I would have been disappointed in the lack of over the top MJD humor we're used to seeing, if I hadn't read where she wrote that this book will be the turning point in the series where it starts to take on a more serious note. Fine, I can deal with that... sometimes the stupid jokes got old in the previous stories anyway. But here is where I am really getting sick of the Undead series. This books is SO FREAKING SHORT!! Less than 300 pages, and for $23?!?!?! Are you kidding me MJD? How can you let your publisher, or whoever makes these decisions, do something so incredibly stupid if you want to keep your readers happy. Well, then again she probably doesn't care - because that's just more money in her pocket.

But this one really was the stopping point for me - I'm tired of the crappy storyline, and the horrible way she's just shoving all these random "plotlines" in the story... plotlines that never go anywhere (like the ghost of "the Ant")... the way Sinclair's dark, dangerous character has become such a sissy... the fact that Betsy is supposed to be a mother now and the baby isn't even IN the story, which I thought was supposed to be a major point now... the way a chapter can only be ONE PAGE LONG when you take in to account the large margins and print... ok you get my point. I won't buy another MJD book, I'll just wait for them to show up at the local library or read them at the bookstore since it only took a couple of hours anyway.

overall i enjoyed the book. read it in one sitting and even though all the flashbacks were rather monotonous i really enjoyed the book. it was a good read and worthy of the first book
as for the cover i really didnt pay much attention to it so i neither liked it or not

UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY
MARYJANICE DAVIDSON

Rating: 5 Enchantments

With a mound of wedding Thank-you notes to write, misty apparitions of whinny ghosts haunting her nights, and a mob of feral vamps on the loose and out for her....blood, knowledge (a serious bath and a wardrobe change would be her first option), but it best not be her collection of shoes! The Queen of the Undead, once again has her hands full. Did she mention she's still ga-ga over her stud of a brand new hubbie - Sinclair? And with him whiling away the hours with the Book of the Dead, mayhem always seems to follow. Whoever said married life was boring doesn't know pumps from sneakers and doesn't know Betsy - Queen of the Undead.

MaryJanice Davidson is an Undead Comedic Writing Master! The numerous laugh-out-loud scenes in this book are plenty, the story a patina of blood-soaked hilarity and dramatic flair. Just don't take it to while away in an appointment waiting room - people tend to stare... Ok, let them stare - they could probably use the laugh too and will rush out and buy this book! Betsy is growing stronger, as it the entire story-line and I, for one, can't wait to see where MJD takes us next. Stay tuned, it's definitely going to get interesting.

K.A.
Enchanting Reviews
June 2008

I was a little concerned when I saw and heard about the "new look". The original cover art was all sharp angles and decidedly quirky, and made me smile even before I opened the book. It really fit the mental image of Betsy as you got to know the character. The new cover art just makes her look like the Unabomber.

The book iteslf is thin on plot, thin on action, and thin on words. They've made the print larger and doublespaced it to make it look like a normal length novel, but this is really only about 80 actual pages worth of words. The foreword says it's the first of a 3 book arc, but I think MJD should have finished all 3 and made 1 normal length book.

I really did not appreciate the deaths of Antonia and Garrett. This is supposed to be ROMANCE, happily ever after. You don't kill off characters who have been the leads in their own novella.

I have been reading and recommending the Undead books since the first one came out, but this was disappointing.

Definitely Unworthy of the Betsy heritage.

This book had its Betsy moments. Although I'm not sure I like where this book is taking us as far as the storyline goes and this newest book was most defiantly not as fun as the others. All in all I'd have to rate this book as being my lest favorite of the entire series so far.

I've read all the Betsy books, all of them more than once, and I can honestly say that this is one of the worst. It seems to be MJD's trend to have Betsy whining and Sinclair and Tina evading and obfuscating to the very end. So nothing is resolved in the big picture, only the crisis of the day is over. Plus, they killed off many of the sidekicks so now there'll be an excuse for another 1/2 book worth of introduction of new sidekicks.

Way to pad up the books without actually deciding on any conclusions. So what is the Ant there for? How should Laura be handled? What happened to Cathy the Ghost? What were the Fiends feeding on while Alice was dead?

So many unanswered questions - MJD should buck up and at least tie up some loose ends. The books are not worth the paper they're printed on otherwise.

When I started reading this series I thought Betsy was entertaining and funny. I liked her little quirks because they made her unique and fun to read. Well, now it has turned into that relationship that has lasted to long and all I want to do is slap her. Not only that, I want to go to the Monster Mansion and slap the lot of them. I would tell Betsy to grow up and learn how to protect herself! Take your roll as Queen seriously and stick up for yourself!!! I would tell Sinclair to stop being such an A**. Trust your wife and help her and maybe she will become a better Queen. I would stick a gun in Nicks face and tell him he needs to find help because he needs to talk about his feelings.

I did end up giving the book three stars because I liked how the series began and I can't give up hope that something interesting will happen. Maybe we will see some character growth or the story will get better. It's such an easy series to read. Something I can finish in a couple of hours and I just know I will buy the next one.

The vampire king and queen, newlyweds Eric Sinclair and Betsy Taylor look forward to a long serene honeymoon in which they take nips from one another in between shoe shopping. Alas that is not to be for the royal undead. Fiend Garrett healing from some recent assaults informs the majestic pair that his fiend friends have been dining on his blood.

Thus the Twin Cities' fiends are recovering, but also hold culpable Betsy for their woes; they declared she must die. Meanwhile Nick asks Betsy for help on several murder investigations; she reluctantly agrees in order to make amends to him. Only she finds herself facing her worst nightmare of her existence, the ghost of her stepmother.

Book seven of the Undead and Un... is an engaging entry as Betsy born the queen tries to act regal beyond her shoes, but needs to pay off a debt first. The story line is the usual humor expected from a MaryJanice Davidson tale as Betsy learns a lesson that vampirism is not the road to hell; good intentions are. Fans of the series will enjoy the antics of the newlyweds as her family drives her insane while she lands in one dangerous even to an undead predicament after another.

Harriet Klausner

When MJD's pre-note mentioned she was taking the story into a more serious vein (no pun intended), fans weren't prepared for how serious it was going to get with the unexpected, shocking deaths of Garrett and Antonia. Queen Betsy is struggling to maintain her humanity in the presence of the inhumanity around her, and I'm reminded of another Queen by the name of Elizabeth I and her first shaky months as Queen of England. The red hair Betsy dons is a tip off. Do I sense a parallel here? Will Betsy be requiring her own Walsingham to help her steer a course of her new 'kingdom' and handle all the conflicting advice she is receiving from the older, more experienced vamps around her, i.e. Sinclair and Tina. She is learning to trust her own instincts and coming into her true powers as Queen of the Undead and I think we'll in be for a very pleasant surprise - that is, if she can find just the right pair of shoes!

I am so disappointed with this series. I started out loving the silly blond queen but she is still just that. This series has no real growth and the story is going nowhere. In fact, it just got worse with the return of the Ant who is more annoying then ever. I could care less what happens to any of these characters and I even hate a couple of them. Like Nick, get the frick over it man! I'll probably keep reading it in hope of a new development and just because it's so easy to read. I could finish one of these books in three hours.

I love all the Undead books. I am shocked at some of the reviews here. At the very beginning of the the book MaryJanice tells us the books are taking a slightly different turn and this is the first book in a series of at least three books. I loved the book. I did laugh at loud and the new stories lines look good. The only reason I did not give it 5 star is because I miss the romance between Betsy and Sinclair. I would recommend this book to anyone. Cann't wait for the next one!!

I must say first off that I absolutely love MJD and basically every series she has written. I understand that this is the first of a new 3 book "arc" or story line but overall I was a little dissapointed by the book.

***Spoiler alert***























I was really really mad that Antonia and George got killed off. I loved their characters and while I understand that maybe Betsy needed to see deaths in order to grow as Queen, I wasn't happy about it.

I don't really get the Ant coming back and was a little confused by it. Also the grandpa parts were strange to me, what was the point of that?

I don't really care for Nick and hope he is gone for good. Overall his character kinda bugs me, and since he is in this book so much I was annoyed a lot.

Will I buy the next book? Of course, it's Queen Betsy after all! But I do hope the next book isn't quite as depressing or confusing.

Following in the same spirit as previous Betsy, Queen of the Vampires, stories, this seventh installment is full of humorous quips, designer shoes, and enough blood to fill a tub or two.

Undead and Unworthy follow Betsy, her new hubby Sinclair, and Garrett as they try to solve the fiends who want to kill Betsy for not restoring them to a glorious undead life. Ant, Betsy's obnoxious dead step-mother, is also haunting her.

Davidson's storyline moves along characters relationships and takes them in a whole new direction. The writing is very fresh. Though Betsy is full of sarcasm, Davidson always comes up with new ways for her character to express it.

This is a perfect light romantic beach read for those who are interested in the paranormal.

very boring, not worth the time even if you are bored. which I was so quit halfway through. Same Betsy, same scenarios, same arguments, blah blah blah...

Oh my.... why or why.... I think Davidson is just writing to make money now. The story is really not there. My goodness, I'm really sorry if you spent money on this.

Remember people! Your public library is the place to be this summer!

Well I just finished reading Undead and Unworthy. I enjoyed the book however I got the impression that it was a novel. Meaning that as with some mainstream authors where demand for their books is high the author does not have the time to fill it out. It could have been the ebook version or something...

Anyway it was entertaining. The storyline was developed and some characters have come and some have gone. I believe that it was a nice installment and I chuckled through a good portion of the book while the scenes may be grime the story is funny.

To answer the question should I buy this book?
Yes because if you like Besty you got to know whats going on.

Will I buy the next book?
Yes because this book left me wanting more.

By Diane Raetz (West Milford, NJ) - See all my reviews


I'm a little bit at a loss here. I refer to MaryJanice Davidson's books as the ultimate sugar high. When I'm depressed and need a lift I open a Betsy, Fred, Alaska or Cyborg story. 15 minutes later I'm laughing and enjoying a light literary romp.

This is not one of those books.

On the other hand I really like when authors try to make their books about something more significant than (forgive me MJD) the hottest pair of Jimmy Choos. This book was supposed to be a test of Betsy's strength under pressure, and she passed with flying colors. I woke up with morning still thinking about Undead and Unworthy. And that doesn't happen every time I read a book.

***SPOILERS***

The Fiends get living (living dead?) blood from Garrett and in the process get smart. They're mad, they're bad and they're not going to take it anymore. They're also are killers and eliminate several people in this book including one of my favorite background characters. Other repeat characters die as the result of a police investigation that Nick drags Betsy into.

I had problems with Tina and Sinclair behavior this time around. They're harsh beyond belief when dealing with the Fiends. When one of them came to talk one-on-one all they wanted to do was kill her instead of come to a resolution between the fiend's problems and their own. The characterization was off and they didn't seem to be the "people" I've been spending time with them for 7 books now.

Finally the Ant returns-for no reason at all. She was just there to bug Betsy and The Queen has more than enough problems on her hand without the pineapple haired menace.

Got this book and read it in one sitting. All I have to say is: What happen here? I have loved MJD's Undead series. I have gone back and re-read many times the other books. Then I get to this one. It's ok. Not Pee-your-pants-funny like her other books are. This book isn't even ha-ha funny. It feels very flat. There's suppose to be romance, and it really wasn't romantic. Spoiler Alert!! - And what's with the killing of my two favorite characters! If I wanted Romeo and Juliet, I would have read that. Blast it all, that is soo not fair nor cool. Even if they were secondary characters, to get to the 2nd to last chapter and wham bam good-bye mam'. All I can say is I hope the next book is better and I will definitely just borrow it, rather than pay 15 bucks and go to bed with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes. Thanks for nothing MJD. Boo-hiss!

Undead and Unworthy is the seventh book in the Queen Betsy series. The change of the book cover mirrors the change in the books. This installment brings a new outlook for Betsy: she takes more responsibility and continues to grow as a person.

Don't worry, although Betsy appears to be handling the `Queen' role better than in past books MJD still writes with wit and sarcasm. The plot has a lot of unexpected twists to it and the relationships between characters get more complicated as well as have a few hiccups. The fiends make a startling appearance as well as the Ant! Sink-lair spends all his free time looking at the Book of the Dead (we know what happened to Betsy last time) and Nick is begging Betsy to help on a tough case. Oh did I mention she is also in the middle of raising her half brother?

I have always literally laughed out loud while reading MJD books and this book is no different. Betsy is still hilarious, somewhat clueless and still having a major bad week. The only difference is she's just a little older a little wiser and a lot more sarcastic.

Definitely a great continuance.

Received my copy of the book today and I read it in one sitting. The story itself is well thought out and has it's typical Betsy moments. MJ states at the start of the book that this is the first of a new 3 story (book) arc.

I understand why she had to end this book in the way that she did, with the death of two back story characters, but it's still very sad to loose them. My only concern in where MJ maybe taking the next few books is that the story could be very unoriginal.

***SPOILER*** Vampires against Werewolves. This type of story has been done to death, pun intended. The character in question makes a choice and knows the possible consequences, so any negative outcome from this act wouldn't make sense.

I know with these types of books in order to bring in new characters that some must be lost along the way, but it's still sad to loose the ones we've come to know and care about. I just hope that MJ is able to create something new and original from their passing and doesn't take the easy way out in the next two stories.

Basically, if your a fan, which I assume you would be to purchase this book in hard cover, I think you'll be pleased with the purchase. I know MJ wants to keep a mixture of humor in the books and I think that's possible even if Betsy grows up a bit more.

Betsy still acts too young, (her language isn't that of a thirty year old women) for her age especially with everything that she's seen and done, which really is becoming a bit annoying. She is a Queen now and her behavior should slowly start to register this growth. Based upon the ending, I think that some development will start to happen.

I liked seeing her and Sinclair act more as a couple, since I'm a Sinclair fan. You can see that MJ is making an effort to have him lighten up a bit. This would make sense since Sinclair really seems to care for his bride and Queen. Though I like him having more enjoyment in his life I'd love to see him really have some action in defense of Betsy. Other then in the first book, he hasn't had a chance to show his physical strength.

All the other charcters are back, I still wish she's bring Marc a real love interest that adds to the story, he's a good man and deserves a main squeeze.