Special Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy!

In a wonderful mix of Downton Abbey and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, I think I have found my new favorite thing. Yes, you get the Upstairs, Downstairs along with some kick-butt action but what makes this story special are the girls! The three Clarke sisters are the true scene stealers although we get enough of the whole family and staff to round things out. The girls are expected to marry and marry well, while the staff has dreams about what it is to live. Kate must marry in order to keep the estate intact and while she enjoys putting her suitors through their paces, she treats everyone as her underlings.

When Zombies appear with the suitors for the weekend, the Abbey gets a bit crowded. Grace is the true star of this story along with Fanny (from downstairs) that liven up the book. When the Zombies are rising the family must confront their societal norms and stratification in order to fight and win. I think at this point, I most identified with Lizzy and her outlook that everything would turn out perfectly.

Of course, what would a Zombie book be without a chapter or two with a cat as the narrator? Yep, that works as a wonderful foil to this cast of characters. I really need a follow up for this one since there are a few ends dangling that need to be tied up neatly. The mix of characters could be a bit overwhelming at times but the whole thing is a lot of fun and is a quick read. Parents: this is pretty safe.

This book is if you took a high-class, English society, threw in a random zombie apocalypse, and spiced things up with a comedic twist.

In all, it has the recipe for a fun time!

At first, I was taken away from the wit of the opening scene. We start to get the hint of a 1920s society when the high class had their own closed-minded agendas. It was hard for me to take this story in any sort of serious note after that, and it provided a fun twist into this YA story... normally, a Zombie-apocalypse takes on more of a serious, life-vs-death approach. Not this book.

This book is set in multiple POVs which brought in different vibes to the story. There are smaller hints of romance and not-so-romantic-moments so if you're looking for a book with the right balance, this is it!

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was easy to get into the vibrant, historical time. My only issue with this story was some of the more cheesy moments with the higher society. The plot of the story followed through for me, and provided a balanced mix of characters. Some you will love and some you will wish were the zombies for a change..

Also, if you think this story is going to be scary, don't let your hopes get too high going into this book. Even though the zombies were executed (pardon my words) efficiently, there weren't any 'scary' moments that I found. So this book is great for those who love zombies, but not the creepy ones!

This was such a fun and interesting read. I loved that this book takes place in the past. Most books with zombies take place in the future so I thought that this was unique. One thing I didn't like was how the book jumped between characters too much. And some of the characters are unlikeable but I still enjoyed the story. There was plenty of action, romance and funny moments. If you like Downtown Abbey and zombies then I recommend you pick this one up!

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. The story opens with the three daughters, their family owns the Abbey, getting ready for a party that evening. The eldest daughter, Kate, is meant to marry and bear a male child as heir to the Abbey. The party will introduce possible suitors for her to choose from or for them to choose her. The lovely British setting begins with tongue in cheek humor and the calmness of a classic but eventually, horror ensues when a woman is forced to shoot her already dead husband! No one but her nephew believes that her husband came home after she had already verified his death. She claimed that his eyes were unusual and he was no longer her husband, but a monster. Little by little, the Abbey community and surrounding village is overtaken by zombies and the survivors must defend themselves or fall victim also. The gutsy Fanny, a kitchen maid, builds up bravery throughout the Abbey and helps fight to save the residents, along with the three daughters. Zombie Abbey is a fun horror story, which seems oxymoronic, but the author pulls it off quite well! 4 stars for this adventurous dystopian!

First, just look at that cover. It's gorgeous. I want a physical copy so I can display it on my shelf. :)
Now to the book... Before the Zombie 'plague' happened, the Clarke family's concern centered on the entail that dangers their control over their entire estate. Having three daughters and no heir, the estate might go to some male cousin and so the family was set to marry off their eldest daughter, Kate, to produce an heir. And the two younger sisters, Grace and Lizzy, are just glad to be not 'poor' Kate. But then the Zombies appeared and the sisters, along with their entire household, some suitors and the villagers are forced to face such creatures they'd never seen before.



♥♥♥My Thoughts♥♥♥
This book is not without its flaws as I stated above, but I enjoyed it so much and that's what matters. I've read reviews saying this reminds them of Pride and Prejudice and I understand why. This has indeed some of P&P's elements. But strangely, Austen's book never comes in my mind while reading this. This novel gives an entirely different vibe and I'm not saying that's a flaw. I'm merely stating that this is a novel with its own strengths and is no romance novel that will make you swoon and feel giddy.

Is it scary then or creepy? No. Though it was advertised as Horror, I think Humor is more accurate to describe it. Though this includes Zombies that should've been scary and a snob upper class family that should've been annoying, it was written in a way that's almost comical that there's no chance of hating and getting scared. Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that there are too many characters and the book isn't long enough to really develop the Zombie concept because it had to introduce each character first. I found all the characters fascinating, and easy to remember and that's saying a lot because like I said there are plenty of characters. In other words, the author did great on giving her characters distinguished personalities that's not hard to remember.

Overall, this is one fun, enjoyable read and I really hoped it's longer cause it ended fast. In the end, I found most of the characters are still in need of development and plot seemed unfinished. I think there will be book 2 and I'm crossing my fingers to that. If you're looking for a fast, fun read, this one's perfect. :)

Zombie Abbey is a short and hilarious read, perfect for fans of zombies and 1920's England.

When Will Harvey's aunt shoots her husband, no one believes her when she tells people that he was most definitely dead, before rising back to life and trying to kill her. When the zombies reach the Clarke estate, everyone must set aside their differences and work together, or they just might end up dead.

After reading the synopsis of this book I knew that I had to read it. I love the time period that this is set in, and who doesn't love a good zombie story. Although this book is placed in the horror genera, I didn't really think it was that scary. I actually found it to be more funny than scary.

This book is told in the perspectives of many people at the Clarke estate, including the sisters, Will Harvey and the maid. While there was lots of characters I loved, like the youngest sister Lizzy, there was also a lot of characters that I didn't particularly care about. So when I was reading from the point of view from the characters I liked I really enjoyed the story, but when I was reading in the point of view of the characters I didn't care about, the story sometimes seemed to just drag on. I really would have enjoyed the story if it was told in one or two points of view rather than this many.

The plot of the story was good. This book definitely has a slow start, but eventually picks up around half way into the book. But once the action started the book definitely got a lot better and I found myself wanting to continue reading.

While I really enjoyed the story, I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. I think there were a little too many open ended questions about the characters and what happens next to the characters, for me to enjoy the ending. It almost seems like there should be a sequel to this novel, but I don't think there is one.

Overall, I enjoyed most of the characters and the action in this story made me want to keep reading, and not put the book down. I definitely recommend this book if you love Zombies or Jane Austen novels, although if you want action from beginning to end or a sold ending, this might not be the book for you.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted's Zombie Abbey is a mash-up of Downton Abbey, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, and The Walking Dead. Paranormal & historical mash-ups seem to be on the rise with people wanting to escape for a few hours and enjoy the curiosity of English society. Set in 1920 England, the story is pure escapism mixed with a bit of horror. The story is told via three sisters who are the daughters of the Earl of Post Hampton: Lady Katherine (17), the entitled eldest who is being groomed to marry. She arrogant, Spoiled. She loves hunting, but she treats everyone like step stools, including her sisters.

Lady Grace (16) is lost in the middle and wishing she were braver. She is the complete opposite of Kate in almost every way. One could say that Grace is the pleasant surprise of the story for her actions later on in the book. But, don't ignore the youngest Lady Lizzy (15) who is endlessly sunny, & easy to underestimate and belittle because the youngest are supposed to be seen, and not heard from. Lizzy is a whole lot better of a person and a character than Kate by a wide margin.

There are others, of course. Those like Will Harvey, Daniel Murray, Raymond Allen, and Fanny Rogers, who represents the Downton cast in this novel & the most enjoyable character in this entire story. It is a time of healing from World War I. It is a time where women weren't able yet to own any land or property or have a say in their own lives. For the sake of this story, the author introduces you to the practice of Entails: Entails ensure that only mail heirs can inherit a property, or the eldest must marry a suitor.

With her father throwing a party and asking his eldest to meet with several suitors at a time, anything can and will happen. This story, in my humble opinion, suffers from the dreaded too many irons in the pot syndrome. If the author had just focused on maybe the sisters, it wouldn't have been so overwhelming. Plus, the ending leaves so many unanswered questions. Like, will there be a sequel? Who will survive the zombie apocalypse? Will anyone live to have their HEA, or will the author go on a bloody tear? For those reasons, my rating is a firm 3 stars.

Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted is a young adult historical horror story that takes readers back to 1920 in England and tosses them into a zombie apocalypse. I’ve seen a lot of comparisons on this one to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and perhaps that’s true but I haven’t read and/or watched to know the details to it. But that obviously makes this one not really a completely original idea either but being new to me I found it a fun idea to go back in history instead of normally zombie reads being set in the future.

This book centers around the Clarke family and their visitors and workers etc at their property. The three Clarke sisters play a huge part but the point of view bounces around between a lot of the characters without really focusing too much on any one particular person at any given time. This is one of the reasons I lowered my rating as I think it would have made connecting a bit easier had the author toned back a bit and focused on more specific characters.

What seemed to be done well though was bringing readers back into that time period and setting up the way things were back then. The book starts off with pushing suitors at the eldest Clarke sister because of course back in those days women just had to be married off and of course to someone of their station, that cute stable boy would have definitely been off limits.

As the story went on and the zombie activity begins to make it’s appearance it also seemed to fit the time period. You see something like Walking Dead with it’s hoards of zombies and that fits the population in this time frame well Zombie Abbey started off a bit slower of course to fit that time period.

So when it was all said and done I do think perhaps this one had a few issues that could have been a bit better it was still an entertaining read overall leaving me to rate it at 3.5 stars. There’s of course the horror side with the zombies but take that and mix it with a bit of history and even some romance making it a nice mix up with just the right amount of action.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

In the start, this book gave me Pride and Prejudice and Zombies vibes, but no it was different. I am not a big fan of Zombies so this book was perfect for me, the Interesting thing is that the main focus of the book was not on the Zombies even the word zombie was not even used (As far as I could remember it because I was eager to read that how they came to know to zombies, because they even don't know that what is happening with people)

The story is set in 1920, Lord Martin Clarke, who is earl of Porthampton Abbey, and father of three daughters, Lady Kate, the eldest, who is too close to her father and a heartless creature her only aim in life is to get married to someone wealthy enough so her father's fortune won't go to another, Lady Grace, who as a middle daughter is neglected and decent as compare to Kate, Lady Lizzy, being younger is quite naive and family considered as stupid. The whole family's concerns are only what to eat, what to wear, and maintaining their lifestyle without caring about what their farmers are going through Until they found about some unusual events in the abbey.

The thing I liked most was the way story was focused on each and every character without declaring anyone main character, In the start it felt like Kate is the main character, but after that I thought no Grace is but no after that it kept changing giving everyone equal story time(I don't know if it is a word like in movie it is screen time ).

All the characters were too interesting, Lord family is too stubborn or should I use word cruel They don't even care if anyone is dying or not, They won't do any compromise on their food and their daily deeds.

Fanny and David were my favourite characters, they are bold and knows how to face any situation, Grace and Lizzy are also likeable.

The story ends on a cliffhanger, but I think it is about Perspective If you want to consider it cliffhanger then it is.

Overall I enjoyed it.

While I adored the premise, I wished this had just given me a little more. Let me explain. I didn't really connect with any of our main characters - except Fanny and Lizzie. I knew I would because they are the fiercest and most headstrong. We are kindred spirits. But I had a hard time really understanding the rest of the characters. On a different note, I just didn't really feel like the rest of the sisters - Grace and Kate - had much going on for them for a while. Not to mention, I would have liked a bit more time with each of these different perspectives. And the thing is, I'm still in love with the premise because it introduces this conflict of our prejudices in the face of survival. I am a huge fan of what this book is trying to do. The 'upstairs' really has to come to terms with their feelings regarding themselves and the 'downstairs' including their neighbors.

So while I loved the premise, and even a few characters, I felt that I was just missing something, Furthermore, I actually feel like if there was a sequel, I would enjoy that even more, because the characters seemed to be on the precipice of growth at the end of this book and I just wanted to nudge them a little more.

*thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

This was SUCH a fun read! If you are a fan of Jane Austen and want to read a twist on stories like hers then I would highly recommend this book. It was funny, silly and at time serious but that just made it even funnier. But with saying that, there was a story plot. It was an absolute delight to read. This was a light hearted book and quite refreshing. I'm adding it to my pile of books that I need to re-read.

"Zombie Abbey" is Downton Abbey with zombies (and characters names changed). Although it's been a while since I watched Downton Abbey, all the characters reminded me of specific characters from the show (just names were changed). The difference here is the zombies in the vein of the "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" book published in 2009 (and made into a movie in 2016). As such, I didn't find this to be as novel as other reviewers, but I was surprised at how closely the characters mirrored Downton Abbey's characters. For instance, the three sisters are almost exactly like the sisters in the show, plus the parents are similar, the distant cousin who will inherit, the house manager that views the eldest daughter as if she were his own, the sassy, young kitchen attendant whose mouth will get her in trouble, etc. The only characters I did not remember from the show are the cats, who surprisingly get their own points-of-view in the book.

We skip from person to person in the book, getting a glimpse of their thoughts and ideas before going to the next. It is not hard to follow, despite the many characters whose points-of-view we witness. Many of the characters are not easy to like, particularly the eldest daughter (similar to the show) and the footman/acting valet, Daniel, who steals money and is generally discontent. We seem to get their perspective more frequently (at least it seems that way to me) and neither is particularly likable. The most likable are the middle (somewhat forgotten) and youngest (naive but brave) daughters that mirror the ones in the show.

The build to the zombies seems rather slow with the annoying doctor discounting everyone's experiences (until his fate catches up to him) and a slow discovery of what is happening/when it becomes a real issue. It does take a while to set up the many characters. I almost felt like this could be fanfiction for Downton Abbey that was turned into a book (maybe intended to be a parody?). I'm not sure how I felt about it overall, but I think it does have an audience- just maybe not me. And I think this was largely due to expectations of this being something new and learning that it was not so new. It did have some funny moments and would be great for fans of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies!"

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Similarities to Downtown Abbey (which I didn't watch much of) but it is still good and has some elements reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC.

Umm..this book was alright. The characters were kind of annoying and there was no plot twist. Everything was kind of predictable and the ending was kind of meh.

Yes, it’s true. When you start to read this book, you’ll get a few flashes of Pride & Prejudice with Zombies. But, no worries. This isn’t a carbon copy, so read on!

In Zombie Abbey, Lauren Baratz-Logsted brings us a very clever, funny and heartfelt tale of manners, class distinction, women coming into their own power…and zombies, of course.

Now, you may find yourself a bit put off by a couple of the sisters at first. Please keep reading. They each come into their own soon enough. While I did have a favorite (Grace), I found myself loving each of them – even Kate who I hated at first!

Our zombies are a bit more sad than scary – especially when some characters you love eventually get turned.

Note that the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so there should be more to come – and I’m so looking forward to it!

Bring on another book!

I could not get into this book, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a wonderful story. It just wasn’t my type. So sadly, we have to part ways.

Downton Abbey meets Walking Dead. In this creative drama by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, we learn what it might have been like if there was a zombie outbreak in 1920. This thought in itself, is positively terrifying.

The book starts out with the usual dinner parties and the hustle and bustle of the English countryside. There are all the characters you will need for a crazy zombie filled night. I found myself waiting for the excitement to happen. Waiting in anticipation, but I'm afraid it was a false hope. There really wasn't enough zombie interaction, and too much of the normal dinner party chit chat. If I'm going to read a paranormal, I want there to be out of the ordinary kind of things happening.

The story was a little lackluster for me. Definitely a fun concept that could have been elaborated on more. If you enjoy a good historical fiction with a small amount of zombies, then you will absolutely love Zombie Abbey.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I first saw this appear as a want to read on my wall, and knew I wanted to read it too. Then I saw it was available to request on Netgalley, and I clicked and hoped. It sounded like just my cup of tea; zombies and a Downton Abbey type feel, but it never quite got there for me. Some of the writing is just TERRIBLE, there is no other word for it. The pacing was off, some of the situations ridiculous, and there are WAY too many POVs. I did realllllly like the characters though, and the romantic pairings. Lizzy, Fanny, The Duke, and Grace were my favorites though, and poor Merry. In the end I liked the Earl too, and the grandparents.

This book has real potential but I feel like it needed more editing and polish. My Kindle version is littered with the title appearing in random sentences, not sure what that is about. Also my Kindle is an older version, and sometimes the writing gets chopped up and spread across the screen strangely. A good idea, and definitely better than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (at least for me) Three stars.

So I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it. It was like a water downed classic. I don't mean that in a bad way. It would serve well as a good intro into classics from writers like Jane Austen. But I found I just couldn't connect with the plot or the characters. The plot meandered and then it just kind of ends with no real conclusion.

I don't want to fill this with all negative opinions. I certainly liked the concept. It was very original. Not something you see a lot in YA literature. But man, I couldn't handle a lot of the characters, not to mention the sheer amount of them. I couldn't keep a lot of them straight because when it switched to their POVs, they called different people different names. It got very confusing very fast. The family of the Abbey was snotty, rude and unhelpful except for maybe Grace and Lizzy. But even then, they had their moments. The staff was okay. They mostly were there to add to the family's story. I enjoyed Fanny at first, the housemaid, but she started to annoy me at the end.

I think if you're into Jane Austen classics, this would be the book for you. I'm still trying to get into classics and zombie books so I might not have been the right audience for this book. But if this sounds good to you, be sure to check it out when it's released.

Zombie Abbey
Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Book Review: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Zombie Abbey is the first book of this kind I've read. I know there are quite a lot of this kind of books out there and I was curious. I didn't know what to expect and once I signed up I'll admit I was a little scared to read it.

Porthampton Abbey has similarities to Downtown Abbey. The wealthy family with 3 female daughters; Lizzy, Grace and Kate. A well-orchestrated staff with a butler, footmen, maids and even a cat. The cast is quirky and fitting to the times.

Katherine Clarke is the eldest sister of 3. She needs to marry well if she wants to continue enjoying the finer things in life. The upstairs story is set and we are straight into hearing about a strange death in the village. The hot stable boy's uncle was the deceased. Will Harvey has always had a set place at Porthampton Abbey. He may be handsome, but not good enough for a Lady. Kate is taught to stay away from him even though she would like to know him better.

Meanwhile downstairs Fanny Rogers is preparing the house for the day. She has many tasks, but her mind is set firmly on the gossip. What a strange death.

Lizzy wants to marry for love. She isn't interested in entertaining the suitors her father has invited to the house for Katherine. Grace is her total opposite and desperate to impress. They are all different and they all need to get their priorities in order before it's too late. People are dropping dead, but it's the living who may lose their life.

This had a good historical story. The upper class too snobby to see what is in front of them and the lower class having big dreams. The zombie element gives the story a spooky, but comical twist. It weaned out the brave, the stupid and the downright crazy.

4 stars out of 5. *I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Paperback £7.48 or Kindle £7.11, 300 pages
Expected publication: April 3rd 2018 by Entangled: Teen