Let me start by saying that lately I seem to have gotten tired of “formulaic” paranormal romances. I loved the Twilight Saga and liked some of the many vampiric love stories that were published afterwards. However after a while it became too easy to guess the plots of these books. Boy meets girl, girl falls for boy, who is impossibly handsome and mature beyond his years. Girl believes that she is lacking in ability and looks but boy sees her potential and hidden beauty. They fall in love and after overcoming obstacles, villains, and the difficult concept of eternity and immortality live happily ever after for infinity and beyond.

Now of course there are different plot variations but they all boil down to the same thing. The trick is in how well you write, because let’s face it; most love stories have a little Romeo and Juliet in them. For a while I shied away from romance and focused on memoirs (weird I know). I stumbled across Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Jessica, #1) when one of my favorite authors added the book to her Goodreads, giving it a full five stars. Since I was in-between books and in dire need of something to read on the subway, I picked up the first Jessica novel.

It was refreshingly good. Yes the book has all of those predictable ingredients but Ms. Fantaskey also added a few spices. She writes in such a way that at moments you forget about the formula. But don’t let the title or blurb fool you. Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side seems is a lite read compared to many other vampire novels (*cough cough* Interview With the Vampire *cough*) but there are some finer points made in the story.

Okay so Jessica….

 

I have to admit I wanted to hit her over the head with a frying pan a few times. She was just soooooo frustrating. But after a few chapters she grew on me. Her character was a bit lacking. With every character I thought that Fantaskey had specific roles in mind and didn’t want to stray far from those roles. Jessica was supposed to be the stereo typical rational girl; Mindy was the supportive best friend, etc. I wasn’t really able to relate with anyone in the book until the last few chapters. But what really brought the book together was….

Lucius (our Hero)

 

He was just too damn funny. His arrogance and baffle-ness at American culture had me rolling on the floor. But I think that his dry humor has a deeper meaning. In Lucius’ letters to his uncle he points out absurd Americanisms. On numerous occasions (throughout both of the Jessica novels) I viewed our social mores from another perceptive. 

At one point Lucius says “Jessica. For god's sake," he said. "Allow me to do at least one common courtesy for you. In spite ow what 'women's lib' teaches you, chivalry does not imply that women are powerless. On the contrary, chivalry is an admission of women's superiority. An acknowledgment of your power over us. This is the only form of servitude a Vladescu ever practices, and I perform it gladly for you. You, in turn, are obligated to accept graciously.”

Well played Beth Fantaskey, well played.

In addition to adding a bit of modern feminism/ chivalry, Fantaskey also uses Lucius to preach about self image and the concept of beauty. 

Honestly the first book was really good. The second one, Jessica Rules the Dark Side, was a bit draggy. But there was better character development. I got to see more depth in Mindy’s character as well as Jessica’s.

Overall----> 3.8 stars out of 5 

                          Peace, Love, and Hijabs,

                           Primrose