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changenotcoins 's review for:
Thirsty
by Lucy Lehane
If you’re looking for a cozy MM paranormal romance, Thirsty delivers on that front, but don’t expect a lot of depth or rom com level humor. While the book sets up an intriguing supernatural world with a diverse cast of creatures, the romance and execution left me wanting more.
The highlight of this book for me was definitely the worldbuilding. I really enjoyed seeing how different supernatural communities integrated into modern society, and the found family theme was a nice touch. But that’s where my enjoyment mostly stopped. The romance? A bit bland. The stakes? Too low for me to stay fully invested. I know cozy romances don’t dive too deep, but I would’ve liked to see more than a paragraph or two dedicated to Charlie and Lorenzo actually working through their issues. Their attraction also felt sudden—one moment they were annoyed with each other, and the next, bam, romantic tension.
And speaking of things that didn’t work for me…
🔹 Lorenzo’s revenge plot – A 200 year old vampire holding a grudge over a university fling? Felt a bit meh.
🔹 Charlie’s advice column subplot – Why were all these internet strangers seeking out his column instead of, you know, Reddit?
🔹 The writing/editing – There were formatting issues (hoping this gets cleaned up before final publication), including missing italics and quotation marks that made it difficult to follow. Some chapters also jumped forward in time abruptly.
🔹 The pop culture references – Some felt too niche or outdated already, which can quickly date a book.
🔹 The first spice scene… on a wrecked car? – Not only was this placement odd, but the scene itself was so awkwardly written that I couldn’t tell what was happening. 😬
Despite these issues, if you love cozy paranormal romances and don’t mind a low stakes, fluffier read, you might enjoy this more than I did. But if you’re looking for something with stronger emotional depth, a more engaging romance, or polished execution, Thirsty may leave you feeling a little… parched. 💀🩸
Thank you to NetGalley, Lucy Lehane, and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book.
The highlight of this book for me was definitely the worldbuilding. I really enjoyed seeing how different supernatural communities integrated into modern society, and the found family theme was a nice touch. But that’s where my enjoyment mostly stopped. The romance? A bit bland. The stakes? Too low for me to stay fully invested. I know cozy romances don’t dive too deep, but I would’ve liked to see more than a paragraph or two dedicated to Charlie and Lorenzo actually working through their issues. Their attraction also felt sudden—one moment they were annoyed with each other, and the next, bam, romantic tension.
And speaking of things that didn’t work for me…
🔹 Lorenzo’s revenge plot – A 200 year old vampire holding a grudge over a university fling? Felt a bit meh.
🔹 Charlie’s advice column subplot – Why were all these internet strangers seeking out his column instead of, you know, Reddit?
🔹 The writing/editing – There were formatting issues (hoping this gets cleaned up before final publication), including missing italics and quotation marks that made it difficult to follow. Some chapters also jumped forward in time abruptly.
🔹 The pop culture references – Some felt too niche or outdated already, which can quickly date a book.
🔹 The first spice scene… on a wrecked car? – Not only was this placement odd, but the scene itself was so awkwardly written that I couldn’t tell what was happening. 😬
Despite these issues, if you love cozy paranormal romances and don’t mind a low stakes, fluffier read, you might enjoy this more than I did. But if you’re looking for something with stronger emotional depth, a more engaging romance, or polished execution, Thirsty may leave you feeling a little… parched. 💀🩸
Thank you to NetGalley, Lucy Lehane, and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book.