I'm not entirely clear on what romantasy is. I assumed it was Lord of the Rings but either Frodo or Sam is a girl, or they're both textually gay, or something. But maybe all the paranormal romances I've picked up over the years when the library has been bare of new Regency romances have been romantasy all along?
According to Google, or the Google / AI mix that comes up now when you try to google something:
While a vampire romance can be considered romantasy, the distinction lies in the emphasis: traditional paranormal romance focuses on the romance with supernatural elements, whereas romantasy prioritizes world-building, politics, and epic quests alongside the romance.
The world-building of ZomRomCom by Olivia Dade is half-hearted at best. It's set in an alternate reality where zombies and various supernatural beings exist, but also it's more or less 2025 in our world, except that people casually refer to "gods" and "hells" instead of to God and Hell. The zombies are trapped in a city's walled innermost circle, and then there are walled concentric rings around it where some people live -- although most moved away after the original Zombie apocalypse, before the Zombies were trapped in the innermost circle. Got it?
SPOILERS
Now the Zombies have escaped. They are running around the concentric neighborhoods, slurping brains (or not, because it's not clear whether or not these poor starving creatures ever succeed in finding a meal). Heroine Edie, who lives in the first ring outside the zombie circle, decides to try to save her neighbors by warning them. She starts with her next door neighbor, hero Max, who, it turns out, is a hot vampire. And also a TikTok fashion influencer who hawks uncomfortable underwear. (For some reason, since he's crazy rich.) Max reluctantly agrees to help Edie, because he's been in stalkery luurve with her for years, and maybe also because he actually cares?
So Edie and Max set out to warn people in the most desultory way possible. There's so much -- SO MUCH -- hanging around. Can't leave while it's dark, might as well have sex! Oops, can't leave while we're hungry! When they do eventually go on their brief excursions, they warn a few people -- apparently everyone else has already been eaten? Or is hiding? Or the neighborhood is so empty there's no one to save? It's all very unclear. And then Edie and Max are tired again, or it's dark, or they're hungry -- time to go back and rest and eat and have sex!
Along their very slow attempts to save people they meet some charming counterfeiters who are also amazing cooks who live in an abandoned mall and are utterly unconcerned about the second coming of the zombie apocalypse. And a group of tween girls who are also unconcerned and apparently have no parents and they are so upbeat and want to help! Then there is more eating and resting and fucking (but quietly because the tween girls are around).
Eventually, after who knows how much death and destruction (if any) has been caused by the escaped zombies, there is a battle. It might be dangerous! But fighting is so tiring!
Now the battle has ended but there is a bigger one to come. In the next book, which will star different characters from this book. I'm not sure which ones because I couldn't keep them straight.
I was reading this book at the same time that I was watching The Last of Us, a Zombie apocalypse TV show that is intense and amazing and scary as fuck. I would sooth myself after the episodes by reading a few pages from Zom RomCom, which allowed me to fall into a peaceful sleep, just like our main characters after (and sometimes before) fucking.
Note from Jasmine Gold: As the name of this blog indicates, I write erotica. Check out my dark, dystopian novel about naked sex slaves, Mindgames. Your darkest fantasies, with a phenomenal plot and characters you will come to think of as beloved friends. Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited and in paperback. Or read my book of short stories about hot, consensual sex, The Mature Woman's Guide to Desire, available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
