2.5
thank you to the publishers for the arc.

this unfortunately didn't really do it for me. i was excited by the premise of horny vampires on a cruise and with it being so short i really wanted it to pack a punch, but alas.
while i think this take on vampires was an interesting idea, i had issues with the overall storytelling.
the narrator could be snarky and funny at times and i enjoyed trying to find out what creatures i was reading abt but it was overall hard to really care for any of the characters :/ the pacing was also *literal* lightning fast for abt two thirds and then switched to a slower development in the last third. this sadly didn't work imo. i could tell the book wanted me to care so bad, but i just couldn't.
also, i have to at least mention the whole ''war'' element… what the hell was that!! lmao i still don't understand what the purpose of it was???

i think it could've been a nice and fun read, but it didn't rlly work for me.

Vampires at Sea is a captivating novella that draws you into a whirlwind cruise through the distinct and clear voice of Rebekah. We truly see the world through her eyes for a short while, which is something I really appreciated.
That said, the pace felt a bit slow at the beginning, especially given the novella’s short length. I believe it could have delivered an even bigger impact, as the narrative contains many interesting observations, and I think giving more room to explore how Rebekah and her companions navigate society would have made the story even more compelling.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and found it to be an interesting and thoughtful read.

It’s annoying. Confusing. There’s no other way to describe it. Usually by now I would have put the book down, promising myself I’d get back to it but… it’s kinda got me? And I finished it, so that’s something. It’s simultaneously the worst kind of prose but also weirdly poetic. It moves too fast, like the scenes are silted and starting at weird times, and somehow it utterly makes sense. The ending, though, was entirely too rushed. Nothing really happened plot-wise except a lot of random sex and partying until the 70% mark and then it was done.

I can’t stand the narrator and then I find myself rooting for her. Or mad on her behalf. She’s vain and contradictory, but maybe that’s the point.

Horror? No. With more time it could have been.

Maybe I’m just confused.

Overall, I’m coasting in some sort of middle ground. I don’t know if I enjoyed it, but I didn’t hate it, and I didn’t DNF it, though I thought about it more than once. There’s a ton of loose ends. I have so many questions.

Would I pick up something by this author again? Maybe, if I were feeling particularly unhinged.

Thank you Creature Publishing & NetGalley for this ARC!

Vacation? Horny vampires? What could go wrong?

This book is a very quick read with an interesting story line! You will laugh and be a tad confused at some points but overall a good read for individuals looking for a pallet cleanser with orgies!

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC!

Sorry, I accidentally posted the review early, actual review coming soon!!

Uhm nope… didn’t do it for me. I found the writing unconvincing with lack of world building. I didn’t connect with the characters. I was really looking forward to this too. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Non so bene cosa mi aspettassi, ma onestamente non era questo :/

Personalmente l'ho trovato molto deludente a livello di trama, l'intera vicenda sembrava un'accozzaglia di eventi accomunati solo dall'egocentrismo del narratore. Anche i personaggi non mi hanno colpito più di quel tanto, mi sono sembrati tutti piuttosto scialbi e poco definiti, se non nella superficialità di Rebekah.

Insomma. Dal blurb di netgalley (che comunque ringrazio per l'ARC!) sembrava una lettura più promettente.

I just don't think I get this. It's about two married vampires who go on a pleasure cruise, Rebekah who feeds on pleasure, and Hugh who feeds on sorrow. They meet Heaven, who is a unknown creature of some kind that they take in as a temporary third partner, but all is not as it seems. There is an unnamed war happening in the background of the book, and a lot of sex.

I'm sure there is some profound message about finding yourself through adversity here, but I went into this book with the thought that it was about vampire pirates, even though nowhere in the synopsis does it mention pirates, so I was kind of disappointed the whole time that there was no swashbuckling. I also wouldn't describe this as a horror. Is there death and murder and war? Yes. But there isn't anything really horrific about it and no impending feeling of existential dread to go along with it. Also the war is mentioned maybe 3 times in the whole book and kind of seemed irrelevant to anything actually going on.

I think the best way to describe this book would be a literary fiction that comments on mortality and distinguishing yourself from the collective unit of you and your partner. Gave the energy of a book I would have to analyze for school for what the meaning behind everything is.

The unexpectedness started within the first page. The tone, prose and themes of this book were not ones I was expecting at all. I was under the impression, mostly due to the cover, that this would be a historical fiction piece, I was shocked then when in the first few lines it is clarifies that this is no such thing, this is a cruise (I do admit I did not remember the summary, just the cover and title). Next thing to take me out, the prose, the first person pov is not an issue per se, but it just jumps around constantly, not giving any weight to the actions taking place, especially in the beginning, but it settles down as the story progresses.

Once I got over my initial reluctance, I did end up enjoying it, I even read it all in one sitting. Its a wild, messy new take on vampires I ended up eating up. Their "feedings" are a fresh take and I am always open to reading queer sluttiness.

I kept waiting for something exciting to happen but the plot just felt dragging. The dialogues weren’t as interesting as I hoped and some characters felt bland.

I had no idea what to expect from this. But I was pleasantly surprised. Vampires on a queer cruise ship could have gone either way. But it actually captured me and even had me feeling emotions for Rebekah.

A really good short read

This set out with a bold premise, queer vampires on a cruise filled with kink and choas, but sadly missed the mark. The characters and plot felt a bit underdeveloped, and while there is some charm in it's absurdity, it never felt very complete. not for me unfortunately!

Thank you to Creature Publishing for the ARC!

I really wanted to like this one, I really did. Billed as a polyamorous queer vampire romance...I think queer is the only term that really applies. There's not much romance, only instalust between Hugh and Heaven. Rebekah is basically insufferable, which makes it hard to read because she's also narrating.

Oh hell yes!! Vampires, smut, horror-comedy?? This was just god damn delightful! It felt so fast paced, camp, and it was so delightfully queer. This was such a perfect novella to spend an afternoon with getting lost in at sea. I need more books with this exact vibe now, it gave me the same feeling What We Do In The Shadows does so I just truly had a great time devouring this all in one go! The modern setting fit with this plot line was just really fun and it was such a refreshing novella to read!

I loved the concept of this book but parts of it fell flat for me. The humor was fantastic but there were a lot of plot holes. Very confused about Heaven as a whole.

This book was fine. I felt there were plot holes, too many things left unexplained, and I wasn't interested in any of the characters. I would recommend it to people who I know would like it, but I didn't really enjoy it.

This book was just not it. I was hoping for a fun sexy vampire farce. Nope. The sex is not sexy, the humor not funny, and the characters are so flat. I suppose after being alive as long as a vampire ennui can set in, but this is the most boring vampire book I ever read. The characters were not relatable or interesting. I am glad it was a short book. Meh.

Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum has a premise that practically begs to be a guilty pleasure—an immortal vampire couple boards a queer cruise, falls for a shape-shifting unicorn, and dives into lust, rivalry, and desire. Unfortunately, the execution is anything but pleasurable. The central couple, Rebekah and Hugh, lack chemistry or emotional depth, and Rebekah’s grating narration—full of jealousy, self-importance, and empty declarations—drains the story of its erotic and comedic potential. Despite nods to gender fluidity and modern satire, the writing feels forced, the plot goes nowhere, and the erotica rarely delivers. A promising concept lost at sea.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @creaturepublishing for the ARC!
Publishing October 7, 2025

I absolutely adored @pickyourpotions VAMPIRES AT SEA. A fresh and unique take on vampirism, VAMPIRES AT SEA is clever, funny, heart breaking, and sharp (with a tad of spice). I loved Rebekah, and want to stay in this world a bit longer. Merbaum’s writing is beautiful and the passages on handling rejection, emotional drain, love, and loss resonated. A must read for those for a vampire novella.

Really not to my liking perhaps because I wasn't the target audience nor did I enjoy the way it was written. However I get the appeal and I truly hope this book will be read by a lot of people: I'm sure it will be well received.