Welcome to Zombie Friday! Currently this is a part of the Summer of Love Celebration being hosted by myself, Lillian from Mom With a Reading Problem and Stephanie from Once Upon a Chapter, but I have a feeling it will extend beyond that. At the moment it’s a way to give ourselves a break from contemporary romance reading, while helping me reread and FINALLY FINISH this series! Every other Friday we’ll be sharing discussions for a couple of the episodes. I wouldn’t call them reviews, I would definitely call them discussions. And here is where I want to triple warn you that as the weeks go on, there will be potential spoilers for the episodes. So I recommend reading them first, and then coming back to see what we thought and comment with your own takeaways — we’d love to hear what you think!
SIDE NOTE: I’m making an effort to rearrange the discussions so the threads stick together…it occasionally feels clunky, but it’s the best I can do.
Title: Love and Decay Omnibus: Season One
Author: Rachel Higginson
Published by: Indie
Release Date: April 27, 2014
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 601
Genres: Dystopian, Romance
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
Blurb:Zombies- as if that wasn’t enough to ruin any girl’s dream of a happily ever after.
Reagan said goodbye to love when she was forced to run her high school boyfriend over with her mom’s car just to keep him from eating her for dinner. Now, two years later, and in need of a serious shower, she’s just over the entire concept of a soul mate- or really, any kind of mate.
Well, mostly anyway. When she runs- literally- into a group of boys holed up in a relative utopia of peanut butter and bottled water, maybe all hope in the love department is not lost.
But at the end of the world, nothing can be simple. And with a never-ending supply of Zombies, militia, a psycho-stalker and a cult-like community after her, Reagan is going to have to schedule falling in love between hunting and surviving. Hopefully she can last long enough find out if true love can still exist when everything else has started to fall apart.
Love and Decay, Season One Omnibus is the first twelve novellas in a Dystopian Romance about Zombies, the end of the world and finding someone to share it with.
Episode 3 Discussion
Lenore: 1) Hendrix still overbearing, but ridiculously swoony and intense.
2) Page still ridiculously adorable.
3) Loved the swim time and the “swimming” euphemism.
4) not sure what to think about Vaughan and what he’s thinking (still love, but mysterious).
5) loved seeing a bit of interaction with the younger boys in the end fight.
6) zombies getting scarier (and still uber gruesome).
Lenore: That whole hair washing thing? Way sexier than I was expecting.
1
Lillian: Yes….I was not expecting that. I was blushing by the end of it 
That was hot 
2
Lenore: Loved that it was followed by the humour of the swimming euphemism. You can always count on the rest of the Parkers to interrupt moments! 
1
Lillian: I love Harrison and King. They are so funny. They are old enough to know big brothers are crushing and so love messing with them 2
Stephanie: I would think Hendrix was a pain in the booty…except the things he’s normally a pain about end up being things that should be heeded. Nelson just wanted to interrupt because he wasn’t “swimming”. Page is way too adorable. I’m really nervous about what is coming up for the group though. I also made this highlight:2
Lenore: OMG about Nelson! So true.2
Lenore: And I agree Stephanie, Hendrix has me so conflicted. I get so annoyed with him and then he says the most interesting and insightful things, and I see his actions slightly differently.1
Lillian: Agree! His alpha male mentality annoys the crap out of me but then like you said there’s usually a good reason behind it. And dang if he wasn’t so sweet at the end of this one when he like had to hold her and know she was ok 
2
Stephanie: He’s definitely a well written character. I’ve been Team Hendrix from the beginning. I like Vaughn but I just can’t see him and Reagan together.
2
Lenore: 
1
Lillian: Same. But then I feel bad that Vaughn is alone.1
Lillian: But y’all that barn scene with the zombies. I had to keep setting my kindle down. I was so afraid one of them wasn’t going to make it. 
1
Stephanie: I know!!! I keep waiting for that moment. 
Lenore: Seriously! Baseball Betty was also super alarming!!
1
Lillian: Yes I saw that going down a different way. Like I thought for sure he was a goner 
Lenore: I keep forgetting that before the zombies, we finally find out Parker background. Thoughts?1
Lillian: Yes and I may have cried. I was so sad for them. It makes so much sense why they are so close now and so determined to keep the girls safe.2
Lenore: I think it seriously helps explain their extreme level of intensity.2
Stephanie: It makes me hope we meet someone new for Vaughn along the way. Honestly it made me nauseous. The not knowing. We have a pretty good idea of their mother’s fate but what about dad? Or do you think there was no doubt? The what if game would be running rampant in my mind.1
Lillian: Oh man….I didn’t think about that 
Now I’m playing the what if game.1
Lenore: I’m pretty sure it’s pretty set in stone…but I might be misremembering. I remember the first time through being curious about that too.1
Lenore: I’m trying not to spoil anything, it’s a hard balance2
Stephanie: I’m sure it is! As long as you’re telling me it’s set in stone that’s good for me. The way I read it mom and dad were still alive but with an entire posse of Feeders.1
Stephanie: Might want to edit that one out for the post though. 
2
(NOTE from LENORE: Spoiler alert? I mean, I honestly don’t remember that well, so I might surprise myself and be totally wrong)
Episode 4 Discussion
Lenore: So episode 4!! HALEY!!! I remember the first time I read this episode, I was a) super surprised and caught off guard to have her POV; and b) did NOT expect who she was inside. And honestly, even though I knew it was coming, I still find it really fascinating. I kind of love that she has this whole internal world that doesn’t show outside, and that she works hard to keep under wraps.
Lillian: Totally threw me off when I started the episode and it said Haley. I thought I missed something But yes. I love her! Did not expect what was going on inside her head. She’s likely what has kept the girls alive and by themselves for as long as they were.2
Lenore: Oh 
on Haley being a large part of their survival thus far.2
Stephanie: I LOVED Haley! I was so excited to see a story from her perspective and I really hope we get to see more from her and others as well. I have to say I would adore one from Page!1
Stephanie: I actually think that having a Haley perspective was a tactical move. It gave us the chance to get all that off page dialog and interaction we only had in the periphery while Reagan was narrating. It also really opened up Nelson’s character. I always imagined him as younger. Again I think I keep remembering them as younger than even when the outbreak started. 
2
Lenore: I also kind of love that Nelson noticed things about her, like how observant she is. It really shows that he’s not just picking one of the girls to pursue, but is genuinely fascinated by her.
Lenore: Of course it’s been a few days since I read it, and I have a shit memory. But I felt like this one really gave my little romantic heart something to beat about. While it felt fast in some ways, I kind of loved how she and Nelson connected in this one. It was sweet, it was emotional, it was intense…
Stephanie: Yes!! I think this episode was sweeter because we had more relationship development where with Reagan we’re still stuck in a bit of a love triangle. Though that seems to be moving in a different direction now.1
Lillian: So I adore Nelson. I didn’t realize how old he was. I knew he was the middle of the five but my brain had him at like 17 not 21 I did not expect the intensity I got from him. It reminded me a little of Hendrix, but his is balanced out with his joking. His connection with Haley 
That barn scene was so sweet. Definitely the first real taste of romance we’ve had. There have been a few steamy moments with Hendrix but nothing as sweet and romantic as this one.2
Lenore: I think all the characters are slightly older than we expect, but because of 2 years of post-apocalypse, they haven’t aged the same in some ways…but have in others. Like the girls being 19/20 while feeling 17/18. I didn’t think he was 17, but I can see 19 for sure. I also don’t mind a bit of immaturity at times because then I feel more at home. 
2
Lillian: Same….It’s why I stuck mostly to ya 
Stephanie: Yes!! Why do I keep doing that?? It’s really Harrison who is like 17 right?2
Lillian: Yes and I had him at like 15 but I think that’s how old King is and that is how old he was when it started.2
Lenore: And then there’s Page. sigh Don’t worry, I will reiterate at the top of the discussion that there will be episode spoilers, so folks should probably avoid if they haven’t read yet. Unless they don’t mind spoilers. I don’t want us to give a lot away, but we can’t not talk about Page.
Lenore: I feel like Ms. Higginson just decided (with an evil cackle) to rip my heart out by making her sick…in the post-apocalypse. Like, 
Lillian: I don’t like that Page is sick. And if it’s truly strep throat they are all at risk for it. So scary not having access to meds.1
Stephanie: Let me preface this with an I ADORE Page. I just have a feeling that things were going just a tad too easy for our wonderful little family and they had to have something more than their “normal” of zombies to overcome.2
Lenore: And then there’s Miller. I need to hear your thoughts about all those late developments.
Lillian: I need more info on Miller. I’m not sure if I trust him or not. He’s a little spitfire though I like that he doesn’t show the brothers any fear. Clearly that doesn’t bode well. That just means there’s someone out there he is more afraid of and the boys are intimidating.2
Lenore: Dude, great observations. I can’t really contribute much here because I know more about him…which is why I was curious about your guyses thoughts.
Stephanie: Miller freaking cracks me UP!! I’m thinking I’m going to really like this kid. I am hoping that the brothers get Miller and his sister back out. I know it will add more trials and tribulations but I sort of want to see them become their own big family.2
Lenore: My one other observation is that I noticed some things that irked me this time — all the joking about the girls not being sluts, Nelson being awed by Haley being a virgin…things that I definitely wouldn’t have noticed 3 years ago, but I can’t unlearn to notice them now. It’s not super bad or anything, just interesting…kind of shows its age (which is a weird thing to say about something that’s only 8 years old). But I notice those things a lot when I go back and reread books (and usually they’re much more egregious).
Lillian: Agree. I overlooked it for the most part but there were a few comments that made me roll my eyes. Harrison being a little perv for one….granted he is 17 and most likely saying what he’s saying to get a rise out of his brother not make Haley feel weird. The focus on her virginity was odd to me. Granted when this book was written there was a lot of stipulation that most teens were having sex. A poll came out that showed many lied and said they had but that the actual number was less than 30% by the time they graduated. There I go again with the weird facts 2
Stephanie: This didn’t bother me so much. I think because it is the girls who are just happy that they didn’t have sex with someone who ended up not being someone they really ended up liking. It would be different if someone other than themselves was shaming them. As for Nelson I think it just added a layer of something to it. Like Hayley didn’t feel like others were worth crossing that bridge physically but that she thinks he might be worth it. I’m not sure that I’m conveying it right but I think Nelson would be just as honored even if Hayley wasn’t a virgin. He still had intentions of taking things slowly with her BEFORE he knew her sexual experiences.1
Lenore: I think for me it’s that for so long I’ve been reading books that have subtle girl shaming, and heroine’s with virginity being more “pure” and I just accepted it…but then I read some article that talked about the harm that that does to women/girls, and now it tweaks me like an electrocution. Again, in this particular context it wasn’t as big or bad…I’ve had other favourite books that I can’t reread anymore because my eyes have been opened. Being woke sucks. 2
Stephanie: I should have kept reading. I can totally see your perspective now. And if it had been worse I would agree 100%! Though I do have to admit the “v-card” stuff did seem really out of place for the amount of time it’s been discussed. This came up in previous episodes too with Reagan’s inner-dialogue.2
Lillian: It kinda adds to their immaturity. Their emotional age kinda got stuck at the age they were when the zombie outbreak started. They haven’t really had a chance to grow out of that yet2
Stephanie: Yes. It’s like they’re still “stuck” at that age because they’re still in the middle of the trauma that has stunted them.2
Lenore: I wonder if because zombie-itis came from a Herpes vaccine, that that’s why they’re thankful they’re virgins? snort But I want to know if any of the boys are virgins!2
Stephanie: That’s a pretty good guess. And yes. Nelson isn’t, right?
Lenore: Inconclusive, but I would guess no.
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