Doomsdate by Laura Piper Lee: My Honest Book Review
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⭐ Quick Verdict
⭐ My Rating: 3.5 ★
💭 Quick Take: A quirky paranormal romcom that blends a zombie apocalypse with bedroom lessons, forced proximity, and two lonely people discovering there’s still plenty worth living for.
👉 Read If You Love:
- Paranormal romcoms
- Zombie apocalypse stories with humor instead of horror
- Forced proximity
- Bedroom lessons
- Virgin heroine
- Road trip romance
- Sweet, cinnamon roll heroes
- Cat dads
🚫 Skip if:
- You want your zombie stories dark, suspenseful, or scary.
- Bathroom humor isn’t your thing.
- You don’t enjoy insta-lust or a quicker physical relationship.
- Political commentary in fiction pulls you out of the story.
Book Details
Release Date: September 2026
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Virgin Heroine, Widow Hero, Bedroom Lessons, Road Trip Romance, Cat Dad, Apocalypse Romance, Romcom
Series: Standalone
Steam Level: Moderate
POV: Dual
What This Book Is About
Maisie has spent most of her life preparing for the end of the world. Raised in isolation by her survivalist mother, she’s prepped and stocked her car like its very own a bunker, perfected emergency plans, and learned just about everything except how to live a normal life.
With her thirtieth birthday approaching, she decides it’s finally time to experience the things she’s been missing, starting with losing her virginity. But when her first real date coincides with a mysterious virus that quickly turns into a zombie apocalypse, Maisie and widowed cat dad Everett find themselves fleeing for safety together. As they battle zombies on the road, Maisie asks Everett for bedroom lessons, turning an already bizarre adventure into an unexpectedly sweet romance.
My Review of Doomsdate
The moment I heard about Doomsdate, I knew it was going on my TBR. A zombie apocalypse romcom featuring one of my favorite tropes, bedroom lessons? Add in that gorgeous cover, and I couldn’t resist.
I’ve admittedly fallen down the rabbit hole of doomsday prepping before, so I was immediately fascinated by Maisie. Laura Piper Lee does a wonderful job making her incredibly capable and resourceful while also showing just how sheltered and lonely her life has been. Raised almost entirely in isolation and still struggling to connect with people years later, Maisie is easy to root for because beneath all of her survival skills is someone desperate to finally start living.
Her first date with Everett is one of my favorite parts of the book. Armed with dating advice she learned almost exclusively from reality television, Maisie’s awkwardness makes for a hilarious meet cute. From there, the story leans fully into its wonderfully absurd premise as a virus causes widespread gastrointestinal mayhem before the dead begin rising, sending Maisie and Everett on an unforgettable road trip to survive the apocalypse.
As ridiculous as the premise sounds, the romance is what kept me invested. Maisie’s determination to experience life for the first time, including asking Everett for bedroom lessons, creates both funny and surprisingly tender moments. Everett is exactly the kind of hero I love reading about: patient, incredibly sweet, and quietly carrying years of grief after losing his wife. Watching him slowly rediscover joy while encouraging Maisie to embrace life made their relationship genuinely endearing.
I also loved Chicken the cat, who completely stole every scene.
The story did lose some momentum for me during the final third. It started branching into storylines that didn’t feel as necessary, making the pacing drag compared to the fast, entertaining beginning. The romance also moves fairly quickly into physical intimacy, and for me, Maisie’s first experience and intimacy moments after went a little too perfectly in my eyes but that’s fiction for you and maybe Everett’s that good 😊. I was willing to roll with it because the chemistry between them was charming, but it required a bit of suspension of disbelief.
The book also includes quite a bit of commentary surrounding processed foods, food preservatives, and current political issues. Personally, those conversations didn’t bother me, but readers who prefer their romances to stay clear of topical commentary may feel differently.
I received an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
What I Loved
- A fresh, hilarious take on the zombie apocalypse.
- Maisie’s resilience and determination to finally experience life.
- Everett’s kindness, patience, and protective nature.
- The bedroom lessons trope mixed with genuine emotional growth.
- Plenty of fun pop culture and zombie movie references.
- Chicken the cat deserves an honorable mention.
Things to Know Before You Read
- Contains extensive discussion of diarrhea and vomiting during the opening chapters.
- Includes commentary about processed foods, food preservatives, and current politics.
- More humorous than scary despite the zombie apocalypse setting.
- Features insta-lust and a relatively quick progression to physical intimacy.
- References numerous zombie movies and other popular films throughout.
Final Thoughts
Doomsdate is exactly the kind of book that embraces its wonderfully bizarre premise and has fun with it. While I think the pacing lost steam toward the end, I had a great time following Maisie and Everett through this humorous zombie apocalypse and found myself completely invested in both of their personal journeys.
If you’re looking for a paranormal romance that’s quirky, funny, and much more charming than frightening, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try. It’s a refreshingly different take on zombie romance that proves love can bloom even at the end of the world.
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