Vampires at Sea

by Lindsay Merbaum

Immortal beloveds Rebekah and Hugh are on vacation! Against a backdrop of ongoing war, this pair of chic emotional vampires from San Francisco sets off on a queer Black Sea Cruise, eager to relax, join an orgy, and feast upon their fellow passengers’ desires and sorrows. When Hugh becomes enchanted by an alluring–and possibly magical–nonbinary social media influencer named Heaven, Rebekah’s reality capsizes, and her true nature is unleashed.

A smutty horror-comedy featuring unbridled narcissism, Vampires at Sea is a hilarious snack!

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Fantasy, Queer, LGBT, Adult, Novella

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 7, 2025

About the author

Lindsay Merbaum is a queer author of strange tales, the founder of Pick Your Potions, and the high priestess of the Study Coven. Her first novel, The Gold Persimmon, was a 2021 Foreword Indies Finalist. Vampires at Sea, a smutty, horror-comedy novella, sets sail October 7, 2025. Lindsay lives in Michigan with her partner and cats.

Reviews

[Me, My Shelf, & I]

me, reading other vampire books: no no this is all wrong, vampires should be hornier
me, reading this vampire book: ...maybe less horny. let's dial it back
------------------
the book:

"...the graceful way he crosses his legs so you can't help but wonder about his cock. (Length: moderate. Thick around the middle. Circumcised, surprisingly. Somewhat shy, but steadfast. In other words, perfect.)"

my spouse: "he crossed his legs penis-ly"

the 'women writing men badly' equivalent to "she breasted boobily."

Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[mina reads™️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can definitely see the vast majority of readers not gelling with this novella but I kinda had a ball. It's a exceedingly silly, a study in narcissism, gluttony and companionship. It merges several things I enjoy, gay people, troubled relationships and violent supernatural beings. The humor is a tough one, it's so subjective, for me Rebekah's continuous self aggrandizing vacuous commentary ranged from deeply grating to utterly hilarious. I enjoyed her more than I expected to. A fun stream of consciousness odyssey through the mind of a self involved vamp as her relationship falls apart. Not life changing but certainly a decent way to spend an afternoon reading.

3.5 stars

[erica ࣪ ִֶָ☾. · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5★
”We’re on vacation!”
Are these really vampires?? Sex vampires? I’m still not sure after finishing this, and was definitely expecting more vamp!!!

I couldn’t connect to the characters at all. This book was just sex, narcissism, and then more sex and more narcissism…
The “horror” tag also felt unnecessary, nothing in this book felt more horror than thriller.
BUT, I did enjoy the way it was written. It felt a bit “What We Do In The Shadows”. The prose could be really interesting and beautiful at times, and was the reason I kept reading til the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the arc :)

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW/CW: Language, drinking, toxic relationships, graphic sex scenes, cheating, violence, gory scenes, death

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Immortal beloveds Rebekah and Hugh are on vacation! Against a backdrop of ongoing war, this pair of chic emotional vampires from San Francisco sets off on a queer Black Sea Cruise, eager to relax, join an orgy, and feast upon their fellow passengers’ desires and sorrows. When Hugh becomes enchanted by an alluring–and possibly magical–non-binary social media influencer named Heaven, Rebekah’s reality capsizes. As she comes to terms with a future she never imagined, Rebekah begins to question her past, much of it lost to time. Ultimately, her journey becomes one of self-discovery, and acceptance of her true nature.
Release Date: October 7th, 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 168
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. The writing style was fantastic
2. Absolutely hilarious things said
3. Short book
4. Clever writing
5. Reminded me of What we do in the shadows
6. Rebekah had me cracking up
7. So much packed inside 200 pages

What I Didn't Like:
1. Some parts felt they rambled on and on without clear direction where we were going
2. Wish Hugh was a more flushed out character - he felt such a simp to Rebekah and then Heaven

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Memory is a lie anyway. Half of what you remember is just what you imagine.

I feel like Rebekah and trying to figure out what Hugh finds in Heaven that's so special. They seem pretty basic and preformative.

Rebekah has me rolling. She's trying to hold the attention onto her by asking Heaven questions.

“Are you a makeup artist? Where did you study? Where do you get your lip rouge?”“I was a professional makeup artist, when I was younger.”They preen. “Now, I’m a motivator . . .”I can’t do it, I stop listening. No one needs to hear this.

Rebekah is every introvert short tempered person that hates small talk. I'm so here for her! The things you'll do for a unicorn.

Some of the stuff they talk about is so outlandish and ridiculous in the best way possible. Rebekah says they aren't ready for a ship orgy and that Hugh didn't even bring his cape. What does he do with his cape? I wish I knew haha

Heaven being a shapeshifter wasn't something I thought wasn't going to happen in this book. Love that Rebekah gets one last sexing in with them despite their equal hatred of each other. Doing the finger guns out the door was the icing on the cake for me.

I am confused on what substance they feed on though. It seems like Rebekah is a energy vampire since it's never said she directly feeds of blood. Not sure what Hugh is - maybe the same since he loves the attention from people knowing his art.

Loving all the different vampires in the book. She meets Misha another vampire but I quite enjoyed the way in which they talked about how they fed. Rebekah mentions she uses her beauty while Misha uses grief or anger to feed. He even feeds from Rebekah while getting her to talk about her husband leaving her. Just enjoying the vampires that sucked emotion out of people.

Oh I love that Rebekah chose herself. I get what Hugh was saying about how she always did what she wanted but in an open relationship he crossed a line of falling in love that you just don't do. Yeah, he had a spell put on him but at that point Rebekah was clearly done.

Is Heaven really gone? I doubt it.

Final Thoughts:
This book reminded me in so many ways of What We Do In the Shadows (series)
Rebekah and Hugh are just like Laszlo and Nadja and sprinkled with Colin's psychic vampire feeding since he's an energy vampire too. So if you loved this book watch the show there are queer rep and relationship goals. (in the acknowledges author says they are a fan of the show!)

I love that the author mixed influencer with shapeshifters. It's so clever and I was loving it.

This book was so much fun! I seriously hope we get a second book!

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley and Creature Publishing for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[vicky ꨄ︎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I went into this book expecting it to focus more on the concept of vampires but all I got from this is vampires sex? I was expecting them to be more traditional vampires but to my surprise they were more of feeding of emotions instead of blood.

Rebekah actually annoyed me so much in this, like yeah she and Hugh fall in love with Heaven who is mostly spending all the time with Hugh and that would be fine if she was such a jealous person. From my understanding it’s fine when she’s allowed to fall in love with someone and spend all the time with them but once Hugh does it it’s not allowed anymore???

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.











——————————————————————

𐙚⋆°. preread

I feel like this is a perfect time to read this arc. Like vampires say less

[♡ retrovvitches ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a book that has a very specific audience that will enjoy it, and i most definitely did. this was a wild ride, started slow but really built itself up. the characters were insufferable in a way that made you completely obsessed, the writing was different and captivating. thank you to net galley for the arc!

[Janelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this might be a silly quick read but ultimately I was bored. Two old vampires on a cruise meet a shapeshifter. Lots of decadence and sex without being sexy or in any way interesting.

[Carl (Hiatus. IBB in Jan) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Publication date: 07/10/2025

Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum sets sail with the promise of camp, kink, and queer chaos—but ends up drifting in lukewarm water. It vaguely channels the sensuality of True Blood, but trades any real bite for shallow seductions and endless orgies. This satiric tale overflows with horny and shallow passages, but leaves behind a dry, non-existent vampiric lore.

Rebekah and Hugh have been companions for a few centuries when they decide to go on a queer Black Sea cruise. Hugh is a sophisticated and accomplished author, if half a century ago, therefore, he should be imagined in black and white (according to his partner). Rebekah is a short-tempered dominatrix. Their mission? To relax, join a few orgies, and feast upon their fellow passengers’ desires and sorrows. What initially promised to be an interesting interpretation of vampire lore loses its appeal. The absence of blood and gore makes the mindless orgies and endless orgies talk (which happened more often than the deed itself) feel uneventful and tiring, with the erotica being more hinted at than delivered, and when it is delivered, it’s… fine, no trigger warnings here.

As the story progresses, they meet a non-binary influencer named Heaven, awakening Rebekah’s jealousy and Hugh’s obsession. Not much happens, other than some random comedic scenes that feel out of place in the narrative. I appreciate gender neutrality and good writing in this novella. However, the absence of gore, compelling plot, or fully realized characters weighed down my enjoyment. Unfortunately, Vampires at Sea was not for me, and it is hard to recommend it.

Rating: 1.75/5

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Krystle Rouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just blah…
There were times that I was enjoying it but I feel that the ending was rushed. I just was not satisfied with the ending. There are also plot holes that don't get answered like her past lives that she doesn't remember. That is repeatedly brought up but goes nowhere. Also, there are questions about the war and what is going on, on the ship…. Just so many questions that don't get answered which is sad.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

[Lottie from book club · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a riot. a shapeshifting non-binary nemesis > a boring husband.

[James 🦤 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley :)

It was…fine. I found myself really enjoying it at times. I love how vampires were handled in terms of them draining emotions instead of blood. I think it could’ve paralleled in an interesting way with what Heaven was doing but it just…fell flat. Ultimately my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I read a finished story. The ending seems like it comes out of no where and is incredibly unsatisfying. The author poses this question about Rebekah’s past that she doesn���t remember and it’s repeatedly brought up and it’s never answered, which could be fine, but instead of wrapping it up in any kind of way it’s just left as a dangling plot thread. Pretty much the entire plot is left as a dangling thread. What war is going on? It seems to be framed as a world war, yet it doesn’t seem to be effecting most of the world just the part the author needs to be plot relevant. What was going on with the ship? They were stuck at sea one chapter the miraculously at port the next. I don’t feel like Rebekah had any meaningful character growth even though that’s the only real point I can see. Yeah she ditches Hugh at the end, but it doesn’t feel like growth it just feels like a continuation of her being upset at him. It all just felt incredibly disappointing because these are cool characters, this is a cool idea, the prose is nice, etc but I feel like I’m missing half the story here. I understand some of it is meant to be allegorical, but as someone who does really enjoy stories with deeper meaning just because I can understand what the author wanted to do doesn’t necessarily mean it was done effectively.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boring orgy is a painful affair.

if you took what we do in the shadows and threw them on a queer cruise. this was slightly less mayhem than what my favorite vampires would have caused, but it still gave some slight wwdits vibes which i loved. short and fun! while it is giving romantic gothic vampire vibes, this feels like a perfect short read for the summer. very funny and vibrant but still a lot of heart. campy, sexy, queer, and horny as HELL.

Thank you NetGalley and Creature Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

[❁lilith❁ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Creature Publishing for access to this eARC! All opinions are my own.
____________

This was so unapologetically queer and I love it for that. The writing really stood out to me and some of the phrases were laugh out loud funny. I'm not sure that I'd actually recommend this to someone I actually know, which is why it's fallen to the two star rating, even though it probably sits at a 2.75 for me. Interesting take on vampires.
It's a very quick read and fun to be in the POV we're in, but there's not enough substance there for me to rate any higher.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

So cruise horror is becoming a thing and I highly recommend everyone read some while on vacation this summer. It's fun, it's low commitment, and 99.9% of the time, your vacation will be better than their vacation. Or at least, that will definitely be the case with Vampires at Sea.

Love bites. Especially on a luxury liner.

Rebekah and Hugh are ancient, sexually fluid vampires who sign up for a two-week cruise to unwind. What better way to feed than aboard a floating buffet of horny queer passengers trapped in the middle of the ocean? It’s indulgent, decadent, and delicious.

At least, it was—until they cross paths with Heaven, a magical, nonbinary influencer with a mysterious allure. Heaven has eyes only for Hugh, and despite Rebekah’s sultry attempts to intervene, Hugh falls hard. Rebekah, consumed by jealousy, spirals into a sex-and-feeding frenzy while trying to expose Heaven for what they truly are: something dangerous, possibly otherworldly, and definitely not part of the cruise itinerary.

It’s a bloody good time, with literally no gore, even when it loses its head a little.

[Martina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really really didn't like this.
I was going to DNF but then I thought it was so brief and maybe reaching the end might give me some answers but no. Just no.
It's a no for the vampire mythology and how they're portrayed; it's a no for the tone because it was supposed to be fun —according to the description— but there was nothing funny or playful; it's a no for the orgies... yes I'm saying it! I've read my fair share of smut in my days and it's not high literature nor is it always well written but it is usually entertaining. This? this was error 404 not found. It's continuously hinted they're doing stuff but we never get to experience the stuff, there is nothing erotic or romantic or playful. It's just "and she goes into the dancefloor and has sex with a dozen people." .... OKAY?!
And to worsen things I had the impression of an epic story in a couple of scenes which completely crashes with the playful vampire novella theme this is supposed to follow.

On the positive side: the idea was original and the character of Heaven was interesting and honestly trying to understand what they were was the only thing that got me to stay.

Good idea, bad execution (in my opinion)

❁ Thank you to Netgalley, Lindsay Merbaum and Creature Publishing for the opportunity to read the ARC of this in exchange of my honest opinion ❁

[blok sera szwajcarskiego · Rating 1 out of 5]

Received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion, thanks!

1,5⭐️

When intoduced to the idea of a married vampire couple going on a hedonical cruise, where they meet a shape-shifting unicorn they both fall in love with, and you decorate this premise with some rivalry, I will eat this shit up. That is precisely why it pains me to rate Vampires at Sea so low, but this novella did not live up to any expectations at all.

Firstly, if you want a sexy, romantic story of a couple, the couple have to bear any emotions towards each other. Rebekah and Hugh feel like arranged marriage they don't despise, but certainly don't enjoy, either. And every couple of pages Rebekah hypocritically becomes jealous of his attention, proposing the idea of her loving him, but in the end it's about something different.

And that is the second point – I couldn't stand her. Pity, as she is the narrator. Her jealousy-turned-lust towards Heaven would be greatly enjoyable, if she wasn't so... much. Her marriage with Hugh is about control, first he grows bored and blunt, then she's frustrated when he tries to change anything, yet she bears no interest in bonding with him. Hugh's an avan-garde artist, but she supposedly hates art, or it simply bores her. But beware anyone who would like to even converse lightly with her husband, as Rebekah the harpy will plan your murder. And she? She sleeps with anyone who will even slightly glare at her. Hugh has to accept that, but gods forbid he tries to someone fun on the side.
Once again, such description sounds like an interesting piece of a book, but gods Rebekah makes it unbearable. With all her lust, her constant reminders of "see, I told you I were different" and this emptiness inside her it hollows the plot, too. I would be on board with the idea of toxic wife and her adventures, but this is not fun. It's miserable.

The premise about which author talks about in acknowledgement is visible – however what she missed was the element of entertainment. The ending didn't help with that. It was so, so disappointing, to discover there is no sense of change, no understanding, no conversation, not even any fun from erotical parts. The rivalry sucks, the revenge falls flat, there are no bursting emotions. Writing isn'tgreat, either; certain elements were supposed to be comedic (I've suspected an inspiration from WWDITS, which was proved by acknowledgement, however it is an inspiration that doesn't understand why the source was funny in the first place), but with quotes like: "In the evening, I force myself to hunt even though my heart - or is it my clit? - still isn't it." it was needlessly sexual. The juxtaposition between Heaven, a modern influencer, and Hugh, old-way elegant artist, and their unexpected feelings may have worked, but not from the current perspective.

A very frustrating read about toxic woman that neither enjoys her toxicity nor tries to change it anyhow. She should have been in therapy, but frankly, she would fuck her therapist and then eat him. And that's not how it works.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a chicken tender that is almost all breading with very little meat. Yes the breading is delightful, but you need substance too.

I loved the lyrical writing style and evocative descriptions. I mean how can you go wrong with a queer vampire polyamorous cruise. However, the novella lacks a compelling plot. It is more so a fun party or a character study on this self-centered vampire. I enjoyed it well enough and would read more of the authors work but this one didn’t wow me other than the writing style.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

[✨ vanessa | effiereads ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

what a disappointment 😭😭😭

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... I started wishing for more pages and in the end this was the perfect length. Sometimes I like no plot just vibes books, but this was a little too meandering for me. People that enjoy weird little books, like The Woods All Black will probably enjoy Vampires at Sea, unfortunately it just wasn't for me.
The summary says everything, we follow a couple of vampires on a cruise and encounter a person that intrigues them both. Also, there's a lot of sex. If this sounds interesting to you, go for it, that's exactly what you get.

Thank you Netgalley and Amanda Manns for the e-ARC!

[Rav.ingbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good fast paced read. As much as i enjoyed what i read i wish it would have been longer. Maybe a bit more in depth with the characters especially a back story. I would say its a fun small read.

[cate · Rating 3 out of 5]

this one could have benefitted from more time in the drafts. i know it's a novella and is meant to be short, but it felt unfinished and under explored. queer cruises sound cool as heck though

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review

[rach quade · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

what a fascinating little book. this one started slow for me, but by the end i was engrossed. really enjoyed the take on vampires and on mythical creatures, and the queer cruise setting was a rich and camp-y backdrop for the twisting relationships. for a short book, it sure gave me a lot to chew on

[Helene Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am I weird for thinking this is a cozy read? I genuinely looked forward to reading this every night, even if it was only 5 pages. Maybe this is a testament to how bad my reading slump has been recently. Somebody throw me an anchor!

Anyway, meet Rebekah, ancient vampire and seductress, who has decided to go on a voyage with her husband, Hugh. They are expecting a cruise of leisure and fun, until they meet Heaven. Heaven is mysterious, outgoing, and sexy, and, quite frankly, driving Rebekah mad. But Hugh, on the other hand, can’t get enough of Heaven. What can one lonely woman really do when her husband decides he’s had enough of her?

This is not a book for just any reader. Have you read this blurb?? It’s wild and terrifying but also silly and honest. I didn’t expect to like the story as much as I did, but here I am, recommending that you read Vampires at Sea. If you love What We Do In The Shadows and that type of dark humour, this book might just fill the vampire-shaped void in your heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of this book. All my opinions are my own.

[Eavan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novella was infuriating. Most of my time reading this slim book I was confused and annoyed: Confused as to what exactly was satire and what was humour, and annoyed at the author's inability to differentiate between the two.

Vampires at Sea is a literary-inspired, semi-experimental work on a married couple of "energy" vampires, who on a two week "queer cruise" find their new lover (and fellow supernatural being) breaking the pair apart.

There is something unforgivably grotesque (if in earnest) to dedicate your book with the following: "For all the hot queer sluts. You know who you are." I knew immediately that if unironic, I would probably find the rest of the work irredeemable, and if in jest, brilliant.

Self-styled "queers" are hilariously ripe for satire. As a member of the tribe (though if you call me that word, I'll kill you) we're ridiculous, hyper-sexual, classist, self-righteously smug, and hypocritical. Throughout this novel, I found glimmers of Merbaum coming into and exposing it, but never clear enough in where her adoration really lay. I dislike confusing the author with the narrative, and I'm aware of the fallacy, but "queer" work as a literary genre is so horrifically didactic--and with such a muddied execution--I have no option but to assume the author's inability to fully skewer our world as (perhaps not a fear of retribution) but wholehearted appreciation.

It was no surprise then that in the afterward the author had received an MFA: the worst excesses of this education come forward and the prose is all fat with little to no meat. Sentences are the usual tertiary-educated bazaar of loquacious adjectives and metaphors without any deep thought into the larger themes of the work, turning the work in a vapid, sugar-filled work to feel smart reading despite the reality.

Despite my dislike of this novel, I appreciated the attempt at humour on our community. Like I said, we suck. We need comedians willings to dress our flashier members of the community down a notch. The work picked itself up in the middle, and I was interested in how the work panned out. But its attempt to be literary, by eschewing normal tone, plot structure, and basic literary devices like things-being-included-should-mean-something made this a poor literary novel, a muddled queer novel, and a downright awful vampire novel.

If you like vampires, stay away!

[Liz]

Thank you NetGalley for sending a free copy for a review!
I was totally hooked by this weird little novella filled with lust and debauchery. As someone who doesn't read horror a lot, I kept waiting for it on tenterhooks but thankfully, this didn't have the gross, slasher kind of horror I was expecting, so if that's something that's making you hesitate on this this book, never fear.
I loved both Rebekah and Hugh, and I was invested in their relationship - I really hope we get to see them again one day.
'Only Lovers Left Alive' meets 'Fatal Attraction' by way of 'What We Do In the Shadows', this was so strange and messed up yet hilarious - I still don't really know what to make of it, other than really enjoying it.
4 stars.

[Giorgia Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this one. I probably needed a palate cleanser and this was exactly it for me, I read it in an afternoon. I wouldn’t know how to classify it and I wasn’t even particularly interested in the plot of the novel. What really drew me in was the voice of the narrator: she was mean, she was nasty and I loved every second of it. This is how I want my vampire novels, this is how I want my gross female main characters to be like.

Were some parts of it slightly underdeveloped? Yes
Were some of the secondary character slightly one-dimensional? Sure
Do I care? Nah. Give me more Rebekah.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Corie Cisco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this fun novella!

Rebekah and Hugh, two vampires, join a queer cruise and cross paths with Heaven, a non-binary being who threatens to unravel their relationship. While the book had its standout moments, the tone and pacing didn’t resonate with me. At times, the narrative felt scattered, and the storytelling style didn’t quite land—it just wasn’t for me. That said, I do commend the author for the extensive and meaningful representation throughout the story. It is hard to do so successfully in a novella.

[Libbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5✨

The synopsis mentioning unbridled narcissism could not be more true but unfortunately that mixed with the authors writing style made this borderline unreadable.

The main characters are insufferable from page one and you could not pay me to care about them. The world building is non-existant and the premise falls incredibly short. Marketed as a horror-comedy but it wasnt very funny either.

The only thing saving this from a flat 1star is the representation.

[Taylor Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This, pardon my french, cunty little vampire novel is so brat-coded its as if Charli XCX wrote it herself. Rebekah and Hugh are energy vampires and eternal soulmates on vacation on an, and I quote "discount queer Black Sea cruise full of polyamorous influencers." They're here to fuck, feed, and, well- thats pretty much it. They're the hottest people on this (I'm assuming) Carnival Cruise and they know it. That is, until they meet Heaven. Heaven is a non-binary influencer and arguably the hottest person Rebekah and Hugh have ever seen. They are drawn to Heaven in a way that *could* be supernatural and as Hugh and Heaven begin to favor spending time together sans Rebekah, we see Rebekah go full scorpio as she stalks, plots revenge, hypnotizes, hunts and fucks her way to solving the mystery of Heaven and learning to find peace with being alone. #goodforher.

I don't know what to say about "Vampires at Sea" other than it was so fun and I devoured it in less than 12 hours. A perfect new read for spooky season- coming out on October 7th.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

[mira · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book, and it saddens me to dnf-ing it and giving a one-star rating. As you can see, the book itself is not long, but it took me a whole three weeks to get to the quarter point and I just can't do it any more.
The book has a very flowery language, but it doesn't flow the way one might expect it to, making reading even more excruciating than it already is, with bits of information hidden so masterfully I can not really say what the book is about even after reading a quarter of it. The author emphasises physical desires and sexual tension, and it feels like trying to conceal the shallowness of it all. Definitely not my cup of tea

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with the ARC