Undead and Unwed

Queen Betsy, Book 1

By: MaryJanice Davidson

Narrated by: Nancy Wu

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

MaryJanice Davidson's cult hit Undead and

Unwed is a delightful mixture of Sex and the City and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Waking up in a tacky coffin and wearing off-brand shoes, Betsy Taylor can't believe the horrible turn her life has taken; then she discovers she's a vampire. Soon, Betsy becomes a participant in a power struggle between the forces of darkness. With only her friend Jessica and the hunky vampire Sinclair to help her, this new "Queen of Vampires" will have a tough time getting her afterlife straight.

Dying for more? Don't miss the other titles in the Undead series.

©2004 MaryJanice Davidson (P)2006 Recorded Books

Critic Reviews

"Sexy, steamy, and laugh-out-loud funny, Davidson's chick-lit foray into the paranormal is delightful." (Booklist)

Lighthearted Dark Fantasy

I have to admit I really loved the lighthearted sillyness of a shoe loving queen of the vampires. I'm personally not a big fan of dark brooding vampires, so this was really a lot of fun.

My only gripe is that it's a little more sexual than I would have liked, not that I mind a little bit but the author can be very explicit which is a little wierd for me since I like to listen to my books at work (with headphones but still...).

Otherwise I'm really enjoying the series and I can't help spending all my credits so I can read the rest of them.

Such a fun book!

I actually despise what most people call "chick lit" and lots of people have described the Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson as chick lit meets vampires.

I suppose that is an accurate description, but the reason I hate chick lit (in general) and the reason I find this book so hilarious is basically the same: a really shallow-seeming heroine. Here the shallowness isn't complete (Betsy has her moments and you can see that she has some deeper feelings, if you search really hard for them), but the very shallowness is part of the reason these books are so funny.

The Queen of the Vampires is obsessed with shoes? Designer names? What anyone and everyone is wearing? Too funny!

Nancy Wu, who gives voice to Betsy in this first person novel, is letter perfect. She sounds just like Betsy did in my head when I read "Undead and Unwed" for the first time.

Give this book a chance,even if you aren't a chick lit fan. You won't regret it.

You can't just listen to one...

Light, funny, road-trip entertainment. Wu does a great job with female characters and adds flavor to the series. Don't start in the middle... listen from start to finish for the best experience. I'll keep this set in my I-Pod to listen to again and again and buy the next installment for my collection.

Great Concept / Annoying Character

I've read the Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse series and I was very eager to start on the Undead series. This book was entertaining with a great plot but is it just me or does Betsy get to be extremely annoying and brainless. I know she is supposed to be a woman in her late 20's/early 30's who ran a hectic office with complicated bosses and colleagues. A blonde bombshell heroine but she comes across as a blonde bimbo who is extremely emotional, lacks common sense, and acts more like she's a pre-teen going through puberty and made to share a bedroom with her little brother. She's not just tempermental, she's ridiculously rude, illogical, and whiny. She's commonly displayed as a self righteous, pouting, stomping, confidence-starved 14 yr old that says things like "ick", "yuck", "blach", and "gross". It's definitely "Sex in the City" meets "Twilight" meets "Austin Powers" meets "Rugrats". Of all the amazing things she can do and ample power she has, she spends most of her time mudslinging, name calling, and staging "biotch" fights. Listen/Read this for the sheer mindless entertainment. Overthink the storyline and you'll regret it..even if you do subscribe to Vogue and own a pair of Manolo Blahniks.

Betsy rocks!

Although in Holland 'Betsy' is a common name for a cow, and yes, I had to get over that, this Elizabeth is really really cool. When she thinks she's a zombie she tries to kill herself, several times, and when that doesn't work, she gets wicked.

'What are you gonna do? Kill me?'

Its like the devil wears Prada. Literally. I was laughing out loud every 10 minutes or so becuase she's so adorable. When other vampires want her to help destroi another she doesn't want to go with them. But then it appeares they have bought 10 pairs of very nice shoes and she's all over them. "I can't believe we are bribing our future queen with designershoes" sights an old-but-younglooking vampire girl. But hey, it works!

This book is perfect for fashionistas who love romance and comedy, and don't mind the paranormal surroundings. If you do- Betsy will talk you through it, this book is great.

Fun Paranormal Series

I took this book with me on vacation last month, and had more than a few laugh-out-loud moments while reading it.

Life was hard for Betsy Taylor - she couldn't always afford the newest and hottest styles of shoes, and she worked for a boss who neglected to do small things, like pay the taxes on his employee wages. A few months ago, she was attacked by some foul smelling nasties - though at least that led to her meeting a yummy detective. Then she gets hit by a car and dies. Game over. Right?

Nope. She wakes up, and is powerfully thirsty. Somewhere along the lines, Betsy has become a vampire, and life was hard enough with a pulse.

Betsy's take on the undead life is a howl, and I promise you won't be let down if you're looking for a light, fun tale peppered with some romance and a lot of laughs. It's like an undead Janet Evanovich novel.

Ridiculous

MaryJanice Davidson is fantastic. Her stories are witty and well-constructed, and she has created a wonderful protagonist. Betsy is superbly shallow. This series is a convergence of Sex in the City, the Shopaholic novel series, and paranormal/urban fantasy. Enjoy it. I know I did :)

Way Entertaining and so much fun!

This is the first book of this series that I have "read" as well as the first book from this author. What an enjoyable book. The heroine is bratty, smart-mouthed and independent and the character development is wonderful. It is not your normal Vampire story and is such a wonderful change from the serious "OH NO, I AM A VAMPIRE" stories. The narrator does a great job and you feel she is really Betsy. I can't wait to continue all the books in this series.
If you are looking for a serious vampire story, this is not it. But if you enjoy humor, wittiness and fun with vampire fiction, you will be sorry you missed this one.

Taken for what it is

I normally download the classics and intellectual selections. I was looking for something light, and I found it. The interesting thing is I found myself gripped. This book surprisingly delivered what I was looking for. If you don't mind a loose plot with basic, surface characterization yet enough continuity to carry the story, this is a good choice. I can't believe our heroine is a Republican, and the sex scenes are...interesting (ahem). Otherwise, this is a good escape from reality. For the same reasons I may watch sitcom reruns on a weekend after a hard week, this is a refreshing listen to kick back with after work. I found myself picking up the sequels to find out what happens next. Oh, yes, just don't tell anyone how much I enjoyed this as I dive back into my physics lectures.

Undead and Unwed

I liked the story. I liked the majority of the characters. That's not to say I didn't not like the main character. But she is young and newly undead. With that said, she made it hard to enjoy the storyline with her constant babble, unwillingness to understand her new circumstances, and having to have everything her way. As a teenager, alright; as a new vampire, um, not so much. If I continue this series, it will be to see if she ever learns to shut up and listen and stop making you wish someone would take her head if only to make her be quiet. The narrator was great.

Narrator is terrible

Would you try another book written by MaryJanice Davidson or narrated by Nancy Wu?

The narrator is so bad that I couldn't finish listening to this book. everything is said in a sarcastic tone, with far too many raising inflections. so no I wouldn't listen to this narrator again

What could MaryJanice Davidson have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

chose a different narrator

What didn’t you like about Nancy Wu’s performance?

everything is said in a sarcastic tone, with far too many raising inflections. so no I wouldn't listen to this narrator again

Trying too Hard

I was looking for a funny paranormal romance when I found this (recommended by a Good Reads thread). It's a light read with a decent narrator about a fairly shallow girl becoming undead. It has some interesting angles on the common vampire theme. However, this book is trying too hard to be both flippant and funny. Try hard funny always fall flat. The heroine is deliberately unlikable, but her "witty" point of view doesn't quite make up for this. It always gives me hives when anyone, let alone a main character, states "I know what is and isn't racist" especially if their reasoning is because they have a black friend - yikes. The shoe obsession is a think meant to be cute, but it's pretty labored and this book seems to be setting up for longer series (which I will not be reading) so doesn't feel like it has a whole story.

Very funny and entertaining.

Apart from the narrator's terrible English accent for one character, this was an excellent listen.