Thirst

by WS Greer

He's been alive for over a century and a half. She's been surviving her whole life. Neither of them expected what happens when their worlds collide.

Amari Goddard owns the most exclusive casino in Philadelphia, moves only at night, and keeps the world at a careful distance. He has everything—except the one thing a vampire needs most. Aaliyah Carter is a gifted artist working the pole at Fantasies on Fourth, one rent increase away from losing everything she has. When Amari walks into her club and can't look away, neither of them is prepared for the force of what ignites between them.
But Amari is hiding something that would change everything Aaliyah thinks she knows about the world—and about him. And the closer she gets, the more she realizes that the most dangerous thing in her life isn't the men at the club, or the boss who takes half her money, or even the secrets Amari is keeping. It's the way she's starting to feel about all of it.
Dark, sensual, and set against the electric nightlife of Philadelphia, Thirst is a story about hunger in all its forms—for blood, for freedom, for someone who finally sees you clearly.

Some hungers can't be ignored.

409 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2026

Reviews

[bmreadingbooks]

Outstanding!

What can I say other than I loved it?! The way this story slowly burned and made me want to keep reading should be studied. I thought Mr Greer would take us fast but he definitely made us get to know Amari and his baby girl, Aaliyah. What started off as a Vampire floating through life with his own agenda, quickly turned into him wanting to knock down everything in sight to be with his Companion. I enjoyed the story arc and how this story ended. I am especially looking forward to book two. Well done!

[pagesofmarz]

First of all… Amari and Aaliyah were CUTE! 🥹❤️ I really enjoyed their characters and could understand both of their perspectives. I felt for Amari being alone for so long and wanting that connection, wanting his companion and someone to share his life with. And Aaliyah? Whew 😭 she was just trying to survive, change her circumstances, and create a better life for herself… and baby, she asked for a life change and she DEFINITELY received one! 😂🧛🏿‍♀️

Amari was GONE from the moment he saw her on that pole though. 🤣 Sir, you were not even trying to fight it!

While I really enjoyed the story, I think the reason I couldn’t quite give it 5 stars is because I found myself wanting a little more character development and depth in the story. With a fated-love setup, I wanted to FEEL the connection between Amari and Aaliyah a little more. More yearning, more of their emotions, and more of that I cannot live without you energy. At times, I felt like Aaliyah didn’t quite feel as strongly about Amari, and I just wanted more of their relationship developing on the page.

I also would’ve loved more of Aaliyah and Janae’s friendship. We could tell something was going on there, especially when she went to see her, but I wanted to actually experience that friendship and understand their bond a little more.

For me, the pacing felt like there was plenty of room to slow down and give us more of those little details and emotional moments. I just wanted a little more of the FEELS! 😭😂

And can we talk about Devon and Stanley? 👀 Count. Your. Days. 😂

Also… Aaliyah having a whole VAMPIRE companion and still walking into a room ALONE with a creep?! 😭 I understand the situation, but ma’am!!! And Amari… why are we letting our companion go places by herself?! Sir?! 😂

Overall, though, this was a GOOD READ! I really liked the characters, enjoyed the story, and I was definitely entertained. I just wanted a little more depth and a stronger emotional connection to make it that 5-star read for me.

Thank you to the author/author team for the ARC! 🩸🖤

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[Ayna Flouw]

Our MMC has it all, but who wouldn’t after being on Earth for over a century. Yet running a successful gambling club, having money overflowing and unlimited power, starts to feel like it’s not enough. But what if boredom leads him to the one person he never hoped to find…his fated mate.

Our FMC is trying to make ends meet, working at Fantasies, a strip club in Philly where all vices can be fulfilled. But she yearns for more to make a living from her art. If only she could meet a rich, dangerously handsome man to pay her rent and get her spark back.

This is my first book by W.S. Greer, and I loved it! The cover immediately caught my attention, and I’m so glad I gave it a try. This might be my first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last.

I tend to be skeptical about dual POVs when they’re written by men (no offense 😅). Usually, the FMC’s POV is shorter and lacks character development, but that definitely wasn’t the case here. I loved being able to read Aaliyah’s POV and really immerse myself in her perspective.

4/5 ⭐️

[Cici Perkins]

This is absolutely one of my top reads of 2026! I loved every minute.
Amari exudes this confidence/cocky combination that is just delicious. After a long lifetime he finally finds his fated partner in a strip club of all places.
Aaliyah is just trying to make it while life keeps throwing curve balls. But the day Amari walks into the club, the business he was there to take care of gets pushed to the back burner the moment he sees her on the pole.

As someone with a SH-ing past, I could absolutely relate to Aaliyah, and the way Amari didn't judge her or her scars is a thing only some will understand. I love love love them together!

This was absolutely everything I needed and wanted. WS Greer is a phenomenal writer, and this was more than a 5 star read for me!

Thank you so much to the author/author team for this ARC opportunity!!!

[Katia]

Fun Read

I love when a book can piss me off. Aaliyah had the survival instincts of a gnat, and it was frustratingly hilarious to me. Sis got every warning imaginable. Every gut instinct was screaming, “No, they aren’t safe,” and she still kept with it. I honestly don’t know how she survived this story. 😂

Of course, Amari was HIM. Be serious. That man was everything he needed to be. I love that he was morally grey. He tried to be a good fake human, but that’s not him and we love that for him.

The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful. I’ve been highly anticipating this release ever since I saw the announcement, and Part 1 did not disappoint. With that secret finally being uncovered, I’m very interested to see where Part 2 goes.

My only hope is that Aaliyah grows a little backbone because she was doing way too much crying for me. 😩

[Rosetta Delancy]

*ARC Review* this book was comical; it’s a paranormal
Romance. It follows Amari Goddard a vampire who’s over a 150 years old & Aaliyah Carter who’s 25. However their paths crossed by fate. He’s given up on finding his companion since he was turned and she’s trying to survive life while pursuing her dream to become an artist. However there are outside forces constantly trying to sabotage their destiny to get what they want; whether that’s love , money , adventure and danger. There are spicy scenes in here; however I think there should have been more. You have lies, betrayal, unwanted attention, possible S.A. Murder, suggested influence. Definitely check it out; you will be cackling a lot.

[Atira's Bookshelf]

As an avid vampire lover this book gave me everything I was looking for! The characters gave me what I was looking and it was written in a way that had me picturing it so vividly in my mind I still have the mental images in my head. I hope there's more to this story because I need more. I think this may be one of my favorite vampire books so far. And the way the the artwork is for this book and the way it's described I would want to actually have this in my house. I'm happy I received an arc copy but I need a physical copy as well! 

[Nyla Prince]

OMGGGGGGGG! 🔥🔥🔥

To actually read this book that is soooo different from his catalog was truly humbling! WS Greer has crossed over into the paranormal book world like that's all he's ever written!!! Well done sir!! The love that is blooming between Amari and Aaliyah is amazing...that man was 10 toes down for her badly!!! Can't wait for Thirst 2!

[Harmoni]

loved It !!🖤

WOW! 😮‍💨 I went into this book with absolutely no expectations, but I was thoroughly satisfied! 👏🏾✨

I was definitely iffy about Amari at first 👀. He was so dark and mysterious that I really didn’t know if I was going to enjoy him as the MMC, but he grew on me! 🖤 The more I learned about him, the more I understood his character, and by the end he definitely gave me everything I was looking for. 😭🙌🏾

Aaliyah was a great FMC! 👏🏾 She was strong, powerful, and stood firm in who she was. She didn’t let anybody make decisions for her or tell her how she should feel, which I feel like we don’t get enough of, especially in fantasy books. 💅🏾✨

What I loved most was that this story didn’t focus on what we typically expect fantasy to look like. It created its OWN lane! 🔥 The story kept shocking me because every time I thought I knew where things were going… WRONG! 😂😭 I genuinely never knew what was coming next.

I 100% loved this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ And now I’m sitting here like… BOOK 2, WHERE YOU AT?! 👀😂 Because I’m definitely invested!

[Portia]

Where do I begin???? When this comes out, do not hesitate to get it

I devoured this book in 2 days and it only took long because...life

This book gives Player's Club/PValley vibes with a vampire as the MMC. I loved Amari (MMC) in the story and how he played by his own set of rules and did not play about Aaliyah (FMC) once he set his eyes on her. I loved to see Aaliyah's resilience and her growth throughout the story.

The twist at the end has me wanting the next book in the series ASAP!

Thank you WS Greer for bringing this story to the black community and doing it so well. I can't wait to see what you come up with next

Thank you to The Author Agency for this eARC