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

Jessica can't wait to start her senior year. She's thinned down over the summer, tamed her wild curls into a semblance of order, and she's been putting in her time chatting with Jake - the hottie that lives the next farm over, and who spent the whole summer outside baling hay (read: tan + muscles). Everything is going swimmingly, until she sees some creepy guy in a cape on her way to the bus. Maybe she imagined it?

She's almost convinced herself until he shows up in her English class, too! Apparently he's some exchange student from Romania named Lucius Vladescu (what kind of a name is that?), and he announces to the class that he's staying with HER! Something weird is definitely going on ... not to mention Lucius called her Antanasia (her old Romanian name). Did I mention Jessica's a Romanian orphan who was adopted by the people she knows as her parents? It's starting to get weirder, right?

Back at home with Lucius, Jessica has some serious questions. Her parents don't seem nearly as concerned about his presence as they should be. Apparently, her parents have forgotten to mention that she has been betrothed to Lucius since she was an infant. As you can imagine, Jessica is totally freaking out...it's a lot to take in, not to mention she wants nothing to do with this spoiled Romanian VAMPIRE prince as he keeps calling himself. As if things weren't complicated enough, Lucius produces a document, that Jessica's parents signed all those years ago, proving that there is a pact pledging their eventual marriage. What century is this? Did he say vampire? She isn't even sure what to make of that last part ...

He turns on the charm full blast, trying to convince her to honor the pact. There are even times that she almost thinks he's not horrid, like when they go shopping and he finds a dress he wants her to try. Putting it on, she feels transformed into a real Romanian princess! How did he know? Not to mention, things with Jake aren't exactly as she had planned. He's nice, but as Lucius so rudely points out ... "you're so nice" isn't exactly what anyone wants to hear from their girlfriend. Just when she starts to come around, Lucius suddenly loses interest ... and starts dating someone else. Boys! What is Jessica going to do? She's starting to think that maybe Lucius isn't as crazy as she thought ...

"With a deep sigh, Lucius resumed pacing. 'Honestly, I can't stand this going around anymore. The story is quite simple. You, Antanasia, are the last of a long line of powerful vampires. The Dragomirs. Vampire royalty.'

Now that made me laugh, a squeaky, kind of hysterical laugh. 'Vampire royalty. Right.'

'Yes. Royalty. And that is the last part of the story, which your parents still seem reluctant to relate.' Lucius leaned over the table across from me, bracing his arms, staring me down. 'You are a vampire princess—the heir to the Dragomir leadership. I am a vampire prince. The heir to an equally powerful clan, the Vladescus. More powerful, I would say, but that's not the point. We were pledged to each other in an engagement ceremony shortly after our births.'" (Fantasky, 2009).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (January 2012)
Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCollough
Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Fantaskey, Beth. (2009). Jessica's guide to dating on the dark side. New York: Graphia Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.