This felt like a Hallmark movie—with vampires! It had all the classic elements: found family, a bit of a love triangle, and tons of familiar tropes. I loved how it leaned into the parody by calling out every single one. Yes, it was a little cheesy and dragged in places, but overall, it was a fun, lighthearted rom-com with a satisfying HEA.

3.25 stars

I was really surprised by this book. It wasn't what I expected but better! It's light, funny and really entertaining. I devoured it. I really recommend it if you're looking for something kinda like a romcom.

I love a good vampire story even corny romantic with a side of humour.
and this had some really good parts but there were some parts to this I wish was more elaborated on.

Undead and Unwed follows Tiffenie who just happens to be a 300 year old vampire trying to figure out how she wants to live the rest of her life. This book is filled with charm, drama and romance all wrapped up into this cozy hallmark type vibe.

I really loved this story and how easy it was for it to consume and emerge yourself into. This is the type of book that makes you wish for the cooler months wrapped up in a warm cozy blanket drinking something hot like cider or tea. A great book to get you out of a reading slump or simply something easy to pickup and enjoy.

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!

This book was definitely about self discovery, and when you self discover you’re all over the place trying to get it together. My girl Tiffany was definitely ALL OVER THE PLACE… and it was entertaing as hell!!! This book had it all! Self loathing and dark humor, pain and sadness, healing and good times with loads of comedy along the way. Definitely a fun read.

Undead and Unwed is an entertaining and cozy (if somewhat chaotic) holiday rom-com with vampires. Just like the plot of one of her beloved Hallmark movies, Tiffany/Tiffenie the 300-year old vampire inherits a bed & breakfast in Vermont, and ditches her dead-end mess of a life in LA. Unlike her favorite flicks, she also accidentally turns her neighbor/TikTok influencer Heaven into a fledgling vampire and kidnaps her along for the adventure. As you might expect with that premise, things do not go as planned.

I appreciated the author's decision to make Tiffany much more of a dorky mess than you normally see from a several-hundred-year-old vampire, and found the love triangle with her ex and the local Christmas tree farmer to be entertaining.

There were some minor plot inconsistencies and uneven pacing, but many readers will probably be willing to overlook those if paranormal rom-coms or Hallmark movies are their cup of tea. I wanted a little more depth from Tiffany and some of the other characters, but overall I still found it a charming, quick read and I would certainly check out future novels from this author. I liked the little details like each chapter being named after a romance trope.

Thankyou netgalley for the arc!

Hm this wasn’t a story I really loved. It was okay, but it could have been something more.

Definitely read it lke you’re watching a cute hallmark movie with some magic in it

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!

My first book by Sam Tschida. Overall I enjoyed it and would read her work again. It was quirky and enjoyable. Thank you for an arc of this

Tiffenie, a three hundred year old vampire is living her life on her own terms. She works the night shift at a blood bank in LA and everyone thinks the she is on a smothie diet of beet juice, little do they know this is far from the truth. Tiffenie is single, loves to watch Hallmark Christmas movie and just wants her own perfect romance. After nearly draining her neighbor Haven, a social media life coach and influenancer. Tffenie has to turn her before Heaven she is dead. Tiffenie who also goes by Tiffany Amanda Blair, that she bought on the black market finds out that she has just inherited a bed and breakfast in Valentine, Vermont. With help of her on again off again lover Vlad, Tiffanie and Heaven move acroos the country in a hearse painted with fluffy white clouds with the name Happily Every After Funeral Home on the side. Once in Vermont and somehow in therapy Tiffanie and on a diet of coconut water, she soon discovers that she first needs to love herself before she can find love. This was a laugh out loud read and enough spice for anyone who wants to read a feel good book. I was hooked by the very first page. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Quirk Books for letting me read an advance copy of this book.

Vampires, a Victorian B&B and a hallmark storybook town, love love love!
Now I have to say this literally had me laughing out loud and I really enjoyed the beginning.
After a really promising start it began to lose me a little once we got to The Inn.
I wanted more details on the relationship with Vlad and perhaps a little character development and the relationship with the Christmas tree farmer lost me a bit when we had Vlad hanging around.
All in all, enjoyed and would try the author again

This books felt like a Bridget Jones movie, but with darker humor and vampires. It was entertaining from start to finish and I laughed out loud many times. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my review.

I wanted to like this more, but honestly I just couldn’t vibe with it the way I hoped. It’s probably better for someone else, but for me it was lukewarm. I didn’t like or dislike the characters, plot, dynamics. I could have done with a little more “mess” from everyone, as it ultimately felt a little saccharine, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something special here. I just wanted more something.

Undead and Unwed follows Tiffanie, a 300 year old vampire who is looking for love. She decides to move to Vermont and falls into a Christmas hallmark movie with a good looking Christmas Tree Farmer as a neighbour however, all is not as it seems and Tiffanie finds that she needs to grasp death by the fangs in order to move forward.

The characters throughout this book were very enjoyable. There were none that I actively disliked however I did find that I wasn’t all too bothered by them. They’re well-developed and remain consistent throughout the story, each adding their own tidbit here and there.

Tiffanie is an interesting character as she’s a vampire battling with her inner demons. At times, she was difficult to engage with (as a reader) and some of the things she did or said made little to no sense, however it does all make more sense towards the end.

That being said the romance aspect was not great. It didn’t give you a love “triangle” feel as it just seemed like one of them was in the running to make the other significantly jealous and therefore mould that one into the “perfect” partner. It was lacking. The whole romance aspect was. I didn’t swoon once but that’s because I didn’t care as you were to’ing and fro’ing.

All in all, it was fine. It wasn’t what I was expecting but it was okay overall and it was good in places. The modern references were a bit jarring and I didn’t particularly like them but it was okay overall.

Thank you to Quirk Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read in exchange for a review.

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!

Undead and Unwed by Sam Tschida - ARC review. 
 


The FMC Tiffenie, a 300 year old vampire gave a relatable my life is chaotic vibe. Her energy was soooo good, so relatable in the I'm a hot mess kind of way. She inherits a B&B in Vermont and after a little bit of an .. accident.. is required to skip town in LA and move. This felt very Hallmark in the aspect of second chances, found family, and Christmas vibes. Especially with a spunky Christmas tree farmer?!

I thought this one was written very well and I liked the storyline progression; it’s everything I hoped from a paranormal vampire romance.

The small town vibes, LOVE. And Vlad attemping to set Tiffenie up for masterclasses??? Had me giggling.

🌸✨ Book Review Template ✨🌸
📖 Title: Undead and Unwed
✍️ Author: Sam Tschida
📚 Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Vampires
🌟 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🧛‍♀️🩸

💭 My Thoughts:
First Impressions: I think the beginning was just a little slow, but it did pick up. Once I got into it, I could not put this back down at all.
Favorite Character: I loved Heaven. Her vibes are what I need to channel in my life.

Plot Vibes: This story felt like a mix of What We Do In the Shadows and some cute Hallmark movie about a Christmas tree farmer. It had laugh out loud moments and moments of great lessons.

🧁 Final Thoughts:
I liked that this wasn’t your traditional Hallmark Movie. There was definitely a good amount of self-growth with the main character, Tiffenie. She may have been 300 years old but she had some great development and I enjoyed the ending. There were a few areas of the story that did not flow as well as others. I think there were some time jumps that could have been more clear. However, other than that this was a good book and I look forward to when it is officially published.


Would I read it again? Yeah – I think this would be a good winter read.

ARC Review
Undead and Unwed by Sam Tschida

If Schitt’s Creek, a Hallmark Christmas movie, and What We Do in the Shadows had a slightly unhinged vampire baby—Undead and Unwed would be it.

Tiffenie is a 300-year-old vampire with the chaotic energy of a millennial midlife crisis. She’s sarcastic, semi-employed, addicted to cheesy romance movies, and fully in denial about her life (or afterlife?). When she inherits a house in a cozy Vermont town—under someone else’s name—she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself, rom-com style. What follows is a ridiculous, delightful, often heartfelt story about self-discovery, second chances, and extremely awkward undead situations.

🧛‍♀️ What I loved:
• Tiffenie is hilarious and relatable in that hot-mess kind of way—you’ll root for her even as she makes questionable decisions.
• The tone is pitch-perfect for a paranormal romantic comedy: irreverent, fast-paced, and bursting with one-liners.
• The small-town vibes are on point, and the supporting characters (including a charming Christmas tree farmer, a grumpy neighbor she accidentally turns, and a delightfully obnoxious vampire ex) round it out with flair.
• Underneath the chaos and camp, there’s real heart. Tiffenie’s journey of self-worth and therapy-as-a-vampire? Weirdly touching.

⚠️ What didn’t totally work for me:
• The plot leans hard into rom-com absurdity, which is great—but some twists (especially involving the stolen identity) felt rushed or glossed over.
• A few jokes were almost too self-aware; if you’re not into meta-humour or pop culture references, it may wear thin.
• Vlad, the ex, was a little underused—I wouldn’t have minded more mess there.

🎄 Final thoughts:
If you like your vampires messy, your Christmases chaotic, and your romance sprinkled with snark and self-growth, Undead and Unwed will absolutely charm you. It’s paranormal escapism with a therapist on speed dial—and I mean that in the best way.

It is rare that I will pick up an ARC that I really don't gel with because, frankly, I am only requesting the book if I think I am going to LOVE it. Unfortunately Undead and Unwed was one of those rare occasions where the book just did not work for me.

My issues with this book largely revolve around the characterisation of Tiffenie / Tiffany. The best way that I can describe her is adorkable which just quickly began to grate on me because it didn't feel like she was organically cute or dorky but rather like it was a personality she had decided to adopt. I had a hard time reconciling the different sides of Tiffenie. Okay, slight detour here as a I mentioned one of the continuity / anachronisms that really annoyed me,,, Tiffenie mentions on multiple occasions that she is from the Middle Ages however she is very much not from the Middle Ages as she lived in the 1700s 🙃 And back to why Tiffenie didn't work for me... at the point that I abandoned this book because I was just not having a good time, we had only gotten the smallest of backstory for her becoming a vampire but we are essentially told it was ultimately because she fell in love with a vampire but she als0 had children (and was presumably married) so it just felt like we weren't being drip-fed in quite the right order. Tiffenie's blasé attitude to her children and that they would now be "dust" was pretty uncomfortable too. I just generally had a hard time conceptualising Tiffenie as anything other than a struggling person in her early twenties who had no life experience despite having hit many milestones before becoming a vampire and then living for centuries beyond that. Tiffenie, darling, how are you still so darn clueless?!?!?!

The foil for Tiffenie is her neighbour, Heaven, we she accidentally turns into a vampire. I didn't particularly enjoy Heaven and she felt somewhat underutilised as there was a potential for something interesting to be explored through the fact that you have this person who loves the sun haven't that ripped from her.

My other grievance with this book was the somewhat lax application of vampire lore. Whilst there isn't truly one fixed definition of what makes a vampire, I think there are certain fairly popular features that can be used as a shortcut so you don't need to expand on lore for readers. For the most part, this book leaned into this shortcut - which is very much fine - however one thing that stood out was that vampires and religion REALLY don't mix in this world. Except when they do. At one point, Tiffenie feels her skin starting to blister / burn for thinking "God" yet she later talks about "the Holy Spirit" and nothing happens. This also happens when surrounding by Christian decor: one of the characters is able to read and be close to a cushion with a religious message until she touches it whilst another character starts to feel themselves burning just from being near religious items. It just didn't quite add up.

Do I think this book is a bad book? Not particularly. What I do think is that I am unfortunately not the reader for this book as there were just too many little issues that were too hard for me to overlook and I was not particularly enjoying the narrative. I am excited for this book to find its readership but that does not include me.