Rise

by Leslie McCauley

In this dark, gritty, award winning suspense/thriller, Antoinette "Nettie" Madison has a seemingly perfect life, that is until a brutal attack of a "friend" leaves her battered and bruised. After suffering an unthinkable trauma, Nettie and her family attempt to navigate the whirlwind that follows. True intentions will be exposed and secrets revealed.Rise will leave you holding your breath and unable to keep from turning the page. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you'll be thrown back in your seat with pure shock and awe. Don't miss out on this heart pounding thriller. And remember... don't get too comfortable.Congratulations Leslie McCauley! "Rise" is a 2020 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Fiction - Suspense genre! a top 10 Finalist for the Killer Nashville Falchion Award for best thriller, Rise is the ultimate page-turner!

Genres: Fiction, Thriller Suspense

404 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2019

Reviews

[Carol Deegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing psychological thriller is nearly impossible to put down! From the very beginning of this book I was drawn in, and there are many twists in the plot to keep you turning the pages. Nettie is a very strong woman, and throughout the book she faces many challenges, and rises to every occasion. This is the author’s debut novel, and I’m really looking forward to the next one. I received a copy of this book from the author.

[NANCY WOLF · Rating 5 out of 5]

You won't want to put this book down until you finish.

I give this book full marks. The story is intense and moves right along. It is an emotional ride and isn't at all predictable.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

You won't want to put this book down! I loved it! Can't wait for the next one!

[Teresa Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book free from Goodreads Giveaways

Disclaimer - rape, abuse, loss of a child, stalking

Ok. - from the beginning to the end this is a page turner. To be honest I now have a sunburn because I lost track of time. :) Nettie, is a mild mannered local photographer who we meet and doesn’t seem to really fit in or have deep connections —- then the madness starts. Life long friends plus one beer —-

I have sooooo many questions right now. So many theories. There is a second book Fall—- I will get my hands on it ASAP

[Geri Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nettie is my soul sister

I read this book in two days. Couldn’t put it down. The trials and tribulations that Nettie overcomes are horrendous, how every she goes get through them and finds happiness. Leslie shows that there is always a silver lining...eventually

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story you won’t want to put down!

This was such a great read! I was hooked from the very start and wish there was more. This story made me laugh, cry, smile... this was an amazing read and it deserves all 5 stars!

[Susan Burlew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this book. The story was ok but the writing drove me nuts. I am was never shortened to I'm. I've never heard anyone talk that way and it sounded weird. There were giggles in odd places. Would not recommend.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book. Well written and a good plot. Good characters

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antoinette has it all , a great job , her first home and parents that love her very much. Until the night the unthinkable happens and she is attacked in her home and violated in the most horrible ways possible. After which she has to put her life back together and she is determined to get her life back. Will she be able to come through the darkness and be the strong woman she knows she is .

Antoinette aka Nettie what can we say about her, she is strong with everything that she goes through . There are moments that she actually is a little bit whiner . Yes i said it she is a whiner some times through out the book . Over all she is strong and feisty and wants to get on with her life . Jessie is her best friend and I love her she is a no holds barred fighter who will fight with and for her best friend . I also feel that she is underrated cause she takes so much from Nettie and she still is there . She is a true friend . Even her parents are sweet and loving and want to do what is best for Nettie but sometimes they do come off a bit smothering over all they are the parents you want to have in your corner . You will love them.

This is a book that you can get lost into , I read it in two days and was intrigued all the way though. The characters are well written and the story will have you hugging the ones you love and then locking your door and checking all rooms. The first part of this book will have you on the edge of your seat hoping that Nettie will come through what happens to her . The second have will have you crying , tears of joy and tears of sadness . There were a few spots that I feel that fell just a little flat in the second half of the book . Over all i truly loved this book and I did get invested in the characters and what they went through. I can't wait to read more from this author . So if you want a book that will make you cry and rip out your heart and then mend it up again check out this book .

[Sara Kinkead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storyline was good, I always wanted to see what would happen next. But I struggled to make it through this book. It lacked proper punctuation, grammar, and was like reading a diary of a middle schooler. I think the author's talent is there, but it just couldn't break through the mediocre editing.

Leslie, Please let me edit/proofread your next book!

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway.

This is a thought-provoking and busy story. There is a LOT that transpires in this book. I can't decide if I think there should be more detail or if that would make it too long. It's an enjoyable read, although I would have preferred to see some more editing. The lack of punctuation throughout is kind of distracting, but not a bad first effort by the author.

As far as the story goes, there is a lot there like I said. I really want to go into more detail, but the details are so interconnected that I'm afraid of spoiling it if I do. I really love how tough it is to put this book into a genre though. It has a little bit of everything in it.

I'm anxious to see what McCauley comes up with next. This book is unique and will probably never top the charts or anything, but it's a step in an interesting direction. I'm eager to see where it leads.

[Laura Hundley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five strong stars for Leslie McCauley’s new psychological thriller Rise. I won this edition as a goodreads giveaway and I was so excited. This book has it all and starts out with a bang and never looks back. Our protagonist, Nettie, is a well developed character that has some flaws but those make her seem more real. Without giving too much information out, this author has an amazing ability to create a story that pushes the reader further and further into the book with great descriptive words. I was hooked from page one and hope that McCauley decides to write again.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I wanted to love this book, I didn’t. I liked the story line but did not like how it stretched on and on. I bet it could be 100-150 pages shorter. With some tweaking, I believe this could be a winner.

Thanks to Goodreads for this giveaway.

[Mary Lou Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This was a very intriguing book love the characters and I think my friends would enjoy it very sorrowful but had a great ending.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Amazing! Kept me reading with each page. It was an easy read tha left me wanting more. Can't wait to see what is coming next!

[Bridgette Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 stars

This was one of those books that I absolutely couldn’t put down! I actually ended up reading Rise and the sequel, Fall, in the same day I was so obsessed with the story.

What I loved:

- Rise is a twisty psychological thriller! Leslie is an expert at building suspense and I loved every second. The story is intense and literally hooks you from page one.
- In addition to being a thriller, you also get to see Nettie’s resilience and growth. It was really nice to see!
- I found the characters to be really likable! I especially loved Nettie’s parents.
- I usually find thrillers to be rather predictable, but I didn’t predict this one. There were too many twists and turns, which made it even better.


I’d recommend this one if you like twisty psychological thrillers with some drama added in. I would also recommend checking trigger warnings before reading.

[Tavi Kemps · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this e-book through a Goodreads giveaway. I enjoyed this book, but could guess what was going to happen next. There wasn't a lot of surprises but that didn't make it feel any less emotional. It was a fast paced read that I had a hard time putting down. The main character Nettie had a lot of terrible things happen to her and it seemed that life was never going to get better. I would definitely read the next book Fall.

[Patty U. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

If you enjoy reading intense dramas then this is one you should definitely read. Nettie has a life changing event one night done by a friend. Just when she starts getting her life back together she is dealt another life changing blow, then another. This book will have you crying more often than not. It is very hard to put down. I would give more than 5 stars if I could.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Rise started out strong and never lost my interest. Scared, happy, love, and hate all in 1 book. A young woman’s friendliness changes her life forever. But her friendships get her through the rough times. I would recommend this book to friends.

[Linda Donohue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads for this win!
I needed a story that grabbed my attention from the the first few pages and kept it through the whole story. Characters were well developed. A realistic story that seems to cover every emotion on the scale. Look forward to reading further books by McCauley.

[BETH TURNER · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just ok

The story line is a good one but the writing needs improvement. It’s just not very engaging, the wording sounds juvenile at times and there is a lot of oversharing about trivial stuff that doesn’t contribute to the story.

[Sara Tatar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read Rise for awhile now. I recently just picked up reading again, thanks to my co workers starting a little book club. I couldn't put this book down! I cried, I smiled, I laughed. Loved it! I can't wait to start on Fall!

[Rick Molitor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good thriller

This is the story of Nellie who life has been unkind to. She has been raped and beaten. She ended up pregnant from the rape. She has the baby and then loses him. Can she get back any sort of life. Things just start to look up when her rapist gets out of prison. A pretty good read.

[Melanie Falconer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is definitely a page turner. After a night out with a friend, Antoinette Madison has her world turned upside down. Can he pick up the pieces of her broken life and move on from that horrible night? The book made me want to read to the end but I will say it seemed like a lot was put into one book. I was rooting for Nettie!

[Elan Francis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to say that this book was incredibly dull, predictable, and read like a teenager’s WattPad submission. It took me a while to pick it up because I won it through Goodreads, but it was definitely a waste of time. I read it all the way through and there was incident after incident but nothing showed value for the plot; there was nothing to figure out. The rushed last chapter to wrap everything up was just that and nothing more. Overall I was disappointed to say the least.

[Jonathan Palo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book as I come from the same town as the Author. I immediately recognized that Leslie McCauley has tremendous talent as an author, especially in crafting her characters. I look forward to her future books.