Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you liked The Vampire Diaries and want something for adults, read Dead Until Dark, Dark Lover, Halfway to the Grave and A Discovery of Witches. All offer vampires, romance and danger with more mature themes.
L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries is a teen series about Elena and two vampire brothers. Readers who grew up with it often want vampire romance with adult characters and grown-up stakes. The books below range from romance to mystery and horror. All are adult novels, and all are real, in-print books. Many include sex and violence.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dead Until Dark | Charlaine Harris | Adult | vampires with humor |
| Dark Lover | J.R. Ward | Adult | romance-heavy vampires |
| Halfway to the Grave | Jeaniene Frost | Adult | action romance |
| Kiss of Midnight | Lara Adrian | Adult | dark paranormal romance |
| Guilty Pleasures | Laurell K. Hamilton | Adult | urban fantasy |
| A Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness | Adult | romance and scholarship |
| The Vampire Lestat | Anne Rice | Adult | gothic vampires |
| Fevre Dream | George R.R. Martin | Adult | historical vampires |
| Sunshine | Robin McKinley | Adult | offbeat vampires |
| Fledgling | Octavia E. Butler | Adult | thoughtful vampires |
| The Historian | Elizabeth Kostova | Adult | scholarly vampires |
| Dracula | Bram Stoker | Adult | vampire origins |
| The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening | L.J. Smith | Teen | the original |
| Twilight | Stephenie Meyer | Teen and adult | paranormal classics |
| 'Salem's Lot | Stephen King | Adult | small-town horror |
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
A Louisiana waitress who reads minds meets a vampire. Funny and breezy, the start of the Sookie Stackhouse series.
Best for: vampires with humor.
2. Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
A warrior vampire in the Black Dagger Brotherhood falls for a half-human woman. Steamy, dramatic and addictive.
Best for: romance-heavy vampires.
3. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
A half-vampire hunter teams with a vampire to kill the undead. Sexy and fast.
Best for: action romance.
4. Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian
A photographer is drawn into a hidden world of vampire warriors. Dark and passionate.
Best for: dark paranormal romance.
5. Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
Anita Blake, a vampire hunter and animator, takes a case in St. Louis. Hard-edged and violent.
Best for: urban fantasy.
6. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
A historian and a vampire geneticist team up over a lost manuscript. Romantic and scholarly.
Best for: romance and scholarship.
7. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
The flamboyant Lestat tells his story in this second Vampire Chronicles book. Lush and bold.
Best for: gothic vampires.
8. Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin
Vampires on a riverboat on the Mississippi before the Civil War. Rich in atmosphere and character.
Best for: historical vampires.
9. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
A baker is kidnapped by vampires and must survive. A cozy voice meets real menace.
Best for: offbeat vampires.
10. Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler
A young vampire wakes with no memory and must learn who she is. Thoughtful and original.
Best for: thoughtful vampires.
11. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
A scholar tracks Dracula across Europe. Slow, literary and rich.
Best for: scholarly vampires.
12. Dracula by Bram Stoker
A Transylvanian count travels to England. Told through letters and diaries.
Best for: vampire origins.
13. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith
Elena is drawn into a love triangle between two vampire brothers. The original books that inspired the show.
Best for: the original.
14. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Bella moves to Forks and falls for a vampire named Edward. The book that defined modern vampire romance.
Best for: paranormal classics.
15. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Vampires invade a small Maine town. Scary and atmospheric.
Best for: small-town horror.
How to Choose
For funny romance, start with Dead Until Dark. For steamy romance, Dark Lover and Halfway to the Grave. For scholarship and slow romance, A Discovery of Witches. For horror, 'Salem's Lot. For classics, Dracula and The Vampire Lestat. Check the content notes, since many adult vampire books are explicit. If you grew up with young adult vampire books and now want more grown-up stories, start with one series and see if you like it. Many adult vampire series are long, so check the number of books. A used bookstore is a good place to sample older titles.
Related: Printable List of Dork Diaries Books · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Vampire Diaries about?
Elena Gilbert falls for Stefan Salvatore, a vampire, and his brother Damon, and a mystery from the past unfolds.
Are the TV show and books the same?
No. The TV series changed many plots and characters.
Which adult series is closest to The Vampire Diaries?
Dead Until Dark has a similar small-town feel, while Dark Lover has a similar love-triangle drama.
Are these books very explicit?
Several include sexual scenes and violence, so check each book's rating.
Who wrote the original Vampire Diaries?
L.J. Smith, who later had ghostwriters help on some later books.
Is The Vampire Diaries a trilogy?
The original books by L.J. Smith began as a trilogy and grew into a longer series.
Are adult vampire books gorier?
Many are, but others, like Dead Until Dark, are light and funny.
What is the most romantic adult vampire series?
The Black Dagger Brotherhood and Night Huntress are known for romance.
Do I need to read in order?
Yes, because plots build from book to book.
Is there a good vampire series with a male lead?
The Vampire Lestat and Dracula are classics with strong male voices.