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Following the River: A Post-Apocalyptic Romance
In the distant future, humanity is dying, there are no women left, and all hope is lost, until…
Grace Miller is one of eight women placed in stasis underground before a nuclear blast. But when she comes up to the surface, she is all alone. Now two hundred years into the future, she finds civilization gone, and in its place is a never-ending forest with a mysterious hunter who knows nothing about her world.
She needs to find the other women from her bunker, which means that she has to follow the stranger through the forest. His expectation that she’ll mother future generations of humans infuriates her, but she can’t deny the way her body responds to his.
River is a hunter in the Mountain Tribe. He knows nothing outside of the primitive lifestyle of his people, and even that holds little interest for him. Humanity is dying out, there are only men left, and those who remain are slowly starving.
When he finds Grace stumbling through the forest, he knows two things for certain. The first is that she can save the human race by mating with his tribe. The second is that he wants her all to himself.
This steamy romance is the first book in The Mountain Tribe series of science fiction romance novels. It is a complete story and can be read as a standalone.
Grace Miller is one of eight women placed in stasis underground before a nuclear blast. But when she comes up to the surface, she is all alone. Now two hundred years into the future, she finds civilization gone, and in its place is a never-ending forest with a mysterious hunter who knows nothing about her world.
She needs to find the other women from her bunker, which means that she has to follow the stranger through the forest. His expectation that she’ll mother future generations of humans infuriates her, but she can’t deny the way her body responds to his.
River is a hunter in the Mountain Tribe. He knows nothing outside of the primitive lifestyle of his people, and even that holds little interest for him. Humanity is dying out, there are only men left, and those who remain are slowly starving.
When he finds Grace stumbling through the forest, he knows two things for certain. The first is that she can save the human race by mating with his tribe. The second is that he wants her all to himself.
This steamy romance is the first book in The Mountain Tribe series of science fiction romance novels. It is a complete story and can be read as a standalone.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 4, 2022
22 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 4, 2022
3.5 stars
Surprisingly, I like the premise. The world undergone this massive world war, and almost all human died, except for this small group of men (all males). So one day, one of the hunter stumbled across this injured woman near a burned down bunker.
Think of IPB, but make it human and set on Earth. It was okay an okay only-woman trope. Pretty good but also pretty mundane. But I'm interested in continuing the series. All in all, pretty decent debut work. This author has potential as far as I can see.
Surprisingly, I like the premise. The world undergone this massive world war, and almost all human died, except for this small group of men (all males). So one day, one of the hunter stumbled across this injured woman near a burned down bunker.
Think of IPB, but make it human and set on Earth. It was okay an okay only-woman trope. Pretty good but also pretty mundane. But I'm interested in continuing the series. All in all, pretty decent debut work. This author has potential as far as I can see.
November 27, 2022
*3.5* All it took was reading the blurb and I downloaded quickly!
In the distant future, humanity is dying, there are no women left, and all hope is lost, until…
Grace Miller is one of eight women placed in stasis underground before a nuclear blast. But when she comes up to the surface, she is all alone. Now two hundred years into the future, she finds civilization gone, and in its place is a never-ending forest with a mysterious hunter who knows nothing about her world.
Post-apocalypse
Futuristic
Hunter-gatherer society without women
Really sweet, virgin H
No sharing
I love reading anything post-apocalyptic. This story was much better than some of this genre, but was a bit choppy in places. The attraction felt rushed, and the story could have used some deeper elements and character growth.
It’s always the little things that trip me up while reading stories like this. So I wondered what happens when her period starts, rabbit skins, moss? She says she put her ‘life savings’ go be placed into stasis, was she a millionaire? Since the men only have rudimentary medical skills, why was the hero circumcised? If the men have been starving for years, the fact that they’re all full of muscles doesn’t make any sense. It’s the small details that make a story richer while reading.
Despite my complaints, I did enjoy reading this story and will definitely be reading the next in the series!
In the distant future, humanity is dying, there are no women left, and all hope is lost, until…
Grace Miller is one of eight women placed in stasis underground before a nuclear blast. But when she comes up to the surface, she is all alone. Now two hundred years into the future, she finds civilization gone, and in its place is a never-ending forest with a mysterious hunter who knows nothing about her world.
Post-apocalypse
Futuristic
Hunter-gatherer society without women
Really sweet, virgin H
No sharing
I love reading anything post-apocalyptic. This story was much better than some of this genre, but was a bit choppy in places. The attraction felt rushed, and the story could have used some deeper elements and character growth.
It’s always the little things that trip me up while reading stories like this. So I wondered what happens when her period starts, rabbit skins, moss? She says she put her ‘life savings’ go be placed into stasis, was she a millionaire? Since the men only have rudimentary medical skills, why was the hero circumcised? If the men have been starving for years, the fact that they’re all full of muscles doesn’t make any sense. It’s the small details that make a story richer while reading.
Despite my complaints, I did enjoy reading this story and will definitely be reading the next in the series!
December 25, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up
This felt like a fast-paced post-apocalyptic romance to me and I really enjoyed it. It begins with Grace (h) escaping a bunker on fire after she’d been in stasis to try and survive an upcoming nuclear war. She’s hurt as she escapes but believes other women who also were in the bunker may have escaped too. She’s found and rescued by River (H) who’s part of a small tribe of human men and had been hunting. Grace learns this new world has very few humans, including no women, and has become all nature and primitive survival. The focus of the story is their journey back to the tribe’s camp, Grace coming to terms with what’s happened, and them quickly connecting. Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama, h is not a virgin, but H is a virgin.
The author captured the struggles of this new world beautifully and also the emotions River felt with seeing a woman, the hope it brought. I think this felt fast-paced to me because of the way the story started and then a few dangers/suspenseful moments along their journey. Their relationship also develops quickly, which I was ok with given the survival focused nature of their existence. I thought River was a great character with his care of Grace and general personality. Grace was understandably struggling with adjustment at times, but she focused on whether she was responsible for helping to continue humanity by popping out babies too much. It was clear River wasn’t adept at communication, not surprising given the small number of humans left and the existence they had to eke out, so when she’d argue with him and not get the response she wanted, I got frustrated at her instead of at him.
But I still was able to enjoy many of their interactions from him teaching her small things to her noticing ways he wasn’t caring for himself and forcing him to change. The steaminess is also really well done with Grace introducing River to kissing and everything that follows. Their physical connection was 💥🔥. The emotional connection does strengthen too, even if it’s fast. She also stoked his possessive side and had him thinking about what mattered to him personally vs. the whole.
The intro to River’s tribe was intense and of course there are some question marks about how Grace will acclimate, then she’s also determined to search for others who may have survived the bunker. River was so supportive and wanted Grace to do what she needed. This is a romance series so clearly there are some other women, I don’t think that’s a spoiler, and some are found before the end of the book to help set up the rest of the series.
The book ends on a HFN with River and Grace figuring out their place now that they’re together. It was pretty clear who the next couple would be (book 2 is also already out). Even though the world is primitive now, I think there are a lot of possibilities with fresh perspectives and the hope injected into the tribe.
This felt like a fast-paced post-apocalyptic romance to me and I really enjoyed it. It begins with Grace (h) escaping a bunker on fire after she’d been in stasis to try and survive an upcoming nuclear war. She’s hurt as she escapes but believes other women who also were in the bunker may have escaped too. She’s found and rescued by River (H) who’s part of a small tribe of human men and had been hunting. Grace learns this new world has very few humans, including no women, and has become all nature and primitive survival. The focus of the story is their journey back to the tribe’s camp, Grace coming to terms with what’s happened, and them quickly connecting. Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama, h is not a virgin, but H is a virgin.
The author captured the struggles of this new world beautifully and also the emotions River felt with seeing a woman, the hope it brought. I think this felt fast-paced to me because of the way the story started and then a few dangers/suspenseful moments along their journey. Their relationship also develops quickly, which I was ok with given the survival focused nature of their existence. I thought River was a great character with his care of Grace and general personality. Grace was understandably struggling with adjustment at times, but she focused on whether she was responsible for helping to continue humanity by popping out babies too much. It was clear River wasn’t adept at communication, not surprising given the small number of humans left and the existence they had to eke out, so when she’d argue with him and not get the response she wanted, I got frustrated at her instead of at him.
But I still was able to enjoy many of their interactions from him teaching her small things to her noticing ways he wasn’t caring for himself and forcing him to change. The steaminess is also really well done with Grace introducing River to kissing and everything that follows. Their physical connection was 💥🔥. The emotional connection does strengthen too, even if it’s fast. She also stoked his possessive side and had him thinking about what mattered to him personally vs. the whole.
The intro to River’s tribe was intense and of course there are some question marks about how Grace will acclimate, then she’s also determined to search for others who may have survived the bunker. River was so supportive and wanted Grace to do what she needed. This is a romance series so clearly there are some other women, I don’t think that’s a spoiler, and some are found before the end of the book to help set up the rest of the series.
The book ends on a HFN with River and Grace figuring out their place now that they’re together. It was pretty clear who the next couple would be (book 2 is also already out). Even though the world is primitive now, I think there are a lot of possibilities with fresh perspectives and the hope injected into the tribe.
November 29, 2022
I really enjoyed this story! I thought it was a great romance and an interesting world. River was a great hero! He was very good to Grace. Grace was pretty good, a bit annoying at times as she came to grip about her new life. It was a bit frustrating that most of the conflict in the book could be resolved with a 10 minute conversation. But, everyone just had to come around to their feelings.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to Raven's story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to Raven's story.
September 22, 2025
Any type of *throwing down in the furs* situation occurring I am always game for
October 16, 2022
4.5 stars
I thought this was an absolutely incredible debut novel by Sarah Blake. It was well-written, engaging, and sexy. And she’s only just getting started!
I’m not normally one for post-apocalyptic fiction and romance, because it seems dark and pessimistic and makes me feel anxious BUT it was handled really well in this book. Firstly, there was a believable and realistic reason for the end of the world. Our heroine, Grace, also had relatable reactions to finding herself in an unfamiliar, unexpected world. Blake wrote it well, so I felt the same anxieties and fears that Grace felt without being too overwhelmed. It was also a fun experience to have a Canadian setting as well, shout-out to Toronto!
SPOILERS
I’ll be here, eagerly awaiting anything else Sarah Blake writes! :D
I thought this was an absolutely incredible debut novel by Sarah Blake. It was well-written, engaging, and sexy. And she’s only just getting started!
I’m not normally one for post-apocalyptic fiction and romance, because it seems dark and pessimistic and makes me feel anxious BUT it was handled really well in this book. Firstly, there was a believable and realistic reason for the end of the world. Our heroine, Grace, also had relatable reactions to finding herself in an unfamiliar, unexpected world. Blake wrote it well, so I felt the same anxieties and fears that Grace felt without being too overwhelmed. It was also a fun experience to have a Canadian setting as well, shout-out to Toronto!
SPOILERS
I’ll be here, eagerly awaiting anything else Sarah Blake writes! :D
August 18, 2023
Sweet overall and pretty tame on the angst. Premise is great, but was a little....simple? That's not the word I want, but it's late and I can't think. I both liked and didn't like that aspect. It's more of a slow burn, but that's relative, since the first 65% or so only takes up a few days. It has good tension between the MCs though, and I was yellinggggg for them to just do something already.
Was worried there would be a disgusting "we own your womb since you're the last woman alive" kind of thing, but it wasn't. Refreshing.
• We love an MMC who does not deviate, and who communicates even when frustrated. 👏 Those are bare minimum qualities and he went beyond that.
• The FMC is wary due to the situation she's been thrown into, but not reckless. 👏
Wish the ending was longer. It's the only kind of HEA a broken world can give, which was more of an HFN than anything. That's my only complaint, really. I wanted more of them together. I am interested in reading more books about other possible couples it teased though.
Was worried there would be a disgusting "we own your womb since you're the last woman alive" kind of thing, but it wasn't. Refreshing.
• We love an MMC who does not deviate, and who communicates even when frustrated. 👏 Those are bare minimum qualities and he went beyond that.
• The FMC is wary due to the situation she's been thrown into, but not reckless. 👏
Wish the ending was longer. It's the only kind of HEA a broken world can give, which was more of an HFN than anything. That's my only complaint, really. I wanted more of them together. I am interested in reading more books about other possible couples it teased though.
December 22, 2022
3.5 stars
In order to survive a nuclear war, Grace Miller was placed in stasis in a bunker along with eight other women. But when she wakes up, she finds herself 200 years into the future where humanity is dying and there's only a small tribe of men left. The only person Grace can rely on is a mysterious hunter named River.
I'm a sucker for anything post-apocalyptic and I couldn't resist the concept of this series. The writing is decent, especially for a debut indie book. The world building is not the strongest, but that's something the author can continue building in subsequent books.
Grace is a bit annoying lol. It takes her a long time to realize the real danger and how her small worries don't matter in the grand scheme of things. As for River, I adored him from the beginning.
This series kind of reminds me of Ice Planet Barbarians, except the heroes here are human. I'm excited to read the next book!
In order to survive a nuclear war, Grace Miller was placed in stasis in a bunker along with eight other women. But when she wakes up, she finds herself 200 years into the future where humanity is dying and there's only a small tribe of men left. The only person Grace can rely on is a mysterious hunter named River.
I'm a sucker for anything post-apocalyptic and I couldn't resist the concept of this series. The writing is decent, especially for a debut indie book. The world building is not the strongest, but that's something the author can continue building in subsequent books.
Grace is a bit annoying lol. It takes her a long time to realize the real danger and how her small worries don't matter in the grand scheme of things. As for River, I adored him from the beginning.
This series kind of reminds me of Ice Planet Barbarians, except the heroes here are human. I'm excited to read the next book!
May 5, 2023
Following the River: A Post-Apocalyptic Romance is a must-read for anyone who loves speculative romance. The world-building is easy to follow and sets the stage for a tender and patient male hero.
The chemistry between the two main characters is electric, and their love story will have you glued to the pages.
With elegant and descriptive language that brings the story to life, this tale swept me away and found myself unable to put it down. I immediately dove into the second book of the series, eager to continue the journey with these endearing characters.
The chemistry between the two main characters is electric, and their love story will have you glued to the pages.
With elegant and descriptive language that brings the story to life, this tale swept me away and found myself unable to put it down. I immediately dove into the second book of the series, eager to continue the journey with these endearing characters.
April 8, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, was hooked after the first chapter. Don't let the cover deceive you, yes there was awesome spice (3.5🔥) but it was just such a good post apocalypse, dystopian story, two worlds colliding and Sarah did this so well! I love that there was communication even when MMC didn't understand half of what FMC was saying, I enjoyed the survival element and I loved that the FMC was a strong character who had a few wobbles but held her own when needed.
Great debut novel, on to the next
Great debut novel, on to the next
August 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this! Love the premise, and it serves very big Tarzan and Jane energy. I’ve always had a soft spot for reading about people trying to hunt and survive in the wilderness, and this very much scratched that itch.
River was *very* eager to please, and I loved how sweet he was with Grace. Definitely spicy, but also very tender and gooey ❤️❤️
Will definitely be reading the next book Sarah Blake releases! Can’t wait!
River was *very* eager to please, and I loved how sweet he was with Grace. Definitely spicy, but also very tender and gooey ❤️❤️
Will definitely be reading the next book Sarah Blake releases! Can’t wait!
July 9, 2022
THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD!!!!! I was getting tired of the same old YA and wanted a fun apocalyptic world as well as something extra steamy. This HIT THE SPOT! I LOVED River (who's now one of my favourite romance heroes of all time) and got hooked on the anticipation building between him and Gracel. I just couldn't put the book down until I was done. Five stars!!!
July 12, 2022
Great book!
Took a chance on a new author and I was quite happy with the results. Can't wait for more in this series and beyond.
Well written and gripping storyline, with steamy scenes for flavour. So delicious 🔥
Took a chance on a new author and I was quite happy with the results. Can't wait for more in this series and beyond.
Well written and gripping storyline, with steamy scenes for flavour. So delicious 🔥
December 16, 2022
Very solid story with a great base for future novels
This novel was fun surprise for me, I rwlead it on a whim and, honestly, could not be more excited for the rest of the series.
This novel was fun surprise for me, I rwlead it on a whim and, honestly, could not be more excited for the rest of the series.
December 27, 2022
I loved the premise, but the story lacked a lot of depth. Such a huge opportunity here felt wasted for the excuse of talking about rippling muscles. Maybe my expectations were too high?
January 3, 2023
Boring ... Should have DNF'd but kept going because I wanted to see their HEA. I'm a sucker for this trope but this was just bad: no real connection between the MCs, no real hardship, nothing.
March 11, 2023
hopefully a new series
Great premise and good characters. River is a quiet strong hero and rescues Grace. Full-on🔥 lays the foundation for a new interesting series
Great premise and good characters. River is a quiet strong hero and rescues Grace. Full-on🔥 lays the foundation for a new interesting series
May 17, 2023
Loved it
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews