Review: "Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side," by Beth Fantaskey

Yes, "Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side," by Beth Fantaskey, is another vampire book. But, it has elements of "The Princess Diaries" in addition to elements of "Twilight." I'm blogging about this book, so it is rated G. (Whew!) It is also a great story! It's very funny in parts, and also sends good body-image and decision-making messages to women. I loved this book and was sad to be done reading it.

Lucius Vladescu starts out as an Edwardeque stalker. After all, he and Jessica Packwood have been destined from birth to marry each other and fulfill their two families' pact. He treats Jessica like the princess she is, while making it very clear he intends to marry her and take her away from her suburban life.

However, Jessica has only just now found out she is a princess, let alone a vampire princess who is especially ready for a vampire's bite to change her. She has to get used to this idea. She also likes another man, an ordinary "peasant," the way Lucius sees it.

Lucius is smart enough to realize that coming on strong isn't getting him the girl. He changes tactics and plays "hard to get" and "get her jealous." And then, just as Jessica starts to fall for Lucius, he falls for Jessica, too -- and decides that she is better off without him...  Yes, this part is very similar to Twilight.

The Vladescus are a real family of real vampires, though. They are actually dangerous and conniving, completely different from the altruistic Cullens. Lucius is entirely right, in thinking that Jessica is better off without him and his family. Little does he know he has entirely underestimated the power of love.

I found Lucius every bit as luscious as Edward Cullen -- without all of Bella's gushing about his beauty every two pages. Jessica is a fun character who is easy to like. Her parents are even weirder than Bella Swan's mother, though. Be warned. They are downright hippies.