The Willows (Final Days, #4) by Alex Silver

Zombies everywhere is a part of life now, but there may be a new working vaccine. Marley and Russ agree to help bring the vaccine back to their local area, realizing that they may not survive the journey. Perhaps it's time to risk their hearts and finally be together, after all, being surrounded by death doesn't mean their love has ever died. The Willows is the fourth book from the Final Days series.

From the blurb:

No one guessed the zombies would reach our rural town so fast. We thought we had time. We believed we were safe.

It was pure chance that I found Russ by the side of the road the day our world fell apart. The first boy I ever loved was hardly my first choice for riding out the apocalypse with. But he wasn’t my last choice either. Thing is, the business of surviving the end times gets lonely.

None of us can go back to before the zombies shattered our illusions of safety. And that goes double for Russ and me. Our relationship ended long before the virus changed everything. The bonds of the family we’ve built from the ashes of society mean more than taking a second chance at romance. True love doesn’t mean much when heartbreak could be the distraction that gets us all killed out in the wilds.

Still, with the gnawing fear of a fate worse than death as a constant companion, it’s easy to seek comfort in old habits. Russ doesn’t make it easy to keep my emotional distance, but we get by on furtive moments stolen together. Until our niece gets sick and we’re her best shot at a cure. Only, it turns out our situation is even more dire than we knew, and in exchange for saving Lily, we’re sent on a hopeless mission. I’m not sure which is worse, facing certain death, or watching the man I can’t have risk everything by my side.

CW: This book contains mention of pregnancy/infant loss, allusions to trafficking, violence, gore, body horror/zombies.

The Willows is a part of the Final Days MM romance multiauthor series. Each apocalyptic book can be read as a standalone, but there are more thrilling zombie tales to enjoy, so why not grab them all?!

SNik's Review:

Part of a multi-author series (Final Days) but all are standalone stories. Apocalyptic adventure. Second chance. Found family. Dual POV. 

Surviving the zombie apocalypse has been hard, and years of protecting and providing for his homestead doesn’t allow Marley any hope to reignite his relationship with Russ. Both Marley and Russ are afraid to lose each other, so they try to keep away from a commitment that might be doomed any day. When they are required to go on a dangerous mission, they finally agree that maybe surviving together is worth the risk of grabbing some happiness before they might die. 

This story is filled with hope and both the evil and goodness of humanity when people are desperate to survive. An adventure through a zombie infested land on a mission of mercy allows Marley and Russ to embrace their love and strengthens their bond while they unconditionally care and support each other. 

A really entertaining read filled with suspense, action, and a deep love between two men willing to sacrifice and persist against all odds to survive together.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Willows is available to buy as an ebook or to read with Kindle Unlimited subscription.