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

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

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