Dead and Loving It [Mass Market Paperback]

MaryJanice Davidson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2006

USA Today bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson has enchanted readers everywhere with her delicious blend of wicked humor, sizzling sex and a totally unique vision of vampires and werewolves. Now, in this collection of four sensual novellas, worlds collide when she brings her beloved Wyndham werewolves together with the vampires ruled by Undead Queen Betsy Taylor. In three of her most popular novellas, a Wyndham werewolf finds their perfect—sometimes reluctant!—mate, whether mortal or immortal. The collection culminates with the highly anticipated original story of feral vampire George the Fiend, as he meets the only female who can tame the beast within—a lovely werewolf. Filled with equal parts of spicy heat and laugh-out-loud moments, this collection will drive you wild with blood-pounding delight.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Davidson's fans will delight in this set of four fast-paced, lusty novellas featuring her Wyndham werewolves and vampires under the rule of Betsy Taylor, Queen of the Undead. "Santa Claws" is a tale of Europe's most powerful werewolf falling in love with a plump, bell-ringing Santa on a Boston street corner. "Monster Love" examines interspecies love when a spinster werewolf who "hit like a Teamster. And swore like one, too" is abducted by a lonely vampire. "There's No Such Thing as a Werewolf" is the story of a blind werewolf physician who discovers that fairies who grant wishes may really exist. "A Fiend in Need" reveals the true identity of George the Fiend when Antonia, the seer of the Wyndham werewolves, knocks on Betsy Taylor's door after receiving a vision that she is supposed to travel to Minneapolis to serve the queen. Each tale exhibits sassy dialogue, lusty lovemaking, irreverent humor, and the required happy conclusion.^B Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

MaryJanice Davidson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Undead novels featuring Betsy Taylor; Derik's Bane, and the new young adult novels featuring Jennifer Scales, written with her husband, Anthony Alongi, among other titles.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (June 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425207951
• ISBN-13: 978-0425207956
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #804,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MaryJanice Davidson has been credited with starting paranormal chick lit. The New York Times bestselling author of the Undead series, she lives in Minnesota. Please visit her on the Web at www.maryjanicedavidson.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't read all 4 stories at once!, April 14, 2006

By 

Deborah Wiley (Winter Haven, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dead and Loving It (Mass Market Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with one caveat- don't read all 4 stories back-to-back as the similar style will get old. Otherwise, all 4 stories have the snappy dialogue that I expect from a MJD book!

"Santa Claws" brings together werewolf Laird Alec Kilcurt and human Giselle Smith. Giselle works as a Santa Clause for charity and is swept off her feet in a short but humorous story.

In "Monster Love", werewolf Janet Lupo finally finds her mate and is able to get over Michael Wyndham (who chose a monkey, aka human, instead of a werewolf as his mate). Janet meets vampire Richard Will, who kidnaps her when he thinks she is skipping out on a date with him. After all, Janet is the first woman not to run screaming once Richard reveals his vampiric nature to her. Richard doesn't believe Janet is a werewolf and both must learn a lot about love.

"There's No Such Thing As A Werewolf" is the story of blind werewolf Dr. Drake Dragon and his mate Crescent Muhn (who is not a monkey, but figuring out what species she belongs to is part of the story). Crescent has been living in the streets whereas Drake is a doctor living a life of luxury.

"A Fiend In Need" is the story of vampire George the Fiend- whom we learn is actually named Garrett Shea- and his mate Antonia Wolfton. George has been evolving from the mindless fiend state he began in throughout MJD's books and so it was great to see him find a woman who will love him.

Overall, this anthology will probably be enjoyed by die-hard MJD fans such as myself because it tells the stories of some of the minor characters while maintaining the sassy humor expected from MJD. First time readers of MJD will most likely be disappointed, however, as the plotlines are relatively simple. I recommend this collection to fans of the Undead and Wyndham werewolf series but suggest that all 4 stories not be read consecutively.

39 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well, it's consistent...., April 12, 2006

By 

E. Schechter (West Chester, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dead and Loving It (Mass Market Paperback)

Any one of the four stories in this book would be a nicely humorous short read. The only odd thing--I wonder why a good funny writer would write the same story four times, put all four of them together into a book, and expect the reader to stay amused.

Girl (of some sort) meets boy (of some sort). They talk a bit, they have fantastic sex, They tell each other they have no problem with what the other is, and they decide they were meant to be together forever. The sex is oddly un-erotic, to my mind; basically it's your rote-memory plumbing story. It's as if she had enough one-liners that smartass confrontational supernatural types would use in a certain story for her to have to write that story four times to use them up.

*However*, it does contain a continuation of the tale of George the Fiend. The story changes him from a weird and unconventional member of Betsy's household; it seems that now he's going to be a more-or-less normal guy. But if you've watched George from the beginning, the story is a clever addition to the series, even though it follows the same pattern as the other three.

Your choice. If you like Queen Betsy and her group enough to spend the money for the additional story, you'll enjoy it. If you expect a four-story collection to contain four different plots (or at least four different situations), you're probably better off saving your money.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Blech, April 16, 2006

By 

L. Sjoberg "lasjobergg" (Winter Park, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dead and Loving It (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought this book the day it became available, and was horribly disappointed. The stories all follow a similar theme: boy meets girl, boy is instantly attracted to girl, boy has mind-blowing sex with girl, and girl decides that based on that, they're perfect for each other. If you're looking for tons of gratuitous sex, this is the book for you. If you're looking for a little more in the way of plot, you may want to look elsewhere.

One story that disturbed me was "Monster Love," in which the hero kidnaps and rapes his lady love. Eeeewwww! How is this supposed to be romantic? Maybe it's just me, but a story with a woman falling in love with her rapist is just plain repulsive.

The only bright spot is the last story which features George the Fiend from the Undead series. I did enjoy learning a little bit about George's background. It would have been a bit more enjoyable if George's love interest was a little more appealing.