. We never get to see who she was before this cruise or before Hugh. She doesn’t remember her past, and honestly? That made it hard to care about her present.
And Heaven? I don’t even know what to say. Their whole presence felt like one big WTF moment after another. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I kept waiting for the plot (or any deeper meaning) to kick in, and it just... didn’t.

Still, it was fun at times. The vibe is sexy and unhinged, and if you’re in the mood for something totally off the rails and not too deep, it might be your thing. For me, it was a mixed bag. A fun idea with great chaotic energy, but a bit too self-absorbed for my taste.

🦇 Vampires on vacation? Iconic. Self-discovery? We tried. Nymphomaniac melodrama with no real direction? Unfortunately, yes.

📚 *Vampires at Sea* by Lindsay Merbaum
📖 Format: eARC via NetGalley
⭐️✧✧✧✧

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC — this is my honest review.

This one was, unfortunately, a huge miss for me. The concept had promise — queer vampires on a shipwrecked journey across love, memory, and magic — but what I hoped would be bold, fresh queer rep turned into something that felt deeply off.

As someone who is bi and polyam, I was especially excited for a polyamorous love triangle that respected the complexity and joy of that experience. What I got instead was a bitter, toxic mess that read less like a queer poly dynamic and more like a jealous, revenge-obsessed straight couple with an extra partner thrown in for plot chaos.

The relationships felt performative and punishing, with emotional abuse brushed aside or even romanticized. There was a lack of emotional safety, no communication or consent cues, and certainly no modeling of healthy queer connection — which is exactly what makes polyam rep so powerful when done well. Instead, it felt like it was written without a deep understanding of what real polyamorous or queer relationships can be.

This desperately needed a sensitivity reader — someone to call out the harmful dynamics and help shape these relationships into something authentic, nuanced, and safe.

I rarely rate this low, but I felt alienated by the narrative choices and disappointed in a book that claimed to be for readers like me.

—

⚠️ **Content Warnings (for this reader):**
• Misrepresentation of polyamorous relationships
• Emotional manipulation framed as romance
• Bi/pan/poly rep that felt surface-level and damaging

#VampiresAtSea #LindsayMerbaum #ARCReview #NetGalleyReviewer #bookstagram #QueerBooks #PolyamorousRep #BiRepresentation #booktok #ReadWithCare

Vampires at Sea-they’re on a boat. That was probably my favorite part of this book. They’re on a queer cruise and all the cruise ship stuff is hilarious, and true. I had a really fun time with that. The FMC was snarky and witty, another plus. And the gender fluidity encompassing the entire story was really great. But as for the vampire aspect of it, it was closer to a dowry of blood, which didn’t work for me. It was more relationship drama than vamp issues. I can’t even recall any blood really in it. And the smut, there was a lot but it was all very unsexy. And no horror at all. It was short, witty, and entertaining, more about a jilted lover finding their own independence than what is was expecting from vampires at sea.

Vampires at Sea was like if What We Do In The Shadows (TV Version) met Triangle of Sadness.

A quick synopsis the book follows Rebekah and Hugh, immortal vampire companions (lovers? Spouses? Something worse?) who have been together for centuries. They're "emotional vampires" who feed on people's desires and sorrows rather than blood (hence the WWDITS reference). The couple embarks on a queer Black Sea cruise to relax and indulge in orgies while feeding on their fellow passengers' emotions. The central conflict arises when Hugh becomes enchanted (possibly under a spell) by Heaven, a non-binary social media influencer (hence Triangle of Sadness reference) who turns out to be a shapeshifter.

And this is where I get a bit conflicted because the idea behind the book had the potential to be something really interesting but the execution fell a bit flat. And that’s nothing really against the author.

Here are my highlights:
The writing style and prose was fun and clever. The author can be incredibly witty and funny.
I really kind of love the idea of emotional vampires. I think that’s an area of mythology that should be explored more and I was really excited that this book was diving into that.

Some criticisms I had:
The story felt incomplete. There were quite a few plot points that just felt not tied up. As well as the conclusion just felt a bit rushed and choppy. In a way, concluding because the story needed to end and not giving a satisfying culmination of events.
Both main characters were just a bit off putting to me. Rebekah is literally just the final boss of a “I hate my husband” competition. While also maintaining this sense of possession over him. Like they went on this trip to go wild and engage in promiscuous activities, which she does, but GOD FORBID Hugh enjoys himself as well. Even though they themselves describe their marriage as OPEN. Hugh on the other hand, while he did have hobbies and interests, he still felt lacking. He also felt very “following like a puppy dog in love” after Heaven.
Also the random addition of some war happening felt a bit, I don’t know, redundant. It didn’t add anything to the plot line. It wasn’t elaborated on. We had no idea what the reason behind the war was. Was it meant to highlight how rich people could escape the sufferings of normal people in times of global trial? The world may never know.
And in a book described to be a horror comedy there was very little horror (apart from mild gore and them being vampires), some comedy, and like more sex than you actually probably signed up for. And I love a smutty little book but I was expecting a lot more horror and a lot more comedy with a sprinkling of horny. What I got was the opposite. I just don’t think this book was for me. 

Thank you Netgalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC.

Publishing date: 07.10.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: Queer vampires going through relationship struggles on a cruise. 3 stars

Now that I have finished this book I feel like I must have overlooked or completely forgotten the synopsis given to me. My original expectation was a "horror on a boat with vampires", but instead I got "polyamorous queer vampires on a cruise". This is entirely my own fault.

Characters are mostly dislikeable. They are arrogant, greedy, jealous, and entitled. I wasn't rooting for anyone. The entire time I was reading I hoped some of them would see the light and abandon the petty/dangerous path they were on. Of course, they kept digging their own graves and committing to their path. The endings for each character is deserved in my opinion.

The story itself is highly character driven, obviously ... They have their wants, chase that want, and then we reflect upon what they did. Then we have some suspicion of each other, a little regret, and dealing with it in problematic ways. As with the characters, I wasn't rooting for any certain ending to the story itself. I simply wanted to see what kind of trouble they would all end up in,

Now, the book states that it is very spicy, and it is. Not in a very "sexy" or "pleasurable" way. All the scenes were very ... uncomfortable. No one seemed to be enjoying themselves. Everyone wanted to impress each other. And yes there are scenes with more than two people. If you don't like this kind of intimacy, don't read this.

Overall, I found this book very weird, somewhat annoying, and reinforced my own decision to be monogamous even more. No offense to the polygamous people, just not a life for me.

Would recommend to the queers looking for silly or annoying relationship drama. For those looking for horror, you won't find it here. This is only uncanny in an uncomfortable way.

Giving this book 3 stars. It was fine, definitely felt something (not sure if positive or negative), and it was entertaining while it lasted. Short read, finished in a single sitting.