Thank you to netgalley & creature publishing for the chance to read this book! All opinions are honest & my own!

This was a quick, fun, wild read!

It’s definitely for a very specific audience, but it hit the mark for what it’s advertised as. It’s spicy, it’s chaotic, it’s diverse.

I love the lgbtq+ representation & the core of the story was great. I think it could use a little bit of work in terms of pace and plot (it left me wanting more than I’d have liked it to) but for a quick novella it’s definitely worth the read!

I love opening up a book and immediately think wtf is happening but now that I've read it... it was okaaay. Pretty lackluster despite that whiplash of a book synopsis. I swear I felt more entertained reading that instead of the book. But also very disappointing experience overall.

A very spicy and chaotic time to be had. Not necessarily my vibe, but if you want to turn your brain off and just enjoy a spicy ship at sea this may be for you.

3.5 out of 5 stars. Rebekah and Hugh, a vampire couple, embark on a queer sea cruise. Great premise from the start! I am partial to a show featuring vampires such as What We Do In The Shadows or Interview With the Vampire; so right off the bat this intrigued me. Fun to read from the perspective of an emotion vampire. I felt sucked into the mind of Rebekah completely and surged through the pages. Great writing style; felt very immersive. The mystery and danger surrounding a new - threat, lover, nemesis? - all - feels obsessive. I’m here for it. Did feel like there could have been more depth to the character of Hugh and at times more direction with where the story was progressing to. This story is more character- and character development driven than massively plot driven. Overall fun short book that I flew through.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

This book is for a very very very specific audience, and that's not a bad thing at all. But with that being said, that unfortunately means that this book just wasn't for me.

An erotic fantasy/thriller novella, we follow a energy vampire couple Rebekah and Hugh as they embark on a vacation aboard a "spicy" cruise ship. There they meet non-binary influencer Heaven, who seemingly enchants and seduces Hugh, leaving Rebekah to deal with her unleashed emotions.

The synopsis alone had me hooked. I mean a queer cruise ship with vampires? Yes please! But where I was expecting a campy chaotic read... I got a messy novella that left me wishing for something more. I really loved the internal dialogue of our lead Rebekah. I thought she was hilarious and her thoughts were so entertaining. But I thought everything else paled in comparison to that. The writing needed work, the characters were underbaked, and the ending felt very rushed compared to how slow the novella was to start.

I didn't necessarily hate my time with this, I just feel a bit disappointed over what could've been.

What a weird little novella, I really have no idea what kind of fantasy/erotica/thriller I just consumed but I had a pretty good time! After all, we’re on vacation!

Thank you netgalley for my first ever arc!
This was a very wacky read. It’s very, very smutty (but not very graphic) and the main character was so horny it became hilarious. It does also have a great commentary on love and the little sacrifices you make for your partner that chip away at you until you’re not sure how you got there. The villain is delightfully despicable, and while Rebekah is insanely egocentric, I rooted for her the entire time. I did want some more explanation about the war that is going on; there’s only ever vague mentions about a war but never more than that. A lot of other reviews mentioned the show What We Do In The Shadows, which I’ve never seen, but since the author mentioned it too, I guess it’s my sign to watch it.

This really was not for me, the writing felt chaotic. I got to 20% and could not go any further. There didn’t seem to be a plot to the book either.

This is a very interesting story about a pair of immortal lovers in a long-term polyamorous relationship, which has the protagonist struggling with both feelings of jealousy and concern over a potential threat when a mysterious and glamorous influencer joins them as a unicorn during a cruise.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish it in time for the NetGalley cutoff, but the story and setting seem off to a great start, and I will definitely revisit this when I have time to give it the attention it deserves.

I really wanted to like this one but I couldn't even finish it. The prose was all over the place and mostly confusing. It was pretentious and not as sexy as it was billed to be. It also wasn't very funny. I'm sure it will be good for some, but not for me.

This book is so fun!! Bite sized (pun intended), fast-paced, queer horny (energy) vampires. Need I say more?
Married couple Rebekah and Hugh attend a queer cruise during a time of war. Through the POV of narcissistic Rebecka, we watch Hugh fall for a nonbinary being named Heaven and the true nature of all three come out to play.
Based on What We Do In the Shadows, this book brings sexy energy vampires to life.
Additionally, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect.

Overall this was a fun read! It was a bit difficult to get into at the beginning since it really just jumped into the story without much preamble. I seriously thought for awhile that this was a sequel and that I was missing something, but once I got into the rhythm of the narrative it made more sense! I was not a fan of Hugh, but I did love Rebekah and her journey. I loved how she was able to grow in such a short period of time without it feeling forced. I want more of her!

Vampires at Sea is a quirky novella that blends horror, comedy, and erotica with a campy, modern twist. Set aboard a queer-themed Black Sea cruise, the story follows two stylish emotional vampires, Rebekah and Hugh, as they navigate relationship drama, indulgent debauchery, and supernatural intrigue. The plot is fast-paced and leans heavily into the absurd, often prioritizing style and atmosphere over deep character development or intricate storytelling.

Readers looking for a serious vampire narrative or traditional horror might find it a bit too over-the-top or tongue-in-cheek, while those open to a raunchy, genre-bending ride will appreciate the book's irreverence and queer-positive themes. The writing is lush and self-aware, often veering into the poetic or decadent, which may either delight or distract depending on the reader’s taste.

Overall, Vampires at Sea is a bold, playful romp best suited for fans of camp horror, queer fiction, and literary smut. It's not for everyone, but it knows exactly what it is and doesn’t pretend otherwise.

Wow this was an absolute blast to read. An ancient pair of (unique) vampires board a queer cruise for a little change of pace. Fueled by sex and feeding, they stumble upon Heaven, their “unicorn.”

From there, you’re tumbled through an absolute fever dream. Is the world ending? Who is who? What other monsters are out there?

I think the concept and execution was perfect for a novella of this length. I did find the ending slightly rushed, but not in a way that left me wanting.

The humor in the book was amazing. The writing was decadent. Our MC, Rebekah, was a stunning creature. Truly had so much fun reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC. This will be out in the world in October.

Okay, so the concept totally had me at “queer cruise full of vampires.” I mean, come on. That sounds like chaos in the best way. And yeah, it was chaotic… but not always in the way I hoped.

The story was fast-paced and easy to read, and there were definitely moments that made me laugh out loud. I also appreciated how unapologetically messy and dramatic some of the characters were. If narcissism was the assignment, they understood it perfectly.

But the plot itself didn’t fully land for me. It felt like a lot was going on, but at the same time, not enough? Like I kept turning the pages hoping it would blow my mind… and it just didn’t. I was intrigued, but not emotionally invested.

This feels like the kind of story that’s gonna hit really well for a very specific crowd. I’m just not in that crowd, I guess. Still, I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a short, unhinged vampire story on a boat. Just don’t expect it to be super deep, it's more vibes than substance.

This novella didn’t meet my expectations, but the idea is spectacular. Many times I found myself not even rooting or finding much care for the main characters. The unbridled jealousy and attempts at tension fell flat for me sadly. I enjoyed the character creation though with each character seeming to have their own voice and style. I was expecting more flamboyance or theatrics in the way Rebekah and Hugo (Hugh) interacted, but it just came off like faux swingers that do it because they aren’t happy with each other except for when they are on each other, but refuse to part making a toxic environment. I greatly enjoyed the horror elements though.

Huh. Well that was an interesting, quirky read with a main character that’s as close to an anti-hero as I’m willing to go, I think. There were some really interesting themes around memory/time and capitalist opulence in the midst of global turmoil that I think will really resonate with readers post-pandemic - though I agree with some of the other reviews that they’re not 100% satisfactorily flushed out. However, as far as novellas go, it felt pretty complete to me and in a way, I think the ambiguity lends to the choppy, present-tense feel of the story with a (very) flawed narrator with a limited view of what’s happening around her. I also personally enjoyed the conflict resolution at the end and felt it was the perfect conclusion to what had built between the characters. I enjoyed the subliminal horror of the story and the atmosphere created, even if it fell outside the realm of usual vampire fiction. It was definitely unique!

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the chance to read early in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Lindsay Merbaum and NetGalley for this ARC!

I liked this one for a quirky little fun read. It doesn’t try to be profound or poetic, it’s literally just “what if there was a bunch of monsters on an adults only cruise”. It wasn’t necessarily my favourite but after a particularly heavy read before this one, it was the playful and short respite I needed.

What a delight to see that Netgalley approved my request to read this novella! I found Vampires at Sea via Kristen Arnett and I'm happy I did.

As someone who hates the very idea of big boat cruises, I found a cruise ship to be a prime setting for a horror, and many details about just being on the cruise itself contributed to a sense of dread and unease in the story.

WWDITS inspired, as many have noted. Queer poly vampires and our narrator is deliciously narcissistic. A simple thing, but I liked how she tuned everyone out mid-sentence because she literally doesn't care about anyone but herself. Her narcissism fuels an existential dread/identity crisis that is central to the story when her lover catches eyes for another.

What stood out to me in this story, and what will likely linger after my goldfish brain has forgotten the finer details, was Merbaum's masterful depiction of the madness that occurs when a person is overwhelmed with jealousy and fears losing their lover to another.

I enjoyed the subtle social commentary, and the queer campiness of it all.

The ending felt a bit discordant for me, but overall I loved this and want to read more like it. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

I really wanted to like this book, but sadly enough I didn’t. So much was happening at once but at the same time nothing was really happening. Usually I really like story’s with non-monogamy or polyamory but this didn’t feel like it was executed well. There also were a few things that didn’t really make sense, like something about the war that was mentioned once and then never again. All in all I was just kinda bored while reading this book.

Thank you netgally and creature publishing for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review