I'm sure this book will appeal to lots of readers, but unfortunately I wasn't one of them.

It started out really good and I had high hopes, but then it just got cringey and boring. There are some laugh out loud parts but then the same jokes are repeated over and over like a 10 year old who can't read the room. The "found family" doesn't even make an appearance until like halfway through the book, so it's hard to care about the new characters at all. And the FMC, Edie, wipes her snot on the MMC... multiple times. Why is that even described in the book?

MMC Chad/Max calls Evie "ma puce" and refers to his d!ck as "ma bite", but doesn't speak French for anything else, so it just sounds weird.

I guess there's supposed to be a sequel, because things are left open ended, but I don't think I'll be reading it.

I really enjoyed this! Not usually into 3rd person, but this was fun and easy to follow. Loved their dynamic and "Chad" was amazing. Loved his online persona and his better than everyone attitude. The bits hit every time. Overall, funny and charming. Excited to see how the second one plays out.

Look this book started out so strong! The banter is hilarious. Unfortunately im 70% and not invested in the characters journey anymore. I also have been confused since the beginning about how/where the zombies are? Are they in the very middle of the containment zone? How would they have gotten there? or are the containment zones safe? I have so many setup questions that its all i can think about while reading. I just want to understand but dont think I will.

This was so much fun! Gaston (Max) and Edie had the best banter I've read in a long time. Living in a containment zone after a zombie outbreak, Edie has zero fricks to give and is unabashedly herself. Max is keeping *secrets* (like what he really is, and how important he finds it to protect Edie). I don't want to give any spoilers, but the twist toward the beginning is really fun.

The zombies themselves sound terrifying but the author sprinkled in some fun with their lore as well, like the fact that they speak French because while they were being experimented on they watched a French-language version of Dora the Explorer. Seeing a brain-craving creature come at you and say "bonjour" is just delightful.

Edie and Max embark on a dangerous trip to warn the government that there's been another outbreak. Edie is desperate to fend for herself and keeps putting herself in danger to protect Max, and the push/pull there is excellent. They both just want to keep each other safe so bad. The romance that builds between them is so sweet (and spicy).

My only complaint is that I needed an epilogue! I have to assume there will be another book set in this world, but I did want to see some cozy time with Max and Edie while they're not in survival mode.

This one is super cute, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. Let’s start with the good: the story is fun. It’s def a one-sitting read if you’re into it, the characters are fun and funny, the world Dale built is interesting.
The not so good: I just couldn’t get into it. Which is odd because a romcom about a girl and a vamp is my bread and butter. I think the love story felt stunted? Once the characters were together, they were super cute - but getting there felt weird. There was obviously attraction on Edie’s side but the vamp was cold, then there were def signs that Max, the Vamp, was into Edie, which were cute, and then BAM - they were in love. It just felt like steps were skipped.
As I said earlier, the readers who like this book are going to love it but it’s a bummer that I’m not one of them.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this. I love Olivia Dade's FMC plus size representation and the banter between characters. I love that Edie's neighbor went to the effort to create a whole BS personality of Bro-Chad to not have her suspect anything. Yet, he has a whole survival bunker with "modern amenities". And the whole sheepskin thong, hahahaha. The entire scene where he reveals his name is hilarious and nostalgic. It's very confusing having multiple species of Supernatural beings in the series. Would have been less confusing with just zombies and humans. Less is more if you know what I mean. The whole influencer aspect is kind of funny to mix with. When Edie offers to let Max bite her and does it, it is delicious. When they finally have sex, the 6 orgasms seems a bit much and unrealistic, but maybe vampires have some special power to elicit that kind of reaction to sex with them. There were multiple occasions where a more complicated word was used where a simple word would have sufficed and not required being looked up (i.e. exigency = an urgent need or demand). Again, less is more. I do like the unlikely band of heroes between the group going out to fight zombies. I love the yrade off of Max giving up mortality to save Edie. How noble.

As soon as I started reading this, I knew it was going to be unique because I was already laughing. This is a 3.5 for me so I rounded up. This book gives a zombie afflicted world that has supernatural beings. Before you go into this book go with an open mind that it is not a traditional book. A lot is thrown at you, making it a fun read and not sticking to labels. I did enjoy Max because of his grumpy vampire vibe.

I did have some issues with the speed of the book. Also, Gaston’s part was a bit exaggerated. This was decent for being the author’s first attempt at paranormal romance. I can’t wait to read more from this author’s and see how her work evolves and gets better.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the chance to review this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me to read and review Zomromcom! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF at 75%

"Somewhere, a super-old French village is missing its idiot."

Armed with a burrito and a swift kick to an attacking zombie, Edie is saved by her neighbor Chad, who is not really Chad. Chad is actually Gaston, who prefers to go by his middle name Max due to the unsavory jokes about the French village film and the beast he hunts. Max and Edie partner up to find out why there was a purposefully made breach to one of the main Walls protecting their neighborhood from a zombie outbreak.

I wanted to like this book so much. The cover is eye-catching, the premise is something I thought I would enjoy. I like humorous zombie films, i.e. Shaun of the Dead, but the humor and its protagonist fall very short. Edie is one of the most annoying characters I've had to read about. Her jokes are overused, and she's not a character I cared to root for. She continuously invents 'Gaston' songs to poke fun at Max. Funny and cute at first, but after the seventh time, it became overkill and eye-roll inducing. The only positive I can find with Edie is the plus size rep. I've always liked that Olivia Dade features inclusive characters without it feeling like a check list.

I didn't realize going into this book that there would be more supernatural creatures involved other than zombies, which to me I found to be distracting. There are vampires, Fae, trolls, demons, and witches. There is not a lot of development for the characters or even the world-building. You are literally thrown into the zombie attack Edie is in on the first page and you're just supposed to know things. Yeah, I get it. We've all watched zombie films and we know these supernatural creatures for the most part, but that doesn't mean you just skimp out on developing anything.

There's a little bit of a mystery and a sense of suspense as Edie and Max try to find clues as to why someone would bring upon a zombie outbreak. I liked the banter and teasing, for the most part, and there is a lot of spicy tension, but it's also an instant-love connection that, to me, didn't make a lot of sense. Again, not everything is developed thoroughly.

I do believe, especially reading the other reviews for this book, that some readers will enjoy the silliness, the spice, and the supernatural characters. Unfortunately, this reader isn't one of them.

2.5 stars rounded up.

#BerkleyPartner

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this ARC for an honest review.

I honestly didn’t think I was going to like this book. I got an email saying anyone could read this, and I have other books by Olivia Dade in my TBR, so I figured ‘why not?’ I love a good rom com, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to like one centered around a zombie apocalypse with a vampire as the MMC.

It was actually a delightful romp. A plus-sized FMC, a cast of many colorful characters, and zombies who leaned to speak French from watching the show Enora the Explorer 😂.

Was the dialogue a little cringy? Yes. Did I feel like Mac fell for Edie way too fast? Yes. Did I think Edie was hilarious and why wouldn’t Max fall for her hard? Yes I did.

Apparently this is going to be a series because the ending was so abrupt I seriously thought I was missing pages (despite me reading it digitally).

I gave this 3.75 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm conflicted about this book. It was very entertaining from start to finish, but there were a lot of things I didn't end up liking about this book.

BTW: Don't trust anyone who says this is cozy fantasy, nothing with zombies is cozy, hello?!?! This is a paranormal romance that is very driven by dialogue and loosey-goosey with worldbuilding. The primary focus is the protagonist hooking up with the love interest; that's about it. The author adds some weird mystery intrigue in the background for the "world-buidling" but it doesn't make sense and isn't super important anyway.

Protagonist: I was happy about more big girl representation, especially in a protagonist, but I feel like her grossness overrode the positivity of the representation. She was EATING a BURRITO she had used to hit a ZOMBIE. Her argument was that food shouldn't be wasted, which I've seen too many "quips" of in many comedies involving fat characters. She continued this behavior throughout the book and was just too gross with food in general. She was also as dumb as a bag of rocks, involving many situations and characters throughout the book and it was just infuriating to see her continue to make bad decisions over and over again. Her sense of humor, along with everyone else in this book, was awful too.

Love Interest: He was decently snarky, but I hate how often he called her "Human," it felt like an insulting nickname rather than a cutesy one. That's on me though, I've rarely liked any "cutesy" nicknames guys give in these romance books, they're usually awful. His name situation was very confusing for me and it drove me nuts (also a personal nitpick of mine) how many different names he was going by in the book. The worst part was the protagonist re-using the same EFFING joke of his name MULTIPLE TIMES throughout the book. It was funny the first time, not funny the SIXTH time. Stop!!!!!

Romance: It was pretty fast but entertaining. They had great witty banter together. This is a spicy book and it cracked me up--zombies are outside and they're banging like crazy!

Worldbuilding: What was going on? It was an Attack on Titan wall-city scenario, but with zombies and supernatural creatures? Why are these areas divided into zones? Why was the (super secret) antagonist(s) able to disable their pathetic defenses and alarm system so easily? HOW DOES ETSY STILL EXIST IN A POST-APOCALPYTIC WORLD??? None of these are explained and are left as sequel bait, which INFURIATED me.

I'm definitely not reading the next one in this series which is inevitably coming out soon enough.

She gets dicked down by a vampire who’s obsessed with her, while fighting zombies. 10/10 no notes.

But on a more serious note, this had a bit of a slow start for me (which is pretty normal for more paranormal/fantasy books), but by 30%, I was locked in. The relationship between Edie and Max was adorable. Love love love a grumpy man who is also funny. I appreciated the amount of suspense and mystery. I felt invested, but it wasn't so overwhelming that I got anxious. Recommend.

ZomRomCom is the read you need if you are looking for a fun read that has action, humor, spice, witty banter and main characters that you want to hang out with. This story follows our FMC Edie who is living during a zombie outbreak in a world filled with all kinds of supernatural beings including vamps, fae, witches, trolls, and more. From the beginning you are thrown into the zombie fight when Edie makes a not so heroic attempt to save her neighbor, “Chad”, from a zombie. Little does she know that Chad is a vampire and can handle his own. From this point on the story centers around Edie and “Chad” (or “Max” or “Gaston” ….. MMC with many names) who attempt to save their neighbors from a horde of zombies.
Along the way we get to meet other groups of people with their own specialties and quirks. And of course we get quite a few spicy scenes mixed in this adventure as well.
The dialogue in this book between Edie and Max will have you literally laughing out loud. Edie is a sassy independent woman who has strong opinions that she doesn’t keep to herself. She also enjoys singing which is one of my favorite things in this book because I found myself singing with her.
ZomRomCom does end on a cliff hanger, so be warned because you will get caught up in the story and then left NEEDING more. The title of the book should say enough, this is a fun read that isn’t meant to be taken serious and is the one to pick up when you need something mindless and different from the other romcoms out there. I did keep relating ZomRomCom to “Twisted Metal” meets “The Walking Dead” with a splash of humor all mixed in.

I started this book at the beginning of a reading slump. To be honest, it took me nearly 10 days to read the first chapter because every time I picked up my kindle to start reading... I lost all motivation. Then I discovered that he was a blonde French guy named Maxime and well. I couldn't NOT read this - my husband is a blonde French guy named Maxime!! Well, I am extremely glad I pushed through my slumpy feelings because I seriously enjoyed this book!

I became enchanted by our FMC Edie - We meet her in the act of doing something incredibly courageous.. but also incredibly stupid. Why was she doing this? Because our FMC here has a pathological need to put others before herself. On the other end of the spectrum, we have our Grumpy Loner Vampire MMC Maxime, who seemingly only cares about himself.

I think their dynamic was typical grumpy-sunshine (The Chad/Maxime backstory absolutely killed me) but I really appreciated especially Max's side of their banter. I think Edie tended to come off a little immature, but it was well balanced by Max's old fashioned moments. There were certain lines that had me laughing out loud and running to my husband to tell him what his on page counterpart was saying.

The side characters were enjoyable and helped moved the story along - My personal favorite was the too-nice counterfeiter. The story was interesting and it felt like a new take on what it's like existing during the zombie apocalypse. Our two main characters had fairly standard jobs and it seems like a lot of the world is still business as usual - which was oddly refreshing compared to the normal wasteland style world most people think of.

This book made me laugh, cry, swoon and everything in between and I'm supremely happy I read it!

A plus size girly FMC, zombies and a grumpy as hell MMC? Count me in! I wanted to love this book so bad, the premise is great, up my alley for sure, but it was pretty all over the place. The amount of times I had to back track because I was unsure what was actually happening, and the amount of other things going on in the story was a lot. I mean, you have this normal human character and then there's zombies, vampires, witches, fae, trolls, psychics, etc, it is just a lot to keep straight and then the cliff hanger actually made me mad. I enjoyed this book enough to finish it, and it did make me laugh out loud a few times, I just do not see myself reading the next one or re reading this one.

Thank you NetGalley & Berkley for the ARC of this novel!

ZomRomCom is a wild and hilarious story that kicks off with a plus-size baddie fending off a zombie using nothing but a burrito, while her ridiculously hot neighbor jumps in to help… in a furry thong, no less. From that moment on, the chaos only escalates in the best way possible. Set in a modern world teeming with every supernatural creature imaginable, think vampires, fae, demons, witches, and even gifted humans, this story blends the absurd with the action-packed. Think vampire influencers, zombie containment zones, sketchy government oversight, and canned food that probably shouldn’t exist. It’s quirky, clever, and packed with laugh-out-loud moments (yes, including some Disney song parodies), plus a surprisingly swoony romance. Equal parts bloody mayhem and magical mayhem, this is a zombie apocalypse story that somehow manages to be cozy, chaotic, and completely charming.

3.5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This is a fun, silly romcom. There are several likable and memorable characters in this story. I love Edie and Max. I love a plus sized FMC.

I enjoyed the world that this takes place in but I wanted more. You are dropped into a world where zombies already attacked and they have been contained for the time being. I wanted more back story and more about how all of this happened. As the story progresses you do get more information but I just wanted more.

Overall this was a fun read and I liked it. I am excited to see what happens next in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

This was a DNF for me, unfortunately.

This just isn't my type of humor, and I found myself cringing more than laughing.

This book confused me because it was somehow a book about vampires, humans, and zombies while also being a romcom. The description said that but the title might be a bit confusing. Also, the plus sized rep kind of disappointed me because it felt like they just kept saying "she's slow" like as a plus sized person, that doesn't make me feel great.

Olivia Dade the woman that you are!

Omg this was a flipping BLAST and and ROMP and swoony as hell (hello me losing my marbles over the FMC being referred to as a flea). Everything that I have loved about Dade's other books are all present here and then some. I loved the world building, the humor, and the recurring beauty and the beast roasting of the MMC (IYKYK). I can't wait to grab this when its published!

A trope-lover’s dream meets the zombie apocalypse. Who doesn’t love the walking dead intermixed with Pining From Afar, Grumpy-Meets-Sunshine, the beginnings of Found Family, and a generous dose of Banter Is A Love Language?

Edie, a delightful human with a penchant for saving people even without the requisite Saving People Skills, tries to fend off a zombie to save her gorgeous neighbor. Except said neighbor is not the frat bro he’s been masquerading as for the past three years - he’s a surly vampire named Gaston (he goes by Max). After Max fails to persuade Edie to ride out Zombie Apocalypse Round Two in his basement/lair (yes, they’ve already been through Round One), they go on a zany adventure around the compound where they live to alert the other residents that the zombies have escaped the enclosure. Along the way, they find new friends, new understanding of one another, and possible even… love? It is called a ZomRomCom for a reason!

There are some areas of the book that really strain ‘suspension of disbelief’. For example, who would live in a walled compound with a zombie horde at the center? If the zombies can be corralled, why have they not been killed with one of the THREE ways they can be put down? And can we accept that humans were compliant and cooperative when vampires, fae, trolls, and more started to come out of the woodwork in the midst of Zombie Apocalypse Round One? If the reader can overcome their incredulity, there is plenty to love about the characters we meet in this story – not just Edie and Max, but a wide cast of newfound friends and allies that I expect to see in Book 2 (and yes, there is strong setup for a Book 2 – hopefully they escape the walled compound!)

Anyone who reads books for characters and banter will find this a pleasant romp. The chemistry between Max and Edie – and bonus points for fat girl representation - will satisfy any romance reader who loves sarcasm and wittiness in the face of danger. However, this book will overstrain credulity for people who pay close attention to plot and worldbuilding.