My Zombie Boyfriend by T. Strange #LGBT #Review

Dana reviews My Zombie Boyfriend (The Undead Canadian Series, Book 1) by T. Strange (Published by Torquere Press, April 14, 2015, 221 pages) A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Why I read this: I had this book on my wishlist for some time, but since there is never enough time I hadn’t read it until I saw that the second book of this series was being released and the author was looking for reviewers. I immediately requested both books and since it is reviewer’s choice week, I decided to get started on the series now.

 

Blurb: Edward Grey is a medical student by day, necromancer by night. He lives alone with the first zombie he ever raised, his childhood cat, Boo. Edward’s life is simple: studying medicine, training his necromantic powers with his mentor, Mariel, and having weekly dinners with his parents. When he finds a very attractive corpse in a park and brings it home to reanimate, he accidentally creates a sassy, free-willed zombie who believes Edward is the one who murdered him.

With no memory of his former life, Edward names the zombie Kit and tries to win his trust. Kit slowly adjusts to his new un-life with Edward’s help, though he’s still suspicious of Edward’s role in his death and is convinced that Edward is hiding his former identity. Edward is very attracted to Kit, but understands why Kit doesn’t trust him. As they become closer to one another, Kit turns to Edward for comfort and love. The fragile trust they’ve built together will be tested when Kit unexpectedly regains his memory and seeks revenge on his murderers.

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I am really excited to have read this book and to review it. When I think of zombies, I don’t usually consider them as the romantic lead in a story. Mostly they are the backdrop in which the protagonists need to escape and survive. In My Zombie Boyfriend, zombies aren’t a mass herd of mindless brain eaters, but the product of voodoo practitioners and/or those with the gift of necromancy. As far as I know there aren’t many of them around and their diet is gross, but doesn’t consist of human brains and flesh.

Edward is a medical student who is close with his parents, but socially awkward. He was born with the natural gift to reanimate the dead and has tested the extent of his abilities. Mostly he brings things back to life and removes that power when he is done testing. Twice in his life though he had felt an itching in his palms and a pull to bring back something that was “his.” The first time was with his cat, Boo and the second time was when he found a young and beautiful man in the bushes at the park near his home. Though he didn’t know who Kit was or how he died, he was drawn to him and breathed life into him.

Kit is unlike most zombies. Though he is distrustful of his new status and has no memory of his life, he seems to retain some of his former personality traits. Fashion and having fun are important to him and he clashes in ways with the Edward who is serious and doesn’t care a bit about the labels on his clothing.  Kit also has a desire to be more than the zombie who crashes at someone else’s place doing nothing all day. He wants to work and go to school. He even forms friendships with Edward’s voodoo priestess friend and his parents. Soon the differences don’t seem to matter that much and Edward and Kit’s attraction to each other grows.

What you get in this story is mostly a sweet but very unconventional romance. I liked the chemistry the two had with each other and how Kit helped open Edward’s mind and showed him there was more to life than books. Everything was going well until Kit remembers his past and his last moments. For a moment the story is close to tipping into a horror. It was pretty dark, but Edward is able to catch up to Kit and with a little help from Mariel, the voodoo priestess, they are able to drag Kit from his (very) bloodthirsty revenge.

It takes a bit of time to rebuild bonds, but the ending of this book is very sweet. The author’s take on zombies was interesting and different from what I’m used to. There was a bit of suspense and a good amount of humor. I loved the two main characters and the supporting characters as well. I can’t wait to read what happens in the next book as they encounter something that they haven’t before.

9.5/10 Pots of Gold (95% Recommended) – Compares to 4.75/5 Stars

T. Strange didn’t want to learn how to read, but literacy prevailed and she hasn’t stopped reading—or writing—since. She’s been published with Torquere Press since 2013, and she writes M/M romance in multiple genres, including paranormal and BDSM. T.’s other interests include cross stitching, gardening, watching terrible horror movies, playing video games, and finding injured pigeons to rescue. Originally from White Rock, BC, she lives on the Canadian prairies, where she shares her home with her wife, cats, guinea pigs and other creatures of all shapes and sizes. She’s very easy to bribe with free food and drinks—especially wine.

She can be found on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr; or you can email her: author.t.strange at gmail.com