Undead and Unpopular: A Queen Betsy Novel
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

With both her first anniversary as a vampire and her thirty-first birthday rapidly approaching, Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor still does not have everything lined up for her impending wedding. Her best friend is being testy; her pal, a veterinarian vamp, wants permission to bite her mortal lover; and a delegation of European vampires shows up to pay respect to the vampire royal couple and seek out any exploitable weaknesses. Betsy became the queen because a lot of the pesky vampire rules just don't apply to her. She doesn't even need to suck blood on a daily basis, so in the midst of all this turmoil, she decides to go on a blood-free diet, which leaves her in a perpetual state of annoyance as she eagerly anticipates the surprise party she has said is forbidden. Bubbly fun for fans of the series. --Diana Tixier Herald Copyright 2006 Booklist

In vampire queen Betsy Taylor's second outing, Unemployed, even the undead must have money to afford shoe fetishes, and what better position to have than selling them? Alas, not everyone is excited about Betsy's moonlighting endeavor. In Unpopular, Betsy is more immersed in her role as Elizabeth I; she still doesn't think highly of vampires despite being one, but she's learned to live with it. What has changed dramatically from the other undead books is the tone, from Unemployed's lightheartedness to Unpopular's nearly dark spirit. Reader Nancy Wu makes selling shoes sound exciting; she doesn't miss a beat, agilely moving from frivolity to crudeness. She understands that ultimately Betsy's self-centered heart is one of gold, or platinum, depending on which one costs more. Wu handles the shifting emotional level with equal aplomb, particularly in Unpopular, where that level changes from one word to the next. Wu makes listening to these stories fun, even when the stories themselves falter.--Jodi L. Israel, MLS, Salt Lake City (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

With both her first anniversary as a vampire and her thirty-first birthday rapidly approaching, Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor still does not have everything lined up for her impending wedding. Her best friend is being testy; her pal, a veterinarian vamp, wants permission to bite her mortal lover; and a delegation of European vampires shows up to pay respect to the vampire royal couple and seek out any exploitable weaknesses. Betsy became the queen because a lot of the pesky vampire rules just don't apply to her. She doesn't even need to suck blood on a daily basis, so in the midst of all this turmoil, she decides to go on a blood-free diet, which leaves her in a perpetual state of annoyance as she eagerly anticipates the surprise party she has said is forbidden. Bubbly fun for fans of the series. ((Reviewed June 1 & 15, 2006)) Copyright 2006 Booklist Reviews.