A Cruel Thirst

By: Angela Montoya

Narrated by: Diana Bustelo, Gary Tiedemann

“Vampires, ancient evil, and forbidden romance? Montoya brings it all!”—Tracy Wolff, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Crave series

A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together—against their better judgment—to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible young adult romantasy.

A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Carolina Fuentes wants to join her family in hunting the bloodthirsty vampiros that plague her pueblo. Her father, however, wishes to marry her off to a husband of his choosing, someone who’ll take her away from danger.

Determined to prove she’d make a better slayer than wife, Carolina vows to take down a monster herself. But when she runs into un vampiro who is somehow extremely attractive and kind, her plan crumbles.

Lalo Villalobos was content leading a perfectly dull life until un vampiro turned him. Now forced to flee his city, he heads to the pueblo where he believes the first vampiro was made. Surely its residents must know how to reverse this dreadful curse. Instead of finding salvation, Lalo collides with a beautiful young woman who’d gladly drive a dagger through his heart.

Fortunately, Lalo and Carolina share a common enemy. They can wipe out this evil. Together. If his fangs and her fists can stay focused, they might just triumph and discover what it feels like to take a bite out of love.

Critic reviews

A CALIBA GOLDEN POPPY AWARD FINALIST

★ "An irresistibly charming forbidden romance." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Superb. A simultaneously familiar and fresh romance.” – SLJ, starred review

“Vampires, ancient evil, a centuries-long feud, and forbidden romance? Montoya brings it all, and I am HERE for every second of it!” —Tracy Wolff, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Crave series

“Montoya breathes fresh life into the vampire-and-vampire-hunter trope with a vivid world beautifully woven with Latinx lore and a romance both searing and tender. Compelling, vivacious, and filled with heart, A Cruel Thirst is a sparkling addition to the romantasy shelves.” —Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of the Song of the Last Kingdom duology

“A confident romp that is equal parts witty historical romance and captivating paranormal adventure, Montoya’s signature blend of panache, humor, and heart makes A Cruel Thirst exactly the kind of Latinx vampire novel I wanted to read!” —Isabel Cañas, USA Today bestselling author of Vampires of El Norte

“Angela Montoya has created a vampire myth that is inspired by Mexican lore but entirely her own. Teens will root for the fierce Carolina, who forges her own destiny and makes her own rules in this lush historical fantasy romance.” —Zoraida Córdova, USA Today bestselling author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

“A magnificent take on vampire lore. Angela Montoya takes the classic trope of vampire x vampire hunter and breathes new life into it, in more ways than one. Both tender and fierce, A Cruel Thirst is a must-read for fans of good books. Period.” —Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of So Let Them Burn and This Ends in Embers

“With action that will have you on the edge of your seat and banter that will leave you grinning, A Cruel Thirst has everything you could want in a paranormal romance.” —Margie Fuston, author of The Revenant Games

"Montoya centers action, tropey fun, and insta-love romance to spin an adventurous romp that will appeal to romantasy readers." —Publishers Weekly

"[A] dreamy romance with high stakes." —Booklist

Great book

The voice acting is good!
Each actor gives a top tier performance.

Angela Montoya is a talented author!
Her prose and dialogue are excellent and really paint vivid moments of the worlds and characters she brings to life.
I enjoyed the mythology and romance in this story.
I was fully invested in the characters.
Highly recommend!!

For real yearners

Such a nice take on vampires. It was well thought out lore. Carolina, the FMC is one of my favorite FMCs in years, she is capable and truly doesn’t need men to survive but still she can’t help but to want romantic love. I love that her vulnerability wasn’t a weakness but the force behind her strength. Lalo, the MMC is an angel, a pure soul, kind of a damsel in distress actually. I loved that he was the one needing saving, and he was perfectly fine letting a woman save him. He was so down bad for her and I was obsessed with watching him catch-up to the fact. Like Carolina, his vulnerability was his strength in the end. I love romance that burns like a single wick candle, this was that. It’s warm and cozy even though the MCs are in danger. Perfectly paced and poetic at times in its prose. I can’t wait for more books from the author. Sinner’s Isle was a favorite of mine last year, Angela Montoya has a fan in me.

A great new vampire story!

I loved the cultural aspects of this vampire romance, and enemies to lovers trope. This was a sweet YA romance where the vampires were truly evil, and the MMC was a nerdy cinnamon roll who was reluctantly turned into a vampire. He teams up with a feisty vampire hunter as they try vampire and lift the death curse surrounding all vampires.

This is a romantic slow burn in several ways…

This story is very sweet but alas it was a bit of a struggle to complete… the writing is very descriptive which moves the plot fairly slowly… I felt that the main female character was infantilized until suddenly she’s completely competent, a bit jarring… but this was a gentle read with no major violent twists, it romanced you with language, and emotionally involved you with the characters. I would only recommend to a patient reader, but I would absolutely tell them that it comes with warm fuzzy feelings if they do. The voice actors really killed it in this one too, I enjoyed their interpretation of characters very much!