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Capture the Rain: An MM Romance in the Zombie Apocalypse
If there ever was a safe time to make a terrible decision, the end of the world might as well be it.
It's been a long year for Glendale Peterson, and it's only May. Dumped and kicked out by his toxic fiancé and in a fragile state of mind, he throws everything he owns into a trailer and drives. Over 2,500 miles, in fact, from the Colorado high desert to the sunny farmland where he grew up, south of glamorous downtown Miami. His part of town sees more mangoes than movie stars, more celery than celebrities, but he's desperate for some quiet to recuperate. Unfortunately for Glendale, just a few weeks after his sudden return home the whole world falls apart.
A zombie apocalypse just seems par for the course for the year, really. Fresh off a slew of bad experiences and not quite ready to trust, a near-death experience puts him in the path of Marcelo Gonsalvez, a man so incandescent he's almost beyond belief. Holed up from the hordes with only the bubbly stranger who rescued him for medical attention, things could go sideways fast.
Fortunately for Glendale, sometimes life stops throwing curve-balls and lets you catch your breath. While he's at it, he's also going to catch feelings.
Capture the Rain is a gay contemporary apocalypse romance featuring two neurodivergent protagonists (Autistic, AuDHD), a fat MMC, a Dominican Afro-Latine MMC, low gore, medium spice, and maximum feelings. A single POV slow burn teeming with emotional intimacy, self-acceptance, caretaking, and touch-starved/touch-generous moments, Capture the Rain will delight readers who need a bit of queer love hopecore to make it through this timeline. A reminder that even in an inhuman, inhumane world, empathy is an asset: as long as we look out for each other, we will be okay.
Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, science fiction zombie violence, mentions of past trauma and abuse
It's been a long year for Glendale Peterson, and it's only May. Dumped and kicked out by his toxic fiancé and in a fragile state of mind, he throws everything he owns into a trailer and drives. Over 2,500 miles, in fact, from the Colorado high desert to the sunny farmland where he grew up, south of glamorous downtown Miami. His part of town sees more mangoes than movie stars, more celery than celebrities, but he's desperate for some quiet to recuperate. Unfortunately for Glendale, just a few weeks after his sudden return home the whole world falls apart.
A zombie apocalypse just seems par for the course for the year, really. Fresh off a slew of bad experiences and not quite ready to trust, a near-death experience puts him in the path of Marcelo Gonsalvez, a man so incandescent he's almost beyond belief. Holed up from the hordes with only the bubbly stranger who rescued him for medical attention, things could go sideways fast.
Fortunately for Glendale, sometimes life stops throwing curve-balls and lets you catch your breath. While he's at it, he's also going to catch feelings.
Capture the Rain is a gay contemporary apocalypse romance featuring two neurodivergent protagonists (Autistic, AuDHD), a fat MMC, a Dominican Afro-Latine MMC, low gore, medium spice, and maximum feelings. A single POV slow burn teeming with emotional intimacy, self-acceptance, caretaking, and touch-starved/touch-generous moments, Capture the Rain will delight readers who need a bit of queer love hopecore to make it through this timeline. A reminder that even in an inhuman, inhumane world, empathy is an asset: as long as we look out for each other, we will be okay.
Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, science fiction zombie violence, mentions of past trauma and abuse
- GenresM M RomanceLGBTZombies
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 3, 2026
Who knew a zombie apocalypse would be so cozy?
Glendale's life imploded when his fiance ends up being an abusive ass and he leaves him to move back in with his parents in Miami, Florida. He seeks therapy, discovers he is autistic, and talks it out with his parents - where we find they're extremely cutting and dismissive of his questions and issues. Then, his world implodes again - the zombie apocalypse strikes.
There's minimal on-page zombie stuff. The outbreak is skipped over and chapter one opens with Glendale already showing how he's surviving. Through a series of unfortunate events, Glendale is injured and happens to meet Marcelo, a sunshine of a man, who nurses him back to health. Glendale invites him back to his home to spend some time, like a "vacation" from the people he's normally with.
Well. Glendale is attracted to Marcelo, and because this is a romance book, we can tell Marcelo is attracted to Glendale. His flirting and attention get him nowhere, though, not even the moment he figures out how to make a record player work and invites Glendale to slow dance with him! And sweet Glendale is obliviously pining for this guy he thinks doesn't like him bac until Celo is finally very over-the-top:
And Celo keeps extolling the virtues of Glendale's body:
And trying to get a little sense into Glendale:
I just can't handle how utterly charming both MCs were. I will be watching out for more books by the author if they're all this fun.
Side note: as a resident of the plains, I think I'd be taken by a tornado. Or spend like the first three months of the apocalypse just trying to dig a tornado shelter. I am NOT ready for the weather service to go down!
Glendale's life imploded when his fiance ends up being an abusive ass and he leaves him to move back in with his parents in Miami, Florida. He seeks therapy, discovers he is autistic, and talks it out with his parents - where we find they're extremely cutting and dismissive of his questions and issues. Then, his world implodes again - the zombie apocalypse strikes.
There's minimal on-page zombie stuff. The outbreak is skipped over and chapter one opens with Glendale already showing how he's surviving. Through a series of unfortunate events, Glendale is injured and happens to meet Marcelo, a sunshine of a man, who nurses him back to health. Glendale invites him back to his home to spend some time, like a "vacation" from the people he's normally with.
Well. Glendale is attracted to Marcelo, and because this is a romance book, we can tell Marcelo is attracted to Glendale. His flirting and attention get him nowhere, though, not even the moment he figures out how to make a record player work and invites Glendale to slow dance with him! And sweet Glendale is obliviously pining for this guy he thinks doesn't like him bac until Celo is finally very over-the-top:
“Although if I may say so, Jesus Christ, your thighs. Holy shit, dude. Those thighs are incredible, they could crush me like a grape and I’d tell you to do it again.”
Well, this has officially gone a direction he didn’t expect. “Um, what do you mean, ‘my thighs?’” He’s burning up now, a very tomato-like color blooming on his face.
And Celo keeps extolling the virtues of Glendale's body:
The hands around his middle slide to cup his sides just above his cargos and give his love handles an appreciative squeeze. "These. Los chichos. They make you cuddly and good for hugs."
Glendale has spent more time blushing in this apocalypse than he ever did when the world was what passed for normal. "I'm good for hugs?"
And trying to get a little sense into Glendale:
"Daley, I kissed your bare shoulder under a romantic rainfall. I was putting the moves on you, that was the smoothest move I've ever pulled off in my life and I was congratulating myself for it. You seriously thought that was freaking platonic??"
Marcelo rolls his eyes with an exasperated smile and gives him a little shake, groaning breathily. "Totally. No homo, just a completely bro-coded tender smooch for my homie. A little besito for my boy during our spontaneous outdoor shower, the world is our locker room, dudeski. Yes, ‘kiss it and make it better,’ but mostly kiss it and hope you would kiss me back."
I just can't handle how utterly charming both MCs were. I will be watching out for more books by the author if they're all this fun.
Side note: as a resident of the plains, I think I'd be taken by a tornado. Or spend like the first three months of the apocalypse just trying to dig a tornado shelter. I am NOT ready for the weather service to go down!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2026
Trope highlights:
* Cinnamon rolls MCs
* Strangers to friends (and roommates) to lovers
* Cooking for him
* Cuddling and forehead kisses
* Dancing together
* Hurt/comfort
* Helping him get over his fear of chickens
* Nursing him back to health
Spice highlights:
* Cum as lube
* All the soft praise and building him up
* Squishing him into his body while you jerk him off
Genre: post apocalypse fantasy (real world)
Other person drama: none
POV: third person single present
Type: Standalone / Book one in series (HEA/strong HFN)
Burn: slow
CWs: fatphobia, emotional abuse, depression, parental death, ableism, queerphobia, discussion of religion
This was such a sweet read! Come for the zombie apocalypse, stay for the sweetest and most healing slow burn friends to lovers story you'll read any time soon.
This is not a horror story or even a high angst action story. This is a story of homesteading, rebuilding after the loss of your family and the loss of your identity to an abusive relationship. It's finding home in a person you just click with more than any other, it's dancing in lantern light to the sound of an old record playing, and it's a love letter to life in Miami, her streets and her seasons.
I absolutely loved Marcelo and Glendale together. Glendale has serious hangups from his last relationship where his ex constantly belittled, gaslighted and criticized him for his weight, his autism, his emotions, and everything else you can think of. He's been left so down on himself and so scared to trust that anything good can last.
But then Marcelo drops into his life - saving Glendale from zombies and bursting into his days like a beam of sunshine. Celo comes to stay with Glendale while his wounds from the incident are healing and they get on so well that neither of them ever wants their roommate situation to end. Life is just easier and brighter with Celo around, and Marcelo finally has someone who appreciates him for who he is.
The friendship between them is so sweet, I absolutely adored the way they worked so well together to get the homestead running more smoothly (I love this kind of post apocalyptic slice of life story), and how they warmed up to each other as they got to know each other and really care. Both of them are total cinnamon rolls and all they wanted was to make sure the other person was happy, relaxed and able to achieve their post apocalypse dreams.
The romantic and sexual tension between them both grew really organically and never felt rushed or out of character, especially with Glendale's history. I was totally convinced by their romance and I love their HEA. I just love to think of them living in their little house, growing their plants, keeping their chickens, with Celo fixing his electricals and Glendale canning his preserves. Evenings cooking together and then dancing in the living room before cuddling all night.
This is a low spice story - only one scene - but it was perfect for them and the book really didn't need any more. This is very much a story of emotional intimacy and physical comfort without a focus on sex. I'm a high spice reader, but I didn't miss it at all here.
There also aren't that many zombies and there isn't that much suspense after the first few chapters. On a scale of cosy zombie book to edge of your seat apocalypse book, this definitely at the Lyla Dane Bad Blood end of the scale as opposed to the Kick at the Darkness Keira Andrews end. Definitely check this out if you enjoyed Bad Blood, and vice versa!
Overall this is a wonderful low angst book about overcoming trauma and learning to love yourself. It's about finding your home in a person and weathering whatever life throws at you. It doesn't matter if you enjoy zombie books or apocalypse books or not - as long as you enjoy cosy, lowish angst books then I think you'll love this one.
* Cinnamon rolls MCs
* Strangers to friends (and roommates) to lovers
* Cooking for him
* Cuddling and forehead kisses
* Dancing together
* Hurt/comfort
* Helping him get over his fear of chickens
* Nursing him back to health
Spice highlights:
* Cum as lube
* All the soft praise and building him up
* Squishing him into his body while you jerk him off
Genre: post apocalypse fantasy (real world)
Other person drama: none
POV: third person single present
Type: Standalone / Book one in series (HEA/strong HFN)
Burn: slow
CWs: fatphobia, emotional abuse, depression, parental death, ableism, queerphobia, discussion of religion
This was such a sweet read! Come for the zombie apocalypse, stay for the sweetest and most healing slow burn friends to lovers story you'll read any time soon.
This is not a horror story or even a high angst action story. This is a story of homesteading, rebuilding after the loss of your family and the loss of your identity to an abusive relationship. It's finding home in a person you just click with more than any other, it's dancing in lantern light to the sound of an old record playing, and it's a love letter to life in Miami, her streets and her seasons.
I absolutely loved Marcelo and Glendale together. Glendale has serious hangups from his last relationship where his ex constantly belittled, gaslighted and criticized him for his weight, his autism, his emotions, and everything else you can think of. He's been left so down on himself and so scared to trust that anything good can last.
But then Marcelo drops into his life - saving Glendale from zombies and bursting into his days like a beam of sunshine. Celo comes to stay with Glendale while his wounds from the incident are healing and they get on so well that neither of them ever wants their roommate situation to end. Life is just easier and brighter with Celo around, and Marcelo finally has someone who appreciates him for who he is.
The friendship between them is so sweet, I absolutely adored the way they worked so well together to get the homestead running more smoothly (I love this kind of post apocalyptic slice of life story), and how they warmed up to each other as they got to know each other and really care. Both of them are total cinnamon rolls and all they wanted was to make sure the other person was happy, relaxed and able to achieve their post apocalypse dreams.
The romantic and sexual tension between them both grew really organically and never felt rushed or out of character, especially with Glendale's history. I was totally convinced by their romance and I love their HEA. I just love to think of them living in their little house, growing their plants, keeping their chickens, with Celo fixing his electricals and Glendale canning his preserves. Evenings cooking together and then dancing in the living room before cuddling all night.
This is a low spice story - only one scene - but it was perfect for them and the book really didn't need any more. This is very much a story of emotional intimacy and physical comfort without a focus on sex. I'm a high spice reader, but I didn't miss it at all here.
There also aren't that many zombies and there isn't that much suspense after the first few chapters. On a scale of cosy zombie book to edge of your seat apocalypse book, this definitely at the Lyla Dane Bad Blood end of the scale as opposed to the Kick at the Darkness Keira Andrews end. Definitely check this out if you enjoyed Bad Blood, and vice versa!
Overall this is a wonderful low angst book about overcoming trauma and learning to love yourself. It's about finding your home in a person and weathering whatever life throws at you. It doesn't matter if you enjoy zombie books or apocalypse books or not - as long as you enjoy cosy, lowish angst books then I think you'll love this one.
Review of advance copy
A list of reasons to read this book:
-Florida is the perfect place for an apocalypse
-You will learn things about plants
-The tenderest shoulder kiss that has ever happened
-Third person present my beloved
-I was nervous about zombies because I tend to struggle with zombie-related media. If you are like me, rest assured that the zombies are mostly off-page
-Practical competence is really valued in this story and I appreciated reading about it so much! I would be fully useless in the event of an apocalypse; Glendale and Marcelo are not and reading about gardening and electric work was very soothing
-As a constant worrier myself, I felt with Glendale so much
I received an advance copy during the Neurodivergence in Queer Romance Bookfunnel event in February
-Florida is the perfect place for an apocalypse
-You will learn things about plants
-The tenderest shoulder kiss that has ever happened
-Third person present my beloved
-I was nervous about zombies because I tend to struggle with zombie-related media. If you are like me, rest assured that the zombies are mostly off-page
-Practical competence is really valued in this story and I appreciated reading about it so much! I would be fully useless in the event of an apocalypse; Glendale and Marcelo are not and reading about gardening and electric work was very soothing
-As a constant worrier myself, I felt with Glendale so much
I received an advance copy during the Neurodivergence in Queer Romance Bookfunnel event in February
June 30, 2026
I loved this so much. If I had finished it in December, it would have been my favourite book of the year. As it was, I read 70% in one sitting because I love it that much.
This book does a lot of things I love and don't see too often. It is about the characters just getting to know each other and spending time with each other. A true romance of two people slowly falling in love, and I adored every second of it.
As a queer autistic person, Glendale is so very relatable. And as an Afro-Latine, so is Marcelo.
These two are so cute and I thought it was so well written and engaging. I would read six more books!
This book does a lot of things I love and don't see too often. It is about the characters just getting to know each other and spending time with each other. A true romance of two people slowly falling in love, and I adored every second of it.
As a queer autistic person, Glendale is so very relatable. And as an Afro-Latine, so is Marcelo.
These two are so cute and I thought it was so well written and engaging. I would read six more books!
May 31, 2026
I found this book randomly on Instagram and the premise sucked me in and I read it in one sitting. Did a debut novel, this was wonderful! The characters felt very real and the issues that arose between them made sense based on their personalities. The writing felt quite polished, especially for a debut indie novel. I hope that in future books there is a bit more spice because what was in this book was lovely to read, I just wanted a bit more of it. Overall a cozy (which is where say about the zombie apocalypse lol) read that I quite enjoyed. Hope to read more by them in the future!
Want to Read
May 25, 2026Autism x AuDHD
June 30, 2026
I loved this book and can’t wait for the next in the series. More mutual aid with sweet oblivious romance please!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews