A Girl's Guide to Vampires

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A slow starter, but worth the perseverance! - Rated
As a self-confessed vampire freak - I sneaked this book to the top of my To Be Read pile as a treat. This is the first of Katie MacAllister's books that I've read and based on this I'd definitely read more.

A Girl's Guide to Vampires isn't perfect - but it's very good. To be honest, I found it a really slow starter. But I always persevere with books even if I'm not hooked straight away - and I'm glad because the story hotted up considerably! The tale is told from the point of view of Joy Randall. She and her best friend Roxy go on holiday to the Czech Republic, as Roxy is a complete vampire obsessive and in particular a huge fan of an author called C.J. Dante. Roxy's determined they will meet this famous writer and pump him for information about 'The Dark Ones' he writes about in his novels. Joy herself enjoys the books, but doesn't believe the content is real, unlike her friend.

Needing a change of scenery, Joy is happy to go along. The girls arrive to find the locals friendly, and the country beautiful. Soon, though, the girls are attracting quite a lot of attention, and not always of the good kind...

To make matters worse, Joy is experiencing weird visions which appear to be projected upon her by an unknown vampire; and she is pursued by three sinister suitors, and in making her choice from one of them - things become even more topsy-turvy!

This book is a mad wild-goose chase, with a lovely mix of romance, lust and steaming hot sex. I always enjoy a book containing vampires and bedroom naughtiness - and this is no exception. As I said, it was a real slow starter in my opinion, but give it chance because the rest of the book is worth it.

Great Fun! - Rated
I thoroughly enjoyed this first book of the Dark One series. The characters were fun and bubbly (the women) and quite hilarious and the guys were dark and brooding. I was pleased with the ending to the story which gave a great twist and I can't wait for the next one! I love Katie Macalister's books and this one was no exception.

So so - Rated
If you can get through the first few pages in this book without wanting to throttle the heroine and her friend, you deserve a medal. However, once you start to ignore how ditsy the main characters are the book is quite enjoyable, funny and sexy.

So so - Rated
If you can get through the first few pages in this book without wanting to throttle the heroine and her friend, you deserve a medal. However, once you start to ignore how ditsy the main characters are the book is quite enjoyable, funny and sexy.

Katie goes a vampire hunting with hysterical results! - Rated
Miranda is Witch...um, I mean a Wiccan (the new age Politically Correct term) and she decides to use her power to help her two friends find romance, passion and "something" to set their hearts to racing. Roxy is a 24-year-old virgin saving herself for Mr. Right and believes in the Moravian Dark Ones (obviously a take off on Best Selling Carpathians from author Christian Feehan). She just spent the night fighting off Mr. Eight-hands Octopus so she is ready for an adventure more to her taste. The other, Joyful, is "going steady" with Bradley the bore. They welcome Miranda's aid, even though it is with a nervous twitter. Miranda summons the Goddess to find the perfect mate for her friends in an evening of wine and conjuring a la Witches of Eastwick. And like Eastwick's witches they get more they bargained for...

Miranda foretells Roxy will meet her true love before the moon rises and sets again. Joy is ready to giggle until her turn comes. Miranda warns Joy will take a trip. Well duh? This does not impress Joy because Roxy and she are leaving to go to Czech Republic the next day. But when Miranda cautions a child of darkness will cross Joy's path, Joy gets the shivers. Miranda stresses Joy should not be swayed by his dark ways, however, there is another - one who stands in the shadows behind him. He is the one she should fear. Her immortal soul was in the balance, so she must choose wisely.

As the Girl arrive in the Czech Republic, they land smack in the middle of a Goth Festival - nightly till 2 a.m. for a week. Since everyone is dressed as a vampire and vamping around, how is Joy to tell the real Carpathian...um, I mean Moravian Dark Ones for the imitation one? Is it Dominic in his Chris Lee cape, white makeup and the fake fangs? Or it is the sedate and commanding Raphael St. John?

Roxy, the expert on Dark Ones, swears Raphael, while being definitely attractive, is not a vampire. After all, everyone saw him drinking a beer and every well-versed Moravian expert knows Dark Ones cannot drink anything but blood until after The Joining. Only, Roxy believe Dominic IS a Dark One while Joy thinks he is nothing but a high-camp ham. Also, she witnesses Raphael dumping his beer in a potted plant when no one was looking!

Dominic is the head of the troop of so-called vamps going to Goth Fairs all over Europe entertaining, and it is clear he is Raphael's boss. Within minutes of first meeting them, Joy and Roxy learn there is a trail of dead women leading from town to town in the wake of the Vampire Troop. Is Dominic or Raphael really a vampire and preying on the women who come to the festivals - just like Roxy and Joy - or is it the strange Tanya who seems too possessive of Dominic and is caught lurking around Roxy and Joy's hotel rooms?

If matters were not getting so heated up - with Dominic suddenly taking an interest in Joy - much to Roxy and especially Tanya's distress - Joy would laugh at everything, equating Dominic's vamp imitation on par with Grandpa of The Munsters. I mean when a man in white makeup and fake fangs threatens to fulfil all your darkest fantasies, no matter how extreme, would you really take him seriously?

Joy feels the sexy, amber-eyes Raphael is the real vampire, though Roxy will hear none of it. Despite this suspicion, Joy cannot help but fall for Raphael - LITERALLY, several times!! So what is a gal to do?? Join Joyful clumsily learns the ins and outs of dealing with vampires - fake and real - in this warm and funny tale.

Katie MacAlister gives you a howling good time - as she always does - lovingly poking fun and the Vampire genre and the fans who devouring them. Coming soon is Sex and the Single Vampire...I cannot wait!!