This is How We Die: A zombie apocalypse romance

by Elle Richards

Sadie's spent two years perfecting the art of being invisible, and her neighbour, Theo, has spent just as long noticing her, anyway.

As months of lockdown deteriorate into riots, and rumours of the dead reanimating turn out to be terrifyingly real, residents grow to become family, and the walls of their once safe apartment building close in around them.

While chaos reigns and survival means doing things none of them could have imagined, Sadie learns to trust the man who makes her laugh, cry, and protects her from any threat, even one that lurks inside their building.

* From the same universe as the When the World Fell series, set in the weeks before humans turn and zombies rise. *

A first-person, dual POV, slow-burn, apocalyptic romance, for lovers of found family, friends to lovers, and zombies.

Genres: Zombies, Survival, Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Romance

341 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2026

About the author

Elle Richards has been a fan of end-of-the-world, post-apocalyptic stories for the longest time, and she loves romance. Put them together, and you have her When the World Fell series.

During her free time, she enjoys hiking, drawing, renovating, and Googling cast members while she's watching TV shows and movies.

She lives in Victoria, Australia, with her husband, her two children, and three dogs.

You can find her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellerichard...

Reviews

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

「⭐️⭐️ ⭐️💫 3.5 Star Review...」
☀︎ THIS IS HOW WE DIE ☀︎ Is the first full length zombie book in the (Through the Chaos) series by Elle Richards. Main characters are Theo and Sadie. First-person, dual POV, ends on a cliffy. Set in Melbourne.

📚'𝙼𝚈 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂'📚 can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

I grabbed this on release day, after picking up and discarding so many books due to a funk I'm going to jump into this one in hopes it pulls me out of it. Have loved all this author's previous works so am keen to see what she throws at me with this one..

It kind of had that desired effect of pulling me out of my funk but not quite, it's very slow moving which I guess is what one would expect with a group of nine renters (there used to be seventeen) holed up within their apartment building in hopes they don't succumb to the illness (the ultimus Virus) that's ravaging their country.

I liked the group dynamic and the creepy property manager thrown into the mix but I'm a wee bit unsure how he actually fitted into the storyline. Unless that's how one sister goes missing when she turns up here?

Theo and Sadie who lived in the same apartment complex for two years didn't really speak to each other until the pandemic, but being quarantined for so many weeks and being the only two residents on their floor who have survived the virus to date, he got the courage to approach her and a slow burn relationship entailed which I liked seeing evolve and the change in Sadie as she grew to trust and care for about him slowly transcended.

Sadie has one surviving family member after losing their parents to a tragic car accident, her sister Ava is all she has left in the world. And she's in another country (America) trying to catch a plane home to Melbourne.

Theo has a sister and niece who will likely make their way to their dads country estate out in the country making it the perfect place to ride out the pandemic.

For me this didn't really pick up until about the 60% mark and that's when it got into it's groove when they left their apartments and I became more invested in the storyline as they travelled to Theo's dads place put in the country.

I'm excited to see what happens with Ava in the next book which looked promising and more action packed as she's in the thick of the pandemic with being stranded at the airport terminal with havoc escalating with people running in fear, others getting bitten, as they all strive to make it out in one piece.

Please don't let us wait too long for the next book...

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[Lorrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed that this book was mostly pre-zombie - the buildup beforehand. It sucked me in and I really liked the relationship that the people who lived in the apartment building had. Theo and Sadie were both interesting characters and really cute together. I kind of thought Dustin wasn’t necessary though; there was enough going on without adding him to the mix. I wasn’t expecting that cliffhanger with Ava and am really excited to read her story next.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had just finished this author’s first zombie-apocalypse trilogy, which I loved, so I was thrilled to see she’d released the first book in a new series. This one focuses on the beginning, after the virus hits, people get sick, and the rage-biting starts. With only nine people left in an apartment building, the slow realization of what’s happening outside is chilling. I loved Theo and Sadie, and honestly all of the characters, except for one creepy sleaze ball. Seeing familiar names from the previous series was definitely a surprise.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 / 5
Heat level: 1/5 peppers (very mild in description and frequency, nothing happens until like 80%)

I have mixed feelings about this story. I loved the main characters and their relationship, I even loved the overall plot of the story, what was wrong for me was the execution of the story. This book was a slow build, sometimes too slow. We spend a lot of this book learning about the evolution of the pandemic, how the virus mutates. Things in my opinion do not ramp up till after 50%. The virus really doesn't start being rabid/zombie like until then.

What I didn't like:
-I think there was just too much focus on the main character's relationship with other side characters (the other residents at this apartment complex) who they part ways with in the end it just felt a bit.....unneeded? Filler like? Maybe I should say I felt like if we trimmed it down a bit we wouldn't miss a lot.
-The news developments, they were constantly watching the news. Which is valid but it felt like half of the story was watching them watching the news if that makes sense.



I think Ava has the story I want to read, her story sounds like it is going to start in a very action filled/climatic spot especially with that epilogue in this first book.

[Teany · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one took me a while to read….

Going into it, I was expecting a strong zombie apocalypse story, but honestly, the apocalypse felt like it took a complete backseat. Instead of survival, tension, or real stakes, it felt more like reading an episode of Friends—just with a light sprinkle of zombies in the background.

The pacing was slow, and not much really happened to keep me engaged. I kept waiting for the story to pick up or for the danger to feel real, but it never quite got there.

If you’re looking for a true zombie apocalypse with action, suspense, and survival elements, this probably isn’t it. It leans much more into character interactions and everyday dynamics, which just didn’t work for me in this setting.

Overall, I found it pretty boring and wouldn’t recommend it if you’re expecting a typical apocalypse story.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Elle Richards previous series and was excited to start this new one. This felt completely different in almost every way especially since this is a novel instead of a novella. I loved the side characters and hope we continue to see them as well as more like the epilogue. I was surprised to start with Theo and found myself endeared to him quite quickly where it was slower with Sadie. I'm very curious about the structure of the series and if characters will return and in what capacity.

[Jemma Grew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read - I could read so much more of these stories! Give me more of the journey and more of the zombies! But still, I really liked the concept and connected with all the characters. The ending perhaps felt a little rushed.

Elle writes tension really well - it’s always a good sign when I have to remind myself to slow down reading. In particular the scene in the sporting goods shop was so tense I was reading so quickly I was skipping whole sentences. And that’s pre the zombies!

[Catheryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to return to this world.

Unfortunately, I had the same issues with this book that I had with the third book in her previous trilogy. There were too many side characters that we focused on and that took away from the main couple. Their relationship develops pretty quickly on page but they have known each other for a few years. I did like that most of the first half of the book was before the zombies appeared. But the development of the virus didn't make a lot of sense.

Overall, I didn't really connect to the characters or their relationship. I'm still hopeful for the rest of the series.

[Aya Blackwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this. It was set weeks before a pandemic turned into a zombie apocalypse and it was interesting to see the build up rather than starting at the explosion. I really liked the characters except for D-bag. There is some smutt but its not smutty...? I dont know how to explain that. And not until like 75% in.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

fresh take

I liked this one because it focused more on the time leading up to the zombies rather than dropping us in the middle of it. I can’t wait to find out what happened to Eva, Tim & Varesh. I hope they deal with Dustin.

[Hanny 🐝]

Not a fan of the style of writing
The mmc is desperate not yearning /creep/stalkish
Modern virus please don’t mention quarantine and covid 19 in books

[mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want Theo ✨✨✨✨

[tryingtowritesomething · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! Australian. Great characters. On the edge of my seat. Good writing. Just everything. So desperate to know what happens with her sister!