Shallow River: Review

There are a lot of triggers here. This is the first book I’ve ever read with a heavy domestic violence topic, and it was just that – heavy. 

Highlights:
River is a survivor. She fought the horrors of her childhood and rose out of the ashes into a strong, capable young woman.

Ryan is an asshole. Wrapped in his pretty boy lawyer façade, he’s got a temper and it’s going to get the better of him.

When things take a turn for the worst, Ryan’s brother Mako is the only one who knows what River is up against. What he doesn’t know is how well she can take care of herself.

TW’s: rape, domestic violences, graphic violence 

What I thought:
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if I can handle a book’s topic, I’m sure as hell going to read it. These stories need to be told, and I’m here and ready to listen. Plus, I thought SURELY, at this point, anything H.D. Carlton throws out I can handle, right? Wrong – enter Shallow River.

This book cut me to pieces. I think we all know deep down what domestic abuse looks like – we’ve all seen at least one episode of SVU – but the way Carlton writes it in this book, it was haunting. Every traumatic event was deeply disturbing, and every page just made me want to jump into the story and strangle Ryan and simultaneously pull River into a hug. 

Then, the end – the end of this book was FREAKING WILD. The first 75% just shred me to pieces – it was long and agonizing. The last 25% was a whirlwind of chaos – I loved every minute of it. To be honest, I blew through the last quarter so quickly, I’m not even sure I stopped to breathe. River and Ryan’s story wrapped up, and Carlton just takes you on a secondary journey that I swear to Jesus almost gave me a heart attack. I loved this book. I loved River’s journey, and Mako is just a gem. Give it a try but proceed with caution and compassion.