Former First Lady Helena Barrett could use a vacation.
Since her husband’s death, Helena has been happy to serve her country. That comes to an abrupt end after she calls the current administration’s policies idiotic during a televised climate conference in Paris.
Oops.
Finally ready to chart her own life as a free woman, Helena jumps at the opportunity to spend a few days at a lovely inn nestled in the French countryside. She is charmed by the locals, captivated by the scenery, and tolerant of the other guests.
The humans are annoying, the fainting goats are distracting, and the resident cat is a menace. The zombies…well, they’re downright terrifying.
Armed with her signature dry wit and a cast iron frying pan, Helena must hold the line against the infected. Despite her best intentions, she has become attached to this quirky cast of characters and will do her best to ensure they all survive.
After dealing with politicians for nearly thirty years, what are a few zombies?
This is my second read from Mary Jane Owen and the 2nd book in her interconnected Cozy Tales of the Zombie Apocalypse series. I read the first book and loved it. Both books are a mix of comedy, romance, women’s fiction, and post-apocalyptic zombie chaos! At only 335 pages and just over 6 hours on audio, you can fly through it in a day. This book has a strong-willed, compelling older FMC, Helena Barrett, who’s the former First Lady of the United States and who takes an unexpected journey from Paris to the French countryside!
The story is mostly told from Helena’s first-person POV. She’s 62, and her husband, the former president, died 2 years earlier, but she’s still working in government affairs under the new president when the story begins. I loved the way the opening establishes her as smart, sarcastic, and confident. After she calls the president’s policies idiotic on a live broadcast, she’s fired and decides she’s finally ready to retire and take time for herself. There are also interspersed third-person POV chapters following Ashley, who’s vacationing in France with her fiancé, Robert, and Darla, the wife of a Canadian diplomat. Their stories eventually collide with Helena’s once the mysterious “zombie” sickness spreads, throwing the women into an increasingly dangerous situation.
After Helena’s fired, she decides to take a vacation in the tiny French village of Saint Emily de Provence, where she stays at the Maison des Fleurs, a family-run inn owned by the eccentric Begonia. Begonia was easily my favorite character. She’s a force of nature, full of enthusiasm, personality, and opinions, and she’s oozing with positive energy. Even when everything’s falling apart, she finds something funny or positive to say, and I laughed out loud several times. Her relationship with her son, Jean-Luc, and her mother-in-law, Rose, is such a fun dynamic and added a lot of entertainment.
There’s early foreshadowing of the “zombie” sickness as Helena, Ashley, and Robert all notice strange things happening in Paris before they leave. After everything we experienced during COVID, I found these scenes relatable, and I was curious how fast it would spread. Once the crazed, infected people appear in the village, the story takes off. There are chaotic chase scenes, highway disasters, and some very tense moments when the characters realize how much danger they’re in. Darla, her husband, Jacob, and their young son, William, become a big part of the story later on, and some of William’s scenes are the most memorable—especially his hilarious moments with the goats and the cat at the inn!
I also enjoyed the romantic subplot between Helena and Henry. It’s a slow burn and takes a backseat to the zombie apocalypse and all of the character dynamics, which was perfect. Their relationship gradually intensifies as they’re forced to spend more time together, and there are some really sweet moments between them, especially at the end.
The short chapters, good momentum, and banter throughout make this easy to binge. The ending is the most predictable part of the story, but I didn’t mind because it was so sweet and fit the tone of the book and series.
And if you’re an audiobook listener, you’re in for a treat! Rebecca Avery returns after narrating the first book and once again does a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. I especially loved her portrayals of Begonia and Rose—their French accents sounded so convincing, and the spot-on comedic timing made their scenes so funny!
Overall, First Lady Down is such a fun and original take on the zombie apocalypse story, and I really appreciate how much the author packs into a quick read. If any of this sounds intriguing, or you enjoy cozy zombie apocalypse stories with comedy, strong female leads, and a dash of romance, don’t hesitate to pick up either book in this series—especially on audio. You’ll thank me later!!
Narrator Performance
First Lady Down is narrated by seasoned narrator Rebecca Avery, who also narrated the first book in the series, Last Mom Standing.
In the opening chapters, when Helena’s in Paris attending the climate conference and speaks out about the president’s policies, Avery portrays her with confidence and an opinionated tone that conveys that she’s not afraid to speak her mind. When she’s reprimanded and fired by the president, you hear both acceptance and a complete lack of concern in her voice that made me like her more. She’s reached a point in her life where she doesn’t care what anyone thinks and is ready to pave her own future, and you can hear her relief as she suggests to her security detail, Henry, about taking time for herself before figuring out what’s next.
I also loved the immediate, palpable chemistry between Helena and Henry. Avery narrates their exchanges with a familiarity, sarcasm, teasing, and warmth that accurately captures their relationship. Helena’s very independent and doesn’t want to be fussed over, while Henry’s protective and takes his job very seriously, and Avery makes their personalities very clear and their dynamic so fun that I immediately envisioned a potential romance.
Grace, Helena’s assistant, also takes her job very seriously, and Avery portrays her with a more anxious energy as she worries about what happens next since her career’s suddenly very uncertain. You can hear the trust and familiarity between Helena and Grace, and Avery gives their interactions almost a mother-daughter vibe at times, as the affection between them really comes through.
Avery also does a great job with Ashley and Robert’s chapters. Early on, the delivery of their exchanges gives an opposites-attract dynamic, as well as an underlying tension that immediately made me question their relationship. Avery portrays Robert with an arrogant, somewhat condescending voice when he talks to Ashley, which captures him perfectly, and it made him pretty unlikeable for me right away! Once everything goes wrong and they’re forced to head to the Maison des Fleurs earlier than planned, Avery captures Robert’s disappointment and frustration really well. Their arguments later on are very revealing, and through the narration, you can hear how differently they view the situation they’re in.
The absolute highlight of Avery’s performance for me, though, was Begonia and her mother-in-law, Rose! These are two older French women with very different personalities, and Avery gives them distinct, expressive voices. Begonia’s a force of nature, and Avery captures her enthusiasm, warmth, humor, and positive energy right away when she greets Helena, Rose, and Henry. In contrast, Avery portrays Rose with a feisty, no-nonsense energy that made me smile every time she appeared. And the French accents that Avery gives to both women were a major highlight of the listening experience, as they sounded so convincing, lively, and so different from the rest of the cast.
The scenes between Begonia and Helena were also very entertaining because Begonia has no problem pointing out things about Helena’s life that Helena isn’t ready to admit. Avery’s delivery made some of their exchanges feel almost like watching funny scenes in a rom-com, and I laughed out loud several times! 😂
The action scenes involving the infected humans suddenly appearing and causing danger were also well done.Avery picks up the pacing and adds more urgency into her delivery to add the suspense I was waiting for. The chase scenes through the village and the scenes when infected people appeared in the courtyard of Maison des Fleurs were thrilling and immersive.
I also loved Avery’s change in tone during the final chapters, when the story jumps forward two weeks and then another month. It’s a more heartfelt delivery, and you can hear how the characters have changed after everything they’ve been through. Avery brought so much heart to the final scenes between Helena and Henry, and it left the story on a hopeful and satisfying note.
If any of this sounds intriguing, or if you enjoy funny zombie apocalypse stories, charming characters, feisty female leads, sweet romance, and great banter, I recommend picking this one up on audiobook. Rebecca Avery elevates the story and keeps you completely engaged the whole time. Both books in this series are perfect binge listens, as they’re shorter and fast-paced, and you can listen to both back-to-back over a weekend!
Narrator Performance
First Lady Down is narrated by seasoned narrator Rebecca Avery, who also narrated the first book in the series, Last Mom Standing.
In the opening chapters, when Helena’s in Paris attending the climate conference and speaks out about the president’s policies, Avery portrays her with confidence and an opinionated tone that conveys that she’s not afraid to speak her mind. When she’s reprimanded and fired by the president, you hear both acceptance and a complete lack of concern in her voice that made me like her more. She’s reached a point in her life where she doesn’t care what anyone thinks and is ready to pave her own future, and you can hear her relief as she suggests to her security detail, Henry, about taking time for herself before figuring out what’s next.
I also loved the immediate, palpable chemistry between Helena and Henry. Avery narrates their exchanges with a familiarity, sarcasm, teasing, and warmth that accurately captures their relationship. Helena’s very independent and doesn’t want to be fussed over, while Henry’s protective and takes his job very seriously, and Avery makes their personalities very clear and their dynamic so fun that I immediately envisioned a potential romance.
Grace, Helena’s assistant, also takes her job very seriously, and Avery portrays her with a more anxious energy as she worries about what happens next since her career’s suddenly very uncertain. You can hear the trust and familiarity between Helena and Grace, and Avery gives their interactions almost a mother-daughter vibe at times, as the affection between them really comes through.
Avery also does a great job with Ashley and Robert’s chapters. Early on, the delivery of their exchanges gives an opposites-attract dynamic, as well as an underlying tension that immediately made me question their relationship. Avery portrays Robert with an arrogant, somewhat condescending voice when he talks to Ashley, which captures him perfectly, and it made him pretty unlikeable for me right away! Once everything goes wrong and they’re forced to head to the Maison des Fleurs earlier than planned, Avery captures Robert’s disappointment and frustration really well. Their arguments later on are very revealing, and through the narration, you can hear how differently they view the situation they’re in.
The absolute highlight of Avery’s performance for me, though, was Begonia and her mother-in-law, Rose! These are two older French women with very different personalities, and Avery gives them distinct, expressive voices. Begonia’s a force of nature, and Avery captures her enthusiasm, warmth, humor, and positive energy right away when she greets Helena, Rose, and Henry. In contrast, Avery portrays Rose with a feisty, no-nonsense energy that made me smile every time she appeared. And the French accents that Avery gives to both women were a major highlight of the listening experience, as they sounded so convincing, lively, and so different from the rest of the cast.
The scenes between Begonia and Helena were also very entertaining because Begonia has no problem pointing out things about Helena’s life that Helena isn’t ready to admit. Avery’s delivery made some of their exchanges feel almost like watching funny scenes in a rom-com, and I laughed out loud several times! 😂
The action scenes involving the infected humans suddenly appearing and causing danger were also well done.Avery picks up the pacing and adds more urgency into her delivery to add the suspense I was waiting for. The chase scenes through the village and the scenes when infected people appeared in the courtyard of Maison des Fleurs were thrilling and immersive.
I also loved Avery’s change in tone during the final chapters, when the story jumps forward two weeks and then another month. It’s a more heartfelt delivery, and you can hear how the characters have changed after everything they’ve been through. Avery brought so much heart to the final scenes between Helena and Henry, and it left the story on a hopeful and satisfying note.
If any of this sounds intriguing, or if you enjoy funny zombie apocalypse stories, charming characters, feisty female leads, sweet romance, and great banter, I recommend picking this one up on audiobook. Rebecca Avery elevates the story and keeps you completely engaged the whole time. Both books in this series are perfect binge listens, as they’re shorter and fast-paced, and you can listen to both back-to-back over a weekend!
First Lady Down is narrated by seasoned narrator Rebecca Avery, who also narrated the first book in the series, Last Mom Standing.
In the opening chapters, when Helena’s in Paris attending the climate conference and speaks out about the president’s policies, Avery portrays her with confidence and an opinionated tone that conveys that she’s not afraid to speak her mind. When she’s reprimanded and fired by the president, you hear both acceptance and a complete lack of concern in her voice that made me like her more. She’s reached a point in her life where she doesn’t care what anyone thinks and is ready to pave her own future, and you can hear her relief as she suggests to her security detail, Henry, about taking time for herself before figuring out what’s next.
I also loved the immediate, palpable chemistry between Helena and Henry. Avery narrates their exchanges with a familiarity, sarcasm, teasing, and warmth that accurately captures their relationship. Helena’s very independent and doesn’t want to be fussed over, while Henry’s protective and takes his job very seriously, and Avery makes their personalities very clear and their dynamic so fun that I immediately envisioned a potential romance.
Grace, Helena’s assistant, also takes her job very seriously, and Avery portrays her with a more anxious energy as she worries about what happens next since her career’s suddenly very uncertain. You can hear the trust and familiarity between Helena and Grace, and Avery gives their interactions almost a mother-daughter vibe at times, as the affection between them really comes through.
Avery also does a great job with Ashley and Robert’s chapters. Early on, the delivery of their exchanges gives an opposites-attract dynamic, as well as an underlying tension that immediately made me question their relationship. Avery portrays Robert with an arrogant, somewhat condescending voice when he talks to Ashley, which captures him perfectly, and it made him pretty unlikeable for me right away! Once everything goes wrong and they’re forced to head to the Maison des Fleurs earlier than planned, Avery captures Robert’s disappointment and frustration really well. Their arguments later on are very revealing, and through the narration, you can hear how differently they view the situation they’re in.
The absolute highlight of Avery’s performance for me, though, was Begonia and her mother-in-law, Rose! These are two older French women with very different personalities, and Avery gives them distinct, expressive voices. Begonia’s a force of nature, and Avery captures her enthusiasm, warmth, humor, and positive energy right away when she greets Helena, Rose, and Henry. In contrast, Avery portrays Rose with a feisty, no-nonsense energy that made me smile every time she appeared. And the French accents that Avery gives to both women were a major highlight of the listening experience, as they sounded so convincing, lively, and so different from the rest of the cast.
The scenes between Begonia and Helena were also very entertaining because Begonia has no problem pointing out things about Helena’s life that Helena isn’t ready to admit. Avery’s delivery made some of their exchanges feel almost like watching funny scenes in a rom-com, and I laughed out loud several times! 😂
The action scenes involving the infected humans suddenly appearing and causing danger were also well done.Avery picks up the pacing and adds more urgency into her delivery to add the suspense I was waiting for. The chase scenes through the village and the scenes when infected people appeared in the courtyard of Maison des Fleurs were thrilling and immersive.
I also loved Avery’s change in tone during the final chapters, when the story jumps forward two weeks and then another month. It’s a more heartfelt delivery, and you can hear how the characters have changed after everything they’ve been through. Avery brought so much heart to the final scenes between Helena and Henry, and it left the story on a hopeful and satisfying note.
If any of this sounds intriguing, or if you enjoy funny zombie apocalypse stories, charming characters, feisty female leads, sweet romance, and great banter, I recommend picking this one up on audiobook. Rebecca Avery elevates the story and keeps you completely engaged the whole time. Both books in this series are perfect binge listens, as they’re shorter and fast-paced, and you can listen to both back-to-back over a weekend!
