Dead and Loving It

Title: Dead and Loving It
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Horror/Chick lit/Romance
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This collection of 4 short stories brings together Davidson's Wyndham Werewolves with Queen Betsy's vampires. And sex. Lots of hot, steamy sex.

There were parts I was uncomfortable with - namely the non-con which turned into dub-con in the second story, and seeing George, the feral vampire called a Fiend, fall in love was kind of strange, but cute. So, 4 stars. If I hadn't been squicked by the non/dub-con, I would have given it 5 stars.

Undead and Unreturnable

Title: Undead and Unreturnable
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Horror/Chick lit
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

It's Christmastime for Queen Betsy and the gang, and she's in for yet another rough week. She's trying to plan a wedding (which her fiance may or may not want to go through with), figure out how to tell her beloved she can hear his thoughts during sex, get to know her half-sister (who happens to be the daughter of the devil), and baby-sit her half-brother (while not killing his mother). Oh, and figure out another streak of murders plaguing the St. Paul area.

The series is still a fun piece of fluff, but this book didn't quite have the pizazz of the previous installments. Maybe it was Sinclair being all mopey (when he wasn't screwing Betsy's brains out), or maybe it was the ever-annoying Jon. I don't know. I'll still keep reading the series (heck, I've blown through the first four books in 48 hours), and have my eye on one of Davidson's other series, The Alaskan Royal Family.

Undead and Unappreciated

Title: Undead and Unappreciated
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Horror/Chick lit
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Queen Betsy and the gang are here for a third round - and what a round! This time, Betsy finds out that her bitchy stepmother is pregnant with Betsy's half-sibling - and not for the first time! Betsy sets out to find her half-sister who just happens to be the child of the Devil. No, really. Oh, and did I mention that Betsy finally admits she loves Sinclair?

This series has definitely grown on me. Betsy is annoying me less. It's not because she's getting any smarter or any less vapid, but because I'm getting used to her, and growing to love her as a character. And Sinclair! Hoo boy, he just gets hotter with each book!

I know this is a short review - I'm hurrying off to read book 4!

Undead and Unemployed

Title: Undead and Unemployed
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Horror/Chick lit
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Betsy Taylor, the new queen of the vampires (and a most unwilling queen too, might I add) is back - and in need of a job. (Hey, designer shoes don't grow on trees, you know.) On top of needing to find - and then keep - employment, she also has the small problem of figuring out all the recent vampire murders.

Even though many people call this series a romance series, I just can't see the romance. Yes, Sinclair is head over heels in love with Betsy (though he has an odd way of showing it), and yes Betsy does love Sinclair (though she'd rather die - again - than admit it, even to herself), but really this series just doesn't have enough elements of a romance to truly be a romance series. Heck the main character ends up determined to stay away from the romantic lead by the end of the book! (As Betsy says, "Nothing good can come of having sex with Eric Sinclair.")

After reading the first book I was annoyed with Betsy but intrigued by the story. Now, after having read the second book, Betsy is growing on me. She's like Buffy, only slightly more vapid, much vainer, and not quite as kick-ass. But still charming.

Undead and Unwed

Title: Undead and Unwed
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Horror/Chick Lit
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Betsy is having a crappy day: she lost her job, had to cancel her birthday party, and on top of all that, she gets hit - thanks to her cat - and dies. And as if that isn't bad enough, when she wakes in the morgue, she's in her bitch of a stepmother's ugly pink suit and cheap knockoff shoes.

And now she has two groups of vampires - one led by a raging madman, the other led by an incredibly good-looking, but pushy, hunk of man (nay, vampire) - fighting over her, trying to teach her the ways of vampires (half of which don't seem to apply to her), and all she wants to do is figure out how to live without relying on the charity of her superrich best friend.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, Betsy (who happens to be the narrator) annoys the crap out of me: she's shallow, vain, and lives for nothing but designer shoes (although I love her don't-fuck-with-me attitude; it reminds me of my best friend in so many good ways). On the other, the story intrigued me (and so did the male MC, Sinclair - what a hottie!). So I'll read the book, and I'll read the next one, and possibly the third.