Shallow by Cora Kenborn

Shiloh

Only the good die young. But I’ve never been good.
I’ve lived a life most people only dream about. Famous men, expensive booze, and the finest drugs money could buy. But every vice has its price, and living a life of excess has finally dragged me down, forcing me back to the one place I swore I’d never return.
We met in high school, but we were far from sweethearts. I ruined his life and then walked away. Losing everything is bad enough, but crawling back to people who wish you were dead is a nightmare. 
Some say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Not always. 
You either forgive and forget or fracture and finish. 

Cary

Seven years ago, Shiloh West was my world. I gave up my future for her and then spent every waking moment hating her for it. I’ve followed her train wreck of a career in the tabloids since she drove out of town with her nose in the air. The woman is toxic.
The fact that a judge has court ordered her back to town means nothing to me—except maybe the payback I’ve waited a lifetime to collect. I’m going to build her up and tear her down. 
A better man would walk away. I'm not a better man. She thinks she has the upper hand. Think again, Starshine.
Beauty is only skin deep, but revenge goes straight to the bone




4.5 stars
Review by Jen Skewes

This is my first book by this author and it will not be my last.  I loved this book.  It as a roller coaster ride filled with so many emotions, ups and downs, drama and angst. 

Cary and Shiloh are two people from two totally different worlds, but were somehow friends in high school. The rest of the world may not have known about their friendship but what they had was real, at least Cary thought so.  Shiloh is the popular girl in school but is also one of the most shallow and mean girls that you will ever meet.  She only cares about herself and her image.  Outside of school Cary and her were friends, but for him it was so much more.  He was in love with her, no matter what people thought of her, or how she may have treated him while other people were around, he saw something in her.   But one day Shiloh’s actions and Cary’s decisions completely destroyed his world.  Shiloh left to become the star that she was meant to be, while Cary paid for her mistakes. 

It is years later and the ever popular Super model Shiloh West has hit rock bottom and finds herself back in her home town ready to complete her sentence for her mistakes.  Some people may think that she got off easy for what she did, but having to face Carrick Kincaid is punishment enough for her. 

Shiloh is still the shallow person that she was in high school.  She destroyed Cary’s life.  Now that she is back he has a plan, one that will destroy her.  He is not going to let her get off that easy for what she did to him.  But making her pay begins to be a little tricky for Cary.  Does he still have feelings for her?  And will those feelings get in the way of his plans?  Or will he be able to follow through with his plan?

I loved this book, the writing, the storyline, the characters and the emotions that it brought out.  I loved everything about this book.  There was enough drama and angst to keep me on the edge of my seat, but no too much where it was over the top. 

I loved Cary and Shiloh and truly felt what they had but also felt the pain and hurt that they both carried as well. They are both very broken people for different reasons.  I think Cary saw more in her than most people did and for that reason he became very conflicted when it came to his plans for her.  Truthfully, I myself was also conflicted.  At times I felt hopeful, only to be left wondering if it was all part of the plan or was it real. My heart told me it was definitely real and that I saw what Cary really felt for her.  But then my brain would question what my heart felt. It was the ups and downs, the back and forth between them, and the twists and turns that caused me to just devour this book.  Once I started I did not want to put it down.  In the end every emotion that I went through was worth it.

Shallow is a drama filled story about redemption, forgiveness, and seeing that people really can change.  Or maybe the person you thought they were, was so different from who they really were. But it is also a story about finding yourself, believing in yourself and knowing that you are worth it.   All of that weaved into a beautiful love story.    I cannot wait to see what Ms. Kenborn has in store for us next.