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Doomsdate
Win a free print copy of this book!
16 days and 07:06:22
50 copies available
U.S. only
When a first date between a doomsday prepper and a nerdy film professor goes horribly, zombie-apocalypse-level wrong, the mismatched pair team up on a road trip to safety in this delightfully feral rom-com.
With a new virus spreading and a lockdown on the horizon, Maisie Bennett is determined to check one item off her bucket list: Get laid. But that’s no easy feat for an anxious doomsday prepper who’s never made it past a first date. So when a handsome, stubbly-jawed professor swipes right and agrees to meet up, Maisie vows to act normal—and to leave her taser at home.
Dr. Everett Greer has lost all lust for life after a personal tragedy, but he doesn’t have the heart to stand up the poor woman his best friend catfished to force him back “out there.” Maisie turns out to be surprisingly lovely, but there's something off about her, too, with her clinking cargo pockets, shy smile, and utility belt full of—are those weapons? Unfortunately, their awkward first date goes from bad to doomed when the GI virus that’s trapped half of America in the bathroom starts claiming its first casualties, then reanimates them into flesh-eating zombies. And this is precisely why Everett doesn't date anymore.
As the country spins out of control, Maisie and Everett find themselves an unlikely team of two—well, three, if you count Everett’s cat, Chicken—as they travel north to hopeful safety. Along the way, Maisie and Everett make a deal: she’ll teach the soft, liberal arts professor how to survive, and he’ll teach her how to live—through movies, travel, and, to Maisie’s delight, sex lessons. But when their growing feelings are put to the test, they’re in danger of losing not only their brains to the zombies, but worse, their hearts to each other.
With a new virus spreading and a lockdown on the horizon, Maisie Bennett is determined to check one item off her bucket list: Get laid. But that’s no easy feat for an anxious doomsday prepper who’s never made it past a first date. So when a handsome, stubbly-jawed professor swipes right and agrees to meet up, Maisie vows to act normal—and to leave her taser at home.
Dr. Everett Greer has lost all lust for life after a personal tragedy, but he doesn’t have the heart to stand up the poor woman his best friend catfished to force him back “out there.” Maisie turns out to be surprisingly lovely, but there's something off about her, too, with her clinking cargo pockets, shy smile, and utility belt full of—are those weapons? Unfortunately, their awkward first date goes from bad to doomed when the GI virus that’s trapped half of America in the bathroom starts claiming its first casualties, then reanimates them into flesh-eating zombies. And this is precisely why Everett doesn't date anymore.
As the country spins out of control, Maisie and Everett find themselves an unlikely team of two—well, three, if you count Everett’s cat, Chicken—as they travel north to hopeful safety. Along the way, Maisie and Everett make a deal: she’ll teach the soft, liberal arts professor how to survive, and he’ll teach her how to live—through movies, travel, and, to Maisie’s delight, sex lessons. But when their growing feelings are put to the test, they’re in danger of losing not only their brains to the zombies, but worse, their hearts to each other.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2026
About the author
Laura Piper Lee
4 books613 followersLaura Piper Lee writes lots of things--desperate pleas to her partner for emergency caffeine, to-do lists that never get done, impassioned texts on her favorite supplements (it's Berberine, look it up)--but she only gets paid to write adult romantic comedies featuring characters as hapless as she is.
Add her newest book, Zoe Brennan, First Crush to your want-to-reads shelf if you love steamy, sapphic romcoms with professorial butch love interests, power play, and lots of wine!
Things you'll find in Zoe Brennan:
*A lot of on-page spice,
*a sexy, bossy butch love interest,
*a LOT of jokes, and
*a perpetually single lesbian in a small queer mountain town who's married to her vineyard because relationships are scary.
Add Laura's debut Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair to your to-reads shelf, or hell, if you want to be a hero, buy it even!
Things you'll find in Hannah Tate:
*on-page spice
*a hot Golden Retriever boyfriend (he even lives in a treehouse y'all)
*a LOT of jokes, and
* a single mom who's trying to build her whole life from the ground up with two leaky breasts and an infant strapped to her front.
Add her newest book, Zoe Brennan, First Crush to your want-to-reads shelf if you love steamy, sapphic romcoms with professorial butch love interests, power play, and lots of wine!
Things you'll find in Zoe Brennan:
*A lot of on-page spice,
*a sexy, bossy butch love interest,
*a LOT of jokes, and
*a perpetually single lesbian in a small queer mountain town who's married to her vineyard because relationships are scary.
Add Laura's debut Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair to your to-reads shelf, or hell, if you want to be a hero, buy it even!
Things you'll find in Hannah Tate:
*on-page spice
*a hot Golden Retriever boyfriend (he even lives in a treehouse y'all)
*a LOT of jokes, and
* a single mom who's trying to build her whole life from the ground up with two leaky breasts and an infant strapped to her front.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 826 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
is there anything better than a nerdy completely pathetic, utterly down bad mmc with an absolutely fifthly mouth?!
Pair it with laugh out loud funny adventures during a zombie apocalypse, emotional depth for dayssss, + sex lessons.
I'm so utterly in love with this book.
Doomsdate is impossible to put down.
It is action-packed. Laugh out loud funny. The perfectly pathetic (complimentary) cat dad MMC. The absolute baddie FMC. The way they learn to live & love during a literal zombie apocalypse. The found family. The heart-break. The healing. The absolute bonkers (again, complimentary) concept. The sex lessons!!!!
This is such an unbelievably fun book, with a ton of emotional depth, and if it isn’t on your tbr yet, what tf are you waiting for.
I’m planning to reread the MOMENT I have access to the audiobook, at which point I may come back and add even more praise to this review, but for now this will have to do.
READ THIS BOOK!
While you’re waiting for its release please, please go read Pot Shot, another absolute banger by Laura Piper Lee!
5⭐️ | IG | TikTok |
Thank you Dell & the author for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
Pair it with laugh out loud funny adventures during a zombie apocalypse, emotional depth for dayssss, + sex lessons.
I'm so utterly in love with this book.
Doomsdate is impossible to put down.
It is action-packed. Laugh out loud funny. The perfectly pathetic (complimentary) cat dad MMC. The absolute baddie FMC. The way they learn to live & love during a literal zombie apocalypse. The found family. The heart-break. The healing. The absolute bonkers (again, complimentary) concept. The sex lessons!!!!
This is such an unbelievably fun book, with a ton of emotional depth, and if it isn’t on your tbr yet, what tf are you waiting for.
I’m planning to reread the MOMENT I have access to the audiobook, at which point I may come back and add even more praise to this review, but for now this will have to do.
READ THIS BOOK!
While you’re waiting for its release please, please go read Pot Shot, another absolute banger by Laura Piper Lee!
5⭐️ | IG | TikTok |
Thank you Dell & the author for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
Did Not Finish
June 20, 2026DNF 60% What a strange experience.
This book starts off so strong. We have Piper, a doomsday prepper who really, really wants to get laid, and her target is a sweet guy named Everett. Unfortunately, her only reference material for how to flirt is reality TV. As if that wasn’t awkward enough, a zombie apocalypse kicks off right as they're wrapping up dinner.
As far as first chapters go, this was great. I immediately loved how flawed and relatable these characters were. But they also walked a really fine line between being totally adorable and completely cringe.
For a while, I was 100% team ‘adorable’. But then the romance completely hogged the apocalypse and that’s where it lost me.
It started to feel like they were just going on casual dates while the apocalypse was happening in the background. The sexual tension led to some funny zombie encounters at first, but it also became repetitive and eye roll inducing. I wanted to love the deeper moments where they worked through their insecurities, but there was just so much boring filler and so. much. lust! Ughh
I ended up skimming the romance and getting completely annoyed by the characters, so I thought it was best to DNF.
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: an anxious doomsday prepper and a grieving hottie professor VS. a zombie apocalypse. i am sat 👀
⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the arc!
This book starts off so strong. We have Piper, a doomsday prepper who really, really wants to get laid, and her target is a sweet guy named Everett. Unfortunately, her only reference material for how to flirt is reality TV. As if that wasn’t awkward enough, a zombie apocalypse kicks off right as they're wrapping up dinner.
As far as first chapters go, this was great. I immediately loved how flawed and relatable these characters were. But they also walked a really fine line between being totally adorable and completely cringe.
For a while, I was 100% team ‘adorable’. But then the romance completely hogged the apocalypse and that’s where it lost me.
It started to feel like they were just going on casual dates while the apocalypse was happening in the background. The sexual tension led to some funny zombie encounters at first, but it also became repetitive and eye roll inducing. I wanted to love the deeper moments where they worked through their insecurities, but there was just so much boring filler and so. much. lust! Ughh
I ended up skimming the romance and getting completely annoyed by the characters, so I thought it was best to DNF.
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: an anxious doomsday prepper and a grieving hottie professor VS. a zombie apocalypse. i am sat 👀
⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4 Zombie Ridden Stars!
Dating is tough! Toss in Pandemic 2.0 times a thousand, and the odds of a successful connection dwindle fast. As per the blurb, somehow a prepper raised in isolation and a widower who’s barely functioning three years later, reluctantly see a mutually benefiting partnership to travel the zombie ridden countryside to get to their respective destinations. Will they be successful? Will they find love in the process? Well, of course they do!
As Maisie and Everett confront obstacle after obstacle, they do so with grit and determination. Though this was a bit repetitive with lots of personal contemplation and inner turmoil, both have plenty of healing and growth to do regarding their myriad of issues. This definitely runs the gamut of experiences, plunging the reader into smart survivor scenarios, anxiously ridden zombie chases and fights, all peppered with fun pop culture references amongst the silly humor, gory horror, and spicy spice.
Obviously, this was an easy read, and though at times grim and tragic, don’t take it too seriously. Sit back and enjoy the wild ride that this is!
Thank you to Ballantine of Dell via NetGalley or a copy to review honestly
Dating is tough! Toss in Pandemic 2.0 times a thousand, and the odds of a successful connection dwindle fast. As per the blurb, somehow a prepper raised in isolation and a widower who’s barely functioning three years later, reluctantly see a mutually benefiting partnership to travel the zombie ridden countryside to get to their respective destinations. Will they be successful? Will they find love in the process? Well, of course they do!
As Maisie and Everett confront obstacle after obstacle, they do so with grit and determination. Though this was a bit repetitive with lots of personal contemplation and inner turmoil, both have plenty of healing and growth to do regarding their myriad of issues. This definitely runs the gamut of experiences, plunging the reader into smart survivor scenarios, anxiously ridden zombie chases and fights, all peppered with fun pop culture references amongst the silly humor, gory horror, and spicy spice.
Obviously, this was an easy read, and though at times grim and tragic, don’t take it too seriously. Sit back and enjoy the wild ride that this is!
Thank you to Ballantine of Dell via NetGalley or a copy to review honestly
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
”I may have taught you how to survive, Everett. But you’ve taught me how to live.”
as much as i love zombie related content, this book didn’t do what i wanted it to. it started off fun, but the characters were driving me up the wall. i’m sick of 30+ year olds acting like they don’t have brains in their head. i also get irritated by virgin characters who somehow lack basic common sense about anything sexual.
the romance between Maisie & Everett did have cute bits, but they were driven by lust and the sex scenes were horrendous. i also thought the whole thing with Everett’s parents & Maisie’s “gramps” was completely out of left field. i didn’t like the reasoning they gave for why the zombie outbreak was occurring either.
Maisie is the capable one out of the two, Everett’s horror movie knowledge was most of what he had to offer for the majority of the book. maybe i just wanted more zombie carnage, but all the elements of the story didn’t mesh well for me & it was honestly distracting. there is some mindless enjoyment to be had though.
➻ thanks to NetGalley, the author and Ballantine for the arc, all opinions are my own.
as much as i love zombie related content, this book didn’t do what i wanted it to. it started off fun, but the characters were driving me up the wall. i’m sick of 30+ year olds acting like they don’t have brains in their head. i also get irritated by virgin characters who somehow lack basic common sense about anything sexual.
the romance between Maisie & Everett did have cute bits, but they were driven by lust and the sex scenes were horrendous. i also thought the whole thing with Everett’s parents & Maisie’s “gramps” was completely out of left field. i didn’t like the reasoning they gave for why the zombie outbreak was occurring either.
Maisie is the capable one out of the two, Everett’s horror movie knowledge was most of what he had to offer for the majority of the book. maybe i just wanted more zombie carnage, but all the elements of the story didn’t mesh well for me & it was honestly distracting. there is some mindless enjoyment to be had though.
➻ thanks to NetGalley, the author and Ballantine for the arc, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It's hard to mix genres like horror, romance and humour successfully but I think this book played very well on the different themes.
I had a great time.
This felt like a fresh take on the usual romance tropes, where most of the rescuing is left to the FMC, it's got a lot of heart and humour, and just enough spice.
The zombie apocalypse part is really good in itself, and felt more developed than just a pretext for the protagonist to develop their relationship.
It's a self aware, not very serious book and it plays it well with nods to pop culture.
I had a great time.
This felt like a fresh take on the usual romance tropes, where most of the rescuing is left to the FMC, it's got a lot of heart and humour, and just enough spice.
The zombie apocalypse part is really good in itself, and felt more developed than just a pretext for the protagonist to develop their relationship.
It's a self aware, not very serious book and it plays it well with nods to pop culture.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
An absolutely delicious fever dream of a book that is gory, hilarious, hot, and swoony in equal measure. One part zombie apocalypse story, one part romcom, and one part road trip from hell— and Laura Piper Lee balances them all to perfection. I am low-key obsessed with any author that can come up a premise this unhinged ( affectionate!!!) and execute it so well. All the stars.
Want to Read
May 24, 2026omg this sounds so good?
Thank you Random House Publishing Group for access to this ARC
Thank you Random House Publishing Group for access to this ARC
September 10, 2026
‘When a first date between a doomsday prepper and a nerdy film professor goes horribly, zombie-apocalypse-level wrong, the mismatched pair team up on a road trip to safety in this delightfully feral rom-com.’
Pot Shot was easily one of my favorite books this year. & when I came across Doomsdate on NG, I snatched it up like some hungry hostage at a Bonanza buffet.
So it kills me to say that this book was not of the same caliber. Far from it IMO.
Woofff. I had several issues. But the main one was the MMC, Everett. It’s like he was a mannequin built from parts that just DID NOT MATCH!
A military brat, a good looking nerdy professor type with a penchant for horror movies. He’s a widow and still heavily grieving from his loss. He’s estranged from his parents after they rejected him because he’s “such a disappointment” by not following in their military footsteps. He’s seemingly a loner, a little reclusive with only a single friend to speak of. He’s awkward and goofy and unsure of himself, sometimes downright dim, self deprecating, & woe-is-me…. We find him up some tree, like a scared, fragile kitten, helpless & defenseless when the zombie apocalypse hits, surrounded by the undead, because he’s “never learned how to fight”.
Cue the FMC. Maisie swoops in to the rescue and wipes out every zombie surrounding the damn tree with a mace. A mace! By herself, & saves his life.
And this is where their journey begins.
Maisie’s a 30 yo virgin and asks him for sex lessons along the way🙄 Feelings inevitably follow. Because ofc they do.
My problem with Everett is not that he can’t fight, or that he’s nerdy or sulky or any of that. It comes when he starts “dirty-talking” during “sex lessons”. This meek mountain of a man turns into someone else entirely, saying shit like: I l’m going to drink from your c⛎nt. (Ewwww, cringe.) And: I’m going to put my hard c☮️ck into your tight little p***y.”
Seriously dude? Like, idk...maybe pick a personality, ffs. Who tf are you really? I still dk.
Truthfully, I didn’t like either one of them. And what would eventually happen to them during this bloody apocalypse didn’t make a damn bit of difference to me one way or the other. I just didn’t give a toss.
The issues I had didn’t stop here. But I’m not about to drone on and on.
I thought the premise was solid. But it simply did not work for me. The struggle to get through was nothing short of painful. I am positively jubilant about moving on.
Thanks to Ballantine for the opportunity. I am always grateful.
Pub: 9.15.26.
All opinions are my own.
Pot Shot was easily one of my favorite books this year. & when I came across Doomsdate on NG, I snatched it up like some hungry hostage at a Bonanza buffet.
So it kills me to say that this book was not of the same caliber. Far from it IMO.
Woofff. I had several issues. But the main one was the MMC, Everett. It’s like he was a mannequin built from parts that just DID NOT MATCH!
A military brat, a good looking nerdy professor type with a penchant for horror movies. He’s a widow and still heavily grieving from his loss. He’s estranged from his parents after they rejected him because he’s “such a disappointment” by not following in their military footsteps. He’s seemingly a loner, a little reclusive with only a single friend to speak of. He’s awkward and goofy and unsure of himself, sometimes downright dim, self deprecating, & woe-is-me…. We find him up some tree, like a scared, fragile kitten, helpless & defenseless when the zombie apocalypse hits, surrounded by the undead, because he’s “never learned how to fight”.
Cue the FMC. Maisie swoops in to the rescue and wipes out every zombie surrounding the damn tree with a mace. A mace! By herself, & saves his life.
And this is where their journey begins.
Maisie’s a 30 yo virgin and asks him for sex lessons along the way🙄 Feelings inevitably follow. Because ofc they do.
My problem with Everett is not that he can’t fight, or that he’s nerdy or sulky or any of that. It comes when he starts “dirty-talking” during “sex lessons”. This meek mountain of a man turns into someone else entirely, saying shit like: I l’m going to drink from your c⛎nt. (Ewwww, cringe.) And: I’m going to put my hard c☮️ck into your tight little p***y.”
Seriously dude? Like, idk...maybe pick a personality, ffs. Who tf are you really? I still dk.
Truthfully, I didn’t like either one of them. And what would eventually happen to them during this bloody apocalypse didn’t make a damn bit of difference to me one way or the other. I just didn’t give a toss.
The issues I had didn’t stop here. But I’m not about to drone on and on.
I thought the premise was solid. But it simply did not work for me. The struggle to get through was nothing short of painful. I am positively jubilant about moving on.
Thanks to Ballantine for the opportunity. I am always grateful.
Pub: 9.15.26.
All opinions are my own.
September 6, 2026
homegirl whole purpose was to get her cherry popped in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.
2.75⭐️
I was really excited for this one cause I loved pot shot and throughout the first 40% of it I was having the 5 stars feeling but once the whole romance aspect started I lost my interest in them, oops. It just became so repetitive at one point: go to another state, fight the zombies, have crazy sex somewhere, fight more zombies and move to another state. Over and over again.
I liked that the characters were fleshed out, I can give it that lol. The writing wasn’t bad neither, at least the no sex parts… the sex scenes gave me the ick cause everything felt so forced. Idk, it wasn’t good. But again if they weren’t fighting zombies they were having sex so I guess through half of the book I was just trying my best not to cringe.
honestly, I’ll still recommend the book! If you want to have a fun time this is for sure a good option. it just wasn’t for me right now
2.75⭐️
I was really excited for this one cause I loved pot shot and throughout the first 40% of it I was having the 5 stars feeling but once the whole romance aspect started I lost my interest in them, oops. It just became so repetitive at one point: go to another state, fight the zombies, have crazy sex somewhere, fight more zombies and move to another state. Over and over again.
I liked that the characters were fleshed out, I can give it that lol. The writing wasn’t bad neither, at least the no sex parts… the sex scenes gave me the ick cause everything felt so forced. Idk, it wasn’t good. But again if they weren’t fighting zombies they were having sex so I guess through half of the book I was just trying my best not to cringe.
honestly, I’ll still recommend the book! If you want to have a fun time this is for sure a good option. it just wasn’t for me right now
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’m obsessed with this book! I didn’t know I needed a romcom with zombies and cat until I picked this one up, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.
Everything about this story was perfection to me. I laughed, I kicked my feet, and I cried, because wow this story packed an emotional punch. I love when a book can be so much fun and still elicit such depth of emotion.
I loved Maisie and Everett, both individually and together. Their connection and chemistry is palpable, and they’re perfectly matched for one another. And Chicken?! Don’t even get me started on Chicken. She is everything.
This will absolutely go down as one of my favorite books of 2026!
Everything about this story was perfection to me. I laughed, I kicked my feet, and I cried, because wow this story packed an emotional punch. I love when a book can be so much fun and still elicit such depth of emotion.
I loved Maisie and Everett, both individually and together. Their connection and chemistry is palpable, and they’re perfectly matched for one another. And Chicken?! Don’t even get me started on Chicken. She is everything.
This will absolutely go down as one of my favorite books of 2026!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I obviously LOVE this book!
It is pretty different than my others, though. If you're a Laura Piper Lee fan already, you'll find the same humor, heart, and offbeat personality that shines through all my books here. What's new is that this is an adventure romcom with real horror moments and a lot of big feelings about the end of the world. I also usually populate my books with a ton of lovable side characters, but that's rather hard to do in a zombie apocalypse novel. :) It's more adventure-focused than the pure comedy of POT SHOT, and it's my longest book yet. It's also VERY steamy--these two just couldn't keep their hands off each other!
Along with laughter, silly zombies, and super hot sex lessons, readers should expect death, gore, grief, America in ruins, and an HEA set firmly in a zombie apocalypse. Honestly, writing it in this day and age was pretty cathartic for me, and I hope reading it will feel that way for you, too.
Love,
Laura
It is pretty different than my others, though. If you're a Laura Piper Lee fan already, you'll find the same humor, heart, and offbeat personality that shines through all my books here. What's new is that this is an adventure romcom with real horror moments and a lot of big feelings about the end of the world. I also usually populate my books with a ton of lovable side characters, but that's rather hard to do in a zombie apocalypse novel. :) It's more adventure-focused than the pure comedy of POT SHOT, and it's my longest book yet. It's also VERY steamy--these two just couldn't keep their hands off each other!
Along with laughter, silly zombies, and super hot sex lessons, readers should expect death, gore, grief, America in ruins, and an HEA set firmly in a zombie apocalypse. Honestly, writing it in this day and age was pretty cathartic for me, and I hope reading it will feel that way for you, too.
Love,
Laura
September 15, 2026
I’ve never really been into books or even movies about zombie apocalypses, but I think my feelings on the topic are changing based on this book because I truly LOVED IT! Can you even imagine being on a first date (one you don’t even WANT to go on) and all the sudden the zombie apocalypse happens? What a riot!!! This was such a fun novel. Maisie and Everette are an unlikely duo (and complete opposites). Maisie is a socially anxious, hardcore prepper who is ready for the apocalypse, while Everett is basically nerdier and just not in the mood for dating. But he was catfished by his FRIENDS so… there’s that too LOL. If that isn’t bad enough, imagine the world ending when these two are on their first date 😂 That’s just a double whammy of bad things! But… maybe in terms of love it could... work?
I loved the forced proximity and road-trip romance aspects, especially because they're thrown together in the middle of absolute chaos. Watching them slowly go from two people who barely know each other to genuinely relying on and caring for one another was really satisfying. Then we have the zombies! Them and the whole apocalypse plot added so much to the romance instead of just being background scenery. There was danger, suspense, and humor. I loved it!
If you’re looking for something different, I highly recommend this book. I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did but it has easily become a new favorite!
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
🧟♀️ Zombie apocalypse
❤️ Apocalyptic romance
🔥 Forced proximity
💕 Opposites attract
🚗 Road-trip romance
🌎 End-of-the-world survival
I loved the forced proximity and road-trip romance aspects, especially because they're thrown together in the middle of absolute chaos. Watching them slowly go from two people who barely know each other to genuinely relying on and caring for one another was really satisfying. Then we have the zombies! Them and the whole apocalypse plot added so much to the romance instead of just being background scenery. There was danger, suspense, and humor. I loved it!
If you’re looking for something different, I highly recommend this book. I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did but it has easily become a new favorite!
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
🧟♀️ Zombie apocalypse
❤️ Apocalyptic romance
🔥 Forced proximity
💕 Opposites attract
🚗 Road-trip romance
🌎 End-of-the-world survival
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
✨ Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC of Doomsdate!✨
It's only September, but I think I can confidently say that Doomsdate is my 2026 dark horse contender for favorite rom-com. I requested this book because the concept was so outlandish - a reclusive professor teams up with a paranoid prepper in the midst of a zombie apocalypse pandemic and they predictably fall in love - yet was so delighted to discover that there was so much more lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly absurd story. This book was unexpected in every way - Laura Piper Lee packed these 400 pages with heart and emotion between scenes of decapitating zombies, adventures traversing major landmarks of the eastern seaboard, and lots (and lots) of pandemic-style spice.
How could I fall in love with a book where the MMC fights a hoard of the undead while grappling with his - ahem - arousal? Any explanation I provide will likely be insufficient, but I'll try. Maisie and Everett leap off the page as complex, interesting characters who have... very different approaches to surviving a pandemic. Without giving too much of their intriguing back stories away, they are both grappling with their own traumas that have left them shut down and resistant to trusting and enjoying the company of another human. But when they go on a date just hours before the world as we know it implodes into reanimated victims of a global pandemic, they realize that they each have something the other wants, and their best chances of forging a path forward is likely together. (Also shout out to the best pandemic side-kick ever, Chicken the zombie alerting feline friend).
At no point could I predict where this book would go next, and I mean this in the best possible way. Maisie & Everett's chaotic adventures kept me on my toes; tearing myself away from this book felt like an impossible task. Mortal danger and terror lurked around every corner, but so did sweltering hot makeout (and more...) lessons. The juxtaposition was ridiculous and admittedly brilliant - the book never felt too heavy or difficult to read, despite, at its heart, being about trying to survive one of the most traumatic events in human history. (There were moments, especially early on, that I worried that this book was publishing too soon after the COVID-19 pandemic, but Lee did an admirable job both recognizing COVID as a notable landmark in the book and simultaneously distancing these events from COVID enough to be enjoyable).
Lee thoughtfully and sensitively handled difficult topics, including loss and grief, suicide, and anxiety, without lingering so much on any one of these issues in the context of an otherwise fun and lighthearted romance. (Please review content warnings for this one, as there might be parts of this novel that hit a bit too close to home for some).
As a long-time romance/romcom fan, I always find it enjoyable when an author branches out of the expected tropes in the genre, but it's even more special when the author can really stick the landing for a creative and well-conceptualized story. Lee does all of this and more with Maisie and Everett's story.
It's only September, but I think I can confidently say that Doomsdate is my 2026 dark horse contender for favorite rom-com. I requested this book because the concept was so outlandish - a reclusive professor teams up with a paranoid prepper in the midst of a zombie apocalypse pandemic and they predictably fall in love - yet was so delighted to discover that there was so much more lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly absurd story. This book was unexpected in every way - Laura Piper Lee packed these 400 pages with heart and emotion between scenes of decapitating zombies, adventures traversing major landmarks of the eastern seaboard, and lots (and lots) of pandemic-style spice.
How could I fall in love with a book where the MMC fights a hoard of the undead while grappling with his - ahem - arousal? Any explanation I provide will likely be insufficient, but I'll try. Maisie and Everett leap off the page as complex, interesting characters who have... very different approaches to surviving a pandemic. Without giving too much of their intriguing back stories away, they are both grappling with their own traumas that have left them shut down and resistant to trusting and enjoying the company of another human. But when they go on a date just hours before the world as we know it implodes into reanimated victims of a global pandemic, they realize that they each have something the other wants, and their best chances of forging a path forward is likely together. (Also shout out to the best pandemic side-kick ever, Chicken the zombie alerting feline friend).
At no point could I predict where this book would go next, and I mean this in the best possible way. Maisie & Everett's chaotic adventures kept me on my toes; tearing myself away from this book felt like an impossible task. Mortal danger and terror lurked around every corner, but so did sweltering hot makeout (and more...) lessons. The juxtaposition was ridiculous and admittedly brilliant - the book never felt too heavy or difficult to read, despite, at its heart, being about trying to survive one of the most traumatic events in human history. (There were moments, especially early on, that I worried that this book was publishing too soon after the COVID-19 pandemic, but Lee did an admirable job both recognizing COVID as a notable landmark in the book and simultaneously distancing these events from COVID enough to be enjoyable).
Lee thoughtfully and sensitively handled difficult topics, including loss and grief, suicide, and anxiety, without lingering so much on any one of these issues in the context of an otherwise fun and lighthearted romance. (Please review content warnings for this one, as there might be parts of this novel that hit a bit too close to home for some).
As a long-time romance/romcom fan, I always find it enjoyable when an author branches out of the expected tropes in the genre, but it's even more special when the author can really stick the landing for a creative and well-conceptualized story. Lee does all of this and more with Maisie and Everett's story.
September 21, 2026
4.25 ⭐️
This is my second book by Laura Piper Lee, and I have to say, this author makes me chuckle so many times throughout her books. I know I’m going to have a good time whenever I pick one up!
I highly recommend listening to this one on audio because that’s how I read it, and I absolutely adored the experience.
Just imagine a rom-com thrown into an apocalypse, with a virgin FMC and an MMC who gets set up on a date. 😂 It’s a crazy, zany mess, but somehow it works so well. I loved getting to know both of these characters and seeing everything they had been through. They made me laugh, and I found myself rooting for them along the way.
This book was a whole journey, and I was absolutely along for the ride. If you’re looking for something fun, chaotic, and a little different, definitely give this one a try!
This is my second book by Laura Piper Lee, and I have to say, this author makes me chuckle so many times throughout her books. I know I’m going to have a good time whenever I pick one up!
I highly recommend listening to this one on audio because that’s how I read it, and I absolutely adored the experience.
Just imagine a rom-com thrown into an apocalypse, with a virgin FMC and an MMC who gets set up on a date. 😂 It’s a crazy, zany mess, but somehow it works so well. I loved getting to know both of these characters and seeing everything they had been through. They made me laugh, and I found myself rooting for them along the way.
This book was a whole journey, and I was absolutely along for the ride. If you’re looking for something fun, chaotic, and a little different, definitely give this one a try!
September 20, 2026
LPL knows how to write a dang good time. This book balanced humor, heart, and political topics perfectly!
Absolutely loved this!
Absolutely loved this!
September 26, 2026
A zombie novel that makes you laugh and gives you spice, what more could you want!
There is a virus that is causing the world to have horrible diahrea and then eventually turns everyone into a zombie. Maisie spent most of her life living in a bunker with her mom and when she finally gets her chance to live the world is on the verge of collapse. She is determined to go on a date and lose her virginity before she turns 30. She goes out with Evertt who is still reeling from a personal tragedy. However he makes an effort for Maisie but their date goes horribly wrong. As everyone around them starts turning they realize that they need to stick together to get somewhere safe. Maisie and Evertt soon discover that the world may be falling apart but the two of them may be meant to be.
This book had me hooked. The romance was sizzling and the zombies were on point. Unlike a typical zombie novel this one was not all death and gloom but the exact opposite. Yet, it still featured great action, interesting twists, and my favorite character, Chicken, the world's best zombie detector and cat. A truly unique read that is not only a fantastic addition to the dystopian genre but also the rom-com one as well.
Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
There is a virus that is causing the world to have horrible diahrea and then eventually turns everyone into a zombie. Maisie spent most of her life living in a bunker with her mom and when she finally gets her chance to live the world is on the verge of collapse. She is determined to go on a date and lose her virginity before she turns 30. She goes out with Evertt who is still reeling from a personal tragedy. However he makes an effort for Maisie but their date goes horribly wrong. As everyone around them starts turning they realize that they need to stick together to get somewhere safe. Maisie and Evertt soon discover that the world may be falling apart but the two of them may be meant to be.
This book had me hooked. The romance was sizzling and the zombies were on point. Unlike a typical zombie novel this one was not all death and gloom but the exact opposite. Yet, it still featured great action, interesting twists, and my favorite character, Chicken, the world's best zombie detector and cat. A truly unique read that is not only a fantastic addition to the dystopian genre but also the rom-com one as well.
Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
pre-read:
is it just me or the man on the cover look yum?
edit: OMG I GOT THE ARC
review:
I am very, very picky with romance book. Romance even isn't really my genre, feel free to look at my romance reading list! But this book got my attention—and ... do I like or dislike this book? 👀
Not gonna lie, just from seeing the cover of this book, I really wanted to read it. I mean, just look at it! Doesn't the guy on the cover look yum!? Oh, he looks exactly like my type. And after I read the blurb? A professor with stubble and glasses? Damn, I need to read this! *banging my credit card*
Based on my past experience with romance books that always disappointed me, I honestly didn't expect much. Especially with the blurb that looked kinda silly and I seriously thought it would be very cringe. I mean, seriously, apocalypse romance? I thought the characters would just act dumb and horny all the time, and I was ready to hate it. But well, I can say that I'm glad I was wrong.
I only needed a few pages to feel like this book was a comfortable read, and to know that Maisie and Everett might not be like other romances I've read (even if it's not many lol). Their first meeting really hooked me. Since that, I kept thinking, 'omg this book is so good', so I kept reading.
I do love Maisie and Everett. Maisie is a likable and prepared character, meanwhile Everett is a movie nerd and kinda dumb (for zombie survival), but in an endearing way. Here, we also would meet other characters. My personal favorites: Gramps and Chicken. How I wish to see them more.
I didn't feel their romance was cringe. From the first time they met, I was already rooting for them for some reason. They are awkward in a funny way, have different personalities and inner conflicts too. And I really like that this is not insta-lust/love like I expected or often find in romance books.
This book really exceeded my expectations at some points. When I thought the zombie element would be weak, that's exactly when the world actually started to go into an apocalypse. Crazy. I didn't expect the action and survival parts to be this good and enough for romance books.
Maybe, from the middle to the end, the story gets darker, because well … it's zombies everywhere, and guess who will die? So I feel like the giddy moments become less. Some new characters are also introduced toward the end. I wish their journey was longer and had more moments that made me giggle and kick my feet. But everything I read was already good enough and felt just right.
I recommend this book, even if you were first interested just because of the cover like me lol.
is it just me or the man on the cover look yum?
edit: OMG I GOT THE ARC
review:
I am very, very picky with romance book. Romance even isn't really my genre, feel free to look at my romance reading list! But this book got my attention—and ... do I like or dislike this book? 👀
Not gonna lie, just from seeing the cover of this book, I really wanted to read it. I mean, just look at it! Doesn't the guy on the cover look yum!? Oh, he looks exactly like my type. And after I read the blurb? A professor with stubble and glasses? Damn, I need to read this! *banging my credit card*
Based on my past experience with romance books that always disappointed me, I honestly didn't expect much. Especially with the blurb that looked kinda silly and I seriously thought it would be very cringe. I mean, seriously, apocalypse romance? I thought the characters would just act dumb and horny all the time, and I was ready to hate it. But well, I can say that I'm glad I was wrong.
I only needed a few pages to feel like this book was a comfortable read, and to know that Maisie and Everett might not be like other romances I've read (even if it's not many lol). Their first meeting really hooked me. Since that, I kept thinking, 'omg this book is so good', so I kept reading.
I do love Maisie and Everett. Maisie is a likable and prepared character, meanwhile Everett is a movie nerd and kinda dumb (for zombie survival), but in an endearing way. Here, we also would meet other characters. My personal favorites: Gramps and Chicken. How I wish to see them more.
I didn't feel their romance was cringe. From the first time they met, I was already rooting for them for some reason. They are awkward in a funny way, have different personalities and inner conflicts too. And I really like that this is not insta-lust/love like I expected or often find in romance books.
This book really exceeded my expectations at some points. When I thought the zombie element would be weak, that's exactly when the world actually started to go into an apocalypse. Crazy. I didn't expect the action and survival parts to be this good and enough for romance books.
Maybe, from the middle to the end, the story gets darker, because well … it's zombies everywhere, and guess who will die? So I feel like the giddy moments become less. Some new characters are also introduced toward the end. I wish their journey was longer and had more moments that made me giggle and kick my feet. But everything I read was already good enough and felt just right.
I recommend this book, even if you were first interested just because of the cover like me lol.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Was I expecting to swoon AND cry during a spicy zombie romance? No. But this book exceeded all of my expectations.
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★.5 out of 5
▹Format: 📱 eReader
I received an advance e-copy of this book from Ballentine and Netgalley, but all opinions here are my honest thoughts. This book comes out September 15, 2026.
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Maisie Bennett (aka “sweetheart” or “baby”). Nearly 30-year-old actuarial analyst who was raised by a hard-core prepper and has had to learn how to ingratiate herself into society with a very sweet naivete, but could also kick your ass.
– MMC: Dr. Everett Greet (aka “professor”). ~36-year-old film professor who watches horror movies and is clinically depressed. Grieving a loss of a relationship and a future.
– Location: North Carolina (and other various east coast locales)
– POV: Dual first-person
– Spice: 5-6 open-door spicy scenes
– Tropes: blind date to friends to lovers, age gap (seven years), doomsday prepper FMC, movie professor MMC, virgin FMC, socially inexperienced FMC, second chance at life and love, cat dad, the MMC is a “babygirl,” FMC is a badass, sex lessons, MMC wears glasses
– Content warning: pandemic-style panic, death, government secrets, colon cancer (off page death of minor character), American food additives
– Representation: women in STEM, “late bloomer” FMC, LGBTQIA+ minor side characters
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
This is my first Laura Piper Lee but consider me a CONVERT. This was campy, sweet, dark, funny, and gave me some anxiety. All of that was achieved through witty writing and fully fleshed-out characters.
I have so many quotes highlighted that I feel overwhelmed pulling my favorites. But between the pop-culture references, the tender moments, and the HILARIOUS camping scene there is so much to love here.
I was not expecting this to have as much heart as it does. Not only with Everett’s grief and Maisie’s passion to live, but with having to adapt to all forms of loss that they experience along the way. It was so reminiscent of COVID in ways that it was terrifying--which was effective in giving me anxiety during some of the higher-action scenes.
What’s weird to me is that normally I struggle with believability (even in fantasy/paranormal books). What do you mean these characters are prioritizing losing virginity and sightseeing during a gastro-intestinal disease that turns people into zombies? I would be crapping myself in their situation (and not because I would be infected)! But somehow here it totally works. I gobbled up the campiness and craziness. I think that’s because it was this beautiful blend of camp and sweetness, or soft and hard.
But my favorite thing here were both Maisie and Everett (and Gramps and Chicken). They balanced each other in such an effortless way.
Would I Recommend?: 100% yes. This was such a fun take on romance. It was darker than Zomromcom by Olivia Dade, campier than I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell by Mackenzie Reed, and one of the funniest romances I’ve read in a long time.
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12
Now Playing: Tubthumping by Chumbawumba
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven————✧———————Plot Driven
Fast Burn——————✧—————Slow Burn
Sweet————————✧———Spicy
Light/Fluffy——————✧—————Heavy/Emotional
•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★.5 out of 5
▹Format: 📱 eReader
I received an advance e-copy of this book from Ballentine and Netgalley, but all opinions here are my honest thoughts. This book comes out September 15, 2026.
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Maisie Bennett (aka “sweetheart” or “baby”). Nearly 30-year-old actuarial analyst who was raised by a hard-core prepper and has had to learn how to ingratiate herself into society with a very sweet naivete, but could also kick your ass.
– MMC: Dr. Everett Greet (aka “professor”). ~36-year-old film professor who watches horror movies and is clinically depressed. Grieving a loss of a relationship and a future.
– Location: North Carolina (and other various east coast locales)
– POV: Dual first-person
– Spice: 5-6 open-door spicy scenes
– Tropes: blind date to friends to lovers, age gap (seven years), doomsday prepper FMC, movie professor MMC, virgin FMC, socially inexperienced FMC, second chance at life and love, cat dad, the MMC is a “babygirl,” FMC is a badass, sex lessons, MMC wears glasses
– Content warning: pandemic-style panic, death, government secrets, colon cancer (off page death of minor character), American food additives
– Representation: women in STEM, “late bloomer” FMC, LGBTQIA+ minor side characters
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
This is my first Laura Piper Lee but consider me a CONVERT. This was campy, sweet, dark, funny, and gave me some anxiety. All of that was achieved through witty writing and fully fleshed-out characters.
I have so many quotes highlighted that I feel overwhelmed pulling my favorites. But between the pop-culture references, the tender moments, and the HILARIOUS camping scene there is so much to love here.
I was not expecting this to have as much heart as it does. Not only with Everett’s grief and Maisie’s passion to live, but with having to adapt to all forms of loss that they experience along the way. It was so reminiscent of COVID in ways that it was terrifying--which was effective in giving me anxiety during some of the higher-action scenes.
What’s weird to me is that normally I struggle with believability (even in fantasy/paranormal books). What do you mean these characters are prioritizing losing virginity and sightseeing during a gastro-intestinal disease that turns people into zombies? I would be crapping myself in their situation (and not because I would be infected)! But somehow here it totally works. I gobbled up the campiness and craziness. I think that’s because it was this beautiful blend of camp and sweetness, or soft and hard.
But my favorite thing here were both Maisie and Everett (and Gramps and Chicken). They balanced each other in such an effortless way.
Would I Recommend?: 100% yes. This was such a fun take on romance. It was darker than Zomromcom by Olivia Dade, campier than I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell by Mackenzie Reed, and one of the funniest romances I’ve read in a long time.
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12
Now Playing: Tubthumping by Chumbawumba
╰┈➤ ❝I get knocked down, but I get up again.❞
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven————✧———————Plot Driven
Fast Burn——————✧—————Slow Burn
Sweet————————✧———Spicy
Light/Fluffy——————✧—————Heavy/Emotional
•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•
September 16, 2026
5/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️
First and foremost: BRAVO, Laura! You have successfully written yet another book about shitting your pants. 😂
Laura Piper Lee has now fully cemented herself in my favorite authors category. The way she writes scratches an itch in my brain that no one else can quite reach. Her humor, her characters, and especially the banter between Maisie and Everett are just so, so good.
Is this story absolutely bonkers? Yes. Did I have an incredible time? ALSO YES.
I was rooting for these two lovable idiots (affectionate) from page one. Maisie is an anxious doomsday prepper who is finally VERY useful when the apocalypse actually arrives. Everett is a grieving film professor who is woefully unprepared for zombies and somehow their completely mismatched dynamic works perfectly. Add in Chicken the cat, a road trip through the zombie apocalypse, sex lessons, ridiculous amounts of chaos and genuinely sweet emotional moments and I was sold.
But before I sign off, Laura, we need to discuss one final thing.
Not only did you invent a shitting-your-pants virus, YOU GAVE IT TO THE PRESIDENT.
Who then became a zombie.
While, apparently, shitting his own pants.
And with those not-so-subtle clues, we all know exactly who you were referencing. Picturing that particular monster meeting his zombie-apocalypse end that way had me absolutely CACKLING.
How fitting an end for the diaper-wearing chief in command.
Apparently Laura Piper Lee can keep writing books involving catastrophic gastrointestinal distress forever, because I will keep reading them.
Thanks to Laura and Dell books for the ARC of this masterpiece.
1.5/5 🌶️
First and foremost: BRAVO, Laura! You have successfully written yet another book about shitting your pants. 😂
Laura Piper Lee has now fully cemented herself in my favorite authors category. The way she writes scratches an itch in my brain that no one else can quite reach. Her humor, her characters, and especially the banter between Maisie and Everett are just so, so good.
Is this story absolutely bonkers? Yes. Did I have an incredible time? ALSO YES.
I was rooting for these two lovable idiots (affectionate) from page one. Maisie is an anxious doomsday prepper who is finally VERY useful when the apocalypse actually arrives. Everett is a grieving film professor who is woefully unprepared for zombies and somehow their completely mismatched dynamic works perfectly. Add in Chicken the cat, a road trip through the zombie apocalypse, sex lessons, ridiculous amounts of chaos and genuinely sweet emotional moments and I was sold.
But before I sign off, Laura, we need to discuss one final thing.
Not only did you invent a shitting-your-pants virus, YOU GAVE IT TO THE PRESIDENT.
Who then became a zombie.
While, apparently, shitting his own pants.
And with those not-so-subtle clues, we all know exactly who you were referencing. Picturing that particular monster meeting his zombie-apocalypse end that way had me absolutely CACKLING.
How fitting an end for the diaper-wearing chief in command.
Apparently Laura Piper Lee can keep writing books involving catastrophic gastrointestinal distress forever, because I will keep reading them.
Thanks to Laura and Dell books for the ARC of this masterpiece.
September 14, 2026
Despite Doomsdate being about zombies, at its heart, this novel reflects on what it means to truly live.
In the same vein as Zombieland and Shaun of The Dead, Doomsdate is a humor-led action-packed romance novel.
Maisie is a doomsday prepper. She lived a life sheltered and alone by her deceased paranoid mother and is determined not to spend another pandemic as a virgin holed up in her house.
Everett is a film professor (with very minimal survival skills other than his unending knowledge of zombie movies) who fell into a deep depression after his wife died.
Together, they roadtrip to Maisie’s radio friend and ex-vet “Gramp’s” bunker to try to survive a zombie apocalypse and learn to love and live and embrace joy.
The beginning was so strong, unique and interesting. I love how awkward and weird the main characters were during their first date gone…apocalyptically wrong. But by the 40% mark I felt like I was forcing myself to read it. It felt like a medley of 5 books in one.
This had a lot of bright points but my biggest gripe is that ultimately it ended up being a weird mix of try-too-hard humor, nonstop anti-processed food preaching, and one-off dates during the literal apocalypse.
Thanks to Dell and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
In the same vein as Zombieland and Shaun of The Dead, Doomsdate is a humor-led action-packed romance novel.
Maisie is a doomsday prepper. She lived a life sheltered and alone by her deceased paranoid mother and is determined not to spend another pandemic as a virgin holed up in her house.
Everett is a film professor (with very minimal survival skills other than his unending knowledge of zombie movies) who fell into a deep depression after his wife died.
Together, they roadtrip to Maisie’s radio friend and ex-vet “Gramp’s” bunker to try to survive a zombie apocalypse and learn to love and live and embrace joy.
The beginning was so strong, unique and interesting. I love how awkward and weird the main characters were during their first date gone…apocalyptically wrong. But by the 40% mark I felt like I was forcing myself to read it. It felt like a medley of 5 books in one.
This had a lot of bright points but my biggest gripe is that ultimately it ended up being a weird mix of try-too-hard humor, nonstop anti-processed food preaching, and one-off dates during the literal apocalypse.
Thanks to Dell and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 28, 2026
Format: 📱& 📖
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Series: Standalone (thought I wish it wasn’t)
This is my favorite future zombie rom com movie! The whole book, I could vividly picture the entire movie in my head. Florence Pugh as Maisie, David Corenswet as Everett, Robert DeNiro as Gramps, Rahul Kohli as Sandeep, Kat Dennings as Gemma, and Kirsten Nelson & Timothy Odmundson as the Colonels’ Greer. An unknown as Chicken, obviously. 🐈
I’m not joking when I tell you, scene for scene and shot for shot I saw this book in my head. Laura Piper Lee is the best contemporary comedy author in the game right now, Olivia Dade and Rosie Danan are number 2 & 3, respectively.
I laughed out loud so many times reading this, and I feared for poor clumsy (yet incredibly lucky???) Everett and I rooted for Maisie’s weirdness. I can’t wait to see what LPL has up her sleeve for 2027!
Notable tropes & themes —
🧟♀️ Forced Proximity
🚽 Widower Pop Culture/Horror Professor MMC
💩 Doomsday Prepper Virgin FMC
🧟♀️ First Date gone awry
🚽 IBS-causing virus turned zombie virus 🦠
💩 Meddling Friends
🧟♀️ Found Family
🚽 Zombie Apocalypse
💩 S3x lessons
🧟♀️ Fake Married
I received this eARC and physical ARC from Ballantine | Dell as an opportunity to read and give my honest review.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Series: Standalone (thought I wish it wasn’t)
This is my favorite future zombie rom com movie! The whole book, I could vividly picture the entire movie in my head. Florence Pugh as Maisie, David Corenswet as Everett, Robert DeNiro as Gramps, Rahul Kohli as Sandeep, Kat Dennings as Gemma, and Kirsten Nelson & Timothy Odmundson as the Colonels’ Greer. An unknown as Chicken, obviously. 🐈
I’m not joking when I tell you, scene for scene and shot for shot I saw this book in my head. Laura Piper Lee is the best contemporary comedy author in the game right now, Olivia Dade and Rosie Danan are number 2 & 3, respectively.
I laughed out loud so many times reading this, and I feared for poor clumsy (yet incredibly lucky???) Everett and I rooted for Maisie’s weirdness. I can’t wait to see what LPL has up her sleeve for 2027!
Notable tropes & themes —
🧟♀️ Forced Proximity
🚽 Widower Pop Culture/Horror Professor MMC
💩 Doomsday Prepper Virgin FMC
🧟♀️ First Date gone awry
🚽 IBS-causing virus turned zombie virus 🦠
💩 Meddling Friends
🧟♀️ Found Family
🚽 Zombie Apocalypse
💩 S3x lessons
🧟♀️ Fake Married
I received this eARC and physical ARC from Ballantine | Dell as an opportunity to read and give my honest review.
September 19, 2026
Mixing romance and horror, especially with humor, isn’t easy, but the author pulls it off in Doomsdate. This book is ridiculous in the best possible way. A pandemic that causes explosive diarrhea is already wild but add zombies and a blind date between a film professor and a doomsday prepper, and I was instantly interested. I enjoyed following Maisie and Everett as they faced the chaos of the zombie apocalypse. Watching them grow, heal from grief, and work through family issues made their journey even more enjoyable. There is also plenty of spice along the way as Maisie, who is determined not to be a virgin by the time she turns 30 (or possibly dies in the zombie apocalypse), asks Everett for sex lessons. He is a professor, after all.
Overall, this was a hilarious romance with plenty of action and moments that had me wondering what would happen next. If you love romance with plenty of spice and zombies, this is the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to review Doomsdate. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Overall, this was a hilarious romance with plenty of action and moments that had me wondering what would happen next. If you love romance with plenty of spice and zombies, this is the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to review Doomsdate. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 10, 2026
Thank you @dellromance for the digital copy to review and to @laurapiperlee for one of my favorite lines of all time: please god, let him be a sl*t. (Amen)
I feel like Laura saw into the future with this book. A zombie apocalypse brought on by a diarrhea virus???? Too real. Too too real. Their first date meet cute turned disaster did appear to set things in motion…
I found myself cracking up at her banter, per usual! Maisie was so distrustful but also weirdly hopeful?? I loved her vibe and how she gives off tough girl energy like mad. It is hot and a whole vibe. And Everett… please professor. *tee hee* - his sl*tty little glasses and confident demeanor once he realized he could have feelings again. Yes!!!! Oh and how cute was it when he got stuck in the tree and Maisie had to save him 😅😅. And don’t forget Chicken the cat. A true friend. And gramps!!!!
I really loved the way that grief was discussed in this book, along with anxiety and the state of the world. Having someone to have your back and let you fall apart … and help put you back together again? That’s everything.
Anyway, I had a truly excellent time reading this romance. It was fun and quirky, sexy and sweet, and honestly a grand ol time. It’s out tomorrow and I already preordered my copy cause I love Laura and I’m so excited to have my book with the alternate dust jacket!!!!!
I feel like Laura saw into the future with this book. A zombie apocalypse brought on by a diarrhea virus???? Too real. Too too real. Their first date meet cute turned disaster did appear to set things in motion…
I found myself cracking up at her banter, per usual! Maisie was so distrustful but also weirdly hopeful?? I loved her vibe and how she gives off tough girl energy like mad. It is hot and a whole vibe. And Everett… please professor. *tee hee* - his sl*tty little glasses and confident demeanor once he realized he could have feelings again. Yes!!!! Oh and how cute was it when he got stuck in the tree and Maisie had to save him 😅😅. And don’t forget Chicken the cat. A true friend. And gramps!!!!
I really loved the way that grief was discussed in this book, along with anxiety and the state of the world. Having someone to have your back and let you fall apart … and help put you back together again? That’s everything.
Anyway, I had a truly excellent time reading this romance. It was fun and quirky, sexy and sweet, and honestly a grand ol time. It’s out tomorrow and I already preordered my copy cause I love Laura and I’m so excited to have my book with the alternate dust jacket!!!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Dell for the advanced copy!
Laura Piper Lee is one of my favorite authors for many reasons, but I love how she takes comedy into stressful or important discussions and her writing style is perfect.
Everrett and Maisie felt so real, and I loved how they both had baggage from their past that was effecting their relationship with the world and other people. Them working through their baggage together was so lovely to read about.
I LOVE a romance with an adventure or quest in the plot and the road trip they went on was so fun and I never know what was going to happen or where they were going next.
I loved Chicken so much (in Chicken we trust 🐱) and loved how she went everywhere with them and was such an important part of the story.
Writing a zombie apocalypse romance that ends on a hopeful note seems like a challenging endeavor, but I thought Laura Piper Lee did an amazing job.
I can’t wait to devour (hehehe) whatever Laura Piper Lee writes next and will be screaming about this book for the forseeable future. Please read it now!!
Laura Piper Lee is one of my favorite authors for many reasons, but I love how she takes comedy into stressful or important discussions and her writing style is perfect.
Everrett and Maisie felt so real, and I loved how they both had baggage from their past that was effecting their relationship with the world and other people. Them working through their baggage together was so lovely to read about.
I LOVE a romance with an adventure or quest in the plot and the road trip they went on was so fun and I never know what was going to happen or where they were going next.
I loved Chicken so much (in Chicken we trust 🐱) and loved how she went everywhere with them and was such an important part of the story.
Writing a zombie apocalypse romance that ends on a hopeful note seems like a challenging endeavor, but I thought Laura Piper Lee did an amazing job.
I can’t wait to devour (hehehe) whatever Laura Piper Lee writes next and will be screaming about this book for the forseeable future. Please read it now!!
August 2, 2026
4.5⭐️
I have never been more anxious and scared reading a romance book before this one, but I loved every single second of it. Doomsdate is a clever, funny, emotional, and smart book about what could happen if you met your person right before the world went to absolute hell.
Maisie and Everett are complete opposites in this world, but at the same time, work flawlessly as you can see how similar they really are once they begin to open up. Their first date and meeting is full of chaos that leaves them both wanting for more. But, Maisie, a doomsday prepper, unintentionally scares off Everett, a widowed film professor, when she takes him home and he discovers just how prepared Maisie always is. She is upset, thinking she's about to become a 30 year old virgin, but what’s to come is obviously so much worse. When “Z-Day” hits, she leaves town to embark on her first real journey of her life. But on the way, she has a chance run in with Everett, and so, their apocalyptic road trip begins.
I knew this book was going to be an adventure just from reading the summary, but I loved just how exploratory it felt. The way that the roadtrip is written makes you feel like you're along for the ride. Not only do you get to see the beginning stages of a country completely shut down, but experience so many first with Maisie. She’s lived her whole life fearful of what the real world can do, but seeing her experience all of these new wonders in a setting that, although tragic, is perfect for her introverted self. And on the same hand, Everett, also experiencing these things with her, makes him feel like he’s living for the first time since his loss. As their journey across the US brings on trials and mishaps, Maisie and Everett grow closer, realizing how similar their feelings are towards the world, and create a relationship built off their grief. Not only that, but they balance each other so well in their knowledge of apocalypses and zombies. They are both little freaks in the most positive way, and equally thoughtful and kind. Not to mention, their chemistry is outrageous which made the steamy parts that more delicious.
This book is ultimately about finding your place in the world, apocalyptic or not. Not only is this story hilarious and quirky, but it's devastating, hopeful, and full of angst and raw emotion. When I tell you I cried, I cried hard. However, the author finds a way to seamlessly blend in zombie pop culture, throw shade at our government, and create hilarious scenarios that make for a lighter mood. At no point did I know where the story was going and I loved that about it. The only thing holding me back from a complete 5 stars was because I did feel like it ended pretty abruptly. But, I would not let that deter me from reading it again and highly recommending it to anyone who is looking for a fun, romantic, and unique story.
Thank you Dell and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have never been more anxious and scared reading a romance book before this one, but I loved every single second of it. Doomsdate is a clever, funny, emotional, and smart book about what could happen if you met your person right before the world went to absolute hell.
Maisie and Everett are complete opposites in this world, but at the same time, work flawlessly as you can see how similar they really are once they begin to open up. Their first date and meeting is full of chaos that leaves them both wanting for more. But, Maisie, a doomsday prepper, unintentionally scares off Everett, a widowed film professor, when she takes him home and he discovers just how prepared Maisie always is. She is upset, thinking she's about to become a 30 year old virgin, but what’s to come is obviously so much worse. When “Z-Day” hits, she leaves town to embark on her first real journey of her life. But on the way, she has a chance run in with Everett, and so, their apocalyptic road trip begins.
I knew this book was going to be an adventure just from reading the summary, but I loved just how exploratory it felt. The way that the roadtrip is written makes you feel like you're along for the ride. Not only do you get to see the beginning stages of a country completely shut down, but experience so many first with Maisie. She’s lived her whole life fearful of what the real world can do, but seeing her experience all of these new wonders in a setting that, although tragic, is perfect for her introverted self. And on the same hand, Everett, also experiencing these things with her, makes him feel like he’s living for the first time since his loss. As their journey across the US brings on trials and mishaps, Maisie and Everett grow closer, realizing how similar their feelings are towards the world, and create a relationship built off their grief. Not only that, but they balance each other so well in their knowledge of apocalypses and zombies. They are both little freaks in the most positive way, and equally thoughtful and kind. Not to mention, their chemistry is outrageous which made the steamy parts that more delicious.
This book is ultimately about finding your place in the world, apocalyptic or not. Not only is this story hilarious and quirky, but it's devastating, hopeful, and full of angst and raw emotion. When I tell you I cried, I cried hard. However, the author finds a way to seamlessly blend in zombie pop culture, throw shade at our government, and create hilarious scenarios that make for a lighter mood. At no point did I know where the story was going and I loved that about it. The only thing holding me back from a complete 5 stars was because I did feel like it ended pretty abruptly. But, I would not let that deter me from reading it again and highly recommending it to anyone who is looking for a fun, romantic, and unique story.
Thank you Dell and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved Laura Piper Lee’s Pot Shot. I highly encourage you to read it. It’s still on my list for top five reads of 2026. My feelings about Doomsdate are more mixed, but if you are looking for a good mix of horror and romance, it does what it says on the tin.
Maisie was raised isolated by her mother, an end of the world prepper whose schizophrenia caused her to live in extreme paranoia. Maisie has spent many years unlearning the fears her mother taught her and gradually integrating herself into the world. But mostly she stays in her Durham, NC apartment and interact with people online. As her 30th birthday approaches, she wants to lose her virginity and travel. Everett has been mourning his late wife and not interested in living. His best friend creates a dating app profile for him, matches him with Maisie, and sets a dinner date with her. He tells Everett about it a few minutes before the date so that he’s forced to go. Meanwhile, a gastrointestinal virus is sweeping the nation causing vomiting and diarrhea, butt Covid if you will.
Maisie and Everett hit it off so much that Everett decides to go back to her apartment, though they find themselves dodging sick people and pools of bodily fluids. I have a trigger happy gag reflex and a vivid imagination, so these early chapters with the frequent splats was tough for me to get through. If I hadn’t already read Pot Shot, I might not have powered through. After some fits and starts, the zombie apocalypse begins and Maisie, Everett, and his cat, Chicken, are roadtripping through the Shenandoah to Washington DC, where Everett will stay with his sister, and Maisie will continue up to spend the rest of the apocalypse with Gramps, an elderly prepper she’s become close to. Of course things go awry repeatedly.
What I loved about Doomsdate, and the reason I rounded up to 4 stars, was the emotional core of the book. Maisie is choosing to live life and in doing so, inspires Everett to do the same. Against the backdrop of Zombie America, they choose living along with surviving. They make detours to see and experience things before they plan to shut themselves off from the world again. The relationship they build between flights for their lives, sex lessons, and navigating other survivors is lovely.
The world around them feels less well thought through. One of my favorite things about Pot Shot was the illumination of policy through fiction. Laura Piper Lee has experience with chronic illness and navigating the American health care system as a woman with a chronic condition. Whatever your opinion on medicinal and recreational marijuana use, Lee has articulated her position clearly and thoughtfully. Doomsdate’s opinions on the American food system are less clear. I won’t get into who the culprits are, but the food we eat plays an important role in the apocalypse. Reading this while also reading food recall after recall, felt relevant, but also frustrating. I’m not sure if Lee pulled her punches, or if, like many of us, her feelings about the degradation of systems we rely on to stay healthy and safe are more amorphous rage. It is a horror romance so I don’t expect a policy white paper along with the yearning and danger banging. But the lack of clarity made the world around Maisie and Everett feel mushy.
I highly recommend Doomsdate for a terrifying zombie apocalypse and romantic road trip. Points off for grossing me out more than I was comfortable with and for leaving me confused about what point the author was making about the food distribution system, veganism, and access to convenient foods.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Ballantine and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
Maisie was raised isolated by her mother, an end of the world prepper whose schizophrenia caused her to live in extreme paranoia. Maisie has spent many years unlearning the fears her mother taught her and gradually integrating herself into the world. But mostly she stays in her Durham, NC apartment and interact with people online. As her 30th birthday approaches, she wants to lose her virginity and travel. Everett has been mourning his late wife and not interested in living. His best friend creates a dating app profile for him, matches him with Maisie, and sets a dinner date with her. He tells Everett about it a few minutes before the date so that he’s forced to go. Meanwhile, a gastrointestinal virus is sweeping the nation causing vomiting and diarrhea, butt Covid if you will.
Maisie and Everett hit it off so much that Everett decides to go back to her apartment, though they find themselves dodging sick people and pools of bodily fluids. I have a trigger happy gag reflex and a vivid imagination, so these early chapters with the frequent splats was tough for me to get through. If I hadn’t already read Pot Shot, I might not have powered through. After some fits and starts, the zombie apocalypse begins and Maisie, Everett, and his cat, Chicken, are roadtripping through the Shenandoah to Washington DC, where Everett will stay with his sister, and Maisie will continue up to spend the rest of the apocalypse with Gramps, an elderly prepper she’s become close to. Of course things go awry repeatedly.
What I loved about Doomsdate, and the reason I rounded up to 4 stars, was the emotional core of the book. Maisie is choosing to live life and in doing so, inspires Everett to do the same. Against the backdrop of Zombie America, they choose living along with surviving. They make detours to see and experience things before they plan to shut themselves off from the world again. The relationship they build between flights for their lives, sex lessons, and navigating other survivors is lovely.
The world around them feels less well thought through. One of my favorite things about Pot Shot was the illumination of policy through fiction. Laura Piper Lee has experience with chronic illness and navigating the American health care system as a woman with a chronic condition. Whatever your opinion on medicinal and recreational marijuana use, Lee has articulated her position clearly and thoughtfully. Doomsdate’s opinions on the American food system are less clear. I won’t get into who the culprits are, but the food we eat plays an important role in the apocalypse. Reading this while also reading food recall after recall, felt relevant, but also frustrating. I’m not sure if Lee pulled her punches, or if, like many of us, her feelings about the degradation of systems we rely on to stay healthy and safe are more amorphous rage. It is a horror romance so I don’t expect a policy white paper along with the yearning and danger banging. But the lack of clarity made the world around Maisie and Everett feel mushy.
I highly recommend Doomsdate for a terrifying zombie apocalypse and romantic road trip. Points off for grossing me out more than I was comfortable with and for leaving me confused about what point the author was making about the food distribution system, veganism, and access to convenient foods.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Ballantine and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
September 20, 2026
A doomsday prepper and a film studies professor meet for a first date the night a zombie apocalypse begins, and they quickly become each others survival partners out of necessity but also due to the spark they can’t ignore in each other. Despite seeming so different at first, they realize they’ve both been through life defining trauma and loss, just in very different fonts. She’s his way back, he’s her way forward 🥹 “I may have taught you how to survive, Everett. But you’ve taught me how to live.”
The story was simultaneously heartfelt, riotous, anxiety inducing, and sexy as hell. “This lesson’s going to work a little bit differently“ was single-handedly one the best monologues I’ve ever heard. “Yes, Professor.” Excuse me, the mouth on nerdy Professor Everett had me unwell.🫠😏
Need to get from point a to b during a zombie apocalypse? Why not take some side quests and check off your bucket list along the way. You’ve got nothing to lose except maybe your heart (both literally and romantically). Everett and Maisie were unique, funny, compelling MCs and I loved them!
Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Laura Piper Lee for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!
The story was simultaneously heartfelt, riotous, anxiety inducing, and sexy as hell. “This lesson’s going to work a little bit differently“ was single-handedly one the best monologues I’ve ever heard. “Yes, Professor.” Excuse me, the mouth on nerdy Professor Everett had me unwell.🫠😏
Need to get from point a to b during a zombie apocalypse? Why not take some side quests and check off your bucket list along the way. You’ve got nothing to lose except maybe your heart (both literally and romantically). Everett and Maisie were unique, funny, compelling MCs and I loved them!
Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Laura Piper Lee for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!
September 15, 2026
This was such a fun book.
Another for the bubblegum horror, romance genre!
If you take it too, seriously you’re probably not gonna enjoy it. But if you go into it for entertainment purposes, you’re there.
Another for the bubblegum horror, romance genre!
If you take it too, seriously you’re probably not gonna enjoy it. But if you go into it for entertainment purposes, you’re there.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you, Dell and PRH Audio, for the gifted e-ARC and ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!
4.5
I knew going in that this was going to be a wild ride. I was right! Maisie is a doomsday prepper, and Everett is a professor who’s obsessed with horror films. They end up on a date at the beginning of what feels like another pandemic. Turns out that a zombie apocalypse is happening. I appreciate how Laura Piper Lee brings in real problems and issues into her romances.
Maisie and Everett are both dealing with a lot of past trauma and are loners. I loved seeing their relationship unfold. There’s nothing like trauma bonding in a relationship. What I really liked was how they ended up complimenting each other. They are opposites and don’t think the best of each other. As they travel and survive together, they start to bring out the best in each other. It felt natural and not forced at all. Not to mention, there are several hilarious moments throughout the book! It did get a little repetitive and formulaic when they went on dates. It slowed the plot down a tiny bit.
I listened to the audio, and it was truly an amazing production. Hathaway Lee and P.G. Hammock complemented each other so well, and I loved how they portrayed Maisie and Everett. They had me feeling all the emotions, tension, and drama.
While I don’t know what will beat Pot Shot, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I can’t wait to read the next fun adventure Laura Piper Lee writes!
4.5
I knew going in that this was going to be a wild ride. I was right! Maisie is a doomsday prepper, and Everett is a professor who’s obsessed with horror films. They end up on a date at the beginning of what feels like another pandemic. Turns out that a zombie apocalypse is happening. I appreciate how Laura Piper Lee brings in real problems and issues into her romances.
Maisie and Everett are both dealing with a lot of past trauma and are loners. I loved seeing their relationship unfold. There’s nothing like trauma bonding in a relationship. What I really liked was how they ended up complimenting each other. They are opposites and don’t think the best of each other. As they travel and survive together, they start to bring out the best in each other. It felt natural and not forced at all. Not to mention, there are several hilarious moments throughout the book! It did get a little repetitive and formulaic when they went on dates. It slowed the plot down a tiny bit.
I listened to the audio, and it was truly an amazing production. Hathaway Lee and P.G. Hammock complemented each other so well, and I loved how they portrayed Maisie and Everett. They had me feeling all the emotions, tension, and drama.
While I don’t know what will beat Pot Shot, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I can’t wait to read the next fun adventure Laura Piper Lee writes!
August 23, 2026
I never thought I’d love a zombie apocalypse story but here we are because if anyone can change my mind, it’s Laura Piper Lee.
I was so hesitant to pick this up because I’m a weenie but I’m so glad I did because this is probably one of my favorite reads of the month. We have an intense prepper trying to find a good balance to live life freely and then we have someone who has felt like a zombie the past few years after losing his wife to cancer. They go on a date in the beginnings of what seems to be a pandemic and bam, zombies. This date turns into a doomsdate and what a wild ride it was. This story made me laugh, made me get teary eyed and also emphasized how I sometimes see the United States going. It also gave me new fuel for nightmares but you’ll have to read this book to see what I mean. 👀🐀🕊️
I loved the romance between Maisie and Everett. Two souls trying their damn hardest to move through life and not let their fears get the best of them. I know adrenaline intensifies emotions but nothing felt forced between them. I loved their silly dates in the middle of the apocalypse, I loved how they helped one another. To see Maisie be able to be soft after always being hypervigilant made me smile so much. Things do get mildly spicy (many times I went I could never knowing there’s danger at every turn) and I rate it 3🌶️ out of 5.
This story isn’t a fluffy HEA and there are moments I felt unfair but not enough to dislike this book. It showed the reality of a scary situation. The one very satisfying moment was the Oval Office scene and one can dream. Thank you so much NetGalley, Ballantine and Laura Piper Lee for the eARC!
I was so hesitant to pick this up because I’m a weenie but I’m so glad I did because this is probably one of my favorite reads of the month. We have an intense prepper trying to find a good balance to live life freely and then we have someone who has felt like a zombie the past few years after losing his wife to cancer. They go on a date in the beginnings of what seems to be a pandemic and bam, zombies. This date turns into a doomsdate and what a wild ride it was. This story made me laugh, made me get teary eyed and also emphasized how I sometimes see the United States going. It also gave me new fuel for nightmares but you’ll have to read this book to see what I mean. 👀🐀🕊️
I loved the romance between Maisie and Everett. Two souls trying their damn hardest to move through life and not let their fears get the best of them. I know adrenaline intensifies emotions but nothing felt forced between them. I loved their silly dates in the middle of the apocalypse, I loved how they helped one another. To see Maisie be able to be soft after always being hypervigilant made me smile so much. Things do get mildly spicy (many times I went I could never knowing there’s danger at every turn) and I rate it 3🌶️ out of 5.
This story isn’t a fluffy HEA and there are moments I felt unfair but not enough to dislike this book. It showed the reality of a scary situation. The one very satisfying moment was the Oval Office scene and one can dream. Thank you so much NetGalley, Ballantine and Laura Piper Lee for the eARC!
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