Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare
- paranormal romance, UF -
Book Order (Rhiannon’s Law)
- Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between * * * 3/4
- The Renfield Syndrome (08.23.2011)
Links
Author’s Website : www.jasaare.com
Author’s Twitter : @JASaare
Amazon : paperback / eBook (57 reviews : 4.0 avg)
Add To Your GoodReads TBR List (372 ratings : 4.02 avg)
In Six Words
hilarious dark mystery with easy romance
Why did I read this? And am I glad I did?
Amanda @ On a Book Bender reviewed this recently and I was sold as soon as I read her favorite quotes section. The first sentence had me laughing out loud and I continued to do so through out most of the book. I really loved Rhiannon. The overall mystery/plot was good, but not great. The romance didn’t have as much friction as I normally like to see, but it worked well with the characters.
The ending left me speechless. I would be mad about the cliffhanger if it wasn’t so amazing. I cannot wait to read the next in this series!!
Brief Summary
One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.
No one knows that better than Rhiannon Murphy.
She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start. A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her—until now.
The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret. When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he’s not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.
But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it’s only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.
- via GoodReads.com
Plot/Pacing/Writing Style
It wasn’t that the plot was lacking. I was just more interested in the characters than the mystery. As someone who finds character development more important than some, this didn’t bother me. There was still plenty of action and the story was extremely well-paced. The romance was sweet and yet still hot. I ended up liking it much more than I anticipated.
Characters
Rhiannon was just plain amazing. She is the Urban Fantasy female lead. Hilarious. Tough as nails. Traumatic childhood. Sexually insecure. Wanting to handle everything on her own. I want to be friends with her. You can’t help but be frustrated with her at some points and I feel like she understandably lost some of her humor as her problems built up. I’m really excited to see how she handles herself in the next book.
Disco was different than almost any other vampire in an Urban Fantasy. While he was still alpha male, he wasn’t fighting his feelings. In fact he was extremely up front and open about how much he cared for Rhiannon. After learning more about his past, it all made sense and I loved this side of him. He is going to be pissed in the second book and cannot wait to see that side of him!!
The side characters were also very well-rounded. Goose is still a bit of a mystery to me. I really, really hope to see more Paine.
Favorite Quotes
I gave my sweetest smile. The one that says “aw shucks” on the outside and a big, huge “fuck you” on the inside.
- as a server I fully understand this!
Rhiannon’s Law #16: If it looks like a rabbit, and it hops like a rabbit, run the other way and fast. That shit is liable to tear your arm off Monty Python and the Holy Grail style.
- this is the quote that convinced me I had to read this
“I want to get this shit over and done. Can we strive to obtain that goal? I have a meaningless existence, and I can’t put that kind of action on hold indefinitely.”
“If you want to say no, the time is now. I will love you the rest of the day without taking that extra step if that’s what you want. I would love nothing more than to spend the morning tasting you.”
- Disco is one sweet and sexy vamp!
Recommendations
If you like paranormal romance with some gruesome violence and snarky humor, please give this a try!
Other Reviews
- On a Book Bender 3 stars
- Smash Attack Reads 4 stars
- Reading with Tequila 5 stars
- The Book Vixen 4 stars
Glad you enjoyed it!
I never do this but I might have to actually buy this book! I can’t get it at the library and you and Amanda both loved it which makes me want to read it immediately!
I am going to have to check it out even though I am sure I will miss the romance! That being said–lots of people that I like, like the book so it must be good!
This is one of those that I tried because of lots of good recs, but I just couldn’t get into it. I did finish, but only because I hate putting books aside. Luckily I’d gotten a free copy so I wasn’t out any money. I just didn’t like Rhiannon and I couldn’t figure out why everyone else did.
I just loved this one:) I’m someone who’s more interested in characters than plot as well, so I just fell in love with Rhiannon and Disco. And that Cliffhanger? I swore like a sailor:) Glad you enjoyed this one too despite your small issues with the plot itself.
Ha! That first quote is awesome.
I bought this book a long time ago. I still can’t believe I haven’t read it yet. Disco being upfront about his feelings reminds me of Bones! *le sigh* I love when the alphas are a good balance of tender and tough.
I *love* J.A. Saare. She’s snarky and sarcastic and really has a knack for creating characters that you can’t help but want to read about, just for the sheer knowledge of what the he11 they’ll do next. This one is absolutely going on my TBR list!
Smiles!
Lori
Nice review! I definitely enjoyed this one. Disco is one of my top book boyfriends, and Rhiannon is a FORCE in all her sassy, sarcastic glory. The ending took me by surprise and I think book 2 is going to be one hell of a ride!
I’ll have to try this one, especially if you liked the characters. The quotes were hilarious!
[...] Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between * * * 3/4 [...]
[...] Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare ***3/4 – hilarious dark mystery with easy [...]