Undead and Unfinished

Title:Undead and Unfinished
Author:MaryJanice Davidson

Genre:Paranormal Romance

Pages:296(hard cover)

Main Characters:Elizabeth 'Betsy' Taylor; Eric Sinclair; Laura

Supporting Characters:Jessica, Marc, Tina, the Ant, and Satan (yes you heard me)

Before I start rambling about 'Undead and Unfinished' I should let you know this post will have MAJOR SPOILERS! I can't help it! Also I'll start out with a quick recap of the last 8 books...stick with me!

...Where to begin? So Betsy Taylor is your average 30 year old ex-model/currently unemployed secretary who just happens to have a super rich best friend...and did I mention she wakes up a vampire. The last 8 books of this 'Undead' series were incredible, lets see if I can get everything across. Betsy is fired and then plowed down by a car on her 30th birthday (as if that's not bad enough already). Several days later she wakes up caked in makeup wearing a hideous suit and even worse shoes..thus begins the story. Since then she's found out the (a) she's the Vampire Queen fated to rule for 5000 years next to the hunka, hunka burning vampire, Eric Sinclair, who she initially hates to love. And (b) her hair will always look awesome. After her super rich bff Jessica buys a mansion on Summit Ave, Dread Queen Betsy, her King, his minion Tina, Jessica, and Mr. I almost jumped off a building Marc move in. Throughout the book we're visited by numerous ghosts, fiends, cops, werewolves and even a Zombie or 2. A couple books back...before her and Sink Lair get married but after the fiends kill Nostril...we meet Laura, she happens to be the daughter of the Devil and also Betsy's half sister (you'll have to read them all to really understand) and also see Betsy inherit a son/brother in BabyJon. Unfortunately over the course of 8 (did I mention awesome) books we see Betsy lose friends too, and here we are starting book 9. Betsy, Sinclair, Jessica and BabyJon are back from Cape Cod and we're (as in the devoted readers) ready to see what's in store for our favorite Vampire Queen....

Book 9, 'Undead and Unfinished', sees Betsy and Laura in The Mall of America...again. But we don't get to stay there long. After Betsy gets in a huge fight with Sinclair, she decides traveling to Hell with Laura beats staying in the house. After arriving and finding the Ant as Satan's right hand lady, the Devil herself (yes she's a chick) tells Laura she wants to retire and hand over the reins to Laura, but first Laura has to master time travel. With Betsy's help, Laura first pulls the duo back in time to the Salem Witch Trials and at that point I knew this wasn't going to be your average Betsy book. After Salem they visit 5 more spaces in time, where Betsy learns quite a bit more about her husband, Tina and most of all herself.

I don't want to give too much away, but lets just say that when Betsy gets home quite a few things have changed...one thing I LOVE is detective Nick being back and being nice!! Yippee! Another is the fact that Tina and Eric can finally be open about everything they know with Betsy. 

Although I had a hard time really getting into the book initially once the time travel started I could scarcely put it down. I feel, as a devoted reader, that's it's about time we fully understand Tina and Eric's past, as well as how they knew so much about Betsy before she really did. I loved how MJD did that. One thing I did not love...the epilogue. As soon as I shut the book I took off running for the computer. I'm not ashamed to say I pulled up other people reactions and several of them matched mine...freaked the heck out! My first thought was dear goodness don't tell me this is it, but after finding a post from MaryJanice herself I'm quite relieved. She says no this isn't the last book, not even close. She hopes to write several more that help clear up the hazy future we see in 'Undead and Unfinished' (I cry in relief). So now it's not a question of "what the heck was that ending?" but "How on earth can I wait for the next one?".



Tempted All Night/Wicked All Day

I'm quite a bit behind on my blogs, lets see if I can catch up.

Title:Tempted All Night
Author:Liz Carlyle
Genre:Regency Romance
Pages:438
Copyright:2009
Main Characters:Lady Phaedra Northhampton; Tristan Talbot




Well I have changed my mind, I'm a woman, it is allowed. I am growing quite fond of time period pieces, and I have a feeling Liz Carlyle is going to be one of my favorites.

'Tempted All Night' tells the story of Phae Northhampton, whom we met in 2007's 'Never Lie to a Lady'.  She's quite the proper lady on the outside, but lucky for Tristan (you can't help loving a bad boy), she's quite the opposite of proper on the inside.  Rogue Tristan "Don't call me Lord Avoncliffe" Talbot, is immediately taken with Phae, and although he hates the thought of "taking" a Lady he can't seem to help himself. To Tristan's surprise, and I'd say pleasure, Phaedra isn't quite the Lady she likes to have everyone believe.

When Lady Phae lets him in on why she can't seem to stay away from a particular brothel, the one his father asks him to investigate, Tristan can't seem to resist helping. With a little help from friends and Phae's brothers clothes the duo discovers exactly what's going on behind closed doors. Now the only question is, can the 2 of them keep what's between them hidden. Phaedra thinks so, but lucky for her Tristan has another idea. Warning: this story contains shackles.

Title:Wicked All Day
Author:Liz Carlyle
Genre:Regency Romance
Pages:421
Copyright:2009
Main Characters:Zoe Armstrong; Stuart "Mercer" Rowland; Robert Rowland




'Wicked All Day' follows shortly after the epilogue of 'Tempted All Day'. Miss Zoe Armstrong, the motherless daughter of a Marquess, refuses to marry. I understand her point, although she's gorgeous most men only want her for her wealth. Robert "Robin" and Stuart (Marquess of Mercer) Rowland have known and watched out for Zoe since they were children, but when Robin is caught with Zoe literally on his lap Mercer forces them into an engagement he hopes saves Zoe's reputation.

Robin and Mercer's Mother and Step Father invite Zoe and family to Mercer's country estate, and although Robin and Zoe are now betrothed Mercer finds himself realizing that he's been in love with her...probably forever.  With Robin annoying everyone and treating his supposed bff Zoe like garbage, she turns to Mercer. When she realizes it's always been him she turns to, Zoe knows she has to make a decision. Follow her fathers wishes, or follow her heart.

All in all the 2 books together were fabulously fun and not too difficult to get through. Plus, we learn that a mistress can be a wife, who woulda thunk it.