Shallow River (Unabridged)
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4.4 • 229 Ratings
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- $21.99
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- $21.99
Publisher Description
Shallow Hill is where souls suffer slow and miserable deaths.
When River McAllister escaped from Shallow Hill, she left her innocence behind—and some of her sanity. 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 and possessiveness, but 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....
Customer Reviews
Darkly Compelling and Deeply Personal
The narration for this audiobook is absolutely top-tier. Jacob Morgan remains my all-time favorite narrator—I'll never tire of hearing this man's voice; he brings a perfect blend of intensity and vulnerability that's simply magnetic. But the real surprise for me was Michelle Sparks. I'll admit, I wasn't sure about her in the Cat and Mouse duet, but that opinion has been completely rewritten. She was phenomenal here, capturing River's strength and complexity in a way that felt authentic and deeply moving. The two of them together elevated this story to another level.
This book was such a whirlwind of a story. From the first chapter, you're pulled into this dark, complex world that doesn't let go until the very end. River is such a strong female character. I love everything about her—her resilience, her complexity, her refusal to be a victim even when life has dealt her more than her fair share of tragedy.
What makes this story so compelling is how deeply it explores trauma and healing. I was able to really empathize with River as I grew up with an addict mother too. H.D. Carlton handles the subject matter with such care and authenticity, capturing the messy, complicated reality of loving someone who's struggling with addiction without ever romanticizing it. There were moments that felt so real they almost hurt, and that's a testament to how well this story is written and narrated.
It's such a darkly compelling love story. The romance here isn't sweet or simple—it's complicated, intense, and at times unsettling, but it's also transformative in ways that feel earned rather than convenient. H.D. Carlton can do no wrong—she has this gift for creating morally grey characters and situations that challenge your expectations while still delivering an emotionally satisfying story.
And the spice? Delicious. The chemistry between the characters is off the charts. The spice isn't just for shock value either—it's woven into the story in a way that reveals character and advances plot, which is the hallmark of well-written intimate scenes.
Great storyline. Compelling characters. Authentic exploration of heavy themes. And narrators who brought it all to life perfectly. If you're looking for a dark romance that doesn't shy away from the hard stuff but still delivers on the heat and the heart, this is it.
H.D. Carlton can do NO WRONG
This book will have you on the edge of your seat. It will frustrate you because of her choices but push through it because this book is so dang good. I have read almost all of her books and by for my favorite one is the cat and mouse duet.
PLEASE H.D. CARLTON BRING YOUR NEW DUET TO APPLE BOOKS PLEASE!
So good!
Idk y this book isn’t recognized more! Don’t get me wrong, the cat and mouse duet is an all time favorite of mine. But this book was so good. It gave me “butcher and blackbird” vibes but so much better. H.D. Carlton can do no wrong in my eyes. Every book I read of hers is just always a 10/10. This book is a whole lot of plot and about 2 chapters have actual spice but I was totally okay with it due to the fact that the plot was so intriguing and kept me on my toes.