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Sanctuary #2
Refuge Found
If you had told me that the world would turn to crap a year ago, I would have never believed you. If you had told me I'd be living with my cheating ex and my manipulative twin sister, I would have laughed. Had you informed me I'd be in a relationship with five men, I would have asked what meds you had forgotten to take.
Yet here I am at Sanctuary.
With most of my family surrounding me and my guys, we strive to build a community the living could take refuge in. We continue to make our lives a semblance of what we once knew. Unfortunately, we never anticipated that the infected weren't the only ones we would have to protect ourselves from: we would have to survive against the living as well.
Our story isn't for the faint of heart. We're survivors, learning to adapt. And as a survivor, I've learned that sometimes the only way to fight the monsters, both living and dead, was to become a monster.
Yet here I am at Sanctuary.
With most of my family surrounding me and my guys, we strive to build a community the living could take refuge in. We continue to make our lives a semblance of what we once knew. Unfortunately, we never anticipated that the infected weren't the only ones we would have to protect ourselves from: we would have to survive against the living as well.
Our story isn't for the faint of heart. We're survivors, learning to adapt. And as a survivor, I've learned that sometimes the only way to fight the monsters, both living and dead, was to become a monster.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 10, 2021
287 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
October 8, 2023
Zero nutritional value, but still fun on a re-read!!
Not a standalone
Zombie post-apocalypse
Found family
Immature characters
Reverse harem (5m-1w)
No sword crossing
High drama & fighting action
Original review
There are WAY too many characters to remember so I try to focus on her five boyfriends (all gorgeous, tall and packin well above average). This series is a carb-loaded, sugar-filled, pure brain candy story and I’m here for any more that Olivier wants to write. *That locker room scene 🥵
Bring on the zombies, bring on the bad guys, bring on the completely OTT twin sister drama, bring on the unicorn heroine that can do no wrong, bring on the possibility that she might add to her harem, bring on more orphaned-adopted kids! I loved it, gimme more!
Not a standalone
Zombie post-apocalypse
Found family
Immature characters
Reverse harem (5m-1w)
No sword crossing
High drama & fighting action
Original review
There are WAY too many characters to remember so I try to focus on her five boyfriends (all gorgeous, tall and packin well above average). This series is a carb-loaded, sugar-filled, pure brain candy story and I’m here for any more that Olivier wants to write. *That locker room scene 🥵
Bring on the zombies, bring on the bad guys, bring on the completely OTT twin sister drama, bring on the unicorn heroine that can do no wrong, bring on the possibility that she might add to her harem, bring on more orphaned-adopted kids! I loved it, gimme more!
September 5, 2021
5 stars!!!!
Where do I begin to express my love for anything written by S.M. Olivier ....
I've begun to develop an addiction to anything she writes. Refuge Found was everything I could have hoped for and more.
Avery Harris-Harrison is such a BADASS!! She is completely selfless and compassionate which seems to be the common theme for any FMC that was written by S.M. Olivier . It was great to see Ave progress as a character and discover more of her identity. I felt extremely happy that she gets to experience motherhood with Isa and Foster. (Side note, I immediately loved Foster from the first line he muttered.) With all that she has been through, she deserves the big family she has wanted.
The guys should have a round of applause... I'll wait....
These guys have been close from the get-go and it warms my heart how they are so dedicated to Avery. They all love her and they all have similar goals and aspirations. Anytime they are in Dad mode I melt even more. UGh, can they get any more perfect? Also, I'm all here for Zeke... That locker room scene though *chef's kiss*
Moving on to the next... THE DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Emery, Jade, Natalie, Rosie..... The discourse in the community..... I LOVED the drama. I was waiting for Sanctuary to kick out Emery, she has crossed the line soooo many times. That Stephanie scene with the crib broke my heart... Emery really needs to count her blessings. Can't wait to see what her father will do to her.
That last chapter was perfection. I shall continue to obsess over the Facebook group for updates.
Where do I begin to express my love for anything written by S.M. Olivier ....
I've begun to develop an addiction to anything she writes. Refuge Found was everything I could have hoped for and more.
Avery Harris-Harrison is such a BADASS!! She is completely selfless and compassionate which seems to be the common theme for any FMC that was written by S.M. Olivier . It was great to see Ave progress as a character and discover more of her identity. I felt extremely happy that she gets to experience motherhood with Isa and Foster. (Side note, I immediately loved Foster from the first line he muttered.) With all that she has been through, she deserves the big family she has wanted.
The guys should have a round of applause... I'll wait....
These guys have been close from the get-go and it warms my heart how they are so dedicated to Avery. They all love her and they all have similar goals and aspirations. Anytime they are in Dad mode I melt even more. UGh, can they get any more perfect? Also, I'm all here for Zeke... That locker room scene though *chef's kiss*
Moving on to the next... THE DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Emery, Jade, Natalie, Rosie..... The discourse in the community..... I LOVED the drama. I was waiting for Sanctuary to kick out Emery, she has crossed the line soooo many times. That Stephanie scene with the crib broke my heart... Emery really needs to count her blessings. Can't wait to see what her father will do to her.
That last chapter was perfection. I shall continue to obsess over the Facebook group for updates.
August 23, 2021
The second book of the Sanctuary series suffers from the same issues as the first installment. The story is very entertaining and the familial relationships are rather cute, but...
It's exhausting to read. Seriously.
+ Emery officially fried all of her brain cells and acts barely half of her age. She is the worst character I've read about in a while, and I have been in a serial killer thrillers rampage. She is so pathetic I wonder how nobody has thrown her to the zombies just yet.
+ The women are either on Avery's side or bitches but mostly they're just here to show off our heroine's Mary Sue halo.
They have great women in the compound but almost every single scene has another one seeking trouble with Avery. The amount of drama is ridiculous and Avery is so ridiculously perfect she gets on my nerve.
+ There are a lot of characters. A. LOT. I had just re-read the first book but I was still confused right away. Almost every single person living in Sanctuary and the ones the characters meet on the way are named and sometimes mentioned later on. They are completely useless but have mandatory backstories. I can only imagine S. M. Olivier's massive spreadsheet. ..
Avery, Axel, Kingston, Easton, Corbyn, Wyatt, Emery, Trevor, Mitch, BJ, MJ, Pam, Carol, Stephanie, Miller, Mickey, Zeke, Jade, Sarah, Mike, Sylvia, Chad, Joe, Cal, Nathan, Oliver, Johnny, Nico, Rosie, Isa, Betty, Gloria, Katie, Foster, Bane (I think that's the dog), Amy, Rhys, Ken, ..................................
+ The timeline is weird. Only two weeks have passed since the first chapter of the first book but it seems like it had been longer. Some scenes are also either forgotten or not written and we don't really know what happened from one chapter to the other.
It's really too bad because the good part of the story is good. It's entertaining, sometimes even thrilling, rather steamy, and weirdly gives me Ghost Bird butterflies feelings.
Fortunately, with how the book ended, I can only hope the next one will head in a less annoying direction.
August 13, 2021
The evil twin character needs to be toned way down!
March 23, 2025
Reread
Review at book 3
2.5*
The ow drama is so OTT, every book there's drama between a woman and one of the guys. Kingston didn't do enough to stop it imo but seriously who acts like that? Who sees someone in a relationship and acts so desperate for the man......in front of his girlfriend??? During an apocalypse no less🙄
And why are so many of these women bitches 🤷🏾♀️is it to make Avery appear so much more special 🙄
I'm annoyed but I also can't stop reading😭
Review at book 3
2.5*
The ow drama is so OTT, every book there's drama between a woman and one of the guys. Kingston didn't do enough to stop it imo but seriously who acts like that? Who sees someone in a relationship and acts so desperate for the man......in front of his girlfriend??? During an apocalypse no less🙄
And why are so many of these women bitches 🤷🏾♀️is it to make Avery appear so much more special 🙄
I'm annoyed but I also can't stop reading😭
April 8, 2022
The series continues in the similar way that the Walking Dead TV series had, where other survivor groups become more of a problem than the actual infected. They are either the scum of the earth put together in the group and thus obviously the enemy, or extremely nice people who somehow made it outside of Sanctuary, and though sometimes our group tries to establish a trade with the new groups, usually they just bring them back to the Sanctuary.
Drama in the Sanctuary itself usually revolves around our main villain, the evil twin sister. Honestly, female villains were extremely badly written. They are either full-on insane or spoiled little brats, with no intelligence, no finesse, almost caricatures.
The biggest problem for me, other than the millions of irrelevant characters the author introduces in the story, was repetition and over-explanation. I found myself skimming quite a bit.
Drama in the Sanctuary itself usually revolves around our main villain, the evil twin sister. Honestly, female villains were extremely badly written. They are either full-on insane or spoiled little brats, with no intelligence, no finesse, almost caricatures.
The biggest problem for me, other than the millions of irrelevant characters the author introduces in the story, was repetition and over-explanation. I found myself skimming quite a bit.
February 15, 2025
THE RAREM IS GROWING & I’m not mad about it. Usually new MMC annoy me. It’s like ‘where have you been, the party started 4 hours ago’, but I think this new man might be a great addition.
I always like the first book of a series the most, but I am still giving this a 3.5 ⭐️. I haven’t gotten bored of these characters yet, which is a massive surprise for me. Usually around the end of the second book in a series, I lose complete interest. The spice is this is very … varied (not sure if that’s the right word), but I’m definitely not bored.
The children in this are also written so well that you can’t help but she find them adorable.
I’m obviously going to read the next book… in a few seconds (it’s just downloading) 😂
I always like the first book of a series the most, but I am still giving this a 3.5 ⭐️. I haven’t gotten bored of these characters yet, which is a massive surprise for me. Usually around the end of the second book in a series, I lose complete interest. The spice is this is very … varied (not sure if that’s the right word), but I’m definitely not bored.
The children in this are also written so well that you can’t help but she find them adorable.
I’m obviously going to read the next book… in a few seconds (it’s just downloading) 😂
March 30, 2022
Book 2 & 3 review:
Thumbs down on both and even more on the third where I skipped so much stuff I barely read anything...
Bo-ring!!
It started good with the whole random apocalypse that kept me on edge. The relationship with the guys is that boring kind in which we barely remember who else is in the harem because they are go AWOL a long time and then appear. So clearly in this series the author is not joggling 5 guys that well. But fine. It's fiiiine.
But then on the second book (i think) we get introduced to the 6th guy and Im like... why? Why is he necessary? Is the plot so boring that we have to go threw introductions and slow af burn with a new guy? Whyyyyy are the guys accepting this random so easily? Why is he different from all the others? I hate when more are added because honestly 5 is more then enough! Why is she not satisfied??
On that note, WHY are we still adding more and more characters?? Whyyyy are we collecting so many children?!? So many dogsss?? Whyyy are we focusing of domestic activities, and boring conversations when we could be having so many adventures and suspense moments by surviving the apocalypse!! Why in the middle of a battle or dangerous situation are they making a pause to have sex?!?!? It makes me lose the suspense you know? Its stupid!!
There are so many scenes cut, so many moments lost. She was injured in battle and we didnt get the scene were easton the DOCTOR tended to his wounded girlfriend. But ohhh do we get many scenes were they work together to cure random characters I selfishly do not care for (and hello is fiction!!).
I am SO over the unfounded hate that the antiheroes have. Let's put emery as an example. She will be the enemy? Fine. But why dont we give her a more... "understandable" reason to hate her TWIN sister than just jealousy? Maybe in her mind it was averys fault her mother died, maybe she felt betrayed so badly they grew apart. Idkkk be more creative but I feel like I have read her temper trantrums sooooooooo many times in the books I skip them.
That's another thing: REPETITION!! OVEREXPLANATION. Style of writing... not for me.
I rather an author have 1 good long book series than 10 bad ones. It feels like it was released without being worked on or reviewed. It falls flat and barely anthying happens other than the same boring conversations over and over and over again. Do we have to explain to someone else why everyone hates emery? Again? Seriously stop.
Thumbs down on both and even more on the third where I skipped so much stuff I barely read anything...
Bo-ring!!
It started good with the whole random apocalypse that kept me on edge. The relationship with the guys is that boring kind in which we barely remember who else is in the harem because they are go AWOL a long time and then appear. So clearly in this series the author is not joggling 5 guys that well. But fine. It's fiiiine.
But then on the second book (i think) we get introduced to the 6th guy and Im like... why? Why is he necessary? Is the plot so boring that we have to go threw introductions and slow af burn with a new guy? Whyyyyy are the guys accepting this random so easily? Why is he different from all the others? I hate when more are added because honestly 5 is more then enough! Why is she not satisfied??
On that note, WHY are we still adding more and more characters?? Whyyyy are we collecting so many children?!? So many dogsss?? Whyyy are we focusing of domestic activities, and boring conversations when we could be having so many adventures and suspense moments by surviving the apocalypse!! Why in the middle of a battle or dangerous situation are they making a pause to have sex?!?!? It makes me lose the suspense you know? Its stupid!!
There are so many scenes cut, so many moments lost. She was injured in battle and we didnt get the scene were easton the DOCTOR tended to his wounded girlfriend. But ohhh do we get many scenes were they work together to cure random characters I selfishly do not care for (and hello is fiction!!).
I am SO over the unfounded hate that the antiheroes have. Let's put emery as an example. She will be the enemy? Fine. But why dont we give her a more... "understandable" reason to hate her TWIN sister than just jealousy? Maybe in her mind it was averys fault her mother died, maybe she felt betrayed so badly they grew apart. Idkkk be more creative but I feel like I have read her temper trantrums sooooooooo many times in the books I skip them.
That's another thing: REPETITION!! OVEREXPLANATION. Style of writing... not for me.
I rather an author have 1 good long book series than 10 bad ones. It feels like it was released without being worked on or reviewed. It falls flat and barely anthying happens other than the same boring conversations over and over and over again. Do we have to explain to someone else why everyone hates emery? Again? Seriously stop.
July 1, 2022
I’m going to give one overarching review for this entire series, because I don’t think I need to break it down in depth for these books.
What I liked:
-The apocalyptic plot! That’s why I grabbed the book in the first place, and that’s what made me want to continue reading.
What I hated:
-Ohhhh the misogyny. Every single woman other than our FMC & her one lifelong friend is a BITCH. Not even just a bitch, a BITCH. They don’t even have reasoning behind their attitude, other than that they’re jealous of our FMC. I hate this, it’s so annoying, and it detracts from the story. I got annoyed of Avery’s twin sister so fast, and she just kept popping up and pissing me off. Her deplorable behavior towards Avery is so irritating and there’s no reason for it other than that she’s just a narcissistic POS. Love that!
-I hate when RH books try to like… explain away WHY the RH is okay. Bitch, I know what I’m getting into. Why are you trying to convince me that it’s ok for the FMC to have more than one love interest? It’s why I picked the book up… In this case, the reasoning is that her guys are military and they’ve shared a girl in the past because they were deployed and bunkered up together and it just made it easier for them. Great. I don’t care? I hate these explanations because it almost always includes the guys doing this before, “sharing a woman,” and I feel like it definitely takes away from our current romance.
-The Christian undertones are so confusing and the constant praying made me uncomfortable. At times the religion was blatant and other times the writing was definitely anti-Christian concepts so it was a weird dichotomy.
What I liked:
-The apocalyptic plot! That’s why I grabbed the book in the first place, and that’s what made me want to continue reading.
What I hated:
-Ohhhh the misogyny. Every single woman other than our FMC & her one lifelong friend is a BITCH. Not even just a bitch, a BITCH. They don’t even have reasoning behind their attitude, other than that they’re jealous of our FMC. I hate this, it’s so annoying, and it detracts from the story. I got annoyed of Avery’s twin sister so fast, and she just kept popping up and pissing me off. Her deplorable behavior towards Avery is so irritating and there’s no reason for it other than that she’s just a narcissistic POS. Love that!
-I hate when RH books try to like… explain away WHY the RH is okay. Bitch, I know what I’m getting into. Why are you trying to convince me that it’s ok for the FMC to have more than one love interest? It’s why I picked the book up… In this case, the reasoning is that her guys are military and they’ve shared a girl in the past because they were deployed and bunkered up together and it just made it easier for them. Great. I don’t care? I hate these explanations because it almost always includes the guys doing this before, “sharing a woman,” and I feel like it definitely takes away from our current romance.
-The Christian undertones are so confusing and the constant praying made me uncomfortable. At times the religion was blatant and other times the writing was definitely anti-Christian concepts so it was a weird dichotomy.
November 15, 2021
Boring recitation of chores
I’m 50% of the way into this book and so far it’s just a long list of post apocalyptic tasks the FMC has done as a way to justify her hoarding all the good stuff for herself and her harem. Also over the top, mean girl, high school drama. Not particularly well written. The promise was there and I wish the book had settled into something more than most-speshul-girl-in-the-world gets hot guys because she’s the most. I also wish authors would drop the “girls don’t like me because they are petty, shallow, jealous buckets of toxic waste and I’m way better” trope.
I’m 50% of the way into this book and so far it’s just a long list of post apocalyptic tasks the FMC has done as a way to justify her hoarding all the good stuff for herself and her harem. Also over the top, mean girl, high school drama. Not particularly well written. The promise was there and I wish the book had settled into something more than most-speshul-girl-in-the-world gets hot guys because she’s the most. I also wish authors would drop the “girls don’t like me because they are petty, shallow, jealous buckets of toxic waste and I’m way better” trope.
January 19, 2024
Amazing read. Read it right away.
I feel like I have been living under a rock until now. This author just captivates you. I am spelled. This book, this series so far is crazy good I am eagerly awaiting book 3.
Book 2 picks up right where Book 1 left off. Avery is still the bad mamba jamba we all wish to be. Killing the dead and helping her people. Having to just deal with her sister is enough for me, but she goes above and beyond. Her guys - Axel, Corbin, Wyatt, Easton and Kingston are all dream worthy, alpha type guys. I wish we had a little more romance but I’m ok with what we are given… Also, Isa. It is sooo adorable how they are all terribly smitten with her and I love it. I hope to see the same with Foster as well.
Zeke. Zeke checks off all of her boxes. I really hope he makes it into her little harem.
With Avery saving Rosie. I am dying for some deep apology or something on Rosies end. And Jade and Natalie….smh. I’m ready for a revenge or something brutal for them!
The ending - I’m so curious what her dad is going to do. Will he change things? Will he put Emery in her place????? Please! Lol. And what will we see happen with the guys.
I’m so freaking excited to find out. This series is amazing!
*Overall 5/5
*Heat? 3/5
*First person POV (Avery only)
*MFMMMM Romance
*HEA? I’d say yes, but still need book 3 for overall
I feel like I have been living under a rock until now. This author just captivates you. I am spelled. This book, this series so far is crazy good I am eagerly awaiting book 3.
Book 2 picks up right where Book 1 left off. Avery is still the bad mamba jamba we all wish to be. Killing the dead and helping her people. Having to just deal with her sister is enough for me, but she goes above and beyond. Her guys - Axel, Corbin, Wyatt, Easton and Kingston are all dream worthy, alpha type guys. I wish we had a little more romance but I’m ok with what we are given… Also, Isa. It is sooo adorable how they are all terribly smitten with her and I love it. I hope to see the same with Foster as well.
Zeke. Zeke checks off all of her boxes. I really hope he makes it into her little harem.
With Avery saving Rosie. I am dying for some deep apology or something on Rosies end. And Jade and Natalie….smh. I’m ready for a revenge or something brutal for them!
The ending - I’m so curious what her dad is going to do. Will he change things? Will he put Emery in her place????? Please! Lol. And what will we see happen with the guys.
I’m so freaking excited to find out. This series is amazing!
*Overall 5/5
*Heat? 3/5
*First person POV (Avery only)
*MFMMMM Romance
*HEA? I’d say yes, but still need book 3 for overall
January 10, 2024
This might potentially be my last SM Olivier book, to be honest. All of her heroines are starting to bleed together for me because they all act weirdly similarly. The pacing of this one was all over the place and felt like so much was happening while *nothing* was really happening? I don’t know. I like her guys and some of the story is interesting but some elements feel overly repeated and run into the ground; I found myself skimming a lot.
August 11, 2021
SO GOOD
I can literally say that this is my FAVORITE series by this author. I flew through this book in one sitting. I have been in such a book slump this definitely brought me out of it.
I can literally say that this is my FAVORITE series by this author. I flew through this book in one sitting. I have been in such a book slump this definitely brought me out of it.
December 11, 2025
I enjoyed this second book too. Action is good, but the clunky dialogue and the monologue info dumps haven't gotten any better :/ I'm still interested in the story though and just skim through the awkward convos. And I'm not sure why nearly every female character under the age of 30 has to be such hateful bitch. It's a bit OTT--especially the evil twin. I still want more Axel, but he's barely around. On to the next!
August 13, 2021
Sooooo freaking good. Back to Sanctuary we go… and pick up right where we left off. Back to the drama and suspense. Evil twin totally took her game to a new level in this book. I seriously can’t wait for karma to kick her in the a**. Won’t give away any spoilers because you’d hate me. My only regret is I read it to fast.
Now proceeding to to the book hangover, followed by book depression, portion of withdrawal process.
Now proceeding to to the book hangover, followed by book depression, portion of withdrawal process.
October 23, 2021
❤❤
Oh noooo I want more that can't be it !!! I want to see them have kids and zeke I want more about him 😩
Oh noooo I want more that can't be it !!! I want to see them have kids and zeke I want more about him 😩
September 23, 2021
Dystopian RH
This is the second book in the series and you need to read the first book to understand this novel. Though there isn’t technically a cliffhanger, there is a pretty massive hook to make you want to read the next book when it comes out.
Avery and her men are now at Sanctuary. Avery was named by her still-missing father as his representative, as one of the owners of the property, so she has a responsible position for someone who is only 22. She also has incredibly useful skills for surviving the apocalypse being a week from qualifying as a nurse and also being an expert martial artist whose father taught her to shoot before puberty. She’s also level-headed and able to work her way through emotional problems, probably due to her work with a therapist when she was younger. Just when you think she’s too perfect to be believable she still freezes up sometimes in unfamiliar or scary situations but she’s usually able to get herself together before its too late. She also runs in her sleep when she’s stressed, which is pretty dangerous during the apocalypse.
Avery has committed to her relationship with the men from Corbin and Wyatt’s unit and is working towards connecting with them all equally, despite the hiccups of spending time together when they are in responsible positions. One of the most important tasks they fulfil is being on the ‘recovery teams’. Essentially they go out and find as many useful items as possible, set up trade agreements, rescue those who need rescuing and try to avoid getting infected. A lot of this book covers this kind of activity which gives plenty of action to the book.
Along with the action component there are parts of the book that cover the emotional aspects of the characters. This covers not only the romance and passionate parts of their relationship but also the way they interact with their family and friends and the community as a whole, which is constantly evolving as new people arrive and circumstances keep changing.
There are also some really lovely moments with the baby Avery and her men have adopted. The dog gets some page time too, and he’s pretty awesome for a young pup who they’ve trained up to a full service dog who protects and guards.
There is a lot of drama with Avery’s twin sister and the people she contaminates with her lies, but that keeps the plot moving forward in how everyone reacts to her behaviour.
This is a complex and intriguing book. It’s hard to see where the story is going to go next, but I loved every page as I have become so invested in these fascinating characters. This author is incredibly gifted at creating believable and engaging characters. It’s one of the things I love most about her writing. You can’t help but get swept along with their drama when you connect with them so thoroughly.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series because there are so many hints of things to come that seem really interesting. I can’t wait to find out more about all the characters and see what happens next in Sanctuary.
This is the second book in the series and you need to read the first book to understand this novel. Though there isn’t technically a cliffhanger, there is a pretty massive hook to make you want to read the next book when it comes out.
Avery and her men are now at Sanctuary. Avery was named by her still-missing father as his representative, as one of the owners of the property, so she has a responsible position for someone who is only 22. She also has incredibly useful skills for surviving the apocalypse being a week from qualifying as a nurse and also being an expert martial artist whose father taught her to shoot before puberty. She’s also level-headed and able to work her way through emotional problems, probably due to her work with a therapist when she was younger. Just when you think she’s too perfect to be believable she still freezes up sometimes in unfamiliar or scary situations but she’s usually able to get herself together before its too late. She also runs in her sleep when she’s stressed, which is pretty dangerous during the apocalypse.
Avery has committed to her relationship with the men from Corbin and Wyatt’s unit and is working towards connecting with them all equally, despite the hiccups of spending time together when they are in responsible positions. One of the most important tasks they fulfil is being on the ‘recovery teams’. Essentially they go out and find as many useful items as possible, set up trade agreements, rescue those who need rescuing and try to avoid getting infected. A lot of this book covers this kind of activity which gives plenty of action to the book.
Along with the action component there are parts of the book that cover the emotional aspects of the characters. This covers not only the romance and passionate parts of their relationship but also the way they interact with their family and friends and the community as a whole, which is constantly evolving as new people arrive and circumstances keep changing.
There are also some really lovely moments with the baby Avery and her men have adopted. The dog gets some page time too, and he’s pretty awesome for a young pup who they’ve trained up to a full service dog who protects and guards.
There is a lot of drama with Avery’s twin sister and the people she contaminates with her lies, but that keeps the plot moving forward in how everyone reacts to her behaviour.
This is a complex and intriguing book. It’s hard to see where the story is going to go next, but I loved every page as I have become so invested in these fascinating characters. This author is incredibly gifted at creating believable and engaging characters. It’s one of the things I love most about her writing. You can’t help but get swept along with their drama when you connect with them so thoroughly.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series because there are so many hints of things to come that seem really interesting. I can’t wait to find out more about all the characters and see what happens next in Sanctuary.
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October 7, 2024There are a lot of cliches, and honestly the two-dimensional characters and terrible dialogue aren’t any worse than the first book, but I just wasn’t feeling it. So much OTT drama about literally everything. There never seemed to be a point to anything, and everything is still pointed out so obviously, but it’s already been established. It doesn’t need to be spelled out in book two, it’s now assumed knowledge.
And the contradictions really got to me. In the space of three pages she went from not working out, to having worked out every day, to having not worked out, to in the process of an actual workout that she’d been missing, to having done it every day. Make up your mind which it is and stick to it. But mostly the stupid times for having sex killed this for me. WHEN YOUR FRIENDS ARE IN A HOSTAGE SITUATION IT ISN’T THE TIME TO HAVE SEX WHILE WATCHING THEM ON A SECURITY MONITOR.
It became more about excuses for the MC to have public sex than about the characters or relationships in here. And it felt about 700 pages long.
And the contradictions really got to me. In the space of three pages she went from not working out, to having worked out every day, to having not worked out, to in the process of an actual workout that she’d been missing, to having done it every day. Make up your mind which it is and stick to it. But mostly the stupid times for having sex killed this for me. WHEN YOUR FRIENDS ARE IN A HOSTAGE SITUATION IT ISN’T THE TIME TO HAVE SEX WHILE WATCHING THEM ON A SECURITY MONITOR.
It became more about excuses for the MC to have public sex than about the characters or relationships in here. And it felt about 700 pages long.
October 10, 2023
My criticisms of the first book continued into the second. I'm reading it purely for the overall storyline, but not for the skill of the writer.
October 23, 2024
DNF at 42%
I tried to just keep going in hopes that the “I’m not like other girls” thing would tone itself down, but boy was I wrong.
I tried to just keep going in hopes that the “I’m not like other girls” thing would tone itself down, but boy was I wrong.
September 9, 2021
This was a solid read that I read in one day, right after reading the first book for the first time. It definitely helped not having a huge gap between the two, as there are so many characters.
This book picks up right where book 1 ended. I liked the action, but once again, we are introduced to several new characters off the bat who then don’t get mentioned until way later. The amount of character names in this book is just staggering at times.
Avery is still just the coolest girl who knows how to do everything perfectly and never does anything wrong, with a heart of gold. And I can’t even be mad at her for it. Somehow, the author manages to make Avery so rational about things that you’re always on her side.
The guys remain great, though their page time isn’t as even as I’d expect. I like that we had some deeper conversations between her and Corbin toward the end. And though not one of her guys, her conversation with her ex Trevor was needed, even if it did feel really brushed over. I ended up feeling really bad for the guy lol.
The Emery subplot in book 1 was annoying, but in this book it was just way over the top. I just can’t fathom how anyone would react like this when there’s a literal zombie apocalypse. Like is she manic? Like what is her villain origin story? (though after seeing Perfect Avery maybe I’d become the villain too).
I still can’t get over how military trained women don’t follow orders over some guys and jealousy when survival depends on it. And women who just meet the guys after terrifying situations always have it in them to flirt off the bat. It still baffles me.
The time frame for this one is just a few weeks as well, but sometimes it didn’t fully make sense to me. The way that they all just took to each other in book 1 to now, adopting the stray kids happened so fast yet you’d think months had passed.
Avery is also always doing something, so sometimes I didn’t understand the point of her “adopting” Isa and then Foster. It seems like someone else is always taking care of them lol. This author loves kids, so like her other books, there are a ton of younger characters.
We meet a new guy in this book, Zeke, who I believe will get added to the harem. I liked his addition, though i wish he had been a fresh addition with no connection to Emery at all.
Overall it was a good story. When it’s good, it’s good, even with parts i wish had been different. I’ll read book 3 once it comes out.
This book picks up right where book 1 ended. I liked the action, but once again, we are introduced to several new characters off the bat who then don’t get mentioned until way later. The amount of character names in this book is just staggering at times.
Avery is still just the coolest girl who knows how to do everything perfectly and never does anything wrong, with a heart of gold. And I can’t even be mad at her for it. Somehow, the author manages to make Avery so rational about things that you’re always on her side.
The guys remain great, though their page time isn’t as even as I’d expect. I like that we had some deeper conversations between her and Corbin toward the end. And though not one of her guys, her conversation with her ex Trevor was needed, even if it did feel really brushed over. I ended up feeling really bad for the guy lol.
The Emery subplot in book 1 was annoying, but in this book it was just way over the top. I just can’t fathom how anyone would react like this when there’s a literal zombie apocalypse. Like is she manic? Like what is her villain origin story? (though after seeing Perfect Avery maybe I’d become the villain too).
I still can’t get over how military trained women don’t follow orders over some guys and jealousy when survival depends on it. And women who just meet the guys after terrifying situations always have it in them to flirt off the bat. It still baffles me.
The time frame for this one is just a few weeks as well, but sometimes it didn’t fully make sense to me. The way that they all just took to each other in book 1 to now, adopting the stray kids happened so fast yet you’d think months had passed.
Avery is also always doing something, so sometimes I didn’t understand the point of her “adopting” Isa and then Foster. It seems like someone else is always taking care of them lol. This author loves kids, so like her other books, there are a ton of younger characters.
We meet a new guy in this book, Zeke, who I believe will get added to the harem. I liked his addition, though i wish he had been a fresh addition with no connection to Emery at all.
Overall it was a good story. When it’s good, it’s good, even with parts i wish had been different. I’ll read book 3 once it comes out.
August 24, 2021
I really enjoyed this one even though it's outside my usual. This is a Zombie apocalypse survival type of story. We are following an extended families struggle to deal with the breakdown of civilization, while they try to save as many people as they can, and plan for future survival. There is a lot of action, a lot of feels and a lot of problem-solving taking place to get them through to the next day. This is a low gore but still pretty high violence for those of you looking out for such things. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
October 23, 2025
Again, so many typos. Like, I would be embarrassed.
But it doesn't deter from the good story. I'm really enjoying this series. Also, how is what her sister did to Trevor not rape?! And even twice rape! If he were a female, no one would question that statement.
Her sister need a shovel to the face expeditiously. Moreover, will she be adding Zeke to the harem?!
But it doesn't deter from the good story. I'm really enjoying this series. Also, how is what her sister did to Trevor not rape?! And even twice rape! If he were a female, no one would question that statement.
Her sister need a shovel to the face expeditiously. Moreover, will she be adding Zeke to the harem?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2023
Gossip girl x the walking dead x the 100: why choose edition part 2 the sequel
February 26, 2023
it was good, and I really love the dynamics between the characters however the last 20% felt a little bit flat for me.
August 17, 2021
MUCH AWAITED SURPRISE
I was pleasantly surprised when I checked and found the follow up to the sequel of Sanctuary and Avery is such a bad ass. I loved the fact she is in the middle of fray no matter what.
I was pleasantly surprised when I checked and found the follow up to the sequel of Sanctuary and Avery is such a bad ass. I loved the fact she is in the middle of fray no matter what.
August 16, 2022
Can’t Get Enough!
I cannot get enough of this series! I absolutely love it! It has everything you could possibly want in an apocalyptic/dystopian romance book - lots of zombies, tons of heat, enough action and fighting to keep you thoroughly entertained, and just enough drama sprinkled in throughout it to keep ya on your toes. Hoping this series continues for a while!
I cannot get enough of this series! I absolutely love it! It has everything you could possibly want in an apocalyptic/dystopian romance book - lots of zombies, tons of heat, enough action and fighting to keep you thoroughly entertained, and just enough drama sprinkled in throughout it to keep ya on your toes. Hoping this series continues for a while!
December 17, 2024
After being unsure to continue the series after the first book, I was disappointed to see more misogynistic views.
Straight away, one of the side characters dresses in more masculine clothing but the other characters want to see them dressed more feminine so pressure her into wearing a dress. Then the pressure to wear make up as "she could catch someone's eyes more" if she wore make up. Honestly almost DNF after this scene.
Also more negativity between the female characters, and the author putting the FMC on a pedestal...e.g. her hair is glorious, thick and has a glow...but she isn't obsessed with it like her sister. Not sure why the author has to make some compliment/hype about the FMC but then drag down the other character to show she is better than them...oh and calling the MMCs previous partners "skanks".
I also keep forgetting that Axel is part of the RH, as he seems to get minimal "air time" with the FMC. He started off strong in the first book, as she met him first but after that he just seems to fade into the background and just pops in and out. I think the same about East too really.
So whilst I am struggling with some aspects in this book, I am still quite hooked on the plot and the world created, because it is really interesting and there are unexpected twists along the way (plus a good cliffhanger each time). The author has done well to create the world that is so easy to imagine and picture.
Straight away, one of the side characters dresses in more masculine clothing but the other characters want to see them dressed more feminine so pressure her into wearing a dress. Then the pressure to wear make up as "she could catch someone's eyes more" if she wore make up. Honestly almost DNF after this scene.
Also more negativity between the female characters, and the author putting the FMC on a pedestal...e.g. her hair is glorious, thick and has a glow...but she isn't obsessed with it like her sister. Not sure why the author has to make some compliment/hype about the FMC but then drag down the other character to show she is better than them...oh and calling the MMCs previous partners "skanks".
I also keep forgetting that Axel is part of the RH, as he seems to get minimal "air time" with the FMC. He started off strong in the first book, as she met him first but after that he just seems to fade into the background and just pops in and out. I think the same about East too really.
So whilst I am struggling with some aspects in this book, I am still quite hooked on the plot and the world created, because it is really interesting and there are unexpected twists along the way (plus a good cliffhanger each time). The author has done well to create the world that is so easy to imagine and picture.
November 22, 2021
Better than I anticipated
I really enjoyed book one, though I found Avery and some of her interactions to be a bit too quirky at times for me to fully find her relatable in the first book. I love Zombie apocalypse themes and overall really enjoyed book one with fast action, complex characters and intense plot.
Book two however wildly exceeded my expectations. It literally picks up at the very next scene where book one left off and it feels pretty non stop with the action, character and relationship development. Book two is definitely my favorite so far.
Avery (fmc) continues to be a badass, but not every moment is a win for her. She experiences lows and struggles like anyone else. The guys are super supportive and tender and totally swoon. It's drama, action, hot steamy moments, romance, love, loss, and everything else that keeps you rapidly moving through the pages. I didn't want this book to end. It's going to be a long wait for book three but this is shaping up to be an epic series.
I really enjoyed book one, though I found Avery and some of her interactions to be a bit too quirky at times for me to fully find her relatable in the first book. I love Zombie apocalypse themes and overall really enjoyed book one with fast action, complex characters and intense plot.
Book two however wildly exceeded my expectations. It literally picks up at the very next scene where book one left off and it feels pretty non stop with the action, character and relationship development. Book two is definitely my favorite so far.
Avery (fmc) continues to be a badass, but not every moment is a win for her. She experiences lows and struggles like anyone else. The guys are super supportive and tender and totally swoon. It's drama, action, hot steamy moments, romance, love, loss, and everything else that keeps you rapidly moving through the pages. I didn't want this book to end. It's going to be a long wait for book three but this is shaping up to be an epic series.
August 12, 2021
And the award goes to ......
That was a spectacular cliffy !! I can't give enough stars to this book ! The character building is outta sight , the writing is ...magnificent ! I have no words to describe how much I adore this book and series ! Now I have to reread this book til I know it by heart . So..when will the next book be out ?!!! I know perfection takes time , again . Thank you , Sunny , for giving us your absolute best work in these trying times . You are amazing !
That was a spectacular cliffy !! I can't give enough stars to this book ! The character building is outta sight , the writing is ...magnificent ! I have no words to describe how much I adore this book and series ! Now I have to reread this book til I know it by heart . So..when will the next book be out ?!!! I know perfection takes time , again . Thank you , Sunny , for giving us your absolute best work in these trying times . You are amazing !
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