Reading apocalyptic/ dystopian books after COVID sure changes someones perspective! This series takes place in the future with a mutated flu that kills billions. Most people do not survive, but some are “immune”. Frankie the main character is a painter who is married to a man who is 13 years older than her. There is also Yorke, who is a veteran from WWIII, who is a loner with the only goal is surviving.

The first book “Broken” takes place in Washington DC, where Frankie and her husband, Jimmy, live. Frankie and Jimmy notice how down hill the city is going so quickly. As they are trying to leave Jimmy and Frankie are observed by an onlooking Yorke who is just back from Germany. Frankie and Jimmy can’t get out of the city but, plan to try again. However, as most great romances, it comes to an end when Jimmy gets sick.

The second book “Lost” shows the reader Frankie finds a young boy and takes it upon herself to take care of this boy, regardless of her lack of survival skills. As time goes on she realizes she can’t take care of the boy alone. So they go into the city to look for survivors where they come across Yorke, who saves them from a group who is taking kids. Yorke ends up staying with them where they fall into a routine. One day while they are out scavenging house, the boy disappears. When Yorke realizes they are both gone, his skills kick in and he sets out to find them.

In the third book “Found” follows Frankie, Yorke, and the song boy as they over come the events after the attack. Frankie think Yorke is disgusted with her but, is actually upset with himself. The young boy is so traumatized he won’t speak so, Frankie gets Yorke to take them to the abandoned library where they run into another group of survivors. One of the women in this survivor group tries to help Frankie mend the relationship with her and Yorke.

I can't recommend this series enough!

I received an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Maybe not the best book to read while living in a real pandemic. Apart from that, the plot and the characters are well developed and I really enjoyed it.

I am a fan of romance. But I feel like this book gave me something different. Something extra. Something I needed and didn't know. I give it 3. 4 stars. It wasn't bad.

The pandemic, in times of pandemic, was a great plot. I loved how it refers to Covid 19.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
It was enjoyable read, but there was some rift between the romance plot and the post dystopian one. Somehow both don't mix. Once reading the summary one wouldn't expect the center of the story to be romance. The narrative itself was really nice and descriptive, which made it very easy to imagine the setting. I also liked the characters, although I really wished for more electricity and sparks between them. I am sure the same crafty skills in the narrative could be used for more emotional descriptions, especially when you center the plot around a romance. It was enjoyable read, but I would love to see the author use their writing skills in a new project where the setting and the main plot fit better. I tried to read while ignoring the virus and the conditions it created. Especially with the entire Covid crisiz.

This is billed as a trilogy, but there aren’t actually three stories, as the first and third stories jarringly have have no ending. Setting-wise, the first story talks a lot about the impact of the plague conditions, but it didn’t make good science fiction. It felt like stale and disingenuous storytelling copied from someone’s journal entries during the COVID-19 lock down—but turned up to eleven. My biggest problem with the plot is the ad hoc army, lead, improbably, by an improbable, evil red head woman. Nothing about that made sense to me from the army’s motivation to the unresolved crisis. (Should I mention there’s another group that’s lead by a luscious Wonder Woman type?) I also didn’t like anything regarding one of the secondary characters who came back to life. It seemed improbable, shmalzy, and gratuitous. Sections two and three have quite a few sentences that don’t make any sense according to English grammar rules. They felt like maybe cut and paste edits that weren’t proofread.

On the good side, the romance parts are hot though sometimes a little stiff and formulaic. They would make terrific interludes for a harlequin romance type novel with a better plot. I think this needs a serious revision and then submit it to a romance publisher. You can tell the writer is very intelligent and only spent a minimal amount of time to create some cotton candy escapist fiction. There’s nothing wrong with escapist fiction.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my feedback.

After the Plage by Imogen Keeper is a dystopian novel set after a virus sweeps the globe killing the majority of the population. Those that are left have to regroup and try to continue on.

I loved loved loved this book and can't wait to read more. I wasn't sure what I was expected but it wasn't the heartfelt story of people coming together to fight for better. It was all made fairly believable with some good people and some bad but most fighting for what they believe is right,

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

This book was a bit of a fail from the start for me. And I won’t even lie- it’s a super petty and egocentric reason to not like a book straight off the bat. The protagonist, in a post apocalyptic book, is an ADULT. Like wtf?! I don’t want to read about functioning members of society’s struggle when said society is gone. I want teenage angst and drama! Which, technically I got. But it’s just sad to imagine adults still behave that way.

The romance in this story, which, let’s not lie, was basically the main plot, was waaaay too slow. Like yeah, the love of your life died. BUT… wow there isn’t really a good follow up to that statement. And the romance was only slow after the gazillion chapters where the MC’s haven’t even met.

And can I really quickly mention the dual perspective? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE multi-POV’s, but you gotta write them differently. And yeah this it totally sexist but Yorke was definitely not written like a man.

And WOW that was a lot of negativity. I’ll end with a lil positive- for the little it was in here I enjoyed the parts about the disease. (So glad covid hasn’t ruined it for me yet!)

At the beginning, I was interested in this book but after a while I felt like it was far too slow paced. Although, it was very raw and realistic especially after these passed two years with a literal pandemic it felt a little flat. In addition, the characters felt a bit lack luster as if they were missing substance and it was very difficult to root for them, however, it did feel well written so in that aspect my expectations for this book weren’t a complete let down.

As a fan of dystopian genres, After the Plague by Imogen Keeper, was right up my alley. We've survived COVID, what's the worst that could happen now? Enter, the Australian Flu.

This series is such well told, with in depth character development that truly makes you feel a part of it. Her style of writing and attention to detail makes you feel with the characters. Nothing has hit home quite like this series, and that's a great thing. I've described this as a COVID with 90% mortality rate meets The Walking Dead, but without the zombies.

After finishing the first 4 of this series, I want to purchase a plot of land and start becoming a prepper. This is how realistic this plot is. My only dislike is that each book feels too short. I wish they were longer and more condensed into several as opposed to the estimated 9.

I found this book was just ok but yes I did have problems getting into this one because I got bored at some parts of it.
I know some people may love this but it just wasn't one that kept my attention.

Definitely a book of the times and one that needs a fair number of trigger warnings for our generation of reader - I felt like it held a lot of hope and healing in the story too though. The romance was great but I really loved how rooted in partnership and trust it was. I'm absolutely planning to pick up the rest of the story after this!

CW/TW: pandemic, death, illness, gun violence, physical assaults

Apocalyptic romance with very real characters was an intriguing premise. I loved that Frankie was a gal who wasn't military-trained for an apocalypse (which seems to always be the case in other books) that had seemingly zero skills to help her survive, but she gets braver in the series. Yorke was straight-laced soldier that softens as the books progress. I really enjoyed following their story story, but the first book would have been hard to handle if not for having the 2nd and 3rd book to follow immediately.

I came across After the Plague when I was looking for books to request on NetGalley, they provided it to me and I’m very grateful for it to them and also Imogen for writing it.

I didn’t know what to expect from a series with a post apocalyptic scenario where a virus is responsible for the human (almost complete) extermination in a time like this when we have COVID roaming around. However, these books bring a message that could serve us all: hope. Hope that in the end, everything is going to be ok.

I loved the plot, scenario and the characters (all of them from main to secondary). I’ve read some books with this theme before (ones written by really famous writers), but this series is my favorite. I’ll be reading the fourth installment next and you, who is reading this, even if you don’t believe me, just read the first chapter, and I’m sure it’ll captivate you as it captivated me.

fter 99% of the population dies from the modern day plague (called the Australian Influenza), the world is changed. The remaining 1% now live in a world with no government and no laws. The majority have lost their entire family and are living alone, desperate, and terrified. Frankie has just buried her husband and feels completely lost. Frankie isn’t sure she has what it takes to survive in this new world until she stumbles upon a child, Auden, who is just as alone as she is. Fueled by strength she didn’t know she had, Frankie decides to find a safe home for her and the boy.

It’s not long before their paths cross with Yorke, a former soldier who has lived a solitary life out of choice. Yorke is suddenly thrust into a world where he is now responsible for protecting a young woman and child. “After the Plague” consists of three volumes that detail the story of this found family in a new, dangerous world. Three strangers brought together by catastrophe suddenly find themselves in a family that they would do anything - anything to keep. Rising violence led by a mysterious group that has taken over the White House threatens everything they hold dear - but this time, Frankie and Yorke won’t go down without a fight.
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I love an apocalyptic story and I also love a slowburn romance. I didn’t know I needed a series that embodied both - but I found that in “After the Plague” and couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters of Yorke and Frankie - I felt that Frankie was very relatable. I often think how I would measure up in an apocalyptic event; I really have no “useful” skill. I liked that Frankie was an artist and not someone trained in hand to hand combat (or other physical skills useful for the end of the world) - she felt more real. I also liked how the chapters alternated POVs so that we could get inside Yorke’s more private thoughts. This allowed me to get to know both characters. I also appreciated how grief was portrayed. It’s not something you overcome immediately and that was communicated in the books.

“After the Plague” consists of three parts: Broken, Lost, Found. Safe is the fourth part and was just released but was not included in this ARC from Netgalley. The author is planning on this being a nine book series with the next book already titled, “Home”.

If you’re looking for a romance set in a post-apocalyptic America, you may love this series. It certainly helps that one of the main characters is Beast, an adorable collie (I certainly love an animal with personality!)

Thank you to Netgalley for gifting me the ARC of the first three parts.

An incredible version of our late reality.
I have enjoyed reading this. Such an emotional book for this times. The story behind the books has been captivating since the begining, always making me want more. Even if it has been tough to read at times, the writing has been encouraging me throughout all of it. The characters have been so sweet, and rough and sensitive, just like any other human, it made all the book believable. Sometimes even getting mad at them, but from the most human feeling towards them. I am waiting for the fourth book, I want to keep going of this amazing story until the end, and see, with all the humor and hope that has characterize this book, how it ends.

After the Plague : Volumes 1, 2 & 3 Kindle Edition

by Imogen Keeper  (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition

Thank you to Imogen Keeper, the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary reviewer's copy. I am choosing to leave a fair and honest review.
After 2020 and 2021, you'd think that we would have had enough of deadly viruses and the devastation they leave behind. Books like After the Plague, in all its dark and frightening goodness, prove us wrong.
Set in the future, the world is dealing with the Australian Flu, a super virus that has a high RO because of the long incubation period and has an 80% death rate, all the things that our worst nightmares are made of. But the virus is never the point of these kinds of stories. Whether it be a massive war between good and evil, as in The Stand or a study of gender relations, like The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, the story is about the survivors. And this story is told through a variety of survivors.
Frankie has a strong story arc. She begins weak, proper and dependent. We can see her change with her language. She's a very well done character that was a joy to know.
She isn't alone as a character with a brilliant character arc. Yorke, a Major in the military who has come back to the US with the last people out of a German Base. He moves from distant and mentally cracked to the hero of the piece.
Even the dog, Beast, gets a good story. All the characters are fascinating and make this story what it is. This book is very much character driven but the plot doesn't suffer.

Part of the tension and terror of this new, dark and barbaric world is how real, how easily imaginable to world-building is. Everything seems so incredibly possible. From the lack of food to the corpses in cities to the 'villains' – be they a crazed Meth addict to politicians – every moment is possible. Clearly, Ms. Keeper spent some time in 2020 realizing that, indeed, things could have been so much worse.

My only regret was that the books were so short. Reading them reminded me of The Girl Who Owned a City and Swan Song. This is that good. This series (this is a combo of the first three books) has real heart. It reminds us that most people are at their best when things are at their worst.

4 out of 5
https://www.amazon.com/After-Plague-Volumes-Imogen-Keeper-ebook/dp/B09KPZ3QD2

Frankie is a fragile young artist, loved and coddled by her older husband. When 99% of the world's population dies of a terrible virus, she is left alone and terrified. A chance meeting with a dog and his boy gives her a reason to move forward. Yorke is a soldier with no real family connections, left alone without a mission. Together, they must navigate a changed world full of very real dangers.

I really enjoyed this series, which is definitely a cut above the typical apoc series. The writing is complex and evocative, giving us a full picture of the characters, their emotions, and their reactions. While the plotline is fairly standard, the characterization and writing really elevate this series above the crowd. The author classifies herself as a romance author, but the book had plenty of action and didn't feel like "just a romance".

I was excited to see that the new book in the series was recently released and have already put it on my Kindle!

My only quibble is that it needs much better proofreading and editing. The copy I read was rife with typos, misspellings, and missed and misused punctuation. While I freely admit that I am a picky reader about such things, many of the mistakes were incredibly blatant (and I wondered that they were not caught by a simple spell/punctuation checker).

I received a copy of this series from NetGalley in return for my review.

“In a pandemic is that what dead people become? Trash that needs to be cleared away?” - Frankie

“We might be dead. But we have this moment. And this moment is perfect.” - Frankie

“So, I do the only thing that makes any sense right now. I lie down in the dirt on top of my dead husband’s grave, press my face into the mud right where his shoulder would be, and let the rain wash down.” - Frankie

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story follow Frankie and Yorke as they make their way through a deadly virus that hits D.C. and the apocalypse that occurs as a result of it.

This book is a collection of the first three volumes in this series. I highly recommend picking this up instead of reading the books separately. The first volume definitely reads more like a part one to a story than an entire book.
Although the first volume was a little slow for me, the rest of the books definitely made up for it!

Frankie struggles with losing her husband, Jimmy to the virus and Yorke struggles with being on his own while looking for his brother.
Frankie is not wanting to continue on after Jimmy dies, but a dog comes up to her and she is compelled to follow him and help him. This event changes the course of her apocalyptic life completely.
Yorke is also on the verge of not wanting to continue on, but he hears something that makes him determined to continue on.


One of my favorite things about this book is Frankie and Jimmy’s relationship. The time you get to spend with them as a couple is amazing and the way you get to see how Frankie struggles with his loss breaks your heart all over again.
Even though there is a good amount of plot in this story, this is very character driven. As a reader, you really do come to love all the characters in this story. I did not think I was going to like Yorke much in the beginning, but hear I am, rooting for him and Frankie.
Another part of this book I love is Frankie’s relationship with Auden. You really get to see Both Frankie and Yorke change and grow throughout this book and it is incredible.

I highly recommend picking up this book! I cannot wait to continue on with this series!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

In the age of the pandemic, I've shied away from the post-apocalyptic genre. Why add more stress when real life is dramatic enough? But Imogen Keeper's saga has reignited a waning interest in this category. "After the
Plague" is set (temporarily) during and then (mainly) in the immediate aftermath of a devastating virus that wipes out most of the Earth's population. The survivors are then left to deal with what it actually means to continue living. We follow the stories of Frankie and Yorke, both lucky to be alive while others around them didn't make it. The pair are virtual opposites forced to do more than co-exist, if they are going to continue living "After the Plague."

I liked this story. Its very fast paced, making it a relatively quick read, despite the heaviness of the topics covered by the plot. I find it interesting that we don't start after the virus has taken out most of the world, we see it happen in real time. With the use of first person POV, we as readers are limited to the actions and emotions of only Frankie and Yorke. I struggled with this particularly in the case of Frankie. She's kind of all over the place to point of it getting frustrating. I very rarely put down a book because of this, but I had to a few times with this one. Yorke is much more straightforward, but I started to like him more as the stories progressed. The plot as a whole was bogged down until it wasn't. For as fast paced as this saga is, most of the interesting bits are crammed in at the end of each volume rather than carrying throughout. We see and hear a lot, but most of it doesn't matter until the last two or three chapters.

The simmering romantic themes are not as intense as I presumed a novel of this genre might incur, but what we do see is a mix of sexy and sweet. I'm definitely still looking forward to the next installment to see where things go.

A perfectly fine and entertaining dystopian romance-adventure. A very fast-paced read, from the moment I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. I loved the premise, and finding out that the story is double POV only made me more excited.

We get to follow the story through the eyes of Frankie and Yorke, who both have their own struggles before and after the plague. Here, I felt like the story could've been fleshed out more. Both characters felt a bit flat until the last third of this book, and even though I immediately liked them both, I never felt as invested in their story as I would've hoped. I found it a bit distracting that each volume was so short and was left wanting more. Individually each volume is too short for any significant character or plot development, but if thought of as one volume altogether, it makes more sense.

All in all this book made me want to read more of Frankie and Yorke's story and see their relationship grow. The post-apocalyptic world is fascinating, but it all feels like a beginning rather than a fully fleshed out story. The whole thing ends just ad you feel there's some character and plot development happening, and I as the reader was left wanting for more, feeling like I didn't quite get the reward for sticking through the slow-burn and tension. I definitely want to read part four to see what happens and hopefully there will be more