| Title | : | Shallow River |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 437 |
| Publication | : | First published November 1, 2020 |
When River McAllister escaped from Shallow Hill, she left her innocence behind--and some of her sanity, too. Now she's rebuilding her life with her dream man and life couldn't be better.
Ryan Fitzgerald is everything you'd want in a man. Attractive, rich, an aspiring lawyer, and would do anything to keep River. But that's not the only thing that attracts her. It's his attentiveness, his possessiveness... maybe not so much his temper.
When her relationship takes a dark turn, Ryan's estranged brother, Mako, is the only one who sees it. He knows exactly what Ryan is capable of, and it's not the first time he had to be a knight in shining armor.
River came from Shallow Hill, though. She's never needed saving before. What Mako doesn't see, is that River is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.
The only one who should be scared is Ryan.
Trigger Warning: Shallow River is a dark romance that contains domestic violence, rape, violence, and sexual situations.
Shallow River Reviews
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BOOK: Shallow River
AUTHOR: H.D. Carlton
GENRE: Dark Romance
POV: First Person - Dual
TYPE: Standalone
RATING: 4 Stars!
NAME/AGE: River McAllister - 22┃Mako Fitzgerald - 28
PUBLISHED: November 1, 2020.
TRIGGERS: Domestic violence, abuse, rape, murder, incest, substance abuse.
I’m stained.
I’m also other things too.
Broken.
Scarred.
Traumatized.
Strong.
Fierce.
Vengeful…
God Almighty, talk about a heart-wrenching read. Great start and introduction to a new author for me. H.D. Carlton sure knows how to draw some serious emotions from you. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. It consumed me. This story details what an abusive relationship looks like. It also details what a loving relationship can be like.
Firstly, there were graphic descriptions of sexual abuse so if that is too triggering, I advise against this book. I would like to think that I would leave my partner if I was ever in such a situation. I would like to think that I wouldn't tolerate that behavior. But maybe I would. Maybe I'll believe him. Maybe I'll believe every single rotten apology that falls from his lips, just like River. Every time he says that he would never do it again. This quote from Mako sums it up;Although I can’t personally understand it, I know it’s real. I know they’re in a serious situation and they feel incredibly helpless, even when they convince themselves they’re not.
The thing is, you never know. You never know until you've experienced that. Until it's YOU in that situation. That's what happened with River. You never know what the victim has been through. How they've been brainwashed. How scared and helpless they are. So even though I was frustrated with River's decision to stay with Ryan, I think I understand. Because it's a cycle and you're too scared to break it.
✔ The abuser threatens violence.
✔ The abuser strikes.
✔ The abuser apologizes, promises to change and offers gifts.
✔ The cycle repeats itself.Love is something otherworldly. Something entirely potent and powerful that it makes you do crazy things. Like hit them. And stay when you’re hit. It’s an emotion that no one person will ever be able to define.
Now, I love sleep. Sleep is my life. Especially sleep at night. So it's a wonder that I stayed up till 2 to finish this book. It was additive. It was filled with twists and turns and unexpected surprises. The plot is dark but very well written so you find yourself feeling everything the characters went through. And River. Her life was a shit show since the day she was born. Seeing how she finally found love and happiness with Mako was beautiful. They were two broken souls that found solace in each other. I actually wanted a few chapters from Ryan's perspective; just so we can experience his fucked up views. He was a product of his upbringing, and I did feel sorry for him. But that's no excuse for his actions. So it was nice to see karma coming back to bite him.Abusers don’t only manipulate their victims, but they manipulate others into believing that they’re upstanding people. They manipulate them into believing that they would never hurt a fly, so when accusations come to the surface, they’re considered outrageous.
Filled with betrayal, lust, suspense, drama, devastation, love and a little humor; it's perfect for lovers of dark romance like me. The dark devil living inside my heart is dancing and singing for MORE.
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Shallow River took a part of my soul; I have never been so willing to go to jail over a fictional character. This is the first book I have read from this author, and sure will not be the last. What a phenomenal book and such a talented author. She has a vivid imagination that went into a deep dark place on a real-life topic. This book has everything in it. I have to add, take the trigger warning seriously. This book is not for the faint of heart. I have a severe book hangover and hope everyone reads this book; I hope it reached someone who needs help and calls or texts the number on the book's back. Support is out there. No man should put his hands on women in any way. Or a woman to a man.
I am always up for a good dark romance novel, and I like the darker, the better. Shallow River is that, and so much more; it gives you the victim/survivor POV. I am sure most of us have said it,” Why do they stay? I would never ” It’s never that easy. The abusers lie and threaten your life and manipulate every step of the way. These women are scared for their life. Horrific as it may be, this is why they stay.
River's boyfriend Ryan, of two years, treats her with such humiliation, abuse, and disrespect, to name few. Ryan is a smart, manipulative, psychotic monster. River had an abusive childhood, she has never seen what real love looks like, only survival. As the story unfolds, I couldn’t help but say, “ What else is going to happen to this poor girl, ” My heart bleeds for her. She doesn't look at herself as a victim, but as a survivor, River is my favorite heroine. That girl went through hell and back.
Mako is Ryans' brother. There is no love loss; Ryan loathes and is jealous of his brother. Mako knows of his brother's abuse and behavior from a past relationship. He suspects his brother is repeating his abuse with River. I just love how Mako steps in and is a chronic presence in Rivers' life and chooses what is right.
Shallow River is a gut-wrench, mind-blowing, soul searching read. It’s raw; you felt every single emotion. A few times, I had to put the book down, my anger got the best of me, as I wanted to hurt Ryan. Then I was sitting on the edge, waiting for what happened next—such an epic ending. I highly recommend this book and if you are in an abusive relationship, remember there is help out there.
I am looking forward to H.D. Carlton's future books.
I received an arc in exchange for my honest review -
Wow where do i start. This book traumatised me, it was messy and problematic af.
let me spoil everything😂
This is a dark romance with a lot of triggers.
Tw: rape, domestic violence, abuse, incest, drug abuse and sm more.
The h or River is a college senior and in relationship with a guy she had a crush on since freshman year whose name is Ryan. But Ryan is not our H, messy i know🙄
I won't describe this book as a love triangle but it's not safe.
The H is actually his brother Mako who is a detective.
River is in an abusive relationship with Ryan.
The things he made her do, how he raped her and hit her really made me sick to my stomach.
River is a complex character😩 she had a terrible childhood, also raped and abused by men since she was 10 years old so she has a very low opinion of herself.
Being in her head and reading how she berates herself, how she calls herself whore all the time and how she believes Ryan hateful comments made me so angry. Angry because i wanted to scream at her that nothing is her fault, she is just a victim, to finally leave him.
Mako and Ryan's adoptive brother is a detective who is chasing a serial killer and in the same time tries to save River. He knows what his brother is doing since he did the same to his ex-gf so he follows River all the time and tries to help her. (tries is a loose term, he was a detective ffs.🙄) When he was introduced at the beginning as serious, brooding, successful detective i had such high hopes but unfortunately his execution felt flat for me. He was so bland and started lusting after River 5 min after he saw her.
So what was exactly my problem here?
The relationship or what i thought was going to be between Mako and River.
I've read some similar books before so i thought that River will leave Ryan at least in the first 30% and then it will be about her and Mako right?
She kept coming back to Ryan.
The same things repeating all over again, he'll beat her, abuse her, she'll call Mako then Ryan will apologize and same thing all over again. I hated that.
She was in a relationship with Ryan having sex or being raped by him, then fantasizing about Mako and masturbating in front of him.
I get everyone deals differently with trauma but girl was beaten up and raped vag and anal and she is thinking about sex with the brother.😭😭
Mako was like a horny dog and even tho he knew of her mental state he kept following her trying to save her. At one point i was like pls just let her realize herself that she needs to leave him and stop pestering her.
Also like i said River was a .. complex character but she got on my nerves A LOT.
I mean he beat her, raped her broke her bones but the main reason why she wants to freaking finally leave him is bc he cheated??
"I don’t know why it took him cheating to wake me up. I don’t know why the physical abuse and rape wasn’t the catalyst. Maybe because I thought the pain is surface level. I can heal. But cheating is deep."
And then she knocks him out, goes to his ex girlfriend house and she has sex with her LOOOLLL.
After that Mako finds out that she is torturing his brother and he even helps her planning his murder after River rapes him with a broomstick for all the trauma he put her through💀
"I’ll do everything in my power to keep the scrutiny away from River. I’ll become fucking mud for this girl. And fuck, I won’t regret a goddamn second of it. Not when this girl has me trapped in her dark little spell."
Ryan tells him that he also had a traumatic childhood bc their dad raped him. And i was like dude wtf? Where did this come from?💀 there wasn't any indication of this so far🙄
The storyline with the Ghost Killer was so ridiculous and predictable and him being River's father who also raped her was 🙄
By the end of the book i thought Ryan was going to come back from the dead and kill them all, bc the lvl of inconsistencies and OTT drama was too much💀 she really said let me put every dark thing i can remember.💀
Also there were so many inconsistency with the plot and so many plot holes 💀🤦♀️
how mako was a detective i couldn't figure out for the life of me. He was dumb as rocks.
"I’ve also concluded Mako isn’t sane, either. Purely because he’s okay with staying with a lunatic like me."
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This book popped triggers, left, right and center, dark, gritty and such an emotional angst worthy read which had me sitting on the edge of my seat throughout never knowing what the author was going to throw at me next, throw in a few twists and I was glued to this book like my life depended on it.
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This book made me cry. Our world has a lot of devils.
This story was raw and “beautiful “.
It’s worth the reading. -
The four stars is solely for Ryan getting tortured.
*mild spoilers ahead*
Let's start with Ryan the abusive asshole
I can't with this man seriously. If i could i would have reached for him and strangled him through my device. He's a master manipulator and the amount of times i rolled my eyes when he blamed River for the abuse he inflicted on her I can't. Even when the reason as to why he turned out to be the way he is was revealed i couldn't garner pity for him, maybe for his younger innocent soul but definitely not him and the fact that he says he isn't sorry for any of his actions didn't really help in the pity department either. He totally deserved all the torture that he received at the end and more.
Next comes River who went from being forget a doormat but a whole carpet to a merciless woman
This lady is a psychologist and still accepted the blame that it was her problem and not his time and again to the point where it drives you insane out of frustration and she also ends up making a lot of stupid decisions through out the book. It's the same stupid cycle of abuse, accept the blame and make up. But then she finds out he's cheating on her and boom she's totally transformed. It's a shame that it took cheating and not the repeated abuse that included rape for her to get a grip of her reality. I just wish the reason for her change was fuelled by something other than her being cheated on by her abuser cuz it's like if he wouldn't have cheated she would have continued to accept him. Reading about her flipping out and torturing him was just gold since I was tired and frustrated reading about her being abused since the beginning.
Last but not the least Mako
He is a gem of a guy, I have nothing else to say.
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F͟i͟v͟e͟ a͟n͟g͟r͟y͟ a͟n͟d͟ f͟u͟c͟k͟e͟d͟ u͟p͟ s͟t͟a͟r͟s͟
River is a survivor, a fighter.
She ran from Shallow River after a hell of life.
But the truth is that she is stained, broken and traumatized by what she’s been through…
And what doesn’t kill you, only make you crazier.
She thinks she found the perfect man to be with, but sometimes the evil hides behind a handsome face and good manner.
And Ryan is the devil.
His brother Mako knows it too well;
what he doesn’t know tho is River doesn’t need someone to save her…
The story is complex, heavy, and heartbreaking but it is worth it.
It took me 5 days to read Shallow River and another one to write this review….
This book messed me up and I’m not okay right now.
Each action, each word still replay in my mind and I can’t stop thinking about it.
I never felt so much rage and sadness.
I always crave dark stories, but this darkness is different ‘cause it felt more real.
And the psychological aspect of the story made it even more difficult to digest.
I’m not ashamed telling you I had to take breaks while reading it to keep my sanity intact and my e-reader safe LOL.
I hated/loved River: she is such a contradiction!!
But the way she never give up, the bravery she faced every situation with amazed me.
And in the end she is the real protagonist of the story.
Please be aware that this story is not a easy one and there are many triggers like domestic violence, rape, violence, and sexual situations, so if you are not comfortable with that DO NOT READ IT.
But if you can, give it a chance because it will open your mind on a reality many women know too well, and we judge too easily. -
DNF @ 60%
This was hard. It had hard topics, and I was okay with it for a little while but once I hit the 60% mark and literally nothing had changed nor had the situation got remotely better, I couldn’t anymore. I was frustrated, bored, and couldn’t see any plot besides the DV. -
Wow, just wow!! This was my first read by this author and I was not disappointed.
This book took my heart and hasn't let go yet. It consumed me. I felt so, so much. My heart ached, my tears flowed freely and I so much wanted to keep River safe. I was transported into this book. It was more than fiction and a make believe story. This was TRUTH!
Unfortunately, this is true life for many women.
That broke me.
Please take note of the trigger warnings. They aren't wasted print. They are true and accurate. This is a dark read through and through.
We wade through the life of one strong and brave woman named River. She has been through SO MUCH with no end in sight. She only knows how to survive. She had needed to do that from a very young age. The one thing she was lacking... Love - she'd never been graced with it. This is mostly her POV. As you read, you feel like you are right beside her. Invisible, voiceless and unable to help at all.
River's boyfriend Ryan has no love for her. He confesses love to her after hurting her though- emotionally and physically. He shames her and abuses her. Manipulates her into thinking that it's actually HER fault when he lashes out at her with his hateful words and fists.
He is sorry "for everything", pleads for her to forgive him. She does. He repeats. She does. He repeats....
Mako is Ryan's brother and he knows just how evil and vile his brother Ryan truly is. Even with Mako being a detective he can't pin anything on Ryan. Ryan is a well respected lawyer and has everyone eating out of the palm of his hands. Their parents and others in the community.
I couldn't understand how Mako wasn't able to figure something out to prevent his brother from hurting numerous women. He did step in and helped one woman get away from the monster. The brothers loathed each other.
Thankfully Mako was in River's corner. He was there to help and pick up the pieces. River was strong and didn't think she needed a knight to save her. He wouldn't stop. He was always there and willing to step in. Willing to end her suffering at the hands of Ryan, even permanently.
He was unwilling to stop until she was safe... in his heart and in his arms. Ohhh, Mako!
This is a gut wrenching read. It will take a piece of your heart. I had to take many breaks while reading this because it does just that. It will break you. It broke me. -
I have conflicting thoughts about this one..
Review coming
TW: d̶o̶m̶e̶s̶t̶i̶c̶ v̶i̶o̶l̶e̶n̶c̶e̶; s̶e̶x̶u̶a̶l̶ a̶s̶s̶a̶u̶l̶t̶ a̶n̶d̶ a̶b̶u̶s̶e̶
I have conflicting thoughts.
I didn’t really like this one and I had a tough time rating and reviewing the story.
I feel horrible saying that because despite of the horrifyingly realistic depiction of DV and SA the book had a lot of potential but I just couldn’t connect to it—the characters, the overall plot. All of it or rather none of it.
I really did wish I’d love it. Not because of what River has endured because that would make me a fucking creep but the story lacked depth and a big portion of the book felt more like added shock value to me than actual plot progression.
I am aware the plot and the plot twists were supposed to be emotionally heavy but I just couldn’t feel these emotions when reading the books.
Repetitive chapters and awkwardly fixed storylines (If you do end up reading it you’ll know what I mean here). I actually understood the repetition of certain scenes as it added to the abuse River suffered but every next chapter felt like a hollow echo of the previous one and it became redundant; which made me skim over a lot of pages. Again, I feel terrible saying this—please don’t hate me.
The characters fell flat and there was no real chemistry between River and Mako. A certain sex scene with a certain someone came out of nowhere and if it were up to me, it shouldn’t have been included in the book.
I am just going to leave it at this.
Read it—see what you think. -
Ugh... Found this book beyond frustrating! It was too far fetched and long winded.
So much happened in this book, yet I couldn't feel any of the emotions River was going through.
Anything & everything traumatic is just mashed into this book.
We have: child abuse, rape, verbal abuse, physical abuse, abusive boyfriend, lying, cheating, heroine fawning after the brother, boyfriend messing with girlfriends birth control, animal abuse, a brutal murder, heroine has sex with boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, druggy whore mother, serial killer, torture, incest
It was pretty obvious who the stranger River was dancing with was in the beginning of the story and who the "Ghost Killer" was. -
THE REVIEW FOR THE BOOK: SHALLOW RIVER.
GENRE: DARK ROMANCE.
AUTHOR:H.D. CARLTON.
TYPE: STANDALONE.
POV: DUAL PROSPECTIVE.
MY RATING: 5 "addictive" Stars.
If I could use one word to describe this book, it would be..."INTENSE."
There were some dark, I mean VERY DARK, triggers here in the book but the author has described it in a darkly beautiful, tasteful manner.
I would have never guessed in a million years that this was a debut book...like the way it's written, the storylines, character development was just amazing...requires an applaud.
The character of River just amazingly portrayed...she was the broken, shallow girl who has gone through so much in her early years and when she finally finds the courage to move on with someone, she finds Ryan...that guy deserves all the hateful comments ever. But Mako is the opposite... the hot guy who is a Saviour is nature...Saves everyone who needed him...But he underestimates River...and this time River will save herself.
I am not at all ashamed to tell you I had to take breaks in between reading this book...I have no triggers whatsoever but some things just are so hard to digest and this book was filled with themes that psychologically and emotionally gut you in the most painful manner.
The name of the book was rightfully adopted as the major part of the book was River....That girl gave such a story which will be imprinted on my mind forever and ever.
The triggers include domestic violence, rape, violence, and sexual situations...Please read-only if you are comfortable as these things are portrayed in the graphic. -
It’s been a couple weeks now since I’ve read it and I kinda feel ready to write a review lol
DV books are always hard to read, especially knowing going in how it ends (or how you think it ends). I thought this was handled really well. It gave a lot of power to the survivor, the FMC River. The ending was everything I wanted and more.
Every chapter with Ryan was like sitting on the edge of a tall building just waiting for a strong wind to knock me off. I swear, H.D. Carlton can write. I was tense every time he was on page and only relaxed when he was off.
I loved the different POVs, from River to Mako (MMC). He was everything I could have wanted in an MMC, but especially for River and especially in her situation. I didn’t love that he was a cop though lol. The side characters were great. Rivers bff, Ryan’s ex, Mako’s mom…Each important and instrumental to the story and to the growth of River’s character.
One thing I’ve come to expect and respect about this author is how she writes strong FMCs who always save their self. Damsel in distress waiting for Prince Charming? Wtf is that?
Such a beautiful, heartbreaking, emotional read. Chock full of triggers too y’all. Be kind to yourself. 💛 -
Oof that was a doozy. All the trigger warnings. Domestic abuse, physical, emotional, all of the above. Rape, sexual assault, death, knife play, trauma, the list goes on.
In true H.D. Carlton fashion, I would kill for these characters. I don’t know how she does it but these books make me want to stab someone. In the best way possible. This is a story about domestic abuse with a subplot of a serial killer. Oh and ya know, some romance too. I feel like the pacing of her stories just builds the intensity to a boiling point where I’m about ready to throw my kindle across the room. But it makes any victories so much sweeter. This follows River who is in an incredibly dangerous relationship and subjected to copious amounts of abuse. Enter her boyfriend’s estranged sexy brother and you have the makings of a very tense dark romance. This is one of those books that makes you pick your head up and take a deep breath before continuing. Definitely not for the faint of heart but for anyone who loves really really dark stories, this is one for you. -
There some books that make you sit up and take notice. The books that have a powerful message or voice. Shallow River has both. Shallow River tells the story of River , a young woman in a vicious circle of abuse.
You feel her every move. The questioning, the insecurities that make up this experience. River thought she escaped her abusive childhood and moved on to college with guarded hopes. Every chapter pours out every thing. There is no hidden nooks. There is no escape from the world , her boyfriend Ryan has created.
She learnt too late , the truth and she sinking. The man she loves who has become a nightmare. She doesn’t know what to do. As she never been given the tools to help herself and she doesn’t know how to deal with this world she found herself once again.
You wonder why put herself in this situation given her back story. Some people don't want help. They need to find their own strength and Shallow River is the story of this woman. A woman who was forced to sought to make her own decisions and take things into her hand
Her journey isn’t easy. Her story isn’t a walk in a park .She isn’t looking for romance. She looking for an escape. Carlton captures it perfectly and I can’t wait to read more of her writing. She captured every second of this book perfectly. You can literally feel the emotions that River is feeling. It oozes out of her. This isn't a typical romance. This a woman seeking her own answers. -
Enjoyed this book up until about 70% through when it got a little long winded. It was a strong start though and a dark spicy romance. Check the triggers though people. I don't need warnings but this was quite a confronting read. It was also interesting read from the perspective of someone that is subject to such trauma. Mako has to be one of my favourites 🥰 and the romance was just 🤌🥵🌶
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4.5⭐️ Here are some quotes I saved 😭
“He’s got a beautiful girl at home that treats him far better than he deserves, and yet he still fucks around.”
“I can’t force any girl to leave Ryan. I can’t force them to see the truth in Ryan. It’s something they need to face themselves. But fuck, if I’m going to stand by and watch a girl suffer through domestic violence without at least trying to help her.”
“She’s beautiful. And completely, utterly, abso-fucking-lutely tempting.”
“I’ll be damned if I let another innocent girl find herself in that position—where there’s even a possibility that she was murdered.”
“He’s broken you so effortlessly, the pain hasn’t even hit you yet.”
“Stupid, stupid, stupid River. Fucking stupid whore.”
“You deserved that.”
“If you end up in my handcuffs, it won’t be because I’m arresting you.”
“I want a love like my parents. Like my partner’s. With my exes, it always felt like something was missing. That’s not true love in my eyes.”
“You shouldn’t be punished for showing the world that you’re beautiful. Those men are wrong for sexualizing a little girl. That’s sick, River. It’s okay if a man looks at you—as a grown woman—and finds you attractive, but it is not okay if that man assumes that gives him the right to make you uncomfortable in any way. Whether it’s by the way he looks at you, speaks to you or touches you. If you want to walk out of the house in the sexiest thing you own, then that’s your goddamn right because it is your choice to show off your body. Don’t give any man the power to control what you do with it.”
“Hell is not a home, Billy,” I grit out. “It’s only a place I come to visit.”
“No—my boyfriend couldn’t have just hit me when I’ve already been beaten half to death. No—not when he loves me.”
“This tattoo is a reminder that despite my ugly surroundings, I was still worth something. That where I came-from doesn’t taint who I am in any way.”
“Who knocks out someone they’re supposedly in love with, and then fucks and bites them when they’re unconscious?”
“God, it hurts. It hurts that he continues to break me over and over, inside and out.”
“That was what made me fall in love with you, River.”
“I’m worthy. I’m strong. I’m independent. And I’m a survivor.” -
Self note avoid
Shock fest.
Spoilers
The h is raped over and over by om/ex.
The h anally rapes the rapist om with a broom.
The h has revenge sex with Om ex girlfriend.
H raped by h’s dad.
She’s been getting raped by men since 10yrs old.
Author just throws shit just to shock readers.🙄
Ridiculous.
Not my jam. -
This was extremely painful to read! so much trauma, both psychical and physical. I was torn between wanting to hug the heroine and wanting to shake her really bad because she thought that she deserved what happened to her.
The moment when she got her revenge made me cringe. It was too much and no human deserves to suffer what happened to Ryan. Actually, I ve changed my mind, Billy was the only one from the book that deserved that and much more. -
4.5 stars!
Wow!
This story was something I haven’t read before. It’s a story that can be hard to stomach— it’s effed up. It’s pretty dang dark and bloody but it’s also something that people could experience in some form.
The heroine of this story went through it all. You name it and she lived it. Her resilience to the life she was handed is admirable. The hero of this story was so amazing and not in a conventional way. He was willing to cross some lines, but in ways that matter. I easily fell for him and his desire to show River how it should be standing beside someone that actually cares about her.
This story made me incredibly angry, hit me in the feels and left me satisfied with the outcome. The author shows you can be dealt the shittiest hand, but CHOOSE to be better. To be different than what you’re born into. To stand tall against all that wants to beat you down and WIN.
**ETA: no I wouldn’t condone all instances of this story in real life— again a lot of effed up things happen, but it’s fiction so yeah. Heed trigger warnings before going in! 💙 -
Welp. I have such a hard time rating this one. It's such a true and realistic depiction of DV and truly eye-opening. But I guess I have a hard limit when it comes to detailed scenes of it. It was hard to stomach more than just a handful of times. For the first half of the book I had to constantly take breaks. To say I rejoiced when finally the tables turned, was an understatement. So satisfactory. Still, due to my suffering I'm not able to hand out more than three stars.
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Tbh, I am not sure how to star rate this book so I am not doing it. It was an amazing book. But I am not suited as a reader to it if that makes any sense. It just wasn't for me. I also think it triggered me in the start only (give me the darkest shit out there and still nothing triggers me but I found out with this book that apparently, high level narcissism does). I initially thought it was a dark romance but it's more of a dark psych thriller with a dash of romance. I am pretty sure STEPHEN KING fans would absolutely LOVE this one!
Also, I want to bow down to the author (you are an incredible writer) for capturing narcissism so intricately and just about perfectly with words. People usually think that "physical abuse" is the worst thing and it is what "breaks" you but it's not. The narcissistic mindfuck that precedes it does. And Ryan is the epitome of it. As a psych student, I wanna say that it's really really hard to explain the Narcissistic psychopathic tendency to someone who hasn't experienced it and the author did a stupendous job. So folks, not many are aware of this type of abuse so please study it, read about it and learn the signs. And if you don't understand it in the clinical terms as it's mentioned on google, READ THIS BOOK! PLEASE!!
Also, I don't want to be but I am so pissed at Mako for letting Ryan do the stuff he did (with Allison and with River too) He is a cop for god's sake and he very well knows about the lengths Ryan can go to. I don't care about his involvement and non-action during the murder scene (I am trying to be as vague here as I can so as to not give spoilers) but he should have done something earlier and I am not able to forgive him for this.
So I wanna say, take the trigger warnings seriously and definitely give this book a read if you love dark stuff xx. -
Shallow River was a very emotional read! River is a young girl that has been through too much in her young life. At times she is overwhelmed, at other times she is angry, but remarkably she is always smiling and happy.
Her relationship with Ryan was devastatingly cruel and unkind. He is a demon of a human being and he manipulates and verbally beats down any woman he is with, and when he sets his sights on River, she is hopelessly caught in his web.
Enter Mako, the detective and brother of Ryan. He knows what Ryan is like, as there is no love lost between the brothers, but he hopes he can save River from him.
I was emotional during this story as felt for River's predicament and what she has endured since a young girl. But it was a well written story overall and deeply pulled me in from the first page. -
Just didn't connect to the story.. wasn't for me.
-
Good Lord, I think my heart actually pounded out of my chest with this one. What I experienced: uncontrollable(not irrational) anger, heart palpitations, ten years off my life, four new gray hairs and the shakiest hands on the East Coast.
I don’t know if I’m ever going to recover from this one. Raw, gut wrenching, emotional, it was all of the things.
“𝙍𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣, 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤.”
I love that she was no damsel, but that that also didn’t dissuade Mako from trying to be there for her in all the ways he could(even if she was unwilling to let him.)
And Mako. Portrayed as a bad boy, but not a hint of bad in him(until it was sexy time and then holy hell Batman.) Panties are melting all around the world for this detective.
And Ryan. I don’t have the words to accurately portray him and his narcissistic ways. I’m not saying nothing else.
Overall, would I recommend? Absolutely. Just maybe prepare yourself accordingly. This is an entire bottle of wine book. If you’re not a wine drinker, then it’s a solid four margarita minimum. -
i honestly dont know what to say lmao
river and mako <3 -
oh the potential
-
5 SHALLOW STARS!!!
So yeah I'm finally back with a decent review this time, I hope.
.....THIS BOOK IS A FCKING MASTER PIECE.
I was in a book hangover during days and decided to pick Shallow River to give it a try. Omg wasn't it the best decision I ever made in my entire life.
This book was dark. D A R K. But if you like the filthy and dark sht I like you are gonna fall in love with it. River become one of my favorite female leads of the year, I liked her from start to the end.
I'm gonna be 100% honest I never fully understood how someone could stay with another person who treats them so bad, who humiliates and hits them; but I think I finally understood it a bit while reading this book. Those situations are not just about being blinded by love, its the fear you slowly start to feel for your own life, because sometimes is better to keep them next to you where you know what's waiting for you than to leave and live everyday of your life in fear of what they gonna do when they find you; and it's also about the mind games they throw at you. You start to feel insecure and paranoid thinking its all your fault and that you actually deserved it. Really fucked up right? But just think you both are the only ones there and you were so happy moments ago and then they tell you they only acted that way because it was your fault, it was something terrible wrong you did. And this all coming from the person you love and trust. It's actually fcking hard not to believe them isn't it? And then you start losing your self-confidence, and slowly giving away your rights. Because if you are with a dress too small or too much make up than means you are asking for it so you can't really blame your partner for putting you in your right place. Because in our doomed society women can't like sex, the ones who enjoy it can only be whores. Because you can't dress how you like and what you like, you need to dress for your partner and not disrespect him with too revealing clothes. What's written all over our streets since the old times is that women are whores and men can only be champions.
Well let me tell you something, you, as a woman, you can dress whatever you want, you can put the make up you want, you can have how many friends you want, you can have sex with how many people you want and DONT BE ASHAMED TO SAY OUT LOUD YOU ENJOY IT AND THERES NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. In the very moment your partner starts degrading you and humiliating you in any way, don't let them, stand for yourself, because if you don't no one will. If you think something is wrong, even if they try to make you think otherwise, talk to someone, ask an outside person for their opinion on the subject just so you can see its not some story you are making in your mind. Its happening, right in front of your eyes, the abuse, and even if its too hard, you are the only one who can stop it, who can stand up for the person looking at you at the mirror and begging you to do something before its too late. It's not a game and they are not going to change, don't expect for a damn change because the gamble is not worth your own life.
No need to say this book made me feel. Feel things I don't even know how to describe. It was an amazing drive and I cant wait for more book from this author.
ARC provided for an honest review! -
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If i could give this book more than 5/5 ⭐️’s, i would. This book was heartbreakingly beautiful. This review may be the longest and hardest one i’ll ever write, just like this book was the hardest one i’ve ever read. i took this at an extremely slow pace, because the book has so many triggers that have their own sets of triggers. if you can handle this subject matter i highly recommend reading this.
Let me start by saying that, i’ve mentioned in other reviews I am working on a Masters degree in forensic psychology. My area of interest is domestic violence. While this book did not ENTIRELY center around DV, it was a majority of the book.
That being said, I knew how difficult it would be to read this book. The story centers around River, a girl who suffered abuse throughout her whole life, and her abusive relationship with her boyfriend Ryan. She gains support from Ryan’s brother, Mako, who is a detective and knows about Ryan’s abusive nature. He makes it his goal to help and support River. Their chemistry is amazing and i found myself so overjoyed with her having his support. He’s an amazing partner to River.
This book is not for the faint of hearts. It will make your heart bleed out, and then slowly put it back together. This is a story about courage and survival. River is a special character with so much strength. I was marveled with how her character experienced so much trauma but was still so innately good and strong.
H. D. Carlton did not shy away from physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. I thought they captured the elements of domestic violence brilliantly and shined the brightest fucking light on it (notably, the cycle of violence and power and control wheel).
I would like to take a moment to address one line specifically in the book that stood out to me: “the biggest misconception with survivors of abuse is that they’re making a choice to stay”. the mentality of “well you could just leave” needs to stop. It is not that easy, as demonstrated by Alison and River. I recently watched a video where a survivor said “why are you asking why i didn’t leave, and why aren’t you asking why he abused me? staying isn’t breaking the law. abusing another person is”.
I’ll say that this book was phenomenal. River will forever stay in my heart. As i said before, if you can handle the trigger warnings, you should read this book. I think this is a good stepping stone into understanding how serious and dangerous domestic violence situations are. -
"The face of love is everchanging, but yet it looks the same every time."
For the beginning, please heed all warnings. This book is very, very dark, and heavy to read. If you don't have stomach for:
- disturbing situations (physical and psychological violence,
murder..), strong language,. don't read this and leave a bad review.
Now, this book. I was crying for River (not with her because she's not a crier).
River is a survivor. She is strong, independent, worthy though she was from early age broken, scarred, traumatized, near death so many times.
After crying I was angry, after that, I wanted to jump into the book and set her free, make my own revenge, and help her. But she doesn't need help. She can take care of everything by herself. The bad guy doesn't getaway. She get's her satisfaction at the end.
She also gets hope, love, security, a real future, and a will to live.
With a piece of s*it as her boyfriend in her life and the one person who needed to help her more and put in more effort given that in addition to his feelings for her he also fits the law and is there in the service of caring for the weak and powerless, I have to admit, I was a little taken aback by this book.
But I know it's just fiction and that everything should have been written exactly as it was.
And the writing style was impeccable, sharp, and focused, it swallows you in and doesn't let go that easily. Well done!
"Has she ever been asked? Has no one ever given her the option to choose? Of course not."
