Undead and Unappreciated

Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Published: July 5, 2005 (Berkley)
Series: Betsy Taylor, Queen of the Undead #3
Category: Paranormal Romance
Quote of Choice: "She knows you are a vampire, but the front door was unlocked. Either she's unbelievably arrogant or unbelievably dim."

The Betsy Taylor books are extreme fluff - even fluffier than Katie MacAlister books. If MacAlister is cotton candy, Davidson is sugar fumes. I finished this book in half a day. When we last left Betsy, Queen of the Undead, in Undead and Unemployed, she had offed another insurgent (Betsy's reign is not widely accepted among the vampire population) and taken all of that vampire's property upon her death.

Davidson's books don't advance the overally Betsy Taylor storyline with each installment, and there's really very little character growth. In fact, the events of Unappreciated take place in less than a week. Betsy is still selfish (still not really caring about her subjects, or her housemates) and lacking in common sense (plunging into dangerous situations without considering the consequences) and obviously hasn't learned much from the past couple books in the series. In this book, Betsy finds out she has a half-sister and this sister is destined to take over the world. Oh, and she's the daughter of the Devil. Aside from meeting her sister, throwing the Book of the Dead into a river, and dealing with her employees going on strike, Betsy didn't do very much.

The thing I've complained about the most is her relationship (or lack thereof) with Eric Sinclair, her hunky consort/vampire king. Finally Betsy has realized she's not really going to do better than Sinclair, who has not wavered one bit in his devotion to Betsy, no matter how silly and selfish she acts towards him. However, I feel a little bad for Sinclair because I don't think Betsy even knows why she loves him. After all, she didn't admit to loving him until she thought Sinclair might be hitting on her younger half-sister. Does she only like Sinclair because he's rich, buys her shoes, and great in the sack? They certainly don't have much in the way over conversation. Maybe my "witty banter" standards are too high.

Sinclair and Betsy are engaged at the end of this book. Betsy believes that the root of her relationship problems with Sinclair stem from the fact that they're not married. Don't get me started on the whole "marriage on impulse for the sake of having a big wedding" thing, because I'm afraid this is going to be an issue that will come up for Betsy and Sinclair. Maybe the next book will spend 288 pages on that single issue.

At least we got another cool character out of Unappreciated. Betsy's sister, Laura, is awesome. She reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Except that she's not killing Betsy.... yet.