Zombies, vampires, and a snarky, plus sized heroine? I was all in! This book seriously had everything I love in it. I adored Edie from the very start, and she only got better throughout the book. There is some spice, so if that isn't your thing, this might not be the book for you. But if it is, please read this book!

10 stars! I was hooked from the moment Edie attempted to rescue her dude bro neighbor Chad from a roaming Zombie with her overstuffed Burrito. It had me laughing out loud, and every time Edie burst into the Gaston song, using her own lyrics, of course, I couldn't help but sing along.
The romance was a perfect slow burn, and every time Edie's chaos and banter got Max to crack a bit of a smile, I did too. I loved this from beginning to end and I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
I was lucky enough to snag an arc of this, and it's one I will absolutely be getting a copy of for my library.

Zombie fiction is an underrepresented genre in the literary world. I lunged at the chance when I saw this title in the catalog. It was also marketed as a romance, which is twice as rare. Who knew zombie love stories even existed? I had read Olivia Dade books in the past. Her stories feature plus size heroines, although her dialogue tends to be verbose and supercilious. Zomromcom was unfortunately identical to the book's setting: an absolute mess. The reader was dropped into the story with zero explanation. There were zombies, vampires, and confused humans running amok in this dystopian wasteland. I hated the writing style and the love scenes were not it. After multiple Olivia Dade books, I fear this was the nail in the coffin. Props to her for writing love stories with bigger bodies, but it's not that much of a triumph when the writing doesn't make any sense. I will tip my hat for the originality, even if I hated every second of it. I know I will not personally survive in a zombie apocalypse, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be open to a Zomromcom.

Olivia Dade gave us a paranormal romcom with a curvy heroine front and center, and honestly, I was sold before I even opened the book. This story is pure chaos in the best way, fun, ridiculous, and totally entertaining.

It kicks off with Edie, who’s just trying to live her life… until she thinks her cranky recluse of a neighbor is being attacked by zombies. She tries to “save” him (bless her), only to find out he’s not just some weirdo next door—he’s Gaston “Max” Boucher, a centuries-old vampire with a brain, a sense of humor, and a serious thing for dramatic entrances.

Their banter carries the story,snappy, sarcastic, and genuinely funny. Sure, some of the humor is over the top and delightfully cringey, but that’s kind of the point. It’s not meant to be serious; it’s meant to be fun, and it is. There’s also a surprising amount of world building, enough to keep things grounded even while zombies are running wild.

But what really worked for me? Edie. She’s a fuller figured FMC who isn’t just thrown in as a token “different body type”, she is the heart of the story. She’s strong, messy, lovable, and totally relatable, and I loved seeing her on the page in all her chaotic glory.

Paranormal romance isn’t usually my thing, but this book won me over. I’ll definitely be checking out the rest of the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the gifted eArc of Zomromcom. This was a very enjoyable, fun, and quirky paranormal romance! I loved reading a story with a plus-sized FMC and having that representation. Edie is such a fierce FMC who can hold her own, even when she brings a burrito to a zombie fight. I enjoyed reading the progression of Edie and Max, who we find out is a centuries-old vampire. The pacing was a little choppy for me, and was hard to follow at some points, but it didn't detract from the overall story. The romance aspects were sweet and spicy, and I love how Max was so supportive of Edie and her decision to formulate a plan (on the dangerous side) to try and save more people from the impending zombie horde. The quirkiness and action reminded me of Zombieland, but with an added romance and other paranormal creatures in the plot line. Paranormal romance readers will love this one!

What do you get when you mix zombies, vampires, government conspiracies, and a sarcastic fashion-forward immortal in a sheepskin thong? A gloriously ridiculous, heartfelt romp that only Olivia Dade could deliver.

ZomRomCom is everything its title promises and more—a zany, body-positive, romantic adventure set in a world where zombie outbreaks are just a bureaucratic inconvenience and the vampires are as emotionally repressed as they are lethal. At its heart is Edie, a late-thirties, plus-sized soap maker who is resourceful, funny, and deeply empathetic. She’s the kind of heroine we don’t see often enough—her size isn’t a plot point, it just is, and the story never undermines her competence, desirability, or power.

Her co-lead? Gaston “Max” Boucher, a centuries-old vampire, influencer, and reluctant hero who is equal parts deadpan grump and undead sweetheart. Their chemistry is immediate, their banter is sharp, and their fight against both zombies and their own emotional walls is fun to watch unfold—if occasionally a little rushed.

Dade excels at blending absurd comedy with genuine emotion. There are memory foam mattresses instead of coffins, French-speaking zombies, tiramisu-making counterfeiters, and a cast of delightfully weird side characters that somehow work together in the most chaotic, charming way. Underneath all that chaos, though, is a story about grief, survival, and the risk of choosing love—even when everything feels hopeless.

My only hesitation lies in the pacing of the romance. The emotional connection felt sudden, veering into insta-love without quite earning it. In a zombie apocalypse, maybe that kind of intensity makes sense, but I still wished for a little more development between Edie and Max before the deeper feelings kicked in. Likewise, parts of the plot meandered or leaned into quirk for quirk’s sake, which slightly undercut the story’s momentum.

Still, ZomRomCom is original, clever, and laugh-out-loud funny, with meaningful representation and a refreshingly weird take on paranormal romance. It’s the start of a new series, and I’m already looking forward to more undead antics (and more Gaston jokes, obviously).

I was offered an ARC of this book and gladly accepted since I love Olivia Dade's contemporaries. Unforunately, I could only read this book on my phone (which I hate), and what's worse, I'm generally not keen on books with vampires and zombies. So I was a little apprehensive going into this.
Overall, I enjoyed it. Edie and Max are fun together. I would love to see Max's videos! The other characters were mostly fun as well. The book was very much leaning into the com part of the title, with some great charicatures. The discussion questions at the end of the book are fabulous!
While I liked both Edie and Max, I wasn't entirely sure about the romance. It didn't feel grounded; more like instalove.
For me the pacing was a little off. The beginning of the book felt slow but the second half picked up. I was a bit disappointed though, when the ending turned out to be a "we've won the battle but not the war" rather than an HEA.
Anyway, I feel my criticism are very much a me-thing, so YMMV.

Torn on this one. I think part of Olivia Dade’s charm is her quirky, whippet characters, but even in her contemporaries, that occasionally overshadows the plot for me. But she creates such likable, fun characters and situations that I wanted to love this book too. Maybe zombie books aren’t for me (they usually aren’t! I can admit that) but even though I loved the characters and their grumpy/sunshine dynamic, there was something missing for me in the world building. That being said, I do think it was awfully fun, and just because I’m not the perfect reader for this book, does not mean I don’t think it wouldn’t be an absolutely smash for others!

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for this arc.

For all the paranormal aspects and the humour, there is, at its core, a through-line of truth and deep emotion around loss and grief, trauma and betrayal. Edie and Max are very different but they each recognise the wounds in the other.

The action is thick and fast in the story and in the end it’s up to Edie and Max to save the day, along with some people they meet long the way who join their merry band of zombie hunters. (I did laugh a lot at the Oracle’s first prophecies.)

The story does end kind of abruptly, but there is clearly more to tell and I gather that at least some of it will be done via Gwen (said Oracle) in the next book. I’m hoping we’ll see more of Edie and Max in the next book as well. There were some plans Max talked about I really need more information about.

Zomromcom is a fun romp full of action and adventure, found family and noble heroes. The banter between Edie and Max is fantastic, with the signature loving snark I’ve come to (happily) expect from Olivia Dade.

Thank you to Berkley romance and Olivia Dade for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

This was a lot of fun! Max and Edie were so cute, and it’s so nice to read about an explicitly fat FMC. This was my first of Olivia Dade’s books, but it certainly won’t be my last. I really enjoyed the world building and the scenario, and I look forward to seeing what comes next!

A laugh-out-loud zombie apocalypse rom-com. Yes, you read that right! He’s grumpy and stuck up (oh, and also a vampire named Gaston). She’s all smiles and fun quips (and loves to eat heavily processed foods to disgust him). Together these two will work to uncover a mystery of how all the zombies have escaped their containment area, and we’ll pick up an interesting cast of characters along the way.

I appreciated Edie's sense of humor in the face of such a terrible situation. And I even enjoyed Max's attitude seeing that it was kind of his brand of humor as well. To see the way these two characters became closer was really very sweet (and spicy!) and I loved how protective Max was of 'his Edie' even before she really knew him.

As always, I love getting to read about an FMC that looks like me getting to find their happy-ever-after (even in the middle of a zombie apocalypse/government conspiracy crisis).

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.

This is a book that actually delivers what the cover and blurb say it's going to: a rom-com about a human and a vampire trying to stop a zombie-related disaster. It's very quirky, at times humorously vulgar, and full of jokes and one-liners worthy of highlighting in your kindle. If ongoing Disney-related jokes about a vampire who is unfortunately named Gaston are your jam, this might be for you.

Unfortunately, while there were good elements to this book, it ultimately didn't work great for me. Given the fast pace at which the plot unfolded, I just didn't buy the superspeed romance, especially when their interactions were 75% quips and sex vs 25% meaningful getting to know one another. Even when they had vulnerable personal moments, it didn't feel earned. But oddly, that wasn't even my biggest issue with the book.

That was the wiiiiild world building. Even with the map at the beginning and many words used up on descriptions of zones and gates and moats, it was extremely confusing. On the one hand, there are publicly known supernatural people and the danger of zombie attacks, both for the last 20 years. But then things like Etsy and OF and social media influencers still exist, and other than some (dumb) things like there being vampire blood available in the supermarket, the world still seems to function like ours, in a pop culture and social sense. I can't wrap my head around it. The book would bring up some fancy cheese they were eating, and all I could think was, "Why? HOW? They're fighting freaking zombies inside a walled city! Why was that a priority in this world?" (Not in the sense of the people eating it when it was there, but why there was a market for it in the first place? If I'm in a zombie apocalypse city, I don't care about bloody caviar and YouTube algorithms!) I'm pretty good about suspending disbelief and going with the flow when I'm enjoying a book, so the fact that I couldn't just smile and nod past it was a sign that I wasn't vibing with the story in general. Cutting in half the number of supernatural creatures, the gratuitous side characters, and the pop culture references would have been a great start to evening out what felt like a kitchen sink kind of story.

2.5 stars rounded up despite my annoyance, because I got a few good laughs at the Gaston renditions.

We are buying a copy for our library. However, it didn't work for me. I really wanted it to, great idea though.

Olivia Dade may have asked herself, what if The Walking Dead had a baby with True Blood and it came out a rom com? What if fat women had post-apocalypse adventures and get the hunky vampire too? She may have asked herself those questions and then written ZomRomCom. Dade opens with Edie going after a zombie with a burrito to protect her seemingly oblivious neighbor, Chad. Chad is not only not Chad, he is also not oblivious. He is a vampire named Max* and furious that Edie would try to protect him with a stuffed tortilla instead of saving herself.

ZomRomCom is different from Dade’s contemporary romances, and also it is not. It’s post apocalyptic/urban fantasy. It’s our world but vampires, shifters, witches, the fae, and other supernaturals are no longer hiding and zombies. Dade’s romances are always funny, and this one is on the funnier side, even in the face of a zombie apocalypse. While we don’t delve into depression the way we do with At First Spite, Edie and Max both have experienced trauma in the past that informs their behavior. Edie is unwilling to let others die to save her own life and Max is unwilling to let Edie die. They hole up together and then try to get to a place where they can notify the outside world that the zombies have escaped containment. They meet up with other pockets of survivors, including a terrifyingly competent Girl Scout troop, and make a plan to keep people safe. It becomes clear that there will be a multi-book arc to get to the bottom of what looks like a conspiracy.

I enjoyed this so much and so many of the things that I loved are spoilers. What I can say is that I did not struggle to read ZomRomCom the way I’ve struggled with other books this year. Dade has created a world that feels possible and familiar, yet different enough that I can sink into the book world’s problems without spiraling into real world anxieties. And I love that the book world’s problems can only be solved the same way our real world problems can be solved – cooperation and community.

* Max’s name is a source of great amusement for Edie, so I’m not going to ruin the surprise for you. Just know she gives Max endless grief. Endless! And he loves it.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Berkley and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

ZomRomcom by Olivia Dade has it all. Zombies, vampires, romance, and much comedy. I love a grumpy/sunshine trope and this one does it really well. There was also excellent plus size rep.

Is this book goofy? Yes. Honestly, that’s part of the fun.

Edie, a soap maker, has been unable to move out of her parents’ old home, even though it’s dangerously located in a zombie containment zone. When a zombie creeps down her street, she tries to defend her neighbor, Chad, from an attack using her burrito. But Chad isn’t what he seems, and the attack is weirdly suspicious too.

Edie ends up in a vampire’s basement lair, plotting with him as to how to stop the zombie attacks and save the town.

There was unexpectedly a lot of world building in this book, which took me a bit to digest. Overall, super fun read. With a title like Zomromcom, you know what you’re getting into.

Well, this was a delight! Witty to the max, bursting with Dad-joke level humor that’ll have you snorting with laughter, and underneath, filled to the brim with heart, hope and love. Olivia Dade’s writing is smart and sharp and just packed with subtext.

I adored Edie. Her persistent care and concern for everyone around her coupled with her relentless teasing and badgering made for the perfect combination. It’s no surprise how skillfully she charms everyone she meets. Also, a plus-size FMC is rare in and of itself, but to also let her be in her late 30s? Protect her at all costs.

And protect her Max does. Some of their dynamic played a little too insta-love for me, but with all the quirks this goth, OnlyFans Vamp streamer brought to the table, I didn’t mind it too much.

The plot worked here, but it’s the jokes and perfectly executed recurring bits that propelled me through. Will definitely seek out more of Dade’s writing in the future—and with the open-ended ending here, come back for more mayhem and Mexican food in this world.

Thank you Berkley for granting me access to the eARC for this one!

Thank you @berkleyromance @berkleypub for allowing my husband and I to review an ARC of ZOMROMCOM by Olivia Dade! Review below, and there might be a couple of light spoilers below!

Quick Reasons to Read:
1. Chubby Main Character that Fights Zombies with Burritos; 🌯 🌯
2. Fun Urban World where Zombies and Paranormal Creatures Exist 🧛🏻🐺🧟‍♂️
3. Vampire MMC who falls first ❤️🩸

This was a super cute, charming romcom that takes place in a world where zombies 🧟 are a real and present threat in the world! Werewolves were slaughtering humans, and in response humans accidentally created zombies to fight the werewolves, but now the zombies are the big threat. Chaos ensued, and other types of paranormal creatures started announcing their presence, including…VAMPIRES 😍🩸

I was really excited to read this because frankly, my husband and I are chubby, and we loved that our main character, Edie, was chubby too but was also still considered sexy to the MMC, and still able to kick ass with a cleaver and a burrito! It was nice that she was just chubby, but that it wasn’t the point of her story. She felt real.

Max, the MMC Vamp (who has an even better first name that is revealed) is so weirdly charming and broody, we just loved him. He has an ambience to his sexuality that was fantastic. Does he wear thongs? Sometimes, whose asking?

The book is absolutely hilarious. Characters break into song, they make fun of each others quicks in a cute way. They find themselves in very funny situations (there’s a scene about a ladder and an elevator that really wasn’t like probably supposed to be crazy funny but I laughed pretty hard).

There’s also really great action scenes that you don’t typically get to see in a RomCom which we just loved reading. The pacing is so well done with these scenes.

If I had one complaint, I’d say it was a little insta-love-ish. I would liked a little more development or angst.

Overall, I think this is really fun, very charming, and absolutely delightful as a read for the summer to fall transition!! It comes out Tuesday!! Give it a read!!!

Zomromcom by Olivia Dade was such a hilarious, unexpected delight. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a zombie romantic comedy, but somehow it worked. The humor was sharp, the romance was surprisingly sweet, and the whole thing had this quirky charm that I couldn’t get enough of.