I am not sure how to rate this one. I think it should be 2 3/4 stars just because I hated the first part of the book- dragged really bad. But the last half was pretty exciting. Almost like it was two different books. ( )

Everything is somewhat quiet now, with the dead living among the alive. They try to keep to themselves, and it seems the live humans are mostly waiting for the dead to finally die. But the Laz has mutated, and there's a new strain of it out there that infects even those vaccinated against the original. And a secret society of aristocrats is killing the dead and harming the living.

As I said about the first book, the worldbuilding is so great. After some sort of world-ending event, society gathered near the equator and reformed. The book takes place in and around New London, a city in a post-apocalyptic society that is Victorian in style and mores, but modern in some of its technology, with a gaslamp twist. Nearby is the Punk society that seems to have rejected the New Victorian technology. The Lazarus virus was developed, causing people to reanimate after death; only some of them with their faculties intact.

This book has zombies, romance, romance with zombies (I know; that's what I thought at first, too), found family, a roving band of criminals and hustlers, and a girl growing flowers out of her shoulders. ( )

Too much that doesn't quite do enough.

Dearly, Beloved simply didn't do it for me. A book that should have taken me no more than two days ended up dragging on for a week! It tried for too much and for me missed the mark on almost everything.

To start, we have to read at least SIX different perspectives! Not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case it was. The flow of the story suffered because of it, and each new bit of information wasn't able to grab my interest. The only interesting part for me was when I read how Dr. Samedi became a zombie. The plot was all over the place and I found myself not even wanting to pick the book back up.

I know I shouldn't complain about it being too mushy because it is a young adult romance after all, but I could barely stomach all of the teenage romantic melodrama. Let's just say the ending was just a bit ridiculous to me. In a way I think some of Nora's inconsiderate behavior throughout is glorifying being disrespectful.

I am very sure if you absolutely loved Dearly, Departed that it's likely you will enjoy Dearly, Beloved. As for me I'm fine to end it on this note. ( )

I finished Dearly, Beloved this week. It is the second book in the Dearly departed series. This book was very slow to start. I have to say it took about a good 200 pages to start gain speed and activity. Nora and Bram are faced with the struggles of undead living among the living population. She has to stay hidden with the undead waiting for everyone to find a cure, solution or kill one another. Her best friend Pam gets attacked by men with Masks because they house a undead child. The undead get scared and start to create packs and hide away from civilizations. This is a very interesting story line and unique writing style. Each chapter is a different character point of view. This is very interesting but can become rather confusing to keep everyone's perspective. I would suggest you read the first book in the series before reading this one because it is not a stand alone novel. ( )

Originally Reviewed at: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: NetGalley
Reviewer: Me



Slight Spoilers If You Have NOT Read Dearly, Departed (which you should!)



I am deeply infatuated with Lia Habel’s ability to craft such a uniquely satisfying novel. Dearly, Beloved is just as, if not more, fantastic than the first novel Dearly, Departed. Similar to Gone With The Respiration #1, the second novel is full of futuristic Steampunky goodness and over-the-top zombie action. The stakes are higher; the love/romance is deeper, stronger, and more intense. And of course the action is nonstop. It’s a novel that will make you laugh, dance, scream, shed a tear, and most of all…fall in love with its beautifully bewitching story, zany characters, and fresh take on the Steampunk genre.



Picking up shortly after Dearly, Departed, we’re immediately thrust into New Victoria and the lives of our beloved characters. “Z Company” had dismantled, the vaccine no longer works, and the city is running rampant in lieu of a new revolution between zombies and humans. While everything seems to be crumbling around them, Bram and Nora’s love is stronger than ever and in the midst of it all, they still continue to comfort, respect, and remain strong for each other. While the action within the pages may keep you reading, its Habel’s characters that will endear you to her story forever.



Dearly, Beloved is told from MULTIPLE points of view just like its predecessor. There are 6 charming characters – and one slightly misguided though completely insane – whose minds you will invade: Bram, Nora, Pamela, Michael Allister, Laura, and Vespertine Mink. All of whom you’ve met before with the exception of Laura. Habel does a wonderful job of connecting each point of view and weaving her characters lives together. At first I was suspicious having Michael as one of the POV’s, but after reading his story in its entirety, I couldn’t help but scream… YES, YES, YES! And I wish I could let you all in one my giddy little secret, but then you will miss out on all the fun! :-D



One thing I must point out is that you really must (DO IT! DO IT!) read Dearly, Departed before picking up Dearly, Beloved. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe it could work as a standalone title however, the experience will be richer if you are already invested in the lives of our characters. Plus, why start an awesome series in the middle? You shouldn’t. You will just be angry with yourself if you do…so I’m warning you encouraging you to quickly grab book one.



Overall, my original notion was that Dearly, Beloved was going to be a 4.5 Controller novel because of the two characters whose heads I had to be inside and I wasn’t sure if I wanted or cared to be. However, after reading the last one hundred pages and the tear-jerking ending, which made me both tear up and laugh hysterically, it solidified what I already knew; Dearly, Beloved is a gem…a 5 Controller story. It was magical, exciting, thoroughly engrossing, and flowed as one well-oiled cohesive Steampunk machine.




Edible Quotes:

Bram and Nora:

Nora was the only thing that made sense. She was the only unchanging thing in my universe. She was my lodestar. No matter which way my emotions and circumstances and the impulses of my dead, dying, trying, body pulled me, no matter how many mistakes I made, she was always true north. Sometimes I’d side with the dead, sometimes with the living but always with her.


“I love you,” I whispered in her ear.


“She kissed my Adam’s apple. “God, I love you.” (ARC page 350)

Bram: “I love you Nora. I will thin you beautiful when I have no eyes left to see. I will remember your voice when my ears go. You can’t hold onto me forever, but I will hold only your until I am nothing but dirt.” (ARC page 388)

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