Review: Dead in Bed by Bailey Simms

Dead in Bed by Bailey Simms

Genres: Zombies, Mystery, Thriller

[Goodreads | Amazon]

You've never, ever read a book like this.

Now available in one complete edition, the critically acclaimed Dead in Bed is partly a suspense thriller with a strikingly original story, partly a page-turning mystery about a disease that makes anyone infected hopelessly crave sexual contact, and partly a neo-western adventure through the American heartland. If you can handle a smart, controversial protagonist who's willing to do anything—no matter how difficult or morally questionable—in order to survive, the series will pull you in with the force of an unshakeable addiction.

Dead in Bed: The Complete Novel is a collection of the full Dead in Bed serialized novel (Parts 1 - 7 of 7)

***

As emotionally incisive as it is shockingly sexy, as heartbreaking as it is hilarious, the hyper-talented Bailey Simms' tour-de-force series is harder to put down than books by writers twice her age.

Dead in Bed follows Ashley, an everyday girl who's stuck in an unsatisfying relationship and a dead-end job. But when a sexually-transmitted plague breaks out in her small town, slowly leaving anyone infected with a bizarrely amplified libido, everything about her life changes.

Facing quarantine, draconian martial law, the onset of winter, and a rapidly-spreading plague, Ashley, her family, her friends, and everyone else in her small American town find their true feelings for one another surfacing—both amorously and violently.

When everyone in Ashley's life begins taking comfort in one another's arms, no one really knows who's infected with the plague and who's not. And because the disease perpetuates itself as an aphrodisiac, sex, the very thing that offers comfort, only contributes to spreading the plague.

In a crumbling world with little to lose, however, Ashley begins to discover a desire to live she didn't know she possessed and opportunities she's never had. Her newly-acquired agency may come at a price, however, when Ashley ultimately must choose between her own survival and the people she loves.

 The Good:

• Crazy twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat
• A new approach to zombies

The Bad:

• Nothing. It was amazing, and I regret nothing.

The Gif:

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  Holy crap, you guys! So. I have this obsession adoration for Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries. Those were the first paranormal books I ever read, and I loved them so much. Ever since, I've always been chasing that next book series that will be the perfect read just like those were. Another thing I love? Zombies. (Thanks, Tracey Ward!) And Dead in Bed? It's like Bon Temps got invaded by zombies instead of vampires. Instead of going after brains, it's sex. Geez, I loved this book.

  Alright, the zombies in this story are so different than normal. It was really different, and I loooved it! I'll admit that I had moments where I didn't like the main character, Ashley. She made some crappy decisions. But by the end of the book, I understood them. She really is kickass, though. The scene with the pharmacy? I was cheering her on like there's no tomorrow. There are plenty of characters that you get to know in this book. I feel like Bailey did a good job at keeping them separate and writing them as individuals.

  There are a million twists and turns in this book. Every spare moment, I would pick up my Kindle to read a few more pages. I just had to know what was happening. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. Bailey did an excellent job at pacing this book well. I never had a moment where I felt like the story dragged. Some of the reveals were expected, but the ways in which they happened still took me by surprise.

  All in all, I loved this book. It was something new and fresh, and I loved getting into it. Fans of zombie stories will find themselves lost in this new world!  

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Bailey Simms.