World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon

Supernatural Entanglements #2

by Olivia Dade

An oracle who can see the future teams up with the far-too-hot demon from her past to avert catastrophe, in this steamy paranormal romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Zomromcom.

Gwen Wexloff might be able to see the future, but not when it matters. Her visions invariably involve piddling issues, which means—unlike most oracles—she’s spent her life predicting for everyday humans instead of international power brokers. After a clutch of brain-slurping zombies escapes from their walled-off compound, though, Gwen experiences the first genuinely world-altering vision of her life . . . and now she needs help.

Unfortunately, that help comes from Hugh Blacke, the same starchy (but annoyingly cute) demon who watched her bomb her oracle verification test years ago. To Gwen's dismay, the two of them will need to work together to unravel the deadly conspiracy behind the zombie breach, despite their complicated past and the secrets they’re keeping.

Even with her newfound power, she couldn't have foreseen how quickly they'd both want more than a simple partnership. But the clock is ticking—and with the fate of humanity at stake, Gwen and Hugh will have to decide how much they’re willing to risk for an unexpected, passionate love...and a future together that might prove very short indeed.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of an illustration of The Containment Zone from the book.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Audiobook, Adult

Audible Audio

First published August 11, 2026

About the 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.

*******

If you want to find me online, here’s where to go!

Website: https://oliviadade.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OliviaWrites
Newsletter: https://go.oliviadade.com/Newsletter

Reviews

[jenny reads a lot]

I am beyond intrigue by the demon peen.

I love a buttoned up rule follower willing to break the rules to protect the ones he loves!

Absurd (complementary), wild, swoony, and an overall great time!

Whats to love...
- demon peen (trust me)
- not his baby
- world ending prophecy
- fat FMC x slender MMC
- found family
- cheese as a side character
- fake dating
- second chance romance (single timeline, missed opportunity first encounter)

I really loved how Gwen (and Hugh) felt about Gwen’s body. Her body is celebrated and the focus is on the positive relationship she has with her body. This is my first book by Olivia Dade but I think she did a fabulous job showing a strong confident fat woman who loves her body, without completely ignoring the real world biases towards fat women.

What might not work for some…
- This book has wildly robust world-building and details, this might work well for some, but for me it was a bit too much detail for a fun romcom style fantasy. I found myself zoning out a bit when the book started to go into heavy detail on the politics and world.
- This is a SILLY GOOFY PUNNY RIDICULOUS time, if you’re not into that kind of humor this might not work for you!

| IG | TikTok |

Thank you Berkley for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[BookishKB]

✨🔮 World’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon 🔮✨

❤️‍🔥🔥 Happy Release Day 🔥❤️‍🔥

This book was absolutely unhinged and I loved every second of it.

I actually ended up loving this one more than book one. The plot felt more fleshed out while still being completely ridiculous in the best way.

I seriously laughed so much while reading this. I can’t wait to listen to the audiobook!

🖤 What to Expect
• Oracle FMC
• Demon MMC
• Forced partnership
• Zombies
• Paranormal romance
• Second chance romance

_ _ _ _

⭐️ Final Score: 5 Stars
📅 Pub Date: August 11, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer)]

Loved it. Cannot wait for the next one.

While the author does a stellar job of bringing readers up to speed and there is a new romantic couple, I one hundred percent recommend reading Zomromcom before beginning the World’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon. The overall arc involving zombies and faction interference, not to mention spoilers regarding the previous couple—just trust me and binge them..lol.

The Supernatural Entanglements series is a blast. We’ve got a dystopian type of world with different parts of the city locked into zones after a horrific zombie uprising. In this world, the Fae, Vampires, Trolls, Demons, Humans, etc are all out after banding together, but some aren’t happy about it.

If you haven’t read Zomromcom, beware of spoilers going forward. After the motley crew of neighbors stopped the zombie breach, they realized they needed to alert the authorities. But who to trust? It looks like someone is trying to set up the demons to take the fall for what happened. it’s decided that Oracle Gwen Wexloff will go into the second sector and ask Demon Hugh Blacke for his assistance.

The tale that unfolded was delicious, suspenseful, and addictive. I loved the backstory regarding Hugh and Gwen, and from their first meeting I was hoping for a happily ever after despite what when down. Both good people and I loved seeing their romance kindle as we worked to figure out who was trying to set up the demons.

If you are looking for a laugh out loud paranormal romance with a bit of mystery, suspense, and fun characters from trolls to vampires, you will want to grab these books.

This review originally published at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Isabella (Belleand_books)]

2.5.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I discuss spoilers for “mysteries” (🙄) in this so please be cautious!

The infantilisation of Gwen should be a character study because what do mean you decided she needed to be cold all the time to juxtapose how hot this demon actually is? Like I (semi) understand that it’s early January in upper Virginia (although nothing besides her telling me that would point to that, no snow on the ground, no comment on how cold and hard the ground is WHEN THEYRE SITTING ON IT, no comment from the neighbors who are outside in the wee morning hours after a fire, nothing. Just her telling me that once) but I got so tired of reading about how cold she was and how she constantly needed him near or a blanket. I was also very annoyed with the idea that she needed a nap after something happened. The story literally progressed like this: event happened, Gwen takes a nap, Gwen wakes up, an event happens, Gwen takes another nap. Girl slept more than my dog does


I don’t know anything about Olivia Dade, but I do know that she’s just writing to write because if she’s so nauseous at 6 weeks pregnant (and assuming she knows she’s pregnant but that’s another story) than she’s definitely not interested in sex. That’s not even “I need an opinion on this” that’s common sense. While I appreciate a pregnant protagonist and someone who loves that baby and mama, I just couldn’t find her character believable in that aspect. I also didn’t find the entire relationship believable because they met one time for like 20 minutes 20 years ago, lived completely separate lives and supposedly still thought of each other but made no contact until it was literally the zombie apocalypse and then boom! they’re having sexy time 24 hours later and trusting each other? I can do a lot of pretending but not on that aspect.

Also, I wish that her new sudden found powers weren’t explained as coming from her. Like I think it would have made the story more intriguing (and explained why she was being hunted!) to say that the fae conspirators were somehow able to send this vision to every oracle so that they could track them (SPOILER: this is literally a thing apparently. The fae said so himself at the 70% mark!! We shoulda just went with it!) and ultimately kill them so they can’t use their powers to warn anyone/ turn the tides of this upcoming war than it was to say “oh actually I’m the most powerful oracle ever and I never knew because I wasn’t taking vitamins before now and no one checked on me because we were poor lol”. Coming from a poor family whose parents also hated the doctors- WE STILL GOT A YEARLY CHECK! Also, the fact that NOT ONE PERSON at that fancy Delphi oracle school noticed that she had a B12 deficiency is wild- she would have been extremely fatigued and had a yellowish skin tone! Like you mean to say that y’all are best private school for oracles but can’t hire a single staff member who recognises that an elementary school student looks like she’s jaundiced? Hello???

I say this a lot in romances but I very desperately needed another POV here. It didn’t have to be Hughe Blacke, Esquire (that’s another thing- he’s referred to like this NUMEROUS times!) but it did need to be someone because Gwen was so dumb and useless.

I also need authors to stop including the Gen Z slang, because it’s very annoying and it dates the story + it takes you out of the book. I cannot, in good faith, believe these people who are running for their lives is saying “no cap” 😂😭

The ending was lacklustre and really goes to show that this book didn’t need 465 pages, and in fact, barely needed 330. There was just stuff that could have been rewritten to not be dragged out as much (HER FUCKING NAPS FOR ONE) and then the book could have been shorter and better paced. I’m not saying these authors are being paid by word count but I’m also not not saying that.

[RootsfortheVillain]

Gwen Wexloff is the world’s okayest oracle. Her visions focus on everyday issues for ordinary people, not grand visions for the wealthiest elites. When zombies escape from their walled-off compound, Gwen has a powerful vision of world destruction, and the only one who can help is Hugh Blacke, the demon who watched her bomb her oracle verification test twenty years ago. The two must work together to uncover who is behind the zombie escape. But as they investigate, old feelings quickly resurface, and Gwen and Hugh must decide what secrets to reveal and how much they are willing to fight for this unexpected love.

This was a hilarious romance. I was a little confused at first because I didn't realize this book was the second in the Supernatural Entanglement series, but the author does a great job summarizing the previous events and quickly gets up to speed. I loved the second-chance romance trope, and the banter between Gwen and Hugh had me laughing throughout this story. Hugh is the perfect demon boyfriend, and I am still curious about the demon anatomy that led to some fun, spicy scenes. The conclusion sets up the next book, and I am excited to see what happens next. I also plan to go back and read Zomromcom before the next book releases.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to review World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Melissa]

This was...ok.
I was quite excited for this book, as I'd had a pretty good (albeit chaotic) time reading the first one. And I was excited to see where this went....but it just fell a bit flat.

I liked the characters- I mostly enjoyed Gwen's character, although her cheese fixation was a bit much and even her random pregnancy felt sort of strange. I also suuuuper like Hugh - he was SUCH a sweet and loveable demon. And the way he cares for Gwen *chef's kiss*

The story itself, though, was kind of dry. There's too much exposition about how this government, underworld, paranormal history has functioned. I get that Dade has made a complicated world here, but we should be shown how it works more than just being told in Gwen's internal thoughts, often....and for long lengths of text...

Otherwise the book wasn't bad, it just wasnt particularly good. I enjoyed the twists and turns, and although the campy comedy didn't land quite as well in this one, I still had fun reading it overall.

[labibliofille]

3.5 stars, rounded down for Goodreads

World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon started off really slow for me and it took me days to get into. I'm a tad sad about it since Zomromcom was such a surprising 5-star read. I loved the relationship cultivated between our two MCs in this one, but the plot itself seemed a bit lacking and convenient. I'm still interested enough to read more in this series, but depending on how the next book goes, I may not read further if it's longer than a trilogy.

[Robin]

2.5⭐️
Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

Another most anticipated release. Another disappointment... I LOVED Zomromcom and couldn't wait for another book in this world. But this just didn't give me any of the things I loved so much about that first book.

Zomromcom was funny and quirky with main characters you couldn't help but root for with fantastic chemistry.

And maybe it was just me and my mood, but this didn't have the same humor, the characters were flat and inconsistent, and the romance was beyond lackluster.

First of all - the pregnancy in this book is a hot mess. Her symptoms make absolutely no sense and only appear for plot or humor relief. I honestly hated it.

Second, these 2 spend approximately 90 seconds in each other's presence before their confessing undying love. It's too much.

And three, both the humor and plot felt short of book 1. I felt like this book was TRYING to be funny. And missed the mark almost every time. And the plot just didn't have the same fun adventure feel.

Overall this book was a big ol disappointment. Which leaves me hesitant to pick up another book in this series....

[Carly Friedman]

I somehow did not realize when I first started this one that it was the sequel to Zomromcom, which I did not enjoy very much. I am really glad that I didn't know it, because I might have missed this fun romp!

It is a continuation of the storyline from Zomromcom, in which Edie and Max join forces with a group of humans and supernaturals to fight a zombie invasion. In this book, oracle Gwen and half-demon High reunite to resolve the continued dangers.

Overall, the book was ridiculous, as you would expect from the summary. BUT I liked the quirky characters, including Gwen's cheese obsession. The pacing was much better than Zomromcom. Such a fun read for the stressful first weeks of school!

[milo]

i don't even know where to begin. this read like complete fanservice, except in the fact that like. fanservice to what? to who? what's the existing fanbase here? it was so clearly trying to be funny in a wink wink inside joke kind of way, but again. inside joke with who??? i felt like i had hallucinated some of it

there was one cheese reference a page and an in universe well respected sexy cheese show about a murder mystery where there was established slang for the act of fucking a wheel of cheese. and so these characters fell in love because they watched that happen together. stop! why! no!

and to not market this as a sequel is just. nowhere in the book itself did it say that it was the second book in a series. what the fuck. this is an exact sequel to the previous book. market it as such, because that would've spared me. and i wish i had been spared. this was 440 pages of the main character being cold and needing a nap. and then they got engaged four days into the relationship. pls

[M. Stevenson]

You can tell Olivia Dade had fun with this--and I had a great time too! There were several scenes that made me snort-laugh. Really fun read all around, without sacrificing emotional depth for kicks.

I'd definitely recommend starting with the first in the series to avoid major spoilers and so the world building makes more sense. I'm looking forward to the next book that the epilogue set up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

[Alecia (aleciareadsitall)]

Thank you Berkley Romance for the free book!

An oracle seeks the help of a demon from her past (literally) to help take down a conspiracy that threatens to destroy the world.

This book was a lot of fun! It was lighthearted and silly. There were lots of ridiculous (complimentary) plot points and funny dialogue. It’s an entertaining paranormal romance romp that I went into without really knowing what to expect and came out of highly amused.

Hugh, our demon political leader, is honestly a dream. His caretaker personality and the way he fiercely protected Gwen were so hot and swoony. I loved him as a mmc, and he stepped up alongside Gwen in a way that had me totally rooting for them as a power couple.

My biggest qualm with Gwen was her obsession with cheese that was an entire personality trait. That was a bit much for me, but I did enjoy her fierce need to protect others and do the right thing even when it would put herself in danger.

Overall, it was fun. It was pretty unserious, but I think it doesn’t try to be anything that it’s not and if you go in with that mindset, you’ll have a great time. There’s a lot to love!

[Case]

I went into World’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon by Olivia Dade with pretty high hopes. I previously enjoyed Spoiler Alert, and paranormal romance is a genre I usually have a lot of fun with. The premise here is creative: an underpowered oracle reconnects with a powerful demon from her past while supernatural chaos starts closing in.

I’ll start by acknowledging that the book is very clearly meant to be silly. The tone is chaotic, quirky, and intentionally over-the-top, with eccentric side characters and a lot of absurd humor. I can absolutely see this working for readers who enjoy that kind of zany fantasy vibe. I haven’t read the first book in the Supernatural Entanglements series, but if that wink-wink, nudge-nudge style worked for fans there, I’m sure it will work again here.

For me, the humor actually overwhelmed the story. Running jokes (especially the constant cheese references) show up so frequently that they started to dominate the page. What might have started as a funny character quirk eventually felt like it was taking up more space than the actual relationship or plot.

I also struggled with the pacing of the exposition. Much of the lore and backstory is delivered through long explanations or characters filling in information for each other, which made the world feel less immersive than it could have been. These choices also made the dialogue and overall pacing feel somewhat clunky. The ideas behind the setting are interesting, but I often found myself wishing they were revealed more organically through the story.

Where the book really lost me, though, was Gwen’s internal narrative. She constantly insists she can’t trust her own judgment and sees herself as incompetent, but her actions throughout the story often show the opposite. She makes difficult decisions, navigates dangerous situations, and even chooses to become a parent knowing she’ll likely be raising her child alone. That’s a huge act of self-reliance. Because of that, the arc about her learning to trust herself never quite landed for me. By the end, the resolution leans heavily on Hugh reassuring her of her worth and I found myself wishing that confidence had come more from Gwen herself.

There’s a lot of creativity in this world and I can see the appeal of the chaotic humor, but for me the tone, exposition, and character arc didn’t quite come together in a satisfying way.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Melissa]

4/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️

Another fun paranormal romance from Olivia Dade! World’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon takes us back to the same wonderfully weird world as Zomromcom, picking up pretty much where that book left off. And yes, we get to see that original ragtag crew again!

The zombies have escaped their containment zones, our heroes have finished dealing with the immediate brain-eating problem, and now there’s a much bigger question: Who let them out?

Enter Gwen, an oracle whose visions have historically ben less than impressive. Twenty years ago, she spectacularly failed her oracle verification exam when her “vision” turned out to basically be the plot of Jurassic Park. The person who failed her? Hugh, the annoyingly attractive demon she hasn’t seen since. They had some serious chemistry before that disastrous exam.

Now Hugh works for the supernatural government organization CIRCE and Gwen has just experienced her first legitimately important, potentially world-changing vision. Unfortunately, the one person who might actually believe her is the same demon responsible for one of the most humiliating moments of her life.

Gwen and Hugh join the original crew (plus a few new additions) to investigate the zombie breach and when Hugh’s involvement in the investigation becomes public, Gwen suddenly risks having her past epic failure dragged up all over again. His solution? Obviously, pretend she’s his girlfriend. And move her into his apartment to really sell it.

You can probably guess how long those paper-thin boundaries last.

Their old chemistry comes roaring back pretty quickly, and I really enjoyed Hugh. Underneath the starchy demon exterior, he falls into taking care of Gwen with very little hesitation. To include the fact that Gwen is pregnant with her loser ex’s baby. The ex is completely out of the picture and Hugh basically assumes Baby Daddy Duties before anyone has time to question it.

The pregnancy was probably the weakest part of the story for me. It does eventually play a role in explaining how Gwen comes into her powers, but otherwise it felt somewhat superfluous. I’m not sure the story actually needed it. Especially if you’re going to keep using magic spells to get rid of all the side effects of pregnancy.

HOWEVER. In this trope’s defense, the prologue establishes that demons immediately recognize their “other half,” and it certainly seems to imply that Hugh knew Gwen was his when they first met twenty years ago. Which changes the whole dynamic for me. If this man has known from Day One that Gwen is his person, why on earth would another man’s baby get in the way of that? Hugh basically said, “Okay, guess we’re having a baby,” and carried on. 😂

Overall, this was another funny, steamy, delightfully ridiculous paranormal romance from Olivia Dade. I loved returning to the Zomromcom world, seeing familiar characters, adding some new weirdos to the group and watching Gwen and Hugh finally get the the chance they should have had twenty years ago. I’m definitely on board for more books in this universe.

Thanks to Olivia and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Stacee]

i really enjoyed the previous book in this series and after the set up for gwen’s story, i was eager to get to it.

i loved gwen. she’s soft and friendly without giving up on herself. she sees worth in community and fostering support and it was fantastic to read that at this time in the world. hugh is all crunchy exterior and gooey marshmallow inside and i couldn't’ get enough of his freaking out over gwen’s safety. added bonus: seeing all of the characters from the previous book.

plot wise, it’s good. there are several moving pieces, but still firmly gwen’s story. the conflict is a slow ramping up that has a delightful twist and satisfying conclusion. and i will say the “court” scene with death could be my favorite.

overall, this was a quick read with characters who were so easy to root for. i can’t wait for the next pairing.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

[Katrina (at)FlirtingWithFiction]

Full review to come! This was a lot of fun. Olivia Dade is shameless and I love her so much for it. While the story dragged a bit for me, the characters, humor, and overall thoughtfulness of the plot kept me engaged.

[whatmarissareads]

🪄“His name was Hugh Blacke. He was now her fake demon boyfriend, and she was far too likely to fall for him when she really, really shouldn’t. In short, she was screwed. Not in the fun way either.”

3.75⭐️ 2🌶️

This book was so much fun!!!
Literally had a blast reading it

My only gripe is I really wish I had read book 1 beforehand… I didn’t realize so much of the storyline was interconnected and it took me a minute to fully engage with what was happening but then I WAS IN IT!!!

What I loved so much about this story is that Gwen isn’t your “average hero” that we usually see in romantasy books. Like usually our heroes are out there beating up the bad guys but Gwen is her own kind of hero in a way that matters just as much!!!

She’s kind. She’s caring. She looks out for the people that society has deemed “less than” 🫂

I really appreciated that her powers weren’t so abrasive or destructive. There was something so beautiful about watching her use her kindness and compassion as a strength, and seeing that be JUST as powerful 🔥

I also loved this world!!! Demons and witches and vampires and zombies like this world has it all!!!

Also Hugh (the MMC) is just a giant walking green flag 🥹 I love him so much!!! The way he takes care of Gwen OH MY HEART ❤️ he sees her and loves her exactly as she is. Gwen really doesn’t see the value in herself but Hugh isn’t afraid to step in and show her exactly the kind of person she is and how lucky he is to be with her. ITS THE SWEETEST!!!!

Again, I just really enjoyed this story!
It was LOL funny with the perfect mixture of plot, spice, romance, adventure. I am very much looking forward to the next book and plan on going back to read book 1!

💕You will enjoy this if you are into:
🪄 demon x oracle
🪄 fake dating
🪄 LOL funny moments
🪄 insta love
🪄 apocalyptic events
🪄 oracles and vampires & demons OH MY 🤣
🪄 the biggest green flag MMC 💚💚💚
🪄 a FMC who discovers her kindness is actually her greatest strength

[Morgan McWethy]

Surprisingly cozy moments in this book, despite the zombies..

I loved the vibe between Gwen and Hugh, and Hugh's devotion to her throughout the book. I also liked seeing Gwen's growth and finding herself as a person.

I will say, I started this book thinking it was a standalone. However, since I had not previously read Zombie Rom-Com, some of the politics and backstory was a little overwhelming. I definitely recommend reading that book first before this one.

[Lisa Mandina]

I enjoyed the first book in this series well enough that when I saw this one pop up I requested it right away. And once again it was a fun and pretty original romp of a paranormal romance. There were a few moments when I though oh no, how will they get out of this? But as with any romance, there has to be an HEA, so they were able to of course.

As with the first book, the sense of humor in the banter and the way the characters own thoughts appear to us kept me giggling throughout the story. I also have to say as a very big cheese lover myself, that I loved all the cheese parts of the story, I totally got Gwen on that. Although the cheese tv series? That sounded a little bit too weird for me. But it was still funny to hear the recaps of what was happening on the show. I loved how Gwen’s oracle powers seemed to have a reason for being just “okay” up until the events of the story. And Hugh was a total book boyfriend, even if he was a demon. It just sucks how their first meeting went. But hilarious that she chose to make up a prediction based on the plotline to Jurassic Park. I also love that the characters are older.

This whole world is very interesting, and it was fun spending time with Edie and Max from book 1. At the end we get a chapter setting us up for the next book in the series, and I had wondered if these crazy troll creatures might be a part of it, and so I’m thrilled about that!

There were a few points I felt it might be a little slow, but nothing that kept me from going. The steamy bits are very steamy, especially as you consider the differences in anatomy of a demon as created by the author. And of course I wish it wasn’t 3rd person POV as once in a while it does mess with my getting into the story.

If you enjoy fun paranormal rom-coms, with some steam of course, this might be the series for you!

[| Read With Me Sis Nicol]

Thank you Berkeley for this early copy! This was a demon/oracle romance where they’re surviving the apocalypse but more importantly this book was FUNNY. Like belly laughing and giggling funny. First of all she faked a vision by reciting the plot to Jurassic park HAHAH it’s as second romance paranormal romantic comedy. An oracle sees a world ending vision and has to team up with a demon she thinks hates her from an interaction 20 years ago.

3.5 stars, I knocked for a few reasons. The story got a little confusing because of how much info is packed in here with the world. I also felt like this either could have been 50 pages shorter but also a whole book longer. I felt like the world and backstories were so interesting that this could have been a duet but a lot of internal monologue also kinda dragged some scenes out and lost me.

[Maria]

I really love this series (and everything Olivia writes) and Gwen and Hugh are stupidly sweet together. I love an accidental pregnancy, and this particular flavor where the romance isn't with the father is top tier. The lore of this world is interesting and I love seeing how familiar fantasy races are given dimension and twists in Olivia's brain.

That said, this was a little plot heavy and a little whimsy light. And there were no zombies. Which I get, I read the first book, but I wanted more ridiculousness and a bit less kidnapping? But anyway, still very good and I'm soooo interested in getting more troll content in the next book. Those guys are fascinating.

[Casey Pond]

I had issues with connecting with the characters until about 80% of the book. The last quarter of the book was great!

[thebookish.dragon]

Ok I am obsessed with this series 😂 I can’t believe KIP THE TROLL is going to be the MMC for book 3??? I can’t wait lol

[Josie]

came so close to DNFing this is just too millennial for me

[Katie.the.reader]

This is the silliest, goofiest time I’ve had in ages. If you’re looking for a romcom with all kinds of magical beings, this is it.

Gwen is a newly-pregnant and longtime-mid oracle who has somehow found herself in the middle of a zombie outbreak conspiracy that goes right to the top. The only demon she can turn to is the extremely hot one who watched her fail - in the most humiliating way - at her oracle exam.

I am SUCH a sucker for a second chance romance and the yearning and tension between Gwen and Hugh FED ME WELL.

I also love the way Dade wove representation into this, it wasn’t tokenistic and so wonderfully refreshing. I mean to even have a pregnant FMC is a big deal, but to have a pregnant FMC whose plot and character doesn’t revolve around her baby???? Unheard of. Magnificent. Who knew women were independent being regardless of their motherhood status.

[Natalie]

I had so much fun with Zomromcom last year that I knew immediately I'd be waiting all year for the next release in the Supernatural Entanglements series by Olivia Dade! And despite what the 3-star rating might signal to you, yes I am looking forward to book 3 (especially after that epilogue) and do plan to read it!

The beginning of this one started strong for me. I was impressed with how subtly Dade cues you back into this supernatural world, and reminds us of what happened at the end of the previous book (or maybe I'm just impressed with myself for remembering haha). The writing style is just as fun, Gwen is just a girl who loves cheese, Hugh is just a down bad demon, what else could you possibly want?

Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to! Dade does such a great job writing this condensed timeline (it was very Kate Clayborn The Paris Match-esque in a way), however I am very anti-instalove, so once I realized we weren't really getting much further beyond 2 days, I started to waffle on the believability of the romance. Especially since their first encounter, while strong, occurred 20 years ago and was maybe 20 minutes long, so it's not like we were already building on a strong foundation. To add to that, for as often as Gwen describes what happened after that first-chance meeting as one of the most humiliating of her life, she is not angry with his role in it at all! Which actually works perfectly for her character; however, if it were me, I'd have made him grovel a little more!

Their characters were incredibly well-rendered, so even though I wouldn't have behaved the same way at all (and Hugh seemed a little too perfect, if I'm griping), I rooted for them and am so glad they got their happily ever after in the apocalyptic world. Unfortunately, between the above and the fact that we go to the underworld (??)—I'm just a girl who can only suspend so much disbelief.

[Anna]

Cheese loving trolls! Zombies on the loose! World ending prophesies! A struggling oracle with a big secret! A demon with a heart! Readers will find all of that and more in Olivia Dade’s second installment in the Supernatural Entaglements series and it’s a wild ride.

This paranormal romance reunites a low level oracle with the demon who witnessed the most humiliating moment of her life two decades ago. Gwen Wexloff is not a successful oracle by anyone’s standards, so no one is more surprised than her when she sees a potentially world altering vision featuring zombies intent on wiping out all human life. The only one she can think of to turn to for help is the insanely powerful demon, Hugh Blacke. This unlikely pair will need to work together to prevent the end of humanity as we know it.

I’m not sure I recognize myself because this is the third book I’ve read in the past few weeks featuring paranormal creatures, epic quests, and cross species romance. Dade gives the reader tenderness and spice amid ferocious battles and impending doom. She weaves in suspense and humor, plenty of steam and a big helping of found family. It’s a combination that works.

Joy Nash is the sole narrator and she absolutely nails it with distinct voices for the wide array of characters. I was especially charmed by the sections featuring the voracious trolls. Trust me.

This book can be read as a standalone. Reading the first book will provide some background on the world building, but it’s possible to enjoy the series by jumping right into book two. You can bet I’m looking forward to the next book that was teased at the end.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for the gifted advance copies. All opinions are my own.

[just.one.more.paige]

This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.

Y'all, I absolute loved the first book in this little paranormal romance series, Zomromcom, when I read it last year. So, I was hype to receive an early copy of this next book from NetGalley (thanks to the publisher, Berkley). All the opinions, which are quite positive, are my own!

Dade brings it again, from the start and with aplomb, as far as the lighthearted and irreverent humor. The last one had it in spades (the plays on Beauty and the Beast's Gaston's song lyrics remains a favorite running "joke" of any book I've ever read)...and I'm so here for the cheese-related puns and references that are the running joke in this second book. (Do the cheese-involved sexuals in the in-world tv series Curdled go too far? Perhaps. But I shan’t hold it against the actual world being built on page. Everybody is allowed their kinks. Haha.) Also, the sheer number of snacks/foods name-dropped as they magically appear for the trolls, Lorraine and Kip, to eat is truly my favorite thing. Literally so much fun.

Alright, plot-wise, this takes what we got from the first book and definitely expands the world and the story. There was drama and adventure as this group looks further into the culprits behind the zombie breakout from book one, and attempts to build a team of allies with some actual power, in order to prevent the apocalypse that Gwen's visions of the future keep showing her. It was well-paced and interesting, with some solid twists and plenty of excitement. As per usual with series like this as well, I always enjoy seeing the small roles from characters who were previously the focal ones - that continuity and those cameos are always a very fun piece of these interconnected romances.

And as the plot developed, so did our characters. While Gwen and Hugh were a great pair (more of that later), the individual development for them was definitely focused on Gwen, which makes sense, as she was our narrator. I really liked her arc, a gorgeous coming into one’s own confidence, as she realizes that the difference she makes small scale, helping and improving the lives of the people you love and who surround you as community, is just as great (if not more so) as doing something large and universally world-changing. The small actions and gestures save the world by preserving and enhancing our shared humanity, and learning to understand and *believe* that, against the messages the world gives, is heart-filling. Also, the idea of judging yourself by the standards of your friends and neighbors, not those of the privileged and powerful, is an important one that we should really all work on internalizing. Tangentially related to that, I appreciated the unexpected and fantastically-woven-in commentary on the immeasurable limitations on people’s potential when they lack access to basic healthcare, etc. due to societally inflicted low economics/income. The effects of those limitations are not always obvious, as we see here, but the ramifications of that lack of access can be so huge! Although in this case, that commentary is super well balanced with the way that even with those unintended/unknown limitations, people are still incredibly helpful to and important in their communities. Hat tip to that point, alongside the way it proves yet again that these [class] differences are completely fabricated by those in power attempting to limit anyone else from reaching where they have found themselves.

As promised, Gwen and Hugh. First, a literary romance Hugh? Be still my I-have-a-real-life-romance-Hugh heart. Their super subtle mate thing (from Hugh's side), and slower burn high-yearning vibes, from both sides, is fantastic. Though in the book, since you could perhaps characterize this as a second chance romance, the delivery of the spice comes pretty quickly post-reunion, and it was great. Solid paranormal aspects, as far as Hugh's demon appendages and heat-spreading capacities, and generally lovely (and not at all cringy) traditional spice-scene writing. I thought Gwen and Hugh were a spectacular and well-written match for each other. Absolutely an opposites attract situation, where they both help each other see their own worth/hidden talents, and come out from behind their respective walls (whether emotional or self-doubt), in a way that made me feel all fuzzy and happy inside.

With a title like World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon, a reader expects a certain level of humor and irreverence, which Dade delivers. And we're also given an adventure-filled plot and a cozy and spicy romance. The best of all worlds. Exactly the sequel to Zomromcom that I hoped it would be. I can't wait for (the clearly set up) next book!

“And at his age, he should already know that rules and justice didn’t always demand the same actions or work toward the same outcome.”

“That said, feelings aren’t consent, and not all desire is welcome or voluntary. […] …your emotions cannot and do not offer me any additional physical or emotional rights.”

“I’ll go out with love, in love – and fighting all the way down.”

“She’d made the lives of those in her community a little better every day for decades, exactly as he’d told her. And that wasn’t nothing, was it? Didn’t their live have meaning? If so, didn’t her life have meaning… […] …why was she still judging herself by the standards of the most privileged and powerful rather than her friends and neighbors?”

“She knew how to make genuine friends out of strangers, especially when those strangers were also her neighbors. She knew how people in difficult circumstances could form informal partnerships to stay alive and protect the vulnerable. And she certainly knew how to scrape for survival, powered by determination and community instead of inborn talent.”

“…some people were rule followers, either by nature or by training. Others weren’t. Her main conclusion? One category wasn’t necessarily better than the other, as long as the people in question were following or breaking the right rules for the right reasons…”

“Do you love me, Hugh?” / “Yes.” Immediate. Unequivocal. / “Like darkness loves a spark. In your absence, more than I can bear.”

“Easy-peasy, melted cheesy."

[Anna]

3.5 stars

I don't think that these are my favorite Olivia Dade books. This one is better than the first one in the series but I had a lot of the same issues throughout the book. My main one being there's just no world building or explanation whatsoever. None. It's like she thought about all these different things and just shoved them into one thing and assumed everybody could read her mind on people's powers and the history and things. I really feel like this series needs a prequel that explains the dynamics better because a lot of this book is just confusing which is a real shame.

I did like the main character and the love interest enough. The MC is pregnant at the beginning of this book which is a unique dynamic for a romance book.

This book starts slow and then there's a section of it where everything moves so fast you have a hard time keeping up and then it ends. I did take a break and then I started it again.

Ultimately it's not bad it's just almost disappointing when I know the caliber that Olivia Dade can write and that this just isn't it.

[Taylor Reads Chaos]

I’m a huge fan of Zomromcom, so I already really love this world and the overall concept. That said, something about this book just felt a little off for me.

I think the biggest issue was the romance between Hugh and Gwen. I really liked both of them as characters, but their connection became so deep so quickly that I never fully bought into it. It felt like we were missing some of the buildup that would have made their relationship hit harder.

I was still interested in the plot, but even that felt like it was missing something. Maybe I just didn’t love the direction the zombie invasion storyline from book one ended up taking here.

Overall, it was still a decent read, and I enjoyed being back in this world, but it definitely didn’t live up to my expectations. Zomromcom was much stronger for me.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for providing me with an e-book copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. 💖