I will admit I requested this book after finishing The Last Of Us and I was wanting to fulfil my desire for a romance set during a zombie apocalypse. This did in fact exceed my expectations. This was more a pandemic style story, however I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I was worried about an insta love between the two characters, especially after one experienced loss of a partner. Imogen Keeper really developed the relationship very well and made you fall in love with them both. There was at times I felt it was a little too close to home with references to COVID but the storyline kept me hooked. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

I was so excited to get my hands on After the Plague. I had heard this pop up a couple of times, so when it came up as a suggested read, I just had to start it!
Now for some readers, this may still be too soon after our global ordeal with Covid 19, but I loved what the author said in a comment regarding her book, it’s a dark theme with dark topics about survival but the mood and tone of the writing is light to offset the dark theme and situations covered in the book. I couldn’t agree me!

Told for dual perspective both Frankie and Yorke are trying to move forward after 99% of the population has been wiped out by a deadly disease. Frankie’s will to live comes from a young child who has lost their parents to the plague and Yorker’s will to live comes in the form of wanting to protect the mysterious young woman who had the courage to move on after she lost everything. Their losses are huge but there is still more to lose if they don’t try to stake a claim in this new world.

Imogen Keeper’s story is harrowing but optimistic. I enjoyed the characters’ will to survive and the secondary characters of this series!

This series continues with Book 4 Safe and there is more to come!

Many thanks to @NetGalley for my digital review copy of this book.

After the Plague is a story about how humans trying to survive an Australian Flu which has 80% mortality rate and killing billions people in the entire world.
This story was told from two different perspective, Frankie who lost her husband to the plague and Yorke, an army member trying to find his brother.
When their path collide with each other, they decided to survive together in this broken world.

There are three different volumes in this book. In the first part-Broken, we can feel the grief and hopelessness from our main characters.
Then the second part-Lost, our main characters finally meet and found their rhythm to survive together in this new world.
The last part- Found, they try to find their way back to normal after going through a traumatic event and starting to build a new society.

The plot is intriguing and well written with dual POV. The world building is also well crafted and feels realistic.
Reading this slightly scared me since the case is so similar to our current situation right now. This makes me feel so grateful we are able to find a vaccine to defeat the virus, unlike Yorke and Frankie situation.

The pacing is actually really good although it turn a bit slower in the second volume since there's not a lot of significant things happening but it was still enjoyable seeing how the characters adapting to their new situation.

The characters are flawed and feels very relatable. Both main characters have different characteristic which can help them survive the plague together.
Frankie is a civilian with no surviving skill who is grieving but determined to live-she's hope incarnate. There's also Yorke, an army guy who has gone to war and have the skill to survive but seems hopeless.

I love the interaction between our main characters, their romance is a slow burn one. I really like how the author give them space to explore what they could have. I'm rooting for them to finally have their happy ending!

Overall, this book is an action-packed story with unexpected dangers lurking around which makes putting this book down will be the last thing you want to do!
Not just gripping and intense action, this book is filled with lots of emotions throughout the story such as grief, heartache, love and hope.
Highly recommended!

I really enjoy reading this book. I'm absolutely looking forward to read the next part in Frankie and Yorke's journey to build a new life!

Actual rating: 4.5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Imogen Keeper and Mindless Muse Publishing for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Book 1 : You ever think man covid is so last year what if there was a worse plague... you will come to this book series. I felt like game of thrones and all the characters I was rooting for just died around me ...emotional damage. I think while this book is heavy with grief, destruction and overall an 80% death rate in less than 24 hrs is intense it is a good book. I think our main characters will develop more along the way which will turn this series into a 5 star adventure
Book 2: this was the shortest book in the series and yet there was a lot of plot building in it. It focused on the after and how to keep going. The new reality while scary can have some bits of normalcy which was shown in this book. I liked the danger and also the happiness that follows are main characters in this story and if anything happens to them i am throwing my kindle out the window.
book 3: this is the best of the three books and i liked all the twists here even if our MC was such a little annoying girl sometimes for being a full fledged adult... but then again i still loved the plot and character development. the fear, the happiness all of it.

End of the world, but the beginning of building a new life. This series gutted me. Frankie and Yorke are fighting their own demons and past while trying to survive after a brutal virus killed most of the population. Little Auden is such a courageous little boy and he feels like the glue of this forming family. This series is packed with excitement, heartache, and courage. I loved it!

Thank you Net Galley and publisher for a eBook copy of this title. All opinions are my own.

Holy cow. I was a little nervous reading a pandemic style book because I’m easy to overreact and panic. But the author does such an amazing job creating a world that feels realistic but still just out of touch. I thoroughly enjoyed the character development, found family, and the difference between surviving and thriving. If any of these things sound like something you would enjoy, check this book out right away. You will not be disappointed!!

Review shared on goodreads and instragram. Full blog post coming soon.

Thank you Net Galley and the Publisher for a free arc in exchange for a honest review!

At first I was a little hesitant of certain parts of this story line however that faded away the more I kept reading this book! Frankie, Yorke, and Auden find them selves in a post plaque world. Only one percent of the population is left to survive, however some people are trying to take control of this new society rather then make it a better place. Which leaves Frankie, Yorke, and Auden not knowing who to trust.

I was afraid I would not be into the romance that ensued during this book, but I was! Seeing as Frankie's husband passes away early on because of the plaque, I was afraid the romance would be too quick for my liking. But it was anything but that. Yorke and Frankie form a bond early on due to their need to survive and keep Auden safe. This ultimately turns them into a family in which they each will do whatever it takes to keep one another safe!

Overall I loved this book from beginning to end and I can't wait to read part four!

I love a good dystopian novel, but this one reminded me too much of Covid. It was written well but it was just hard for me to personally enjoy.

This book was given to me at no charge by NetGalley as an ARC. I wasn’t sure what to think at the beginning with it being so close to COVID, but continuing reading it kept my attention. The book is fast paced, full of action, lots of emotions, and a touch of romance. There were a few grammatical errors that I noticed, but overall a very solid story! I will definitely be reading the next one.

I dnf this book very early on because it felt a bit too real. there was nothing wrong with it, the writing was good and the dialogue felt very natural but the isolation and masks and having shopping delivered etc was all very reminiscent of Covid. It brought me right back to the feelings in the first lock down period, which is a testament to how well it is written, but a bit too close to the bone for me to enjoy

In 2038, a disease suddenly spreads out to turn in a deadly pandemic, killing 99% of the world’s population in the span of a few months. The story is told alternately by Frankie and Yorke, our main characters, who are just trying to grieve, survive and adapt in their new reality.

This book was an amazing surprise! ‘After the Plague’ is broken down into 3 volumes. I had the chance to get them in a 3-in-1 edition, thankfully, because I couldn’t put the book down! I was a bit hesitant when i first read the synopsis, because it sounded a bit inspired by Covid-19... But after reading a few reviews and the author’s note (she actually wrote that story years ago), I decided to give it a go. And I wasn’t disappointed! Although this is a dystopia style story, Imogen Keeper managed to make me laugh from the very first pages, and instantly got me into the story. I quickly started to feel for the main characters, as we accompany them in their difficult new lives, and hope for them. I immediately bought the 4th volume, just a few minutes after finishing this book, so I think it’s safe to say Imogen Keeper was a great discovery for me!

Trigger Warnings: suicidal thoughts, Drug use, murder, kidnapping, hostage situation, abuse, descriptive gun violence, graphic sexual depiction

An interesting mix of post-apocalyptic action, suspense, chaos, trauma, and romance. I do have to warn readers that there is a large amount of course and foul language throughout the book. Trigger warning: verbal abuse, physical violence, sexual abuse/attempted sexual violence. Unfortunately, some of this violence occurs in front of a young child who spends a fair amount of the story in a state of trauma.

*Thank you NetGalley and Mindless Muse Publishing for this ARC*

I am a sucker for a good dystopian novel so when I saw this dystopian romance I had to read it immediately. In this post-COVID world, a new virus has ravaged the world. The three main characters (Frankie, Yorke, and Auden) have lost their respective families but they soon form a close bond and set out to survive in this new world. The slow burn romance between Frankie and Yorke felt realistic and also had some moments of spice - this story had a good balance of romance intermingled with fast pace post-apocalyptic survival. This book is split into short volumes and the edition I read included three of those volumes - the fourth installment was recently published and I am eager to read it. This was a fun fast-paced story, I just personally would have loved a little more focus on the virus aspect.

I didn't have a lot of expectations about this book, but it surprised me a lot. It really blew my mind. This story is full of action, suspense, slow burn romance and an apocalyptic world where anything can happen at any time.

The characters are well represented. I totally understand Frankie's feelings, her actions and her griefs and Yorke (🥵) what to say about Yorke, he is everything what this apocalyptic world needs.

The story and the writing style hooked me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down until the end. So follow my advice and give it a try. It's worth it!

⭐️4/5

*Note: Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to Mindless Muse publishing, Imogen Keeper, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

“No . . . You can’t understand. You’re using the language of reason, not of the heart; you live in a world of abstractions.” Albert Camus The Plague

After the Plague, a special 3 book set, by Imogen Keeper follows the lives of Frankie, Yorke, and Auden after a virus from Australia kills off 89% of the world. Fair warning that this book is about a plague in the form of a mutated flu that killed off most of the world. As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, this may not be an enjoyable read for some.

Though we don’t quite know the year that After The Plague takes place, it is somewhere around 2040-2045. This series is told in alternating points of view by Frankie, the female protagonist, and Yorke, the male hero. Frankie is an artist, married to Jimmy and both of her parents have passed on. Jimmy is 13 years her senior and takes care of her in every way. Yorke is a soldier, having fought in WWIII. He lands back in DC just as the plague is wiping out the nation. His younger brother, Carl, is a junkie, and when Yorke sets out to look for him, he sees Frankie and her husband Jimmy packing their car. Yorke never forgets Frankie, and he finds her weeks later, after Jimmy has succumbed to the virus. They have nothing left and with Auden, a boy orphaned by the virus, and his dog, Beast, they set off somewhere safe to land.


Frankie, Auden and Yorke know they can’t leave the city of Washington unless they can get past the tyrants living in the White House. Yorke leaves every morning to clear the bridges and plan their route. Frankie and Auden scavenge houses for food and supplies. Until one day, when she goes into a house and leaves Auden outside and he is taken. An addict has taken Auden and when Frankie searches for him, she is taken too. When Yorke rescues them, he knows time is up. They must leave the city.

Though this book is about an apocalypse, there are many other layers; particularly the sexual tension building between Frankie and Yorke, and her guilt over the loss of her husband. I loved this story and can’t wait to read the book that has come out previously. Particularly notable is the growth that Frankie has and her ability to become a mother to Auden.

Alright, let's get into this.

The best thing about this were the kid and the dog - please note that I'm a cat person who doesn't like children and do with that what you want.

For the fact that we're a month into the apocalypse, the entire thing is overly sexual. Let's be real, my priorities wouldn't be to stare at a strange woman's ass when I pass her on the street while I'm on my way to rob a grocery store. Apparently, both Frankie and Yorke think differently in that aspect, because that's mostly the things they focus on.

Both our main characters are very one-note.
We've got Yorke: horny military dudebro; and then we've got Frankie: horny self-pity.

They didn't really give me much to work with so I could like them, so I didn't. Their relationship doesn't have much chemistry besides the fact that they want to jump each other's bones 24/7 and we're not getting all that much character development either.

The only highlight was Auden and Best because they were adorable, but unfortunately that's all I can give these books.
To nobody's surprise, I won't be purchasing book 4.

"Maybe in the solar system of us, we're the planets, Auden, me, and Beast, and we all revolve around Frankie. Maybe she's our sun."

Over 90% of the world's population is lost to a deadly virus, and it's a desolate and dangerous world for the survivors. Frankie, as it happens, has no practical survival skills. Jimmy tried to teach her, but she's left to figure things out on her own. As she navigates her city in attempts to find resources and other survivors, she meets Auden. And Beast. And Yorke. Together, they must face the dangers ahead- not just the virus, but the other survivors... namely the rising, angry group of survivors in the White House.

"Before the apocalypse they were strangers. Now their lives will forever be entwined."

--
⚠️ Book TW: deadly disease, violence/gore, emotional distress & grief, assault, attempted s*xual assault, su*cid@l thoughts

I had a difficult time in the beginning due to the subject matter and how incredibly well written this book (collection) is. I knew what I was getting into, my emotions are not a knock on this book, but I feel it's important to mention: It is vivid, descriptive, and well-thought out. It hit home in a way I wasn't prepared for, and that, to me, speaks to the quality of writing I felt in Imogen Keeper's work. Once I was able to get into the right headspace, I dove back in and was damn near unable to put my Kindle down.

The way Imogen Keeper puts readers in Frankie's mind and explores her feelings through the unimaginable apocalypse, her grief, and her hope... It's mesmerizing. Devastating. Brutal. And Beautiful. You can tell that the author loves these characters and she makes her readers fall just as much in love. Frankie is the hope, beauty, and determination. Yorke is the strength, stability, and logic. And Auden... Auden is the reason, perfection, and future. The slow burn had me drooling and the character dynamics had me in tears. Good ones, I promise.

I found After the Plague on a whim while browsing NetGalley and was thrilled to have gotten my request approved. I had never heard of it before, but the cover and blurb had me totally intrigued. After reading, I cannot believe (and am a bit mad) no one told me about this series before. Yorke is a new top fictional bf, for me. Hands down.

Story and plot? Love. Characters? Obsessed. Writing? Wonderful. Highly recommend. I also recommend reading all volumes back-to-back. I understand the breaks in the books, but it's just too good: read the special edition with all-in-one.

Thank you NetGalley, Mindless Muse, and Imogen Keeper for my copy of After the Plague in exchange for my honest review!

While I was looking forward to this, it just felt too slow to my taste. There was a little too much forced romance for my taste.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

*I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Too slow to be enjoyable.

I was in this for the Sci-fi atmosphere. And it ended up focusing more on romance. Multiple POVs are not my favorite thing either. Overall, this didn't fit my personality and the writing wasn't what I wanted it to be.

I would have read this in one sitting if I didn’t need to go to sleep for work the next day. I did manage to stay up until 12:30 that first night.
This story started off a little scary to me since we are living in a covid world and I thought this story was about it - nope - the the Australian Flu. I believe it takes place in 2038. This story is so realistic! I can vividly see all this happening.
Beneath the sickness, this is a story about friendships, love, forgiveness and heroism.
Probably the best realistic post apocalyptic stories I’ve read.