Undead and Unwed (Queen Betsy, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

MaryJanice Davidson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 2, 2004

First Betsy Taylor loses her job, then she's killed in a car accident.  But what really bites is that she can't seem to stay dead.  And now her new friends have the ridiculous idea that Betsy is the prophesied vampire queen, and they want her help in overthrowing the most obnoxious power-hungry vampire in five centuries.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Betsy Taylor--former model, newly unemployed secretary, 30, and still single--wakes up after being flattened by a small SUV in a tacky coffin wearing cheap knock-off shoes. Her mother is glad she is back, albeit as a vampire, but her stepmother is enraged that Betsy has reclaimed her designer-shoe collection. With a wealthy best friend and a newly acquired doctor pal who is not susceptible to her formidable allure, she sets out to right wrongs but is abducted by Nostro, a tacky 500-year-old vampire who rules the undead roost. It seems that Betsy is an anomaly: a vampire who doesn't burn in sunlight, can fight the urge to feed, and is not repulsed by religious articles, all of which may make her the prophesied Queen of the Vampires. Teaming up with gorgeous vampire Eric Sinclair, who is in her opinion a major pervert, she takes on Nostro and his minions. Sexy, steamy, and laugh-out-loud funny, Davidson's chick-lit foray into the paranormal is delightful. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Entertaining, wicked, and delightful . . ."
-- Romance Reviews Today (Romance Reviews Today ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Sensation (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042519485X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425194850
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (391 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #425,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MJ is the best-selling author of several novels and is published across multiple genres, including the UNDEAD series and the BOFFO trilogy. Her books have been published in over a dozen languages and have been on best-seller lists all over the world, including USA Today and the New York Times. A former model and medical test subject, she lives in St. Paul, MN, with her husband, children, and dogs.You can reach her at [e-mail], as well as follow her on FaceBook.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

140 of 152 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars No way to describe the pleasure March 19, 2004

By Erica

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I laughed a lot, I teared a little and I shouted for the heroine of this crazy, sexy and cool 'la vampria' novel.
The heorine died and became a vampire, but does that stop her, oh no, in fact its just going on with life undead, worries about your pet, your job, your family and friends, the future and what you plan to wear the next evening does not stop just because one survives mutliple death situations. Those situations she can handle but as Vampire Queen, she's going to have deal with fashion cliches, threats against her life and a sexy, sexy man with stamina of bull. What's next for her she does not want to know, but it will be fun for us to read.
It was a little of WB's Angel, the clut classic Buffy, Sex and the City and the A-Team. "The Sidekicks", followers and consorts, fun, funny, sexy and deadly.
Lines like "My being a vampire doesn't bother you but my giving money to P.E.T.A does?" will have you chuckling behind this book, the sly wit that is in the lines of this book, make one of the best this year!!!
This is a must have and if you enjoy it that try Shari Shattuck's "Loaded" The say wit and humor with sass, sex and smarts these two authors are just being their careers and I can't wait to read more.

71 of 77 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ms Davidson does it again! Another creative and fun read! March 10, 2004

By baltimore0502

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I first discovered MaryJanice Davison last year when I read and really enjoyed BY ANY ANOTHER NAME. I then was on the lookout for any and all stories by this talented author and read THIEF OF HEARTS and short story collection UNDER COVER all fun and sexy contemporary romances. She's incredibly creative and has also written shapeshifter romantica (CANIS ROYAL) and even young adult stuff (TEEN FURIES). UNDEAD AND UNWED (first released as an ebook in 6/02) is a fun and creative spin on the vampire sub-genre and is really almost parody.

What would happen if, say Cher from CLUELESS woke to find herself a vampire? Elizabeth "Betsy" Taylor is a fashion (especially shoe) obsessed former model who just got laid off from her thankless secretarial job and then is hit by a car and killed - all on her birthday! She wakes in a funeral home and it doesn't take much to figure out that she's not alive but not quite dead either. Being a zombie is NOT and option, but when her several attempts to finish herself off fail, and a weird thirst for blood (eeww!) asserts itself, she has to face it - she's a vampire!

Its just hysterical watching Betsy adjust to her new vampire lifestyle and powers. But there are some ways in which the usual vampire rules don't apply to Betsy. She can still enter churches, crosses and holy water don't bother her and sunlight is not fatal. What's up with that? Her unique abilities bring her before head vamp Nostro who's determined to bring her under his control. And when sexy "tall, dark and sinister" Eric Sinclair offers to become her vamp mentor are his motives good or evil? Betsy is not sure, nor is she interested in getting involved in "vamp politics", she just wants to be left alone.... Sinclair is frustrated by her too human compassion, her self absorption and her immaturity, all of which just highlights her need for guidance from the right quarter - he's also very attracted to her. When she's told that she's the prophesied "vampire queen" it's way too much! She's only been a vampire for a week for heaven's sake! Things become more dangerous when Sinclair asks her to join forces with him against Nostro. She resists until he makes an offer she cannot refuse: her support for designer shoes! The vampire world is in for some changes, baby!

Ms Davidson will continue with these characters when UNDEAD AND UNEMPLOYED comes out 8/04. Betsy still needs to find job and also figure out her new place in the vampire world. Sinclair still has a ways to go in proving himself to Betsy. And then there's detective Nick Barry - did he really forget his vampiric experiences? A really fun read that is very highly recommended!! Also look for THE ROYAL TREATMENT an alternative reality erotic romance coming 5/04. Read more ›

120 of 137 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars YMMV June 25, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I am a big fan of both irreverent vampire stories (like Buffy) and chick lit. This seemed like a nice mixture, but it was a struggle for me to finish it. I found the heroine so grating, the dialogue so ridiculous, and the humor so unfunny it was painful. Jokes like calling Sinclair "Sink Lair" were not funny to me the first time, and by the tenth, well, I was nigh homicidal. I see the intent, but for me it fell alarmingly flat.

That said, there are so many positive reviews that obviously I am in the minority. My suggestion would be that you check out a few pages of it before you buy. If you find her sense of humor entertaining, then you'll enjoy the book. If not, well, put it back down, as I wish I had. Your mileage may vary, as always.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars really enjoyable June 27, 2004

By M. Cookson

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I was prepared for this book to be so-so, which means I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be really good. The book begins with Betsy Taylor's fantastically bad day - she gets laid off and dies on the same day. However, she later wakes up as a vampire. Her mother and best friend handle her newly undead status rather well, and it's not long before Betsy is contacted by other vampires. The vampires are composed of two waring groups. Both groups want her, but one believes that she is the prophesied vampire queen, since she can do things no other vampire can do. Betsy's not too happy about the idea of joining either group, even though Sinclair, the leader of the group that believes she's the vampire queen, is really attractive. However, Betsy badly needs help learning how to live as a vampire, so, in spite of the fact that she'd rather go shoe shopping with her best friend, she reluctantly joins Sinclair's group.

Betsy was a fun heroine, although she was a bit dense at times. Had she been a normal vampire, she wouldn't have survived more than 24 hours. I had to be careful not to read this book in public, because parts of this book made me laugh so hard that I'm sure I would've gotten stared at a lot. I wish some of the characters had been better developed, but the book's humor made up for a lot of that. I'm looking forward to reading the next book, so that I can find out more about some of the other characters. If you've read Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books and liked them, I definitely suggest that you read this book. There's one thing I need to add, however. Although the spine of this book calls it a paranormal romance, I wouldn't call it a romance.... Yes, there are several sex scenes, and, yes, there is a gorgeous guy who alternately annoys and attracts Betsy, but there isn't really any romance. This book is pretty much all Betsy, without any romantic relationship development - that, I imagine, will probably come later. Just a warning for those who might be expecting a traditional quirky romance. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book! Read more ›