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Supernatural Entanglements #1
Zomromcom
Teaming up with your neighbor during a zombie outbreak is a no-brainer, but if it turns out he’s a vampire . . . the stakes couldn’t be higher, in this infectious new paranormal romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Spoiler Alert.
When Edie Brandstrup attempts to save her sweet, seemingly harmless human neighbor from the first major zombie breach in two decades, she’s stunned to be saved by him—and his ridiculously large sword—instead. As it turns out, he's actually a super-old, super-surly vampire. But for all her neighbor's newly revealed cynicism and lethality, Gaston "Max" Boucher (yes, Gaston) is unexpectedly protective. He wants her to stay in his safety bunker until the breach is resolved. Edie can’t risk more innocent people getting killed, though—and Max won’t let her save them alone.
As they unravel a sinister conspiracy to set zombies loose on the world (again), the duo meet a host of lovable allies and discover they're not the only ones willing to fight for the future of humanity. Despite the awful timing, Edie finds herself falling for the vampire who’s helping her save the world . . . but all their dangerous plans could end their future before it even begins. As she and Max battle side by side, Edie must decide whether having a love worth living for also means having a love you'd die for—and, in a world that grows deadlier by the minute, whether that’s a risk she’s willing to take.
When Edie Brandstrup attempts to save her sweet, seemingly harmless human neighbor from the first major zombie breach in two decades, she’s stunned to be saved by him—and his ridiculously large sword—instead. As it turns out, he's actually a super-old, super-surly vampire. But for all her neighbor's newly revealed cynicism and lethality, Gaston "Max" Boucher (yes, Gaston) is unexpectedly protective. He wants her to stay in his safety bunker until the breach is resolved. Edie can’t risk more innocent people getting killed, though—and Max won’t let her save them alone.
As they unravel a sinister conspiracy to set zombies loose on the world (again), the duo meet a host of lovable allies and discover they're not the only ones willing to fight for the future of humanity. Despite the awful timing, Edie finds herself falling for the vampire who’s helping her save the world . . . but all their dangerous plans could end their future before it even begins. As she and Max battle side by side, Edie must decide whether having a love worth living for also means having a love you'd die for—and, in a world that grows deadlier by the minute, whether that’s a risk she’s willing to take.
411 pages, ebook
First published August 5, 2025
558 people are currently reading
31955 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Dade
24 books5,543 followersOlivia Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorites, though, were always, always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required the donning of actual pants: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course) librarian. Now, however, she has finally achieved her lifelong goal of wearing pajamas all day as a hermit-like writer and enthusiastic hag. She currently lives outside Stockholm with her delightful family and their ever-burgeoning collection of books.
*******
If you want to find me online, here’s where to go!
Website: https://oliviadade.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OliviaWrites
Newsletter: https://go.oliviadade.com/Newsletter
*******
If you want to find me online, here’s where to go!
Website: https://oliviadade.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OliviaWrites
Newsletter: https://go.oliviadade.com/Newsletter
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June 17, 2025i will never stop celebrating every fat character i see get pride of place on the cover 😭
August 9, 2025
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
2.5 stars?
i didn’t really enjoy this “cozy” zombie romcom mainly because of the cringey dialogue and especially because readers are dropped into a zombie-afflicted world (that also has supernatural beings???) without any worldbuilding. idk, maybe i’m just really picky but i felt like some backstory would have been nice…
2.5 stars?
i didn’t really enjoy this “cozy” zombie romcom mainly because of the cringey dialogue and especially because readers are dropped into a zombie-afflicted world (that also has supernatural beings???) without any worldbuilding. idk, maybe i’m just really picky but i felt like some backstory would have been nice…
May 22, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the chance to review this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Armed with a burrito, Evie rounded her car and sprinted to intercept the zombie.
From the very first sentence, this book had me laughing my head off. A soap maker teams up with her neighbor, who just happens to be a vampire, to unravel a conspiracy to set zombies loose on the world. Again. Max wants Edie to stay safe and protected in his bunker, but she can’t do that. She has to fight for humanity. And of course it can’t be a romcom without them falling for each other. I loved the banter and the quirky characters so much. My absolute favorite part of the whole book was the singing! I have to give this crazy book 5 stars!
Armed with a burrito, Evie rounded her car and sprinted to intercept the zombie.
From the very first sentence, this book had me laughing my head off. A soap maker teams up with her neighbor, who just happens to be a vampire, to unravel a conspiracy to set zombies loose on the world. Again. Max wants Edie to stay safe and protected in his bunker, but she can’t do that. She has to fight for humanity. And of course it can’t be a romcom without them falling for each other. I loved the banter and the quirky characters so much. My absolute favorite part of the whole book was the singing! I have to give this crazy book 5 stars!
August 1, 2025
2.5 Let Down✨'s
Zomromcom is a grumpy x sunshine romance following neighbors Edie and Max, as they find themselves stuck together in the middle of a zombie outbreak. After calling for help, the two realize no one has gotten their signal and they need to alert everybody to stop the worst from happening. However, as they quickly discover more may be afoot than just an outbreak, the two decide to rally in all the help they can find to fight back.
This was a really rough read! Jumping straight into a modern world with a zombie outbreak and magical beings, and given basically no world building and history is not how I like to start my books. The romance had so much potential but I just felt like it was all over the place. The story and plot gave the setup for a perfect slow burn with tension as they fight to save the world, but we get extreme instalove instead. Sure, Edie and Max had stellar banter and were cute together, but the way they just jump straight into a relationship was weird. I kid you not, the two had known each other for maybe 4 days before they fell in love. Another thing that drove me crazy was the ending, not only was it extremely rushed, but after surviving a major zombie attack and saving the world, I felt like the characters deserved an epilogue and we got nothing. I see the potential for the series, but unless with next book gets a major upgrade, I don't think I can read it!
~Many thanks to Berkley Romance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Zomromcom is a grumpy x sunshine romance following neighbors Edie and Max, as they find themselves stuck together in the middle of a zombie outbreak. After calling for help, the two realize no one has gotten their signal and they need to alert everybody to stop the worst from happening. However, as they quickly discover more may be afoot than just an outbreak, the two decide to rally in all the help they can find to fight back.
This was a really rough read! Jumping straight into a modern world with a zombie outbreak and magical beings, and given basically no world building and history is not how I like to start my books. The romance had so much potential but I just felt like it was all over the place. The story and plot gave the setup for a perfect slow burn with tension as they fight to save the world, but we get extreme instalove instead. Sure, Edie and Max had stellar banter and were cute together, but the way they just jump straight into a relationship was weird. I kid you not, the two had known each other for maybe 4 days before they fell in love. Another thing that drove me crazy was the ending, not only was it extremely rushed, but after surviving a major zombie attack and saving the world, I felt like the characters deserved an epilogue and we got nothing. I see the potential for the series, but unless with next book gets a major upgrade, I don't think I can read it!
~Many thanks to Berkley Romance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Read
August 5, 2025DNF at 35%
The main characters live in a world inhabited by zombies. One evening, Edie tries to save her neighbor from a zombie attack using a burrito—but it ends with him saving her instead. It turns out the neighbor isn’t human—he’s a vampire. He invites her into his secure bunker to stay safe until things calm down outside. Together, they decide to fight for the future of humanity against the zombies.
I’ve never read a book about zombies before, but since I enjoy expanding my reading horizons, this one caught my attention. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be for me. From the very first page, we’re thrown straight into the chaos—right in the middle of a zombie attack on Edie—and I quickly realized that the graphic descriptions of zombies and the overall intensity made me feel quite uncomfortable. This genre just isn’t for me—at least for now.
That said, I appreciated that Edie is a confident woman who fully embraces who she is, including her weight. I also liked Max—his protectiveness toward her was genuinely sweet.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group (Berkley) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The main characters live in a world inhabited by zombies. One evening, Edie tries to save her neighbor from a zombie attack using a burrito—but it ends with him saving her instead. It turns out the neighbor isn’t human—he’s a vampire. He invites her into his secure bunker to stay safe until things calm down outside. Together, they decide to fight for the future of humanity against the zombies.
I’ve never read a book about zombies before, but since I enjoy expanding my reading horizons, this one caught my attention. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be for me. From the very first page, we’re thrown straight into the chaos—right in the middle of a zombie attack on Edie—and I quickly realized that the graphic descriptions of zombies and the overall intensity made me feel quite uncomfortable. This genre just isn’t for me—at least for now.
That said, I appreciated that Edie is a confident woman who fully embraces who she is, including her weight. I also liked Max—his protectiveness toward her was genuinely sweet.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group (Berkley) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
July 23, 2025
The plot progression felt clunky in some parts to me, but other than that, this was so charming & fun! The banter was bantering, the grump/sunshine trope was troping (reminded me a lot of how Jessica Sims built her paranormals with this trope), and there was lots of campy gore. Great fun was had by all and I'll definitely look for the next one
July 14, 2025
Thanks so much to Berkley Romance for the free book. This was received as part of Berkley’s Influencer Hub for Underrepresented Voices (fat representation), but all opinions are my own.
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★.5 out of 5 (rounded up)
▹Format: 📱 eReader
▹TL;DR Review: The writing and banter was very funny, the premise was interesting, but the execution left something to be desired.
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Eden “Edie” Brandstrup. Sassy, yet highly empathetic, custom-soap maker with a beautiful full figure. She doesn’t take grief from anyone but she’s fiercely loyal and supportive of everyone. Loves creating alternate lyrics to a specific 90s Disney song to annoy a certain vampire. Doesn’t want to lose anyone, especially not if she’s the cost.
– MMC: Not Chad (aka, Gaston Maxime “Max” Boucher). The bestest, hottest and strongest of all of all species (according to him), Max is a vampire who uses condescension as a weapon of choice, much to Edie’s chagrin. Has a soft spot for neighbors who unapologetically sing to zombies. Deep down, he is surprisingly tender and devoted and carries layers of emotional scars. Bonus: he looks good in a macrame thong and gold lame MC hammer pants on his YouTube fashion channel.
– Location: Virginia
– POV: Single third-person
– Spice: 4 open-door spicy scenes
– Tropes: zombie apocalypse, paranormal romance, found family, neighbors to lovers, he falls first, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, protective MMC, hidden identity
– Triggers: grief (parental), violence/gore, slight manipulation, sacrifice of self for someone else, government failure during crises
– Representation: FMC in mid-to-late 30s, body positivity, full-figured FMC, trauma processing
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:51 ──ㅇ────── -2:36
Now Playing: The Only Exception by Paramore
─────────────────────────
★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★
➼ Comedic paranormal TV shows with romance like iZombie, What We Do in the Shadows, Santa Clarita Diet, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
➼ Zombie movies that are funny vs. scary, like Shaun of the Dead, Fido, and Warm Bodies
➼ Putting on your denim overalls and drop-kicking zombies in an attempt to fix what the government is failing to do
➼ A main female character that annoys the crap out of the main male character by teasing him with altered lyrics to the tune of “Gaston” from the 90s Disney movie Beauty and the Beast
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven—————✧——————Plot Driven
Insta Love/Lust———✧————————Slow Burn
Sweet————————✧———Spicy
Light/Fluffy———✧————————Heavy/Emotional
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
The Good: Overall, I enjoyed the story and the main characters. It was really funny and clever. I loved Edie and very much appreciated the representation of a fat female main character who was as strong emotionally as she was in spirit. I felt seen in Edie as someone who has struggled with weight my entire life and to see a character like myself in size revered romantically and not criticized for being empathetic to all was a huge deal for me. It also was done in a way that it was prevalent to the story, but not shown as shameful by anyone. It was refreshing to read about a fat character without any of the basic body-shaming that is usually embedded into the story.
The (Maybe) Not So Good: The start of the romance felt like it came out of nowhere. I don’t mind that it wasn’t a slow burn, but it was like they went from strangers to emotionally attached without any bridge between. Additionally, the plot execution felt dragged out.
Would I recommend? Absolutely. This is funny, sexy, and body positive. Just know that this is part of a series, so a lot of the world building happens in this book, but at the same time, it can be slow to get to the point at times.
Still not convinced? Here are some of my favorite LOL quotes:
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★.5 out of 5 (rounded up)
▹Format: 📱 eReader
▹TL;DR Review: The writing and banter was very funny, the premise was interesting, but the execution left something to be desired.
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Eden “Edie” Brandstrup. Sassy, yet highly empathetic, custom-soap maker with a beautiful full figure. She doesn’t take grief from anyone but she’s fiercely loyal and supportive of everyone. Loves creating alternate lyrics to a specific 90s Disney song to annoy a certain vampire. Doesn’t want to lose anyone, especially not if she’s the cost.
– MMC: Not Chad (aka, Gaston Maxime “Max” Boucher). The bestest, hottest and strongest of all of all species (according to him), Max is a vampire who uses condescension as a weapon of choice, much to Edie’s chagrin. Has a soft spot for neighbors who unapologetically sing to zombies. Deep down, he is surprisingly tender and devoted and carries layers of emotional scars. Bonus: he looks good in a macrame thong and gold lame MC hammer pants on his YouTube fashion channel.
– Location: Virginia
– POV: Single third-person
– Spice: 4 open-door spicy scenes
– Tropes: zombie apocalypse, paranormal romance, found family, neighbors to lovers, he falls first, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, protective MMC, hidden identity
– Triggers: grief (parental), violence/gore, slight manipulation, sacrifice of self for someone else, government failure during crises
– Representation: FMC in mid-to-late 30s, body positivity, full-figured FMC, trauma processing
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:51 ──ㅇ────── -2:36
Now Playing: The Only Exception by Paramore
╰┈➤ ❝And I’ve always lived like this, keeping a comfortable distance; And up until now, I had sworn to myself that I’m content with loneliness, because none of it was every worth the risk; well, you are the only exception❞
─────────────────────────
★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★
➼ Comedic paranormal TV shows with romance like iZombie, What We Do in the Shadows, Santa Clarita Diet, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
➼ Zombie movies that are funny vs. scary, like Shaun of the Dead, Fido, and Warm Bodies
➼ Putting on your denim overalls and drop-kicking zombies in an attempt to fix what the government is failing to do
➼ A main female character that annoys the crap out of the main male character by teasing him with altered lyrics to the tune of “Gaston” from the 90s Disney movie Beauty and the Beast
╰┈➤ ❝no…one…bites like Gaston, drinks Miller Light like Gaston. In a zombie match nobody fights like Gaston. He has neutrals in all of his dec-o-rating, my, how he lies, that Gaston!❞
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven—————✧——————Plot Driven
Insta Love/Lust———✧————————Slow Burn
Sweet————————✧———Spicy
Light/Fluffy———✧————————Heavy/Emotional
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
The Good: Overall, I enjoyed the story and the main characters. It was really funny and clever. I loved Edie and very much appreciated the representation of a fat female main character who was as strong emotionally as she was in spirit. I felt seen in Edie as someone who has struggled with weight my entire life and to see a character like myself in size revered romantically and not criticized for being empathetic to all was a huge deal for me. It also was done in a way that it was prevalent to the story, but not shown as shameful by anyone. It was refreshing to read about a fat character without any of the basic body-shaming that is usually embedded into the story.
The (Maybe) Not So Good: The start of the romance felt like it came out of nowhere. I don’t mind that it wasn’t a slow burn, but it was like they went from strangers to emotionally attached without any bridge between. Additionally, the plot execution felt dragged out.
Would I recommend? Absolutely. This is funny, sexy, and body positive. Just know that this is part of a series, so a lot of the world building happens in this book, but at the same time, it can be slow to get to the point at times.
Still not convinced? Here are some of my favorite LOL quotes:
╰┈➤ ❝Of course I have feelings, human. I experience many emotions: Anger. Impatience. Disgust. Boredom. Schadenfreude.❞ Wow, his daily existence sounded fun.
╰┈➤ ❝Your fancy shirts can go f&ck themselves for all I care❞ ❝That’s fair. Not to mention logically possible.❞
╰┈➤ ❝Your concern is noted and appreciated, human. But my ego is fine. Exemplary, in fact. The envy of all. Much like the rest of me.❞
August 6, 2025
Huge thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced review copy! 🩷
My favorite thing about this whole book is that the FMC, Edie, is 38 and plus sized and totally unashamed about it. She’s strong and able to fight zombies, and doesn’t have any body shaming internal dialogue. So refreshing!
Zomromcom is packed full of a bit of everything! You have some emotional backstories, swoony vampire romance, and campy zombie gore. Pretty much the whole package as far as fun summer reading goes. I also loved the humor in this. A few jokes got repetitive, but I laughed out loud multiple times! Corny jokes, Millennial humor, and the most unsubtle innuendos made for a hilarious time. I loved how Edie and Max immediately started teasing each other and never stopped throughout their whole romance. This isn’t really a slow burn, but I thought the pacing for the romance was well done. Max lasted about 2.5 seconds of being grumpy before he couldn’t contain his obsession with Edie any longer, and I love that. 😂
I do wish I got a little more world building in this book! We are dropped right in the middle of a world where zombies are contained in a compound, but humans also live around. You definitely have to stretch the imagination for how it all works, since it’s not really explained (at least not to the level I needed it to be).
Overall I thought this was so fun! The title really says it all: there’s Zombies, Romance, and Comedy. 🩷
My favorite thing about this whole book is that the FMC, Edie, is 38 and plus sized and totally unashamed about it. She’s strong and able to fight zombies, and doesn’t have any body shaming internal dialogue. So refreshing!
Zomromcom is packed full of a bit of everything! You have some emotional backstories, swoony vampire romance, and campy zombie gore. Pretty much the whole package as far as fun summer reading goes. I also loved the humor in this. A few jokes got repetitive, but I laughed out loud multiple times! Corny jokes, Millennial humor, and the most unsubtle innuendos made for a hilarious time. I loved how Edie and Max immediately started teasing each other and never stopped throughout their whole romance. This isn’t really a slow burn, but I thought the pacing for the romance was well done. Max lasted about 2.5 seconds of being grumpy before he couldn’t contain his obsession with Edie any longer, and I love that. 😂
I do wish I got a little more world building in this book! We are dropped right in the middle of a world where zombies are contained in a compound, but humans also live around. You definitely have to stretch the imagination for how it all works, since it’s not really explained (at least not to the level I needed it to be).
Overall I thought this was so fun! The title really says it all: there’s Zombies, Romance, and Comedy. 🩷
August 20, 2025
**Many thanks to Berkley and Olivia Dade for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**
As Veruca Salt would say, that was absolutely BONKERS....but NOT in a good way.
And unlike the character Veruca was referring to above, the devilishly charming yet IRREFUTABLY bizarre Willy Wonka, this book left me feeling a whole lot less than charmed...and more like I wanted to throw one of Veruca's signature tantrums instead!
For example, with a title like Zomromcom, you'd PROBABLY expect that the MC of this book would fall in love WITH a zombie.
Putting the overall weirdness of that sentence and concept aside (how exactly would that WORK, anyhow? Would you really be able to tell the difference between an "I want some brains" grunt and an "I love you with every fiber of my undead being" grunt?! ), let me be the bearer of 'bad' news...the zombies in this book serve as a sort of bare-bones backdrop for this story...and frankly, until the final battle, little else.
No, the MCs in this one are Edie, a sweet but spunky soap maker with an acerbic tongue...and her 'oh so cute' neighbor Gaston (who goes by Max instead (?)....why he couldn't have just been NAMED Max is beyond me) , who beside from being cute is apparently supernatural in a different way....yep, turns out he just so HAPPENS to be a vampire! (Again, why he NEEDED to be a vampire is beyond me...STILL!) These two basically form a sort of insta-love bond amidst the perils of their world, and along with a bunch of forgettable and interchangeable characters, band together to keep the zombie-pocalypse from continuing... I think. To be honest, if you're looking for world building and a cohesive, grounded plot...you'd better hang a Louie at the nearest zombie and keep on looking. 🧟
In this one (which incidentally clocks in at 400 PAGES...a bit heavy for the slightly silly paranormal romance it SHOULD have been), when I say all other characters felt irrelevant and interchangeable, it isn't an exaggeration. And yet, despite this INSANE page count, I don't feel like I knew much more than the following by the end:
*Gaston goes by Max because he hates being called Gaston....because of the Beauty and the Beast song (I guess...?) This 'bit' appears over and over ad nauseum...and wasn't that funny the FIRST time. In fact, I love the musical, movie, etc. and felt a bit miffed that the author was trying to use something I enjoyed against me...back OFF of beloved book-loving Belle & Co.! 🥷
*Max likes to call Edie 'ma puce' as a term of endearment...and after looking it up, it was roughly translated online from French as "My Flea Color." (?) I have absolutely no idea how that's a cute pet name, but be prepared to read it...A LOT. He also calls her 'chatte' which can be taken two ways, much like a certain synonym for 'cat' can be, uh, taken two ways....IYKYK. (Think body parts....ick!) 🤢
*Edie waxes poetic about her love at one point by saying he is "Amazing and undeniably gifted in the dicking arts." Yep. She REALLY said that.
You also should skip this if, like me, you are a vampire aficionado...because I'll stand to wager you will find Max's 'vamp speak' not only weird, but not enticing at ALL. Vampires should ooze charm and sexiness and have that sort of intrinsic power over those around them...but TBH, Max just seemed like a bit of an odd, repressed nymphomaniac and I couldn't get why Edie was into him at all. This book reads more like a barely cohesive fan-fic, rather than a fully 'fleshed out' romance. (If you can pardon the zombie pun!) There is also plenty of gratuitous sex to boot, so if you don't like things spicy and more than a bit weird, you should run from this one as if a LITERAL zombie were chasing you. Seriously.
I'll leave you with one more tiny except set to give you a sense of the sort of descriptions you'll be treated to with this one...and please keep in mind this is in reference to a FURRY THONG:🤮
"That hand-knotted underwear might not have tempted her to subscribe, but she wanted to salute his wedgie-inducing efforts - not to mention his ass - in some fashion."
Let's just say Gaston would NEVER....and the one saving grace is that *I'll* NEVER have to even read about them again either.
2.5 stars
As Veruca Salt would say, that was absolutely BONKERS....but NOT in a good way.
And unlike the character Veruca was referring to above, the devilishly charming yet IRREFUTABLY bizarre Willy Wonka, this book left me feeling a whole lot less than charmed...and more like I wanted to throw one of Veruca's signature tantrums instead!
For example, with a title like Zomromcom, you'd PROBABLY expect that the MC of this book would fall in love WITH a zombie.
Putting the overall weirdness of that sentence and concept aside (how exactly would that WORK, anyhow? Would you really be able to tell the difference between an "I want some brains" grunt and an "I love you with every fiber of my undead being" grunt?! ), let me be the bearer of 'bad' news...the zombies in this book serve as a sort of bare-bones backdrop for this story...and frankly, until the final battle, little else.
No, the MCs in this one are Edie, a sweet but spunky soap maker with an acerbic tongue...and her 'oh so cute' neighbor Gaston (who goes by Max instead (?)....why he couldn't have just been NAMED Max is beyond me) , who beside from being cute is apparently supernatural in a different way....yep, turns out he just so HAPPENS to be a vampire! (Again, why he NEEDED to be a vampire is beyond me...STILL!) These two basically form a sort of insta-love bond amidst the perils of their world, and along with a bunch of forgettable and interchangeable characters, band together to keep the zombie-pocalypse from continuing... I think. To be honest, if you're looking for world building and a cohesive, grounded plot...you'd better hang a Louie at the nearest zombie and keep on looking. 🧟
In this one (which incidentally clocks in at 400 PAGES...a bit heavy for the slightly silly paranormal romance it SHOULD have been), when I say all other characters felt irrelevant and interchangeable, it isn't an exaggeration. And yet, despite this INSANE page count, I don't feel like I knew much more than the following by the end:
*Gaston goes by Max because he hates being called Gaston....because of the Beauty and the Beast song (I guess...?) This 'bit' appears over and over ad nauseum...and wasn't that funny the FIRST time. In fact, I love the musical, movie, etc. and felt a bit miffed that the author was trying to use something I enjoyed against me...back OFF of beloved book-loving Belle & Co.! 🥷
*Max likes to call Edie 'ma puce' as a term of endearment...and after looking it up, it was roughly translated online from French as "My Flea Color." (?) I have absolutely no idea how that's a cute pet name, but be prepared to read it...A LOT. He also calls her 'chatte' which can be taken two ways, much like a certain synonym for 'cat' can be, uh, taken two ways....IYKYK. (Think body parts....ick!) 🤢
*Edie waxes poetic about her love at one point by saying he is "Amazing and undeniably gifted in the dicking arts." Yep. She REALLY said that.
You also should skip this if, like me, you are a vampire aficionado...because I'll stand to wager you will find Max's 'vamp speak' not only weird, but not enticing at ALL. Vampires should ooze charm and sexiness and have that sort of intrinsic power over those around them...but TBH, Max just seemed like a bit of an odd, repressed nymphomaniac and I couldn't get why Edie was into him at all. This book reads more like a barely cohesive fan-fic, rather than a fully 'fleshed out' romance. (If you can pardon the zombie pun!) There is also plenty of gratuitous sex to boot, so if you don't like things spicy and more than a bit weird, you should run from this one as if a LITERAL zombie were chasing you. Seriously.
I'll leave you with one more tiny except set to give you a sense of the sort of descriptions you'll be treated to with this one...and please keep in mind this is in reference to a FURRY THONG:🤮
"That hand-knotted underwear might not have tempted her to subscribe, but she wanted to salute his wedgie-inducing efforts - not to mention his ass - in some fashion."
Let's just say Gaston would NEVER....and the one saving grace is that *I'll* NEVER have to even read about them again either.
2.5 stars
August 5, 2025
Zomromcom is a quirky and chaotic story, with a mix of humor, romance and the occasional deeper moments of introspection amidst the absurdity. The world has been altered by a zombie outbreak and supernatural creatures such as vampires, witches, demons and fae have revealed their existence to help ensure their survival.
Main character Edie is a plus-size woman in her late-thirties-which is refreshing representation in terms of age and appearance-independent and empathetic and whose compassion for others is sometimes to her own detriment. Yet she’s far from a pushover and has spent twenty years surviving on her own, while carrying the emotional scars from a personal loss.
An ill-conceived-though thoughtful-attempt at rescuing her neighbor reveals that he isn’t as harmless-or vacuous-as he had always appeared. Gaston “Max” Boucher AKA “Chad” is actually a vampire…and very into high fashion.
I didn’t find Max quite as engaging as Edie when the typical detached and superior vampire personality was very prevalent in the beginning of Zomromcom, but his bantering with Edie and the moments where he displayed more emotional vulnerability did lead to him growing on me slightly.
Edie making up new renditions of the Gaston song to needle him was also amusing.
Secondary characters do appear as Edie and Max embark on a journey to protect their fellow residents following another zombie breech and they provide some interesting personalities and help propel the plot forward.
Zomromcom is an interesting combination of monstrous zombies and paranormal romance. I’m a fan of the former more than the latter, but I still found the novel to be enjoyable.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing group and NetGalley for providing access to this ebook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Main character Edie is a plus-size woman in her late-thirties-which is refreshing representation in terms of age and appearance-independent and empathetic and whose compassion for others is sometimes to her own detriment. Yet she’s far from a pushover and has spent twenty years surviving on her own, while carrying the emotional scars from a personal loss.
An ill-conceived-though thoughtful-attempt at rescuing her neighbor reveals that he isn’t as harmless-or vacuous-as he had always appeared. Gaston “Max” Boucher AKA “Chad” is actually a vampire…and very into high fashion.
I didn’t find Max quite as engaging as Edie when the typical detached and superior vampire personality was very prevalent in the beginning of Zomromcom, but his bantering with Edie and the moments where he displayed more emotional vulnerability did lead to him growing on me slightly.
Edie making up new renditions of the Gaston song to needle him was also amusing.
Secondary characters do appear as Edie and Max embark on a journey to protect their fellow residents following another zombie breech and they provide some interesting personalities and help propel the plot forward.
Zomromcom is an interesting combination of monstrous zombies and paranormal romance. I’m a fan of the former more than the latter, but I still found the novel to be enjoyable.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing group and NetGalley for providing access to this ebook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
July 12, 2025
I absolutely loved the banter between Max and Edie! Her sarcasm and his brooding was just absolutely comical. I honestly did not expect to enjoy this book, but it was surprisingly amazing. I laughed SO much while reading this. I also teared up during one moment. This book was EASILY 5 stars for me. Hysterical, smutty with a bit of suspense. All the great vibes with amazing characters to back it up!
I received this ARC from Berkley Publishing Group to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I received this ARC from Berkley Publishing Group to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
February 14, 2025
I wanted to like this, but it’s the dialogue made me cringe to death.
Read
June 15, 2025DNF on chapter 2
July 7, 2025
I am not positive what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn’t exactly what I got. I wasn’t expecting so much supernatural, but the world building was well done. I liked most of the humor (I’ll admit the Gaston songs were pretty amazing) and the romance was super predictable but fun. I’m curious what more will come from this series, but I won’t need to rush to pre-order the next one, especially since her last series fell for me after the first book. The government made zombies to kill the supernaturals and of course they went feral and endangered all of man kind. Life seems mostly normal except for the walls and moats keeping the zombies out until Edie and her neighbor Chad stumble upon a few in their neighborhood. But Chad has been keeping secrets and as they venture out to try to save humanity Edie is determined to learn them all.
August 3, 2025
This book is perfect for fans who grew up watching Sky High and thought ‘Layla should be with Warren Peace’
Pure grumpy x sunshine vibes here. Edie is a selfless human woman whose childhood trauma leaves her utterly afraid of losing those close to her and desperately clinging to her childhood home.
Max is an immortal vampire with well-earned trust issues. He adopted a faux ‘Chad persona’ to remain close to Edie without ever having to let her behind his walls.
However, one fateful night leads to Edie attempting to save his life, only for him to ultimately save hers.
Hijinks ensue when Edie insists on warning their neighbors and the necessary authorities about the zombie breach.
Bit by bit, they grow closer. Finding love and acceptance with each other.
Fair warning, this book is absolutely wackadoodle at times, but honestly, that's sometimes half the fun. It was also sweet and rather spicy. I loved it when it struck that perfect balance of both.
I was, however, surprised to discover this book is not a standalone. Toward the end, I did begin to question how the root of the issue would be resolved with what little amount of text we had left. Well, spoiler, it wasn’t, and I guess we are getting another book. Though it seems the book will be following a different main character.
Will I be tuning in for another installment? I’m on the fence. I think I shall decide once we get a synopsis for the sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Pure grumpy x sunshine vibes here. Edie is a selfless human woman whose childhood trauma leaves her utterly afraid of losing those close to her and desperately clinging to her childhood home.
Max is an immortal vampire with well-earned trust issues. He adopted a faux ‘Chad persona’ to remain close to Edie without ever having to let her behind his walls.
However, one fateful night leads to Edie attempting to save his life, only for him to ultimately save hers.
Hijinks ensue when Edie insists on warning their neighbors and the necessary authorities about the zombie breach.
Bit by bit, they grow closer. Finding love and acceptance with each other.
Fair warning, this book is absolutely wackadoodle at times, but honestly, that's sometimes half the fun. It was also sweet and rather spicy. I loved it when it struck that perfect balance of both.
I was, however, surprised to discover this book is not a standalone. Toward the end, I did begin to question how the root of the issue would be resolved with what little amount of text we had left. Well, spoiler, it wasn’t, and I guess we are getting another book. Though it seems the book will be following a different main character.
Will I be tuning in for another installment? I’m on the fence. I think I shall decide once we get a synopsis for the sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
January 29, 2025
3.5/5 ⭐️ ARC Copy from NetGalley (❤️)
“Armed with a burrito, Edie rounded her car and sprinted to intercept the zombie”
The first line of this books just sets the tone immediately, a romcom set with zombies, vampires and other supernatural beings. The banter and humour is top notch. The characters are quirky.
Edie lives in a zombie containment zone. After losing her parents 20 years ago in a zombie attack, she tries to keep an eye out and protect her neighbourhood. Enter her weird euro bro neighbour “Chad” - who Edie saves from a zombie, only to figure out he’s not who he says he is. Chad is actually a vampire and extremely lethal as well as hiding many secrets of his own. When the attacks continue, Edie and Chad go on an adventure to discover the bigger plot/scheme at play and save the day.
This was a fun read. It started off a little clunky and disjointed for me and then built up nicely to a good flow. Some structural issues in the writing and plot, but overall it was a good read! Love the representation of plus size heroines.
“Armed with a burrito, Edie rounded her car and sprinted to intercept the zombie”
The first line of this books just sets the tone immediately, a romcom set with zombies, vampires and other supernatural beings. The banter and humour is top notch. The characters are quirky.
Edie lives in a zombie containment zone. After losing her parents 20 years ago in a zombie attack, she tries to keep an eye out and protect her neighbourhood. Enter her weird euro bro neighbour “Chad” - who Edie saves from a zombie, only to figure out he’s not who he says he is. Chad is actually a vampire and extremely lethal as well as hiding many secrets of his own. When the attacks continue, Edie and Chad go on an adventure to discover the bigger plot/scheme at play and save the day.
This was a fun read. It started off a little clunky and disjointed for me and then built up nicely to a good flow. Some structural issues in the writing and plot, but overall it was a good read! Love the representation of plus size heroines.
did-not-finish
July 31, 2025Shoutout to PRH Audio for the ALC, I loved this until I didn’t 🥴
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- zombie apocalypse
- vampire + human
- neighbors to lovers
- plus size + older FMC (38)
- tall, blonde, and broody MMC
- grumpy x sunshine
- he falls first
- chaos and cringe
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- zombie apocalypse
- vampire + human
- neighbors to lovers
- plus size + older FMC (38)
- tall, blonde, and broody MMC
- grumpy x sunshine
- he falls first
- chaos and cringe
April 10, 2025
Many thanks to PRH International for the digital review copy!
This is a clear case of "too much of a good thing" for me. At first I thought I was going to LOVE this, because it has Olivia Dade's signature banter that I've come to know and love. Except, this book didn't have anything else going for it, so it was just all banter, combined with a frankly absurd and incoherent storyline. The build-up of the romance felt very sudden and choppy, which made it hard to feel emotionally invested. And even the funny bits got old. It felt like Dade had named the love interest Gaston purely so she could joke with his song from Beauty & the Beast. This was funny once, and maybe even the second time, but I could really have done without the three or four times after that.
This is a clear case of "too much of a good thing" for me. At first I thought I was going to LOVE this, because it has Olivia Dade's signature banter that I've come to know and love. Except, this book didn't have anything else going for it, so it was just all banter, combined with a frankly absurd and incoherent storyline. The build-up of the romance felt very sudden and choppy, which made it hard to feel emotionally invested. And even the funny bits got old. It felt like Dade had named the love interest Gaston purely so she could joke with his song from Beauty & the Beast. This was funny once, and maybe even the second time, but I could really have done without the three or four times after that.
July 25, 2025
3.75 / 5 Stars
What a crazy, fun, supernatural world! When she sees a zombie coming for her hapless, dumb, dude bro neighbor, Edie has a burrito and a will to protect him. It’s been 20 years since the last zombie breach, so Edie isn’t necessarily prepared but the burrito is hefty so it’ll do. Turns out that Chad is saving her and he’s doing it while only wearing a sheep skin thong and leather hoodie. Edie thought she was hallucinating and so did I. Bethonged Chad is actually Gaston "Max" Boucher, a sardonic vampire and emotionless vampire, who is also very protective of this human. When the zombie breach protocols are not initiated by the government, Edie and Max venture out to try to save everyone from further zombie deaths. As they unravel a conspiracy and meet some real strange strangers along the way, Edie and Max realize that opposites do attract. But do they live long enough to do anything about it?
You will probably like this book if you like:
🧛♂️ Paranormal romance
🧟♀️ Grumpy x sunshine
🧛♂️ She ribs him and he rolls his eyes but loves it
🧟♀️ Forced proximity
🧛♂️ FMC in her late 30s and plus sized
🧟♀️ Quirky and zany
🧛♂️ Fast burn and spice
🧟♀️ A dash of mystery and conspiracies
🧛♂️ A rag tag team of weirdos
This whole world was really weird and super silly and tilts a lot of expectations on its head. In this world, zombies were created in a government experiment gone wrong (they were going to hunt werewolves) and somehow speak French (so enjoy having them say “bonjour” as they kill you). Max, our vampire friend, is a fashion and makeup influencer (hence the sheepskin thong, of course) and he sleeps on a memory foam mattress (not a coffin - gross, how dare you insult his sensibilities). Money counterfeiters are actually really nice and make you tiramisu. This whole book leans into the ridiculousness at every turn and I think that is what makes it work. Occasionally, it felt quirky for quirky sake (still not sure why Edie is a soap maker out of all other occupations), but this book never backs down from a joke or a laugh and I really appreciated that.
Mixed in with this zaniness were some really poignant discussions about grief and what it means to continue living when those you love are gone. Edie is both so full of life and so full of grief while Max is so closed off and full of grief and it was important to see both of those representations. I also think that for these two opposites, grief gave them something to connect over and to help each other through.
I also so deeply appreciate the body representation with Edie. She has a bigger body and not once does she say, “I am not sure if Max will like me because of it” or even “I am confident in myself but …” Her body shape is just a fact with no qualms attached and her body kills zombies just like everyone else’s and I loved that. Oh and she is in her late 30s so hallelujah for more diverse body and age representation.
My only complaint is that it did feel like insta-love. Perhaps in a zombie apocalypse you might be quicker to jump to love (pickings are slim when you live near a zombie compound), but they have only really known each other for a few days. And I liked the quickness of their physical connection but the emotional connection was too fast to feel justified. But they are a human and a vampire who both keep trying to sacrifice themselves for each other and maybe in this world that is love. I did feel like it was setting up a sequel so hopefully there are more Gaston jokes to come!
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: August 5, 2025
____________
Pre-Read Thoughts: Zombie v Vampire Romantic Comedy. Sure. Why not? 😆
What a crazy, fun, supernatural world! When she sees a zombie coming for her hapless, dumb, dude bro neighbor, Edie has a burrito and a will to protect him. It’s been 20 years since the last zombie breach, so Edie isn’t necessarily prepared but the burrito is hefty so it’ll do. Turns out that Chad is saving her and he’s doing it while only wearing a sheep skin thong and leather hoodie. Edie thought she was hallucinating and so did I. Bethonged Chad is actually Gaston "Max" Boucher, a sardonic vampire and emotionless vampire, who is also very protective of this human. When the zombie breach protocols are not initiated by the government, Edie and Max venture out to try to save everyone from further zombie deaths. As they unravel a conspiracy and meet some real strange strangers along the way, Edie and Max realize that opposites do attract. But do they live long enough to do anything about it?
You will probably like this book if you like:
🧛♂️ Paranormal romance
🧟♀️ Grumpy x sunshine
🧛♂️ She ribs him and he rolls his eyes but loves it
🧟♀️ Forced proximity
🧛♂️ FMC in her late 30s and plus sized
🧟♀️ Quirky and zany
🧛♂️ Fast burn and spice
🧟♀️ A dash of mystery and conspiracies
🧛♂️ A rag tag team of weirdos
This whole world was really weird and super silly and tilts a lot of expectations on its head. In this world, zombies were created in a government experiment gone wrong (they were going to hunt werewolves) and somehow speak French (so enjoy having them say “bonjour” as they kill you). Max, our vampire friend, is a fashion and makeup influencer (hence the sheepskin thong, of course) and he sleeps on a memory foam mattress (not a coffin - gross, how dare you insult his sensibilities). Money counterfeiters are actually really nice and make you tiramisu. This whole book leans into the ridiculousness at every turn and I think that is what makes it work. Occasionally, it felt quirky for quirky sake (still not sure why Edie is a soap maker out of all other occupations), but this book never backs down from a joke or a laugh and I really appreciated that.
Mixed in with this zaniness were some really poignant discussions about grief and what it means to continue living when those you love are gone. Edie is both so full of life and so full of grief while Max is so closed off and full of grief and it was important to see both of those representations. I also think that for these two opposites, grief gave them something to connect over and to help each other through.
I also so deeply appreciate the body representation with Edie. She has a bigger body and not once does she say, “I am not sure if Max will like me because of it” or even “I am confident in myself but …” Her body shape is just a fact with no qualms attached and her body kills zombies just like everyone else’s and I loved that. Oh and she is in her late 30s so hallelujah for more diverse body and age representation.
My only complaint is that it did feel like insta-love. Perhaps in a zombie apocalypse you might be quicker to jump to love (pickings are slim when you live near a zombie compound), but they have only really known each other for a few days. And I liked the quickness of their physical connection but the emotional connection was too fast to feel justified. But they are a human and a vampire who both keep trying to sacrifice themselves for each other and maybe in this world that is love. I did feel like it was setting up a sequel so hopefully there are more Gaston jokes to come!
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: August 5, 2025
____________
Pre-Read Thoughts: Zombie v Vampire Romantic Comedy. Sure. Why not? 😆
June 1, 2025
Zom: ✅
Rom: ❌ There was decidedly no romming to be found.
Com: ❌ unless your idea of the height of comedy is Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
I love Dade’s plus size FMC rep, and I was fully in the mood for a fun read, but this was not it. The dialogue missed the sassy mark and was just cringey. The plot was too goofy. This was just not my thing. 2⭐️
(Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC)
Rom: ❌ There was decidedly no romming to be found.
Com: ❌ unless your idea of the height of comedy is Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
I love Dade’s plus size FMC rep, and I was fully in the mood for a fun read, but this was not it. The dialogue missed the sassy mark and was just cringey. The plot was too goofy. This was just not my thing. 2⭐️
(Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC)
August 15, 2025
What a fun discovery! One of the new books purchased by my library. It's fun and funny. Dade's sense of humour is right on point for me. Plus I really appreciate that the main character, Edie, is a chunky chick who can find romance with her mysterious neighbour, Chad/Max/Gaston. Yeah, there's a story there.
As you can guess from the title, this is a world with zombies, developed by the human government to combat other supernaturals. Unfortunately, things didn't work out to plan and now the human authorities and a supernatural committee work together unwillingly to keep their citizens safe. Which doesn't explain why Edie sees an uncontained zombie about to assault her neighbour Chad. Turns out he's a vampire with a huge sword and fighting skill. And he's determined to protect her!
Of course there is something nefarious going on, and Edie and Max (his preferred name) must team up with their neighbours to sort things out. While doing that, they must also figure out what they feel for one another. In my opinion, there was a bit too much over-explicit sex, but it didn't detract from the funky fun of the story.
I have looked into Dade's back catalogue and I am very sorry that her Lovestruck Librarians series is out of print. I have a hunch I would like it and I hope she gets around to self-publishing it some day (since she got her rights to them back from a former publisher). It sounds like there is a second book in this series coming, involving one of the side characters in this volume. Oh, and if you read this, be sure to also read the “discussion questions” that Dade supplies at the end. They are good for a giggle.
As you can guess from the title, this is a world with zombies, developed by the human government to combat other supernaturals. Unfortunately, things didn't work out to plan and now the human authorities and a supernatural committee work together unwillingly to keep their citizens safe. Which doesn't explain why Edie sees an uncontained zombie about to assault her neighbour Chad. Turns out he's a vampire with a huge sword and fighting skill. And he's determined to protect her!
Of course there is something nefarious going on, and Edie and Max (his preferred name) must team up with their neighbours to sort things out. While doing that, they must also figure out what they feel for one another. In my opinion, there was a bit too much over-explicit sex, but it didn't detract from the funky fun of the story.
I have looked into Dade's back catalogue and I am very sorry that her Lovestruck Librarians series is out of print. I have a hunch I would like it and I hope she gets around to self-publishing it some day (since she got her rights to them back from a former publisher). It sounds like there is a second book in this series coming, involving one of the side characters in this volume. Oh, and if you read this, be sure to also read the “discussion questions” that Dade supplies at the end. They are good for a giggle.
August 26, 2025
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC.
I love paranormal romance but I think I need to swear off paranormal contemporary / rom coms. I should have known when she started singing the Beauty and the Beast song to him that the book was going to be too silly for me.
I love paranormal romance but I think I need to swear off paranormal contemporary / rom coms. I should have known when she started singing the Beauty and the Beast song to him that the book was going to be too silly for me.
June 5, 2025
Well, what’s there to say except I freaking LOVED THIS BOOK?!?!!!
ZomRomCom by Olivia Dade is now my entire personality. We already know how much I love dad jokes, puns, and never letting go of the bit. And ZomRomCom delivered in the most ridiculous of ways. This was absurd and cute and sexy and so funny and sharp and messy and bloody and original. The pop culture references just really worked for me here. The grumpy fashionista daddy-vibes vampire really did it for me. The curvy FMC with a heart of gold and a bag of jokes was so great.
ZomRomCom is going to be perfect for fans of Mallory Marlowe (for the nerdy jokes), Jasmine Mas (for the dad jokes), and Juno Dawson (for the pop culture jokes).
4.5 stars because she’s a little long and I can’t believe this is going to be a series 🤣
ZomRomCom by Olivia Dade is now my entire personality. We already know how much I love dad jokes, puns, and never letting go of the bit. And ZomRomCom delivered in the most ridiculous of ways. This was absurd and cute and sexy and so funny and sharp and messy and bloody and original. The pop culture references just really worked for me here. The grumpy fashionista daddy-vibes vampire really did it for me. The curvy FMC with a heart of gold and a bag of jokes was so great.
ZomRomCom is going to be perfect for fans of Mallory Marlowe (for the nerdy jokes), Jasmine Mas (for the dad jokes), and Juno Dawson (for the pop culture jokes).
4.5 stars because she’s a little long and I can’t believe this is going to be a series 🤣
July 23, 2025
Zombies are one of my favorite things, so I was so excited to get to this one.
I loved Edie and Max. She's sweet and he's crunchy and together there's so much button pushing, it's a damn delight. There are a good amount of characters here, but they're not introduced right away (or all at once), so the story firmly remains the journey of Edie and Max.
Plot wise, it's fun. Sure, there's a zombie outbreak, but this story starts the world building and sets the stage for the future story. The conflict is a slow meandering and there's no real tension until the end. The last couple of pages are captivating and the ending scene has me intrigued.
Overall, this was a fun and funny story and I'll just be over here waiting for the next book.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved Edie and Max. She's sweet and he's crunchy and together there's so much button pushing, it's a damn delight. There are a good amount of characters here, but they're not introduced right away (or all at once), so the story firmly remains the journey of Edie and Max.
Plot wise, it's fun. Sure, there's a zombie outbreak, but this story starts the world building and sets the stage for the future story. The conflict is a slow meandering and there's no real tension until the end. The last couple of pages are captivating and the ending scene has me intrigued.
Overall, this was a fun and funny story and I'll just be over here waiting for the next book.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
Want to read
July 1, 2024From Olivia Dade’s newsletter (6/30/24): “When Eden "Edie" Brandstrup attempts to save her sweet, seemingly harmless human neighbor from the first major zombie breach in two decades, she’s stunned to be saved by him—and his ridiculously large sword—instead. As it turns out, he's actually a super-old, super-surly vampire. But for all her neighbor's newly revealed cynicism and lethality, Gaston "Max" Boucher (yes, Gaston) is unexpectedly protective. He wants her to stay in his safety bunker until the breach is resolved. Edie can’t risk more innocent people getting killed, though—and Max won’t let her save them alone.
As they unravel a sinister conspiracy to set zombies loose on the world (again), the duo meet a host of lovable allies and discover they're not the only ones willing to fight for the future of humanity. Despite the awful timing, Edie finds herself falling for the vampire who’s helping her save the world…but all their dangerous plans could end their future before it even begins. As she and Max battle side by side, Edie is forced to consider whether having a love worth living for also means having a love you'd die for—and, in a world that grows deadlier by the minute, whether that’s a risk she’s willing to take.”
As they unravel a sinister conspiracy to set zombies loose on the world (again), the duo meet a host of lovable allies and discover they're not the only ones willing to fight for the future of humanity. Despite the awful timing, Edie finds herself falling for the vampire who’s helping her save the world…but all their dangerous plans could end their future before it even begins. As she and Max battle side by side, Edie is forced to consider whether having a love worth living for also means having a love you'd die for—and, in a world that grows deadlier by the minute, whether that’s a risk she’s willing to take.”
August 7, 2025
This was one of the stupidest books I’ve ever read. It was like someone was trying to cosplay at comic con and for their costume they basically cut two holes in a sheet and threw it over their head and proclaimed “I’m Gandalf”. Like no, you’re not, and it’s insulting to not only the real Gandalf, but to all the cosplay Gandalfs here who put tons of real effort and skill into their costume.
This was a half baked, plot hole laden, info dump heavy book that had none of the world building to make whatever stupid mess of a story this was even remotely plausible. Like if you’re going to do a post-apocalyptic zombie story, even if it is a romcom, it has to be somewhat believable or at the very least make some kind of internal sense. You can’t expect your readers to do all the heavy lifting, fill in gaps and plot holes, suspend their disbelief and then throw in social media stars, random governmental systems, French speaking zombies, and a whole host of other implausible things that make absolutely no sense within the context of the story.
Also, it seemed like every single paranormal fanfiction trope was crammed in here. Like at one point, out of nowhere, we learn that along with every supernatural creature that you’ve ever heard of, there are also soul marks for fated mates between humans?? Everything just felt like too much, without nearly enough development.
And don’t even get me started on the writing and dialogue…Jesus Christ! No one, talks like this. This was not witty banter, this was straight up cringe. And the same jokes that weren’t funny 5 pages ago that have been told over and over and over again, still aren’t funny at page 300.
What a waste of my time. My eyes rolled so hard and so many times I think I pulled a muscle. And the romance and characters couldn’t even save it for me.
Our MMC, an actual centuries old vampire, is for some reason also a fashion and makeup YouTuber who posts thirst trap-ish content where he doesn’t speak, but instead struts around in front of a camera from the neck down in macrame/furry thongs and those hideous hoof toed boots that were randomly popular 2 years ago. Like, what the fuck is this story???? Am I supposed to find this hot? Because all I feel is second hand embarrassment! He’s an egotistical jerk for most of the book and he’s always condescendingly talking about how much better his senses are than humans, yet they are somehow always being surrounded unexpectedly, caught off guard, or taken unawares by zombies and gangs of humans, just because the author needed to introduce action or other characters into a scene. Once again, it all just doesn’t make any sense.
The FMC is stubborn to the point of recklessly endangering herself and the MMC multiple times. She only speaks and thinks in jokes and quips and she’s apparently a normal, non-enhanced 38 year old cleaver wielding plus-size baddie, who is never mentioned as having any training or even working out (she once took self defense classes years ago??) but is somehow able to kick ass and defeat genetically modified super soldier zombies and fight alongside her buff vampire hero without breaking a sweat? Her size is barely mentioned and rarely plays a part in this physically demanding action story. They’re running, swimming, fighting hordes of zombies, and she never has to pantingly say something or rest her hands on her knees to take a breath??* Also, it would be so crazy hard to chop a raging zombie’s head off with a kitchen cleaver, like you’d have to hack and work at it for a while and you’d have to get super up close to their head to be effective. You know, where their teeth are? As in the most dangerous part of a zombie! This is a horrible choice of weapon! And I’m sorry, but what type of post-apocalyptic zombie world is a great place for your small Etsy business selling hand made soap? Where even am I? This is so stupid!!
The romance between them was also incredilbly lackluster and underdeveloped. I don't even know why they liked each other, other than he was depressed and she was his ray of light in the dark and he's superficially hot (which his vain ass is constantly reminding us of, over and over again).
I was constantly cringing and being jerked around by this mess of a story that didn’t know what it was. This book needed so much more work, and it was somehow unfleshed out while also being 150 pages too long. I think I’m ultimately mad at this book because it disappointed me so much, the premise and concept of this book are right up my alley and I was so bummed when all of it just fell so flat and was so poorly executed.
The smut was decent enough and the cover is cute, so there’s that I guess, sigh…SMH
*Disclaimer….(I’m NOT calling into question plus size people being fit, capable, and/or healthy. Being fat does NOT equal unhealthy! I know this. I live this. This just felt like another plot hole/lack of characterization, and a missed opportunity for some realistic plus-size representation that showcases plus size people being healthy, strong, and taking care of their bodies. I would have loved to have seen our FMC training, working out, lifting weights, attending one of those self defense classes, or hell even a quick jog around the block, that showcased how strong and capable she is at surviving in this post-apocalyptic world, all while being unapologetically plus-sized!)
This was a half baked, plot hole laden, info dump heavy book that had none of the world building to make whatever stupid mess of a story this was even remotely plausible. Like if you’re going to do a post-apocalyptic zombie story, even if it is a romcom, it has to be somewhat believable or at the very least make some kind of internal sense. You can’t expect your readers to do all the heavy lifting, fill in gaps and plot holes, suspend their disbelief and then throw in social media stars, random governmental systems, French speaking zombies, and a whole host of other implausible things that make absolutely no sense within the context of the story.
Also, it seemed like every single paranormal fanfiction trope was crammed in here. Like at one point, out of nowhere, we learn that along with every supernatural creature that you’ve ever heard of, there are also soul marks for fated mates between humans?? Everything just felt like too much, without nearly enough development.
And don’t even get me started on the writing and dialogue…Jesus Christ! No one, talks like this. This was not witty banter, this was straight up cringe. And the same jokes that weren’t funny 5 pages ago that have been told over and over and over again, still aren’t funny at page 300.
What a waste of my time. My eyes rolled so hard and so many times I think I pulled a muscle. And the romance and characters couldn’t even save it for me.
Our MMC, an actual centuries old vampire, is for some reason also a fashion and makeup YouTuber who posts thirst trap-ish content where he doesn’t speak, but instead struts around in front of a camera from the neck down in macrame/furry thongs and those hideous hoof toed boots that were randomly popular 2 years ago. Like, what the fuck is this story???? Am I supposed to find this hot? Because all I feel is second hand embarrassment! He’s an egotistical jerk for most of the book and he’s always condescendingly talking about how much better his senses are than humans, yet they are somehow always being surrounded unexpectedly, caught off guard, or taken unawares by zombies and gangs of humans, just because the author needed to introduce action or other characters into a scene. Once again, it all just doesn’t make any sense.
The FMC is stubborn to the point of recklessly endangering herself and the MMC multiple times. She only speaks and thinks in jokes and quips and she’s apparently a normal, non-enhanced 38 year old cleaver wielding plus-size baddie, who is never mentioned as having any training or even working out (she once took self defense classes years ago??) but is somehow able to kick ass and defeat genetically modified super soldier zombies and fight alongside her buff vampire hero without breaking a sweat? Her size is barely mentioned and rarely plays a part in this physically demanding action story. They’re running, swimming, fighting hordes of zombies, and she never has to pantingly say something or rest her hands on her knees to take a breath??* Also, it would be so crazy hard to chop a raging zombie’s head off with a kitchen cleaver, like you’d have to hack and work at it for a while and you’d have to get super up close to their head to be effective. You know, where their teeth are? As in the most dangerous part of a zombie! This is a horrible choice of weapon! And I’m sorry, but what type of post-apocalyptic zombie world is a great place for your small Etsy business selling hand made soap? Where even am I? This is so stupid!!
The romance between them was also incredilbly lackluster and underdeveloped. I don't even know why they liked each other, other than he was depressed and she was his ray of light in the dark and he's superficially hot (which his vain ass is constantly reminding us of, over and over again).
I was constantly cringing and being jerked around by this mess of a story that didn’t know what it was. This book needed so much more work, and it was somehow unfleshed out while also being 150 pages too long. I think I’m ultimately mad at this book because it disappointed me so much, the premise and concept of this book are right up my alley and I was so bummed when all of it just fell so flat and was so poorly executed.
The smut was decent enough and the cover is cute, so there’s that I guess, sigh…SMH
*Disclaimer….(I’m NOT calling into question plus size people being fit, capable, and/or healthy. Being fat does NOT equal unhealthy! I know this. I live this. This just felt like another plot hole/lack of characterization, and a missed opportunity for some realistic plus-size representation that showcases plus size people being healthy, strong, and taking care of their bodies. I would have loved to have seen our FMC training, working out, lifting weights, attending one of those self defense classes, or hell even a quick jog around the block, that showcased how strong and capable she is at surviving in this post-apocalyptic world, all while being unapologetically plus-sized!)
August 19, 2025
Who is sheeeeeee, finishing a book after *counts* 16 days. UGH. UGHHHH UGH.
This reading slump is killing me.
Anyway. Reading slump aside....
"Zomromcom" had the potential to be such a winner for me. Competent, funny FMC (with fat rep and ALSO SHE'S "OLDER" than him????? YES MA'AMMM), super dreamy vampire love interest who is also very funny and an enormous grump? A zombie apocalypse? The two protagonists teaming up to save the world? Falling in love despite the hurts and pains of their respective pasts? A vampire who's got MASSIVE stamina and also is very much into his partner's pleasure? And Olivia Dade's wonderful writing?
I was sure I was going to love it.
Unfortunately, I didn't as much as I hoped.
I adored the first half, mind you. The slow-burn aspect, the first explosive kiss, the steamy bits, Edie and Max in general... I adored all those aspects so so much.
Unfortunately by the second half I was too impatient to keep up with the plot and I got bored. It might have been this slump, or maybe I don't know, something was missing for me. I was interested in Edie and Max almost exclusively (which is very unusual for me) and the plot lines weren't gripping enough to keep my interest. I ended up skimming to the parts I wanted to actually read.
Again, this might have been a me issue.
I did love the first half of the book. I adored both Edie and Max so much. Their romance was SO DAMN precious and lovely and did I mention HOT AS HELL?
So, solely for that, "Zomromcom" will be getting three stars.
But apart from that... Oh well. Never mind, better luck next time, I guess?
Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.
This reading slump is killing me.
Anyway. Reading slump aside....
"Zomromcom" had the potential to be such a winner for me. Competent, funny FMC (with fat rep and ALSO SHE'S "OLDER" than him????? YES MA'AMMM), super dreamy vampire love interest who is also very funny and an enormous grump? A zombie apocalypse? The two protagonists teaming up to save the world? Falling in love despite the hurts and pains of their respective pasts? A vampire who's got MASSIVE stamina and also is very much into his partner's pleasure? And Olivia Dade's wonderful writing?
I was sure I was going to love it.
Unfortunately, I didn't as much as I hoped.
I adored the first half, mind you. The slow-burn aspect, the first explosive kiss, the steamy bits, Edie and Max in general... I adored all those aspects so so much.
Unfortunately by the second half I was too impatient to keep up with the plot and I got bored. It might have been this slump, or maybe I don't know, something was missing for me. I was interested in Edie and Max almost exclusively (which is very unusual for me) and the plot lines weren't gripping enough to keep my interest. I ended up skimming to the parts I wanted to actually read.
Again, this might have been a me issue.
I did love the first half of the book. I adored both Edie and Max so much. Their romance was SO DAMN precious and lovely and did I mention HOT AS HELL?
So, solely for that, "Zomromcom" will be getting three stars.
But apart from that... Oh well. Never mind, better luck next time, I guess?
Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.
July 25, 2025
This book was, in a word, just plain fun. I didn't know what to expect with a PNR from an author widely known and loved for her contemporary romances but this was, in typical Olivia Dade fashion, witty and fun, engaging and joyful and imbued with her trademark warmth and humor even as it made some pretty interesting social commentary regarding a fictional world filled with supernatural beings that felt oddly parallel to our real world.
I adored the two MCs, Edie had a really traumatic backstory and was desperate to find meaning in her parents' sacrifice, not realizing that she herself was the meaning and reason and legacy. And Max, er, Gaston, or Chad, whatever he chooses to go by, was truly one of a kind, an egotistical vampire with a secret soft heart that solely beat for Edie. I adored their banter and romance and the way they were all too willing to put themselves repeatedly in harms way to protect the other.
I really enjoyed the world Olivia built in this first book and the cast of characters she introduced and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds in the next book.
ARC from publisher, review is all mine.
I adored the two MCs, Edie had a really traumatic backstory and was desperate to find meaning in her parents' sacrifice, not realizing that she herself was the meaning and reason and legacy. And Max, er, Gaston, or Chad, whatever he chooses to go by, was truly one of a kind, an egotistical vampire with a secret soft heart that solely beat for Edie. I adored their banter and romance and the way they were all too willing to put themselves repeatedly in harms way to protect the other.
I really enjoyed the world Olivia built in this first book and the cast of characters she introduced and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds in the next book.
ARC from publisher, review is all mine.
June 17, 2025
⋆⁺₊⋆ 4 - 4.5, I can’t believe it’s not falafel, stars ⋆⁺₊⋆
I’m the first to admit that I’m not a ‘paragon of good taste.’ I have strong likes and even stronger dislikes. My average reading score is slightly above 3 stars, and I’m openly difficult to keep interested. I think I was so invested, because I haven’t ever read something quite like this. I’ve read zombie centered novels. I’ve read end of the world explorers. I’ve read enough romance novels to circle the earth…more than once. But Zomromcom? Well, this was a refreshingly unique take. I’m on my knees, over here, because I fucking loved almost everything.
Now, I can see very clearly why this isn’t for everyone. There’s a lot of crack, a lot of ridiculousness, and not as much overt romance as I was, admittedly, expecting. This is romantic, but maybe not so “traditional.” There were moments I was cackling, moments I was sweating, and moments I was fanning myself…because some of these scenes were hawt.
I absolutely love how much this made me laugh. I’ve never read an Olivia Dade novel before, but I’ll be checking more out. Actually, I’ll be checking every single one out. I was gasping at times. My chest hurt when reading the dooms-day meal names. Banter was witty, characters clever, and the dialogue was perfectly paced. I appreciated that the internal monologues didn’t replace good conversation. I’m a fan of silly jokes, so I thrived while devouring this. I’ve also quoted “mi casa es mi casa” more than once since reading that scene.
I do think Zomromcom suffers from a very common problem- too much shit thrown at the wall. A lot of themes and ideas are randomly lobbed at the reader, and we’re expected to what? Dip, dive, duck, or knock it out of the park? With a whole lotta information told to the reader, a little more show would’ve gone a long way. I was so invested in the banter, that I wasn’t bothered much; I do, however, get why other readers would be.
Overall, this was a blast! I was brought joy, a smile, and another authors backlog to catch up on. Too many books and not enough time. What a good problem to have.
「 ✦ 𝚙𝚛𝚎-𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 ✦ 」
•*¨*Getting ready to start this beaut. There are few things I love more than fluffy girl representation...I guess ice cream, sushi, pizza with omeprazole, cats, dogs, my kids, and my husband would ⋆technically⋆ come first. BUT, as a someone who puts more than one ‘c’ in thic, and is a certified chounky (the only way to read that is in Anthony Mackie’s voice) girl, I adore reading about love in all shapes and sizes. Add in zombies, some laughs, and a protective vampire. Well, I’m fucking sold.•*¨*•
Also this cover? Come ooonnn. It’s an immediate purchase with that purple.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC!
I’m the first to admit that I’m not a ‘paragon of good taste.’ I have strong likes and even stronger dislikes. My average reading score is slightly above 3 stars, and I’m openly difficult to keep interested. I think I was so invested, because I haven’t ever read something quite like this. I’ve read zombie centered novels. I’ve read end of the world explorers. I’ve read enough romance novels to circle the earth…more than once. But Zomromcom? Well, this was a refreshingly unique take. I’m on my knees, over here, because I fucking loved almost everything.
Now, I can see very clearly why this isn’t for everyone. There’s a lot of crack, a lot of ridiculousness, and not as much overt romance as I was, admittedly, expecting. This is romantic, but maybe not so “traditional.” There were moments I was cackling, moments I was sweating, and moments I was fanning myself…because some of these scenes were hawt.
I absolutely love how much this made me laugh. I’ve never read an Olivia Dade novel before, but I’ll be checking more out. Actually, I’ll be checking every single one out. I was gasping at times. My chest hurt when reading the dooms-day meal names. Banter was witty, characters clever, and the dialogue was perfectly paced. I appreciated that the internal monologues didn’t replace good conversation. I’m a fan of silly jokes, so I thrived while devouring this. I’ve also quoted “mi casa es mi casa” more than once since reading that scene.
I do think Zomromcom suffers from a very common problem- too much shit thrown at the wall. A lot of themes and ideas are randomly lobbed at the reader, and we’re expected to what? Dip, dive, duck, or knock it out of the park? With a whole lotta information told to the reader, a little more show would’ve gone a long way. I was so invested in the banter, that I wasn’t bothered much; I do, however, get why other readers would be.
Overall, this was a blast! I was brought joy, a smile, and another authors backlog to catch up on. Too many books and not enough time. What a good problem to have.
「 ✦ 𝚙𝚛𝚎-𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 ✦ 」
•*¨*Getting ready to start this beaut. There are few things I love more than fluffy girl representation...I guess ice cream, sushi, pizza with omeprazole, cats, dogs, my kids, and my husband would ⋆technically⋆ come first. BUT, as a someone who puts more than one ‘c’ in thic, and is a certified chounky (the only way to read that is in Anthony Mackie’s voice) girl, I adore reading about love in all shapes and sizes. Add in zombies, some laughs, and a protective vampire. Well, I’m fucking sold.•*¨*•
Also this cover? Come ooonnn. It’s an immediate purchase with that purple.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC!
August 23, 2025
zomromcom is about edie, a school librarian turned accidental zombie slayer, who teams up with her weirdly hot but socially inept neighbor to survive the undead apocalypse. turns out, he’s also a vampire who’s been hiding out for centuries in sweatpants and obliviousness. the book leans hard into ridiculous humor, and at times, it absolutely works. one moment you’re getting emotional over a found family, the next you’re laughing at lines like, “these aren’t granny panties. they’re fashion.”
but the tone is kind of all over the place. one minute it’s quirky banter, and the next someone’s getting their insides artistically rearranged on the page. i’m not big on horror, so the gore-to-romance ratio felt a little skewed for me. fun concept, clever jokes, but the story didn’t fully click… still, it’s probably the most chaotic zombie romcom i’ve ever read. thank you net galley for the e-arc!
but the tone is kind of all over the place. one minute it’s quirky banter, and the next someone’s getting their insides artistically rearranged on the page. i’m not big on horror, so the gore-to-romance ratio felt a little skewed for me. fun concept, clever jokes, but the story didn’t fully click… still, it’s probably the most chaotic zombie romcom i’ve ever read. thank you net galley for the e-arc!
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