For quite some time we have enjoyed paranormal romance, time travel romance, and more recently even post-apocalyptic romance, but how about zombies and romance? I can't say I'm a fan of romance between the actual zombies or even humans and zombies but being a big fan of zombie fiction, and combining it with a fantastic sexy romance? Sounds like my kind of read.

This new genre could be titled Zombie-Apocalyptic Romance. By just calling it “zombie romance” it gives the impression that it’s a romance between zombies, and for the majority of books this isn't the case. And because most people's response to zombie sex is “eeewwwww” (my thoughts exactly) they end up ignoring the genre completely, therefore missing out on the books where the romance is between two people, just set in a zombie-apocalyptic world.

Although I am one of those who have a hard time with the actual zombie being the primary focus of a heroine/heroes affection, I do love it when my human h/h are fighting against the zombies, all the while fancying the pants off each other and wanting to have lots of steamy sex. One zombie/human love story that did work and was my first foray into zombie-apocalyptic romance was Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion.

As you probably know, this was one of the most anticipated movie adaptations of 2013. It's a quirky romance between “R” (our zombie hero) and Julie (our human heroine). There are no sexy-times, there's no real angst, and it certainly isn't erotic. But it's a sweet romance in a story that’s inspiring and makes you think about humanity.

[So...do these books have brains? Asking for a friend...]

When a week goes by without Daryl Dixon making an appearance on AMC’s The Walking Dead, there is a Twitter outcry. It isn’t just that viewers connect with his transformation from quiet loner into subtle leader. There is this undercurrent of fandom for Daryl. Yes, we’d like the redneck to be there when the zombies come, but the discussion of Daryl’s winning qualities never fails to shift to how he is “Gas Station Hot” (you can thank author Dakota Cassidy for that term).

That’s right. We swoon for Daryl. In this post-apocalyptic drama Daryl isn’t just the hero, he’s a romance hero. He just hasn’t met his heroine yet.

Don’t believe me? There are five defining traits that make Daryl Dixon a must-lust-after romance hero.

1. He’s lethal.

We like a hero who can get protective. Just think about every member of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood. They kill to protect what’s theirs. In the BDB case, it’s lessers. Daryl would stop zombies from trying to eat your brain or maniacal wannabe politicians from taking over your house, er, prison.

Daryl can keep you safe. Not only can he shoot a walker with an arrow via crossbow (and reuses it) or bust out a blade when necessary, he’s incredibly resourceful. He’ll stop whatever’s trying to attack you with extreme force.

[Yeah he will!...]

We here at H&H have a bit of a fondness for a certain crossbow wielding zombie hunter. But the question remains, who on earth could possibly be more kick-ass than Daryl on his motorcycle? Who has the grit, the sheer willpower, and the devil-may-care attitude that it takes to really face down the zombie horde? If we all think about it, with clear minds and clearer hearts, we know the answer. None other than the Dowager, Lady Grantham.

Don't believe me? Check out this animated short that introduces the whole new kind of intrigue to the drama both below and above stairs. I will warn you, there are possible **Downton Abbey spoilers** if you aren't caught up.

We here at H&H are fans of all kinds of heroes. Yes, even the crossbow-wielding hillbilly ones. We are also of the firm belief that said heroes deserve an HEA. But this raises a bit of an issue when the couple in question is living out the zombie apocalypse.

Many of us wonder, myself included, whether the Daryl/Carol relationship will ever amount to anything more than a few stolen glances and shy touches. While the people behind the show typically play things very close to the chest, Daryl actor Norman Reedus had this to say to Entertainment Weekly when asked about the possibility of Daryl finding happiness with Carol:

If it does [happen], lucky me. She’s awesome. She’s my favorite actress on the show. I mean, I like them all, but I’ve gotten to work a lot with her and know her vibe. If it happens, it happens. I want it to be awkward when it happens. I want it to be really awkward. I want her to make the first move.

But there's more. Reedus also doesn't believe that Daryl has ever been in anything resembling a healthy relationship, let alone with a woman, saying:

Maybe he got together with a couple of locals at one point or something, but I don’t think he was ever in any sort of serious relationship. So if [a Daryl/Carol romance] happens, great. If it doesn’t, great. I like the fact that we’re two damaged people and we sort of gravitate to each other. I like that. If it happens, right on.

(Read the full EW interview here.)

I think it is safe to say that we all are pretty excited about the prospect as well.

There comes a point in every young Hollywood actor's life when he changes from being a cute kid to a heartthrob. 2013 has been that year for Nicholas Hoult (and it's only February!). In case he doesn't look familiar, especially in this hot photo shoot from the UK's Guardian, he's recently starred in the zombie romantic comedy, Warm Bodies, played The Beast in X-Men: First Class, and starred alonside Colin Firth in A Single Man. He's the man to watch and we certainly don't mind watching him!

[+1 picture to melt your hearts!]

This post contains SPOILERS for all aired episodes of The Walking Dead television series, as well as for the graphic and prose novels.

In the world of The Walking Dead, be it comic series, TV series, or hardcover novels, the course of true love never does run smooth, providing dedicated shippers with a veritable buffet.

Rick/Lori/Shane: Here we have a classic triangle. Rick starts off the story married to his beloved Lori, who thinks he’s dead, so she turns to his best friend, Shane, only to have Rick show up very much alive. Rick and Lori reunite in every way and Lori soon discovers she is pregnant, but who’s the daddy?

[And is that even their biggest hurdle?...]

At the end of last year, we ran our fabulous bloggers’ lists of top reads of the year. Those posts were so fun that we’ve decided to continue, asking our bloggers to share the best thing they’ve read each month (or things, plural, if our bloggers declare a tie ’cause they just can’t choose). It doesn’t have to be a new book, as evidenced below; just something that made the month sparkle just a bit more. So here’s this month’s installment for October 2012 (and if you’ve missed any, be sure to check out past recs for May, June, July, August, and September 2012):

Rae Alley

My pick for this month is one I just finished: Red by Kait Nolan. It's a YA book with werewolves (appropriate for the season) about a teenage loner girl who knows she's inherited her mother's trait of becoming a werewolf, a hunter looking to solve the ancient feud between the families, and the discovery that there are others out there like her...such as the new boy in town who just happens to work with his dad, her new boss, who happens to run on four legs sometimes. A fun, light read.

[The rest of the best...]

*SPOILER ALERT: If you are not up to date with The Walking Dead, please read at your own risk.

It’s the end of the world. Zombies are in abundance, lurking around every corner, looking for their next meal. Hey, look! There’s Lori and Shane from The Walking Dead having sex in the woods. Or maybe it’s Lori and Rick. Hell, I can’t keep up. My feelings for Lori aside, the point I’m trying to make is that intimacy continues to happen even in the direst of times.

But why, when the world is falling apart around you and death is knocking at your door, would intimacy and sex even cross your mind? During the zombie apocalypse, intimacy is extremely important to the health and well-being of any human, and you obtain a healthy well-being through socialization, support and love.

[Live like you're dying...]

Lia Habel
Dearly, Beloved
Del Rey / September 25, 2012 / $11.55 print, $10.99 digital

Can the living coexist with the living dead?
That’s the question that has New Victorian society fiercely divided ever since the mysterious plague known as “The Laz” hit the city of New London and turned thousands into walking corpses. But while some of these zombies are mindless monsters, hungry for human flesh, others can still think, speak, reason, and control their ravenous new appetites.
 
Just ask Nora Dearly, the young lady of means who was nearly kidnapped by a band of sinister zombies but valiantly rescued by a dashing young man . . . of the dead variety.
 
Nora and her savior, the young zombie soldier Bram Griswold, fell hopelessly in love. But others feel only fear and loathing for the reanimated dead. Now, as tensions grow between pro- and anti-zombie factions, battle lines are being drawn in the streets. And though Bram is no longer in the New Victorian army, he and his ex-commando zombie comrades are determined to help keep the peace. That means taking a dangerous stand between The Changed, a radical group of sentient zombies fighting for survival, and a masked squad of urban guerrillas hellbent on destroying the living dead. But zombies aren’t the only ones in danger: Their living allies are also in The Murder’s crosshairs, and for one vengeful zealot, Nora Dearly is the number one target.

As paranoia, prejudice, and terrorist attacks threaten to plunge the city into full-scale war, Nora’s scientist father and his team continue their desperate race to unlock the secrets of “The Laz” and find a cure. But their efforts may be doomed when a mysterious zombie appears bearing an entirely new strain of the illness—and the nation of New Victoria braces for a new wave of the apocalypse.

In her debut book, Dearly, Departed, Lia Habel posed the question: Can the living learn to co-exist with the dead? Dearly, Departed's setting is that of a world surviving after a second ice age forces people to locate closer to the equator, a world which has reinvented their society in the image of the old Victorian era, and which mixes old world values with modern technologies. More importantly,the world now has the Lazarus virus, which raises the dead. A single bite from the infected zombie will kill, but not permanently.

[Love and the undead...]

Climbing into a character’s mind is a big perk to being an avid reader, part of the escape we so often get as readers of romance and genre fiction.

Often in romance we get to flit from the hero’s to heroine’s point of view, and it’s nice. It’s engaging to understand where the hero is coming from when he’s being a complete dick to the heroine. We like knowing what she’s hiding when she refuses to see the obvious adoration the guy has for her.

But—oh, c’mon you knew it was coming—the more points of view in a novel, the more we can get pulled out of the story itself. Punting the reader between five or six characters can lead to distraction, whiplash and unending cliffhangers.

[How do you treat mental whiplash anyway?]

After finishing Season 2 of AMC’s The Walking Dead, I found myself obsessing about what might happen in Season 3—not about next season’s anticipated prison backdrop or how the death of Dale or Shane will ultimately effect the group, but what I presumed was my own flight of fancy, romanticizing the relationship between Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier. As evidenced by the clip above, I am not the only one who is anticipating this new love amongst the gore.

[Love conquers all...]

With shows such as The Walking Dead drawing everyone’s attention, the most pressing question on everyone’s mind is “Will I be able to find love during the Zombie Apocalypse?”

I am here to assure you that it is absolutely possible to find your greatest love in the midst of the zombie terror.

In Bianca D’Arc’s Darker Shade of Dead, Dr. Sandra McCormick was part of the scientific team trying to create a formula to enhance the healing abilities of soldiers. When they test their formula on deceased soldiers they make an army of zombies. Now Sandy is working with a military task force to create a serum that will give people immunity to the zombie bite. Commander Matthew Sykes is the leader of the task force, and from the moment Sandy enters Fort Bragg sparks start to fly. Now Commander Sykes needs to fight off the zombies while wooing the beautiful doctor.

[Now that’s what I call multitasking...]

When you hear about zombies in fiction, what do you think?

Yeah. I know.

I’ve broached the subject of zombies on our Facebook page and was met by lots of “Hell NO!” I’ve tried to reason with you all, but you don’t listen. So listen now: Not all zombies are the same. I blame Night of the Living Dead for you all thinking they are. Yes, most zombies need brains to stay animated but they’re all not beasts. Okay, maybe they are, but I’m trying to help you all see the light.

When I asked why the lack of zombie love on Twitter I got this:

• They eat brains

So what? Vampires drink blood, people! Vampires sip and zombies have to chew a little bit.

[What’s the big deal?...]

My tastes in paranormal romance can be summed up as follows: Stake the vamps, burn the zombies, shag the werewolves. Shorter version: Don’t fuck dead things. (I thought about making one of those the tagline for my website, but I’m just not sure.)

[A furry heart is the best kind . . . ]