11 Romance novel characters we NEED on our zombie apocalypse team

Here at Romance Rehab, we’re SUPER huge fans of The Walking Dead. (Well, I’m a big fan. The Design Dude fell off TWD bandwagon at the end of season 6, but I don’t hold that against him. Not much, anyway.) We’re also pretty serious about our zombie apocalypse planning, because, hey, we all know it’s gonna happen one of these days, right? So, with that in mind, and given our HUGE love for romance novels, here are our top 11 picks for romance novel characters we’d draft to our official zombie apocalypse team immediately:

Note: no magical characters are included. That’d be cheating. And these are listed in no particular order. ​

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Cassidy Porter from
​Unloved
This is a dude who has lived off the grid his entire life. He’s in peak (ahem) physical condition. We’re guessing he’d be ALL kinds of helpful when it came to having to survive in the wild without the comforts of electricity and modern conveniences. Plus he’s sweet and good natured, and we’ll need people like that around to keep everyone else in check.

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Baron Spencer from
​Vicious
If we’ve learned anything at all from Rick and the gang on The Walking Dead, it’s that sometimes you have to be ruthless in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. And in all our years of reading romance novels, we haven’t come across a character more ruthless than Vicious. We know he’d do whatever needed to be done—what the rest of us might have trouble doing—without hesitating. He’s also fiercely loyal to his friends and loved ones, so our team wouldn’t have to fear losing Vicious to another group. (I’m looking at you, Eugene.)

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Archer Hunt from
​Accidentally on Purpose
Every zombie apocalypse team needs a clear leader (especially the badass team WE’RE putting together), and we can’t think of anyone better suited to the job than Archer Hunt. Alphas just don’t get more alpha than Archer, and the fact that he runs a successful security consultancy firm clearly displays his leadership ability. (And Archer never would’ve trusted those trash pickers, Rick. Just sayin’.)

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Logan Brantley from
​Real Good Man
One thing that has never been addressed to my satisfaction on The Walking Dead is how they keep their cars running. I mean, we’ve seen pretty much everyone on the show hotwire a long-abandoned car. Well, I’m sorry to say that I’m just not that mechanically inclined. So, I’m going to require a mechanic on my team. There’s tons of mechanics in Romance Land, but I choose Logan. (It’s my list so I can do what I want, and he’s pretty...don’t judge.)

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Dr. Simon Hogue from
Dear Bridget, I Want You
Let’s face it: the zombie apocalypse isn’t for wimps. There will be injuries, sickness, and blood. Heck, a bad infection could kill you. We’ll need a doctor. Who better than Dr. Simon Hogue, ER doc extraordinaire?  Besides, it looks like he works out so he could be handy in...other ways too.

Note: Check out our 5-star review of Dear Bridget, I Want You.

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Harper Hall from
​Semi-Charmed
You were starting to think this was a sexist, all dude list, weren’t you? Nope. Harper is a welcome addition to the team. Not only is she proficient with a crossbow and a sword, but she’s also proven herself a pretty decent tactical planner—all things we’ll need in the zombie apocalypse. And I’m sure her snarky sense of humor will also come in handy, because we don’t want our apocalypse to go all Cormac McCarthy grim and depressing. We’ll be needing a few laughs here and there, and we know Harper can deliver.

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Sela Halstad from
​Sugar Daddy
Sela is a survivor in every sense of the word. She’s the type of woman who can overcome any hardship and become a stronger person as a result. She’s also tough, adaptable, and focused. Much like The Walking Dead wouldn’t be the same without Carol, another true survivor, our team wouldn’t be complete without Sela.

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Six Rapp from
Under Fire
In case we ever run into a Negan wannabe and are forced to go to war, our team is going to need someone who can train everyone on military tactics and weaponry. Who better for that particular job than a former Navy SEAL like Six?

Note: you can check out our 5-star review of Under Fire.

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Sebastian Stark from
​Surviving Raine
Here at Romance Rehab, we like to keep our options open. And if we decide we want to hit the high seas in search of a land that isn’t zombie infested, well, we’ll be needing a captain who knows a thing or two (or ten) about surviving while at sea. We can think of no one more suited to be our captain than Bastian.

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Aiden Sheffield from
The Scars Between Us
Another fact we’ve picked up from The Walking Dead is that other people (not zombies) are really the biggest threat you can face in the zombie apocalypse. And sometimes you don’t have a crossbow or gun handy. You have to know how to fight. We chose Aiden Sheffield to teach us all what he knows about fighting so we can defend ourselves all hand-to-hand-like when necessary.

Note: you can check out our 5-star review of The Scars Between Us.

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Abigail Lowery from
The Witness
What team DOESN’T need a super smart badass like Abigail? Plus, given her genius status and tech skills, we’re betting that if there’s anyone who can get the power back on when the apocalypse hits, it’s Abigail.

Note: You can check out our 4.5-star Dude Review of The Witness.

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Will from
​The Purge of Babylon
Design Dude here. I'm sneaking in a bonus apocalypse team member. This isn't technically a romance novel but there are romantic relationships of considerable depth throughout the series as well as heroes who fit all the normal romance hero criteria. Will in particular is the kind of guy that is simply invaluable in a crisis. A former Army Ranger, he's cool under pressure, loyal to his friends and a natural leader. He even has Jennifer's seal of approval. What more do you need to know? Seriously, romance fans, you should give this series a look. The writing is superb.

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What about y’all? Which romance novel characters would you have on YOUR zombie apocalypse team? (Non-magical characters, please...no cheating) We’d love to hear from you!  ​