107) Undead and Undermined by MaryJanice Davidson

The Blurb :

Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor thought she couldn't die. So what's she doing in the morgue? It could have something to do with a time- traveling trip she made, and a foe with a wicked agenda that could finally be the real death of Betsy-if she's not careful.

My Thoughts :

I suppose it wasn't a good sign when I read the introduction and the author apologised for the last book in the series. She then asks the readers to be patient because the whole story arc (this book, the previous and the next) will all be worth it in the end. However maybe we should be asking her publisher, editor or whoever gave this story arc the go ahead what drugs they are all taking.

Am I being too harsh? Maybe! But after following this series for so many years and forking out an unreasonable about of money for a copy of the newest installment I feel I have a right to have a little bitch about it. The storyline is ridiculous, the characters are all acting like idiots and the writing style is so horrible it can only give you a headache.

The funny, witty and laugh out loud paranormal moments are gone and don't seem to be coming back. I wasn't going to even bother with this book after the weirdness that was Undead and Unfinished but I didn't want to give up on a series and author that has brought me so many great books in the past. You invest time and money into a long running series and I know that there will always be one book that didn't 'do it' for you but Betsy has been going downhill for a while and I should have seen the signs and read the reviews. Nobody is really saying anything good about this one.

Of course this series was always a little over the top but time travelling to bring back all the characters you killed off is just cheating. I dread to think where this story arc is really going but I know I won't be buying the next book. If a copy happens to come into my possession in some other way I will give it a try but I had to grit my teeth and speed read through this one. It was like having a very painful procedure done.

If you are a huge fan, like I am/was, then you may just be inclined to get a copy. Wait and pick it up in the bargain bin or pool together with some friends and share a copy. I certainly won't be adding this to my Permanent Collection with the rest of the series because it has no reason to be there taking up room. Ok bitch over...sorry! Hopefully the author will be bringing out some new and interesting soon.

101) Undead and Unfinished by MaryJanice Davidson

Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor is having a tough time getting through the Book of the Dead. That is until she strikes a deal with the Devil. Now everyone knows that bargaining with Satan never ends well but Betsy can't pass up the chance of actually finishing the cursed thing. So what is the catch?

Betsy and her half-sister Laura have to go to Hell so Laura can embrace her dark heritage. It is finally time for Laura to make nice with her mother and learning all the cool, if somewhat devilish, abilities that the daughter of Satan possesses. What Betsy and Laura didn't realise is that they would actually be learning by doing. Messing with the past and future is dirty work in more ways than one but of course that's what Lucifer wanted all along. Damn her.

Book nine in the series and things started off weird. Not normal Betsy weird but 'I want to give up on the book' weird. Yes you read that right. I was going to give up on this new installment even though it is one of my favourite series and I have been following it since the start. Why? Well it was Betsy's fault. She was being extremely annoying, boring and just spoilt. Like a child who is seeking attention, I felt like I should ignore her. Luckily I have a lot of faith in the author and pushed through.

It took about half of the book before things got interesting. Very interesting. It was like the story was travelling the wrong way on a one way street and finally turned around and went the right way. Even though I had no idea why the author decided to trick me in this way I started to enjoy the book and couldn't wait to see what happened next. The second half of the book had little twists and turns which sometimes surprised me but at other times seemed logical. The second half was where all the action took place and it was worth the wait.

Getting to know Laura and her mother was a thrilling experience and made for great reading. Betsy still behaved like a brat (her words not mine) most of the time but I managed to get over it because of the content of the story that was unraveling itself. I did miss the other characters a little. Sure there were there in the background but they didn't have main parts this time around. A nice change but also a little unusual.

Fans will be left a little shocked and amazed by the ending of Undead and Unfinished. I am not sure if there will be another installment in this series or if that was the last we will see of Betsy. However I can say that if there is another Undead book there will definitely be some changes and things will surely go in a different direction than we all expected.

After a bumpy start this turned out to be a nice addition to the series and while it isn't my favourite one so far it certainly does make an impact. I am looking forward to more Betsy if it comes because there are some questions I still want to see answered. Although I am also happy to leave things how they ended or maybe I am just fed up of waiting a whole year for a new episode?

119) Undead & Unwelcome by MaryJanice Davidson

Vampire Queen, Betsy Taylor, always has alot of problems to deal with. It comes with the job. The biggest problem she has right now is werewolves and lots of them. Her werewolf friend Antonia died to save her and now she has to take Antonia's body home to Cape Cod and the Wyndham werewolves. She isn't sure if they are going to be welcoming or not.

Betsy and her husband Sinclair do get some cold shoulder treatment but the one who seems to be getting the brunt of the cold is Betsy's half brother and legal ward, Babyjon. All the werewolves stay clear of him and forget he even exists. Why are they so freaked out about a little baby?

Meanwhile back home, Marc and Tina are left alone to fend for themselves. Then Betsy's sister comes around to keep them company but ends up bringing some company of her own along. Before Marc can figure out what is happening, the daughter of the devil is doing more evil than good and nobody is answering Marc's frantic emails for help.

Betsy #8, like all the Betsy novels, was worth the wait. However after waiting a year for a new installment (with a story that takes place only a week after the last) the book was too short and over too quickly for my liking. On the other hand Betsy is Brilliant and there is nothing stopping me from devouring the newest edition as soon as I can get my hands on it.

So Sex in the City style story with Betsy in the leading role and some interesting twists and turns to keep the readers hooked and longing for the next part. I loved the fact that Marc was keeping a diary about things back home and it was great to catch up with the Wyndham werewolves again. Roll on book #9 and maybe get it out to us fans a little quicker?