A Girl's Guide to Vampires (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Katie Macalister (Author)
Key Phrases: rune table, belly tattoo, mon ange, Dark One, Inspector Bartos, Miss Randall (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

All Joy Randall wants is a little old-fashioned romance, but when she participates in a "Goddess evoking" ceremony with her friend, Roxy, Joy finds out her future true love is a man with the potential to put her immortal soul in danger. At first the ever-practical Joy is ready to dismiss her vision as a product of too much gin and too many vampire romances, but while traveling through the Czech Republic with Roxy, Joy begins to have some second thoughts about her mystery lover because she is suddenly plagued by visions of a lethally handsome stranger. Then, when she and Roxy attend a local GothFaire, Joy meets Raphael Griffin St. John, head of security, and she becomes even more bewildered because the dark and dangerous Raphael seems too close to her dreams for comfort. Readers will gladly give in to the wickedly sharp bite of MacAlister's wit in this temptingly toothsome romance. With its superb characterization and writing that manages to be both sexy and humorous, this contemporary paranormal love story is an absolute delight. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

Joy Randall's Top 5 Tips for Vampire Hunters: 1. Location, location, location. Remember, if you wouldn't be there, neither would a bloodsucker. 2. Trust your eyes. You know the handsome, annoyingly arrogant, self-assured man in the shadows with long hair and a cleft in his chin? He's your vampire. 3. No matter how tempting it might be, do not "accidentally" acquire a paper cut and suggest YOUR VAMPIRE kiss your finger to make it better. 4. From here on out, play it cool. Don't offer to accompany your prince of the night on the talk show circuit and whatever you do, don't offer him your heart. 5. And most of all, remember?being a vampire is nothing to laugh about.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 374 pages
• Publisher: Love Spell; Reprint edition (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0505525305
• ISBN-13: 978-0505525307
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (87 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,245 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 1 in The Dark Ones Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just A Fun Book, October 27, 2003

By	mayfayre "mayfayre" (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews

If you're a fan of vampire romantic fiction, you'll enjoy this one. The basic premise is that our heroine, Joy, is accompanying her friend Roxy on a trip to the Czech Republic to try to visit a reclusive author of romantic vampire fiction and to explore whether or not vampires do exist. Joy is a disbeliever but she doesn't want Roxy to do this on her own, so she agrees to go along. Naturally, Joy is the one the vampire takes an interest in. In her acknowledgements Ms. MacAlister thanks Christine Feehan, so it's not surprising that the reclusive author's vampires have a marked tongue-in-cheek resemblance to Feehan's Carpathians, including the inclusion of a series of steps to soulmate-hood. If you like Feehan's books, you'll enjoy Roxy's obsession with the Rules of the Dark Ones.

This book was just so funny in sections that I laughed out loud. The heroine wasn't a petite little thing (a wonderful change of pace); the hero was mysterious and sexy; the setting was a nice change of pace - a GothFest in the Czech Republic; and the secondary characters were fleshed out enough to make them interesting and relevant. All and all, it was just a fun book and I enjoyed it.

38 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Katie is A Wonder!, November 7, 2003

By	Brenda Condit "satinskper" (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Well first off I have to say that if you want to read a book that is full of humor, hot, sticky, passionate love scenes, great heros and fantastic heroines, story lines that keep you reading long after you should be asleep, then read a book by Katie MacAlister. I have read everything she's published so far and I eagerly await more.

One thing I really like about the way Katie writes is that she writes as if this were her story. You don't find many authors writting in the 1st person so its refreshing to read Katie's books.

A Girl's Guide To Vampires is a thrill ride. You have a lot of suspense and danger that keeps you guessing until the end. You have two wonderfully funny friends, Joy, the Heroine and Roxy the adorable best friend. The hero Raphael is.... Well let's just say I want one exactly like him! Raphael's rival Christian ain't too shabby himself.

I even loved the cover of this book. Its way to cute!
All in all I have to say that this is a WINNER!!!!
Run, don't walk to buy this book.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sexy, humorous read!!, December 16, 2003

By	Jamie B. (Huntsville, Al United States) - See all my reviews

Wow! I am so happy to have discovered Katie MacAlister. She does what most authors cannot - mixes sexiness, romance and humor to create a perfect recipe for a book you absolutely cannot put down. In GGV, you also get a dip into the paranormal. This is not a "carbon copy" of Feehan's work (as one reviewer mistakenly believes); Rather, it is Katie's own brand of "semi-vampires" - Dark Ones. And boy are they yummy! What sets Katie's version of the paranormal apart is the combination of her sharp wit and funny dialogue which result in a lighter version of the paranormal. Katie's characters are likeable, funny and sexy. (especially the guys! The best part is the "guy who does NOT get the girl" at the end has his own book coming out in March - SEX AND THE SINGLE VAMPIRE - Can't wait!!) One reviewer hammered on the main female character - Joy. I had to search my memory to even recall the so-called temper tantrums and crying jags to which this reviewer referred. Made me wonder if she even read the book. What I recall is a strong-willed, self-deprecating, funny, sexy heroine who moved the story along at wickedly enjoyable pace. I find it even more amusing that this same reviewer can't fathom how two girls who "bicker and snipe" at one another could truly be friends!?! One has to wonder if this reviewer has any girlfriends. The relationship between Joy and Roxy is true to form for best friends who have known each other since kindergarten and are more like sisters. Their "bickering" is funny and right on the money! However, their affection and protective nature for each other is ever present and is also a fundamental part of their relationship. There are simply not enough good things to say about this great book. I was so disappointed when I finished it and cannot wait until March to read SEX!!