I really thought I would love this one, unfortunately, it did not hit the mark for me. I expected it to be a little quirky, but this was all over the place.
The world building needed more building. The concept was cool, but the execution was poor.
The romance was too insta-love for my preference. I like a good chase, and post-apocalyptic settings are perfect for that.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!

A fun, campy zombie outbreak romance featuring the typical Olivia Dade character—she's thick, she's quirky, she's been at least mildly traumatized as a child/young adult, and it's quite possible she can't borrow her partner's hoodie. The change to paranormal romance felt rather seamless, and the story wasn't bogged down with world-building for six chapters. I laughed out loud several times. Edie's Gaston songs were my favorite. Chad/Gaston/Max was a delightful grump with a furry thong.

As this is part of a series their story is not tidily wrapped up by the end of the book, but I am excited to see where this storyline is headed.



TW- grief, parental death (mentioned)

This was such a fun and delightfully campy vampire read! Loads of funny, laugh out loud moments. Some really great side characters that I just am dying to know more about, I’m really hopeful the next book will touch on some more backstory's of the side characters. I would also request just a lil novella of Doug’s exploits. I really enjoyed the mall scenes and couldn’t help myself from imagining what my local mall would look like after the zombies attack and majority of the civilians flee. I wish there were more details and comments on Max having watched Edie from afar because it felt too much like insta-love to me. This is a great read that was different from what I have been reading and I enjoyed it! Recommending this to anyone who enjoys cheeky vampire romance, witty dialogue and wacky side characters.

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).

This was such a fun romp. It follows Evie and Max (or Gaston, or Chad, or Not Chad, or Formerly Known as Chad) as they try to survive a zombie horde, let their neighbors know they are in trouble, and how to be in each other's presence. It also introduced a huge cast of supernatural and enhanced human beings that are full of personality.

This book was action packed with each fight with the zombies but was also full of humor. I highlighted several sections and added the note of "Chuckling out loud".

My favorite bits that I still remember include:
• The fight with a burrito as a weapon
• Sabrina the witch - I made a note in my book asking if this was a reference to Sabrina the Teenage Witch before I saw the confirmation a few paragraphs later
• The trolls and their appetites

Spice: 3/5
Fun: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

This book has EVERYTHING!!! Comedy, suspense, romance, sci-fi . I loved it! It had me laughing from the start and kept me on my toes.

Edie was a likable and relatable character. Max was a sunshine masked as a grump. In reality he was a teddy bear . I liked how they complemented each other and their chemistry 🖤
The secondary characters were just perfect.
Looking forward to reading more of the author !

I’ll be honest, zombie romantic comedies are not my usual go-to, but I was curious enough to give this one a try, and I’m glad I did. It was quirky, fast-paced, and definitely entertaining. The humor was offbeat in a good way, and the romance had some genuinely sweet moments (even with all the undead chaos happening in the background).

That said, I didn’t fully connect with the characters or the tone at times; it leaned a little too far into the absurd for my taste. But I can absolutely see the appeal for fans of this genre. It’s creative, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and offers a fun twist on both zombie lore and rom-com tropes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC; it was a fun detour from my usual reads!

“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.” -Ian Malcom, Jurassic Park

After learning about the existence of a Supernatural species, the scientists of Olivia Dade’s world began performing tests on soldiers. Inevitably, something went wrong, the soldiers became zombies, and obviously the zombies escaped. Both humans and Supernaturals had to band together to fight these creatures in what would be known as the Battle of Containment. The remaining zombies were herded back into a compound, where walls, moats, and Zones were erected to keep a breach from occurring again.

Decades after the Battle of Containment, sweet and lovable Edie attempts to save her stoner bro neighbor from a zombie attack…with a burrito. Surprisingly, the burrito at least distracts the zombie from Chad, who ends up saving Edie’s life. Chad takes her to his underneath his home and reveals that not only is he not Chad, but he’s a vampire. Edie has such a good heart, so she decides to alert their neighbors to the dangers of this breach. Although he boasts of his aloofness, Max (aka Not Chad) agrees to go with her on this mission. They find themselves in deep doo-doo, in more than one way.

This one gave me a lot feels, laughs, and tear-jerking moments. If you want a supernatural romcom with a little spice, look no further!

#ThxNetGalley #OliviaDade #Zomromcom

4.25/5 stars

This is the first full length book from Olivia Dade that I've read and it definitely won't be the last. Zomromcom was the perfect blend of Zom and RomCom for me. There was spice, romance and banter while still having a interesting over arcing story that can stand up on it's own with the romance. The only issue was that the dialog between the main characters seemed a bit out of place, but it wasn't that bad.

I was so excited to find out that this is going to be a series! I can't wait to see what happens next.

Thanks so much to Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced copy!

I'm not usually a big zombie fan, but the cover looked so intriguing, that I had to request a copy! And boy am I glad I did!

Edie is a 30-something candle maker whose best defense against a zombie is a limp burrito. When she attempts to save her seemingly frat-boy neighbor from an attack, he reveals himself to be a vampire with a giant bunker. They work together (and catch feelings) as they attempt to stop the next zombie apocalypse.

Edie is such a fun character to follow, and I really enjoyed seeing a character I wouldn't typically see in romance, and has definitely inspired me to read more from Olivia Dade! Zomromcom is perfect for any fans of occult romance!

Romancelandia, I'm not much of a zombie gal but this is Olivia Dade's zombie thing so I shouldn't have doubted. Curvy heroine? ✅ Stern daddy vamp? ✅ I Can't Believe It's Not Falafel? ✅

Also, a pretty thoughtful take on risk vs. safety, & finding joy in dark times. (Plenty of 🔥 too.)

Olivia Dade is an auto-buy author for me and this book seemed right up my alley. It was funny, but there was almost too much banter (like in the third Thor movie when they just tried to squeeze a joke in everywhere).

Most zombie stories are always going to be on the very strange side but I still found that it worked for me. I loved Edie as the FMC, and I didn't expect Max as a vampire to be such a golden retriever.

Overall this was a quick, fun, easy read, and I look forward to more from Olivia.

A whimsical ,enjoyable read full of humor, a little horror and six orgasms. It has all the fun of a post apocalyptic novel; a dirty abandoned mall, a crumbling compound doomed to fall. And a unique spin on zombies. I felt it was a little bogged down by the crew of misfits that are assembled at the end but, it does feel like nessacary world/character building for the next novels.

This book was a weird little delight—and I mean that in the best way. Olivia Dade leans into the absurdity of a zombie romance and somehow makes it mostly work.

The banter is sharp, the satire lands more often than not, and the entire concept feels like a fever dream in the best way. I loved the clever pokes at romance tropes and the idea that love can bloom even when someone’s technically… undead.

That said, a few sections dragged and some of the humor felt a little bit repetitive. I found myself enjoying the setup more than the payoff at times, but I still appreciated how original and unapologetically weird the story was.

If you like your romances a little messy, a little gooey, and entirely unpredictable, this one’s worth sinking your teeth into

It’s quirky, comical, and full of urban fantasy wackiness. It introduces a modern world in which every supernatural creature ever seems to exist, plus humans with special abilities. It’s a lot, with the broad strokes of coexistence, amid cordoned off containment zones, vampire beauty influencers, dubious canned foods, and an interesting (ie cozy) take on government oversight. Basically, this zombie apocalypse may be filled with danger, blood and violence, but it’s also a lot of fun… and chock full of Disney song rewrites. Plus romance! It really is a ZomRomCom.

❤️ Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an eARC of this book ❤️

This review is either going to sell you on this title or have you running away like a zombie is chasing you down Boston Dynamics style.

✨I’m going to keep this as spoiler free as possible✨

Edie, our 38 year old plus size FMC, has been stuck in the same place since the zombies appeared 20 years ago. She’s deep in the grief due to the death of her parents during the first breach and unable to move on with her life. Even though the rest of the world has - despite the theoretical threat of another zombie breach. When she sees her clueless neighbor, Chad, about to be chomped on by an unexpected zombie, Edie springs into action setting off a chain of events she could have never imagined.

The setting is very normal suburbia but make it a little dystopian. At the heart of this book it is a Romantic Comedy set during an off again/on again zombie apocalypse. There is a little bit of political dynamics, but it’s not that kind of book. It’s more like Zombieland x New Girl x Hairspray - except Link Larkin is a hot immortal vampire. You’ll either laugh out loud and love this book or cringe and throw your kindle at a wall. It’s an enthusiastic yes or oh god no.

Why I think you’ll ❤️ ZomRomCom 🧟
If you enjoy millennial humor, the jokes are to die for in this book. The puns, the awkward ill-timed comments, the weird food descriptions, the sex jokes, and THE SONGS! Okay, it’s only one song with fun new lyrics (similarly to what you’d make up to sing to your cat), but it’s perfect and repeated throughout the story. There is a good amount of spice, but not so much it loses the plot. The romance is sweet but a little awkward, teasing, and goofy. Did I mention the ongoing discussion of the macrame boxer briefs and 🍆 entrapment?

Is the writing perfect? No. Is this for those wanting flowy, romantic prose? No. This book is a great palate cleanser for the “I’m here for a good time, not a long time” crowd.

Tropes & Tidbits:
He Falls First
Plus Size FMC - who is 38!!!
End of the World/Dystopian
Not Human x Human Romance
(Sub)Urban Fantasy
Tall, Blonde, & Broody
Millennial Humor
Random Breaking into Song
First In Series

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Olivia Dade's Zom RomCom was a book I genuinely wanted to love. Her characters, particularly the human-vampire duo, had her signature charm and felt well-developed. The witty banter was there. However, the plot, with its zombie outbreak conspiracy and broader paranormal world-building, was just too wacky and convoluted for me - over the top. While I admire Dade's bravery in diving into paranormal romance, this first foray didn't quite stick the landing.

I promise I don’t hate silliness and whimsy, but I need to accept that I don’t like cozy fantasy and stop trying to make them happen. They’re just not gonna happen for me.

I haven’t read any of Olivia Dade’s previous books, so while I was anticipating the “com” in Zomromcom based on the title/cover/blurb, I guess I expected this to be more of a humorous paranormal romance adventure? But despite the zombies, this really does lean more cozy fantasy in tone with the zany details. (the FMC has an Etsy shop selling fancy handmade soaps in a zombie dystopian setting and her neighbor “Chad” is actually not a dude bro or named Chad at all, but secretly a grumpy French vampire AND a fashion/beauty influencer who has been faking his himbo persona for months, all while he builds a luxury bunker underneath his house without her noticing? lol ok if you say so, book.) The premise is fun and the first 20% had promise, but this book is really just all banter and action scenes with very little build up to the romance and long passages of exposition for the thin world-building. I would likely have been more on board and forgiving if I felt invested in the characters and their chemistry, but Edie and Max are into each other right away and I had a hard time staying engaged; I’m just not an instalust/instalove girlie. Most of the humor comes off as OTT quirky and forced—hitting a zombie with a burrito on page one, the Gaston joke was only cute the first time, etc—and wears thin fast.

That being said, the writing is fine and Dade does have jokes (there’s a running gag early on I enjoyed where Edie’s narration is constantly changing her descriptive title of “Chad/Not-Chad”) so I am sure this will land better with other readers. But I prefer my campy fantasy with better character development, a stronger plot, and a slow burn, so it’s a pass for me.

Would I re-read this: No

Who should read this:
cozy fantasy fans
campy unserious instalove enjoyers

Similar books:
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Long Live Evil by Sara Rees Brennan
That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon by Kimberly Lemming
Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley for a copy of the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

The cover and synopsis of the book are fantastic! I also liked seeing the representation in the book. While the book and banter were really fun, the plot felt a little muddled towards the halfway mark, and the characters' falling in love felt pretty sudden to me.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the chance to review this ARC!

I can honestly say that was a wild ride from start to finish, but in a good way. I love a good monster romance, and while this does need a few tweaks in order to get 5 stars I thought it was a great addition to the genre.

Edie is a fun, goofy, absolutely charming FMC. The plus size representation is such a beautiful thing to see. However the Edie being plus size I not a major focal point and was handled with grace. Edie’s heart is the center of her character and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I stayed interested in her character throughout the whole story and wanted to see her happy ending. Max, my grumpy old vampire - you are a strange one. Strange and precious, I just want to squeeze you. May the legacy of your sheepskin thong live on.

The story was wild with so much going on, it was hard to keep up some of the time. I love the twist on zombies and how they were created. I was completely thrown off by the “Supernaturals/enhanced humans” storyline. I was not expecting it, but I thought it was a fun addition to the story! The side characters were lovable and I quite enjoyed them, even as comic relief. I do wish we got more background of them though as they they seem to have more going on that the picture we are provided.

The romance was cute but felt very rushed. To go from never even really speaking with your neighbor, to expressing your love for them a week later was a bit off putting. I mean I get it, Max is a total keeper but the insta love was just a tad much...

Some of the dialogue got a little cheesy and old fast. There’s only so many times I read dude and not cringe. Edie my love clearly Max does not like you singing your rendition of the Gaston song, yet you did- over and over and over.

I rate this 4 stars due to the fun vibes and out there storyline.