Rachel Harrison's latest is a unique spin on vampire tales!
I devoured this! Harrison is a captivating storyteller. Her blend of horror and humor made this a refreshingly feminist perspective on the vampire genre. Sloane is in her thirties and has struggled with aging and self-worth and settled for a life where she tolerates a cheating husband. No one could predict the turn things would take when he sends her off on a surprise birthday weekend getaway with her wild and uninhibited best friend, Naomi—least of all, Sloane.
The story is fast-paced with gore, action, and vividly depicted characters. Sloane's journey is not just about breaking free from a rut. She has also dealt with trauma and regrets from her past. I rooted for her throughout the book. Her growth occurs as she must navigate a confusing new reality and overwhelming physical cravings, prompting her to reevaluate her life only after she and her best friend become the undead.
The book pays homage to vampire legend while offering a modern take with an introspective FMC. Friendship, self-acceptance, empowerment, and living life to the fullest are central themes, along with an element of found family and a bit of romance. It is well-written, has witty dialogue, and is brimming with heart and dark humor, making it a fabulous spooky season pick. I loved this and had so much fun reading it!
Brittany Pressley narrates the audiobook and is perfectly cast for this story! She embodies Sloane, Naomi, and all the other characters with various accents and personalities. She brings to life all the scenes, from the emotional to the unsettling, and makes this a very entertaining listen!
Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Penguin Random House Audio for the free book and audiobook!
I was excited to receive a recipe card with the book for the perfect drink pairing for the story! Scroll for the recipe
PUBLISHER'S SYNOPSIS:
A woman must learn to take life by the throat after a night out leads to irrevocable changes in this juicy, thrilling novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Such Sharp Teeth and Black Sheep.
Sloane Parker is dreading her birthday. She doesn’t need a reminder she’s getting older, or that she’s feeling indifferent about her own life. Her husband surprises her with a birthday-weekend getaway—not with him, but with Sloane’s longtime best friend, troublemaker extraordinaire Naomi. Sloane anticipates a weekend of wine tastings and cozy robes and strategic avoidance of issues she’d rather not confront, like her husband’s repeated infidelity.
But when they arrive at their rental cottage, it becomes clear Naomi has something else in mind. She wants Sloane to stop letting things happen to her, for Sloane to really live. So Naomi orchestrates a wild night out with a group of mysterious strangers, only for it to take a horrifying turn that changes Sloane’s and Naomi’s lives literally forever. The friends are forced to come to terms with some pretty eternal consequences in this bloody, seductive novel about how it’s never too late to find satisfaction, even though it might taste different than expected.
Comments