I received this book from Entangled Publishing in exchange of an honest review!

Welp, this was just amazing. Dual POV. Kick-ass girl. Some steamy scenes. And of course zombies! Zombies! Smart Zombies (welp, don't like the idea of zombies climbing things or opening locks). *shakes fist at the cliffhanger ending* Arghhh.

I actually wanted to save this one until October, when Halloween is closer by, but I just couldn't hold my curiosity and decided to read a bit... and then I was hooked. :P I just couldn't stop reading it. Whenever I had time I read and read and read.

I was curious about the combination of romance/sex with zombies. Would it fit? Would it still hold the excitement or would they just forget about everything and get eaten. (Hey, it can happen!) I have read other zombiexromance books, but it was a bit hit and miss if it fitted. I was hoping to find another book in which it did fit!

The book is written in dual POV. We see Jack and we see Luke. I am quite delighted that the author decided to go for both POVs, it just made the book a bit more balanced, plus both characters are so much fun and deserve to shine in the spotlight. Both of them are also different. Yes, they are both kick-ass, know how to survive in this deadly new world, but whereas Luke would accept normality if that was offered and would love to just chill and not think about weapons, death and pain, Jackson would stay focussed, would never rest. She is too far gone to accept normality now. It is a cruel thing, but it is the truth. Jackson fought for 2 years to survive, never able to rest or take a breather. Luke had the luck of a good shelter, good food, and other things. He had to go outside of course, and he knows how to defend himself, but he still had a pretty good 2 years in comparison with Jackson.

I don't really have a favourite character, though I have to say that Luke was more likeable than Jackson. I am not sure how to explain, yes, he was a bit of a dick at times and a bit old-fashioned, but I also thought it was very sweet of Luke to be so protective. Yes, he knows Jackson can protect herself, but he also wants to make sure she is safe. Also, I loved that he could also enjoy normality. Plus, in a world gone bonkers, he stayed pretty sane/didn't go craycray. Really, I read enough books were 99% of the men were creepy dudes who, when seeing a rare, random girl in her underwear, wouldn't be so chivalrous to help her out and drink a soda with her. :P

Jackson, what a name, I was instantly taken by her. She was fun, sweet, kick-ass, and I just loved how dedicated she was. How hard she fought, and how hard she worked. But, I was also heartbroken. This poor girl had seen so much, had done so much, it almost broke her. I felt sorry that she would never be able to relax, that she would always be on Fight Mode, no matter what. No matter how safe a place may seem. On the one hand admirable that she can just jump into action like that, but how stressful it must be for her. :(
At times I agreed with her on Luke and his (over)protectiveness, but at other times I found her a bit too rude and I wished she would understand him a bit more. He loves you, he cares about you, you are everything he has. Please understand that he may worry, that he may get angry when you leave without a message.

The zombies were properly scary. I love it when books take a spin on the zombie genre. Smart zombies are nothing new, but they don't always happen, so I was really happy (and creeped out) that they were not the slow and weak kind. Instead we have zombies that climb on roofs, on ladders, and can open doors (locked ones even!). They are calculating, forming packs, and doing a whole poopload more. Be prepared to be really creeped out and feel goosebumps all over you while reading. These zombies are not to be messed with!

The journey towards the safe town was equal parts squee and equal parts NOOOPE. :P It was a very exciting journey and I was rooting for our characters to make it safely to it. Oh and of course that the safe town wasn't a fake, or overrun, as happens so often in zombie books.

The ending was great (OMG OMG OMG), but I am not too happy with the cliffhanger! Argh, now I have to find the next book as I want to know more, and I want to know how x survived and met that person!

The steamy scenes were perfect, they fitted in great with the story, and I was cheering (and shipping) these characters like mad. I loved that they didn't immediately kiss or went for the act, but instead they grew closer and closer with each page, and by the time things did happen, it was the right timing.

All in all, I would recommend this book to everyone. This was such a delight, and I flew through the book. I can't wait to read the next book!

I loved Waking Up Dead! It’s got a little bit of everything – intense action scenes, gooey zombies, and even a romance that develops over time as the protagonists flee from the north to Texas. Jackson is a kick-ass heroine who doesn’t need anyone to take care of her, and in fact, she saves Luke many times with her fighting skills. If it hadn’t been for a recent Candy Crush addiction, I wouldn’t have been able to put it down! Curse you, Candy Crush!



I really liked the protagonists. Jackson has been on the run, hiding from zombies since the virus broke out 2 years ago. She is understandably traumatized, pushing all of the horrible things she’s seen and been forced to do behind thick mental walls that she defends as fiercely as she defends herself against the waking dead. Luke, on the other hand, has had things pretty good. He found a bunker, has had food, power, and even running water. He hasn’t had to live on the razor edge of fear and adrenalin that Jackson has. He is clean, warm, and well fed, compared to the calorie deprived Jackson. He’s rather content in his bunker. He doesn’t think the zombies can get in, and he only ventures out when necessary. When he does leave because the zombies that usually pound unceasingly on the roof of the bunker suspiciously disappear, he thinks they might have found another human. Curious and wanting to save them because he is lonely, he discovers Jackson fleeing down the street in her panties. Yes, her panties, and believe me, it made more sense when I was reading it than when I just typed it.

After they hook up, circumstances force them to flee from the bunker. Jackson wants to find her friend and traveling companion, Tye, who is missing, and so she sets off for Texas, where they had been traveling to. She has heard that there are survivors there, and because Luke no longer has a safe space, he agrees to go with her. What a hair-raising journey! There were several zombie encounters that left me terrified. I quickly came to the conclusion that if there ever is a zombie apocalypse, I will not be fortunate enough to survive for an extended period of time. That Jackson has been beating them off for two years is an amazing feat, and Luke is impressed and thankful to have her with him, especially when she repeatedly saves him from becoming zombie chow.

I felt a real connection with both characters. Jackson has morphed into a lean, mean, and merciless zombie killing machine. If she saw herself before the dead woke up, she wouldn’t even recognize herself. She has been slaying the dead for so long that she can’t remember doing anything else. When they finally do discover survivors, she is at a loss. How can she contribute to the small community when the only thing she’s good at is killing zombies? She has an internal struggle to deal with, because a part of her thinks that maybe the zombies aren’t complete monsters, even though all they want to do is eat her. This coupled with her self-doubts about being a valued member of her new society makes her a very sympathetic character. Poor Jackson! All she thinks about is being safe from the monsters, but after she is, she is at odds with her new state of being.

The zombies rocked. They are fast and brutal, and as the story moves forward, there are hints that they are evolving and becoming more intelligent. What’s more frightening that a zombie? A fast, smart zombie! Argh!

The romance is sweet (don’t worry, there are hot times, too) because both Jackson and Luke think they are going to die at any time. Life is short and precious in the time of the dead. Jackson is afraid of getting attached to Luke and then losing him, just as she has lost every other person that she has loved. Luke, too, is at first reluctant to allow his emotions free rein. Heartbreak seems certain, and neither of them is sure they can survive yet another loss.

Things bogged down a little once they reached Texas and safety. Thankfully, the safety doesn’t last long. There is no getting rid of the zombies, even when you have a fortified wall to shelter behind.

If you enjoy romances with horror elements, this is the book for you. I loved it, and it is easily one of the best adult zombie books that I have read. I hope I don’t have to wait too long to see what happens next.

Grade: A-