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10 Things I Hate About Zombies
LOVE. SMOOTHIES. ZOMBIES?Smoothie shop owner and perpetual student Zoey has always had a thing for brains. So when she meets the brilliant yet quirky mushroom farmer Nick at a farmer’s market, she’s smitten – especially when his rare local truffles turn her smoothies into a viral sensation.
But when customers start showing odd side effects – like shuffling and green skin – Zoey brushes it off, until a unfortunate biting incident leaves her craving brains in a whole new way.
Can Nick and Zoey team up to find an antidote before everything falls apart…literally?
A scarily good rom-com, perfect for fans of The Last of Us, Morbidly Yours, and Netflix’s Love and Monsters!
👫 Opposites attract🔒 Forced proximity❤️ Workplace romance
Readers are loving Hazel Graves' quirky romance!'As soon as I saw the title of this book, I just knew it was for me…this book is a hoot' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NetGalley review
'I could not put it down!' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NetGalley review
'Full of surprises!' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NetGalley review
But when customers start showing odd side effects – like shuffling and green skin – Zoey brushes it off, until a unfortunate biting incident leaves her craving brains in a whole new way.
Can Nick and Zoey team up to find an antidote before everything falls apart…literally?
A scarily good rom-com, perfect for fans of The Last of Us, Morbidly Yours, and Netflix’s Love and Monsters!
👫 Opposites attract🔒 Forced proximity❤️ Workplace romance
Readers are loving Hazel Graves' quirky romance!'As soon as I saw the title of this book, I just knew it was for me…this book is a hoot' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NetGalley review
'I could not put it down!' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NetGalley review
'Full of surprises!' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NetGalley review
368 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 13, 2026
When I think about what kind of a romance story a book about zombie would be a romcom is far from my mind, therefore I was intruiged to try it out. A less harsh, dark and bloody book instead a more funner, sweeter and more romantic kind of story. I liked the premise them setting of a zombie virus with their mushroom infused smoothies. Unfortunately it was to much low stakes for me and the zombies was very underwhelming. I struggled in the middle as it didn't feel like the zombie plot had really kicked of and after a long while they did but it was more mindlessly walking, groaning and biting people. The romance was cute and I enjoyed that and the friendships and side characters but the zombie part of the plot didn't really work for me
October 4, 2026
This was just too many words tbh
October 11, 2026
I only read it because of the zombie concept, but this book broke my personal record for boredom
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
For a book about zombies… where was the zombies? I thought it was going to be a lat of us fanfic but it was just repetitive , boring and weird. I just couldnt enjoy this at all
Thank you for NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review
Thank you for NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2026
Thank you to #NetGalley and the author for my e-ARC of this book! 📖
2.5/5 ⭐️
This book is a quirky comedy romance that features our main characters Zoey and Nick. I want to start with the definite positives of the book.
All the characters had defining characteristics and jobs that set them apart from each other, and the friendships seemed so genuine it was refreshing to read.
The plot of the book is definitely unique! I’ve never read a zombie rom-com before, especially not one that has such a unique cause and cure!
It was fun to read and very cutesy for a romance, and I appreciate maybe it was just not my vibe!
In my personal opinion, the amount of references per page was a bit excessive, and they could definitely be trimmed back as they felt a little like ads and stopped the natural flow of the book.
Additionally, the reliance on Portland being so quirky made it a bit too satirical for me - there’s strengths to the book so no need to rely on so much forced comedy!
My last point, for a zombie romcom there was little zombies until after 60% of the book, but it is a romance first, not an apocalypse story.
This is an enjoyable book and a must read for anyone looking for a quick romance, especially if you love an instant romance! 😁
2.5/5 ⭐️
This book is a quirky comedy romance that features our main characters Zoey and Nick. I want to start with the definite positives of the book.
All the characters had defining characteristics and jobs that set them apart from each other, and the friendships seemed so genuine it was refreshing to read.
The plot of the book is definitely unique! I’ve never read a zombie rom-com before, especially not one that has such a unique cause and cure!
It was fun to read and very cutesy for a romance, and I appreciate maybe it was just not my vibe!
In my personal opinion, the amount of references per page was a bit excessive, and they could definitely be trimmed back as they felt a little like ads and stopped the natural flow of the book.
Additionally, the reliance on Portland being so quirky made it a bit too satirical for me - there’s strengths to the book so no need to rely on so much forced comedy!
My last point, for a zombie romcom there was little zombies until after 60% of the book, but it is a romance first, not an apocalypse story.
This is an enjoyable book and a must read for anyone looking for a quick romance, especially if you love an instant romance! 😁
October 7, 2026
Apparently I am on the search for the perfect zombie themed rom-com because this is the third ARC I have requested with that theme this year. Unfortunately for me, the search for the perfect one still continues.
Judging by the cover and title I was expecting this to be a really cute and maybe even gory time, if you can even lump the two together. But, for a book about zombies this book managed to not have any zombies. Nothing more than the faint chanting of “braaaaains” every so often in the background. The writing and character development also fell flat for me. I found myself just wanting to finish out of obligation as an arc rather than because I was genuinely invested into the story. I did however enjoy the fact that this story takes place in Portland, Oregon and I just so happened to be in Portland during the day I was reading this. That was a fun little bonus.
Judging by the cover and title I was expecting this to be a really cute and maybe even gory time, if you can even lump the two together. But, for a book about zombies this book managed to not have any zombies. Nothing more than the faint chanting of “braaaaains” every so often in the background. The writing and character development also fell flat for me. I found myself just wanting to finish out of obligation as an arc rather than because I was genuinely invested into the story. I did however enjoy the fact that this story takes place in Portland, Oregon and I just so happened to be in Portland during the day I was reading this. That was a fun little bonus.
October 15, 2026
Mixed feelings.
I enjoyed the overall story of this book. There is much to like about a funny, controllable zombie apocalypse. However, what I did not enjoy was such unnecessary foul language. Also has way too much detailed spice. Both of these just ruined the book for me. I almost DNF’d it early on. I will not be reading any more from this series or by this author.
I enjoyed the overall story of this book. There is much to like about a funny, controllable zombie apocalypse. However, what I did not enjoy was such unnecessary foul language. Also has way too much detailed spice. Both of these just ruined the book for me. I almost DNF’d it early on. I will not be reading any more from this series or by this author.
July 24, 2026
Great book for Halloween/autumn, the romance was so good along with the banter between the characters. Would definitely recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! All opinions are my own
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! All opinions are my own
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
**The zombie apocalypse has arrived. Apparently, nobody is particularly worried about it.**
## ✶ PRE-READING ✶
A zombie romcom involving smoothies, mushroom farming and a farmer's market sounded like exactly the sort of ridiculous combination I was willing to give a chance.
I was expecting zombies, romance and probably a little chaos. What I got was considerably more romance than zombies—and honestly, I had a great time with it.
## ✶ POST-READING ✶
**As I thought...** this is much more of a romcom than a zombie story.
Even weeks into the outbreak, people are still debating whether they're actually dealing with zombies or simply a strange new health craze. There are some bites, and a few zombies apparently do buy brains to eat, but there aren't really coordinated attacks or the sense that everyone is about to be overrun.
Nobody seems particularly terrified.
Instead, the focus is firmly on Zoey and Nick: their banter, their increasingly complicated relationship, and the friends surrounding them.
And that works surprisingly well.
I loved the conversations between Zoey and Nick, and the whole friend group has that lovely feeling of people who are genuinely having fun together. The book is much more interested in **who these people are and how they fit together** than in making the zombie apocalypse frightening.
**It surprised me by...** how much I enjoyed the setting.
The story spends a lot of time around outdoor markets, which was an easy win for me, and the Portland setting gives everything a very specific atmosphere. I don't know Portland well enough to judge how accurately it's portrayed, but the descriptions certainly felt like they came from someone who knew the city.
There are also some wonderfully silly touches. Romero the stray cat is obviously named for George A. Romero, and the use of cordyceps mushrooms even gets a *The Last of Us* reference.
The result is less *28 Days Later* and more **“what if the apocalypse happened, but we were still going to the farmers' market and trying to work out whether the cute mushroom farmer likes us?”**
And honestly? I was perfectly happy with that.
If you're looking for a genuinely frightening zombie novel, this probably isn't it. But if you want a fun romantic comedy where the zombie outbreak is essentially an extremely inconvenient backdrop to falling in love, there's a lot to enjoy here.
## ✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦
**Book Recommendation:** *Warm Bodies* by Isaac Marion, for another story that takes the zombie premise somewhere considerably more romantic and surprisingly tender.
**TV or Movie Recommendation:** *Shaun of the Dead*. Not because the stories are particularly similar, but because both understand that you can have zombies, death and an apocalypse happening around you while the characters remain remarkably concerned with their ordinary lives and relationships.
## ✧ VIBE CHECK ✧
**A colour palette:** market-stall red, mushroom brown, leafy green and the bright colours of fresh fruit.
**A soundtrack:** upbeat indie pop, bicycles rattling past and plenty of conversational background noise.
**A season:** late summer, when farmers' markets are overflowing and nobody wants to admit autumn is coming.
**A mood:** flirtatious, funny, chaotic and cheerfully unconcerned about the apocalypse.
**A scent:** fresh coffee, ripe fruit, damp earth and mushrooms.
**A texture:** a canvas market bag stuffed with produce, warm from the afternoon sun.
## ★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★
**The Lovers.**
Not because this is simply a romance, but because The Lovers is about **connection and choice**.
At the heart of *10 Things I Hate About Zombies* is Zoey and Nick finding their way towards each other. The zombie outbreak provides complications, but the story is really interested in the choices they make, the way they communicate, and the people they become when they're together.
Sometimes the world ending is just another reason to work out who you want beside you when it does.
## ✦ THE TRUE QUESTION ✦
**Can you fall in love when the world is falling apart?**
Apparently, yes.
Especially if there's a farmers' market nearby.
## ✶ PRE-READING ✶
A zombie romcom involving smoothies, mushroom farming and a farmer's market sounded like exactly the sort of ridiculous combination I was willing to give a chance.
I was expecting zombies, romance and probably a little chaos. What I got was considerably more romance than zombies—and honestly, I had a great time with it.
## ✶ POST-READING ✶
**As I thought...** this is much more of a romcom than a zombie story.
Even weeks into the outbreak, people are still debating whether they're actually dealing with zombies or simply a strange new health craze. There are some bites, and a few zombies apparently do buy brains to eat, but there aren't really coordinated attacks or the sense that everyone is about to be overrun.
Nobody seems particularly terrified.
Instead, the focus is firmly on Zoey and Nick: their banter, their increasingly complicated relationship, and the friends surrounding them.
And that works surprisingly well.
I loved the conversations between Zoey and Nick, and the whole friend group has that lovely feeling of people who are genuinely having fun together. The book is much more interested in **who these people are and how they fit together** than in making the zombie apocalypse frightening.
**It surprised me by...** how much I enjoyed the setting.
The story spends a lot of time around outdoor markets, which was an easy win for me, and the Portland setting gives everything a very specific atmosphere. I don't know Portland well enough to judge how accurately it's portrayed, but the descriptions certainly felt like they came from someone who knew the city.
There are also some wonderfully silly touches. Romero the stray cat is obviously named for George A. Romero, and the use of cordyceps mushrooms even gets a *The Last of Us* reference.
The result is less *28 Days Later* and more **“what if the apocalypse happened, but we were still going to the farmers' market and trying to work out whether the cute mushroom farmer likes us?”**
And honestly? I was perfectly happy with that.
If you're looking for a genuinely frightening zombie novel, this probably isn't it. But if you want a fun romantic comedy where the zombie outbreak is essentially an extremely inconvenient backdrop to falling in love, there's a lot to enjoy here.
## ✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦
**Book Recommendation:** *Warm Bodies* by Isaac Marion, for another story that takes the zombie premise somewhere considerably more romantic and surprisingly tender.
**TV or Movie Recommendation:** *Shaun of the Dead*. Not because the stories are particularly similar, but because both understand that you can have zombies, death and an apocalypse happening around you while the characters remain remarkably concerned with their ordinary lives and relationships.
## ✧ VIBE CHECK ✧
**A colour palette:** market-stall red, mushroom brown, leafy green and the bright colours of fresh fruit.
**A soundtrack:** upbeat indie pop, bicycles rattling past and plenty of conversational background noise.
**A season:** late summer, when farmers' markets are overflowing and nobody wants to admit autumn is coming.
**A mood:** flirtatious, funny, chaotic and cheerfully unconcerned about the apocalypse.
**A scent:** fresh coffee, ripe fruit, damp earth and mushrooms.
**A texture:** a canvas market bag stuffed with produce, warm from the afternoon sun.
## ★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★
**The Lovers.**
Not because this is simply a romance, but because The Lovers is about **connection and choice**.
At the heart of *10 Things I Hate About Zombies* is Zoey and Nick finding their way towards each other. The zombie outbreak provides complications, but the story is really interested in the choices they make, the way they communicate, and the people they become when they're together.
Sometimes the world ending is just another reason to work out who you want beside you when it does.
## ✦ THE TRUE QUESTION ✦
**Can you fall in love when the world is falling apart?**
Apparently, yes.
Especially if there's a farmers' market nearby.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Somewhere in Portland there is a woman blending mushrooms into smoothies, a man passionately explaining fungi, and absolutely nobody asking the very reasonable question, "Should we maybe test this before we sell it to half the town?" I have never seen an entire community commit so enthusiastically to "drink first, ask questions after."
Zoey owns this adorable smoothie shop and has the exact personality that makes every reckless idea sound completely wholesome. She meets Nick, the local mushroom farmer, and these two start flirting the way only people in a quirky rom-com can. They're bonding over brain-boosting ingredients while I was sitting there thinking, "Please don't accidentally invent a public health emergency." Reader...they accidentally invented a public health emergency.
Nick was honestly my favorite kind of romance hero because this man is out here making mushrooms sound sexy, which should be impossible and yet somehow isn't. He and Zoey are immediately cute together, and I bought into their chemistry long before I bought into literally anything involving orange mushrooms. Every conversation between them felt like watching two golden retrievers accidentally knock over increasingly expensive furniture while falling in love.
The town itself deserves its own reality show. Every single person seems committed to being aggressively quirky at all times, and eventually I stopped questioning it and just accepted that apparently this is a place where smoothie trends spread faster than common sense. Once people start shambling around mumbling about brains, everyone reacts with an amount of optimism that honestly deserves scientific study.
I will say...I was expecting the zombies to show up a little earlier. The title promised me zombies, and for a while I was just hanging out watching two adorable weirdos flirt over produce. It wasn't bad company, but somewhere around the halfway point I found myself checking the cover like, "Just making sure I didn't accidentally open a farmers market romance."
Once the zombie chaos finally kicks in, though, the book completely leans into its own ridiculousness, and that's when I had the most fun. It's never trying to become some gritty apocalypse story. Nobody is giving emotional speeches while covered in blood. These people are just trying to save their town, save their business, and maybe squeeze in a date before somebody loses an arm. Honestly? Respect.
Under all the mushroom jokes and brain cravings, there's something really sweet about watching Zoey and Nick become each other's safe place. The romance never forgets it's the main event, even when half the town is suddenly looking at everyone like they're an all-you-can-eat buffet. Sometimes a book just wants to make you laugh, hand you a smoothie, and reassure you that love can survive deeply questionable business decisions.
I finished this grinning even though I wanted a little more zombie mayhem and a little less waiting around for it to happen. It won't be the book I think about for weeks, but it absolutely felt like spending an afternoon with the weirdest, nicest people you've ever met. A solid 3 stars from me.
Huge thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC. I promise the next time someone offers me an experimental mushroom smoothie, I'm asking at least three follow-up questions before I take a sip.
Zoey owns this adorable smoothie shop and has the exact personality that makes every reckless idea sound completely wholesome. She meets Nick, the local mushroom farmer, and these two start flirting the way only people in a quirky rom-com can. They're bonding over brain-boosting ingredients while I was sitting there thinking, "Please don't accidentally invent a public health emergency." Reader...they accidentally invented a public health emergency.
Nick was honestly my favorite kind of romance hero because this man is out here making mushrooms sound sexy, which should be impossible and yet somehow isn't. He and Zoey are immediately cute together, and I bought into their chemistry long before I bought into literally anything involving orange mushrooms. Every conversation between them felt like watching two golden retrievers accidentally knock over increasingly expensive furniture while falling in love.
The town itself deserves its own reality show. Every single person seems committed to being aggressively quirky at all times, and eventually I stopped questioning it and just accepted that apparently this is a place where smoothie trends spread faster than common sense. Once people start shambling around mumbling about brains, everyone reacts with an amount of optimism that honestly deserves scientific study.
I will say...I was expecting the zombies to show up a little earlier. The title promised me zombies, and for a while I was just hanging out watching two adorable weirdos flirt over produce. It wasn't bad company, but somewhere around the halfway point I found myself checking the cover like, "Just making sure I didn't accidentally open a farmers market romance."
Once the zombie chaos finally kicks in, though, the book completely leans into its own ridiculousness, and that's when I had the most fun. It's never trying to become some gritty apocalypse story. Nobody is giving emotional speeches while covered in blood. These people are just trying to save their town, save their business, and maybe squeeze in a date before somebody loses an arm. Honestly? Respect.
Under all the mushroom jokes and brain cravings, there's something really sweet about watching Zoey and Nick become each other's safe place. The romance never forgets it's the main event, even when half the town is suddenly looking at everyone like they're an all-you-can-eat buffet. Sometimes a book just wants to make you laugh, hand you a smoothie, and reassure you that love can survive deeply questionable business decisions.
I finished this grinning even though I wanted a little more zombie mayhem and a little less waiting around for it to happen. It won't be the book I think about for weeks, but it absolutely felt like spending an afternoon with the weirdest, nicest people you've ever met. A solid 3 stars from me.
Huge thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC. I promise the next time someone offers me an experimental mushroom smoothie, I'm asking at least three follow-up questions before I take a sip.
October 2, 2026
🧟♂️10 Things I Hate About Zombies is basically a cute rom-com that accidentally turns into a zombie apocalypse 🤭 Zoey owns a smoothie shop and meets Nick, a hot af mushroom farmer who is very into fungi. 🍄 He’s got these super rare mushrooms that she starts using in in her smoothies, and they become a huge 🤳🏼viral hit… except it’s not just socially viral, ya feel? 🦠people start getting weird side effects like green skin, shuffling, getting bitey (not in a sexy way) and suddenly being very interested in brains 🧠 👁️_👁️
10 Things Aboot this Book:
🍄I freaking love mushrooms and was literally just on a wee woodland walk in Lithuania taking pictures of freaky mushrooms sending it to my sis like “so Last of Us coded” so I enjoyed that. Downside is I’d have become one of the bloody zombies ☹️
🧡The relationship was kinda weird for me. They were cute together for sure and had good chemistry and banter (flanter?) but it seemed to go from meeting to 👉🏻👈🏻omg I’m here to stay let’s get matching tattoos but we haven’t even shagged yet🥹 - da fuq??
🎭I did like a lot of the humour and the quips buuuuut it did kinda get a little too much - not everything has to be a pop culture reference or made into a witty moment…prolly could have shaved 100 pages off. I didn’t really see the need for it to be based around the 10 Things I Hate About You - I get the chapter headings and stuff but just kinda felt unnecessary.
🧟♀️Love me some zombies but this was well more of a cute Rom-Com and the slow burn part was the bloody zombie action (and not talking about how they walk!). To be fair given the cover I wasn’t expecting horror horror but I did hope it was slightly more darker/gruesome even by 3 degrees 🤭
🧠Brainsssssss lol
💉I did like the cure/vaccine and how that came about, very clever
🥤I actually really don’t like smoothies so the fact this book talked smoothies a lot made me feel nausea (that’s so a me issue)
🐕Cute dog BUT the fact she was called Alice kept throwing me coz forgot it was a dog so when they were talking to/about her I’d sometimes be like… huh??
🔥Not that spicy but there are a couple of open door scenes. Not the most exciting spice I’ve read and prolly could have been more closed door at that point 🤷🏼♀️
🥡Overall it was a fun and easy read, I did enjoy listening to it but found myself frustrated that the zombie shit was so sloooow on the take off and the stakes honestly felt kinda low. I get that denial and the fact zombies aren’t the norm means you’d kid yourself a bit but gahdayum, son, I feel that they should have clicked sooner…. 🫠A lil too cute for me but definitely one to add to your Spooky Season TBR if you’re more into cosy ‘horror’ 🫶🏻
Last point not included in my 10…..
🎙️ Aaaaand if you wanna do it on audio Amelia March done a wonderful job 🎧5/5
10 Things Aboot this Book:
🍄I freaking love mushrooms and was literally just on a wee woodland walk in Lithuania taking pictures of freaky mushrooms sending it to my sis like “so Last of Us coded” so I enjoyed that. Downside is I’d have become one of the bloody zombies ☹️
🧡The relationship was kinda weird for me. They were cute together for sure and had good chemistry and banter (flanter?) but it seemed to go from meeting to 👉🏻👈🏻omg I’m here to stay let’s get matching tattoos but we haven’t even shagged yet🥹 - da fuq??
🎭I did like a lot of the humour and the quips buuuuut it did kinda get a little too much - not everything has to be a pop culture reference or made into a witty moment…prolly could have shaved 100 pages off. I didn’t really see the need for it to be based around the 10 Things I Hate About You - I get the chapter headings and stuff but just kinda felt unnecessary.
🧟♀️Love me some zombies but this was well more of a cute Rom-Com and the slow burn part was the bloody zombie action (and not talking about how they walk!). To be fair given the cover I wasn’t expecting horror horror but I did hope it was slightly more darker/gruesome even by 3 degrees 🤭
🧠Brainsssssss lol
💉I did like the cure/vaccine and how that came about, very clever
🥤I actually really don’t like smoothies so the fact this book talked smoothies a lot made me feel nausea (that’s so a me issue)
🐕Cute dog BUT the fact she was called Alice kept throwing me coz forgot it was a dog so when they were talking to/about her I’d sometimes be like… huh??
🔥Not that spicy but there are a couple of open door scenes. Not the most exciting spice I’ve read and prolly could have been more closed door at that point 🤷🏼♀️
🥡Overall it was a fun and easy read, I did enjoy listening to it but found myself frustrated that the zombie shit was so sloooow on the take off and the stakes honestly felt kinda low. I get that denial and the fact zombies aren’t the norm means you’d kid yourself a bit but gahdayum, son, I feel that they should have clicked sooner…. 🫠A lil too cute for me but definitely one to add to your Spooky Season TBR if you’re more into cosy ‘horror’ 🫶🏻
Last point not included in my 10…..
🎙️ Aaaaand if you wanna do it on audio Amelia March done a wonderful job 🎧5/5
October 12, 2026
1/5 ⭐️’s
Buckle in friends. This one’s a doozy.
I picked this one up when I was at an author talk and signing for, guess what, an amazing zombie romance. I was psyched. I found a new niche I’m obsessed with and its zombie survival romance books.
This was so far from what I wanted. Let’s start with the reason I wanted to read this. The zombies. Where exactly are these zombies? The entire book up until the 65% mark everyone is all “why is everyone acting so strange?” They keep commenting on very current trends in our current world (6/7, etc) and how everyone is just hopping on a trend. When they’re actually ZOMBIES. But everyone refuses to acknowledge that they are actually zombies. Then it’s not until the 80% mark when they start to fully accept these zombies and how to stop them from becoming more zombies. For book about zombies, there wasn’t much about zombies.
Secondly, these zombies were the most basic zombies you could imagine. They’re slightly green toned and they stumble around occasionally giving people a little bite while they repeat “brains” over and over. Like, these guys are the most G rated zombies ever. You can also bring them back to the living, there is no ending the zombies like one would expect from the cover design. I was expecting more survival based on the front cover and we didn’t get any.
Speaking in terms of G rated content, this is an adult romance. It felt very YA to me. Which I love a good YA romance, but not when I’m expecting something else. It also felt like the author took every moment imaginable to insert some sort of corny joke or to insert a current trend happening (as I stated previously). Which just extremely ages a book.
The romance isn’t believable. I understand insta love, but I just didn’t understand why they were together. There wasn’t any chemistry at all.
Lastly, for this being a romance zombie book (two of those words that I’ve already argued weren’t really in the book at all), there was SO many subplots, so many side characters, so much of everything that it felt like both the main characters romance and zombies were an after thought.
I’m disappointed and hope I can find more zombie romances in the future that are my vibe.
Buckle in friends. This one’s a doozy.
I picked this one up when I was at an author talk and signing for, guess what, an amazing zombie romance. I was psyched. I found a new niche I’m obsessed with and its zombie survival romance books.
This was so far from what I wanted. Let’s start with the reason I wanted to read this. The zombies. Where exactly are these zombies? The entire book up until the 65% mark everyone is all “why is everyone acting so strange?” They keep commenting on very current trends in our current world (6/7, etc) and how everyone is just hopping on a trend. When they’re actually ZOMBIES. But everyone refuses to acknowledge that they are actually zombies. Then it’s not until the 80% mark when they start to fully accept these zombies and how to stop them from becoming more zombies. For book about zombies, there wasn’t much about zombies.
Secondly, these zombies were the most basic zombies you could imagine. They’re slightly green toned and they stumble around occasionally giving people a little bite while they repeat “brains” over and over. Like, these guys are the most G rated zombies ever. You can also bring them back to the living, there is no ending the zombies like one would expect from the cover design. I was expecting more survival based on the front cover and we didn’t get any.
Speaking in terms of G rated content, this is an adult romance. It felt very YA to me. Which I love a good YA romance, but not when I’m expecting something else. It also felt like the author took every moment imaginable to insert some sort of corny joke or to insert a current trend happening (as I stated previously). Which just extremely ages a book.
The romance isn’t believable. I understand insta love, but I just didn’t understand why they were together. There wasn’t any chemistry at all.
Lastly, for this being a romance zombie book (two of those words that I’ve already argued weren’t really in the book at all), there was SO many subplots, so many side characters, so much of everything that it felt like both the main characters romance and zombies were an after thought.
I’m disappointed and hope I can find more zombie romances in the future that are my vibe.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rated 4.5/5
Netgalley Review
Get yourselves ready for this light hearted, romantic, Zombie adventure. I would firstly like to thank the Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. It was a Zombie adventure that I won't be forgetting in a hurry!
The author takes us on a journey using a light hearted, humorous writing style and fairly long chapters that allowed us to fully immerse ourselves before moving on to the next part of the story.
Each chapter had a fun title that related back to the main title of the book and gave us a hint as to what we were about to read next.
I particularly enjoyed how each chapter was also labelled with the character whose point of view we were reading from and had an accompanying little sketch of a Zombie hand.
There was a good flow between the chapters, despite hopping from one character's point of view to the other.
There was a good pace to the story, with something always going on to keep the story moving forward well. It was slowed down by the characters initially being in denial that people were being turned into Zombies. As the reader we had guessed what was going on a long time before the characters did, but it was interesting seeing them work it out for themselves.
The characters brought the fun and the romance. I loved how they all worked together to find out what was going on and all helped to solve the problem. There were a range of different personalities that all seemed to mesh well together to make this an interesting read.
Finally the settings. Whilst it was mainly a character focused story, there were some nice descriptions that grounded the story well. The setting of Portland helped to draw the story out, with the characters being in denial about a Zombie apocalypse because apparently people act differently there.
Overall an entertaining Zombie themed romance, perfect for cosy romance fans.
Netgalley Review
Get yourselves ready for this light hearted, romantic, Zombie adventure. I would firstly like to thank the Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. It was a Zombie adventure that I won't be forgetting in a hurry!
The author takes us on a journey using a light hearted, humorous writing style and fairly long chapters that allowed us to fully immerse ourselves before moving on to the next part of the story.
Each chapter had a fun title that related back to the main title of the book and gave us a hint as to what we were about to read next.
I particularly enjoyed how each chapter was also labelled with the character whose point of view we were reading from and had an accompanying little sketch of a Zombie hand.
There was a good flow between the chapters, despite hopping from one character's point of view to the other.
There was a good pace to the story, with something always going on to keep the story moving forward well. It was slowed down by the characters initially being in denial that people were being turned into Zombies. As the reader we had guessed what was going on a long time before the characters did, but it was interesting seeing them work it out for themselves.
The characters brought the fun and the romance. I loved how they all worked together to find out what was going on and all helped to solve the problem. There were a range of different personalities that all seemed to mesh well together to make this an interesting read.
Finally the settings. Whilst it was mainly a character focused story, there were some nice descriptions that grounded the story well. The setting of Portland helped to draw the story out, with the characters being in denial about a Zombie apocalypse because apparently people act differently there.
Overall an entertaining Zombie themed romance, perfect for cosy romance fans.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First thing first- I LOVE this cover.
I went into this SUPER excited and immediately had my excitement shattered when I realized it’s written in 3rd POV (I unfortunately have a dreadful relationship with anything other than 1st). Usually I DNF 3rd POVs, however, the first chapter REALLY intrigued me and I decided to keep going.
This book is so fun and quirky, it’s truly a fun time. It leans romcom first (heavy on the com) and zombies second in regard to the plot. There were many moments when I literally LOL’d, even at the cheesiest of jokes. I did feel like the momentum started to decline and I lost a bit of interest halfway through as I was waiting for the zombie aspect to come to life (lol). I do wish we got more of the zombies sooner in the book but I did like that these zombies weren’t straight out of a horror movie.
My bad relationship with 3rd POV did make this somewhat difficult for me to dive deep into the story but I’m chalking that up to a me issue. I think this is partly why I found it hard to figure out the timeline and how long Zoey and Nick had known each other, especially with the whole matching tattoo situation- why are we getting matching tattoos and we’re not even official?? Or did I miss that?
Aside from that, the biggest thing that didn’t work for me were the TikTok, 67, and Skibidi Toilet references. It really took me out of the story and made me cringe a bit. The mentioning of the penny going out of production also took me out of the story. BUT I did LOVE the anti-AI references lol.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this early!
I went into this SUPER excited and immediately had my excitement shattered when I realized it’s written in 3rd POV (I unfortunately have a dreadful relationship with anything other than 1st). Usually I DNF 3rd POVs, however, the first chapter REALLY intrigued me and I decided to keep going.
This book is so fun and quirky, it’s truly a fun time. It leans romcom first (heavy on the com) and zombies second in regard to the plot. There were many moments when I literally LOL’d, even at the cheesiest of jokes. I did feel like the momentum started to decline and I lost a bit of interest halfway through as I was waiting for the zombie aspect to come to life (lol). I do wish we got more of the zombies sooner in the book but I did like that these zombies weren’t straight out of a horror movie.
My bad relationship with 3rd POV did make this somewhat difficult for me to dive deep into the story but I’m chalking that up to a me issue. I think this is partly why I found it hard to figure out the timeline and how long Zoey and Nick had known each other, especially with the whole matching tattoo situation- why are we getting matching tattoos and we’re not even official?? Or did I miss that?
Aside from that, the biggest thing that didn’t work for me were the TikTok, 67, and Skibidi Toilet references. It really took me out of the story and made me cringe a bit. The mentioning of the penny going out of production also took me out of the story. BUT I did LOVE the anti-AI references lol.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this early!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. The story is dual point of view and set in Portland. Zoey runs a smoothie shop that she took over after her friend/boss Maven passed way. She likes it, but is questioning running the shop and her role in it. Zoey has a meet cute with Nick, a mushroom farmer, at the farmer's market. Zoey buys his mushrooms for her smoothies, and they become a big hit. Zoey reaches out to Nick for more mushrooms and they become friends. As the smoothies become a hit, Zoey and Nick starts to notice the people having some strange side effects. Nick and Zoey continue to date and slowly fall in love. When a lot of people they know fall victim to the zombie side effects, Nick rally Zoey's friends to find a cure and get everybody back to normal. They help cure the zombies, commit to their relationship, start to run the farm together, and get their HEA. Overall, this was an amusing and engaging rom com. I liked Nick and Zoey as they had good chemistry and banter. I also liked Zoey's friends and Nick's family as they provided heart and humor to the story. I wish that the zombie storyline had played a bigger role as they don't really show up until about the 75% mark. Additionally, as someone who likes Portland and its quirky atmosphere, I think the hipster vibes were a little overplayed at times. I am rating this 3.5 stars, but I am rounded up to 4 as it was a good time and easy read.
September 26, 2026
⭐⭐ 3/5 stars ⭐⭐
Right, first things first... Hazel Graves. HAZEL GRAVES. The author's name alone deserves its own paragraph, and honestly it's doing a lot of heavy lifting before I've even opened the book.
So this is iZombie meets a proper rom-com, minus the murder mystery, plus an unreasonable amount of mushroom-based chaos. I already had trust issues with fungi, and this book has cemented them for life. Who knew that was where the apocalypse would come from? Not me, but here we are.
Nick is adorable. Quirky, walking green flag energy, the full package. Zoey, meanwhile, is out here blending smoothies and somehow nearly wiping out an entire state in the process, which... iconic, if a little concerning. The pairing works though; I'll give it that.
The bits that really got me: the twist around who was immune (and why, because the why mattered), the flash mob scenes, and the "brain freeze" that took everyone out. And I cannot, CANNOT, move on without mentioning the cat mayor election. A whole storyline I did not know I needed.
Where it lost me slightly was the pacing... it dipped in places, and the plot felt a bit thin in the middle stretch, like the bonkers premise was doing more work than the actual structure. Still, as far as weird little zombie books go, this one earned its place. Not perfect, but a genuinely fun time.
Thank you Hazel Graves and NetGalley for providing this ARC of 10 Things I Hate About Zombies in exchange for my review.
Right, first things first... Hazel Graves. HAZEL GRAVES. The author's name alone deserves its own paragraph, and honestly it's doing a lot of heavy lifting before I've even opened the book.
So this is iZombie meets a proper rom-com, minus the murder mystery, plus an unreasonable amount of mushroom-based chaos. I already had trust issues with fungi, and this book has cemented them for life. Who knew that was where the apocalypse would come from? Not me, but here we are.
Nick is adorable. Quirky, walking green flag energy, the full package. Zoey, meanwhile, is out here blending smoothies and somehow nearly wiping out an entire state in the process, which... iconic, if a little concerning. The pairing works though; I'll give it that.
The bits that really got me: the twist around who was immune (and why, because the why mattered), the flash mob scenes, and the "brain freeze" that took everyone out. And I cannot, CANNOT, move on without mentioning the cat mayor election. A whole storyline I did not know I needed.
Where it lost me slightly was the pacing... it dipped in places, and the plot felt a bit thin in the middle stretch, like the bonkers premise was doing more work than the actual structure. Still, as far as weird little zombie books go, this one earned its place. Not perfect, but a genuinely fun time.
Thank you Hazel Graves and NetGalley for providing this ARC of 10 Things I Hate About Zombies in exchange for my review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Hazel Graves for letting me read this ARC!
Set in quirky Portland, Oregon where Zoey (owner of a smoothie shop) learns to let herself love again when she meets Nick (sexy lumberjack mushroom farmer) and his best girl, Alice (Australian cattle dog). Pretty slow paced but absolutely full of interesting characters, references, puns, and plenty of camp. Enjoyed the alternating PoV between Zoey and Nick, the colorful cast of hipsters, punks, and all varieties of weirdos (complimentary). There were tons of nods to old horror movies, childrens books (Frog and Toad), as well as lots of modern references. There were so many that I think a lot of them were lost on me, but the ones I did get hit gave me nostalgia in the best way. The dialogue between Nick and Zoey was full of sarcasm, wit, and good hearted teasing.
This is definitely a romance book foremost, and the zombie aspect takes a backseat. The zombie plot doesn't really kick in much at all until the last quarter of the book, but there is a bit foreshadowing here and there throughout. A couple of spicy scenes that aren't very explicit. If you like lots of humor, puns, and lighthearted and quirky reads, then you'll definitely enjoy this.
Set in quirky Portland, Oregon where Zoey (owner of a smoothie shop) learns to let herself love again when she meets Nick (sexy lumberjack mushroom farmer) and his best girl, Alice (Australian cattle dog). Pretty slow paced but absolutely full of interesting characters, references, puns, and plenty of camp. Enjoyed the alternating PoV between Zoey and Nick, the colorful cast of hipsters, punks, and all varieties of weirdos (complimentary). There were tons of nods to old horror movies, childrens books (Frog and Toad), as well as lots of modern references. There were so many that I think a lot of them were lost on me, but the ones I did get hit gave me nostalgia in the best way. The dialogue between Nick and Zoey was full of sarcasm, wit, and good hearted teasing.
This is definitely a romance book foremost, and the zombie aspect takes a backseat. The zombie plot doesn't really kick in much at all until the last quarter of the book, but there is a bit foreshadowing here and there throughout. A couple of spicy scenes that aren't very explicit. If you like lots of humor, puns, and lighthearted and quirky reads, then you'll definitely enjoy this.
June 6, 2026
Thank you to the author and Net Galley for this arc!
Zoey, our FMC, runs a smoothie shop in Portland. While working a festival, she meets cute mushroom farmer, Nick, and commissions him to help her create the best smoothie in Portland. When things start to go haywire and Zoey's customers start turning into zombies, can she and Nick save the day?
I gave this story 3.75 stars. The most refreshing part of this book was the minor details for every character Zoey and Nick come in contact with. We as the reader get a fun little tidbit about said character to make them stand out. Such as, there is a point where Zoey passes someone listening to an audiobook and we are even told which audiobook they're listening to. Each character has a lot of thought put into them, regardless of how minor, and that alone was very refreshing for a romcom. The only detail I didn't care for was the insta-love between Zory and Nick. Their story is sweet and funny, but it was very instantaneous. I'm not expecting a slow burn or a ton of back story with a romcom, but I was hoping for just a little bit more build up between them.
Overall, I really enjoyed this! This book was a great start to summer and I will read more from this author.
Zoey, our FMC, runs a smoothie shop in Portland. While working a festival, she meets cute mushroom farmer, Nick, and commissions him to help her create the best smoothie in Portland. When things start to go haywire and Zoey's customers start turning into zombies, can she and Nick save the day?
I gave this story 3.75 stars. The most refreshing part of this book was the minor details for every character Zoey and Nick come in contact with. We as the reader get a fun little tidbit about said character to make them stand out. Such as, there is a point where Zoey passes someone listening to an audiobook and we are even told which audiobook they're listening to. Each character has a lot of thought put into them, regardless of how minor, and that alone was very refreshing for a romcom. The only detail I didn't care for was the insta-love between Zory and Nick. Their story is sweet and funny, but it was very instantaneous. I'm not expecting a slow burn or a ton of back story with a romcom, but I was hoping for just a little bit more build up between them.
Overall, I really enjoyed this! This book was a great start to summer and I will read more from this author.
June 7, 2026
This book… if you’re looking for a cozy, zombie Rom-Com, this one is for you!! (I know, pretty niche but it’s such a fun book!!)
We start our story with our FMC, Zoey, who recently became the owner of a smoothie shop. What you need to know about Zoey: Zoey has a handful of roommates and recently got out of a bad relationship.
Cue the meet cute where she meets Nick at the farmers market. Nick is a very good looking, lumber jack type, who happens to own a little mushroom farm. Totally sweet right? Nothing bad could happen with this storyline, right?
WRONG!!
Because the mushrooms? They totally turn people into zombies. And Zoey has been serving them up in her new viral smoothie that the whole town has been drinking!
This book is very lighthearted and just slips the pinky toe into the horror genre. If you typically shy away from that, you might still really enjoy this book. It’s not graphic or gory, just good, clean, zombie fun!
Read this book if you like:
-Dual POV
-Partially stolen flowers for courting
-Excellent banter
-Low stakes, cozy, zombie fun
-Recipes for zombie smoothies
-Frog and Toad book references!!!
-Happily ever afters
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the e-ARC!
We start our story with our FMC, Zoey, who recently became the owner of a smoothie shop. What you need to know about Zoey: Zoey has a handful of roommates and recently got out of a bad relationship.
Cue the meet cute where she meets Nick at the farmers market. Nick is a very good looking, lumber jack type, who happens to own a little mushroom farm. Totally sweet right? Nothing bad could happen with this storyline, right?
WRONG!!
Because the mushrooms? They totally turn people into zombies. And Zoey has been serving them up in her new viral smoothie that the whole town has been drinking!
This book is very lighthearted and just slips the pinky toe into the horror genre. If you typically shy away from that, you might still really enjoy this book. It’s not graphic or gory, just good, clean, zombie fun!
Read this book if you like:
-Dual POV
-Partially stolen flowers for courting
-Excellent banter
-Low stakes, cozy, zombie fun
-Recipes for zombie smoothies
-Frog and Toad book references!!!
-Happily ever afters
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the e-ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
10 things I hated about this book:
1. I am halfway through and there are few zombies so far.
2. The author is neglecting to explain what little zombies there are so far, HALFWAY through the book.
3. The author is clearly British, using many British slang terms and spelling. This detracts from the authentic weird Portland vibe of the book, since the main character is not a transplant from England either.
4. Explain the mushrooms.
5. This book is taking too long to make a point.
6. Where are the zombies?
7. Seriously, halfway through the book with zero explanations and few zombies.
8. If you were hoping for your usual zombie faire, this isn't it.
9. The handsomeness of the mushroom guy is getting old. We get it, he's good looking. Stop talking about it ad nauseum.
10. Zoey's roommates need more explanation.
I picked up this book because the cover depicts it as a zombie fighting romance. There is some romance and few zombies. I liked all the quirky Portland stuff the author has come up with, especially the names of some of the fictional stores, but where are the zombies?
I have to give up. I have too much to read waiting for this book to improve.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC
1. I am halfway through and there are few zombies so far.
2. The author is neglecting to explain what little zombies there are so far, HALFWAY through the book.
3. The author is clearly British, using many British slang terms and spelling. This detracts from the authentic weird Portland vibe of the book, since the main character is not a transplant from England either.
4. Explain the mushrooms.
5. This book is taking too long to make a point.
6. Where are the zombies?
7. Seriously, halfway through the book with zero explanations and few zombies.
8. If you were hoping for your usual zombie faire, this isn't it.
9. The handsomeness of the mushroom guy is getting old. We get it, he's good looking. Stop talking about it ad nauseum.
10. Zoey's roommates need more explanation.
I picked up this book because the cover depicts it as a zombie fighting romance. There is some romance and few zombies. I liked all the quirky Portland stuff the author has come up with, especially the names of some of the fictional stores, but where are the zombies?
I have to give up. I have too much to read waiting for this book to improve.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I have read all of Hazel Graves' books thus far, but sadly this one was not my favourite.
Smoothies and mushrooms galore this one reads more like a romance (which is totally fine if that's what you're after) with very little zombie action until right at the end, and even then it felt too easy and a bit rushed to get to the happy ever after.
I loved the throwbacks to previous books, and I liked some of the quirkier residents of the small Portland town, but neither Zoey or Nick particularly shone for me in terms of character growth or any real sense of personality other than happy-go-lucky smoothie shop owner and muscly, attractive mushroom farmer.
The witty banter was there at points as with the author's other books, but this time around I found the main characters to be a bit cheesy and lacklustre overall.
The pacing for me just wasn't there, the zombies took a back step where I was hoping for more horror vibes and some higher stakes.
I am hoping perhaps for vampires to be featuring in the next book and another return for Reba and Gracie would be awesome.
Even though I didn't love this book, I am still very much looking forward to more from this author.
Smoothies and mushrooms galore this one reads more like a romance (which is totally fine if that's what you're after) with very little zombie action until right at the end, and even then it felt too easy and a bit rushed to get to the happy ever after.
I loved the throwbacks to previous books, and I liked some of the quirkier residents of the small Portland town, but neither Zoey or Nick particularly shone for me in terms of character growth or any real sense of personality other than happy-go-lucky smoothie shop owner and muscly, attractive mushroom farmer.
The witty banter was there at points as with the author's other books, but this time around I found the main characters to be a bit cheesy and lacklustre overall.
The pacing for me just wasn't there, the zombies took a back step where I was hoping for more horror vibes and some higher stakes.
I am hoping perhaps for vampires to be featuring in the next book and another return for Reba and Gracie would be awesome.
Even though I didn't love this book, I am still very much looking forward to more from this author.
September 11, 2026
This was a fun mix of romcom with Shaun of the Dead style humour and zombies all mixed together. I had a great time reading this and loved the chemistry between Zoey and Nick who were seriously cute together. Adding Alice (who is the goodest girl) was the icing on the cake for me.
The setting was perfect, a relaxed community vibe with vegan cafes and yoga studios, gorgeous green parks and street markets, it was all described so well that I could picture it exactly. The characters were an eclectic mix but all worked together and really brought the story to life for me.
I loved that Zoey and Nick were slightly heartbroken and wary but weren't bitter. The relationship between the two was lovely, loads of green flags and communication. I adored the banter between the two and it felt like their relationship developed organically.
Now throw in some zombies and it just wrapped the whole book up in a bow for me.
A great cosy spooky season read and one that reinforced everything I've ever thought about mushrooms!
Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for my copy
The setting was perfect, a relaxed community vibe with vegan cafes and yoga studios, gorgeous green parks and street markets, it was all described so well that I could picture it exactly. The characters were an eclectic mix but all worked together and really brought the story to life for me.
I loved that Zoey and Nick were slightly heartbroken and wary but weren't bitter. The relationship between the two was lovely, loads of green flags and communication. I adored the banter between the two and it felt like their relationship developed organically.
Now throw in some zombies and it just wrapped the whole book up in a bow for me.
A great cosy spooky season read and one that reinforced everything I've ever thought about mushrooms!
Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for my copy
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
★★★★☆
I picked up 10 Things I Hate About Zombies expecting a bit of cheesy undead mayhem, and it certainly delivered on that front. Hazel Graves has clearly had a lot of fun with the premise, and thankfully that enjoyment is infectious.
The story is packed with witty observations, amusing characters, and enough zombie-related chaos to keep things moving at a decent pace. There were several moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud, which is no small achievement when most of the cast are trying not to become lunch.
The reason it’s four stars rather than five is that a few sections felt a little predictable, and some of the jokes landed better than others. That said, it’s a thoroughly entertaining read that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is all the better for it.
If you enjoy quirky humour, zombies, and the occasional bit of ridiculousness, this is well worth adding to your reading pile. Just don’t read it whilst eating a snack—you may suddenly find yourself questioning whether brains are really on the menu after all.
I picked up 10 Things I Hate About Zombies expecting a bit of cheesy undead mayhem, and it certainly delivered on that front. Hazel Graves has clearly had a lot of fun with the premise, and thankfully that enjoyment is infectious.
The story is packed with witty observations, amusing characters, and enough zombie-related chaos to keep things moving at a decent pace. There were several moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud, which is no small achievement when most of the cast are trying not to become lunch.
The reason it’s four stars rather than five is that a few sections felt a little predictable, and some of the jokes landed better than others. That said, it’s a thoroughly entertaining read that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is all the better for it.
If you enjoy quirky humour, zombies, and the occasional bit of ridiculousness, this is well worth adding to your reading pile. Just don’t read it whilst eating a snack—you may suddenly find yourself questioning whether brains are really on the menu after all.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5 rounded up
I would rather eat my own eyeballs than drink a mushroom smoothie….
This was a quick, fun read but it was kind of all over the place. I could have really stopped reading after seeing someone named TERIFFANY but I kept going because the idea of a zombie rom com really scratches an itch for me. I just wish this book was more about the zombies or about the rom com. It seemed to try to be talking about everything but. We spend several pages getting a haircut. And even more pages talking about the mushroom smoothie recipes. We’re talking about the FMCs friends and their relationships. This isn’t super long and we spend a good amount of time avoiding the main plot of the story. I could take or leave this one it’s pretty forgettable. If you’re from the area it’s set in maybe this will resonate more with you with all the references but I don’t think it’ll hit for everyone. This just needed a little more focus to be a banger.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I would rather eat my own eyeballs than drink a mushroom smoothie….
This was a quick, fun read but it was kind of all over the place. I could have really stopped reading after seeing someone named TERIFFANY but I kept going because the idea of a zombie rom com really scratches an itch for me. I just wish this book was more about the zombies or about the rom com. It seemed to try to be talking about everything but. We spend several pages getting a haircut. And even more pages talking about the mushroom smoothie recipes. We’re talking about the FMCs friends and their relationships. This isn’t super long and we spend a good amount of time avoiding the main plot of the story. I could take or leave this one it’s pretty forgettable. If you’re from the area it’s set in maybe this will resonate more with you with all the references but I don’t think it’ll hit for everyone. This just needed a little more focus to be a banger.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2026
⭐⭐⭐½☆ | 10 Things I Hate About Zombies — Hazel Graves
This was such a fun, quirky rom-com with a seriously unusual premise! I loved the humour, the ridiculousness of the situation, and the chemistry between Zoey and Nick. Their relationship was definitely my favourite part, and I also really enjoyed the friendships and side characters.
My biggest issue was the pacing. It took quite a while for the zombie outbreak to really get going, and I found myself waiting for the zombie chaos to arrive. Once it finally did, though, I had so much fun with it. I also appreciated that this wasn’t a dark, gruesome zombie story — it leaned much more into the comedy and absurdity.
Overall, it was a light, entertaining read with plenty of laughs, a cute romance and a wonderfully weird premise. I just wanted a little more zombie mayhem and a little less waiting around for it!
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Hazel Graves for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a fun, quirky rom-com with a seriously unusual premise! I loved the humour, the ridiculousness of the situation, and the chemistry between Zoey and Nick. Their relationship was definitely my favourite part, and I also really enjoyed the friendships and side characters.
My biggest issue was the pacing. It took quite a while for the zombie outbreak to really get going, and I found myself waiting for the zombie chaos to arrive. Once it finally did, though, I had so much fun with it. I also appreciated that this wasn’t a dark, gruesome zombie story — it leaned much more into the comedy and absurdity.
Overall, it was a light, entertaining read with plenty of laughs, a cute romance and a wonderfully weird premise. I just wanted a little more zombie mayhem and a little less waiting around for it!
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Hazel Graves for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2026
A super fun, incredibly sweet, banter-filled romance with a side of zombies. Set against a backdrop of an already eccentric Portland, 10 Things I Hate About Zombies follows Zoey and Nick as they meet, fall in love, and maybe save the world from a mushroom-induced zombie apocalypse.
For most of this book, I was a little disappointed in the overall lack of zombies, but as a character reminded me, "this isn't a horror movie. It's a romance." So, you know what, it's fine the way it is! If you want a real zombie-heavy story, this probably isn't it, but if you want a cute rom-com with some very witty banter and a dash of cozy horror, this is the pick!
Highly recommend for fans of rom-coms that want a spooky season themed read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the chance to read this early <3
For most of this book, I was a little disappointed in the overall lack of zombies, but as a character reminded me, "this isn't a horror movie. It's a romance." So, you know what, it's fine the way it is! If you want a real zombie-heavy story, this probably isn't it, but if you want a cute rom-com with some very witty banter and a dash of cozy horror, this is the pick!
Highly recommend for fans of rom-coms that want a spooky season themed read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the chance to read this early <3
May 13, 2026
A smoothie shop owner meets a mushroom farmer at a farmers market. Zoey buys mushrooms from Nick who just recently bought a mushroom farm. Said mushrooms are growing in a certain area if it’s probably that have been struck by lightning not once but twice. These particular mushrooms have certain zombie like side effects and hilarity and Sue. Fun, laugh out loud, romcom with a full cast of characters that I wouldn’t have any trouble picturing in Portland, Oregon. Look should come with a disclaimer that says: No zombies were harmed in the writing of this book.
This is not a dystopian romance. This is a cute take on an impending zombie apocalypse.
This is not a dystopian romance. This is a cute take on an impending zombie apocalypse.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Zoey runs the local smoothie shop in town. A man named Nick moves into town and has an abundant supply of mushrooms. You can throw those into smoothies, right? Except everyone starts acting kind of strange after the menu change.
I don't think I've ever see a book manage to mention somewhat relevant memes from TikTok. It was impressive and cringe at the same time 🤣
This book was insanely fun and I've honestly never read anything like it. I felt like Zoey and Nick had a great connection and I loved watching them try and solve their smoothie problems. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book!
I don't think I've ever see a book manage to mention somewhat relevant memes from TikTok. It was impressive and cringe at the same time 🤣
This book was insanely fun and I've honestly never read anything like it. I felt like Zoey and Nick had a great connection and I loved watching them try and solve their smoothie problems. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a pretty fun and easy to read book. Zoey who runs the smoothie shop in town after inheriting it from a friend who passed away buys some weird mushrooms from Nick, who sells them and the smoothies become a hit when she blends them, but it comes with a catch...turning people into brain-craving zombies. This book was fast-paced, funny, used so many current memes and trends, etc from social media and today's culture...I usually enjoy more serious reads, but I found this to be a great book to relax with, take the edge off of things, and just relax...even found it a bit cozy with the romance and zombies.
September 16, 2026
Alright, so I went in thinking this book was going to be a more romance-heavy version of Zombieland. I was going in expecting a love story in a zombie apocalypse, and pretty much got the exact opposite (sort of). The story was a solid 2.5/5 for me. The entire plot pretty much revolves around hipster, small-business owners finding love in Portland. I am not gonna lie, I have never been to Portland but everything about this book is stereotypically Portland (take that as you will). Overall just incredibly underwhelming (this may be due more to my high expectations rather than any fault with the author).
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