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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you Netgalley and Black & White Publishing for the opportunity to read A Cruel Thirst early.
A Cruel Thirst was a fun and exciting take on the classic trope of vampire x vampire hunter romance. Montoya does a great job of turning an overdone trope into an intriguing story. I LOVED the Mexican vampire lore and was fascinated by the origin story of the vampires. The banter between Lalo and Carolina was amusing and found myself chuckling out loud a few times.
This is definitely a story for younger YA readers, however, as the characters and the prose are quite simple and one-dimensional. This is not a criticism at all but I do think more advanced and/or mature readers would have difficulty completely engaging with the book and the characters.
Lalo was such a sweetheart and it was refreshing to see the MMC as the introverted bookish type and the FMC as the strong-willed stubborn yet loveable type. Montoya did a great job of writing the characters so that they acted their ages - teenage faults and all!
The ending was my favourite as it was action-packed and emotional but it did feel somewhat rushed considering the huge build up.
All in all this was a refreshing YA romantasy which I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for a diverse vampire read.
A Cruel Thirst was a fun and exciting take on the classic trope of vampire x vampire hunter romance. Montoya does a great job of turning an overdone trope into an intriguing story. I LOVED the Mexican vampire lore and was fascinated by the origin story of the vampires. The banter between Lalo and Carolina was amusing and found myself chuckling out loud a few times.
This is definitely a story for younger YA readers, however, as the characters and the prose are quite simple and one-dimensional. This is not a criticism at all but I do think more advanced and/or mature readers would have difficulty completely engaging with the book and the characters.
Lalo was such a sweetheart and it was refreshing to see the MMC as the introverted bookish type and the FMC as the strong-willed stubborn yet loveable type. Montoya did a great job of writing the characters so that they acted their ages - teenage faults and all!
The ending was my favourite as it was action-packed and emotional but it did feel somewhat rushed considering the huge build up.
All in all this was a refreshing YA romantasy which I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for a diverse vampire read.
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
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.
More thoughts can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDqME65Re9U/?igsh=MWRnN3ptcGJ6b3dtNA==
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 😩
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.
More thoughts can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDqME65Re9U/?igsh=MWRnN3ptcGJ6b3dtNA==
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 😩
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I want to kiss you, Carolina. But I fear that if I do, I might never stop.
Lalo Villalobos the man that you are!!!! 😍
This was my last read of 2024 and proved once again why I wait until the actual end of the year to do wrap-ups because I couldn't imagine not including this book! Montoya's Sinner's Isle was one of my favourite reads of 2023 and I had a feeling this would hold a similar spot in 2024.
I love how she took the formula from tangled and spun it on its head (and got rid of yk the problematic representation). THIS is what I expect from a comp - not a perfect retelling but something that adds to the original, beloved story.
Lalo is sheltered. A quiet (autistic-coded) scholar turned vampire who is disgusted with his vampireness. Carolina is the hellion, a daughter who just wants to prove her worth even if her reasons, as she comes to realise, are selfish. They are truly opposites: city vs country, quiet vs loud, adventure avoidant vs adventure seeking. Yet they share a love of poetry (I also loved the snippets of poems throughout) and family and it is enough.
There's banter and adventure, a perfectly plotted romance and wonderful character growth, magic and family drama.
This is the perfect fantasy romance and I'm so fucking excited to see what Montoya writes next.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Violence, Blood
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 rounded up
"There is power in blood and vows. We make a promise here and now that we will find each other again. No matter what happens, you will return to me. We have believed in each other enough to get us this far, let's not stop now."
thank you netgalley & random house for the e-ARC!!
this was a very “just fine” book for me. it was entertaining and quick to read and fun, but it doesn’t stick out to me in comparison to other books out there.
A Cruel Thirst follows Lalo after his parents have been murdered by a vampire in his city, but no authority figures will believe him. he decides to go after her himself (with no real plan in mind), and ends up pissing the vampire off and becoming a vampire himself.
he still wants to avenge his parents, and keep his younger sister safe, so he flees with his sister to a small town far away to try and find a way to end all vampires. the town is ruled by the Fuentes family — a family famous for their vampire slaying skills. here we meet Carolina, a young woman who is fiercely independent and strong, like all of the men in her family, but she is not allowed to participate in the same way because she is a woman.
(picture Bridgerton, but set in Mexico and add vampires)
when a vampire attacks her town, she also goes on a quest for revenge, which places her directly in Lalo’s path. upon meeting, they go from enemies (loosely) to reluctant allies to lovers.
Lalo and Carolina were cute, and the lore behind the vampires in this story was also super interesting and a fresh take on vampire lore. the entire concept was pretty original, so it was a lot of fun to read something different in the world of vampires. unfortunately, it’s just not a story that’s going to stay with me for a long time after I read it.
one thing that bothered me a lot though:
plot: ★★★★☆
I truly cannot ever complain about a vampire x vampire hunter plotline. I mean I literally grew up on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, so what else can you really expect of me? I think Maricela’s background is the only weak point. she didn’t feel like a very good villain because I didn’t “get” her. besides being pissed off at Lalo, what’s her story? how is she this evil vampire queen of sorts? her reactions/anger towards Lalo felt extremely intense too like maybe there should have been MORE reasoning for her to want to literally torture him to death.
writing: ★★★★☆
the writing was well done, but I do wish there had been a glossary for the Spanish terms/words that were sprinkled in throughout. most of them were basic enough that I already knew them, but there were others that I had to rely on context clues for or wait for a character to give a definition, but then if the word came up again later in the story, there were moments where I didn’t remember what it meant, so I would have liked having a glossary for quick reference.
the world building was probably my favorite part. Angela Montoya did a fabulous job of painting the scene of this Mexican rancheros, with a massive family and farm animals and parties that last well into the next morning. I had such clear pictures in my head of how the scenes were playing out and that made for a really fun reading experience.
unfortunately, it felt like the ending was rushed and needed to be tied up in a pretty bow. I was kind of hoping for a messy ending (but I am aware I’m the unpopular opinion for this scenario—I love a good sad ending). it just seemed like we were heading in a Romeo & Juliet direction for a little bit there. also felt a little too neat in a bit of a “too convenient” sort of way. like:
pacing: ★★★★★
this is a very fast paced story. it is knit together in a way that makes it easy to binge read. I did struggle a little bit to get into it at the beginning. I think I opened the book and stayed on page 1 for like 7 tries before I finally got myself to keep reading, but once I did, it was like I blinked my eyes and suddenly I was already at 40%.
romance: ★★★☆☆
Lalo and Carolina were super cute. the romance was fluffy—not super deep or intense. I would have liked to see the story slow down a tiny bit to give them more time to fall in love so we could get more of their sweet moments. the moments we did get of them letting their walls down around each other were *chef’s kiss*.
characters: ★★★★☆
Nena and Fernanda kind of stole the show, ngl. I would enjoy a short little novella spin off that shows their romance evolving. I love that they’re both very much of the “I’m just a girl” mindset, but also super dedicated to their family and creative and smart about using their roles to their advantage in unexpected ways.
Carolina was rough for me at the beginning. it felt like she was just doing a little too much when she first met Lalo. like damn girl just chill out for like one minute, please. but she was funny as f*ck. once she stopped trying to murder Lalo, she was great.
Lalo also had to grow on me a bit. once he started coming into his own and finding his confidence, I was like okkkkkkkkkk Lalo what’s up!!! I am a bit of a sucker for the bookish type MMCs.
over-all: ★★★★☆ (3.5 rounded up)
I enjoyed this book a lot and it was really easy to read. I think anyone could start and finish this within a single weekend. it’s a fun story, but just not anything groundbreaking.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. Not only did Angela Montoya get me to fall in love with both of our main characters, but she did it in such a way that I think I would have pulled out my own hair if anything bad happened to them. I highly recommend this read if you're looking for a very quick enemies to allies to friends to "I would kill and die for you" lovers.
Idk how to explain it. I read this in 2-3 sittings. I sat down and essentially couldn't put it down. The only thing that kept me from finishing this read right away was the holiday season, and even then I was itching to find time. This made it onto my favorite reads list, even though I just read it and it deserves it's spot, absolutely.
Lalo is actually the sweetest MMC and I just want to give him the biggest hug because he's honestly just doing his best, and I respect him for that. Carolina is a good combination of "looks like they could kill you, could kill you" and "looks like they could kill you, is a cinnamon roll".
Though the book low key looks like it could be spicy, it's more on the tame side, so just know that going in.
I also wouldn't mind a companion novel about a few of our side characters... Just saying.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this book and need everyone to read this. Happy Reading!!
Idk how to explain it. I read this in 2-3 sittings. I sat down and essentially couldn't put it down. The only thing that kept me from finishing this read right away was the holiday season, and even then I was itching to find time. This made it onto my favorite reads list, even though I just read it and it deserves it's spot, absolutely.
Lalo is actually the sweetest MMC and I just want to give him the biggest hug because he's honestly just doing his best, and I respect him for that. Carolina is a good combination of "looks like they could kill you, could kill you" and "looks like they could kill you, is a cinnamon roll".
Though the book low key looks like it could be spicy, it's more on the tame side, so just know that going in.
I also wouldn't mind a companion novel about a few of our side characters... Just saying.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this book and need everyone to read this. Happy Reading!!
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lina was obnoxious at first, i enjoyed lalo as a character, fernanda was meh as a sister.
not a lot of “show, don’t tell” , especially in the first few chapters. two MCs fell in love p quickly (to be expected for a standalone) but i would have liked to see more of “he’s a vampire i can’t love him” bc she was immediately attracted to him.
solid 3 tho
not a lot of “show, don’t tell” , especially in the first few chapters. two MCs fell in love p quickly (to be expected for a standalone) but i would have liked to see more of “he’s a vampire i can’t love him” bc she was immediately attracted to him.
solid 3 tho
3.5 stars. This was an entertaining read, and I enjoyed it. Can't say i would read it again. I did really like the vampire lore and the characters.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's a mediocre vampire x hunter story. I think my main issue was with the female lead; she often came across as thoughtless and impulsive. There's a clear difference between self-confidence and being rude or disrespectful, and unfortunately, she leaned too heavily toward the latter. This really dragged the story down for me.