This series has so much potential - so much, in fact, that despite being a bit disappointed in this particular starting point I will be moving forward with the series. The pacing on the book seems to lag and then pick up which is tiring. Just when I thought it was going to pick up and really get going it would seem to suddenly drop off and start dragging. However, the story line is interesting and the FMC is likable. I think that the author will flesh out the book and storyline and that pacing will eventually work itself out. Because of the potential, good world building, interesting plot line and characters I think this series is worth the read.

A thrilling read but it lacked a bit of character development. Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and author for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

this simply didn't deliver.
the premise was captivating, but the execution didn't live up to the whole concept.
the characters were very unlikeable and weren't properly defined.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

Rise by Margot de Klerk is a dystopian romance which focuses on Harley and her need to protect her sister and survive in a post-apocalyptic world where electronics don't work, gangs rule the roost and due to how harsh life is, she is at the mercy as working as a cage dancer to pay off her father's debt. Trying to make ends meet for her and her sister, Harley is a strong character who does what she needs to to survive. But when a mysterious stranger enters where she works, her world is turned on its head and she starts questioning everything she knows about people she formally trusted.

There is a lot going on in this book with a lot of twist and turns with characters where you're trying to figure out if they are the good guy/bad guy. Harley is definitely a strong character (mentally), but she is certainly living in a male driven world! A gritty story with some intrigue and part of a series.

This is more of a 3.5. By halfway through I was invested in some of the characters, but I'm having trouble with the setting and society. I'm not sure what these people are living for? In dystopians, there's usually an endgame, or a place to aspire to, I'm not sure what anyone is aspiring to here? The theme of sex and sex trade is troubling at first, and then eases off a bit, seemingly to partly exist in Harley's head, but still sex is a favor and commodity. I don't think these issues for me can resolve in subsequent novels.

Post-apocalyptic dystopian romance - this book was a complete let-down.

It doesn't read like post-apocalyptic at all; meteorites hit centuries ago but there's no explanation as to why that happened or how it's still affecting everything.

Harley works in a hotel/bar in a town that has casinos - how is this possible in an apocalypse? Every character is unlikable and untrustworthy and Harley is just plain stupid and delusional.

She claims she can take care of herself, yet she is attacked, groped, kidnapped, and so on. She's a known gang informant - everyone knows she's an informant - yet she believes she was under the radar. There are many more plot holes and inconsistencies, so it's safe to say I was thoroughly disappointed with this book. I strongly urge readers to avoid this one.

I was given an ARC for an honest review.

3 1/2 stars

A new post apocalyptic series with potential.

I wanted to love this book so badly. It's exactly the storyline I've been craving. But I was hot and cold with it. I would be reading along and anticipating that it was going somewhere and then it would start dragging. Then it would pick up and then it would drag. I still have hopes for this series and will continue one with it when the next book releases. I just hope the author finds a way to keep the storyline flowing with consistent energy. I know with this type of story that it's probably tough.

I do like the main character, Harley who is trying to maintain her independence as much as she can in a world that has zero respect for women. She's done everything she can to shelter her sister and ofter finds herself verbally abused and judged for things beyond her control but she powers on and hold her head up. She has no choice. Their world is cruel and unforgiving. You cannot show weakness. It's ruled primarily by motorcycle gangs and the safest way for women to typically exist is to find someone who will offer you protection. But Harley doesn't want to owe anyone "favors."

There's so much room for potential with this series. I look forward to seeing what this author does next. The ending of this book was pretty wide open and unresolved so there's a lot to cover in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

In this post-apocalyptic romance, Harley, a headstrong young bartender with deep-seated trust issues, knows what it's like to have your freedom taken away and become and disposable pawn under someone else’s iron fist. Yet when she thinks she is finally free, she finds herself again thrown into the dark dealings of one of the three gangs controlling her small, outlawed town. Her only goal: keep her sister safe. But in a world where there are no “good guys,” and everyone’s a villain, putting her trust in the wrong person could easily get her burned (and is a feeling she knows all too well). Complications begin to occur as her severe lack of trust in others threatens to crumble every relationship she hopes to make. Soon, she is hit from all sorts of directions, becoming entangled in the webs of secrets and sinister agendas and putting all her dreams of freedom and safety in grave jeopardy.

I really enjoyed this read! The FMC may not be physically strong, but her willpower alone to take the world on her shoulders and still fight to protect her loved ones, as well as her own freedom, made her strong in many other ways. I was rooting for her the whole book!

While the ending felt kind of abrupt, I did like how there were so many possible different directions and “villains” in which the climax of the story could’ve gone that it keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat the whole time.

At times the plot did lack and lag a little, and at times the relationships between Harley and her potential love interests seemed forced, especially at the beginning whenever she is flirting. I also felt like they lacked certain emotional connections that never led to much of anything. I loved some of the sexual tension but wanted it to build up or lead to something a bit more (that goes for all three love interests).

I’m excited to see where Harley’s story takes us in book 2; it was a rollercoaster for sure!

Make sure you check your trigger warnings!

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this advanced reader copy! This is an honest review and all opinions made are my own.

In a dark and menacing post apocalyptic world, one girl, Harley struggles with her lot as her life gets complicated and dangerous. She fights to survive and keep her sister out of trouble in the face of gangs and all sorts of agro. Complications and danger lurks when a stranger arrives in the bar..I loved this, dark and menacing, Hope where there is none, can the worthy prevail? A great read that takes you on a thrilling journey!

The story takes place in a postapocalyptic world where the main character regenst a bar and wants to keep her sister safe. When a stranger arrives, allegiances start to change.

Im a huge fan of postapocalyptic books, the world building in this one is well done but there are a lot of side characters that add nothing to the story.

As for the romance, I dont really know whrere is going or with who but more books are coming so will see.

Overall, is a nice read that I hope will pick up the pace in the next installment.

Post-apocalyptic dystopian romance? Sign me up! But this book just did not deliver on the premise. For one thing it doesn’t read like post-apocalyptic at all, it reads like a war torn area. Apparently, meteorites hit centuries ago, but there is no explanation as to what happened. Our main character works in a hotel/bar in a small-ish town, not to mention there are references to casinos (plural), and I find it hard to believe that in an apocalypse there are casinos and hotels in a small town. Oh, and it’s not a romance, this book is setting up the romance in future books.

But my main beef is that pretty much every character is unlikable, untrustworthy, and confusing. There are so many different characters to try to keep track of, not to mention they keep changing whether they’re a “good guy“ or a “bad guy“. The FMC, Harley, is stubbornly delusional. She states repeatedly that she can take care of herself, and yet is attacked, groped, kidnapped, etc. She’s a known gang informant, as in EVERYONE knows that she’s an informant, and yet she is convinced that she was under the radar. There are many more plot holes and inconsistencies, so suffice to say I did not particularly enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

The story follows Harley in a post-apocalyptic world where she's been forced to use her body to get by. The love interests in this book was a bit confusing and the ending really confused me. There's more books in the series planned but I'm not sure where it's going or with who. It did have good world building and explanations of how this world works. I'll give the next one a try.

I really loved the concept of this book. The story follows Harley in a post-apocalyptic world where it's clear she's been forced to use her body as a way to make ends meet. Gangs control the territories that they live in and she was under the control of one of them due to her father owing money when he died, which is how she ended up being a cage dancer. She lives with her sister in a small flat and currently works as a bartender.

While there was plenty of room for plot, it felt like for the first 30% nothing really happened. The writing was repetitive at times and every chapter was just Harley at the bar watching someone walk through the door and giving them lip. It felt like the author wanted us to think there were 3 different love interests, but there were never enough emotions between two of them for it to lead to anything. The relationship with Ellery felt really forced, which it kind of was supposed to be considering he made it seem like she owed him for protection.

I knew that Bas was going to end up being the love interest, but then the end of the book completely threw me off. Also, the book drops off abruptly but not in a cliffhanger way. Just in a random ending? I know there will be multiple books in the series and I'm definitely interested in where the story is going!