Betsy Taylor does it again in the eighth installment of Mary Janice Davidson’s Undead, Undead and Unwelcome series. No longer single (but still in her thirties), Betsy tries to juggle all the responsibilities of being the Queen of the Vampires and being Sinclair’s wife. But as if this wasn’t enough, Betsy has to deal with the death of her best friend; getting Antonia’s body back to her pack might prove to be one of her biggest hurdles yet. Oh, and then there’s her half sister. Being undead really makes Betsy want to be anything but.

Davidson makes the undead very much alive (ironic I know) in his Undead series and this one just makes me want the days to go by faster so I can get my own copy now. Betsy is warm, fun and real, traits that keep you coming back for more of her. A lot of us loved Betsy in her previous installment because of her growth as a person, and also as a vampire queen. We have all read how she struggled with her humanity and her immortality; now, we’re bound to see more of how that has shaped her as both Betsy and the Queen of the Vampires. Who said being undead was easy? Surely not Betsy.

Undead and Unwelcome isn’t just your typical vampire story where everything is dark and gothic looking; it actually reminds me of the real world more than anything else. It is quite rare for an author to achieve such a feat. Also, the great thing about Davidson’s Undead series is that even if he focuses on Betsy, he makes sure that her supporting characters are just as interesting and funny as her main character. It’s a very difficult job to pull off, but Davidson pulls it off effortlessly. Come June, I’m sure MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead and Unwelcome will be one of the most sought after books, not only for her fans, but also for those who need a refreshing, vampire look at life.