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?".



Sex Love and Online Dating Series

Title:Sex, Lies & Online Dating

Author:Rachel Gibson

Genre:Contemporary Romance

Pages:384

Copyright:2006

Main Characters:Lucy Rothschild; Quinn McIntyre

Supporting Characters:Clare;Maddie;Adele

The first book in this "series", Sex, Lies & Online Dating introduces us to a group of 4 ladies who became friends because of their occupation, writing.

Lucy Rothschild is a mystery writer who is researching her newest novel, by posing as an Internet dater. After several coffee dates with the type of men she kills of in her book, she meets up with Quinn, 'hardluvinman', knowing she needs one more character to..ahem...write off.

Unfortunately for Lucy, Quinn is actually an undercover detective, looking for an actual serial killer and Lucy is one of his prime suspects. They're immediately attracted...this is a romance after all...even though Lucy believes Quinn is a plumber and Quinn knows Lucy's true identity. The first half of the book is their internal battle on whether or not you can fall in love via the Internet and the last half is the external battle to find the true killer before they find Lucy!

Title:I'm in No Mood For Love

Author:Rachel Gibson

Genre:Contemporary Romance

Pages:384

Copyright:2006

Main Characters:Clare Wingate; Sebastian Vaughan

Supporting Characters:Lucy, Quinn, Maddie, Adele

Clare Wingate is a romantic who thinks she found the perfect man who will give her the perfect marriage, just like in the romance books she writes. Her dream goes up in smoke when she finds said boyfriend on the kitchen floor with the repairman. Clare the proceeds to try and drown her sorrows in the bottle at Lucy and Quinns wedding reception. Clare wakes up the next morning, minus her pink bridesmaid dress, in a hotel room. Whats worse is she's not alone.

Sebastian Vaughan hasn't seen Clare in many, many years but that didn't stop him from spending the night with her. Although Clare believes they did more then just catch up, he knows it was a completely platonic night...well except for when drunken Clare strips down to her panties and cuddles up next to him. Sebastian didn't plan on trying to rekindle a relationship with the girl he grew up trying to get dirty, but he can't help but want to get...well dirty. Clare needs someone to show her romance can exists out of her books, and he just might be the perfect guy.

Title:Tangled Up In You

Author:Rachel Gibson

Genre:Contemp Romance

Pages:384 (at least she's consistent)

Copyright:2007

Main Characters: Maddie Dupree; Mick Hennessy

Supporting Characters:Lucy, Quinn, Clare, Sebastian, Adele

*This book takes place in Truly, ID and we get to check up on characters we met in "Truly Madly Yours"

Maddie Dupree, has bought a house in Truly, Idaho and is searching out a story for her next book. No one but her and her 3 friends back in Boise know this story is her story, the story of her mothers murder 20 plus years ago. She immediately seeks out the current Hennessy, who owns the bar her mother was killed in, while hiding the fact that she is a True Crime writer who pens under the name Madeline Smith.

If Mick Hennessy only knew that Maddie Smith was searching out the story that entwines both her mother and his parents and one fatal affair, he never would have fallen for her. He'd rather the gruesome tale that haunted his and his sisters childhood would just stay hidden, but he can't help but make sure the lady, he can't get out of his mind, has the right information and also makes it into his bed! Yippee for pillow talk! Rachel Gibson 'truly' delivers once again.

Title:Not Another Bad Date

Author:Rachel Gibson

Genre:Contemp Romance

Pages:(Guess) 384

Copyright:2008

Main Characters:Adele Harris;Zach Zemaitis

Supporting Characters:Lucy, Clare, Maddie;Sherilyn

'Not Another Bad Date' is my favorite of this foursome. Not only is Adele a Sci-Fi writer (nerd alert) but it's set in the great state of Texas!! Adele met Zach in college, he was big man on campus, being quarterback for the football team, and she was the quiet girl with the big curly hair he had to have, ultimately leaving his cheerleader girlfriend for. Said girlfriend wouldn't let Zach go though, and with her being pregnant Zach is forced to marry her and heartbroken Adele runs up north to get away from the boy she thought she could love

Now 14 years later their paths cross again...when Adele leaves Idaho for Texas, coming to help her pregnant sister out. Zach is now a widower ex pro footballer with a 14 year old daughter he doesn't always understand. When they get a little alone time the sparks that were between them so many years ago have ignited to a full fledge fire of passion...how's that for a setup.

I love this book!! it's quirky and heartfelt just like the other 3, but it's also funny as all get out with the side story that shows you why Adele had had so many bad dates and just what happened to Zach's cheerleader wife after she gets hit by a garbage truck...yep garbage truck.

If you read one, you must read them all!! So you better get to reading!