Doomsdate

by Laura Piper Lee

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.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Horror, Contemporary, Zombies

9 pages, Audible Audio

First published September 15, 2026

About the author

Laura 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.

Reviews

[jenny reads a lot]

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.

[Sophie]

DNF 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!

[Krysta ꕤ]

”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.

[MagretFume]

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.

[Rebecca]

omg this sounds so good?

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for access to this ARC

[maria]

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

[Mo Reads]

‘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.

[Elle G. Reads]

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

[Kelsey | Pages Between Policy]

✨ 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.

[V]

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.

[Kelsey reviews•books]

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

╰┈➤ ❝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.♥•

[Melissa]

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.

[liz]

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.

[Bethany Hall]

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!!!!!

[Cindy]

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.

[SelkieReader]

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.

[Jennifer]

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!

[Bonita. E]

Just so you know, a young nerd hot professor is so underutilized 🤓🥵

It's a zombie apocalypse, She teach him the art of survival and he teach her the art of sex.....

Maisie is almost 30 years old, she's heavy in being a survivalist. A doomsday prepper you might say. She's good at martial arts, in handling weapons and general knowledges on survival. This kind of life isolated her to the real world as of she never had any normal relationship just like any woman of her age, and she want to change her life a bit by losing her virginity before she turns 30.

The professor on the other hand, an emotionally unavailable man who still mourning after his wife died three years ago. His best friend set him up to meet Maisie on dating app so that he can move on. But little did they know they met during the day of the zombie apocalypse.

Anyway this is the kind of book that best experienced when you left a little but of your brains and stop questioning everything. I rolled my eyes so many times while reading it as there are SO MANY things that didn't make sense, plot wise and character wise but whatever.

I could say I'm a fans of zombie stories, im in my Resident Evil run as we speak (currently in RE 4) and had read plenty of zombie books in the past so I kinda had a big expectations toward this one but alas. The book has so much potentials but opted to be a silly out of the world romcom instead with nonsense plot and unreal characters.

The writing is also not really my style as it heavily "telling" instead of "showing" but oh well, it's not really bad tho I still enjoy my time reading it and I love the sexy times in there too it's fun and creative 😘 the hot professor hello? (and no they don't have sex with the zombies if anyone wondering)

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC 🩷

[hannah ⊹ ࣪ ˖]

6+ stars, besties. This was a deranged, sleep-deprived, emotionally compromised, laughing and crying at the same time kind of reading experience. I loved this book so much I genuinely don’t know how to be normal about it.

Doomsdate completely blindsided me… in the best possible way. It’s a zombie apocalypse romantic comedy with a doomsday prepper FMC, a grieving film professor ANGEL of a MMC, a cat named Chicken, sex lessons, road trip survival chaos, and somehow it is also one of the most heartfelt, emotionally resonant romances I’ve read in a long time. It’s hilarious, tender, weird, hot, devastating, hopeful, and so full of life even while the world is literally ending around them and they’re being chased by zombies with bioluminescent eyeballs. And I had the BEST time reading it.

This is so different from the kinds of books I usually end up giving 6+ stars to, which honestly makes it feel even more special. There was just something magical about the way this book balanced completely unhinged, feral chaos with genuine emotional depth. I was laughing out loud CONSTANTLY. Like, actual cackling in the dead of night because the comedic timing in this book is so sharp and absurd and perfect, but then a few chapters later I’d be tearing up over these characters and how deeply human they felt and how honest and raw they were able to communicate and connect with each other. I stayed up until 5 a.m. to finish it because there was absolutely no way I was sleeping before I knew how this story ended.

Maisie and Everett absolutely owned my heart. Their chemistry is immediate, but not in a shallow, insta-love way (which is CRAZY because they have known each other for less than a day before they’re thrown into this apocalypse as survival partners). It was in an “I see you, and I don’t know what to do with how much I already care, and I’ve never met anyone like you, and how the hell do you see me so clearly already because we only just met” kind of way. Their connection felt so raw and honest from the start, and I loved how vulnerable they both were with each other, even when they didn’t mean to be or want to be. Maisie is anxious, guarded, hyper-prepared, and so used to relying only on herself, and watching her slowly start to trust people, to open up, to believe she deserves softness and safety and love? I was in pieces. There’s so much heart in her character arc, and seeing her grow into herself and her confidence absolutely wrecked me in the best way.

And Everett. Oh my god, Everett. Professor was down so bad. His yearning??? EXQUISITE. No notes. This man is grieving, awkward, gentle, quietly funny, and so deeply gone for Maisie in a way that made me want to scream into a pillow. The tenderness he has for her, the way he sees her, the patience, the vulnerability, the want and desperate need… I was living my best life. I loved him so much. I loved THEM so much. Their romance felt intimate in a way that went beyond the steam (though yes, this book is VERY steamy and I am absolutely not complaining). The sex lessons premise could have been played purely for laughs, but instead it ended up being funny, hot, and surprisingly emotional because of how much trust and affection develops between them.

And then there’s the emotional damage this book inflicted on me. The birthday scene?? I was sobbing. That scene hit me so hard because this book understands that sometimes love isn’t grand gestures in a perfect world, it’s people finding ways to make each other feel seen and celebrated and cared for when everything is literally falling apart. It’s making room for joy and tenderness and connection even in the middle of grief and ruin and fear. This book gets that, and it gets it so, so well.

Also, I need to say this with my full chest: the side characters and found family energy in this book were EVERYTHING to me. Chicken? An zombie-detecting legend. Gemma? Obsessed with her! Badass scientist queen. I need a book for her and Ellie. Every little dynamic, every bit of survivor camaraderie, every ridiculous and heartfelt moment just worked for me. I didn’t want to leave any of them.

What Laura Piper Lee does so well here is make the apocalypse feel genuinely dangerous and emotionally weighty without ever losing the humor, the romance, or the sense of adventure. There’s gore, grief, death, and real horror here, but there’s also warmth and absurdity and hope. The tone should not work as seamlessly as it does, and yet it absolutely does. This book is hilarious one minute and emotionally devastating the next, and somehow it never feels jarring. It just feels alive.

I can’t recommend this one enough. I had so much fun reading it, but more than that, I loved how much heart it had underneath all the zombies and chaos and flirting and survival antics. It’s one of those books that reminds you how special reading can feel when a story just hits exactly right. I’m genuinely so sad it’s over because I want more of Maisie and Everett and Chicken and Gemma and this whole messy, bloody, heartfelt little apocalypse family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for this eARC! This will 100% be one of my favorite reads of the year.

✨Here are some quotes that made either (1) laugh, (2) cry, or (3) laugh and cry.✨

“Leave me alone, you creepy bastards!” he sobs. “You don’t want to eat me—I taste like sadness!”

“What was he a professor of, anyway? Something useless, probably. English? Poetry?” “TV,” I mumble into the mic. Gramps roars in outrage. “They let children major in television? No wonder the apocalypse has arrived!”

“Well, I concede in real life he could’ve been a murderer,” he says, wiping at tears. “But this is a romance, Maisie. Romances are safe.” “What do you mean—safe?” “They always have happily ever afters. It’s the rule of the genre.”

“Sadness is such a solitary burden that you notice when anyone cares enough to lift even a finger’s weight of it off your heart. And Maisie saw mine, saw me trapped beneath the wreckage of my hope, and lifted it off me like it was nothing more than a butterfly.”

“Slowly, I lower myself until I’m lying over her, my forearms resting on either side of her pillow. She is all I can see, and I know that if I lived the rest of my life this way, narrowing my vision to just her in my arms, I could be happy no matter what the other circumstances are.”

[Elizabeth]

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!!

[Ric]

This is the second Laura Piper Lee I’ve read, and both have been a blast. Both have been so different than anything else I’ve read in the genre, which is a ton of fun. Her writing style is so hilarious too, it just made this book very difficult to put down.

Doomsdate as a whole was incredibly entertaining. Two people getting together at the start of a zombie apocalypse is such an insane plot in the best way, and Maisie and Everett were two characters who made it even better. They played off each other so well, considering how they were both so intelligent and so naive at the same time for different things. The story was a great time as well, I was so invested in what would happen next and it was such a quick read. I’m definitely on the lookout for more of her stuff, it’s just so different and I love it.

[kelsie]

soooo.. this took me a very long time to read.. not sure if i’m slumping OR it just didn’t hit as much as i needed it to. i did enjoy this book, however, i feel as though it was slow in some parts. the last 25% of the book was the best part, and i can’t even count how many times i cried. i think it was the long chapters that KILLED ME!! i do think this book was very unique, though, and i loved that! i’ve always wanted to read a zombie apocalypse romance.

i loved the opposite roles in this, the woman being the badass and the man being softer, which made it so much better! yall know i LOVE me a good, tall, nerdy man with glasses and this one definitely delivers. bonus points for him being a cat dad. the fmc is SUCH a tough person, physically and mentally, i could only possibly dream of being her. i think her story is so unusual (complimentary) and i also LOVED that.

i have one note: that ending? how dare you. thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review via netgalley. all opinions are my own <3

[b.andherbooks]

⭐Library Journal Review, July 2026

if you liked the gory, questy parts, AND the cat of Dungeon Crawler Carl but wanted more kissing and ROMANCE, give this zombie apocalypse romance a read!

Professionally reviewed for Library Journal from an advance copy. Thank you to LJ and the publisher for the opportunity. All private thoughts are my own, professional review can be found on Library Journal's website.

⭐ Library Journal Review July 2026

[esther ⋆⭒˚.⋆( interactive)]

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was too outlandish even for me, even though I knew I signed up for an apocalyptic romance. While I thought the mix of these genres was very intriguing and could be really fun, this book, quite frankly, let me down.
Maisie is a doomsday prepper who has never been in a relationship, so she decides to go on this blind date with Everett, and shit hits the fan very soon after in the world. Their journey through zombie-infested cities and other dangers is the main plot in the movie.
I was not particularly in love with either character. Maisie was very odd and forward, and she pissed me off; her behavior was not normal or respectable. Everett, on the other hand, was a lot more interesting but bland. I feel like his being a professor didn't add much to the storyline, and he didn't show enough knowledge of zombie movies to actually be helpful.
I did enjoy their connection; it was a very gradual, slow burn until they admitted their feelings and found each other.
The end of the book is where things really fell apart for me. I will not detail any of it, but it was outlandish and weird, even knowing that this is a zombie apocalypse book.
I think this book could have been great, but overall, it fell short for me.

--- pre-read ---
Zombie apocalypse and a romance, sign me up!!!

[Eve Tsak]

❀࿔ 3.5 stars

this was SUCH a strange concept, but in a way that I actually really appreciated. Maisie essentially goes into their first date with a very specific objective: she has never had sex, the world appears to be ending, and she would quite like to change that before becoming zombie food. Fair enough, honestly.

the entire book has this sarcastic, absurd and slightly unhinged sense of humour from the VERY beginning, and I think your enjoyment of it will really depend on whether you’re in the mood for that. The outbreak itself has this almost COVID-esque feeling to it, except obviously… zombies, and I actually thought the reasoning behind the virus was really clever. There are underlying conversations surrounding processed food, additives and the modern food industry, with vegans, vegetarians and people following certain diets seemingly being less affected. It’s completely bizarre, but somehow it WORKED.

I also loved getting a zombie romance because I genuinely can’t remember ever reading one before. It felt completely different from the romances I normally pick up, and I appreciated that the author committed to the weirdness of the concept rather than trying to make this a traditional apocalypse story.

Maisie was definitely one of my favourite parts of this book. She has grown up incredibly isolated because of her mother, who essentially taught her that everyone was out to get them, so she enters adulthood with basically no social experience and some EXTREME trust issues. Because of that, she’s wonderfully quirky and slightly awkward, and some of the things that come out of her mouth are genuinely so funny. BUT I loved that underneath all of that, she is ridiculously tough. The fact that Everett is quite literally incapable of defending himself against the zombies while Maisie is out here handling herself perfectly was one of my favourite dynamics between them. More than anything though, I loved her character development. She begins the book having never really had people she could trust or consider family, and amidst the absolute insanity of an apocalypse, she somehow starts finding exactly that. Watching her gradually let people in and realise that she doesn’t have to live the isolated life her mother created for her gave her story so much more heart than I initially expected.

Everett is your classic professor MMC, except apparently being an academic does NOT translate into surviving a zombie apocalypse. His best friend sets up his dating profile, which is how he ends up on a date with Maisie, and from there his life basically descends into chaos. He’s also carrying quite a lot of grief after losing his wife, and I liked that both he and Maisie came into their relationship with completely different but equally complicated experiences of family, loss and loneliness. There were definitely moments where I felt their connection, and I liked seeing Everett slowly find himself again through knowing her, but unfortunately the romance itself never became quite as strong for me as I wanted it to.

I was REALLY enjoying the beginning, but somewhere around the 50–60% mark it started losing me. I found myself less invested throughout quite a large portion of the middle, particularly because I wasn’t completely attached to the romance, but around 80% it suddenly picked back up and I was having fun again. The concert sequence especially was so ridiculous and chaotic, but honestly one of my favourite parts of the entire book.

overall, Doomsdate is weird, funny, romantic and completely unserious while somehow still having some surprisingly thoughtful ideas underneath all of the chaos. I don’t think every element completely landed for me, particularly when it came to the strength of the romance and that slower middle section, but I REALLY appreciated how original it was. I also really, really liked the author’s writing, so even though this wasn’t quite a four-star read for me, I’m genuinely excited to see what she writes next.

thank you so much to Random House UK, Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC.

[Amber (Ambee & Ink)]

This review and more can be found on my Bookstagram & Booktok @ Ambeeandink!

Thank you so much to Ballentine, Dell and NetGalley for the review copy of Doomsdate!

Tropes:
❤️Rom-Com
🧟‍♂️Age Gap (7 years)
❤️Road Trip
🧟‍♂️Spicy Lessons
❤️Virgin FMC
🧟‍♂️Grief and Anxiety Rep
❤️College Professor MMC

Was no one going to tell me the Everett has the FILTHIEST mouth? AND when Maisie asks him to explain what he is doing during their "lessons" that he should be writing a filthy zombie rom-com himself? Y'all should have seen me gasping and blushing as I read those scenes. This book had me overheating like I don't read spicy books like its my full time job!

Maisie is nearing her 30th birthday and the one thing she still needs to check off her bucket list is to loose her virginity. Growing up, her mom isolated them on a homestead, fearfully teaching and instilling into Maisie that the world and the people in it were out to hurt them. Now, ten years of living on her own and back in society Maisie is ready to date and cross this massive bucket list item off her list. Only, the start of another pandemic is in the works. What starts out as a seemingly simple stomach flu quickly unravels into quarantine and mask wearing. Maisie isn't ready to give up on her goal and sets up an online date. Because, who wouldn't want to meet the potential love of their life while fearing they are going to shit their pants.

Dr. Everett Greer is no where near ready for a first date, he is still actively mourning the death of his wife from 3 years earlier to colon cancer. But when his best friend shows up on his door, telling him he catfished Maisie into going on a date with Everett he is too nice of a guy to cancel in the last few moments. So he showers, gets dressed and goes on this date. Only, this date goes disastrously bad and Everett runs away, thinking he'll never have to see Maisie again. But the zombie apocalypse has started and she is his only hope at survival.

I think Maisie and Everett balanced each other out perfectly in this book, between the dialogue, their banter, the inner dialogues, their actions and mishaps I don't think they could have been a better fit for each other. Maisie was raised by a dooms day prepper and that is all she knows, when shit quite literally hits the fan she knows what to do and where to go. Everett on the other hand? Maisie is saving HIM! Where she knows what to do and how to survive, Everett is like a newborn lamb who has no survival skills and most likely have gotten his arm gnawed off by a zombie if Maisie didn't save him from that tree.

Of course, during all of this Maisie still hasn't forgotten her goal of loosing her virginity and proposes and idea to Everett to give her sex lessons. Getting to see the hot, older, nerdy professor that can't pitch a tent tell Maisie all the filthy and dirty things he is going to do to her? No one warned me of that! I feel like the spicy scenes and moments in the book were placed and paced really well, I think the open conversation of boundaries and being comfortable with someone was super important and well done too. Side note: I am still thinking about THAT scene on the Empire State Building and I don't think I ever will stop.

The grief of Everett loosing his late wife to cancer and Maisie's anxiety of the world was really well done and balanced in this book. There were so many moments where I was laughing my ass off only to be crying a few minutes later at how deep these characters felt. I don't know if one would categorize this as a second chance kind of romance, but I do think the way it is written we get to see both character have a second chance at life (even if its in the middle of the zombie apocalypse!)

Doomsdate is a laugh your ass off, then cry and then laugh some more novel with a mix of zombies, a pandemic and some crazy adventures that you just have to read to believe they happened. I am so glad that I had an opportunity to read this book because it was truly one of a kind and Laura Piper Lee is now on my list of "auto buy authors."

[Amanda Rose]

Yes. Absolutely add this to your tbr immediately. A hilariously done zombie apocalypse rom-com. It’s giving Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, The Dead Don’t Die… all the hilarious zombie/comedy movies from early 2000s. Packed with cinema references, raucously funny scenes, and an Oval Office scene that could give this book its 5 ⭐️ alone (biggest thanks to the author for giving that scene to us 🙌🏻)

Maisie Bennett is a 29yo doomsday prepper. Her late mom raised her off the grid on a homestead, just the two of them. Teaching her the world around them was full of people that would harm them. It’s been 10 years on her own. She’s slowly ticked a few things off her list of normal life to-do’s. It’s almost her 30th birthday and she was one big item she really wants to tackle. Losing her virginity. No better time to start living and going after her wants than when the nation is suffering from a viral contagion that starts with violent stomach-flu symptoms and sets up an online date, right? Just throw on a mask and they’ll be fine.

They are not fine….

Dr. Everett Greer hasn’t seen color or felt like living since his wife passed 3 years ago. When his close friend catfishes Maisie into a date with him, he knows he can’t leave her hanging. He’s quickly intrigued by her blunt awkwardness and finds himself back at her place, nearly doing just what Maisie was hoping for when it’s comically interrupted and he flees the scene. Unfortunately for him the contagion has went from bad to worse and when he tries to head to his friend’s house the zombie outbreak has already begun.

Doomsdate is non-stop, action packed ride once the outbreak begins. Yet it doesn’t miss on the tender, vulnerable moments of understanding between the MCs. I loved these two blossoming into something more and finding what it means to live together. Hitting the professor x student, forced proximity, and cat sidekick notes I’d definitely recommend this one!

***Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for my honest review***

[Alyx Gough]

Thank you so much Ballantine for the eARC!

I am absolutely OBSESSED with this book.

DOOMSDATE was everything I never knew I needed: zombies, forced proximity, a road trip, an anxious doomsday prepper heroine, a nerdy film professor hero, and a cat named Chicken who honestly deserves a starring role of his own.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked. This book somehow manages to be laugh-out-loud funny, wildly chaotic, incredibly sweet, and surprisingly emotional all at the same time. One minute I was cackling over Maisie’s prepper tendencies and Everett’s complete inability to survive literally anything, and the next I was clutching my chest because these two broken, lonely people were slowly finding their way back to life through each other.

Maisie was such a refreshing heroine. She’s anxious, awkward, unapologetically herself, and yet so incredibly capable. And Everett? I adored him. Watching this grieving, movie-loving professor get dragged through the apocalypse while slowly falling for the woman keeping him alive was perfection.

The chemistry between them was off the charts. The banter? Amazing. The tension? Delicious. The romance? Had me kicking my feet and grinning like an idiot. I loved how their relationship developed amid complete zombie-fueled chaos. It felt genuine, heartfelt, and earned.

And can we talk about how FUN this book was? The apocalypse setting never overshadowed the romance, but it also wasn’t just background scenery. The zombie attacks, survival situations, road trip adventures, and constant sense of danger kept the story moving at a breakneck pace. I flew through this book and never wanted to put it down.

This was feral in the best possible way. Hilarious, romantic, chaotic, heartfelt, and endlessly entertaining.

If you told me I’d become emotionally attached to a doomsday prepper, a film professor, and a cat during the zombie apocalypse, I would’ve laughed. Yet here we are.

One of my favorite reads of the year, and I already want to reread it.

[Anna]

3.5⭐️

Thank you to @prhaudio for the gifted advance listening copy. #prhaudiopartner All opinions are my own.

Laura Piper Lee won me over with POT SHOT. It was funny, irreverent, spicy, and took on a hot topic. There was no question I would want to read DOOMSDATE. I mean, come on, a romance set against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse. No one else could possibly write this story.

And I was into it. A doomsday prepper and a nerdy film professor have their first date while the country is reeling from a mysterious gastrointestinal ailment that is 100% fatal. Ridiculous and darn entertaining.

But it wasn’t all sh!ts and giggles (a phrase frequently uttered by my sainted mother). While the stricken move from sick to dead to undead, Maisie and Everett (and his cat, Chicken) are forced to fight flesh eating zombies on their way to safety. The weirdest first date ever.

DOOMSDATE is funny, irreverent, spicy, and takes on a hot topic. Mix in some grief, family drama, and the age old quest to lose your virginity before the world ends; and this had all the makings of another hit.

But, and this is a really big but, the author lost me when she took an unnecessary swipe at our neighbors to the north. Considering the current political environment, the negative representation of Canada brought the fun to a screeching halt. Everything after that was contaminated. And that’s a big old bummer because it added nothing to the story.

Hathaway Lee and P.G. Hammock are terrific in their roles as Maisie and Everett. They brought the fun and camp and I thoroughly enjoyed their performances.

[Megs]

🩷🧟‍♂️ARC Review🧟‍♂️🩷

Thank you Laura Piper Lee and NetGalley for this ARC of Doomsdate! Quirky and fun and just perfect!

This was my VERY FIRST book by Laura Piper Lee, and let me tell you I am about to binge read the heck out of all her books! I am a sucker for an apocalyptic romance, and this is one of the BEST that I have read! 😍

Maisie is EVERYTHING! I absolutely adore her and I think in the real world we would be the best of friends 🤭 The doomsdate of the year, decade, lifetime? Maisie and Everett and their blind date meet cute and everything that happens and how nervous she was, but her determination prevails as she gets Everett to come home with her, but then he runs away 😂. One thing after another happens, and then BOOM it’s Zombie Apocalypse time!

These two team up to be the most epic and fun team to take on the apocalypse and the zombies together. The way that their journey turns into an epic road trip with these two turning the journey into mini dates with survival aspects as well was phenomenal! (The Empire State Building tho 🤭🥵☺️)

I just can’t with this book, I absolutely cannot wait to snag this trophy for my shelf because this was the zombie apocalypse read of decade, for myself at least!

Tropes:
🧟‍♂️apocalypse stories
🩷light machete action (non-sexual)
🧟‍♂️lessons
🩷touch him & die
🧟‍♂️hot professor
🩷doomsday prepper
🧟‍♂️road trip romcom
🩷only one White House