Not sure if these are really romance.  But they're not really mysteries either. Sort of like the Stephanie Plum books where you can't really put them into a category.

Anyway-normally vampires aren't my thing.  But I came across Definately Dead on audio CD at the thrift store. I picked up and loved it.  So I downloaded the 1st one Dead Until Dark onto my IPOD and loved that one. At Half-price books I found Living Dead in Dallas, All Together Dead and Club 
Dead.  ETA-I have these on paperback.

Life has finally slowed down, house is on the market and I have some breathing room.  So I'm going to start Living tonight.  Any other fans?  Any other series kind of like these?  I find the other Vampire type ones too serious and dark for me. But these have some comic aspects and the Sookie charactar is just the best. Plus I can relate to being blonde and buxom. 

(btw: anyone have all 3 on their WL?  Let me know and I'll send you all 3 for 2 credits.  Living is borderline postable so I'll gladly send it as a freebie if I can save some postage) 

I LOVE this series, since the first book came out and I read a review of it in Fangoria (they didn't like it because it wasn't straight horror and had some romance. um, I don't think you're the target market, Fango) I love all of Charlaine Harris's series though, if you haven't already you should check out Grave Sight, Grave Surprise and An Ice Cold Grave- her other really great series that deals with "otherwordly-ness".

I guess in board topics I'd put this in paranormal?

It looks like you've found paranormals!  :D  And oh yeah, there are tons of'em!  I wasn't really into vamps either until they came out of the straight horror genre and started getting more quirky and interesting. 

I love that series too -- I've read them all but the latest two so far!

  Have you tried Maryjanice Davidson's Undead and Unwed series?  It's more silly/funny than the Sookie stories -- knee-slapper funny sometimes! -- lots of fun. 

Lynsay Sands and Kerrelyn Sparks both do more romancey vampire stories that are alway cute and lightly funny, not remotely dark.

Victoria Laurie has two series out that are both worth checking out:  Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye is the beginning of one, and What's a Ghoul to do? is the beginning of the other.  Really easy reads, lots of fun.  Kinda like Sookie and the Plum series where they're sorta mysteries, really quirky, easy to read, there's some action but not too much, and no worries about turning off the lights later.  

And I'm glad to hear things are a bit calmer for you just now!  I don't post that much, but I lurk a lot and I've been wishing you well!

the Sookie Stackhouse series is really good, and on my keeper shelves in the urban fantasy/paranormal (non-romance) section.  since they switched to (teeny!) hardback release first, i've been borrowing the HBs from the library, then picking up the MMP when it comes out.  my mom is also working her way through this series - but she's decided they're so good she wants to savor them and only read one once in a while.

i second the recommendation for the Harper Connelly series starting with Grave Sight.  that series is mystery with paranormal elements and a bit of romance too.

Alexis had some good suggestions too.  i haven't tried Victoria Laurie yet, but i do have the first two Abby Cooper on my TBR pile as they do look good.

Love Sookie!  I've read the whole series.   I've only read the first Harper Connelly book.  Hoping those are more readily available soon.

Another vampire series that is really good (and funny) is MaryJanice Davidson's "Undead" series.   I highly recommend them.   The first one is "Undead and Unwed." 

Betsy

Because it's 6am I'm just going to ditto what everyone else said. :D They are really great books and we have talked about them in the paranormal forum but they are really hard to categorize.

they're in my TBR pile but I"ve read the 1st 2 in her shakespeare series-they're a bit dark but not paranormal. The victoria laurie series are my faves! I have the undead series in mt tbr too but I've read the 1st and it was cute/funny.

yep, you're gonna be sucked into paranormal like me..before I was contemporary and cozy mysteries but not it's paranormal, erotica, and historical added to the mix!

Love Sookie. Own them all. I haven't started on the latest though because I got it in the mail the day before I left for vacation. I plan to start on it this week.

As far as similar series that I have I can think of Katie MacAlister's Aisling Grey, Guardian series and Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville series that aren't as dark as many of the other paranormal series I've read.