Review: A unique, fun, and original vampire story.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 7, 2012
When I received an email from the author of Diary of a Vampire Stripper asking me if I would be interested in reviewing her book, I was very curious. I didn't have a clue what to expect though I did read what the book was about before accepting. Diary of a Vampire Stripper is so different and original and just plain fun to read.Audra, or Claudia (as she's referred to by her stripper name in the beginning), is your average 27 year old woman just trying to pay for college and pay her rent. She lands a job as a stripper despite not being very good at it. That's when she meets Darren Von Eldon, a man she notices has been coming by the club daily just to watch her. What she isn't aware of, at first, is that Darren is a vampire. During a weekend away together, Darren changes her into a vampire, unbeknownst to her. Once she realizes what's happened, Darren up and leaves her high and dry with only a note telling her that he will return. After that, she ends up meeting Paul, another guy who seems to visit the club just to watch her. They begin a relationship because it's been months since Darren left, and Audra isn't even sure that Darren will ever return. Audra also befriends Lucinda, one of the other woman who works at the club.Audra does her best to hide the fact that she's a vampire from everyone, and certain things about Lucinda makes Audra think that she might just be a vampire too. As for Lucinda, she knows that there is something different about Audra, but vampire wasn't what she initially thought. Lucinda thought Audra was like her ... a werewolf. Once they know each others secrets, Lucinda clues Audra in to the fact that vampires and werewolves are generally enemies, and although the two of them are best friends, their respective clans don't really get along well. Plus, there is a string of murders occurring that Lucinda's family believes is being perpetrated by the vampires.This story is so real and, at times, blunt! Now, the thought of creating a character that is flatulent might seem unusual, unless it's a very minor character that is hardly a blip on the radar, but in this book, it's one of the main characters. And oddly enough, he becomes a very endearing character. My initial reaction was to laugh because it was so unexpected, but at the same time, it's realistic. That happens, you know. As strange as it sounds, I liked that this particular character wasn't perfect. I liked that he had an embarrassing flaw, yet you just can't help but fall in love with him.At the beginning, I was a little iffy about whether or not I would like the character of Audra because of the mean things that she thought about Lucinda before she even had the chance to know her. But Audra is a cool character, and I was really glad that she became friends with Lucinda. Although Lucinda's family, particularly her grandfather, doesn't like or trust vampires, the two work together to try to figure out who is murdering people before a war between vampires and werewolves erupts.Not to mention, they have to fight off a group of cops hell bent on destroying them all.I could probably just go on and on about this book, but then I'd end up telling you the whole story, and I don't want to do that! I say you should read it for yourself. If you are a fan of paranormal romances with a touch of mystery and a lot of fun, then I recommend Diary of a Vampire Stripper! My only complaint was that I felt that the way it ended was abrupt. There was so much more to the story, and I wasn't expecting it to end where it did. Thankfully, Diary of a Vampire Stripper: Choices, book two in the series, will be released later this year.**Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.**