REVIEW: Doomsdate by Laura Piper Lee

First of all: zombie apocalypse rom-com? Say less.

Doomsdate by Laura Piper Lee: Maisie Bennett is a socially anxious doomsday prepper who has never made it past a first date, so she’s determined to check one thing off her bucket list: getting laid. Enter Everett Greer, a handsome film professor who agrees to a date after being pushed back into the dating world by his friends. Unfortunately, their awkward first date takes a serious turn when the virus spreading across the country turns into something much worse. Suddenly, Maisie and Everett are on the road trying to survive—and somehow falling for each other along the way.

DOOMSDATE by Laura Piper Lee was a funny, chaotic and a wild ride. There are plenty of ridiculous situations, pop-culture references, and moments that made me laugh, but the story also has a much more emotional side than I expected. Maisie and Everett are both dealing with loneliness and grief in very different ways, and I liked that the apocalypse forced them to rely on each other while also giving them a reason to start living again. I also loved the idea of Maisie teaching Everett how to survive while he teaches her how to actually live. That contrast gave the romance more to work with than just two people trying to stay alive, and I was curious to see how those lessons would change both of them.

The survival elements were especially fun because Maisie actually knows what she’s doing. She isn’t suddenly a badass because the plot needs her to be—she’s been preparing for this her entire life. Everett, meanwhile, is much more comfortable talking about horror movies than actually surviving one.

DOOMSDATE was completely bonkers, wildly entertaining, and much more emotional than I expected. I loved the combination of zombie chaos, road-trip adventure, dark humor, and romance, but Maisie and Everett were what really kept me invested. Add in a nerdy professor, a badass prepper, plenty of spice, and one scene-stealing cat, and this was one memorable apocalypse romance.

TROPES & VIBES
🛣️ Forced proximity
💕 Opposites attract
🛡️ Badass FMC
🤓 Nerdy professor MMC
🐈 Cat dad
🧟‍♀️ Apocalypse romance
🔥 Sex lessons
💋 Spicy romance
🫶 Found family

Book Info:

Publication: September 15, 2026 | Dell |

With a new virus spreading and a lockdown on the horizon, Maisie Bennett is determined to check one item off her bucket list: Get laid. But that’s no easy feat for an anxious doomsday prepper who’s never made it past a first date. So when a handsome, stubbly-jawed professor swipes right and agrees to meet up, Maisie vows to act normal—and to leave her taser at home.

Dr. Everett Greer has lost all lust for life after a personal tragedy, but he doesn’t have the heart to stand up the poor woman his best friend catfished to force him back “out there.” Maisie turns out to be surprisingly lovely, but there’s something off about her, too, with her clinking cargo pockets, shy smile, and utility belt full of—are those weapons? Unfortunately, their awkward first date goes from bad to doomed when the GI virus that’s trapped half of America in the bathroom starts claiming its first casualties, then reanimates them into flesh-eating zombies. And this is precisely why Everett doesn’t date anymore.

As the country spins out of control, Maisie and Everett find themselves an unlikely team of two—well, three, if you count Everett’s cat, Chicken—as they travel north to hopeful safety. Along the way, Maisie and Everett make a deal: she’ll teach the soft, liberal arts professor how to survive, and he’ll teach her how to live—through movies, travel, and, to Maisie’s delight, sex lessons. But when their growing feelings are put to the test, they’re in danger of losing not only their brains to the zombies, but worse, their hearts to each other.