A zombie romcom that will have you laughing, crying, and gasping, perfect for fans of Warm Bodies, and with a touch of social commentary reminiscent of Gretchen Felker-Martin’s Manhunt.

COLD HEARTS
by Philippa Young
Sourcebooks Casablanca, September 2027

An asteroid crashes into a small town in the UK, setting off a zombie apocalypse. When Frankie “awakens”, she has no memory of what happened, and realizes she now exists somewhere in between human and zombie – living on a diet of brains, but looking, walking, talking, and thinking like a normal human girl.

A year after the crash, Frankie is trying to fill her lonely days by sticking to her strict vegetarian (animal brain only) diet and trying to figure out how she died. Frankie then comes across a little girl named Bea, hiding in a cupboard after zombies infiltrated her family home. After quickly becoming attached to Bea, Frankie must figure out how to keep a child alive while knowing nothing about survival (and not remembering much about human needs).

When Frankie discovers a hidden door to a former bunker hotel in the woods, she hopes that she’s found the people who can truly take care of Bea, but instead she’s met with the reluctant hero of the zombie apocalypse, Griffin, who doesn’t trust that all Frankie wants is help for her tiny friend. After Griffin confiscates Frankie’s only weapon, a hammer strapped to her thigh, he allows Frankie and Bea to stay, just for the night, so Bea can get some food and water. Frankie will not admit that she liked the way his hand lingered on her thigh while he removed her weapon—nope, won’t do it.

One night turns into 2 nights, which turns into permanent residency thanks to Griffin’s inability to say no to Bea. And meanwhile, Frankie is desperate to keep her undead identity a secret by sneaking the tiniest bites of animal brains from her trusty thermos. She’s not quite sure what could happen if she lets herself starve, or rather she is… but it isn’t pretty. She can’t risk snacking on their found family and the growing attraction between her and Griffin puts her mouth dangerously close to certain parts of his body. Thankfully, after earning a trusted ally within the bunker, she’s able to sneak out in the night to feast.

As the events around them become more and more precarious, can Griffin learn to prioritize living over surviving? And how long can Frankie keep her secret? She’s not dead enough to be a true zombie and definitely not alive enough to be entirely human. Surely this can’t be a dealbreaker, right?

Philippa Young is an international bestselling steamy romance author with a penchant for cruise ships (and zombies). She is the author of the romantic comedy series Below Deck.