Thirsty by @lucy.lehane.books is a paranormal queer romance about Charlie, a down on his luck advice columnist who finds himself back in his home town and searching for a muse for his column. The world is obsessed with the newly revealed supernatural world and needs advice on how to deal with human/supernatural relationships. A chance meeting with Lorenzo, an old acquaintance who turns out to be a vampire, might just be the perfect in that Charlie needs to learn about the supernatural world. The only problem? Lorenzo hates him.

I really enjoyed this book. It was super funny and cute. I loved seeing Charlie and Lorenzo’s relationship grow from like frienmies to lovers. Lorenzo was just the sweetest. I enjoyed meeting all of his supernatural roommates. I liked how there were hints that Charlie’s advice he was giving was affecting events around him. I thought that was a neat detail by the author. The smut was very sexy. And it was a quick read of me. Overall just a really fun romance.

I thought this was such a cute fun book! Thank you to st. Martin's press for the e arc. While the story was not my usual (I don't normally read low stakes cozy romance) I liked this a lot! The world building was interesting and I did love the themes of community and finding your voice. It was a fun predictable romance but more complex because of the supernatural elements. I liked that the main characters were messy and imperfect and charming.

The only thing was the "real world" references. This type of thing is hit or miss with readers and it generally dates a book. At times it would be so spontaneous it would take me out of the story for a second. However, I viewed it more as a quirky MM hallmark book and those we need more of! I read this in one sitting and was satisfied by the story. Such a cute read!

A very cute and unapologetically gay and pulpy romance, which the world really needs, honestly. I really enjoyed the flow of the narrative and how strong the characters' voices were, though I found Charlie somewhat unlikeable - but his character was strengthened by the more "annoying" aspects. Also really appreciate the fact that he's explicitly fat, and his fatness is approached with complete neutrality; there's not a lot of fat representation to be found generally speaking, though it's near-nonexistent in LGBT stories, especially M/M romances. As for the romance, it was very engaging - they do have a lot of chemistry, and despite the fact the ending feels just a little rushed (I would've liked a lot more discussion between Lorenzo and Charlie about the driving conflict of the story), the relationship never feels "forced".

I think the paranormal aspects are mostly done well; I really like the whole "humans just brushed off the reveal of the supernatural because these past few years have been wild" angle. Not crazy about how some of the 'discrimination' is handled, because I think it just takes a lot of skill and care to properly write paranormal-based bigotry in a way that doesn't feel disrespectful to real-world issues, but I've seen far worse takes on the subject. I do think there's a lot of potential to expand on the lore, since the information we get is so limited, funneled through Lorenzo's POV as he guides Charlie through the supernatural "underworld", but it also seems like maybe the limited perspective is kind of the intent? Since the romance seems to be the predominant story, and everything else is just set dressing - which is fine. It's just one of the reasons I rarely read romance, personally. But this was a fun one; Lehane is a great writer, I just wish there wasn't such a reliant on pop culture references. It feels too much like a cheap way at "relatability" when to me it just takes focus away from the story when there's a constant stream of "buzzwords" about shows and artists. I get that the story is modern and Charlie is young and that Lorenzo isn't old and dusty like vampire stereotypes - the latter is made very clear, and is very well done without the references. (And I absolutely found the dig about him "not being into high school students" hilarious - there should have been more of that.) Regardless, I would read more of this world if it turns into a series, or honestly whatever Lucy Lehane writes next, especially if the characters are as good as Lorenzo.

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Austin Adams of St Martin’s Griffin (Publishing) for sending me the ARC of this book.

Overall, it was an okay, sort of fluff type story. I don’t know that I’d call it a rom-com as there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of comedy in it? But definitely a paranormal cozy romance.

From a story perspective, I think what bothered me the most is that the actual problems Lorenzo and Charlie had (both together and separately) were only sort of discussed in this book. I know cozy fantasies/romances aren’t super into deep plots but it would’ve been nice to see more than a paragraph devoted to the two of them trying to solve their issues.

From a writing perspective (and I’m hoping this gets fixed once published) is that there were quite a few times when things should’ve been either italicized, in quotation marks, or even both but weren’t, which made it hard to tell when different people were speaking or thinking. There were also times when it felt like new chapters jumped forward in time without finishing what had fully happened when the previous chapter ended.

Also, you’re telling me the first time Charlie and Lorenzo have sex is on top of a wrecked car? Actually, I’m not even sure if they were on the car the whole time because that scene was just so awkwardly written. 😬

Anyway, the book was okay. Not my favorite but not terrible so it gets the middle-of-the-road 3 star rating.

I am not a fan of this miscommunication trope. If this book did not have the trope, I would have rated it higher. I did think the plot was interesting but also kind of predictable. I just feel like this book needed a bit more for me to really love it.

thank you netgalley for the arc!

i really, really liked this one. i love how lorenzo is all "i am a terrifying creature of night" but also like... that guy wears sweaters and loves his ford focus and is also definitely a dramatic little bitch (affectionate). charlie is cool too, but i found his character arc much less compelling. i think because lying and extended communication just feels so gross to me? anyways, excellent side characters as well. plot-wise... there wasn't much but you know what i'm not mad about it. i,too, just want to hang out in bed with a vampire who's obsessed with me, so what?

anyways, this was fun, funny, well-written, and has definite potential to be expanded into a series/universe situation. you should read it! i am so glad i read it

I actually really loved this book! Charlie and Lorenzo had me falling in love with them at the same time they were! There are a lot of issues with each of them and this showed how they overcame them together and I love that!

Thirsty is a MM paranormal romance between a human and a vampire; both struggling to find their purpose.

In the past five years the world has changed a lot but also stayed pretty much the same. "Monsters" have "come out" and now the world is a buzz in that weird beginning stage of everyone trying to see how they all fit together. Charlie is an advice columnist realizing his moniker as "The Old Crone" now could be taken literally; making him seem like he might be supernatural and wise beyond his years. By a few hundred of them. A remedy to this it seems might be to enlighten himself on the supernatural. However he doesn't know any supernaturals; or at least he doesn't think he does.

When Lorenzo sees Charlie at the coffee shop he frequents he recognizes him as the reason his ex broke up with him five years ago and he is livid. Charlie looking at Lorenzo a new, realizes he does in fact know a supernatural. Lorenzo might be the perfect liaison even though he is not necessarily willing. Yet.

I really enjoyed Lorenzo's roommates. They brought comic relief and this intriguing strangeness. I would read a spin off about any of them.

I would recommend this book to fans of FT Lukens. Possibly fans of The House on the Cerulean Sea.

Fun, quick and amusing read with some phenomenal world building that I feel overshadows the romance at times.

I loved the main characters though with the level of care put into the world I think I expected more and perhaps expected too much from a romcom. I will say the plot was great and while with the great amount of mistakes these characters make in the beginning make the third act break up loud and clear, it was still a fun and entertaining read.

Thirsty is a fun, cozy read that I ended up reading in one sitting on this cold, rainy Saturday.

I enjoyed it immensely, though I do feel the main characters and their chemistry together are a bit surface-level.

The world-building is SO good. I found myself drawn to the side characters more than the mains at times (Lorenzo's roommates specifically and poor Gray).

The conflict felt a bit silly to me but I'm not usually a fan of miscommunication or witholding information plots usually.

I did appreciate the Schitt's Creek and Chappell Roan references. Thirsty made me laugh out loud several times which deems it a success in my eyes!

Quick and amusing vampire romance! Nothing groundbreaking here, but I was entertained and read it in one sitting.

The chemistry between the main characters was on the staler side, but both were sweet enough and enough back story that it was fine. Their romantic development seemed to amount to smiling more and more at each other at times. I was mostly more interested in their paranormal adventures than their romance. Third act breakups are never my favorite, but it felt inevitable with the "main character hiding a secret from the other main character" trope. I was dreading the reveal the longer the book went without confessing the secret. The resolution of the breakup was a little lacking.

This was one of the better small town magical community worlds I've read (and I've read a ton), and I was consistently pleasantly surprised with fun lore. I liked the side characters but wasn't super invested in them. There are a ton of modern and pop culture references, which I personally prefer to be sparing.

This is going to be a really fun Halloween release, and I think anyone who likes low stakes and a bit silly paranormal romances will like this book.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for the arc!

4.25 on StoryGraph

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a fun romp of a romance book filled with such a fun cast of characters. The world and mythical creature lore was really fun and while it does lean into a few of the tropes around mythical creatures, it was so much to see what was different in the world of “Thirsty” and it kept things so interesting!

Charlie and Lorenzo both have quite a bit of growing up to do in this book. They both make some bad decisions in the beginning which drive a lot of the plot of the book, but the book is just so much fun and the romance is so sweet I’ll forgive them for the serious communication issues. Seeing them grow and become more sure of themselves and how they want to spend their lives (or undead life) was great.

The book is a love letter to the show “What We Do in the Shadows”, and honestly if you’re looking for a sweeter and more romantic take on the show, then this book fits that niche nicely.

Even if you haven’t seen the show though, if you’re looking for a fun, sweet, and spicy vampire romance, then check this one out!

This book had such an intriguing plot that I was instantly drawn in. Lorenzo and Charlie had a rocky meet cute and this book had the classic grumpy/sunshine trope, although Charlie had to be the sunshine to Lorenzo’s grumpy since Lorenzo couldn’t go out into the sun. This book spoke of friendship, loneliness, betrayal, and love and included a good many different supernatural creatures along the way. I loved that Charlie helped Lorenzo find a sense of community among the other supernatural creatures throughout the entire book and I loved their relationship growth during this book. Classic enemies to friends to lovers. Overall, this book was adorable and I’m super glad I got a chance to read it early. This book will be a good Halloween book so be sure to look it up when it finally releases. Happy reading!

I enjoyed this book so much!!! It’s definitely a must read!! And it’s a perfect book to read during spooky season

Thirsty is a quick, cozy MM romance with a fun take on supernaturals in the real world. I really enjoyed the idea of the world itself, and the book was a low stakes, easy read.

The characters themselves just didn’t really grab me and pull me in. They felt sweet, but only surface level. I never really felt invested in them. Additionally, the romance felt sudden and unexplored somehow. There wasn’t really any tension and they quickly went from a hookup to basically living together with no real build up. I understood the turmoil in the relationship, but because I never really felt invested in them I wasn’t really invested in how it would work out either. I just knew it would.

I wished there had been more depth to these characters and this story to really draw me in. But it was still a quick, fun read.

Thank you to St. Martins and Lucy Lehane for sending me this Netgalley ARC!

i was sent an e-arc of thirsty by the publisher, and i am so thankful! i hadn't seen the title when browsing on netgalley and would have likely missed out on the most fun, endearing, fast-paced, and steamy romance otherwise!

thirsty follows charlie, an advice columnist in desperate need of good content, and lorenzo, a centuries old vampire with a vendetta against charlie. lorenzo agrees to be charlie's guide to the supernatural with the secret hope of enacting his revenge on charlie for ruining his previous relationship years prior. however, the more time lorenzo spends with charlie, the harder it becomes to stick to the plan. the more time lorenzo spends with charlie, the more he realizes that their nights together are the only moments when he truly feels alive (well, as alive as a vampire can be). the more time lorenzo spends with charlie, the more he finds himself looking forward to the next time he'll get to see charlie...

the plot is fast-paced without feeling rushed. charlie and lorenzo's budding relationship is both enchanting and steamy. and the ensemble cast of characters are intriguing and just as lovable. i had the most fun time with this story, devouring it in 48 hours. the absolute perfect queer, spooky season romcom!!

Review will be shared to my Bookstagram account (linked below) on March 6th and is currently live on Goodreads (also linked below).

Thirsty is quick paced MM vampire romantic comedy romance about a human advice columnist dipping his toes into the newly revealed supernatural world.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Griffith for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3⭐️. If you are a fan of the television show What We Do In The Shadows then this book is for you, in fact the author states that this book was influenced by that show. This is a very cute low stakes romance that is an incredibly fast read and perfect for spooky season. I definitely think read this will be an enjoyable way to spend a fall day.

This is a Netgalley arc review. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this opportunity!

"If you're going to make the dangerous choice, make sure you do it with your eyes open"

What to expect:

⭐ Grumpy X Sunshine
⭐ A couple hundred years age gap
⭐ Lots of banter
⭐ Community
⭐ A light-hearted read
⭐ All the supernatural creatures you could wish for


I jumped onto this book immediately after finishing a different vampire romance, and it did not disappoint! There was everything you could hope for in a paranormal romance including a world where the paranormal have "come out" and are living calmly alongside humans, and a diverse cast of characters that introduce you to the ins and outs of the supernatural life.

Although you can see the cause of the third act breakup coming from a mile away, there's a reason the quote goes: "it's about the journey, not the destination" and the journey more than made up for it. Between the adventures of Charlie meeting different supernatural characters, Charlie and Lorenzo start to slowly open up to each other, and with that, a sweet romance bloomed. Although both are reluctant to let themselves fall for the other, they both eventually realize that there's no stopping their feelings for each other, so why try?

Overall, this book was a light-hearted, easy read that'll be perfect for your fall tbr (or anytime you're feeling spooky, really).

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy of Lucy Lehane’s Thirsty in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Pub Date: Oct 14 2025
Rating: 3.25

“He glanced over at Charie, and then couldn’t help but hold his eyes as he said, ‘i would want to taste your blood just as it is.’”

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the emails sent to Charlie’s advice column were hilarious and charming, and really helped round out this fun urban fantasy world, but on the other hand, I really didn’t like Charlie.

Let’s start with Charlie’s character– sometimes his motives are hard to figure out, and I know it’s his job but he felt meddling and intrusive at some points, like straight up asking supernatural creatures, “what are you?” and throwing a bit of a tantrum during the third-act breakup. I also didn’t think he and Lorenzo had much chemistry beyond lust. Isolde was right.

Speaking of Isolde, I LOVED all the side characters and wish we got to see more of them. The necromancer, the werewolf prom, the “I’m letting this poltergeist possess me a lot because I have a crush,”-- just so fun! I loved the worldbuilding, and the diaogue was really witty and delightful. I do think it relied on pop culture references a lot, but I’m willing to forgive it for that beautiful description of the runaway werewolf bride.

So– came for the romance, stayed for literally every other character. I did like Lorenzo, but like Charlie, I feel like we really don’t get enough of their backgrounds for me to care about their emotional resoluations. Like, why does Charlie beef THAT hard with his dad who seemed to accept him right away? Why did Lorenzo get over Olivia so fast and then start mourning Dorothy?

To summarize, a decent romance book but an amazing world of supernatural creatures who need lots of relationship advice. A solid and super (haha) fun read!

#ThirstyNovel, #SMPRomance, #LucyLehaneAuthor

I would describe this as a cozy paranormal romance, which I didn’t know when I picked up this ARC. Cozy books generally don’t work for me, but if you are a fan of cozy books, you’ll probably enjoy this more than I did.

What I liked the most about this story was actually the worldbuilding. It was interesting to see how different supernatural creatures/communities integrated themselves into the modern world (though I found the reference to A/B/O mpreg Teen Wolf fanfic to be SUPER cringe, sorry).

What didn’t work for me was the romance. I found both Charlie and Lorenzo to be on the bland side as characters, maybe because I couldn’t really suspend disbelief regarding their cozy, low-stakes motivations. (Lorenzo, the over 200-year-old vampire, wants revenge against Charlie…for breaking up a brief relationship he had with a university student? Okay. And why were all these internet strangers seeking out Charlie’s column for advice instead of going on Reddit?) And when their romantic relationship started to develop, it sort of felt like it came out of nowhere; they were annoyed one moment and feeling attracted to each other the next.

But I did like the theme of community, and the found family aspect of the book was pretty good.