Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

I was lucky enough to win a copy of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side recently.  This book was a delightfully fun read that really got me out of my reading funk.  Here's the Goodreads blurb:

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .
Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war — and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

This was really a great book.  I loved that this tall, dark and handsome stranger appears, tries to get her to fall for his charms and the whole time Jessica is trying to ward him off.  I love that she doesn't just fall into his arms from the beginning.  Jessica is a pretty great character because she is true to herself and the people that she loves.  At the end she shows how brave she can be when someone she loves is on the line.  She has great inner strength.  Lucius is interesting because his exterior and his interior are so vastly different.  Lucius was raised by his uncle to rule his clan with an iron fist.  He knows from experience that people will use you to their own ends so you have to use them for your own purposes first.  Lucius didn't have the loving upbringing that Jessica did but under the exterior that his upbringing cultivated, he has a loving side.  Under it all, he just wants to love someone and have them love him in return while not having to be someone he isn't for them or having to worry about them using him.  It's kind of sad.  When Jessica does finally fall for him... it's pretty magical between them.

I would suggest this one for readers 14 and up due to some violence and talk of sexual shenanigans.  Some middle grades readers may be able to handle it.  There is a short story about Jessica and Lucius' wedding on Beth Fantaskey's Blog and you can always follow her on Twitter.  You can click here to add the Jessica Series books to your Goodreads!

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side earns 4 Fairies for sexy and conflicted Lucius as well as plenty of good one liners.