A Vampire Battles Zombies in Olivia Dade’s Paranormal RomanceZomromcom— Here’s a Sneak Peek! (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Photo credit to Berkley; Leni Kauffman

Photo credit to Berkley; Leni Kauffman

Olivia Dade has a new paranormal romance that’s sure to make you swoon!PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the bestselling author’s forthcoming novel,Zomromcom, which will arrive in bookstores next summer.Edie Brandstrup is living in a world where zombie breaches are rare, but not unheard of. When the first one in 20 years occurs, Edie saves her neighbor, Max, only to realize that he’s actually a vampire. Max is determined to keep Edie from harm, but she’s set on saving as many people as she can — and bringing Max along for the ride.

Berkley

While on their mission, the duo learn that there’s an ongoing conspiracy to set zombies loose amongst society, They join forces with a group of allies and even as the world seemingly crumbles down around them, Edie realizes that she might have feelings for Max — and that she must reckon with the meaning of love in dire times, too.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Dade, who landed a hit with her 2020 romanceSpoiler Alert, along with its sequels,All the FeelsandShip Wrecked, tells PEOPLE thatZomromcomis as humorous as it is steamy.“WithZomromcom, I set out to create a book that would make me laugh and swoon even on my most challenging days, in hopes it might do the same for my readers,” the author says. “The joy of writing this story is splashed all over its pages, and I hope that joy is contagious in the best possible way! (Yes, “contagious” is a zombie pun. I couldn’t resist. Nor did I try.)”

Hungry for more? Read on for an exclusive excerpt fromZomromcom.

An illustration of Olivia Dade.Leni Kauffman

Leni Kauffman

Didn’t matter. A burrito was what she had. Thus, a burrito she would use. Somehow. Even though the various self-defense courses she’d taken had neglected sufficient coverage of the tortilla-wielding martial arts.Her sweet idiot of a neighbor stood on the unlit front porch of his dilapidated brick rancher as the sun dipped below the horizon and shadows stretched to swallow him. Chad wore headphones and didn’t react to her shouted warning. No one else came running to help either, and no matter what happened, no one would. There were 11 homes on their cul-de-sac, and only two were currently occupied. Hers. Chad’s.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.She was the only one who could save him. Or at least attempt to save him.Oh gods, she didn’t want to die. But she couldn’t let someone else —anyoneelse — perish while she ran to rescue herself. Not again.The creature was only a dozen long strides away from Chad now, lunging upward and onto its hind legs in preparation for the kill, elongated teeth yellowed and sharp and bared, claws oustretched to rip Chad’s head from his absurdly broad shoulders before cracking his skull open like an egg and slurping down the tasty yolk of a brain.She skidded into the zombie’s path, panting and terrified, and kicked it in the chest with every ounce of her strength and desperation.

Mistake. Big mistake. The creature stopped, true. But it stumbled maybe a half step back and to the side, that was all, while the impact numbed her entire leg and jolted her off-balance. As she struggled to stay upright, to assume a defensive stance, the zombie growled something hoarsely —Bonjour?That couldn’t be right.— its red-rimmed eyes now fixed on … her. Which had been her intent, but still. S—.She swatted it across the snout with her foil-wrapped burrito. Its stare narrowed, empty of anything but feral rage. As she took several hasty steps backward, the creature stalked forward, slowly now, still upright.

source: people.com