Undead and Unwed: A Novel

by Sam Tschida

“The found-family vampire Hallmark movie I didn’t know I needed.”—Jenna Levine, USA Today best-selling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire

Bridget Jones’s Diary meets What We Do in the Shadows in this bitingly  funny  supernatural romance about a vampire finding herself and falling in love during the Christmas season.

Tiffenie may be three hundred years old, but she’s still a hot mess. The vampire is tragically single, works a dead-end job at a blood bank, and spends her nights marathoning Hallmark Channel movies with her cat.

When Tiffenie inherits a fixer-upper home in Valentine, Vermont, thanks to a case of mistaken (okay, stolen) identity, she seizes the chance to get her life back on track. With her newly undead neighbor (it was an accident!) in tow, Tiffenie is determined to live out her holiday rom-com dreams in this picture-perfect town.

But between the mystery of her stolen identity, small-town drama, and the arrival of her insufferable vampire ex-boyfriend Vlad, getting her happily ever after with a hot Christmas tree farmer won’t be easy. To uncover what she truly desires, Tiffenie must embark on a journey of self-acceptance for the first time in her immortal life. Luckily, it’s never too late to start therapy.

Genres: Romance, Vampires, Fantasy, Audiobook, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Christmas

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 2025

About the author

Sam Tschida (pronounced cheetah) is a rom-com author. She lives with her gang of children, a couple of poorly behaved dogs, and one handsome man. When she’s not writing she is probably making lasagna. Just kidding. Who knows what she’s doing, least of all Sam. The only guarantee is that she is actively brainstorming her next book. And if we’re being honest, it’s pretty likely that she’s not making lasagna, unless it’s the frozen kind. Shout out to Mrs. Stouffers!

Besides living the dream writing books, she edits other peoples’ books and teaches writing classes, but she is a Pisces so we might as well call it what it is, therapy. So boiled down, Sam is an unlicensed therapist who also writes rom-coms.

Reviews

[TheConnieFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was Hallmark vibes mixed in with vampires! It is cozy, funny, unique, lighthearted and adventurous. This book is all about a second chance paranormal romance! It’s like watching a Christmas movie, but with vampires. I love that this came with a found family and had small town vibes in it! It is a fast paced read that is both plot and character driven. The characters were strongly developed and lovable. It definitely is a comforting story!

“Undead and Unwed” is a contemporary romantic comedy, that is about a 300 year old single vampire. She ends up inheriting a fixer upper in Vermont. When she is not working, she is watching Hallmark movies with her cat. She mistakenly inherits a charming Inn, in a picture perfect town of Valentine Vermont, where she lives all of her Hallmark dreams! She even meets someone! Overall, I rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sam Tschida and Quirk Books for this electronic ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I think fans of Hallmark Christmas movies, with some vampires added to it, would really enjoy reading this book!

This book is expected to be published on October 28, 2025!

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 ★— I feel like you have to be in a certain mood for a story like this, and as someone who loved the silliness and drama of late-00s paranormal romance-style chick lit in the form of MaryJanice Davidson, Molly Harper, and Charlaine Harris… I had a good time with this story as an audiobook!

Tiffenie, the 300-year-old vampire heroine who’s trying to make her way through her undead life while woefully stumbling from tiny disaster to tiny disaster, is definitely someone who’ll give you a bit of anxiety with how her actions slowly spiral out of control, especially if you don’t vibe with hot mess heroines. But for me, once I got into the swing of the story, I was all in for the bumpy ride that followed.

The archetype of heroine she represents, one you’d often see in older works, has kind of fallen out of the current paranormal/fantasy romance space, where most heroines are usually badass fighters with a level of competence that doesn’t allow for the kind of chaos Tiffenie brings to the table. That throwback quality actually worked for me, though. It made her feel like a nostalgic nod to the kinds of messy, funny heroines I used to enjoy.

So while she can be a lot, I acclimated to her quickly, and as the story went on, I had a lot of fun with her cast of side characters, enjoyed the eventual Vermont setting and the coziness of the holiday season that came into play, and found that when her vampire ex-boyfriend Vlad finally showed up, the story really hit its stride

I didn’t love her little romance with Tyrone, since it felt so futile and doomed that it almost seemed to exist just to delay Tiffenie from finally getting back with Vlad, but it did lead to a few humorous scenes that were fun, so I didn't mind it too much in the end.

If you let yourself enjoy the millennial humour of it all, get down with the ungodly amount of pop culture references, and embrace the general Hot Mess™ energy of this book’s main character, this story is a grand old time and genuinely entertaining to follow.


🎧Audiobook Note
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
The narrator was masterful, and I loved how she conveyed the humor and tone of the book so perfectly through her inflections (especially how she made Vlad pronounce “Tiffenie”!).

________________

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

[Livlyy ⭑.ᐟ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

FINALLY AFTER TWO MONTHS OF PROCRASTINATION , I COMPLETED THIS BOOK!!! This book is basically a contemporary rom com about a vampire named Tiffanie ( with a ie). Tiffanie is three hundred years old and is currently living as Tiffany Amber Blair , and she inherits a house in mansion in a small town named Valentine. And she’s not alone , she’s with her neighbour named Heaven who she “accidentally” made a vampire! And then ofc there is a hot farmer boy named Tyrone in Valentine who Tiffanie spends the book crushing on. BUT , it’s a love triangle , AND HER EX VLAD WHO IS ALSO A VAMPIRE COMES TO SCENE !! I don’t think the love triangle was done justice in this book. The first half of the book was solely focused on Tyrone but then the last part is focused on Vlad! I was Team Vlad from the start so I was pretty satisfied with the ending.I LOVED the found family trope in this book , especially the friendship between Tiffanie and Heaven. The love triangle could have been a lot better. This was a pretty fun rom com with Christmas vibes and I had a great time ! So 5 star for Vlad and Tiffanie but minus one star for The love triangle!!



⋆.˚✮ 𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ✮˚.⋆ An entertaining rom com about a vampire ? Count me in!

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review to come!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 ⭐️
.5/5 🌶️

This one was kind of meh for me. The premise had potential—a fun, snarky paranormal romcom vibe—but it never fully hooked me. The pacing dragged in places and some of the humor felt a little forced. I wanted more chemistry, more bite (pun intended), and a little more plot depth to balance the silliness. Honestly, if I had to hear the narrator say “chrithmuth” one more time—the joke lost its humor very quick.

The audiobook, narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, was solid though. She did a nice job differentiating voices and keeping the tone lively, even when the story itself started to lose momentum. Not terrible, but not one I’d rush to continue the series.

Thanks to the author, their publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of this book.

[Maeve Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I received an ARC of "Undead and Unwed" from San Diego Comic Con 2025. While I thought the novel was witty and that Tschida successfully invoked the elements of a Hallmark movie, the actual plot itself was a letdown and never succeeded in grabbing my interest. I felt the plot was overcomplicated, especially with the mystery element surrounding Tiffenie's stolen identity and dead husband (which ended up not having as big of a presence as I thought because there were so many moving elements to this novel). I think "Undead and Unwed" would have been more digestible with a simplified plotline of simply moving to Vermont and fixing up a bed and breakfast with Heaven. I felt that many of the characters were flat with little to no development, and the dialogue, although meant to be cheesy, was too cringe at times for me. The sex scenes in particular were hard to read, to the point that I was getting extreme secondhand embarrassment from the dirty talk.

Additionally, I understand that ARCs can have a few minor errors that will be fixed in final publishing, but I was finding a spelling/grammar/punctuation mistake on every other page, to the point it felt like I was reading a rough draft of this novel. Unfortunately, that experience lessened my enjoyment of the novel as well.

Overall, I suppose "Undead and Unwed" might be fun if you're looking for a cheesy, romcom quick read, but the negative elements of this novel easily outweighed the positive for me, and I can't in good faith recommend this novel.

[Steph ✨]

DNF @ 48%

I was so excited about the premise of this story, but unfortunately, it just fell a bit flat for me. I was kind of bored. I didn't enjoy Tiffenie as a character like I hoped I would. And the storyline with Tyrone just seemed to drag the story out unnecessarily. I actually think this story would have worked better as a novella.

The audiobook narrator was brilliant and doing a fantastic job. But the story for me just didn't work.

[Deanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. ⭐️ ⭐️ .5 stars


I really wanted to like this, but Undead and Unwed wasn’t for me. The main character came across as shallow and irritating rather than funny or relatable, and the humor felt forced most of the time. The plot was thin, and often sidelined by endless snarky commentary that didn’t add much to the story. What could have been a fresh, fun take on vampires instead felt like a dated, jumbled mess.

Honestly I just really must say the biggest thing is the actual writing style. There are MULTIPLE spelling errors and formatting issues and appears to be a draft and not a final copy. The text sometimes feels jumbled and not connected. It also needed more thorough editing, both structurally and grammatically. I don’t think this ARC was quite ready for release.


The story was buried under constant pop culture references (Hello Fresh promos, TikTok tutorials, motivational water bottles—you name it), which made it feel cluttered and dated.

Tiffenie— our heroine was nothing but immature and irritating for me and the love triangle with Tyrone and vlad felt unnecessary. I loved Vlad!

Heaven was a cool character that needed fleshed out more, just like Vlad and Tiffenie’s 300 year backstory which still felt unanswered.

This story has so much potential, but the execution is where it’s lacking. A short book like this normally takes me a day or two and took 3. 😭

Thank you to Sam Tschida, the publisher , and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. #UndeadAndUnwed #NetGalley #ARCReview

[That_awkwardbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Romcom is utterly entertaining. It's the perfect mix of all Hallmark Christmas movies, interview with a vampire and Bridget Jones.
Tiffenie has only been a vampire for 300 years and still needs to figure out how she wants to live her life forever. There's a very sexy love triangle drama going on, an old bed and breakfast that needs renovations and the whole town has the same therapist what ever could go wrong?  I love the small town charm, the self discovery and how the story progressed.
It's funny, it's Christmassy, it's entertaining, get ready for undead and unwed

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 Stars) Thank you, @quirkbooks and @libro.fm for the free print and audiobook copies! #librofminfluencer

Tiffenie Ruba has had 300 years as a vampire to get her life in order. She has not gotten her life in order. She would much rather watch endless Hallmark movies interspersed with episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She really wants a happily ever after, but instead she’s broke, living in a terrible apartment, and working a dead-end job at a plasma donation location (for obvious reasons).

Then a couple of things happen…she accidentally almost kills her neighbor, having no choice but to turn her AND a lawyer reaches out that the human who’s identity she has assumed has inherited a Vermont B&B. Tiffenie sees this as a sign for her small town Hallmark movie meet cute. She just has to drive a hurse cross-country with a newly turned vampire in a coffin. Then, when she arrives, she’s got a quirky small town with a hot Christmas tree farm owner. She thinks that must be a sign…until Vald, her maker and former partner shows up. Now we’ve got ourselves a love triangle, a small town that now has vampires, and a B&B that is actually condemned. And that’s just time beginning!

Ok, there was a ton I loved about this one - it is deeply funny to see a vampire trying to figure herself out, particularly with a therapist who thinks she’s using vampirism as a metaphor. The found family part is incredibly effective and seeing Tiffenie finally find a community after centuries was my favorite part of the story. I struggled a bit in that I didn’t feel like the love triangle was necessary and I would have loved for it to either lean more into the vampire community or more into the other subplot that is a bit of a mystery. Just a little too much going on - but the characters and dialogue are fun!

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw (Unromance, Birding with Benefits) narrates this one and does a great job with Tiffenie’s snark! (10h 8m)

[Elizabeth]

I really do not like hot mess heroines. I'm tired of women being portrayed as incompetent when most women I know are anything but.

This story is about a 300+ year old vampire and it reads like she's a young (and dumb) 20-something who doesn't have her life together and couldn't find her way out of a paper bag. Why!? How can someone so old be so incompetent?

The writing is boring and the characterization is excruciating. I DNF'd around 31%.

I may have received this as an audiobook advanced reader copy but free doesn't force me to read. when it's this bad.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Paranormal Romance. I read this book by listening to the audiobook, and I really liked the audiobook for this book. I do not normally read Paranormal or Vampires books. I really enjoyed this book, and I found it a fun cozy read. I have so much fun reading this book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[✨Poppy✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to this ALC!
This was such a fun listen! The premise immediately hooked me, Bridget Jones’s Diary meets What We Do in the Shadows is exactly the kind of chaotic humor I love.
Tiffenie, 300-year-old hot mess had such great comedic timing. Her sarcasm and self-deprecating humor made the story really entertaining, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. The audiobook was also a nice experience, light, funny, and easy to follow, with a narrator who captured the humor perfectly.

If you’re in the mood for a cozy paranormal rom-com with plenty of heart (and fangs), this one’s worth a listen!
Listening Speed: 1.75X
Narrator: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
Feedback: I adore Mia Hutchinson-Shaw’s narration! Her voice fit Tiffenie’s dark humor perfectly and made the whole story even more fun to listen to.

[Abi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I feel like this book was just one big mishmash of excessive pop culture references. I really think these can ruin the timelessness of a story, especially if not done properly, and this is an example of it. Just in the first chapter alone we had a Hello Fresh promo (you can’t convince me otherwise), a makeup tutorial on TikTok, a very confusing text conversation about some sort of Masterclass, and motivational water bottles. These continued relentlessly throughout the book too.

I don’t think this reads like a completed book; it was more of a jumbled inner monologue that tried a little too hard to be quirky. The pacing was rushed, the dialogue was off, and the storyline was buried beneath all of the pop culture references. It also needs proper editing, both structurally and grammatically. I don’t think this was quite ready for ARCs, and I also wonder if it’s even been through a round of proper editing.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I wish the author every success, but please revise this one.

[BonBon ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of hallmark movies, vampires, and second chance romances then I think you should give this a try! Our fmc is a 300 year old vampire that is obsessed with cozy hallmark movies who is still trying to find her place. When she accidentally inherits a property in Vermont and then accidentally turns her neighbor into a vampire - she takes it as a sign for her to move and finally live out her cozy hallmark dreams while also looking for love.

This story includes:
- A Love triangle
- Cozy winter vibes ☃️
- Second chance romance
- Charming small town 🏘️
- Found family
- Vampires 🧛

This was a cute read that is definitely perfect for the winter time. Overall I’d give it a solid 3.5⭐️

🖤Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

Tiffenie is at least a 300 year old vampire and purchased a false identity of the black web. She has been living as Tiffany for several years now, when she gets notified she inherited a house in Vermont. Now she (and a neighbor and accidentally turned into a vampire) are living there, as she is trying to pass as a person everyone knows but hasn't seen in years.

I absolutely loved this so much and would definitely recommend this!

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The blood in Vermont probably tasted like pancakes.” 🩸🥞

Undead and Unwed by Sam Tschida (out this October) follows Tiffenie—a 300-year-old vampire who still hasn’t figured her life out. She works nights at a blood bank, binges Hallmark movies, and hopes her future magically sorts itself out. But when she discovers the identity she paid for comes with a run-down B&B in Vermont, she heads to the snowy town to find herself… and maybe a fresh start (plus a few chaotic surprises).

🧛‍♀️ Found family
🧳 New town inheritance
👻 Ex still lurking
💉 Coconut water as blood???
😬 Life coaching & murder?!?

This had such a fun concept—a cozy vamp trying to reinvent herself—but the execution didn’t land for me. The jokes missed, the pacing was uneven, and the plot kept stacking on more and more without a strong core.

✨ Val (the ex) was honestly my fave and too good for her 😂
✨ Cover? Gorgeous. Totally drew me in.
✨ Overall: A 2.5-star read that I wish I’d loved more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[A_Stylish_Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romance between a vampire and a Christmas tree farmer... what could go wrong. Tiffenie (a stolen identity) inherits a fixer upper in Vermont and moves there with her neighbor, Amber, who she accidentally turns into a vampire.

This book was just so fun. The characters are all so quirky. The small town was a hoot with lots of fun characters. When her ex bf, Vlad, arrives, this just add more the craziness.

I would say the romance takes a back seat and this was more a self discovery and a little bit of a mystery. There was a lot of bantering between Tyrone and Tiffenie but it never felt it was going anywhere.

I adored the narration by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw. From the lisps when she has to say Christmas (because she is a vampire and can't say it) to her voice for Vlad. It was just perfection and made the story come to life.

Thank you @libro.fm @dreamscape_media for a copy of the audiobook.

[Zip · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.
First, thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the alc.

I enjoyed the idea of this story, but I do feel there were parts that could have been even better. The pacing felt off, some parts felt rushed and others felt like they went on for a while.
I did really like the characters and watching them have their moments of growth throughout the story. Although, you'd think after 300 years you'd have yourself and your life a little more put together but what do I know about being a vampire.

Was this a cozy listen? Yes.
Did it give off Christmasy vibes? Also, yes.
Along with a small town and a whole lot of shenanigans.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty entertaining.
This book shows you the side of vampirism we don't usually get.
All the day to day things that have to be done to survive under the radar and some of the problems faced when you can't go out in the daytimes.
Who knew vampires had so many issues to deal with?
Contains giggles, drama, a little bit of death and some interesting new looks at vampires.
I loved this and am very excited to dig into Tschida's backlist.
Much love to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my ALC!

[Agnes Odek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tschida's storytelling combines wit and cozy warmth, complementing the picture-perfect holiday charm of Vermont during Christmas. Tiffenie, a 300-year-old vampire who inherits a home in Valentine, relocates to Vermont in search of self-discovery. Determined to leave out her rom-com holiday, she and her undead neighbor might be in for a roller coaster. Will she fit into this small town with her identity in question, her vampire ex-boyfriend Vlad making an unexpected appearance, and co-living with a newly turned vampire who was previously her social media-active neighbor Heaven? The wit and humor in this book are well executed, making it more enjoyable. Personally, I see Tiffenie as the female version of Klaus from The Originals. This book is captivating, both literally and metaphorically.

Received an ARC from Net Galley.

[Gigi Ropp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a silly and millennial telling of a vampire’s mortal struggles absolutely deserves five stars! This one won’t change your life, but it’ll keep you giggling!

[Chrissy MacLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy of the audiobook of Undead and Unwed. The narrator did a fine job, and I would say her performance was worthy of 4 stars. However, the story itself, though starting out strong and actually quite hilarious, kind of lost me in the last third of the book. Overall, I’d give it 3.5⭐️

[Monica · Rating 1 out of 5]

First person POV, single narrative
Linear timeline
Setting: Valentine, Vermont
FMC: Tiffany

I really tried to push through this one but there were so many discrepancies, inconsistencies, spelling and grammatical errors (not just the occasional few; like an editor must not have even read it yet), and the writing and weak plot were all over the place. It was clunky and I kept thinking I was missing something because the paragraph and train of thought just skipped around so much.

[Max · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hot (or maybe cold) take: if the main character of a romance novel is going to end up getting back with her ex by the end, I’d appreciate the blurb making it clear this is a second chance romance. And moreover, I’d really appreciate the book actually spending some time exploring why the romance originally failed and what’s changed this time around so we can be sure that it will be happily ever after. In other words, Undead and Unwed sure ain’t Persuasion, and I’m not sure it even rises as far as its moderate aspiration of being a Hallmark movie.

I admit I’d been somewhat excited to read this book when I first heard about it. I was even considering buying a copy to make sure I could read it prior to my holiday romance themed book club meeting this coming week. Probably a good thing I didn’t bother, as this ended up being something of a letdown. The basic premise is reasonably sound: take the classic Hallmark style “city woman goes to a small town and falls in love with a guy with a Christmas job” and sprinkle in some vampires. No wonder this is published by Quirk, the originator of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

But neither aspect of the story ever really coheres. Our heroine, Tiffany, is a hot mess in a way that doesn’t really feel realistic for somebody who’s been alive for three centuries. She feels like she should be a vampire who was turned fairly recently and is struggling with adjusting to it. That instead falls to her neighbor Heaven, who Tiffany accidentally drains and vampirizes to prevent her from dying. I’d say Heaven would be a more compelling character, and her identity as a black lesbian does add some nice diversity to the small town Vermont setting. But she’s a TikTok influencer and life coach so uh no thanks. (Also, weird inconsistency where vampires are burned by holy things, including saying terms like God and Christmas, but have no issues with saying Heaven’s name.)

Tiffany gets two love interests. First is Tyrone, the obligatory Christmas Man. He’s even a Christmas tree farmer, perhaps the most Christmas Man job imaginable short of literally being Santa. At least he again adds some diversity due to also being black, and he’s got something of a troubled past. Oh, and the complication of having “known” Tiffany in the past. See, one place this book does do well with the vampire thing is addressing the problem of identity given you can’t be the same person for centuries without raising a lot of red flags. Tiffany is using a stolen identity and now is hanging out where that identity used to live, making things awkward. That is one of the stronger aspects of the book.

Then there’s Vlad, her ex, who sired her and whom she’s had an on again off again relationship with for her whole unlife. As I mentioned in the opening, she ends up going with him, which would be a nice subversion of tropes if I had any reason to think their relationship would work out. Tiffany gets multiple on page therapy sessions, a nice aversion of the tendency of many romance novels to just throw in a bit at the end about the protagonists being in therapy. I liked this in Canadian Boyfriend, but here it falls flat because Tiffany and her therapist are always at cross purposes and thus it feels like Tiffany never gets anything useful out of her sessions. And then Vlad doesn’t actually have enough backstory developed and never stops acting like an alphahole so I have no reason to be invested in these two dipshits getting back together.

And yeah, the vampire stuff was rather unimpressive too. It feels like a mishmash of vampire cliches without much of anything new that the book can call its own. In fact the heroine spends a large chunk of the novel subsisting on coconut water, so aside from her nocturnal lifestyle, it doesn’t much feel like she’s a vampire for much of the book. She has no cool vampire powers, vampire politics are alluded to but never much of a problem, and aside from her sire and childer, no other vampires appear. It’s very heavy on telling instead of showing. It’s no wonder that the humans consistently think the heroine is either joking or in a cult.

I thought Christmas romance meets vampire romance would be a fun way to shake up my holiday romance reading this year. Unfortunately this book didn’t do a good enough job at either side of the equation to really work for me. But I do think the general concept still has potential, so I’m open to reading other Christmas romances with fangs at some point. I just can’t recommend this one.

[Rachel Nahabedian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: Loved it

✨ Tropes:
💋 Second Chance Romance
🏡 Small Town
💞 Love Triangle
🧛‍♀️ Vampires
👯 Found Family
😂 Romcom

Okay, y’all, I have no idea what it was about this book, but I enjoyed every single second of it.

The tagline alone sold me, and honestly? No lies detected:

"Bridget Jones’s Diary meets What We Do in the Shadows in this bitingly funny supernatural romance about a vampire finding herself and falling in love during the Christmas season."

Tiffenie is a hot mess in the best way, a 300-year-old vampire disaster who buys a new identity and moves to Vermont to live out her Hallmark small-town fantasy after inheriting a rundown B&B. Naturally, things go tits up when she accidentally turns her influencer neighbor, Heaven, into a vampire and winds up in a love triangle with her vampire ex, Vlad, and the town’s Christmas tree farmer hottie, Tyrone. Cue: small-town antics and supernatural shenanigans.

The audiobook had me howling. Mia Hutchinson-Shaw nailed the performance. The way she differentiated between “Tiffenie” and “Tiffany,” plus the running joke about not being able to say “Christmas” (it always comes out as “Chrithmas” because…well, Christ) wsa absolute gold. The snarky banter and pop culture nods were the perfect cherry on top.

Normally I hate love triangles. No one wins and everyone cries, but this one hit differently. When one option is your centuries-old vampire ex and the other is a mortal lumberjack? Things are bound to get delightfully messy. Thankfully, everyone gets their HEA!

Special shout-out to Rose, the town therapist. Her drunk scene had me cackling out loud. I’m genuinely bummed this is a standalone because I’d totally binge a full series set in this wacky little town.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the ALC!

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

The description of Undead and Unwed by Sam Tschida as a ‘found-family vampire Hallmark movie’ was absolutely irresistible to me when it cropped up on my radar, and while it didn’t quite live up to its promise, it was an easy, fun read.

When Tiffenie learns she has inherited a fixer-upper in Valentine, Vermont, she’s eager to ditch her dead end job at a blood bank, and her terminal social life, to live out her Hallmark movie dreams. She knows its not going to be easy, for one Tiffenie is a 300 year old vampire and the name on the deed is technically not hers, secondly she’s going to have to take her newly undead neighbour with her in the back of her borrowed hearse, and thirdly, she knows nothing about DIY. But everything about Valentine seems charming, especially the hot Christmas tree farmer from across the way, and Tiffenie’s happy ever after seems almost within reach…

There’s actually quite a lot going on in this contemporary romcom with a paranormal twist. Aside from a love triangle of sorts, there’s a mystery (well actually two) related to Tiffenie’s borrowed identity, some drama related to Tiffenie’s actual identity (vampires have a lot of rules), and a threat to her new home. It was perhaps all a little too much to be honest because the threads, including the romance, felt undeveloped, but there’s certainly never a dull moment.

The characters in Undead and Unwed are a lot of fun, among them Tiffenie who is a bit of a millennial mess despite her age; her ex-boyfriend Vlad (who just happens to be a Prince); Tiffenie’s former neighbour (now undead housemate), Heaven, a wellness influencer; an earnest therapist who is bemused by Tiffenie’s vampire ‘metaphors’; an officious city inspector; and an assorted collection of Valentine residents.

The chapter headings, often referencing Hallmark movie tropes are a fun touch. The spice level is low, but the F-bomb is dropped regularly if that sort of language bothers you. Despite enjoying the humour and banter in Undead and Unwed, I did find the writing was stiff and clumsy at times.

Undead and Unwed is a light and entertaining read perfect for the holidays, I just wish Hallmark would consider making a cozy paranormal movie or two.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coconut Water, Found Family, and Vladdy!

Undead and Unwed is a riotous romp through Vermont, following Tiffenie (Tiffany) as she stumbles through love, life, and small town government! This book is indeed quite funny. The writing is very witty and the dialogue leads me to believe Tschida is genuinely hysterical. Through this rapier sharp wit, there some heavy topics/themes that readers can expect. Feelings of determining one’s purpose, feelings of loneliness; and healing from trauma are all within this story. Tschida really nailed how these were discussed and brought up. It’s discussed in healthy forums - starting with therapy and expanding in practice. This could be a heavy story, but the creative way that the comedy is melded with the drama, make this an excellent story!

This book is going to draw rom/com readers galore and holiday Hallmark bingers alike! The writing style ensures that the the story plays out like a movie, with richly defined environments and iconic (and slightly cliche) small town features. Buckle up and prepare for a sleigh ride of a romance!

PS - Dr. R might be the most oblivious (but best) therapist ever and I love it!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really heartfelt vampire romance about star crossed lovers, loneliness and creating found family. Something completely different from anything the author has written before and I was really here for this different take on a vampire story, one where the female protagonist, Tiffany, has her identity stolen and mistakenly inherits a run-down house. Deciding to go with it, she travels to a new town, makes friends with the locals and reunites with her estranged long-time lover and maker. It was great on audio narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and perfect for fans of authors like Gloria Duke and Jenna Levine.

[Dee | myliteraryera · Rating 3 out of 5]

“ℭ𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔥-𝔪𝔞𝔰”


This was the perfect in-between book that made it a breeze to get though during my slump mood.
I was looking for something light, funny, still a bit moody and this provided all that.

The FMC has hilarious inner monologues and she embarks on a self journey of trying to fit in while literally undead. It’s witty, clumsy, and just fun.

I had the audiobook and whilst this was a solo female narrator, the difference between each character was clear and obvious. Especially when the MMC had to say “ℭ𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔥-𝔪𝔞𝔰” in his tone.. absolutely cackled.

Enjoyed this one. Thank you for the alc Libro.fm 🖤