Vampire in Denial

Family Blood Ties #1

by Dale Mayer

Like being a sixteen-year-old vampire isn't hard enough, Tessa's throwback human genes make her an outcast among her relatives. But try as she might, she can't get a handle on the vampire lifestyle and all the...blood.

Turning her back on the vamp world, she embraces the human teenage lifestyle—high school, peer pressure and finding a boyfriend. Jared manages to stir something in her blood. He's smart and fun and oh, so cute. But Tessa's dream of a having the perfect boyfriend turns into a nightmare when vampires attack the movie theatre and kidnap her date.

Once again, Tessa finds herself torn between the human world and the vampire one. Will blood own out? Can she make peace with who she is as well as what?

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Ebooks, Fiction

215 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Dale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her Psychic Visions and Family Blood Ties series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Second Chances, SKIN), her thrillers will keep you guessing (By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It's a Dog's Life and Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy series).

She honors the stories that come to her - and some of them are crazy and break all the rules and cross multiple genres!

To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series. All her books are available in print and ebook format.

To find out more about Dale and her books, visit her at http://www.dalemayer.com. Or connect with her online with Twitter at www.twitter.com/dalemayer and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalemayer.author. If you like Dale Mayer's books and are interested in joining her street team, sign up here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/40238...

Books by Dale Mayer

Psychic Vision Series
Tuesday's Child
Hide'n Go Seek
Maddy's Floor
Garden of Sorrow
Knock, Knock...
Rare Find
Eyes to the Soul - fall/winter 2014

By Death Series
Touched by Death - Part 1 - Free
Touched by Death - Part 2
Touched by Death - Full book
Haunted by Death
Chilled by Death - fall/winter 2014

Second Chances...at Love Series
Second Chances - Part 1
Second Chances - Part 2
Second Chances - Full book

Novellas
It's a Dog's Life- romantic comedy

Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy
Broken Protocols #1
Broken Protocols #2
Broken Protocols #3

New adult/adul crossover Books
In Cassie's Corner
Gem Stone (a Gemma Stone mystery)

Design Series
Dangerous Designs
Deadly Designs
Darkest Designs

Family Blood Ties Series
Vampire in Denial
Vampire in Distress
Vampire in Design
Vampire in Deceit
Vampire in Defiance

Non-Fiction Books
Career Essentials: The Resume
Career Essentials: The Cover Letter
Career Essentials: The Interview
Career Essentials: 3 in 1

Reviews

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tessa believes herself to be half human and half vampire. She has the ability to switch her sight between human eye sight and vampire eye sight. This allows her to see energy patterns, which comes in handy when her friend, Jared, is kidnapped. Tessa also uses this ability to find her missing friends and family. The question is, why are human beings being kidnapped by vampires? Can Tessa save Jared?

This YA novel is the first book in the series. While we get to know sixteen​ year old Tessa, we also become familiarized with her family and friends, both vampire and human. Tessa feels looked down upon by the vampires, yet, she doesn't tell her human friends what she is. This novel ends abruptly, leaving a cliffhanger at the end of the story.

[nightlyreadingheather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Mayer had sent me an email asking if I would like to review her work. I took a look at it and thought what the heck, what do I have to lose? As soon as I received the ecopy, I started reading. I have a bad habit of reading the first chapter of books to see if I get hooked or not. Of course, this one hooked me and I had to keep reading til the end.

I love vampire stories! I can never get tired of them and yes! (call me a dork!) I LOVE Twilight! So, as soon as I start reading anything with a vampire theme, I am sucked in. This book did exactly what I expected it to do…engrossed me into the story. I loved the little twist that was given to your typical vampire story. You had the not being able to go out in sunlight, but these vampires lived among humans and had their own separate schools and night-time activities. Except, of course for our lovely leading lady, whom is half vampire, half human.

Tess is a great female lead. Very strong-willed and would not give up. Even when she was told that she wasn’t fast enough or strong enough, she was not going to give in! Cody is also amazing and I love reading about the relationship between him and Tessa. It was fun to see how Tessa just blossomed right before Cody’s eyes and it was like he was just seeing her for the first time.

As you all are aware of already, I like reading books with a couple different points of view. We get to see three different POV’s in this book and I absolutely loved it!

Okay, that ending was a total cliffhanger and a shocker! Just when you thought it would be safe and actually, I was expecting an intimate moment between Tessa and Cody. But instead…WHAMO…the end!!! Apparently this is only book one in a series called The Blood Ties Series. I am super excited to know when book 2 will arrive and hoping that maybe I can review that one also!

Highly recommended book for the Vampire lover in all of us! Thanks to Dale Mayer for introducing me to this wacky cast of characters and a great new series!!!

[Lo-ruhama · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book as a free kindle download from Amazon. I liked the premise as I am a pretty avid reader of urban fantasy/paranormal romance and various other subgenres of that sort. Basically, if there is a vampire or a werewolf involved I'm generally down to read it (witches aren't really my thing though, strangely enough), but I digress.

The elements I enjoyed in the story: (1)the characters: the outcast out to prove herself and save her friends, the charming and helpful yet occasionally condescending friend-of-older-brother love interest, and the wide-eyed slightly naive yet willing to answer the call to arms also love interest (it seems now a days girls always need at least 2 options) (2) the storyline: save the humans from conspiracy of vampire rule.

Overall, the story is good. I did enjoy it and read through it rather quickly. The matters that detract from the story are as follows 1) the writing: slightly disjointed at times, bounces around to the point where you have to go back and reread to understand how you got to the point of the story you are on right now 2)the actions of some of the characters to plot obstacles, maybe I'm just used to vampire characters that know how to fight/be in battle etc but these characters seem to fumble around a lot and either stumble upon a solution or just continuously get kidnapped.

This looks to be what will become a long run series (I believe it's on its fourth book) and tends to end in cliff-hangers.

[Lisa Lap · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book clocks in a 125 pages in PDF format, and I was really looking forward to the premise of this story. The main plot twist, while a bit of a déjà vu idea, had enough intrigue to be interesting. Vampire and humans are living side by side in a somewhat harmonious existence finding a way to all get along and respect each other. Or so it appears on the surface. Tessa, our main character, experiences a more sinister side to the vampire civilization while she’s on a group date with her human friends. The date has a tragic end with her boy crush being kidnapped by mysterious vampires. When Tessa takes this horrific event to her family for help, they don’t believe her.

When we meet Tessa, the main character, we’re introduced to a shy, awkward teenage half vampire girl that feels like the odd man out in her own family. Between Chapter One and Chapter Two, Tessa transforms into a sarcastic, fairly disrespectful, super vamp that refuses to listen to anyone if they don’t go along with what she wants to hear. She not only grows confidence, but apparently also grows a figure just by changing into some stiletto boots, a cleavage baring top and outrageous makeup. She can miraculously open doors that no one else can simply by kicking them really hard. She can track people by scent, see the energy lines of people, find openings to secret passage ways, and other fantastical things that other vampires can’t do, and that just a few, short pages ago she, herself couldn’t even do. She’s the youngest character in the book, the baby of her family, and yet she begins to boss the people around her into tracking down the kidnappers.

This is where I started to have some problems with the book. The total 180 degree change in Tessa’s demeanor was like a cold shower. Any sympathy that I felt for Tessa vanished in the face of her newfound attitude. I think that she could’ve discovered her place in the vampire world without the “withering looks” and constant snapping at everyone, including her parents and the elders of vampire society. It made her, at least in my opinion, more than a bit bratty and hard to like. I also found the strong sense of attachment she has for Jared to be unbelievable as they seem to have no connection prior to this group movie date. Wanting to save him from the vampires is admirable, but ditching her family to save a boy she hardly knows without a single worry about what she’s getting into seems strange and out of place, even when factoring in her total personality change.

The biggest problem for me is the number of errors in the book, both in punctuation and grammar. For me, when a book is poorly edited and the errors are numerous – as in this case – it’s hard on the eyes and continually pulls me from the story. I understand that ebook formatting can be a finicky beast, but it’s always important to have a good proofreader and I felt this book missed that mark. There were also several strange descriptive phrases and shifts between slang, more formal vocabulary, and odd words that prevented me from getting lost in the story. If these changes had been between different characters it would have been fine, but having a main character end sentences with the word “not” like a teenager and then wonder how someone is “faring” a sentence or two later seemed disjointed.

As I stated earlier, the plot idea was intriguing, and if given the chance for deeper development instead of rushing into it so quickly – I think there is really something there. I realize that this book is only the first in a series, so perhaps the author was intentionally trying to just whet our appetite. I think there is a lot of potential for this series if the author slows the storytelling down a bit, and provides better explanations for the multiple twists and turns in the plot. Most importantly, find a good editor or proofreader for the next book in the series. It will help immensely.

Overall, I would give Vampire in Denial 2 out of 5 fangs. Slower storytelling will help draw the readers in more fully.

Until next time,
~Lisa

[Aine Massie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vampire in Denial by Dale Mayer is a fresh take on a beloved classic – the vampire. Her vampire heroine, Tessa, is actually half-human thanks to some genetic fluke that only happens every so many generations. She’s also a teen. . . Can you not already see the potential for not fitting in? She’s not really a vampire, per se, and so the vamps shun her. She’s not really a human either.

Sadly, or not depending on how you see it, one of Tessa’s human friends is kidnapped. She, of course, wants to rescue him but the other vampires make fun of her – they do not bother with such things, humans being beneath them and all.

Being only half, no one thinks she can really stand up to the rogue vampires, but, for those who remember being a teen or who have teens themselves, what happens when you tell a teen they ‘can’t’ do something? Yep, that’s right. She sets of to do it herself and prove them all wrong AND save the human.

I loved watching her develop and come into her powers, powers she didn’t know she had, and learn to switch between her two halves. It was fascinating! Also, she was more teen than vamp – not super cool or swauve – so it was great to watch her find herself and learn her reality, even if she is a bit unusual.

It’s very soap opera episode-esk in how it goes back and forth between the character and with how the book ends (cliff-hanger, much?).

If you love vampire stories, then Vampire in Denial is a must read!

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea behind this book - a child born to vampire parents, with human genes. Huh.

Understandably, she's caught between the two groups and doesn't really feel like "part" of either. What confuses me though, is that even after almost 17 years, she hasn't voiced any of her feelings or concerns to her family - not even the brother she's closest to. Then she acts all surprised when they finally find out she feels different from them. I guess that's typical teenaged behavior, or even girl behavior for that matter (thinking everyone else knows what you're thinking/going through).

Anyhow, the first person narration jumps around a bit, from Tessa to Jared to Cody. Kind of makes for a disjointed story, though you do get the benefit of knowing what's happening to each of the characters.

This book only gets three stars because I feel like things weren't explained enough. You're simply told that Tessa has had a crush on Jared; no reasons why or any idea how long...or how deep her feelings run. There also wasn't a whole lot of explanation about how vampires work. You're kind of aware that vampires are "out" and co-existing with humans (and have been for awhile) but not really how. Not sure how they're governed either; it seems like all vampires are allowed in on the council...

I do think this has potential, especially in regards to the romance aspect. The ending of this book is a nice cliff-hanger.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh! I was not expecting a cliff hanger that was so much over the edge! Ugh!! I literally have to go get book 2 NOW!! I am hooked.

Tessa is half vampire/half human and she has a human friend named Jared who gets kidnapped. She convinces her vampire family to help her look for him and rescue him. However, no one was expecting to find what they did: a blood farm!

I loved the loyal friend that Tessa is and how she truly cares about others. She is gutsy and maybe a little snarky, especially towards her dad. Her character is totally believable, and I can't BELIEVE how the book ended with her!!!

Recommendation: If you like vampire books, read it and enjoy it!

*Note: Because there were errors (too many) throughout the book, I rate it a 3.5, but I liked it worth a 4 or better.

[Dee · Rating 1 out of 5]

You get what you pay for I suppose. I got this book for free and I liked the premise and description but after getting about three chapters in, I wanted nothing more than to hurry up and finish this book, it was just that bad. This book is full of typos, poor grammar, odd phrasing and sentence structure. And worst of all characterization was just nil. Tessa goes from being weak and awkward to "Wonder Woman" in a matter of hours for no clear reason. Her mother frets over her constantly in the most annoying way possible and her father literally "roars" and "bellows" on every other page. And I saw a line that is almost a direct quote from Sin City. This book had potential but it fell far too short.

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a girl named Tessa. You may just think she is a regular vampire, but you are wrong Tessa is half human half vampire. And with living with a vampire family she often feels like she doesn't belong. One day she gose to the movies with her friends and one of them gets kidnapped by a vampire. You have to read the book to find out more.
To me this book was one of those stories where your wondering whats going to happen next. For me it was pretty epic. I think Tessa was really determinated to find her friend even when no one would help her. This book is a great book for teens and pre-teens who love vampires. I recommend this book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was petty strong. I read t as part of a bundle and have to admit that I wasn't really excited about this one after reading the blurb. However, I got into it right away and finished it pretty quickly. I liked Tessa's character overall, as a teenager who is kind of an outcast (especially in her own mind) she is pretty relatable. My biggest issue was with the second half of the book. I thought that things moved a little too quickly and it was kind of hard to follow where everyone was, who was with who. And I wish there was a more discernible bad guy. But I did enjoy it and will probably read the next in the series.

[Reading Rediscovered · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully written paranormal book - a great intro to the series, with a fabulous cliffhanger ending!
I enjoyed the fact that it was a vampire book without all the sexual stuff that is often in a lot of vampire books. I may have to check out the rest of the series to see if they are as good as this one.
I flew through this one fairly quickly, and found myself unsure of what would happen next, as it was written very well.

[The Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good interesting vampire book. I think that the editing could have been better as there were a few mistakes, but otherwise the story was not bad. I would recommend it as a good filler book if you are a fan of paranormal romance novels.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has enough cursing in it that I quit reading it.

[Gianna Gennarelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cool concept that they started with. The main character is relatable especially if you’re a young girl reading the books. Her love interest being her older brother’s best friend is cliche and you know he’s endgame right away, but he’s still very swoon-worthy.

[Trish Goodgame · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant story left me wanting more.

I love the storyline of a teenage vampire girl who has some human genes and is a bit of a misfit in her family. Shunned by other vampires her age because she is different, she has made several human friends.
After being attacked by rogue vampires and her human friend kidnapped, she is intent on finding him with or without her family. Her vampires powers begin to develop and her family soon realise she is more than just their little girl with few vampire traits.
The story is captivativating, fast moving and I love the characters and their development through the book.
I can't wait to read book 2 in this series. Highly recommended for lovers of this genre.

[Gmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tessa’s voice in the synopsis simply spoke to me. I could hear her slightly snarky attitude right from the start and the concept of her being an outcast among her “kind” due to “human genes”, begged to be explored. It seems that her “condition” is rather rare, especially coming from a pure blood line and yet, here she is in all her vampire-human glory. It lends several interesting talents to her full arsenal like being able to see normally (human) and enhanced (vampire)…and maybe even something halfway between (nope…not telling you…that’s for me to know and you to discover). Even her gawkiness that’s plagued her (she is only 16 after all) turns out to be something advantageous that she has simply yet to understand.


Her relationship with her family was rather interesting as it seemed oh-so-close at times and yet at others like they were from different planets. I suppose that’s not just the vampire issue getting in the way there because let’s face it, teenagers and parents don’t always see eye to eye but regardless of the difference of opinion, they were always there for her …and not just her parents, but her brothers as well. They play minor roles in the story overall, but if she’s ever in the need for some tail kicked, they’ll be there in a flash. Speaking of brother’s there’s one particular friend of a brother that DOES end up playing a rather key role by the name of Cody. In Tessa’s quest to rescue her friend (and human crush) Jared, he ends up playing sidekick, ally, defender…and just maybe something more (I’ll let you read into that what you may).

It’s a fight for their lives as they struggle to uncover just who or what stole her friend and ends up being oh-so-much bigger than they could have imagined. As people…err, vamps too…keep disappearing along the way; you’ll be on the edge of your seat hoping against hope that your favorites won’t be next. But just when the real mystery is starting to reveal itself…BAM…something new is added to the mix…and you know what? It TOTALLY works…and not in a pretentious, I’m-just-saying-that sorta way either. As I drew closer and closer to book’s end, I was completely ensconced in Tessa’s story as well as her character’s growth. At book’s end, my mind was blown…so be prepared. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)


To summarize, though relatively short in pages this story packs a YA punch you might not have expected. It explores the value of friendship, the strength family can provide, the glow of your first (and/or second) crush, and the fact that growing up is hard to do, even if you have vampire genes to help you out along the way. We’re all looking for our place in the world, for those we fit in with best to make our lives complete. It’s not always easy an road to that discovery, but the journey makes the reward that much sweeter.

Recommended reading for Young Adult fans in their teens and above…there’s nothing truly controversial here that would limit the book’s audience, but the little kiddos may not fall in love with the evil plans working behind the scenes (best to keep their dreams sweet and happy). Happy reading!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, interesting concept. The story did grab my attention even if Tessa, whether a human or a vampire teen, was a bit of a brat. She is a vampire, but a unique one. Rather than see that and what that meant, she instead focused on the negative of that based on how her family and the vampire race in general treated her. Although both of her parents were vampire, Tessa was born with a rare genetic makeup in that she was also part human. Yes, it may make her a little more frail than her siblings without some of their particular gifts, but she could walk in day light and she has her own unique gifts as well. Talents she does not see as gifts until her mother points them out to her. Being the baby of her family and different, she decides to shun vampire traditions and maintains only human friends, attend a human school, and date only human boys. And yes, in this series, humans know about vampires, they live side by side, for the most part. There are vampire schools, businesses, gatherings, etc. Tessa's family is very high up in the vampire hierarchy as her father is one of a group of elders. Cody's father is another. Cody is a friend of her brother. Quieter than others in their group, but never mean to her.

While on a group outing to the movies, vampires attack. Tessa gets hurt and her human friend, Jared gets taken. Tessa is determined to get him back so she goes seeking help from her family. When no one believes her, she decides to look for him herself. Cody spots her and since he cannot talk her out of it, helps her. Realizing there is more going on than they expected, she enlists more of her family and their friends help and uncover a secret plot. Although they uncover at least one traitor and find Jared, they are only at the tip of the iceberg and face even greater challenges when they realize that this may be only one location with many more vampires involved than they thought.

The books ends here, but not without a cliffhanger starring Tessa herself. Tessa comes into her own, but you don't always like her or those around her for their part. I did actually like quite a bit of this book. I did have to keep reminding myself that Tessa was a teenager and that yes, she did have the right to be upset, but she went through some really painful hormonal moments. And unfortunately, I am long past relating. Cody, on the other hand, was great. He is a good balance for Tessa and I hope, she sees that going forward. I do worry about Jared as he seems nice enough, but I have a feeling that his ordeal is not over and that a love triangle is the future and I am not a fan of those. For now, I am stopping with this book in the series, but I will most likely pick it back up later.

[Rea Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well you all know I love my chick lit books but I am a secret Young Adult fiction fan. After reading so many Chick Lit books recently I needed a little change so I decided to try Vampire in Denial by Dale Mayer. This is the first book in the Blood Ties series. When I read up on the author I was surprised at the range of books that she has wrote from Young adult to romance and even Non-fiction.


Plot
Blood doesn't just make her who she is...it also makes her what she is.


Like being a sixteen-year-old vampire isn't hard enough, Tessa's throwback human genes make her an outcast among her relatives. But try as she might, she can't get a handle on the vampire lifestyle and all the...blood.


Turning her back on the vamp world, she embraces the human teenage lifestyle—high school, peer pressure and finding a boyfriend. Jared manages to stir something in her blood. He's smart and fun and oh, so cute. But Tessa's dream of a having the perfect boyfriend turns into a nightmare when vampires attack the movie theatre and kidnap her date.


Once again, Tessa finds herself torn between the human world and the vampire one. Will blood own out? Can she make peace with who she is as well as what?

My Opinion
The main character in this book was Tessa and for a half vampire she is very down to earth and normal. She is still in her teens and she is experiencing what most teenagers experience and that is the feeling of not fitting in but for poor Tessa there is nothing she can do about it as it is part of who she is, she belongs to two different worlds.
I love that the storyline is dark and thrilling but yet Mayer still manages to bring in that little bit of romance to keep us women interested!

The story was easy to follow and made for a quick read ( I have finished this in an afternoon).
The book chops and changes between Tessa, Cody and Jared’s point of views which helps us to get an all around view on what is going on and makes it easier for us to understand what is going on.

I loved this book and found it very hard to put down... oh wait I didn’t put it down! But one thing DALE MAYER!! What are you doing to me!! I was so engrossed in the story, I was all tense and then it ended! I could almost hear the To Be Continued in my mind! I am so glad there is a follow on to this book but I am just not sure how long I can wait to find out what happens next now that the ending has left us with a twist rather than a happy ever after!

I would defiantly recommend this to any Young Adult fans and I for one will be reading the sequel to this book.

This review is also on my blog http://reabookreview.blogspot.com

[Jamie Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose not to read the full synopsis before diving into this one, because I didn't want to ruin anything for myself. Based on the title alone, I thought it would just be about a teenage vampire who would rather be human. I was way off! It's even better!


The main character, Tessa, is 16 years old and a member of a powerful vampire family, but she also has a lot of human characteristics that separate her from her mom, dad, and brothers. This causes her family to severely miscalculate her abilities and also causes her to underestimate herself. She finds it easier to try and fit in with her human friends; that is until a group of vampires kidnap her crush, Jared. She really steps up to the plate at that point because she knows that most vampires look down on humans and see them as little better than animals. She certainly surprised me with her conviction, since at the beginning she didn't want much to do with her vampire traits, but she knew she needed to embrace them to save Jared. She not only showed her family just how strong she was but also discovered that she was more extraordinary than any of them thought. I loved seeing her become more confident and gain more respect, especially from her father. Their relationship at first was rocky, but it strengthens greatly over the course of the book; when she finally fully embraces who she is, they are able to bond over it, which was exactly what she needed to finally feel like she belonged in her family.


I assumed that Jared would be her love interest throughout the entire story, but I was wrong. Her feelings for him get the action rolling, but in the process of searching for him she becomes closer with her brother's best friend, Cody. With her new-found self-confidence, they see each other in a different light, but unfortunately with all of the chaos they aren't able to explore their blossoming feelings. The chemistry is definitely there, however, and I look forward to seeing what develops in the next book.


This book managed to stand out amongst the plethora of vampire novels out there. I liked how vampires had different abilities and how some of them, like Tessa, seemed more human than vampire (i.e. could be out in the daylight, didn't crave blood). It added a bunch of new dimensions to the world and I'm liking where the series is going.


This really was a great read. I was entirely able to relate with Tessa and enjoyed watching her change throughout the story. Just a warning, the author leaves us with one heck of a cliffhanger, so I can only hope that the next book comes out soon!

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is at least my seventh re-read, which probably says more about my questionable life choices than the book itself.

Tessa, our protagonist, is a ‘half vampire’ steeped in self loathing, constantly reminding her clueless family how isolated she feels. Not that they notice..or care. Honestly, her family has the emotional awareness of a brick wall. But enter Cody, the second but main love interest who magically notices her existence once she slaps on some leather pants and dyes her hair.

Early on, we’re introduced to Jared, her first crush? love interest?. Jared gets kidnapped, which Tessa finds very upsetting.. for about five minutes. She’s desperate to save him, of course, but the moment Cody opens his mouth and speaks to her directly (a rare and momentous event, apparently), Jared is as good as forgotten. One minute she’s all “I must rescue Jared!” and the next she’s batting her lashes at Cody and wondering if he’s the one.

Speaking of Cody, he’s full of subtle lines like, “Little Tessie somehow morphed into one hot Tessa,” because apparently, leather pants and low self esteem are the secret to unlocking male attention. The scene where she’s shocked he even talks to her was a highlight. Imagine spending years being invisible to someone, only for them to wake up and go, “Hey, you’re hot now!” Truly a romance for the ages.

Meanwhile, Tessa’s family? They’re delightful. Nothing says supportive parenting like constant reminders that she’s “not like them” and “not a real vampire.” They’re so busy being smug pure bloods that they miss every obvious cry for help.

By the time the story races toward its blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cliffhanger, Tessa’s self worth has been mildly patched up with a crush swap, and we’re left with a lot of unresolved drama. The writing is immature, the pacing is breakneck, and the character development is questionable at best. But somehow, it’s all part of the charm.

Would I recommend it? Sure, if you like your vampire YA with a side of campy clichés, leather pants-based identity shifts, and the dramatic demotion of one love interest in favor of another.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

[This review also appears on Andi's Young Adult Books.]

Tessa is part-human, thanks to some weird genetic anomaly that occasionally pops up every few hundred generations or so. She has never been truly accepted by either side, but feels closer to other humans than to other vampires. It seems pretty typical of being a teenager. Many times, you aren't comfortably in your own skin and have to try on different people to find your place.

When her human friend is kidnapped by some rogue vampires, Tessa wants to do the right thing and save him. Of course, she is ridiculed by her fellow vampires. They don't think they should sacrifice themselves to go after a human. Even if they do, Tessa is nowhere near their vampire standards, and probably can't help. Tessa is a typical stubborn teenager, much like myself at that age. Tell us we can't do something, and we will set out to prove you wrong! Tessa hones in on her vampire side and discovers she has more to offer than anyone had previous imagined.

I find Tessa's ability to switch between vampire mode and human mode, particularly in eyesight, to be strange, yet interesting. Put the two together and she can dominate both sides. It's a pity it has taken her so long to realize her strengths, as well as being a shame it took the abduction of someone she cares about to do so. As the series develops, though, I think she is going to take on both worlds by storm and completely rule. Her love interests on both her human and vampire sides, as novel as they both may be, are going to be interesting to watch develop.

The book reads like a TV show or soap opera. The episode goes back and forth between the characters, bringing one scene to a close before moving to another scene. "Meanwhile, back at the vampire mansion..." It keeps the pace flowing and the pages turning. And, just like a TV show or soap opera, it abruptly ends with a cliffhanger that makes you anxious for the next installment. I'm glad I already have book 2 to read!

I received a complimentary ebook in exchange for my honest review.

[Munaya Al salhee · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at page 175.

I can't, I really can't finish this book. I feel like I'm forcing myself to just push to the next page.

The story is about Tessa who in a world of vampire is completely different than everyone else in her family and from her clan. She is part vampire which is very weird... he life is not easy since she is like judged that she is not like every other vampire and that her family treat her different as well. The thing is after being in a like a date with a guy she likes called Jared she and her friends are attacked by vampire and from there on out it goes in a downhill.

Honestly I feel like the book is all over the place with bringing the supernatural element but..... its weird like how can she be part vampire part human when both of her parents are vampire... yes, someone will say I didn't finish the book so maybe something will be revealed but in this world is like the vampires are different. That after couple of generations the bloodline "vampire power I mean" has changed like the parents are strong but the children are different than them.

Also, Tessa is not a great character tbh, like in the start she says that she isn't pretty, she is boyish and all and then suddenly after the attack she is like yeah I'm sexy and have a great waist and all. I'm all for self-confidant and all but when a character say something and then after the attack BOOOM!!! wow. slow down. Like suddenly she changed from being I don't know seeing that not everyone likes her from the vampire side and then she is like giving orders/commands!!?? WHAAAAT.

And lets not talk about the surprise love interest, LOL GURL. You say you want Jared and then wow after like a kiss you like someone else. I laughed at that.

I love vampires, but this one NOPE. Really eye-rolled in most of the pages and couldn't get my self to finish it.

[MiMi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me and it was free on my nook so I thought why not? And this book was pretty okay as well. I do not regret reading it.

The plot:
This plot is a combination of Twilight and Moon Spell (Tale of Lunarmorte series). Twilight I love and Tale of Lunarmorte is okay so this was okay as well. Although the whole book is the climax. The action literally starts at page 20. I liked that.

The characters:
Tessa: a combination of Bella and Caia with even some qualities of Edward. Shes like Bella in the sense that she is clumsy, prefers the other species to her own, and her brain ain't quite right. She is like Edward because she is a vampire that prefers humans and therefore has a big running in with their vampire government. She is like Caia in the fact that she is a cross between two breeds and ha a hard time fitting in but overall prevails on top when the time comes for it.
(That's really the only character I can describe...)

The background:
So the background of the story is that for centuries now humans and vampires have been coexisting peacefully beside each other. There are designated vampire and human cities and they each have their own government in America, but if they walk by one another it ain't gonna be an all out war. However each species thinks lesser of the other, vampires thinks humans are stupid and weak and humans think vampires are just bloodthirsty animals looking for a fight. I thought it was interesting how they think so lesser of each other yet get along pretty well......

Overall:
Overall the book was good. I wasn't originally planning on reading book 2 vampire in distress (I mean that's such a cheesy name) but I will now.

Until the next okay book I read, ehh goodbye!

[Rebecca Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if you were born into a vampire family but really wasn’t a vampire? Being a teenager on top of it makes it even worse. Tessa feels more at home with human friends, yet one night hanging out with a few of them at a movie has Tessa blending back in with her own kind. She has to in order to save the life of one human friend. It will take all her courage and determination to stand up against the vampire counsel and her family as she discovers long buried secrets within the dark world and within herself.


I got this book as a free download about a year or more and just got around to reading it. I have to admit that the thought of ‘another vampire’ book went through my mind. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was reading a way different kind of vampire book.


I couldn’t put this book down. I read the majority of it in one sitting, in truth where I shouldn’t have been. It was more than just teenage drama. It was more than just about bloodsuckers. This book had more depth than that.


The characters were well done and drew me in. I found myself seeing them as though I was watching a movie. I loved the main character who is unsure of herself but quickly discovers that she just has to let her natural self come out to discover all sorts of talents and abilities.


The plot...well, let’s say when I got done, I wanted to buy the next book immediately as it was a book full of surprises. The plot was complicated with many characters playing vital roles along with several mysteries all tied together.


Romance? Yes, there was some but it was very understated with promises to bring out more in subsequent books. In a way I was glad it was done this way. The plot itself was more the focus as it should be.


I really enjoyed this book and will be reading more.

[Cherri-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely mesmerized from the very beginning! This series is very different from any other vampire series that I have read. And all in a good way! It starts off with Tessa feeling very different than the rest of her family. Her parents and 2 brothers are all "perfect" vampires, whereas Tessa has some human genes & traits and no one knows why. Tessa feels that she doesn't fit in with either world - human or vampire - and goes on an accidental adventure and along with doing a lot of good, she is able to find out that "to thy own self be true". The series reads like one big long novel with each of the books NOT ending, so be prepared to read all of the books! Although I promise that will not be much of a hardship. I think it is fantastically written, and very unique. Even though I have read a LOT of vampire & paranormal books, this series is very refreshing and original and very much worth the read. I decided to amend my review because I wanted to say that I don't do reviews for each book as I find it too hard to say how good it is without giving away to many secrets!!! I will say that I connected with Tessa instantly (even though I am old enough to be her mother (human not vamp, unfortunately!). She worries about all the usual teenage issues - hair, makeup, clothes, boys, getting a boyfriend and of course, fitting in. I like that the story follows 3 main people, although it is not told from 1st person, but I think that makes it much easier to understand, follow and even relate/connect with each character. If Dale's books are all written as terrific as these ones are, then I hope that she has plans to write a LOT of books! :)

[CarolKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tessa is part human and her vampire side appears to be the more recessive gene. She goes to a human school but does take some classes at the vampire one. She can walk in daylight and doesn't exhibit many vampire traits. At least she doesn't until a date goes terribly wrong.

There are two men that will play an important role in this book. The first is Jared who was walking her home when the vampires attacked. They leave her injured and take Jared.

Her family was less than helpful other than to call a Council meeting. Tessa needs to find Jared and they way to do that is to infiltrate that meeting to collect clues. She makes some radical changes to her appearance and proceeds do her own version of hunt.

Tessa recognizes one of the attackers and goes to wait for him to leave, it's then that Cody, her brother David's best friend finds her. Cody will become very important, not only to the tale but to Tessa as well.

What Tessa and Cody discover is both gruesome and against the human/vampire treaty. Her parents Council member Serus and her mother Rhia both ancient vampires enter this frightening and intense search for Jared. They are joined by their son David, his girlfriend Jewel and a couple other friends Ian, Wendy and Jacob. Cody's father Goran, another ancient vampire also gets involved. The implications of what happened are reminiscent of another time, another war.

Plenty of intrigue and action as this story unfolds and a possible romance begins with Cody and Tessa in an unusual way.

I'm really glad all the books in this series are out, this cliff-hanger had my buying the next book right away. There's also a prequel I didn't see at first, I'm going need that one too.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not easy to find a new take on the vampire myth yet Dale Mayer has managed to do so with "Vampire in Denial." being a teenager in any species is hard enough but it becomes even more complicated when you are born to vampire parents and you are a weird anomaly making you more human than vamp.

Tessa doesn't feel as though she fits in anywhere. She is not quite human nor is she vampire enough. However, there is one thing normal about her, she has a crush on Jared, a boy from her school. When Tessa and her friends go out to a movie and are attacked by vampires, she manages to get her friends to safety or so she thought. Tessa is knocked out and when she awakens, she discovers Jared has been kidnapped.

Tessa tells her parents what has occurred but they decide to take the matter to the council that refuses Tessa's admittance. So, for once in her life she dresses up like the vampire she is and strolls right into the meeting. Then, she gets a whiff of one of her attackers and sets out in pursuit until she is caught by her brother's best friend, Cody.

Cody can't believe how hot little Tessa looks. When he discovers what she is up to, he is not about to let her go at it alone. I really enjoyed this book. The storyline was creative, very interesting and humorous. I could really feel the teen angst. The characters were rich, the world building superb and the action was off the charts. I do have a recommendation though. It you plan to read this book, but the 3 book set. It is cheaper than buying the individual book and you will want to continue on with the series.

[Phoenix · Rating 1 out of 5]

First I want to start with the positives. This was a free download. Inside you are linked to more free books by Dale Mayer. I've recently learned the text in some ebooks can not be enlarged even if that is an available feature on the reading app you're using. I did not run into this problem with Vampire In Denial. The publisher's default text style is easy on the eyes as well. Unfortunately these are the only positives I can state. Now the negatives. The author's writing style is very campy which is not a huge problem for me. I expected a certain level of cheese judging from the synopsis. I didn't get very far into the first chapter before the real problems with this book reared their ugly heads. The novel is riddled with errors and inconsistencies. The only constant thing is the author reminding you almost every other paragraph that the protagonist, Tessa, an oddity among vampires. The characters are very one dimensional and even they aren't consistent. The further I read the more frequent the errors and inconsistencies became making this pure torture to read. I gave up around 30% completion. The RSP for this book is $9.99 which is the price you'll be paying if for some reason you want a physical copy of it. With the state this book is in I can't believe it was published, has eight sequels, nor that people actually paid for them and liked what they got. Outside of being a masochist or having some form of OCD I don't see any reason why someone would invest time into finishing the first book let alone time and money to read the entire series. No, just no.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, book! You were so FUN! I was getting all tense and worried about how poor Tessa was going to prove herself and it was exciting and I desperately wanted her to realize that her tangled up feelings about a certain someone were not all brotherly. But, but...why did you leave me hanging on such a cliffhanger?!?! I MUST KNOW what's going to happen to her!

In most ways, Tessa is an average teenage girl. Her parents don't really understand her, she feels like she's caught between two worlds and she's not sure if the boy she likes likes her back. The fact that she's a vampire who's literally caught between two worlds doesn't change any of that. Her parents really don't have a clue how hard it is for her, a genetic throwback, and no one in her family understands that how the full-blood vampires treat her like a stupid little girl.

All in all, this was a fun, fast read with a girl who definitely came into her own as the story progressed. I thought Cody and his slow revelations about Tessa were adorable. I like how her mother rose up to defend Tessa once things were brought to her attention. I like that Tessa wasn't willing to abandon a friend, even if he was "only human".

I can only guess as to where the next book in this story is heading but I'm DYING to read it now. DYING, Dale Mayer. DYING!

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start off by screaming: AAAHHHH! Cliffhanger!

Now that I have that done, on with the review. I really liked the story, although the cliffhanger ending is killer. Extreme action suspense. So just be warned, you will want the second book right away.

This story has a unique twist on vampires. Tessa is only half-vampire, with a lot of her human genes being very apparent, making her stand out from her vampire family. Due to this, she really feels like an outsider with everyone. She’s very unsure of herself and her self-confidence is not great since she can never fully be herself with either humans or vampires.

I liked that as the story progressed, Tessa grew into herself. It was a very positive thing to see, and let me tell you, she may not be a full vampire, but she has some wicked awesome abilities.

The story also has a subtle love triangle in development. It’s very subtle, taking the backseat to the action. It’s clean and sweet, and a nice addition to the story. I’m just saying that because I adore Cody, and want to see a lot more of him in the next book.

Overall, this was a quick read. It featured a unique twist on vampires, and while there isn’t a lot of background to explain how things got to where they are now, it wasn’t really needed. The story is focused on the present day and current events, and is very enjoyable. Except the cliffhanger, which made me upset because I need to know what happened.