Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

If there is one thing I regret about this book, it's not reading it sooner! This is another book that has been on my shelf since July of 2012 and I am really kicking myself for not getting to it earlier. The whole vampire thing has been done to death but I admit I still like it. There was just something about this book I really enjoyed.

I found the storyline to be intriguing. Girl finds out she's vampire royalty and has been engaged since birth, to a completely gorgeous vampire prince no less. Jessica doesn't automatically fall in love with Lucius either, just because she's supposed to. At first she puts up a huge fight, saying she doesn't love him or want to marry him but she eventually realizes what a great guy he is.

I loved Jessica. She was strong willed and did what was right. If she didn't want to do something nobody was going to be able to change her mind. She's extremely caring and looks out for the people she cares about. Lucius on the other hand, believes himself to be a monster. That is not the case at all, he is sensitive, chivalrous, caring and ridiculously intelligent. He does have a dark side where he can get rather moody and even dangerous, especially when someone messes with Jessica!

I really didn't think I would like this one, especially in the beginning because I kind of thought Lucius was a stalker. I ended up being surprised by Lucius and how deep he actually was. This book definitely exceeded my expectations and I am extremely pleased that it did.

If you are looking for a book that has vampires, action and quite a bit of romance, then this one is definitely for you. The vampires in this novel drink actual blood and can be quite ruthless but they can also be extremely sensitive as well. So if you want a quick, fun read definitely check this one out.

“As impossible as this sounds, I think Ballad was even better than Lament! I thought the plot was a lot more original and I loved that James was the main character, he was my favorite character in Lament and I was glad to get to see more of him in this book. Nuala and him were so cute together that I kept rooting for them the whole way through the book. I was so sad when I thought she might die, and I found myself reading faster and faster and growing more and more worried as the book went on and he still hadn't saved her, and it even crossed my mind for a moment that maybe she wouldn't be able to become human and stay with James. I think that is what made me love this book, was I never was quite sure what would happen in the end, there were so many ways it could go, and many unexpected things happened that I just kept reading and reading, and enjoying it the whole way through. Plus it was funny. Which naturally made it 20 times better.

This is by far one of my favorite YA books of all time! I found it in the used section of our local book store and thought I'd give it a shot. Once I picked it up I didn't stop reading, and finished it in a matter of hours. The characters are perfectly matched and you aren't loaded down with tons of needless detail. It's a new take on vampires that I hadn't read before, which I always love! The story flows from start to finish and when I reached the end I wanted so much more. I've waited more than a year to get my hands on the second book.

Reader reviewed by Arianna

 This was a really great read! I found this book with all the OTHER vampire books at Borders... (I believe that craze is still going on now...) but it turned out to be a perfectly unique book/plot, and was written very well. However, I do think that the book was a bit fast pace, which caused it to lack a bit of detail, but not enough to make someone lose interest in the story. The main character doesn't really believe too much in herself or who she is "destined" to be, which becomes a bit annoying as you go farther into the book, but she does gain some courage near the latter quarter of the book. The ending was really great!! Probably my favorite part of the whole book! (not because it meant the book had ended, but because it was a well-written, touching moment between the two main characters) Although it kinda leaves you wondering what happens AFTER that specific moment... its still a good ending though. Definitely read it if you're a fan of vampire novels, or fiction in general!

Reader reviewed by Ruthie

This was a decent vampire novel. I liked the overall story and plot line and the book moved rapidly enough to keep me occupied. I did notice however that towards the end it started getting a little Twilight-ish. Lucius began to fear his dark side and he withdrew himself from Jessica's life in order to protect her. Um, New Moon anyone? However unlike Bella, Jessica was a stronger character which made up for Lucius's Edwardness. I'd like to see more of this book. I'd definitely read a sequel.

Reader reviewed by KeturCullen1340

Book Review: Awesome! This was one of the first books vampire books I
ever read after I read Twilight. I basically only picked it up because
of the pretty cover and because the summary said something about
vampires. Jessica is sort of my half twin. She is mostly all about logic
and seeing is believing. This is why she can't accept the truth when
her parents tell her that she is a betrothed vampire. She meets
beautiful Lucius and acts like she actually doesn't like it that she has
a hot vampire following her around. Lucius is kind of stuck up from the
beginning and is appalled that Jessica is outside mucking the stalls.
He gets better at the end because Jessica humbles him. She denies her
love for him until it almost gets them killed. She finally proves to
Lucius that she loves him by offering the only thing she has, herself.
This book was a whole new breath of air since Lucius and Jessica can be
killed by stakes and they even drink from each other. I love this book
and Beth kept me entertained with little pieces of Lucissica when I
least expected it. Beth is a fabulous author and proves it in this book
and her new one coming out this year, Jekyll and Hyde. Go check it
out!!!

Reader reviewed by Julie

This book is absolutely a 5 star book!!!

Lucius was great! I love how he acted threatening and scary (or tried) but you could really see that he cared for Jessica the whole book! I could completely understand Jessica's feelings when she finds out she is a European Vampire Princess! Instead of being a normal teenager, she is meant to stop a Vampire war. It turns her life around and she has to learn to deal with everything that is thrown at her.

I loved reading about Jessica's problems and about her interactions with Lucius (love him!). :D

Reader reviewed by Nikki aka SpunkiiReader

Jessica's Guide to Dating the Darkside is a great book for readers looking for the relationships that aren't easy. It's not about "they meet, they fall in love, happily ever after." It's a struggle just to like the person, let alone love the person. I really fell in love with Jessica's character, she is strong and independant, but she later learns that she needs to be stronger. She really grows in this book. I love how her past catches up with her and in the beginnng she runs from it but soon learns to embrace it even once its been pushed out of her reach. So in all I reccomend this book to those who want a little drama with their romance.

Reader reviewed by Mimi

At first, because of the title, I thought it was going to be really fluffy and light. Boy, was I wrong! It was actually a pleasant surprise!

There was much more depth than I thought there would be. This book's uniqueness also impressed me very much. I absolutely loved the romance between Lucius and Jessica because it was totally believable. It's not one of those love at first sight books. Their relationship took more time to develop and that's what made it really believable.

Bottom line, this is definitely a book to be read by all!

Reader reviewed by Erica