The conclusion for The Another sanctuary and another lie.
After fleeing for their lives, Rowan’s band of survivors makes it to the Underground. The last to find her way, the welcome that greets her is not a warm one.
She’s about to find out just how far the web of betrayal spreads, touching everything she holds dear. All the while, her family is kept from her, too far away to reach. Longing for Sam and desperate to escape, her powers grow stronger, but will it be enough?
While the last global killer rages overhead, Rowan makes allies and adversaries, preparing for the final battle. Once the storm is over, she knows an old enemy will come to find her, but this time she won’t run.
This time, she’s ready to end his tyranny, once and for all.
After the Storms is the last book in the dystopian romance trilogy, The Storm Series. Book 1 ~ The Third Storm Book 2 ~ The Final Storm
Liz Hambleton writes imperfectly beautiful romance. Her heroines are always strong-willed, and her heroes, resilient. Her characters live in alternate worlds and futuristic times, and putting yourself in their stories lets you escape reality while still feeling the power of true love.
If she’s not reading, she’s writing, and her deep adoration for the written word shines in everything she creates. Liz is married with two children, two large dogs, and a fish that refuses to die.
After the Storm, the final book of The Storm Series by Liz Hambleton- Rating: 5 ⭐️
This is the second series (the first was a duology,) that I’ve read by Liz Hambleton and I can honestly say that she writes the most unique romances I’ve read. They are always set in some type of alternate spin of the world, whether dealing with fated mates and twin flames, or post apocalyptic survival. They are well plotted with plenty of twists and turns, and put you through an emotional wringer. They deal with hot topic issues like the institution of marriage, or the inevitable fight to have power and control in lieu of being a decent human being etc..The characters are deep and well developed and they form amazing relationships..
This book, this series was outstanding. I read the entire series in three days, just flying through the pages. The true definition of unputdownable. This book concludes Rowan and her family’s journey to their Brave New World. They leave the Galene to seek underground safety, but is the sanctuary everything they hoped it would be?
Through all of the horrific events, Rowan and Sam’s love weathers the storm (pun intended.) They always grounded each other and could count on each other, knowing that each would make the ultimate sacrifices to keep the children, the family safe. Who knew that the man she drug out of a ditch, would be the man she takes with her to the end of the world? Rowan is one of the strongest FMC’s of all time. Truly. Every single decision she ever made was to protect her people. She was so selfless. The cast of characters really function as a family unit, they’ve have developed such strong bonds over the course of three books. Each character brings something to the table and has been valuable in their survival. New characters and villains are introduced in this book. Man, that Alex, was such an unlikely ally, I loved him!!
I think the real beauty is in the last few chapters of this book. It was a wonderful ending. But, you’re just going to have to read it for yourself.
I’m looking forward to whatever Liz Hambleton releases in the future. Whatever it is, I’ll be reading it.
“Will you behave if I turn you around? I want to see your face when you come.”
I think my most favorite thing about this series is the family that Rowan and Sam managed to create. When things were way out of control, they had this constant trust in each other and it was so admirable. To see these two strangers fall in love the way they did — 🥲🥲
And ROWAN, my girl was so strong. The way she did whatever she had to do to protect those she cared about was absolutely everything!!!
And hot damn 🥵 idk how Sam managed to be hotter than everrrrrrr. 🔥🔥 his dirty talk just hit different in this book. And those small moments these two managed to find 😮💨
Y’all Liz really took me on a journey with this series. My range of emotions went like this : 🫣🥴🥲🫡🥵😭🙈😤🤬😳😲🥵🥵😞😩😄😄😄 & I seriously cannot believe that it’s OVER!!!
“Every part of my being craves Sam Lawson and has since the first time we were together.”
Overall the series was a 4⭐️ series. 🌶️🌶️🌶️ I really enjoyed the story of Rowan and her nephews from beginning to the end. They really went through it and thankfully got their HEA. This series is a spicy dystopian adult read set in a time were “world ender” storms are happening. Book three picks up where Rowan and her family enter an underground civilization that ends up being a mega cult. The leader of course is a sick and twisted pervert who enjoys seeing people hurting and upset. He has eyes for Rowan and she has to play the game to keep her family safe as well as herself. I don’t want to give too much more away, but if you enjoy dystopians you’ll enjoy this series. The plot was good and the execution of it all was good. I am sad that it all came to an end, but I am looking forward to reading more books from this author.
Such a wonderful ending to an amazing series. This book picked up where the Final Storm ended and the group has ended up with another fight for their freedom. Liz gave us drama, spice, action, and a HEA! I loved it.
I liked this series well enough to read all three books. The first book is the best in my opinion. In this third book, just when I thought conditions would improve for the group, they encounter deeper misery. If the villain of books one and two was a sociopath, the villain in this one is a psychopath.
In flashbacks we see that the heroine has a history of mental and sexual abuse. She still doesn't recognize it as abuse. There's an unnecessary amount of sexual abuse in this volume.
Apocalypse stories seem to have a common weakness, which is giving us a happily-every-after ending. They usually end up as too good to be true, but I recognize it's a challenge to any author of this genre.
Having loved her previous series, "Twin Flame," I was eagerly anticipating this new series. The first book was quite engaging, though I found myself a bit confused in the initial chapters; however, things quickly started to make sense. Overall, the first installment was solid and captured my attention.
Unfortunately, the second book didn’t quite meet my expectations, and by the third book, I was left yawning. The only redeeming aspect of the third book was the ending.
Overall, the series is decent, but if you're considering something by this author, I would recommend her other series instead.
The things you want to know to help you decide whether this series is for you! This is a SPOILER-FREE review, but I’ve hidden two tropes that I consider spoilers for this trilogy.
✨ Overall Opinion: If you’re looking for a dystopian series that doesn’t hold back, is actually written for adults, and keeps you hooked with unpredictable twists—this one delivers. Unlike most dystopian books that lean YA, this series doesn’t shy away from mature themes, realistic dialogue, and well-developed characters. The world-building was immersive, the plot kept me guessing, and best of all? No fade-to-black scenes here. The intensity of both the action and romance made this impossible to put down—I devoured all three books in basically one sitting (minus some mandatory human functions like sleeping). It’s my first time reading Liz Hambleton, but definitely not my last!
✨ Series Info: Complete Trilogy
✨ Tropes: 🔥 Post-apocalyptic survival 🔥 Contemporary with splashes of paranormal 🔥 Found family 🔥 Growth in strength of FMC 🔥 Gritty realism 🔥 High-stakes romance 🔥 This is a spoiler, click at your own risk: 🔥 This is a spoiler, click at your own risk:
✨ Spice: Not fade-to-black. Scenes are detailed and fit naturally into the story.
✨ Tigger Warnings: I don’t have any triggers, but if you do, I always recommend checking the content or trigger warnings at the beginning of the book to see if it’s the right fit for you.
✨ What to Expect: ⚡ A world that feels real ⚡ Survival stakes that aren’t conveniently easy ⚡ A romance that’s both raw and earned ⚡ Twists ⚡ Adult characters making adult choices ⚡ Good banter ⚡ Great side characters
Hmm okay, this book felt like a whole different story. I'm still struggling to figure out how this connects to the previous books.
Also, I hope to not be the only person who found that the three cover are 100% misleading?! Rowan never wore a dress besides falling and hitting her head with everything 🤣.
🌀 Now the entire focus is with AOE cult and left forget all about the Dean issue. 🌀 They made it to the underground and it turned out to be like a prison? Getting orders from a freak, typical cult leader vibes. 🌀 We get a whole new list of characters that will take an important role like Adam, Mary, Frederick, but I'm still trying to figure out everyone from the previous books. 🌀 I think the author figure out that she was keeping us in the dark, because this book had A LOT of flashbacks to fill up those blanks. 🌀 The number of times we got Dean and Rowan's flashbacks, let me tell you that there was a damn lot of abuse and red flags everywhere. 🌀 If Rowan and Sam are having problems, everything is solved with sex, and they are happy again. 🌀 We never got the answer to like the biggest thing which was . 🌀 Sam will die claiming he really loves Rowan, which got me impressed. Even after the twists and turns with ridiculous events happening between them. 🌀 That ending was incredibly too good to be true in a real scenario.
This is a unique story with great characters that I really enjoyed! I believe this is the first dystopian romance i have read in years. It has twists that do not give you a predictable outcome although the FMC has the gift of premonition. It's a series about evil through people trying to take over when humanity is barely surviving natural disasters to the extreme.
Well written romance without smut. I would have given the series 5 stars if it wasn't for the copycat sex scenes over each book. They became a stupid and poorly timed interruption in a few spots that detracted from the story and suspence of the situation. It became easy to skim over them once you knew they were all the same.
oof. there was a lot of plot crammed in to this and it didn't work together at all. Premonitions, cults, drugs, end of the world but also not described as that...? The drugs were kinda just glossed over when the story acted as if it was a huge part. The cult was a weird thing to add too. The storms were clearly the plot point but even then I don't remember them really being explained. The only thing that was done semi well were the premonitions.
Idk I had high hopes throughout books 1 and 2 and started losing faith about 80% of the way in book 3 but I kept on reading just to see what happened. The only good thing is that it made me closer to my reading goal, so...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This series has been a wild ride—action-packed, dramatic, and with great spice. I loved it overall, but I was frustrated with Ro in this book (and the second). Her laid-back approach to motherhood didn’t sit right with me, even in a post-apocalyptic world. Yes she admits be sucking at it, but even in the apocalypse, I would never leave my newborn the way she does. The ending with Dean also felt a bit flat, anti-climatic. The bonus chapters wrapping everything up and showing the future were a fantastic touch, that I wished we got more of from Movies and books alike. All in all, a thrilling conclusion, even if a few choices didn’t land for me.
Wowza. Content warning for this one — for cults and sexual abuse — way more than the previous two books. And that’s in addition to the dystopian, post apocalyptic type shit that you would expect from a book like this.
A lot of the book is very heavy and I was glad to make it through to the end. So many emotions through the entire experience. Rowan is such a badass, strong woman. I loved the family she and Sam built despite the circumstances. Sam’s german shepherd energy is everything. The ending made be happy and relieved and I loved getting a glimpse so far into the future.
This series was amazing and Liz - what a way to wrap up a series. Thank you for not just giving us an epilogue, but giving us several chapters of what came afterwards. I have been on the edge of my seat with every book in the series series and waiting anxiously for this book to get released so I could see how it was gonna wrap up and I was not disappointed. I loved the story concept, the overall plot, the writing, the narration and every character (even if I hated them). Do not miss out on this series!!
I was a bit dubious about the final book in the series after book 2. This book had everything, intrigue, suspense, evil villains besides Dean and Rowan's seemed to come into her own in this book. Her visions were clearer, and her connections with others apart from her family expanded her horizons and gave her valuable insight. The twins were her lifeline at times, and she was theirs. Overall, it was a good series, and I am glad I read the trilogy.
What a wild ride this series has been! After The Storms is the series finale, packed with more of the action, drama, wtf-ness, and spice you loved from the first two installments. I am not one for spoilers so I will tell you that all your questions get answered, and it’s such an enjoyable ride (even if some of the subject matter can be triggering). This story will stay with you in all the best ways.
What a rollercoaster ride. From the first book to the last, Sam and Rowan have been put to the test. Amazing character development, and strength that keeps everyone fighting for more. Rowan is a definite badass and won’t take anyone’s crap. With all the twists and turn you never know what’s going to happen on the next page. I absolutely loved suspense of wondering, what now!!!! Great way to end a fabulous series.
It's a perfect ending to a very good series. I hope the scenario never really happens, but I am glad to read that humanity continues. They made it. The earth has settles, the threat neutralized. I enjoyed the ups and downs of this small band of unusual soldiers. We all need to stay vigilant in this story of pain, deceit and love. This story says a lot about thinking and action.
I'd give this a 2.5. This series started off so well and then declined with each book. The world altering storms were the most interesting, and then the mfc and I liked the visions too. But then it was just all over the place for me. And so many unnecessary sex scenes and then the weirdness with the eminent underground. I wanted this to be better, but with that said, I liked the ending in this book
Wow!! What an amazing book to end the series. Full of ups and downs and in between. The ending made me an emotional wreck. I’m so sad this series is over - I’ve grown so attached to these characters. Rowan and her family found their way through the horrific tragedies and endless terror. I’m so impressed by their sheer resilience, courage, and determination. Highly recommend this series and this author. Great read!
This series was a roller coaster. Rowan and Sam struggles and adventures were constantly making me want to stay up all night just to finish the books. This series while it covers and end of the world type situation it isn't really the main focus. The story is easy to follow and the authors has such creativity in her writing. Drawing me in and holding my attention throughout all three books. Such a great series.
The MF was really strong but Sam was not so it kind of was one sided. He was a good guy but just missed the alpha guy mark for me. Really wish she leaned into the end of the world more and created problems from that instead of different bad guys. So while I read the whole series and was entertained, it lacked in some areas. Honestly Belew was the best thing about the book.
Yessss! This book was the perfect ending to this trilogy, yes I did cry at the end. I was definitely on a rollercoaster with this one! The things Rowan had to go through to get her HEA had me in the edge of my seat! I loved some of the new characters we met and also was very happy to see some old characters get what they really deserved
Liz never fails with her books. This final book to the trilogy was such a great wrap up to the story. The challenges they faced and how they made it through everything was written so well. And getting back to the love story of Sam and Rowan at the end and how their lives pan out a couple years down the road really just made the ending of this series that much better.
The pace of this book kicked up a notch as the stories have unfolded over this trilogy and I’m just glad I had a hot spot to download them so I did t have to wait to read the next one. I was a bit nervous that there would be a fourth, but the ending was tied up so nicely I’m hoping that if there is a continuation it’s the next generation.
This final book in this series completely blew me away.... Going from on a ship, to an island, and now underground, these characters have truly been put through the ringer! And the villains, phew they are BAD!!!!! I am so emotionally invested in the well-being of these characters that I was on edge during most of the book.
The world building and plot in this series is phenomenal!
I adored this book. I loved loved loved the ending! The characters are well balanced and realistic. The author did not hold back on the trauma and misery discussed, but thankfully it wasn’t necessarily gory details. The spice was balanced, well placed, and didn’t take over the entire plot. I finished all 3 books in 3 days. So good, one of my fav series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This series has been so good! The ending makes me think there’s more that I’m missing but can’t find it. Seriously messing with my head but maybe it just hasn’t been published yet. Loved the boys the best. How they could communicate with their mama/aunt. Sam I felt should’ve explained immediately about his ex wife not letting her to search for him and they were arguing together. I definitely recommend this series!
I can’t say enough about this series. I loved every minute of it. I especially love the ending. It is rare than author goes to the length of showing what happens afterwards and I always want that. I am so happy that Liz chose to show me. I loved loved loved it!!!!