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.
Title: ZomRomCom
Author: Olivia Dade
Publisher: Berkley
Expected Publication Date: September 5, 2025
Review:
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group/Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This was my first full length book by this author. I did read a novella by her and remember enjoying it so I wanted to see what she would do with a full story. I was not disappointed. This book was so much fun. Was it a bit full of cheese? It sure was. Paranormal romance with every type of paranormal create and zombies plus lots of laughs. It also challenged what I know of those paranormal creatures from past books I've read.
Edie Brandstrup lives in the containment zone. A place where zombies are the norm, rather than not. But the zombies were originally created for a purpose. Unfortunately, that purpose took a turn and the zomibes got out of control. Edie just wants to live her life and make her artisnal soaps without being bothered. But when she encounters a zombie and realizes the containment zone has been breached, she knows she needs to warm everyone, including her neighbor Chad. But Chad is not who she thought he was since he moved in three years ago. Together they team up to combat the zombie problem and find each other along the way.
This book is full of so many different tropes. I loved each and every one. Grumpy/sunshine vibes, in a dystopian world, full of the paranormal? Why yes, sign me it. Dade took these elements and totally made them work. On top of that, she infused so much comedy into the book. There were pop culture references that were spot on. And the pacing was great. I kept wanting to turn the page to see what happened next. There is a lot of world building in this book. I am thankful for the map and explanations at the beginning as a guide to understand how the containment zones were set up.
Edie was a fun character. I loved that she was older, 38, and not some typically beautiful romance heroine. She's quirky and fun and keeps to herself. And Chad (Max), well, he's a character in and of himself. I loved his grumpy vampire vibes and how they complemented Edie's sunshine. Of course Max has his secrets, which he keeps well hidden. But Edie cracks his icy exterior and eventually gets down to the core of him.
This book is definitely a romcom but there are also a ton of emotional elements woven in. Self worth, post traumatic stress,
And the final chapter being from a different POV! YES! That sets the scene for the next installment in this series. I didn't even know it was going to be a series so that chapter made me extremely happy. This book was an absolute blast to read. I can't wait to see what happens next!
Author:
Olivia 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.
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