Review: ZomRomCom by Olivia Dade
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).
Recommended for readers who love:
🧛♂️ Paranormal rom-coms
🧟♀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
💀 Found family
🧛♀️ Body-positive heroines
🧠 Absurdist humor with heart
