Best Vampire Romance Books

For those who love Twilight, the next step should be to read the Sookie Stackhouse novels. The popular True Blood TV series was based on these novels, so if you like True Blood, it’s a given that you should read these novels. The books differ quite a bit  from the TV show in that there is more of a focus on characterization of the protagonist as opposed to the supporting cast. Really, the books are an experience that's different from the movie – you can enjoy both without a problem. Overall, there’s just a whole lot more happening in the book than on the TV show (including a bunch of new and interesting supernatural creatures).The Sookie Stackhouse books have quite a bit of romance thrown into the mix, but unlike the TV series,  there’s not as much as rampant sex (and way less than the Anita Blake series). So it’s racy, but not overly so.For most people, vampire romance novels come down to two players: the Sookie Stackhouse books and the Twilight series. Personally, I prefer the Sookie books because there’s more going on in them than just high schoolish romance.What's even better is that you can buy the boxed 8 set for under 40 bucks now.

While we've given a selection of some of the more serious works of Vampire fiction, sometimes you want a more low brow read, one full of teen angst, young adults, and some of the trappings that made the Twilight books a hit.In that vein, Richelle Mead created a pretty solid YA masterpiece when she penned the ‘Vampire Academy’ series, a lighter, more romantic take on the vampire genre, set in a schoolyard stage. These books, typically targeted at young adults, perfectly combined a classic teenage vampire story and twisted it into a truly unique and detailed vampire fantasy. While this book does stick to some tradition vampire lore, Mead creates an entirely new narrative and unprecedented take on the vampire world that is free of awkward phrasing and sappy characterization. The use of a highly trained ‘guardian’ to protect a mortal vampire princess from immortal vampire assassins is certainly a twist on the classic vampire novel that no reader has seen before. Although the various subplots of this series are fairly predictable (hint: the protagonist falling in love with her trainer/vampire princess falling in love with a naïve nerd), it is the entire vampire reality that Mead creates which makes this series a far more intriguing and compelling read than most other vampire novels. While the film adaptation of these novels wasn’t exactly a box-office hit, this novel and its accompanying film are an entertaining and easy read that can give you a good hit of vampire fiction to keep you going until another vampire novel hits the shelves.

Anne Rice is considered one of the pioneers of the vampire genre.  The Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight novels were heavily influenced by Anne Rice's’work.Anne Rice’s most popular work (and perhaps her best) is Interview with a Vampire – book that combines romance, passion, and desire, one of the hallmarks of the now stereotypical vampire character. There was a movie based on the book, but it was a terrible adaptation. The best books in the series are the first three books. After that, the quality of the series goes down.

Another vampire romance series, but one that has a pretty interesting vampire character. The plot follows Kerry, a young woman, who saves Ethan – a vampire – from vampire hunters. It’s a choice that she may regret as Ethan turns out to be an untrustworthy character. Of course, Kerry also falls madly in love with him which makes things complicated.

If you are looking for a romantic vampire horror novel, the Companions of the Night are some of the better books to be found. What’s so good about these novels is that they are both spine jinglingly scary AND pretty thought-provoking too. The plotting and characters are quite a bit more complex than those of the Twilight series.The novels are packed full of action, romance, suspense, and even a tiny sprinkling of humor.  The writing doesn’t descend into overly descriptive paragraphs (cough, Anne Rice) breaking the flow of the story. Companions of the Night makes for a smooth, quick read – one that will keep you entertained, no matter if you’re 15 or 35! This is also a novel and NOT a series, which is a rare thing in the vampire romance subgenre.

These books have been around for nearly a decade now and are still wooing the hearts of millions of women around the world. Her male heroes are particularly well drawn. One of the problems in the vampire romance genre is that male characters get cast as the typical cardboard character. Sherrilyn Kenyonâs male characters (the good bad guys), have a breath of humanity in them â and this is very refreshing. Though Kenyonâs heroes are literally Greek gods come to earth, they are more than just good-looking boy toys. If you are looking for a good vampire romance series with well written characters and good writing to boot, The Dark Hunter novels are some of the best in the genre.

For a racy adult vampire series, Anita Blake takes the cake. The novel's sort of a cross between mystery and romance, though as this humongous series progresses dwells more in more in the bodice-ripper romance category. There is a cult following of women who love this series and for those who are turned on by vampire lovin’, this book is about as racy as you’re going to find in a bookstore.

As one of the most popular fantasy series in history, it would be remiss not to include Stephanie Myers Twilight series on this list. The 4-book series has had an enormous impact on the young adult fantasy, shaping the genre into what it is today. This corny, teenage vampire romance series, while not entirely ground-breaking, sent the world into a frenzied vampire obsession, with Myers captivating her readers with an attractive teenage heart throb and a romance to stand the test of time. Myers must be given credit for her ability to write for an audience. Appealing to teenagers and young adults, the author chose Bella, a young high school student out of her depth, as the narrative voice of the series. Bella is a smart, pretty and shy arrival at her school, when she catches the eye of the sullen yet "dazzling" vampire Edward Cullen. Myer quickly throws her readers into a world of sparkling vampires and shirtless werewolves. However, while some sections of the series feel vibrant and exciting, there are long stretches of boredom and clunky dialogue, especially during the numerous Edward-Bella bonding sub-plots…feel free to skip that part. This generation defining series includes a number of intriguing ideas, however, the constant melodrama will irritate veteran fantasy readers.

For a cool YA vampire adventure, It'd be hard to recommend anything better than Sweet Blood. This book hands down does the best misunderstood-goth-coming-of-age story. The story premise is really interesting (arguably unique to the genre): a 16 year old diabetic Goth girl slides downhill as she is intellectually seduced by a creepy cyber vampire over the internet.Sounds kind of creepy and weird right? Well it is, but itâs a heck of a fun read and a good break from the perfect girl with a few mental problems meets perfect, but bad boy vampire theme thatâs becoming all too common these days. There is some similarity to the Vampire Kisses series, but in my opinion, Sweet Blood is the more unique and complex novel.

A combination of Mean Girls and Vampire Academy. Bianca is forced by her parents to attend a private school. What her parents don’t realize is that this private school is one attended by vampires.