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End of Days #1

The Pale Rider

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I wake up surrounded by death and my memories are gone.

A man in a beige hazmat suit reaches his hand through the carnage. “Come with me if you want to live.” I know I’m supposed to know that from somewhere, but I don’t. I know the world outside me is not right. People either die or they are Rage Heads. Somehow, a virus got out that has turned people into red eyed freaks who eat flesh. They are fast, their flesh is rotting off their bodies and they have one goal—kill.

I don’t know my mystery man in the hazmat suit, but he says I can trust him. He was at that lab looking for something. He claims not to have found it. He only found me. I see the way he looks at me when I ask what he was doing in that lab. I might feel safe with him, but he’s lying to me. He knows everything about me, including the nickname people used to call me, but he tells me I ask too many questions. Maybe I’d be safer on my own.

The Pale Rider is Book 1 of End of Days, a Post Apocalyptic slow burn reverse harem romance. The harem will slowly grow as the books progress. The harem features the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2020

427 people are currently reading
410 people want to read

About the author

J.B. Trepagnier

122 books814 followers
USA Today Bestselling Author JB Trepagnier is secretly 30 feral cats in a trench coat and combat boots writing romance with a shared feral cat hive mind.

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5 stars
285 (41%)
4 stars
229 (33%)
3 stars
115 (16%)
2 stars
34 (5%)
1 star
17 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
Profile Image for Becca.
224 reviews26 followers
July 26, 2024
So far I'm loving this series.
Lot of action. 1 ticked off female and an incredibly stubborn man when you get into the book the further for the ego the more you find out the more you're going OMG...
I'm going now to track down the next book in the series!
Happy Apocalypse!
382 reviews6 followers
July 15, 2024
🤔

This was described as a slow burn RH ....the whole book was a slow boring one man nothing happened little disclosed mess. It was boring. She repetitively thought the same things over and over and it got old fast . Yes we know you lost your memory, we know he won't tell you,yes we know he Said it would drive you insane.but you kept repeating it over and over every few paragraphs. It seems like were going to add a guy every book and frankly this bored me to tears.The whole book was them stopping at places making their way to Mexico and her dragging memory after memory painfully along the way ,painful for me not her. We got glossed over most of the action and it just couldn't hold my attention.I put the book down several times and forced my self to finish it hoping it got better but never did .so book 2 is a no and next time I keep skipping a book ill remember this one and leave it alone till I'm desperate😒
1,141 reviews5 followers
waiting-to-read
September 14, 2020
DNF 46% This is taking way too long to get interesting might reread another time. Hopefully the other guys are more interesting than Aeron but I don't feel like waiting until book 2 to meet the next guy. No relationship or character development yet and such dry dialogue which is painful when all they're doing is travelling together we at least need some interesting side characters or something.
Profile Image for Jessica Mitchell.
2,051 reviews20 followers
July 26, 2020
Wow, did I say wow already? This slow burn romance slash apocalypse end of the world novel is awesome. There's a couple twists in it. But I love it. It's hacking and slashing from the very first page. The characters are strong, even is Aeron needs a smack or two upside the head to remind him of manners. Ariel aka Speedy is a woman that has a list of problems throughout the book that she has to solve and none of them are her fault. Well except one. But we'll save that for later.

Ariel wakes up disoriented one day and doesn't know where the hell she is. She's scared and can't remember a darn thing. So when a random guy says he's gonna help you after going through a hord of zombies for you. Guess you might have to appreciate him just a little bit. But things aren't adding up and why was she where she was? And who is this tall handsome guy, who seems to know her, and has a crazy looking horse....
555 reviews
August 11, 2020
The relationship was just weird between them with how he treated her & the memory loss. Love this authors other books - just couldn't get into this one.
Profile Image for ROMEOISNOTFUNNY.
823 reviews14 followers
July 11, 2024
Took a while to get into this book, but it is promising. It is a PNR, end of days, save the world, FMC bad arse, slow...very slow burn, zombie book.

I like the FMC and her inner and outer monologue. MMC is grumpy and can be a arse...but he is sweet.

I found the journey more and more intriguing. And it's has it moments. But I noticed there are only 2 of the 4 books available in audio. And I'm more in a dark fantasy mood. So I will come back to this series, as I can tell it gets better with each book, and it will get spicier as the journey to collect the 4 horsemen continues

3.4 stars
Profile Image for Rachel.
248 reviews31 followers
August 15, 2024
FMC had memory loss, woke up in a hospital during the Zombie apocalypse. Some guy is there to help free her and claims to know her but can't tell her too much about herself because of the way she lost her memory, he says if too much information comes back to her too fast it could fry her brain or something like that.

So we end up with a fast-paced story that starts from page 1, but also has history that we learn about as the FMC does.

Profile Image for Mysty Sinclair.
277 reviews2 followers
March 7, 2021
Post-Apocalyptic world in where there are zombies roaming around and the world has turned into a horror movie....sign me up! I personally held off on reading this series because I wanted to read it all at once. Since the last book is coming out soon, I thought now was a good time as any to read the series and I'm glad I held off. Waiting for the next book of this series after getting the ending that I did would have killed me. This book did give me a bit of a shock, it being told only from the main character's point of view but given the fact that she has amnesia and we need to learn about the world just as much as much as she does, I think the book flowed really well. I did a whole blog post about the book if you want to read my full thoughts on the book! If you like slow burns set in a zombie, post-apocalypitc world, then I would say that this book is for you!
345 reviews2 followers
June 14, 2020
Another smash hit by JB!!

Waking up with absolutely no memory of who you are just plain sucks, but being rescued by a guy in a hazmat suit telling you "Come with me if you want to live" sounds like something you should remember from some where. Add on top of it that the guy is just drop dead sexy AF & you go with him even with the little voice in the back of your head giving you warnings. Oh, and he seems to know all kinds of things about you, but won't tell you anything as it might make you go insane. Turns out, my name is Ariel, aka Speedy. A former roller derby star and a star softball player with a baby blue bat named Smurfette. Ariel is also an award-winning tattoo artist. My savior is Aeron and he has a pale horse name Meremoth. Aeron says he's good at death & there's something about that statement that tickles the brain with a memory. Traveling from Seattle to California is a game of survival when there are Rage Heads (zombies), cannibals, and violent gangs along the way. Aeron hopes that getting me to my home will unlock my memory. It does, but there's still more to come as now we are on the way to Mexico to meet up with Liam, another in his team. We have a connection, and when I meet him, he tells me that he is Pestilence. WTF did I walk in to?

This book grabs you at page 1 & absolutely refuses to let go. You are on the edge of your seat, chewing your nails at what Ariel is going to face next. It's non-stop action, and there are lots of secrets. I didn't think the secrets Aeron is keeping from Ariel detracts from the story in any way. I thought they play well with the story since she has amnesia. This is an extremely unique story & the characters are awesome. Great world building. This one ends on a cliff hanger, and I can't wait for the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Cat H.
1,975 reviews220 followers
April 9, 2021
4.5 stars. Taking off half a star because even though I loved this book and the other books are thankfully out by the time I’m reading this, I hate a cliffhanger.
I’m so glad I found this author. I’m really enjoying her writing. I previously read her Monster whisperer series and got myself hooked.
I’m absolutely loving her story lines and characters.
The slow burn is not usually something I prefer but I really enjoy it with these reverse harem series she writes.
And hello?! The Four Horsemen as her harem?! Fuck yes. Such a cool concept and so far the execution is going really well.
Ariel is a super unique character. With her amnesia, artistic ability, and her lack of shrieking about all the crazy happening around her, I am totally digging her. Though. Her doubt in Aeron gets a tiny bit annoying sometimes, but I’m ignoring that on a count of her having every right.
I mean she Did wake up to the aftermath of WWIII and the zombie apocalypse is currently ensuing around her, and she somehow plays a part it in it all but she can’t remember a damn thing. So I get it.
And Aeron. The Horsemen of Death with his pale horse Meremoth. Can I just say...Hawt. I’m so down for that.
Needless to say, I’m extremely excited to get more of this story in the next book. Especially the sexy Horsemen bits. Yes, please.
210 reviews1 follower
April 15, 2025
This book was the equivalent of a meeting that could've been an email...

There's so much repetition of the exact same thoughts and conversations. Also, the fmc starts off by repeating twice (of course nothing is said only once in this book) that she's not stupid, even if she can't remember what she looks like (but she knows what kinky means). Yeah, keep telling yourself that you're not stupid. The "plot twist" was so glaringly obvious from the very beginning that it became increasingly annoying to watch the fmc wonder furiously and never actually spend a minute to consider the facts that she's already gathered from her companion and the slowly returning memories. And that last sentence does not excuse her.

I do appreciate that her memories didn't come back with a kiss Disney style. Also, the idea so far is intriguing. I just felt like this entire book could've been a third of the length and combined with the next one. Or maybe some added actual content and character growth during their travels could've been nice.

I did listen to the audiobook on almost double speed since it's harder to skim on audio. The female narrator isn't the best fit, in my opinion. Her voice is too mature for someone who isn't even 30. I highly appreciate the duet narration, though.

I will continue with the series with my fingers crossed for less repetition and more plot in the next books.
Profile Image for Raecharmed.
9,302 reviews70 followers
July 24, 2020
Ariel aka Speedy wakes up in a hospital and has no memory of who she is and where she is. She starts pounding on the door to be let out when a man in a hazmat suit opens the door and tells her "Come with me if you want to live." She is stunned and fights him at first but when he hands over the bat she ends up leaving with him. Only to find the world is nothing like what she would thought it would be. The dead are walking and killing people and everyone is fighting to survive. Aeron kept giving Ariel tidbits of information which was making her mad when she could tell he knew more about her than he was letting on. Together they left on a journey he was leading them on that was supposed to help her towards learning more about herself. Can she trust Aeron? Will she ever find out why she can't remember stuff? What happened to the world?

This is an amazing story once I started it I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the next book in this series just to find out what's going to happen next. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Danyelle La Pookette.
497 reviews8 followers
November 30, 2023
Hold your horses, we're just getting started

** Cliffhanger Warning! ** I like this book. It's a zombie apocalypse, road trip, slow burn romance with a goodly amount of humor. The female main character has amnesia and just woke up from a coma, so the reader learns things at the same time as Ariel, aka Speedy, remembers or learns all the things a person should know.

I enjoyed the friction between the two main characters, Ariel (the female) and Aeron (the male). I'm not a fan of zombies, so I appreciate the lack of gory details most of the time. My favorite thing is the suspense as some of the secrets are revealed, questions are raised, and Ariel realizes what is going on around her.

The pacing is a bit slow, even though Ariel and Aaron are travelling by supernaturally fast horse. I think my biggest complaint is the timing of things, and the route from Washington State to Mexico skipped Oregon. I don't think this author knows just how big these states are. Exactly how fast is this horse?! Did they zip through the entire West Coast?

Tons of typos, but nothing too distracting. I'm trying to decide whether or not to buy the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Mrs R.
1,425 reviews19 followers
June 30, 2024
This is book 1 of the series and does continue into book 2.

Book 1 has Aeron finding Ariel in a medical facility. She follows him as she has no memories and no other options. The story has them travelling across what was the US after many residents have turned into 'Rage Heads'.

I love the relationship these two had, there's an attraction but it's also a love-hate (on Ariel's) side due to the frustration. But he's keeping her alive and has put so much in place to ensure she is safe.

Ariel is so frustrated with Aeron as he's holding back all the info he knows.... he doesn't want to overwhelm her and cause problems if she gets all her memories back in one go.

Drip fed info does cause some memories to come back and Aeron fills in some gaps but it is so frustrating for Ariel (and the reader) trying to fill in the gaps.

As they journey we find out more about the world they now live in, why it went wrong, how it happens and what they are trying to do.

A very slow burn, nothing happens other than a kiss. But I did enjoy the journey these two went on. Very much a love hate relationship.

I'm looking forward to finding out more in book 2 but I hope that things speed up a bit too.
616 reviews3 followers
June 15, 2020
Positively fantastic. Very scary and dramatic. Will crank you up.

Oh my gosh. When you get to the end of this book, you can breathe again. But in the meantime… WOW, WOW, WOW!!! This book is like a roller coaster ride with zombies. From the first chapter your heart will be beating so fast, you think it will jump out of your chest. And you know what? I hope something like this doesn’t really happen because the way this book is written, it makes it seem like it’s entirely possible. You will suck down the story like a tall glass of water on a hot day. Page after page reveals what is happening in the world and what is happening to Ariel. No speed reading this book. You want to take in every single word and not miss a single minute of its action and drama. Her memory has been erased. Will it ever come back? Who took it and why? Absolutely fantastic. I usually don’t do apocalyptic books, but this one is incredibly written. Can’t wait for the next book. I didn’t want it to end.
6,029 reviews40 followers
June 22, 2020
Our heroine awakes as she is rescued by a man in a hazmat suite and things get a bit stranger from there.

This is book one of this urban fantasy reverse harem zombie series. Yes, you did read that right. Feel free to have a good laugh as it only gets better from there.

The story is well written and easy to read as long as you can wrap your mind around the bizarre happenings in the world. The characters are well developed with pertinent details coming out through the course of the story. But you might not have time to notice them as the story sets a fast pace right at the start, grabs hold and doesn't let go. I am so-so on zombie stories, but this one sets a relatives lighter touch with bits of humor sprinkled throughout. It all just worked for me and I was hooked from the start. Overall, a fast and fun read which left me looking for book two.

Highly recommended

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes. -
445 reviews3 followers
June 6, 2020
OMG..... I could not put this book down. What a crazy ride this book takes you on and it is only the beginning! Ariel (aka Speedy) is a bada$$ tattoo artist that has her memories wiped and is found by Aeron, the god like horseman of Death. They take this crazy journey down the west coast during the zombie apocalypse in order to meet up with Aeron’s team and find Speedy’s memories. Speedy tries to take everything in stride while fighting with her inner monologue. This book grabs you from the very first page and just hangs on while dangling all these questions in front of you. Major cliffhanger ending but it definitely leaves you wanting more. Like beg on your knees to the author until they give you more! Highly recommended especially if you have a thing for the apocalypse. Cant wait to find out what comes next! 🖤
Profile Image for Ashlee Olson.
352 reviews9 followers
June 6, 2020
This author is absolutely amazing at what she does. I’m so glad I found her books.

This book was easy to read. It captured me the moment Speedy’s eyes opened and didn’t let me go until the ending. It was auctioned packed, intriguing, funny, and so much more. What you think you know just might not be what you really know. Loved the characters and progress throughout the book. The characters were diverse and real. Nothing fake about this book. Honestly can’t wait to see what comes next in the series. I have ideas of where I think it might go but you never know with this author. She isn’t predictable at all. Which makes her stories all the more amazing.

A must read new series by this author. First in the series.
Profile Image for Lauren.
1,091 reviews120 followers
June 13, 2020
Couldn't get through it

I dnf this read, although throughout the week I kept it hoping a spark of interest would take root, it's now 6 days later and I've finally decided to throw in the towel. Now this might actually be a good story, if ur ok with all the secrets, i on the other hand could not, it seemed to get to old for me and the reason is that she's in a predicament where how can you trust a stranger who knows about you, but can't say much to you about you? Yes he has said he can't give her everything because it will make her insane, yet why not a bit here and there each day? This man is a total stranger! And it seems he's playing games and expects things of her and that's that. And for this the few chapters I've read just rubbed me wrong.
Profile Image for Jacqueline Chappell.
1,444 reviews21 followers
June 4, 2020
This is a great start to a new series. This one is a slow burn RH featuring the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as the harem. You meet the first one in this book and the world building is excellent and extensive. The FMC has amnesia and is slowly recovering her memories throughout. She and the first of her harem are intriguing and well developed characters but their are also many side characters that are interesting and keep you dialed in and turning pages. This book went by way to fast. I’m ready for book 2 already.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Stephanie Bolen.
2,154 reviews28 followers
February 4, 2024
Not what you expect

It's an amnesia story. There is a little action but, mainly it's about Speedy regaining her memories. It's not a completed plot line it cuts off at the climax. The climatic startling reveal is a giant glowing sign that pummels you as you are reading the book. Over and over again, until the last line, where there may be audible groans from the audacity. If you are shocked by the reveal we can't be friends and I don't want you operating heavy equipment. The concept was interesting. The writing and characters are solid. Plot and pacing is where mistakes were made.
1,262 reviews4 followers
June 14, 2020
I usually don’t like post apocalyptic stories,but I have always enjoyed books from this author so I gave it a go. Another really good story. Very slow burn, with a mysterious woman being rescued from a locked room by a hunky stranger, fights her way through the zombies and off they go to Mexico. She has no memories, which is frustrating because she can save the world. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, and I have to find out where this story is heading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kit.
1,517 reviews16 followers
September 17, 2020
Read : September 17, 2020
Rating : 3,5 Stars

Not bad, there were some things that I really liked and some things that I didn't.

Liked :
the whole zombie take on it, makes for a much more interesting read.
Our Mc herself, she kicks butt.

Didn't Like :
The pace slowed down a lot in some places, which made it a little bit disjointed.
Profile Image for mia.
777 reviews
January 13, 2021
I loved this book, the four horsemen of the apocalypse is a great premise, and the plot was fast paced, the characters were compelling. I was hooked pretty quickly into the book and finished it in one sitting, it was a great start to the series and definately one I want to follow. The narration was amazing, and really brought the story to life, the cast held some favourites of mine and some I hadn't heard before but look forward to hearing more from. I can't recomend this book highly enough, 5 stars just doesn't seem enough. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

307 reviews1 follower
June 9, 2020
I loved reading about Ariel aka Speedy. That poor girl losing her memories and have to slowly get them back or go crazy is insane. Then theres Aeron who wants her to get her memories back but has to be careful of what he says or do. I cant wait to read the next book in the series and learn more about Speedy and Aeron plus the new mysterious Lief.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Suzanne.
336 reviews2 followers
Read
June 13, 2020
I love this story. Wow. Blow your mind.
A post war world with Zombies, cannibals, some good places, an amnesiac woman with powers she discovers and a saviour who is more than she knows with a supernatural horse.
I love Ariel she is so calm and strong.
I love Aeron he is gruff and sweet.

I can not wait to see Ariel will do next and what the guys capable of.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for BobaFett114.
1,955 reviews3 followers
June 15, 2020
I highly recommend this book!

This book was amazing! If you enjoy the idea of the four horseman of the apocalypse being "good guys" then you'll love this book! We meet Speedy/Ariel who has no memory of who she is. She is saved by Aeron, who has no last name. They must make their way from Washington State to Mexico to meet Leif. There is a ton of action and violence. The romance is very slow burn. There were a few errors in the book.
Profile Image for Michelle.
10.7k reviews28 followers
June 19, 2020
The Pale Rider is a post apocalyptic slow burn reverse harem. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but once I got started I didn't put it down until the last page. The storyline is good and the characters are interesting. I like that Ariel/Speedy started out with amnesia and slowly starts remembering things. Overall this is a good story and I look forward to reading the next book in the End of Days series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
Profile Image for Scarolet Ellis.
7,445 reviews52 followers
June 27, 2020
The Pale Rider-A Zombie Reverse Harem Romance by JB Trepagnier is an awesome story that I have read. This is book number one in this awesome start to a brand new series that I love and can not wait to read what happens next in this series. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about romantic suspense and paranormal romances.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews

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