If you can get past the vulgarity, and I suppose what can you expect from a book about vampires?, you actually encounter a pretty rich plot with subplots and an emotional development of the narrator/main character. This book is full of puns and off-color jokes and the vampire culture is very well woven throughout. There actually is a very sweet relationship here between the vampire and the young mortal girl who he adopts. There is also a happy ending. There are vague references to this world inhabited by vampires and I wished we were told more about how & why that all came about. The way technology was described in this future place--the fears and capabilities--were reminiscent of today which is kind of weird because the novel is already five years old. Not for the faint of heart--get used to all the blood and be able to laugh about it and you will be okay!

Anita Blake is able to raise the dead and a vampire hunter. Vampires now have rights in St. Louis so an execution order is required to kill a vampire to stay legal. Anita stays on the right side of the law, mostly. People want bodies raised for many reasons; to settle a will dispute, forgiveness, even to find out who killed them--as long as their throat wasn't ripped out. Anita is also on the police Spook Squad that is called to investigate murders that may have been committed by vampires or other otherworld characters. She is also involved with Jean Claude, a very old vampire that becomes the Master of the City--kind of like mayor for the vampires in the area. Anita is only 5'3" but armed with her silver bullets and silver knives, she takes on the oldest and most powerful vampires she comes across, usually with a little help from her friends. The books are very graphic in describing the deaths of the victims and zombies Anita raises. The action moves the plot along and there is usually a mystery of "who done it" that gets resolved. This is the first series of Anita Blake books. I have read several and while it would be helpful to read them in order, it's not absolutely necessary. I've enjoyed them and will finish the series.

Ava is a stunning human with otherworld friends. She doesn't understand how her friends are attracted to them and is determined to remain "human". Until, she is walking home from a girls night out and is attacked by a vampire. She swallows some of his blood and now her future involves becoming a vampire. The hero is in town to hunt up a rouge vampiress and comes to her aide, killing the attacker and taking her home to help her through the transition. She and he become involved in love and the scheme to capture the rouge vampiress. The book was an entertaining romance involving the otherworld characters. Easy read.

Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are now married, and have gone to the Continent for an extended honeymoon. Elizabeth is concerned because while Mr. Darcy professes his love and treats her with care and consideration, he has limited his passion to an occasional kiss.

Their visit to Paris is wonderful—Darcy has many friends and an amazing number of houses and hunting lodges spread throughout Europe. The trip becomes more perilous as they proceed. Wolves howl as they traverse the Alps on their way to visit Darcy’s uncle—who is a Count, with a mysterious castle surrounded by a deep moat. Their visit is cut short when they must flee the castle as an angry mob approaches. Strange frightening dreams begin haunting Elizabeth’s nights after they arrive in Venice, despite (or perhaps because of) the masquerade ball held in her honor. When they are invited to Prince Ficenzi’s villa near Rome even more perilous events test Elizabeth’s courage, and the love between Elizabeth and Darcy. 

Obviously the characters and setting are very important to Jane Austen fans. The story builds on Pride and Prejudice but this paranormal sequel does a good job of complementing the original work.

Popular for Jane Austen fans and lovers of paranormal romance, but would also be fine for those looking for historical fiction with a slightly different aspect. Not as graphic as many of the newer paranormal romance.

This is the first of a list of books starring Betsy, the Queen of the Vampires. Betsy is having a really bad week. First, she loses her job, then she is killed in a car accident. Betsy can't seem to stay dead, as she has been turned into a vampire. Her first concern is how she was nearly buried in cheap knock off shoes instead of one of her designer pairs in her closet. There are very funny scenes of her adjusting to her new life. This is Chick Lit meets Vampire.

This is a collection of alternative history short stories. In one of the stories, Theodore Roosevelt is sent to England by President Grover Cleveland to assist investigators in the hunt for Jack the Ripper. The actual “vampire” story in this collection is called, The Roosevelt Dispatches. Roosevelt is in Cuba leading his Rough Riders on a campaign. They encounter a creature that is impervious to bullets and it ingests the blood of its prey.