Thirsty is a paranormal MM romance about an advice columnist and a vampire with a grudge. Charlie’s advice column is going stale and with the recent “coming out” of the supernatural world, that is what his readers want more off. So when he runs into an old acquaintance Lorenzo who turns out to be a vampire, Charlie wants to pick his brain about the supernatural community he knows nothing about under the pretense of a dissertation. Lorenzo has an axe to grind against Charlie who convinced a past girlfriend to break up with him. He strikes a bargain with Charlie as a ruse to enact a yet-to-be-determined revenge. But as their deal brings them closer together, can their budding romance survive the lies between them?

This was just a cute low stakes romantic comedy. While it’s described as enemies-to-lovers, it’s actually just a really mild dislike on one’s part. I liked that about it because I enjoyed the pettiness of the grudge. I loved Lorenzo, his turns of phrase, and his ineptitude in enacting any sort of revenge as he just ends up actually helping Charlie. Their pipeline from enemies to friends to lovers was working for me with the romance being a gradual progression. I do think this book would have benefited from actually having more explicit on-page spice especially with its cover and title. Overall, this was just a light, goofy, feel-good read.

Thirsty is a breezy gay romantic comedy that could have used much more spice.

*Thank you Pan Macmillan for the eARC via NetGalley

I really enjoyed the world that than book existed in and I found the characters really interesting. The banter between Lorenzo and Charlie was amusing and fun. My main issue was that the miscommunication between them was obvious from almost the beginning and that made it hard to relax into the story and get swept away in it because I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Overall though, this was a good book.

So, THIRSTY was really not what I was expecting. From the dark, moody cover and the blurb that says, “revenge plot”, I was expecting something dark and possibly spicy. From “screwball paranormal romantic comedy” I thought it might be full of hijinks and wild situations. I don’t think THIRSTY hits either of those vibes (especially the revenge aspect) but it’s actually all the better for it.
Instead we get a slow burn romance, nestled amongst Charlie’s slow immersion, with Lorenzo as his guide, into the varied and various supernatural cultures and communities in town. I loved the unique takes Lehane comes up with for werewolf packs (both young and old having different outlooks and styles), unicorns, demons, trolls, and vampires. I loved the themes of community and exclusion, and how those can be flipped back around.
I read THIRSTY in a single sitting – thank goodness for sunny days outdoors – and had a fantastic time with it. The leads were charming, both down-to-earth and relatable, with just enough drama queen instincts to kick us off into interesting little tangents. The letters to Wise Old Crone (Charlie’s agony aunt alias) were where the comedy came from, rather than the “main” plotline - which I’d probably label as more cozy, if anything – but I thought the two aspects balanced each other nicely.
The third act break-up is a bit half-hearted and easy to see coming. I’d have loved for it to have pulled more of Charlies advice into some plot-relevant conundrum instead, but overall this was a really fun, enjoyable read that I’d highly recommend.

DNF

I was SO hyped for this—vampires? MM romance? Say less, I’m in. But unfortunately… I had to tap out.

The writing right off the bat was rough—awkward, clunky, just kinda hard to get through. And the setup? Charlie straight-up lying about an interview to get close to Lorenzo for a column?? That felt so off. Like… journalistic ethics who??

Their first few interactions had me cringing hard. Charlie yelling Lorenzo’s name across a coffee shop (???), and Lorenzo—this ancient vampire—acting like a salty teenager over some drama from forever ago. His POV made it worse tbh, like he was a villain in a bad cartoon with a revenge plan that didn’t even make sense. All over a breakup with someone he barely seemed to care about??

I wanted to love this. I signed up for angst and slow-burn drama with fangs. Instead, I got secondhand embarrassment and a lot of eye rolls. Hard pass. 🧛‍♂️💔

(3) THIRSTY is a fun little paranormal romance. I immediately latched on (pun intended) to the writing style, which was fast-paced, easy-to-read, and the perfect blend of description, action, and dialogue.

While both Lorenzo and Charlie’s motives feel a bit far fetched, the book makes up with this with the lovely writing style and large cast of iconic characters (though perhaps some people of color would be nice??) I also enjoyed the mixture of the paranormal and the normal, like walking through a shop in October: cozy and a little bit spooky at the same time.

The book does significantly slow down in pace once Lorenzo and Charlie get together, and is quite predictable. The plot is fuelled by Charlie wishing to go to paranormal events to learn more about the supernatural, and the author successfully manages to make these events entertaining. However, the book does significantly slow down in pace once Charlie and Lorenzo get together, and struggled to pique my interest.

Overall, THIRSTY’s main success come in its interesting setting. On a technical level, the author is an amazing writer. I just wish there was more character and plot depth.

I was so excited for this—MM and vampires?! Sign me up! But wow, the writing was rough. Charlie lying to get an interview felt off, especially for a journalist. Their first interactions were awkward and gave me secondhand embarrassment (Charlie yelling in a café?? Lorenzo acting like a petty teen??). Lorenzo’s villain arc was cringey—he’s centuries old and still hung up over a breakup with someone he didn’t even like? The flashback scene was unnecessarily mean, and the whole "profiting off the supernatural" angle made me uncomfortable. I wish I’d stayed curious.

Thirsty is a cozy, slow burn paranormal MM romance between a pushy advice columnist (Charlie) and a quiet vampire (Lorenzo). And when I say slow, I mean SLOW. We first meet Charlie when he’s trying to respond to submissions detailing supernatural problems, whilst knowing nothing about the supernatural. In walks Lorenzo, the answer to all of his problems! Except Lorenzo hates Charlie. An enemies to reluctant friends to lovers plot line ensues. I would’ve liked to have more on-page getting-to-know-you talks rather than them just being referenced later, but I liked the overall character growth shown by both Charlie and Lorenzo. This book was low stakes enough that the miscommunication trope didn’t bother me all that much, as it fit with the characters and ensured a classic third act breakup (then reconciliation). What I loved was the variety and chaos of the supernatural creatures and how they fit within the community. Overall, I enjoyed this book and read it all in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC!

This book always an absolute delight. A cast of likeable and unique characters with witty dialogue and growth that felt natural and well written. The plot may be a little predictable but I was very happy to be on the journey and I would happily spend more time in this world. Absolutely packed with heart, it’s an easy one to recommend as a spooky summer escape

Laugh out loud, delicious MM romance. I loved Lorenzo’s grumpy nature it was such a funny touch and so different from what I expected, I enjoyed it so much.
Fantasy Rom-coms are becoming my new favourite binge read and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good giggle and loves the supernatural.