Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between (Rhiannon's Law, #1) by J.A. Saare

I’m sort of at a loss with Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between. I had high hopes for this book because the overall consensus was that it was really good. The story started out strong and stayed that way well beyond the halfway point, but started to lose me when the two main characters hooked up. Since this is the first book in the series, it sort of takes the fun out of reading future novels if the relationship between the leading lady and her love interest has already reached its peak. Half the fun of reading a series is wondering when the two main characters are going to get together and admit their feelings for one another. However, the moment they do, suddenly all the sexual tension and delicious innuendo in the relationship goes poof! If I were reading a standalone novel this wouldn’t be an issue.

The one thing I really loved about this book was the protagonist, Rhiannon. She is a necromancer with an attitude. She will never hesitate to throw a punch or execute a roundhouse kick if she thinks you deserve it. She will also never miss an opportunity to demonstrate her vast knowledge of insults and cuss words should she feel that you need a cold dose of reality. One of her more memorable quotes was:

“Well, well, well. Tickle my elmo ass silly. I was sitting across from a person who enjoyed talking to dead people, and if they wouldn’t talk, then by God, he’d just wake their corpses up instead. Next to him was a moody, chain-smoking vampire who just might be bipolar and smoked like a corncob pipe.”

Her relationship with the men in her life is highly entertaining, particularly with her love interest Disco and mentor Ethan. Disco is a vampire who enlists her services in locating the individual responsible for the deaths of many vampires in the area. Ethan is a necromancer who is beholden to Disco’s family (aka coven of vampires) and needs Rhiannon’s assistance with locating the spirits of the vampires who have been murdered. Both men are so polite and good-humored, making Rhiannon seem so crass and difficult in comparison. She has a soft side as well, but her life hasn’t been easy and acting tough and keeping others at a distance gives her a sense of security.

The biggest problem I had with this book was the ending. It was completely random! Imagine if you will, you’re reading a historical romance. I’m not saying that this book is a historical romance, but rather I am attempting to illustrate how ridiculous the ending of Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between was. As with most historical romance novels the main couple reaches some form of marital bliss by the end or in the epilogue. Now imagine that just at the moment they say I do, a giant spaceship swoops down and uses its neon beams to abduct the happy couple and carry them off into space. That is what the ending to this novel felt like. It came completely out of left field. I will read the sequel when it comes out because I’m curious, but I’m a little wary of what new surprises I will find.

Rating: 3/5 Stars