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Undead #8
Undead and Unwelcome
"Ms. Davidson has her own brand of wit and shocking surprises that make her vampire series on of a kind" (Darque Reviews). And heroine Betsy Taylor has problems that only a suburban vampire-queen housewife could possibly understand, such as...
FIFTY THOUSAND ANGRY WEREWOLVES.
That's what Betsy is facing when she takes her werewolf friend Antonia's body to Cape Cod, where the Pack resides at Wyndham Manor. Because Antonia died in her service, Betsy is alive and well—and wracked with guilt. She has no idea if the Wyndham werewolves will greet her with fangs or friendship.
While Betsy and her husband, Sinclair, try to make nice, their legal ward, BabyJon, freaks out every werewolf he meets. Meanwhile, Betsy's posse back at the St. Paul mansion is not LOLing. Increasingly frantic e-mails alert Betsy to her half sister's increasingly erratic behavior. Looks like the devil's daughter is coming into her own—and raising hell. All in the name of making Betsy's life easier, of course.
FIFTY THOUSAND ANGRY WEREWOLVES.
That's what Betsy is facing when she takes her werewolf friend Antonia's body to Cape Cod, where the Pack resides at Wyndham Manor. Because Antonia died in her service, Betsy is alive and well—and wracked with guilt. She has no idea if the Wyndham werewolves will greet her with fangs or friendship.
While Betsy and her husband, Sinclair, try to make nice, their legal ward, BabyJon, freaks out every werewolf he meets. Meanwhile, Betsy's posse back at the St. Paul mansion is not LOLing. Increasingly frantic e-mails alert Betsy to her half sister's increasingly erratic behavior. Looks like the devil's daughter is coming into her own—and raising hell. All in the name of making Betsy's life easier, of course.
282 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2009
95 people are currently reading
4415 people want to read
About the author
MaryJanice Davidson
140 books5,350 followersMaryJanice Davidson is an American author and motivational speaker who writes mostly paranormal romance, but also young adult and non-fiction. She is the creator of the popular UNDEAD series and the time-traveling historical fiction A CONTEMPORARY ASSHAT AT THE COURT OF HENRY VIII. MaryJanice is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author who writes a bi-weekly column for USA Today and lives in St. Paul with her family. You can reach her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 512 reviews
October 26, 2016
If you skip this book, Betsy puts it best:
"you didn't miss much.. Just me picking a fight with a bunch of werewolves, getting stabbed, Sinclair kicking the crap out of my stabber, me waking up, and then everyone taking off."
We also get blurbs from Marc's diary. Yes, a grown man who writes a diary and starts each entry with "Dude," (insert eye-roll here).
The only good part of the book happened away from Betsy because her sister, Laura, is starting to embrace her evil-side.
"you didn't miss much.. Just me picking a fight with a bunch of werewolves, getting stabbed, Sinclair kicking the crap out of my stabber, me waking up, and then everyone taking off."
We also get blurbs from Marc's diary. Yes, a grown man who writes a diary and starts each entry with "Dude," (insert eye-roll here).
The only good part of the book happened away from Betsy because her sister, Laura, is starting to embrace her evil-side.
June 11, 2009
Once upon a time, there was a paranormal series about an unlikely vampire queen named Betsy. The series was irreverent, clever, sexy, and funny. Somewhere between the first book (Undead and Unwed) and this current entry, something happened. Perhaps Mary Janice Davidson has run out of ideas and this series should have come to an end a couple of books ago? The eighth book in the Queen Betsy series, Undead and Unwelcome, takes characters that I used to love and gives them very little in the way of plot. The biggest problem in this book is that ---NOT MUCH HAPPENS; not enough to justify the length of this book. This was really a short story spread out into 282 large print pages. Very disappointing. Will I read the next book in the series? Well--yeah, because I'm a bit of an optomist/loyalist when it comes to authors, series, and characters that I love even if they do go a bit off the rails (or maybe I'm a glutton for punishment). But I sure won't waste my money on the hardback.
June 14, 2009
Well, well, well. Queen Betsy is at it again. Sorry to say there's no shoe shopping in "Undead and Unwelcome", MaryJanice Davidson's latest. However, Betsy and Sinclair DO learn a bit more about werewolves and BabyJon...and Betsy's sister, the daughter of Satan. Sound funny? Oh, the whole series is a side-splitter. Picture a self-absorbed, shoe-loving, fairly normal, not-so-bright, teetering-on-30 woman. She goes out on her birthday, has a horrible time, gets hit by a car, and wakes up a vampire--not just any vampire though. Oh no, she's the prophesized Queen of the Vampires! Has this changed Betsy? Uh, nope. She's still self-absorbed, still loves a shoe sale more than anything, still has more stereotypical 'blonde moments' than are good for her, and still hangs out with her best friend from way back. But the last two years HAVE seen some changes: she's now married to hunky Sebastian, found a sister she never knew about (yes, the one who turned out to be the daughter of Satan), accidentally bit a friend, cured a werewolf who couldn't change, and many other exciting and zany adventures you'll just have to read about.
Why do I enjoy this series? It's vampires without the angst. I mean, Queen Betsy is the antithesis of angst...unless we're talking knock-off shoes. The series is a bit sillier than Charlaine Harris' 'Sookie Stackhouse' and maybe I just like the fact that reading about Betsy's antics and though-processes makes me feel like a genius. I laugh, I shake my head at Betsy, and I laugh some more. How can that be bad?
Why do I enjoy this series? It's vampires without the angst. I mean, Queen Betsy is the antithesis of angst...unless we're talking knock-off shoes. The series is a bit sillier than Charlaine Harris' 'Sookie Stackhouse' and maybe I just like the fact that reading about Betsy's antics and though-processes makes me feel like a genius. I laugh, I shake my head at Betsy, and I laugh some more. How can that be bad?
June 12, 2009
This book was funnier than past ones have been, but that by no means says that it was a fabulous book. (I give it a 2.5) It wasn't. There was hardly anything to the book. If this book was spaced like normal books, it probably would only take 100 pages or so. It is a fast read because the font is huge and it is spaced funny.
The first half of the book was a reintroduction to the characters. I realize that accidents happen and people pick up books out of order and such (I know I have done it in the past) but we are 8 books into the series... character and story rehashing does not need to take the first half of each book. I thought the quick rehash at the very beginning was enough, but Davidson had to keep going on about it. What is truly sad is the lack of character development. They seem stagnant. They never grow or reveal more of themselves, they are just the same. After 8 books you would think there would be more background information about the characters, but no, readers are still fairly in the dark about the histories. But of course, we all know Laura is the devil's daughter and that is one background story that I never care to hear again. Yet it is brought up over and over and over again. I get it!! She is the devil's daughter, move on, focus on another characters background. It is almost like Davidson doesn't really know her characters and doesn't care enough about them to develop them. I really liked Sinclair and yet he is almost non-existent now. Yes, he is there, but it is almost like he is a ghost... he is mentioned and then that's it. He makes a comment and that's all.
I am just tired of the miniature plots that are trying to build up to something. Take some more time, write a larger book with a more substantial plot line and develop the characters, I beg you!
The first half of the book was a reintroduction to the characters. I realize that accidents happen and people pick up books out of order and such (I know I have done it in the past) but we are 8 books into the series... character and story rehashing does not need to take the first half of each book. I thought the quick rehash at the very beginning was enough, but Davidson had to keep going on about it. What is truly sad is the lack of character development. They seem stagnant. They never grow or reveal more of themselves, they are just the same. After 8 books you would think there would be more background information about the characters, but no, readers are still fairly in the dark about the histories. But of course, we all know Laura is the devil's daughter and that is one background story that I never care to hear again. Yet it is brought up over and over and over again. I get it!! She is the devil's daughter, move on, focus on another characters background. It is almost like Davidson doesn't really know her characters and doesn't care enough about them to develop them. I really liked Sinclair and yet he is almost non-existent now. Yes, he is there, but it is almost like he is a ghost... he is mentioned and then that's it. He makes a comment and that's all.
I am just tired of the miniature plots that are trying to build up to something. Take some more time, write a larger book with a more substantial plot line and develop the characters, I beg you!
June 7, 2009
Way too short to sell as a hardcover novel. Again with the large font, wide spacing and nearly blank pages. Again with the unnecessary re-hashing of earlier events in the series, leaving precious little room for new story.
2.5 stars maybe, since it's better than the previous book. It has a mildly interesting and suspenseful plot. It's not as funny as MJD's usual stuff; the series is getting darker. Her acknowledgments in the beginning are funnier than anything in the novel.
Sinclair has become really boring in these last couple of books! He was such a great character early on, but MJD seems to have lost the knack of writing him. It used to be touching, how fiercely he jumped to Betsy's defense despite his seemingly callous nature. His reactions now are not only dull, but he's amused or exasperated at all the wrong times.
I didn't mind the occasional crossover with the Wyndham Werewolves, but I'm getting tired of the overlap now. The werewolf-only stories are explicit erotica, and that's hard to disregard when those characters are brought into Betsy's world.
2.5 stars maybe, since it's better than the previous book. It has a mildly interesting and suspenseful plot. It's not as funny as MJD's usual stuff; the series is getting darker. Her acknowledgments in the beginning are funnier than anything in the novel.
Sinclair has become really boring in these last couple of books! He was such a great character early on, but MJD seems to have lost the knack of writing him. It used to be touching, how fiercely he jumped to Betsy's defense despite his seemingly callous nature. His reactions now are not only dull, but he's amused or exasperated at all the wrong times.
I didn't mind the occasional crossover with the Wyndham Werewolves, but I'm getting tired of the overlap now. The werewolf-only stories are explicit erotica, and that's hard to disregard when those characters are brought into Betsy's world.
July 25, 2016
5 Stars:
I actually liked this one much better than the previous two. I loved the extra focus on Laura and it looks like her story line is just starting to get good. It was also a rare pleasure to get into Marc's head a bit.
My absolute favorite and will read again and again. I strongly recommend! It has outstanding qualities. The characters are wonderful and surprising and multi-dimensional. The writing is luring, engaging, and well-crafted enough to keep me interested from cover to cover and beyond. The plot is astonishing with twists and turns weaved into a well thought and planned story. There’s no pretense and romance was well balanced and done entirely correctly with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors and incredible, undeniable chemistry. Predictability is at an all-time low. With the exception of series based books that follow the same path but are just as good. Overall, Favorite, must read again, recommend!!!
I actually liked this one much better than the previous two. I loved the extra focus on Laura and it looks like her story line is just starting to get good. It was also a rare pleasure to get into Marc's head a bit.
My absolute favorite and will read again and again. I strongly recommend! It has outstanding qualities. The characters are wonderful and surprising and multi-dimensional. The writing is luring, engaging, and well-crafted enough to keep me interested from cover to cover and beyond. The plot is astonishing with twists and turns weaved into a well thought and planned story. There’s no pretense and romance was well balanced and done entirely correctly with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors and incredible, undeniable chemistry. Predictability is at an all-time low. With the exception of series based books that follow the same path but are just as good. Overall, Favorite, must read again, recommend!!!
September 16, 2009
Undead and Unwelcome
I'm happy to say that this book is a much faster and better read than the last few. I really liked this book, I've read all of this series and loved it at the start but found by book 6 I liked it but I wanted something new. This one has parts where it's not just her as the protagonist and speaking from her point of view.
first Betsy has to take the body of her werewolf friend Antonia(who died in protecting Betsy)to Cape Cod where the Wydham werewolves live. It turns out not so easy of a trip. And like Betsy usually does, she gets into a little bit of a hard time. Meanwhile Her friend Marc is having problems with Betsy's half sister, who is turning out to be what they dreaded, the devil's daughter.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to a book 9. Betsy is funny, beautiful and undead. What's not to love?
I'm happy to say that this book is a much faster and better read than the last few. I really liked this book, I've read all of this series and loved it at the start but found by book 6 I liked it but I wanted something new. This one has parts where it's not just her as the protagonist and speaking from her point of view.
first Betsy has to take the body of her werewolf friend Antonia(who died in protecting Betsy)to Cape Cod where the Wydham werewolves live. It turns out not so easy of a trip. And like Betsy usually does, she gets into a little bit of a hard time. Meanwhile Her friend Marc is having problems with Betsy's half sister, who is turning out to be what they dreaded, the devil's daughter.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to a book 9. Betsy is funny, beautiful and undead. What's not to love?
June 4, 2012
I still had one or two giggles with this book, it's not my favourite in the series and I'm hoping the rest pick up a little more. Still worth reading, I love Betsy regardless!
March 1, 2011
I know a lot of people have been disappointed in the last couple of books. I am not one of those people. I read this series to laugh and to cheer up. It's nice to read a "silly" book every once in awhile.
It took a little time getting used to, but I eventually loved the story being told from two POVs. We get Betsy's heart-broken "I don't know what to do!" story. We also get Dr. Marc's HILARIOUS commentary on how Laura has LHDM! Yes, the acronyms were a little perplexing at times. But, once I thought about what he must be witnessing they came to me a little quicker. Some were obvious like LOL. Others were a little more confusing. It just really played up Betsy's frustration with Marc's emails. My favorite Marc line had to be towards the end when he mentions being locked in a closet by Betsy. Then he says something like the "being in a closet part was not lost on him." I love the witty remarks, those make me laugh the most. I also love it when Sinclair hides his "smile" when he is particularly proud of Betsy.
I also love the new developments with BabyJon. Can't wait to see what Ms. Davidson does next!
It took a little time getting used to, but I eventually loved the story being told from two POVs. We get Betsy's heart-broken "I don't know what to do!" story. We also get Dr. Marc's HILARIOUS commentary on how Laura has LHDM! Yes, the acronyms were a little perplexing at times. But, once I thought about what he must be witnessing they came to me a little quicker. Some were obvious like LOL. Others were a little more confusing. It just really played up Betsy's frustration with Marc's emails. My favorite Marc line had to be towards the end when he mentions being locked in a closet by Betsy. Then he says something like the "being in a closet part was not lost on him." I love the witty remarks, those make me laugh the most. I also love it when Sinclair hides his "smile" when he is particularly proud of Betsy.
I also love the new developments with BabyJon. Can't wait to see what Ms. Davidson does next!
December 21, 2010
I really enjoyed the first five or so books in the Betsy Taylor Vampire Queen Series. Now I'm just slogging through hoping that MaryJanice Davidson wraps this up.
"Undead and Unwelcome" picks up where Davidson's bleak "Undead and Unworthy" left off. Betsy and entourage are taking the body of werewolf Antonia back home to her pack on Cape Cod. In the process, they hope to make things right with their furry counterparts and avoid a vampire/werewolf war.
While that sounds like a plot that would fit into the rest of Betsy the Vampire Queen's volumes, this book screams "contractual obligation." Undead and Unwelcome and the one before lack the breezy, irreverant humor and adventure of the other books. They just kind of grind along.
Davidson warned readers that these two books and the next one would take some decidedly dramatic turns. While I can accept that, I think I'm most disappointed in the predictability of the plots and, when it appears, the retreaded humor in these books.
I'll probably see this series to the end, but I wish I could be more excited about it.
"Undead and Unwelcome" picks up where Davidson's bleak "Undead and Unworthy" left off. Betsy and entourage are taking the body of werewolf Antonia back home to her pack on Cape Cod. In the process, they hope to make things right with their furry counterparts and avoid a vampire/werewolf war.
While that sounds like a plot that would fit into the rest of Betsy the Vampire Queen's volumes, this book screams "contractual obligation." Undead and Unwelcome and the one before lack the breezy, irreverant humor and adventure of the other books. They just kind of grind along.
Davidson warned readers that these two books and the next one would take some decidedly dramatic turns. While I can accept that, I think I'm most disappointed in the predictability of the plots and, when it appears, the retreaded humor in these books.
I'll probably see this series to the end, but I wish I could be more excited about it.
April 1, 2024
Loved it!
November 24, 2017
Good story, but I felt it wasn't as good as the other books in the series.
I liked when Becky was getting mad because she couldn't understand the e-mails.
And Laura was just so funny. She wanted to get rid of all the vampires, but she forgot that her sister is the queen of the vampires.
I liked when Becky was getting mad because she couldn't understand the e-mails.
And Laura was just so funny. She wanted to get rid of all the vampires, but she forgot that her sister is the queen of the vampires.
July 15, 2009
I have read two other books by Davidson, and they weren't bad, so I decided to give this one a try.
Betsy Taylor, Vampire Queen of the Undead, and her husband Sinclair, are flying to Cape Cod with the body of her friend, Antonia, who died saving Betsy's life (apparently in the previous book, which I have not read). Antonia was part of a werewolf pack who were not comfortable with her presence because she had the gift of premonition, but could not change into a werewolf. The pack wants answers about what happened.
Back home, Marc is trying to help Laura, Betsy's half-sister and daughter of Satan herself, deal with devil worshipers that follow her everywhere. He convinces her to get them to do good deeds. She has them doing things, but not quite what Marc had in mind.
At the werewolf castle, Betsy and Sinclair (who brought Jessica and BabyJon with them) are feeling a bit uncomfortable. Everyone seems to be acting strange around BabyJon, acting as if he is not even there. Betsy is offended by the way everyone is mourning Antonia when they didn't even like her. Unfortunately, Betsy mentions this in a rather crowded room, and gets staked through the heart for her troubles.
Between the growing unrest at the castle, and Marc believing that Laura has gone off the deep end, Betsy has her hands full trying to stay alive. This is a fast paced book and full of laughs. I enjoyed it greatly, and plan to read more of her books.
Betsy Taylor, Vampire Queen of the Undead, and her husband Sinclair, are flying to Cape Cod with the body of her friend, Antonia, who died saving Betsy's life (apparently in the previous book, which I have not read). Antonia was part of a werewolf pack who were not comfortable with her presence because she had the gift of premonition, but could not change into a werewolf. The pack wants answers about what happened.
Back home, Marc is trying to help Laura, Betsy's half-sister and daughter of Satan herself, deal with devil worshipers that follow her everywhere. He convinces her to get them to do good deeds. She has them doing things, but not quite what Marc had in mind.
At the werewolf castle, Betsy and Sinclair (who brought Jessica and BabyJon with them) are feeling a bit uncomfortable. Everyone seems to be acting strange around BabyJon, acting as if he is not even there. Betsy is offended by the way everyone is mourning Antonia when they didn't even like her. Unfortunately, Betsy mentions this in a rather crowded room, and gets staked through the heart for her troubles.
Between the growing unrest at the castle, and Marc believing that Laura has gone off the deep end, Betsy has her hands full trying to stay alive. This is a fast paced book and full of laughs. I enjoyed it greatly, and plan to read more of her books.
October 25, 2010
Warning: Rant coming. What is going on? Doesn't anyone know how to edit anymore? ARE there no editors? Do authors NOT KNOW HOW to edit themselves? Or are we too afraid to OFFEND people by saying Gee you might want to edit that? I am getting TIRED of seeing good books that could have been great or ok books that could have been much better but they lacked editing. I am saying this because I am seeing a fun series turn into mind numbing drudgery because the author nor the publisher had the guts to edit. Hearing the background story of a character from not one or two characters but from the character themselves was nothing but padding. The author repeated info fans of the series would already know so many times it made me think that it was a way to disguise the thin story line. Too bad. I'm not wasting anymore of my time.
June 7, 2009
Does anyone else hate these new covers?
Some sad parts, some laugh out loud parts, some interesting new info, but on the whole this one was way too short. I agree with the reviewer that said this felt like a filler short story. It seems as though this was written as a bridge book because I'm not entirely sure where Betsy will be going from here.
The visit with the wolves was wild, and it would be interesting if the vamps had more contact with them in the future. Laura on the crazy train was rushed but having Marc tell the story in diary format was fun--he's been used so little in most of the books that it was nice to hear from him.
So, fun, but too short!
Some sad parts, some laugh out loud parts, some interesting new info, but on the whole this one was way too short. I agree with the reviewer that said this felt like a filler short story. It seems as though this was written as a bridge book because I'm not entirely sure where Betsy will be going from here.
The visit with the wolves was wild, and it would be interesting if the vamps had more contact with them in the future. Laura on the crazy train was rushed but having Marc tell the story in diary format was fun--he's been used so little in most of the books that it was nice to hear from him.
So, fun, but too short!
June 23, 2009
A bit disappointing; more like a "plot device" to move the whole story arc along rather than a full novel. But still fun!
September 12, 2009
OK....this is 2.5 stars. So even though it's better than the last book, it's not as good as earlier installments of the series. I don't think I'm going to read any future Queen Betsy books.
November 25, 2016
Rückblickend betrachtet ist in diesem Teil nicht viel passiert.
:D
Aber ich mag die Protagonisten einfach...
:D
Aber ich mag die Protagonisten einfach...
September 27, 2020
Another typical entry in the Queen Betsy series. Enjoyable, but nothing too deep. I liked getting to know how the werewolves structure their society and I hope they’ll be featured in other books! I didn’t quite like Marc’s chapters as much, although it was an interesting way of showing what happened when Betsy was gone. I’m also curious to see what will happen with Laura. I don’t think she’ll be on their side much longer! 3/5 September 26 2020
June 16, 2022
It's been quite a while since I read the previous book in this series (9 years). Were they all this bad? I'm wondering if my reading tastes have changed dramatically or if this book was just horrible.
This book basically had no plot until the last few pages where you learn a few key things about different characters. And that's it. Literally nothing else happened. I don't think I have any more books in this series and I won't actively look for them.
This book basically had no plot until the last few pages where you learn a few key things about different characters. And that's it. Literally nothing else happened. I don't think I have any more books in this series and I won't actively look for them.
July 28, 2020
This was definitely the best in the series so far.
May 15, 2025
I swear she changes parts of the running narrative to make it work for the next book. Which I kind of love catching and laughing at. But I still enjoy this whole series
July 20, 2019
I love a book that is a fast, fun read. I'm not a quick reader by any means and I flew through this in under 24 hours!
I am really enjoying the direction these books are going with extending beyond Betsy and the vampire gang. Werewolve packs that are a threat? I'm sold. A crazed daughter of the devil, and Lucifer? OK! Panicked humans who really can't do much especially when they no longer have cell service and emails are unreadable? I need a good laugh.
Overall, an entertaining, laughable and enjoyable light read.
I am really enjoying the direction these books are going with extending beyond Betsy and the vampire gang. Werewolve packs that are a threat? I'm sold. A crazed daughter of the devil, and Lucifer? OK! Panicked humans who really can't do much especially when they no longer have cell service and emails are unreadable? I need a good laugh.
Overall, an entertaining, laughable and enjoyable light read.
June 13, 2009
I love this series, but this installment was a little strange for me. It felt really disjointed for the first 1/3 of the book. Betsy felt spazzy to me, like she couldn't keep a thought straight in her head. I did like it better than the last because I did not feel angry at any characters. Still, I'd give it 3.5 stars.
The book started with a preview, which I assume was the devil worshipers locating Laura. It was a little vague and contributed to the disjointed feeling I got.
Marc's journal entries also added to that feeling. His entries begin with him talking about how he realized he's gay and the strain it caused with his dad. It didn't really seem to have a purpose for this book, though maybe it will carry over to the next. Marc's journal entries then begin to cover the events at home while Betsy, Sinclair and Jessica are in Cape Cod... basically Laura going crazy.
The main part of the story is Betsy, Sinclair and Jessica in Cape Cod dealing with the aftermath of Antonia's death. Other than the potential for more crossovers and finding out that BabyJon is immune to supernatural damage, not much happened. What was so strange was that this was the main story, but I would have thought that the side story with Laura would have been more important. Betsy didn't deal with any of that until the end.
Something did bother me, though. The whole attempt at email correspondence from Marc was just annoying. For one thing, what was with all the netspeak that didn't make sense. LOL is understandable... sometime like LHGC for Laura has gone crazy (I don't remember exactly what it was but it was like that kind of thing) is not. Who would even know what that was? I didn't and I knew Laura was going crazy. What is wrong with "Help. Come back now!"? And Marc knew Betsy hated it (there was a odd rant about it and it seemed strange coming from Betsy). But on the other hand, if someone sends you 30 email in one day and they have an air of urgency, shouldn't you answer even if you don't like the way the person types email? Considering their cell service was mysteriously canceled and never restored and Sinclair couldn't contact Tina at all, I would think it would be safe to assume that something was happening. Yes, I know it was used as a way to prolong Laura's evildoing but it was a little unrealistic.
I've also wondered about the multiple use of the same name. It's not annoying so much as strange. I've been used to it with the other characters but I really noticed with the little girl werewolf named Lara and the sister Laura. Betsy actually mentions the two Antonias and Jon/John is used more than once as well. Once is one thing, but it's really noticeable when it happens alot.
The book started with a preview, which I assume was the devil worshipers locating Laura. It was a little vague and contributed to the disjointed feeling I got.
Marc's journal entries also added to that feeling. His entries begin with him talking about how he realized he's gay and the strain it caused with his dad. It didn't really seem to have a purpose for this book, though maybe it will carry over to the next. Marc's journal entries then begin to cover the events at home while Betsy, Sinclair and Jessica are in Cape Cod... basically Laura going crazy.
The main part of the story is Betsy, Sinclair and Jessica in Cape Cod dealing with the aftermath of Antonia's death. Other than the potential for more crossovers and finding out that BabyJon is immune to supernatural damage, not much happened. What was so strange was that this was the main story, but I would have thought that the side story with Laura would have been more important. Betsy didn't deal with any of that until the end.
Something did bother me, though. The whole attempt at email correspondence from Marc was just annoying. For one thing, what was with all the netspeak that didn't make sense. LOL is understandable... sometime like LHGC for Laura has gone crazy (I don't remember exactly what it was but it was like that kind of thing) is not. Who would even know what that was? I didn't and I knew Laura was going crazy. What is wrong with "Help. Come back now!"? And Marc knew Betsy hated it (there was a odd rant about it and it seemed strange coming from Betsy). But on the other hand, if someone sends you 30 email in one day and they have an air of urgency, shouldn't you answer even if you don't like the way the person types email? Considering their cell service was mysteriously canceled and never restored and Sinclair couldn't contact Tina at all, I would think it would be safe to assume that something was happening. Yes, I know it was used as a way to prolong Laura's evildoing but it was a little unrealistic.
I've also wondered about the multiple use of the same name. It's not annoying so much as strange. I've been used to it with the other characters but I really noticed with the little girl werewolf named Lara and the sister Laura. Betsy actually mentions the two Antonias and Jon/John is used more than once as well. Once is one thing, but it's really noticeable when it happens alot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2010
Wow! This series has become one that annoys me, but for some reason I keep on readin' ...
***8th book in the series --- Series spoilers in review***
In Undead and Unwelcome we find Betsy, Queen of her world, doing what she does best, making everything about her. She often says throughout the book "self-centered? me?" Yeah! Her friends even talk about how "all about me" she can be.
Dr. Mark Spangler stole the show in this one, IMO. His journal entries were hilarious. Mackin' on Sinclair. hehe ;) He, Laura (daughter of Satan, fated to destroy the world) and Tina (Eric's right-hand) were left at the mansion while Betsy, BabyJon, Jessica and Sinclair head off to Cape Cod to return Antonia's body to her pack. Antonia stepped in front of a bullet, meant for Betsy, killing her. Her lover, Garrett, killed himself when he heard the news.
They arrive in Cape Cod with Antonia's body and meet with Michael Wyndham, Pack Leader and his wife Jeannie. Derik, one of Michael's weres and his wife, Sara, are also there. They tell Betsy and Sinclair that they will be required to explain what happened, how Antonia died, to the were council. While waiting for their date with the council, Betsy spends time with Lara, Michael & Jeannie's daughter. Lara is the perfect alpha's daughter and she has no problem putting Betsy in her place. (LOVED the playground scene) For some reason the pack acts strangely around BabyJon. Sinclair believes there are more important things to focus on, but Betsy's on a mission to find out what the deal is with that.
Back at the house, Mark is trying to keep a handle on Laura and her new band of followers while trying to find out where Tina's gone off to. His many attempts to get help from Betsy go unanswered b/c she can't understand his email lingo. He tries to solve things on his own, but things get out of hand.
I wish I could say that I was done with the series, but alas, I've come this far, can't stop now. My only hope is that the series ends soon. Put us out of our misery. You ask why then 3★? Well, there were bits that where I laughed out loud, mainly Mark's scenes, and I'm hoping that some of the discoveries in this one will help move the series to it's ending faster. :)
LOL Quotes:
Mark says,"She's like our own personal Kenny."
LOL T-Shirt:
Connor's t-shirt says, "Jesus Saves. He passes to Noah. Noah Scores!"
***8th book in the series --- Series spoilers in review***
In Undead and Unwelcome we find Betsy, Queen of her world, doing what she does best, making everything about her. She often says throughout the book "self-centered? me?" Yeah! Her friends even talk about how "all about me" she can be.
Dr. Mark Spangler stole the show in this one, IMO. His journal entries were hilarious. Mackin' on Sinclair. hehe ;) He, Laura (daughter of Satan, fated to destroy the world) and Tina (Eric's right-hand) were left at the mansion while Betsy, BabyJon, Jessica and Sinclair head off to Cape Cod to return Antonia's body to her pack. Antonia stepped in front of a bullet, meant for Betsy, killing her. Her lover, Garrett, killed himself when he heard the news.
They arrive in Cape Cod with Antonia's body and meet with Michael Wyndham, Pack Leader and his wife Jeannie. Derik, one of Michael's weres and his wife, Sara, are also there. They tell Betsy and Sinclair that they will be required to explain what happened, how Antonia died, to the were council. While waiting for their date with the council, Betsy spends time with Lara, Michael & Jeannie's daughter. Lara is the perfect alpha's daughter and she has no problem putting Betsy in her place. (LOVED the playground scene) For some reason the pack acts strangely around BabyJon. Sinclair believes there are more important things to focus on, but Betsy's on a mission to find out what the deal is with that.
Back at the house, Mark is trying to keep a handle on Laura and her new band of followers while trying to find out where Tina's gone off to. His many attempts to get help from Betsy go unanswered b/c she can't understand his email lingo. He tries to solve things on his own, but things get out of hand.
I wish I could say that I was done with the series, but alas, I've come this far, can't stop now. My only hope is that the series ends soon. Put us out of our misery. You ask why then 3★? Well, there were bits that where I laughed out loud, mainly Mark's scenes, and I'm hoping that some of the discoveries in this one will help move the series to it's ending faster. :)
LOL Quotes:
Mark says,"She's like our own personal Kenny."
LOL T-Shirt:
Connor's t-shirt says, "Jesus Saves. He passes to Noah. Noah Scores!"
August 26, 2009
I am an MJD fan and will continue to be, just like I will continue to follow the Undead series, even though it seems to be on a downward spiral. So, yes, Undead and Unwelcome is Book 8; surely, by now, I should be used to how Betsy books turn out. I have no issues with MJD's style of writing; the haphazard crazy way of writing is fun and suits Betsy's personality. Wafer-thin plots, I have more of an issue with, but even that I can overlook - I mean, we all know Betsy books aren't exactly literature. I think a measure of a good author is the ability to evolve its character, especially since MJD herself had called out that it was a new beginning for this series from the previous book. The character shouldn't be changed beyond recognition, but certainly in a way where readers can grow with the character as the series progresses. After all, major events would have happened; a person does not stay exactly the same. I love reading Betsy's frank outbursts; the way she speaks her mind with a devil-may-care attitude regardless of who's around is one of her endearing traits. What I can't stand is her inability to focus for more than 2 seconds, which seems to be much worse in this book than I can remember in all previous installments. Yes, we all know that she is not exactly enamoured about her position as Queen of the Undead but with all the recent events and new responsibilities, you would think she would be able to concentrate for at least the length of a conversation. I'm not sure how long more MJD can drag out this series for as things seem to be coming to a head. I can only hope that she will give the Undead series a fitting end, as Betsy so rightly deserves.
August 7, 2009
The latest installment in this series finds Betsy, Sinclair, and Jessica traveling to Cape Cod to deliver Antonia's body to her family of werewolves. After realizing that the vampire community is unorganized and weak in comparison to the werewolves, Betsy finds hereself in the position of having to play diplomat. This is done with her usual brand of witty charm, humor, and bitchy honesty.
While the gang is in Cape Cod, life at home is not peaceful. Betsy's half sister, the devil's churchgoing daughter is wreaking havoc in the name of peace. To loosely quote the book "she is the most dangerous of all, a bad person who thinks they're good".
I really like the direction that MJD is taking with this series. The first couple of books were funny and lighthearted, the next couple were bitchy and got old quick, as a result I almost stopped reading the series. I'm glad I didn't. Betsy is starting to realize there's alot to this Queen business and that life is not just about shoes and smoothies.
While the gang is in Cape Cod, life at home is not peaceful. Betsy's half sister, the devil's churchgoing daughter is wreaking havoc in the name of peace. To loosely quote the book "she is the most dangerous of all, a bad person who thinks they're good".
I really like the direction that MJD is taking with this series. The first couple of books were funny and lighthearted, the next couple were bitchy and got old quick, as a result I almost stopped reading the series. I'm glad I didn't. Betsy is starting to realize there's alot to this Queen business and that life is not just about shoes and smoothies.
September 13, 2009
After reading some of the reviews of this one, I was afraid it was going to be awful. Maybe that's why I didn't think it was so bad. It was still a classic MJD-fun-fluffy-afternoon read.
Betsy & co. have to go deal with Antonia's werewolf pack on Cape Cod, leaving only Tina and Mark behind. Once there, they have to contend with a bunch of angry wolves who are convinced that Betsy is somehow responsible for Antonia's death. If that wasn't enough, something seems off about BabyJon. Hmmm.
Back at home, Mark's boredom drives him to help Laura out with a little innocent advice. Poor Mark. He should know by now that nothing is simple when your roomate is the Queen of the Undead. As Laura slowly starts to show symptoms usually reserved for people in the psych ward, Tina goes missing, cell phones go down, and satanists show up in record numbers! Unfortunately for Mark, Betsy has no idea what the emails he has been sending her mean. Will someone be able to translate: CBN grrrl Laura's LHM and IDKWTD!!!!!...before it's too late?
Betsy & co. have to go deal with Antonia's werewolf pack on Cape Cod, leaving only Tina and Mark behind. Once there, they have to contend with a bunch of angry wolves who are convinced that Betsy is somehow responsible for Antonia's death. If that wasn't enough, something seems off about BabyJon. Hmmm.
Back at home, Mark's boredom drives him to help Laura out with a little innocent advice. Poor Mark. He should know by now that nothing is simple when your roomate is the Queen of the Undead. As Laura slowly starts to show symptoms usually reserved for people in the psych ward, Tina goes missing, cell phones go down, and satanists show up in record numbers! Unfortunately for Mark, Betsy has no idea what the emails he has been sending her mean. Will someone be able to translate: CBN grrrl Laura's LHM and IDKWTD!!!!!...before it's too late?
June 15, 2009
I have to whole-heartedly agree with the posters who criticized this book as: (1) too short; (2) too fluffy; (3) unnecessarily spending the first 100 pages rehashing the last 7 books; and (4) having a ridiculous number of spelling and grammatical errors. I truly enjoyed the first several books in this series -- but, boy, was this one terrible. It eventually did advance the plot a little bit, but the advance was so minor, it should have been a short story, rather than an attempt at a full-length book. I suspect that Ms. Davidson has fallen prey to either over-zealous publishers who don't care about quality once a series is established (because all they care about is pushing out lots of books, in order to make a buck) or laziness. I truly hope her next effort is actually that -- an effort. Because if this continues, I will not continue reading. Which is a shame, given how much I liked this series in the beginning.
December 8, 2013
This series has taken a very mediocre, often annoying turn for me. It isn't horrible or unreadable, but I really don't feel a lot of motivation to keep going with the series. Queen Betsy has had little to no character development since the very early series. Her humorous narcissistic charm has now just become annoying, and I find her grating on my nerves. The side characters aren't strong enough to hold me to the series either. Those that interest me have very minor roles, and those that have more page time irritate me just as much, if not more, than Betsy. For example, Laura made me want to tear my hair out in this book.
Overall, I'm just not feeling this series as much as I used to. The first handful of books were hilarious and addictive. Maybe the problem is that I have changed and the series hasn't evolved in a way that fits with my reading likes anymore. In the future, I might read another book in this series, but it is no longer a priority read for me.
Overall, I'm just not feeling this series as much as I used to. The first handful of books were hilarious and addictive. Maybe the problem is that I have changed and the series hasn't evolved in a way that fits with my reading likes anymore. In the future, I might read another book in this series, but it is no longer a priority read for me.
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