Rebecca H. (amichai) reviewed Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson, Bk 1) on + 368 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
Although I finished the book, I cannot call it original or especially clever. The main character, Jane, is very like Maryjanice Davidson's Queen Betsy, but the setting is a town in Kentucky and vampires have recently "come out" to regular humans as in Charliane Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels. More than one character is similar to a character in the Queen Betsy books. If you love the genre more than you value originality you may enjoy the book.
Brittany H. (poohbritt) -
Helpful Score: 6
Reviewed on htt://Bookishbritt.blogspot.com
So I'm especially fond of Jane Jameson because she is of a most honorable profession. One we can all admire: a librarian. Or at least she was until she's unceremoniously canned with only a Shennanigin's gift certificate for her pension. She gets tipsy, wonders home, and is mistaken for a deer and shot by a red-neck. Enter Mister Tall-dark-and-dead, shake and bake, and Jane is getting a visit from the Undead Welcoming Committee.
Of course in death as in life, bad luck keeps finding her and someone ends up pinning murders on her, drawing scrutiny from the vamp elders. (One of the elders kind of sounds like Dakota Fanning...fanged.) All the while, Mr. Tall and Dark turns into Mr. Hot and Cold and her relationship with her sire remains undefined. Not to mention her southern family don't take kindly to their darling daughter being undead.
It was a really good start to a series and I especially loved that the main character was intelligent. Aloof, maybe, but not dim like Betsy (Maryjanice davidson's series). Thus her humor is quick wit. I can't wait to read "Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men"
So I'm especially fond of Jane Jameson because she is of a most honorable profession. One we can all admire: a librarian. Or at least she was until she's unceremoniously canned with only a Shennanigin's gift certificate for her pension. She gets tipsy, wonders home, and is mistaken for a deer and shot by a red-neck. Enter Mister Tall-dark-and-dead, shake and bake, and Jane is getting a visit from the Undead Welcoming Committee.
Of course in death as in life, bad luck keeps finding her and someone ends up pinning murders on her, drawing scrutiny from the vamp elders. (One of the elders kind of sounds like Dakota Fanning...fanged.) All the while, Mr. Tall and Dark turns into Mr. Hot and Cold and her relationship with her sire remains undefined. Not to mention her southern family don't take kindly to their darling daughter being undead.
It was a really good start to a series and I especially loved that the main character was intelligent. Aloof, maybe, but not dim like Betsy (Maryjanice davidson's series). Thus her humor is quick wit. I can't wait to read "Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men"
Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
This looked like a fun read and I was in the mood for something funny. This book met all my expectations it is a very funny, light, and clever read. Incredibly entertaining. It is the first book in the Jane Jameson trilogy. I listened to this on audio book; the audio book was very well done and probably contributed to me liking the book so much.
Jane Jameson is a children's librarian...at least she is until her evil boss lays her off because of budget cuts. After spending the night after her lay-off drowning her sorrows in mud-slides, her day just gets worse. She gets shot walking home by a drunk man who drives by in a truck and shoots her thinking she is a deer. Well this is the beginning of her undead life, as sexy Gabriel (a man she meet at the bar that night) saves her life...kinda...by turning her into a vampire. Now Jane must find a job, figure out how to navigate her new vampire lifestyle, and defend herself against murder charges.
This book was a hoot. Jane is just your normal girl, turned vampire. She is snarky and funny, and is surrounded by polite southern-woman doing their best to insult sweetly. This book drops the mystery surrounding vampires and represents them as the normal people they probably would be if your average everyday Joe got turned. For example, when Jane is awake at 2am trying to figure out what to do with her night she decides to go where any proper southern girl would go at 2am....Walmart...and finds it to be a secret hang-out of the undead. When her new found friend Andrea offers to take her to a vampire bar...Jane is braced for the worst but finds herself in a sports bar not unlike the ones she went to when she was a bit more alive.
The chemistry between Jane and her sire, Gabriel, is off and on but more realistic because of that. There are a lot of great characters in this book besides Jane, and Gabriel is one of them. Gabriel is kind of your brooding mysterious type, but he is also a normal guy. He occasionally does something stupid or finds himself at a loss for words, making him a more real vampire than most you read about. Then there is the ghost of Jane's Aunt Jettie who is always there to add some humor to the situation (as if Jane needed help with that).
The book does have a good mystery woven into the plot. Jane is accused of murder and becomes the victim of increasingly brutal attacks on her person. She needs to figure out what is going on else the Council order a decapitation. The plot moves as a quick pace and never gets boring. This book doesn't have a lot of action and is more a mix of paranormal, mystery, humor, chick lit, and romance.
Overall a fresh take on vampire society, very engaging and lots of fun. I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice departure from what I normally read and had me laughing out loud a number of times. I can't wait to listen to the next book "Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men".
Jane Jameson is a children's librarian...at least she is until her evil boss lays her off because of budget cuts. After spending the night after her lay-off drowning her sorrows in mud-slides, her day just gets worse. She gets shot walking home by a drunk man who drives by in a truck and shoots her thinking she is a deer. Well this is the beginning of her undead life, as sexy Gabriel (a man she meet at the bar that night) saves her life...kinda...by turning her into a vampire. Now Jane must find a job, figure out how to navigate her new vampire lifestyle, and defend herself against murder charges.
This book was a hoot. Jane is just your normal girl, turned vampire. She is snarky and funny, and is surrounded by polite southern-woman doing their best to insult sweetly. This book drops the mystery surrounding vampires and represents them as the normal people they probably would be if your average everyday Joe got turned. For example, when Jane is awake at 2am trying to figure out what to do with her night she decides to go where any proper southern girl would go at 2am....Walmart...and finds it to be a secret hang-out of the undead. When her new found friend Andrea offers to take her to a vampire bar...Jane is braced for the worst but finds herself in a sports bar not unlike the ones she went to when she was a bit more alive.
The chemistry between Jane and her sire, Gabriel, is off and on but more realistic because of that. There are a lot of great characters in this book besides Jane, and Gabriel is one of them. Gabriel is kind of your brooding mysterious type, but he is also a normal guy. He occasionally does something stupid or finds himself at a loss for words, making him a more real vampire than most you read about. Then there is the ghost of Jane's Aunt Jettie who is always there to add some humor to the situation (as if Jane needed help with that).
The book does have a good mystery woven into the plot. Jane is accused of murder and becomes the victim of increasingly brutal attacks on her person. She needs to figure out what is going on else the Council order a decapitation. The plot moves as a quick pace and never gets boring. This book doesn't have a lot of action and is more a mix of paranormal, mystery, humor, chick lit, and romance.
Overall a fresh take on vampire society, very engaging and lots of fun. I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice departure from what I normally read and had me laughing out loud a number of times. I can't wait to listen to the next book "Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men".
Veronica S. (snowkitty) -
Helpful Score: 5
As much as I did like this book, there were a few things that bothered me about it. The author tended to climb up on a soap box a few times to point out what are most likely personal pet peeves. One was about smoking. This scene (or scenes) didn't fit in the large or small scale of things. It seemed to be just stuck in there. Another was accepting people 'the way they are.' Again, did not fit. Whether I agree or disagree, this wasn't the place to rant.
Although there was a fair amount of action, not a lot of suspense. Also, I would have liked Jane's relationships with others more defined. It seemed the men in her life were not very supportive, and her sister and mother were horrible people. Hopefully in her next couple of books, those two will be dealt with.
Although there was a fair amount of action, not a lot of suspense. Also, I would have liked Jane's relationships with others more defined. It seemed the men in her life were not very supportive, and her sister and mother were horrible people. Hopefully in her next couple of books, those two will be dealt with.
Helpful Score: 3
Meet Jane Jameson, ordinary librarian, if at best. Her story starts off pretty harsh. Her boss fires her, sends sends her off with a giftcard to Shennegans. After getting drunk at the bar, she drives home, and is mistaken for a deer, shot and left for dead.
Then the handsome (undead) man she met at the bar comes behind her and saves her from death by turning her into a vampire. Now Jane must re-adjust to everyday (un-life) and learn to cope with being one of the undead. She meets a preppy vampire realter that shows up on her doorstep with a gift basket and guide for the newly undead.
On the first night outing she has, she ends up in a squabble with a vampire named Walter, who was later found burned to a crisp in his car. Now the Vampire counsil thinks Jane is behind the killing, and strange things start happing all around her. Someone (or something) wants Jane out of the picture for good.
I enjoyed this book, but not enough to make it a keeper. I didnt like her sister or mother. I wasnt fond of the constant "name dropping" or the repetitive use of the word "cryptic". The book was pretty much set in present day, but I think the author tried a little too hard to make the book stand out. The mystery fell flat for about a 100 pages or so, and didnt pick up until the end. I am proud to say I had the killer guessed, and was overall pleased with the end resolution. Nothing too complicated. It worth a book credit, and hey, theres some wolves thrown in for good measure. I will be reading the rest of this 3 book trilogy, just to find out what happens to Miss Jane Jameson, her friend Zeb, and her sire Gabriel.
Then the handsome (undead) man she met at the bar comes behind her and saves her from death by turning her into a vampire. Now Jane must re-adjust to everyday (un-life) and learn to cope with being one of the undead. She meets a preppy vampire realter that shows up on her doorstep with a gift basket and guide for the newly undead.
On the first night outing she has, she ends up in a squabble with a vampire named Walter, who was later found burned to a crisp in his car. Now the Vampire counsil thinks Jane is behind the killing, and strange things start happing all around her. Someone (or something) wants Jane out of the picture for good.
I enjoyed this book, but not enough to make it a keeper. I didnt like her sister or mother. I wasnt fond of the constant "name dropping" or the repetitive use of the word "cryptic". The book was pretty much set in present day, but I think the author tried a little too hard to make the book stand out. The mystery fell flat for about a 100 pages or so, and didnt pick up until the end. I am proud to say I had the killer guessed, and was overall pleased with the end resolution. Nothing too complicated. It worth a book credit, and hey, theres some wolves thrown in for good measure. I will be reading the rest of this 3 book trilogy, just to find out what happens to Miss Jane Jameson, her friend Zeb, and her sire Gabriel.
