| Title | : | Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse Duet, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 551 |
| Publication | : | First published August 12, 2021 |
I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me.
I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh.
But my words don't affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave.
He's always there, watching and waiting.
And I can never look away.
Not when I want him to come closer.
The Shadow
I didn't mean to fall in love.
But now that I have, I can't stay away.
I'm mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves.
The way she undresses...
I'll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine.
And once she is, I'll never let her go.
Not even when she begs me to.
While not required, it is highly suggested to read the novella, Satan's Affair, first.
This book was previously banned on Amazon due to the trigger warning. Please read reviews or go to the author's website.
Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse Duet, #1) Reviews
-
now before i get into it i gotta say that even though this book is marketed at 18+, i personally consider it 21+ it can be very triggering for some so tread lightly. if you wanna get into dark romance, don’t let this book be your gateway into the genre. it’s very graphic and i absolutely do not condone any of the actions set in this book.
anywayyys, I literally smacked my forehead and dragged my hand down my face so many times while reading this book. i thought i was desensitized to smut at this point but i was shocked, to say the least, at the words my eyes were reading. Adeline is better than me because i know if a man that looked like Zade approached me, i’d fold instantly.
this was honestly such a fun, jaw dropping, shirt ripping, bedsheet gripping, panties dropping, and knee trembling book. i was up all night sweaty and reading until the crack ass of dawn. reading this book wasn’t enough, i need to eat it, and inject it into my veins.
every minute i was reading about Zade and Adeline doing exactly what they did in this book, i felt like i passed away. like i’m so dead serious right now when i say there’s something about them that scratches an itch in the deep crevices of my brain.
and hear me out. sometimes we just turn left, then ignore all the red flags, then rinse and repeat. 😅😅😅did i question my sanity while reading this book? abso-fucking-lutely !!!
now into the actual context and structure of this whole book. it needs a lot of work/editing. the writing was atrocious and kinda cringe. like tf do you mean by “a pregnant pause” ?!?! are you having a baby or some shit? golly. like the writing was like how gen Z talk and communicate. and i say that being a gen Zer myself. nonetheless, it didn’t take away from my actual enjoyment of the story. and the whole murder mystery wasn’t interesting in the slightest. i’m no literary analyst but as a reader i can say at least the vibes were there. -
Regardless of the raving reviews this book has I couldn't finish it. I'm really not into the whole forced strait up sexual assault trope and was not expecting it.. Basically this guy is a stalker and he's obsessed with this girl. He breaks into her house a bunch and sacres her//leaves her creepy gifts, then he forces her to have sex with him more than once... Like she's legitimately begging him not to touch her and is crying... but at the same time he's a good guy that saves girls from sex trafficking (am I supposed to care???), and also he's hot and she starts finding him kinda desirable on the part where I left off, but I'm going to stop you right there... nothing will make me like this dude. He is a rapist. There's no gray area there. I don't care if she eventually starts to like him. I don't care that he does nice things occasionally. I can't look past the rapist thing. If you don't like stories about this sort of thing either, I would not reccomend this book to you. It probably gets good at some point.. I mean it has great reviews. Like maybe he becomes really great and they have a "sweet" connection at some point, but I don't care. The only way this story would have gotten better for me is if he dies miserably. I'm really not trying to like this dude and justify his gross behavior for the sake of smut. Thank you, but no thank you. 🤚
On to the next 💋 -
Can you believe that I almost didn't write this book? Zade and Addie haunted me for over 2 years before I finally found the courage to write it. For the first couple years, I hadn't even considered it. And then when I did, I immediately wrote it off, convinced no one would possibly want to read about a woman falling in love with her stalker. I thought, people would hate that! It took one friend encouraging me, and I took the plunge. Who knew I'd end up creating a character that has absolutely rocked worlds, especially my own...
Have you gotten your copy yet?
Amazon US:
https://amzn.to/3pEmtpH
Amazon UK:
https://amzn.to/3baHOyT
Amazon CA:
https://amzn.to/3vKfsF7
Amazon AU:
https://amzn.to/3bszjzn
Add the second installment, Hunting Adeline, to your TBR!
Hunting Adeline:
https://bit.ly/3pMVacO
Join my facebook group for updates and sneak-peeks!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/75200... -
➥ 1 Star *:･ﾟ✧ dnf at 50%
"You're so fucking creamy," he rasps. (what? 😍)
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
Well, that was absolutely terrible :) This book was on my radar because many of my goodreads friends (<33) who had read
Her Soul to Take and
Her Soul for Revenge seemed to love this one too. They were both dark stalker(ish) romances with kinky smut. This book is shit though, sorry.➥ Adeline (h) was so beyond annoying. She's so fucking dumb, I'm so tired of women being written like this. Like I'm genuinely personally offended that I have to associate with her because never do I meet women who are like this in real life. And by that I mean, these women that act like children, that don't have a single logical, mature cell in their body. It's insulting and we need to start writing female main characters with some respect. This girl was clueless, pathetic and honestly, just overall shallow. I have a similar opinion about Rae, the fmc in
Her Soul to Take, but imo, Adeline was even worse.
➥ Zane (H)...ew *pukes*. I feel like I'm missing out on some big prank, people like this guy? He's so pathetic, god. This fucker thinks he's so tough (he literally like...says self-affirmations about himself in his inner monologue), he strokes his ego by killing sex traffickers and makes that his hobby, his little quirk. He goes on and on about how those men should burn in hell for what they've done yet here he is casually and remorselessly stalking and raping a girl in his free time. Even if we put that aside, and just focus on shit like his dirty talk or dick skills (he has none), he's gross and incompetent. As shown by the featured quote above, this is what we are dealing with. Nothing that came out of his mouth was swoony, hot or sexy to me.
I'm going to start out with this because I feel like otherwise it'll get lost in the end of my review and no one will care but can we please stop making sapphic relationships a joke?"It seems every day, my appreciation for Daya grows. She gave me a sense of safety I didn’t realize I was missing. I’m going to have to propose to her soon or something."
This is the fmc talking about her relationship with her best friend. Um, can we not? 😭 It's so easy to just not write shit like this, invalidating sapphic relationships. I don't careee if it's just a joke or whatever, pick something else to joke about or find another way to show your appreciation for your friend, but stop treating sapphic relationships like jokes.
I've always defended writing in the contemporary romance genre because it doesn't need to be flowery and classy, in fact, it's annoying when it is. But I've probably never read a book with worse writing than this. Look at this bitch's inner monologue.I need the Tin Man to oil the hinges on my door just as much as I need the Lion's bravery. I'm shaking like a leaf.
Really?? A wizard of oz reference?? What even is this, it doesn't take a genius to understand that writing like this is not adequate for a book that is meant to have a dark tone to it. It ruins the atmosphere and necessary formality that is vital to the reader taking this book seriously.I stare at the flower like it's a live tarantula, staring straight back at me and daring me to come closer. If I do, it'll surely eat me alive."
Girl, it is a flower. I'm sick, sick of these shitty metaphors. Not everyone is cut out to be a writer - but especially not an author who writes like this.I'm scared, but I'm also stupid. So, I'm not leaving.
Her self-awareness doesn't make me like her more. Why is it necessary to have a clueless, idiot as the fmc, eugh.Gives me the heebie jeebies.
This is a published book. Have we not evolved past this type of colloquial writing? It's just awful and genuinely takes away from the atmosphere the author should be trying to create in these types of books.Maybe I'll eat some Cheerios. They say those are good for the heart right?
To top it off we get modern references too. I don't like when authors insert modern world references into their writing. No one wants to read about Cheerios when they're reading a dark smutty romance.She's so prim and proper, and I'm so...not. Where she holds herself with regality and grace, I have a terrible habit of slumping and sitting with my legs open.
Omg, she's not like other girls!!! And to think that I thought I couldn't possibly hate this fmc more and she pulls the 'i'm not like other girls' line.Chunks of concrete fly into my eyes as more bullets ping around me. I grunt, rubbing at my lids to clear my vision
This is from the male perspective. Other than the fact that this whole sentence was unnecessary, if concrete flew into your eyes, you know damn well you'd fall to the ground like a bug. These details are not only inaccurate but also beyond unnecessary. Even fantasy authors do research so they know how long it takes to die out from blood loss but you aren't even aware that CHUNKS OF CONCRETE can't fly into your eyes without you becoming immobilized from pain? Have you never had anything get stuck in your eye? Jesus."As much as I hate to say this to you, I am no stranger to a woman's pussy and what it feels like when it weeps for me."
Point and laugh, everyone. If you think this is top-tier dirty talk...oml. Moreover, this is while he is forcing himself onto her and she is turned on and he basically takes that as an invitation to do whatever the fuck he wants. I'm not someone who's picky with consent in books, I'm cool with a dub-con situation, but the logic in this book is just not logicing. Many sexual assault survivors deal with guilt about their assault because they were turned on during the process. Arousal is not an okay, many people get aroused when their body hears etc. anything inherently sexual. The fmc's inner monologue also didn't help because she never said that she wanted it but that she wouldn't admit it and blah blah. She begged him to stop, talked about how it hurt, and he left her crying in a ball after he fucked her.
Maybe this is just me, but I like fictional men because they treat their girls right. Leon is a great example of "I hate everyone but you", but this dude is just hating her and treating her like absolute garbage. Me personally, I don't find that so cute. Maybe it's just me though, idk...
So, this guy basically rapes her a shit ton of times, which is ironic bc this guy is always swimming in his saviour complex. He supposedly rescues women and children from sex trafficking rings. Which like...nice ig? I just feel like that was just a plot device for him to be likeable. Because he shows no kindness, no tenderness and no charmingness, in any way shape or form, I suppose the reader has to rely on a fact that establishes his supposed morality to find him the least bit likable.
This is also used as an excuse to write more and more internal monologue about how he can't imagineeee what it's like to go through whatever blah blah and he's always trying to be cool and slick while confronting the sex traffickers as if this is just some adrenaline rush to him.
He's just so hypocritical talking about how any guy that forces himself onto women/children deserves to go to hell and be tortured (Which is his hobby. He like...likes to torture people...idk that's lame to me. It's like when guys flex about punching shit when they're mad). Meanwhile, here he is, going into this girl's house, forcing himself onto her, justifying it because of the girl being turned on, and then leaving her there lying on the floor curled into herself and crying. Feeling violated.
He even says I'm going to make her fall in love with every single fucked up part of me.
And...I think what I find so unappealing about this male character is that you don't see him trying to win over the fmc. He just has an ego where he decides she will do what he wants because he's powerful enough to get it and so it shall be. And that's...boring to me. Again, I'm no wimp when it comes to dark romance, but this is just so boring. Not only is this book horribly, unnecessarily long, but it's also boring because, who wants to watch a man rape a woman in her house 3 different ways for 800 pages straight? I mean, personally, not me.
Anyway, let's talk about how bad the smut was because I think that's what made it the saddest for me lmao. So let's refresh, the writing was bad, the characters were bad, the plot was bad...but there was still potential in the sex section. Yet, I was disappointed once again. I've already established that it was rapey (it's in the TWs but it doesn't really make it any better imo). Not so cute. But even the ideas themselves were lame. The first time Zane fucks Adeline, it's with a gun. Now, this is meant to be all quirky and kinky but it was written terribly imo. The dirty talk revolving the idea wasn't good and the actual description ignited nothing within me.
If you do want to read a good gun sex scene, you should look into
Her Soul for Revenge. Not only is it incredibly hot, well drawn out, with great dialogue and variety, but it also has a fantastic character dynamic. The fmc in that book is so much more badass, so the playing field is even and so much more fun. Both characters take part in the teasing and dirty talk and ugh, let me tell you, it was years better than the sex scene in this one.
There was another sex scene that involved Zane "catching" or "chasing" Adeline, which seemed fun, I was totally down. But again, imo it was badly executed and was much better done by Harley Laroux's soul series. Unfortunately, I don't quite remember which book, I think (think) it was
Her Soul for Revenge if I'm not mistaken. They also had a sort of 'i catch and chase you and fuck you' scene but it was outside in the woods, much longer and much hotter. Another aspect that I think made it better in Harley Laroux's was that there was explicit consent given beforehand, and a safe-word if necessary. So, it was more playful and fun and even more personal, which made the chemistry much more believable. The aftercare was also beautifully, tenderly done, which is what we want!! The men taking care of and admiring their women, while also feeding into his and her fantasies :)
So, on top of complaining about the quality of the smut, I'm also here to complain about the quantity. So again, this book has no romantic aspect, thin plot and bad characters, so people read it for the smut. Yet, I had to wait until around 40% to read the first sex scene!!! BOOOOOO 🍅🍅🍅. And when we finally get to the smut, this is what we get:"You're so fucking creamy," he rasps.
Is this supposed to have me screamin and creamin or? Anyway...
The mystery aspect was so fucking dull. I do not understand how people cared about the little diary entries and her dead grandma at all. I read spoiler reviews of who the killer was and I'm really not that surprised but I also just did not care.
Lastly, I did dnf this book, and I guess it is possible for it to get better (i think i heard the second book is better) but I'm really not interested in giving this book another chance. And that's ignoring the fact that this book is so unnecessarily long.
Once again, no one does it like Harley Laroux. I can't wait for her to release the third book of the trilogy aaa!!━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
-
sometimes we all make bad decisions
like the decision to read this book 🥳 -
DNF al 35%
no se porque les gusta leer violaciones y romantizarlas, les aconsejo que vayan a terapia, "pero es ficción" me chupa un huevo y la mitad del otro, esta "ficcion" ejemplifica perfectamente las creencias/pensamientos de la autora... osea que es una MIERDA, "pero es un kink!!" si tu kink es violacion te quiero presa hija de puta, "pero es romance oscuro" pero chupame bien la poronga desde cuando el romance oscuro tiene que ser solo sobre abusos y violaciones??? estoy harta que romanticen todas estas mierdas, porque yo AMO el romance oscuro, pero libros de mierda como estos cagan todo el genero
tuve que sentarme y leer DOS veces (hasta donde lei yo, estoy segura de que hay dos o tres mas) como el protagonista violaba a la protagonista mientras ella estaba tan cagada de miedo hasta el punto de hacerse pis encima, sin hablar que la mina es la protagonista principal mas ESTUPIDA que lei en m vida, y eso que he leído libros con minas pelotudas... pero esta... se lleva el premio a la mas idiota de todas
odio como la autora quiso hacer ver al protagonista masculino como si fuera una re buena persona, porque salva niños y "ayuda a la comunidad", el chabon después de violarla incluso ADMITE que lo que hizo esa mal pero esta en plan "pero bueno, era lo yo que quería, era imposible no hacerlo" TE QUIERO PRESO HIJO DE PUTA. PRESO.
antes que me hinchen las pelotas con el "es non-con" bla bla bla, MIREN si en el libro ANTES de tener relaciones sexuales hablan y especifican que en ese momento quieren que no haya consentimiento??? TODO BIEN, PROSIGAN MUCHACHOS!!!! pero en todo lo que leí en ningún momento esta esa charla, el chabon agarra y la VIOLA, porque eso es lo que hace y ustedes están tipo "bueno pero ella en realidad lo quería"... saben como suenan no??? APARTE NON-CON LITERALMENTE SIGNFICA VIOLACION, GOOGLEENLO PEDAZOS DE IMBECILES SIN NEURONAS
Y yo no soy una persona que se triggea mucho con los tópicos en los libros, las tw no me interesan, puedo leer todo, pero saben que no puedo leer? cuando romantizan una violacion/abuso/SA, que haya una violacion en el libro no es un factor que me afecte a la hora de leerlo, que haya una violacion HECHA por el protagonista hacia la protagonista y que lo pasen como "hot"???? tu libro es una puta mierda
En fin: cualquier persona que le dio mas de 1 estrella a este libro esta en mi lista negra. Fucking disgusting. -
reading this book is not enough. i need to fuck zade
-
2.75 stars 🌹
I’m not even going to pretend I cared about the plot at all. The plot is essentially the Zade (H) saving sex trafficked girls and women while hunting down and killing pedos. Addie (h) spends the whole book attempting to solve her great-grandmothers unsolved murder.
The vigilante stuff was pretty fun, though it would have been better if the hero’s reason for risking his life wasn’t just ‘cause I like to kill bad people’. Also, do I give a shit about the heroine’s murdered grannie? Not at all, yet trying to figure out who the killer is, is a large part of this book.
What I want to focus on is…don’t even try to act surprised with this…the ✨smut✨
This was basically the only reason I started this book which is pretty sad, but yanno I love me a psychotic hero. Basically the hero stalks the heroine throughout half the book after he saw her for 2 seconds at her book signing. Man literally fell in lust on the spot
He begins watching her from outside her house and taunting her over text message 😌 His mind games were absolutely the best part about this. He would break into her house and leave roses for her and eventually began leaving notes likeI'll be seeing you soon, little mouse.
I never thought the endearment ‘little mouse’ was hot, but with the context that he’s the cat and she’s the prey just makes this 🥰
There’s a point where the heroine goes to a club and meets this guy, Archie. While she’s at the club, Zade messages herUNKNOWN: Sneaking off with random men, little mouse? If I catch his hands anywhere near you, they’ll end up in your mailbox by morning.
Of course the heroine doesn’t believe him so he takes Archie home with her. This is where it gets juicy now. She decides to take him into the sunroom, so Zade could see her get fingered by Archie. Which by the way…was pretty hot ngl“Do you sing pretty when you come, Addie…let me hear it.”
OKAY OKAY IM GETTING DISTRACTED BECAUSE THIS SCENE WHTH THE OM WAS GOOD FOR NO REASON. Zade interrupts the moment by banging on the door and luring Archie outside…where he kidnaps and proceeds to torture and murder him💞
What does my baby Zade do after? Well he’s a man of his word so naturally, he follows up on it–Before I can think about what I’m doing, I tip the lid off with my foot.
Hands.
Severed hands are in the box, just like I feared
Naturally, he now has to punish her further for letting another man touch her. How does he do that? Oh by fucking her with his gun–“Good girl,” he breathes. “Open wider, baby.” The hand still holding my thong to the side nudges against my thigh. Without thought, my thighs instinctively fall further apart.
…
“I can feel how tight your pussy is. The way it grips onto my gun when I slide it out—so fucking pretty.”
—Not only is there praise kink but he’s fucking her with his gun🤪🤪😌
The chase scenes were also UGH incredible. He would tell her to run or hide from him just so he could catch her. If she got caught, she’d get “punished”. I’m out here questioning these ‘punishments’ because they sound fucking great to me. Then we have the mirror maze scene which was just another breed of hot-He turns his head and our eyes clash in one of the mirrors. My heart drops as I tear my eyes away to look around and see his eyes pinned on me from several directions, it’s the most intense feeling I’ve ever experienced.
…
My eyes lock back onto his, and a slow smile takes over his face. He leans in close, his lips skating across mine as he watches me slowly come apart at the seams, all the while grinning at me.
The way Zade is described gave me goosebumps. This man is literally so fucking fine 🛐—I face him, eyeing him closely. He’s relaxed into his seat, his long legs spread, one hand draped over the wheel and the other resting on the armrest between us.
Anyway, I have no words regarding the heroine because she was kinda just…there taking the spot that should be mine 🙄 the audacity
there’s so many one liners that are just too hilarious for me to ignore so here are some of my favorites
•He’s manipulating her, and that’s a big no-no. No one manipulates my girl but me.
•“Don’t cry, little mouse,” he coos. “It’s going to get so much worse.”
•”These are soaked,” he rasps out, his lips still wet from his saliva.
“That’s called discharge.”
•“Oh, God—” she sucks in a sharp breath.
“That’s right, I am your God.”
•“You don’t want this, baby? You don’t want to be full of my cock and discover a new religion each time I make you come?”
Thank you to
Neela for not only rec'ing this book, but for all the funny ass texts about this book that hopefully never get out. For the sake of both our reputations 🖤🐀
cat and mouse duet
↠#1: haunting adeline —2.75 stars
↠#2:
hunting adeline — 4 stars -
i fear i may be a little bit too vanilla for this book
-
DNF @69%
I don’t get it. Why are women swooning over Zade? He is a stalker and a rapist, not to mention a murderer. None of the sex in this book was consensual. He forced her every time. Please tell me that if a real man did these things that it would not be okay. I need to live in a world where this stuff is not acceptable.
I gave it 2 stars just because it was fairly well written but I couldn’t stomach anymore. I understand that it was a dark romance but non-consent is a little too dark for me.
Update: 1/21/2023
Can we please stop calling Zade a "good guy". Hunting down human traffickers and pedophiles and murdering them does not make him a good guy. It only makes him a bigger piece of shit because he knows what he is doing to Adeline is wrong, but he does it anyway.
Also let's stop saying that he loves Adeline. He does not love her. There is no basis for a loving relationship between them. Is he infatuated with her? Yes. Is he obsessed with her? Probably. Does he love her? I'm sure he thinks he does, but he is a psychopath who doesn't know what love is. There was no reason for him to be in love with her. He just saw her through a store window and decided to start stalking her.
I can see people giving this 4 or 5 stars for the writing. It was oddly addicting and was the only reason I made it through as much as I did. But let's stop trying to make Zade a good guy. Where is the vigilante who hunts down rapists?
Dropping this to one star. -
DNF at 15%
It was too slow and too long for my liking. The writing was juvenile and the characters aren't exactly interesting either. Did not help with my state at the moment and straightly bring me into a reading slump.
Also, Zane helped women and children from pedophile networks and sex enslavement, which made him appear like a hero, yet he goes around to stalking and raping a woman he happened to obsess with? Yeah, sounds protruding and off-putting. Not my cup of tea.
I keep within bounds with what I consider dark romance and SA is not it, never it. Next. -
“Let me know which stars you prefer. The ones above you, or the ones I make you see.”
Well, Zade can have all the stars he wants. ✨
Oh and also, I choose the latter please! thanks.
I definitely feel like I'm not supposed to love it THIS much, but I do! 🖤
And what the hell was that ending??
Before you read this book, please read the trigger warnings!
There are quite a few of them, and they are definitely necessary.
My god, I devoured this book.
From the beginning this book is filled with torture, murder and sex and it doesn’t really stop.
It’s a pretty lengthy book for a dark romance in my opinion, but it doesn’t get boring at all.
The angst is top tier.
I actually like the plot of this! I don’t want to talk to much about it, because I’m incapable of telling stories without spoiling things, but I can tell you it was interesting and I was invested! And let’s face it, we don’t necessarily always pick up dark romance books because of the great storylines, so I think that’s an achievement!🤍
But on to the point we all really want to know, let’s talk smut.
There’s a lot of it! And it definitely hot af.🔥 The things that come out of Zade’s mouth.
I mean- it would bring a lot of people to their knees 👀
“You have a lot of faith in your abilities,” I croak.
He chuckles, as deep and dark as the ocean. “You need faith to be a believer.” He cups me between my legs. “And this pussy deserves to be worshipped.”
Although him just standing out your window staring at you would also do the trick.
This book reallyyy makes me question my values.
Also Adeline having the level of confidence I'm striving for 😩:
“I haven’t sent a nude since I was twenty. I take nudes because I like my body and want to stare at it all day.”
Okay well I’m off!
Im gonna stare out my window, hoping someone stares back!👋🏼 -
Oh my gosh. Am at a loss for words. This was so good and addicting 🤌
I was hooked from the first page right up till the end. The plot, subplot, the romance and the characters were so well written. I have read H.D. Carlton's Does It Hurt before, which was the first book I read of hers and knew right away what a talented writer she is. I think this might be an even better work.
Now I won't deny this book is not for anyone. Either you'll like it, enjoy it or be disgusted and hate it. There's no in between. I went in thinking it's a dark romance but oh boy, it really was dark. Some of the things that happen between Adeline and Zade, I'm glad it's just a work of fiction and nothing more.
Adeline is someone I liked instantly. She has life to her, personality but the only thing that kind of bugged me a bit was how questionable her life choices were at times. Seriously, the girl had a death wish. Are we really surprised by the ending?🥲
Coming to Zade, oof.. I don't think I've ever had such conflicted thoughts about the love interest. He's such a complex character. Yes, he's twisted, man doesn't know how to approach a girl right, but at the same time he's doing things that make him to be such a good person. Notice- a good person, not a good romantic 😩 But he did care for Adeline and protect her arse whenever he could. You see why I'm conflicted?
The chemistry between the two is really good and the smut is super juicy. The murder mystery aspect was something I enjoyed and how 'Z' handled the crimes.
Anyhoo, I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. This one did cure my reading slump. The reason I give it four stars instead of five is cause of the gun play scene, which was a bit much😅
Disclaimer - Throughout the book, there were some scenes, especially the gun play, the stalking and falling for the stalker, which I do not agree with. It's a work of fiction, and that brings comfort to me knowing that this is not real. My rating and enjoyment level of the book doesn't mean I'm agreeing to it to happen to anyone in reality. The book is not meant for the weak hearted and the triggers are heavy. Before picking it up, please think through.
⚠️TW- Graphic violence, human trafficking, stalking, child trafficking, sexual assault, gun play, somnophilia, bondage and degradation.⚠️ -
EDIT: I am reducing my rating because I feel like 4 stars gave people the wrong impression. I do not like nor support that rapist everyone thinks is a romantic, I liked it for the writing and vibes only. Zade can eat shit. I only liked some of his lines but not his actions. Idk why he is so praised when he’s a hypocrite😭
This review contains minor spoilers, nothing unpredictable or what you haven’t already seen on booktok. But I’m still warning you.
I was so curious about this Zade Meadows everyone raved about. And I was still surprised.
This motherfcuker played with my feelings like no other. I couldn’t decide whether to love him or hate him. His dick will make you bipolar.
He’s not morally grey, he is morally black. At least when it comes to his personal life.
Sure, he is doing something good in this life by killing pedos and abusers. But maaaaan does he need to learn some boundaries.
He falls in love with Adeline the second he sees her and becomes her stalker. But the worst part for me was that he enjoys making her scared and playing with her sanity. He threatens her and makes some questionable choices. Like chopping off her date’s hands and sending them to her. And watching her sleep like a creep. He pulled an edward cullen on her.
Now to the main bitch. She is honestly the perfect fit for him. I tried feeling sorry for her ass some times but no. She gets off of her fear and gets wet from pain. And then provokes him on purpose. So I was like you know what? Enjoy girl.
The plot itself was interesting. There was a lot of intrigue going on and the smut made my pussy throb and my sheets soaked. I couldn’t stop reading it chapter after chapter. If it wasn’t for my new meds, I would’ve finished the book in 2 days.
But definitely check TW beforehand.
Btw the book itself is so pretty🥲 i loved the format. It’s dual pov and each has their own art.
The main reason i am reducing one star is because the first two times they had sex, he forced himself on her. They both knew it. People excuse this by saying it was cnc and even though I never kink shame, it was just not something i could easily fathom. Not only that but he also physically abuses her by slapping and choking and etc. He also punishes her all the time for the littlest things. And never listens to what she says. Just because she came in the end doesn’t make it okay for me. But i mean she didn’t seem to mind so ig that’s what counts. And if you’re into that, I understand.
This is also the reason I couldn’t fall for Zade despite him saying lots of cute shit. If you follow my updates, you know lol.
Would I sleep with him tho? Probably.
Would I want him as my own stalker? No, I would move away but tbh I’d enjoy the attention.
The ending is a bitch. It’s a damn cliffhanger and i have to know how it ends! So lemme go start the second book.
Hunting Adeline review -
This book was fucking corny. It was awful, but also a fucking cornfest. When reading a “dark” romance, you expect a little more depth and triggering themes to accompany the story. Maybe a little drugs, death, etc. This book combines a goofy ass hacker vigilante stalker, and an insufferable heroine, and claims itself to be a dark romance. It’s a joke. The main character Adeline is supposedly the “manipulator” and Z or the stalker is the “shadow?” I don’t rlly fucking remember the names because it was so stupid and unnecessary. Anyways, the story proceeds with Addie staying at this creepy fucking house for no fucking reason where countless people have died, introduces a whole ass fuckinf ghost, and then promptly forgets that part of the plot. Like okay cool beans ig. Then Z sees her jn some book signing and stalks her like insanely. Okay Z is the corniest mf I’ve ever read in my life. He’s this dub-con, psycho (he literally sends her a pair of cut off hands when she lets some creep finger bang her) stalker who is actually a self taught mastermind hacker who saves kids and women from sex trafficking. Yep. I’m serious. It’s an absolute cringe fest. Her bff is also a “vigilante.” The word choice the author uses is so juvenile it made me scream. I mean do we live in a Neil Breene movie? The “darkness” this book promises is completely gone at this point. The funniest and most ironic part however, is that Mr. Savior, aka mr. I-cant-bear-to-see-innocent-kids-raped-at-the-hands-of-powerful-men-and-I-have-to-save-them-with-my-chiseled-jaw-and-ugly-scar, RAPES THE MAIN CHARACTER WITH A GUN. I mean are you kidding me? I don’t mind dub con, but Atleast take a look at the damn plot author. YOU CANT HAVE HIM SAVE RAPE SURVIVORS AND THEN RAPE TNE MAIN CHARACTER?! The later sex scenes are a little better because she’s more “attracted” to him and apparently gets off on the fear like okay whatever woman. He even tells her to get off his dick and start running because she loves the chase. Like she’s on his dick and then gets off its so fucking funny like a damn Jack in the box. Anyways, back to the child trafficking sacrifices drinking blood scenes. These scenes are so corny, I mean there’s these senators who are doing it and Z and his group are trying to hack into their society which hey? Wanna know the name of theyre creepy dangerous group? THE SOCIETY?! Like hello?! Is this wattpad novel? It’s so funny. Anyways these scenes were the only thing keeping me reading this book. One reason was because it was so corny it was funny, and the other was because it was actually interesting seeing how fuckimg lame someone can make sex trafficking. I mean come on. Also apparently Addies great grandma also had a stalker and was supposedly killed by her husband? And Addie was targeted by the society to be sold because she’s pretty? It’s all so much and so poorly executed.
Okay this book has several major flaws. But the biggest one is trying to have too many storylines at once. You have the romance and sex, the stalker and fear, the sex trafficking, and the grandmas murder. It’s wayyy to much. Pair that with a drawn out plot, juvenile writing, corny ass scenes, and insufferable characters. That my friend, creates a bad book. To be fair, at some parts it was so bad it was good so it proves to be a really good comedy if you’re interested! -
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DNF @ 36%
This is a difficult review to write because I'd been looking forward to HAUNTING ADELINE for a while and it came so highly recommended to me by some of my friends. I ended up being really disappointed, though, and even after letting the book sit for a bit, I still couldn't bring myself to come back to it. It has some elements that I really love. It's a very dark gothic romance, set in a big spooky house. Adeline is staying in her grandmother's creepy old house, where she learns some dark secrets about one of her relatives (a mysterious affair, woooooo). She's also being stalked by a man who has his hand in some dark things. A man who enjoys torturing people-- and that includes her.
Oh boy, I thought. Cat and Mouse duet? Let the games begin. I really liked the beginning. The author obviously has some talent, because she did a really good job setting the atmosphere and that sort of writing is really hard to do if you aren't skilled. I was even intrigued by the hero at first, who is incredibly brutal but devotes his life to hunting down monsters who are worse than him, Kind of like Dexter.
Where the book kind of fell apart for me is that there's not really any emotional connection between the H and the h and I need that. He literally starts obsessing over her when he sees her author photo outside a bookstore where she's giving a talk. And then it's just like, "Yeah, she'll do. TIME TO OBSESS." But, like, why?? I get that he's an unhinged psycho, but even if he doesn't know her, I still expected him to project some kind of expectation or connection onto her. When people get obsessed with celebrities or strangers, it's because they're forging that sort of intimate connection-- a glance becomes "she sees me," and an innocent blog post is an attempt to reach out to a kindred soul, i.e. them. There wasn't any of that here, so I guess I didn't really understand why Zade would go to all this effort just to bang someone.
The writing also wasn't really to my taste, but that's a personal preference, and if I had vibed with the characters better, I probably could have overlooked that.
1.5 to 2 stars -
1.5
Way too long and drawn out, yet with a f*ing cliffhanger and dont get me started on the irony of working towards rescuing abused women and children but still abuse the person you want to be with. That is not a sexy thing! -
Look up TWs before you read!
This was love at first page. The love I have for this book supersedes Zade’s love for Addie. I cannot get over how awesome the writing style was.
“All I want to do is break her. Shatter her into pieces. And then arrange those pieces to fit against my own. I don’t care if they don’t fit—I’ll fucking make them.”
ZADE 😍😍 Him and his arched brow. I love that he’s dark, dangerous and an intensely unapologetic MC. He was the most terrifyingly hilarious and possessively doting creature I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. He’s so fucked up but I can’t help being dumbstruck by him anyways. It was the way he made her feel like his whole world. How he always finds a way to bring Addie into everything when he’s not with her, it always melted my heart into a puddle. The way he sweet AND dirty talks to Addie has me weak in the knees. Like he can make me swoon within a couple sentences and you’ll see me eating out of his hands. I totally understood how Addie couldn’t resist him. Did she really have a choice??
ADDIE 🥲🥲 She reminded me of myself in some cases. Her humour was so relatable and amusing. She went through some weird shit but still got back up. And I loved that about her. And the fact that she KNEW she was being reckless made me chuckle. Every time she would talk to him was so interesting because, like Zade, I’d always find myself anticipating what she’ll do or say next.
AND THEIR SARCASM AND BANTER HAD ME SHAKING WITH LAUGHTER. I couldn’t stop myself from giggling and cracking up throughout. The fact that they were both so self aware made it so much more fun. Both of these characters were so intricate and interesting i didn’t want to stop reading. I would be doing something completely different and find my thoughts wandering back to the book. Their inner monologues were ridiculously messed up but still somehow relatable. It brought a constant smile on my face whenever they were together. It was honestly refreshing to read.
This was the first book I finished by HD Carlton and it will not be the last. I’m so eager to read more of her work.
Side note:
How dare she leave it like that?!!
Also I love Jay and Daya. They’re literally the best supportive friends you could ask for. -
4.25/ 5⭐
5/5 🌶️
WHAT the FUCK.
Did I start reading this because it was banned? yes
Did I find it really disturbing? also yes
Did I finish it in less the 48 hours? also yes
I have decided I am a broken person. BROKEN. Addie is broken. Zade is broken. Every feminist bone in my body is screaming at me for liking this book but I can't help it I'm a sucker for dark romance.
*warning- please do not read this without reading the trigger warnings because there’s some really disturbing things in this book
Quotes:
“One day, you will realize that you are not trapped in a prison,” he murmurs roughly. “You are in my church where I am your God, and you are my equal. I’m not a jail, little mouse, I am your sanctuary.”
“Let me know which stars you prefer. The ones above you, or the ones I make you see.”
“If it’s real, then I’ve chased you across time and space, and you’ve never been able to get away.”
“Cat got your tongue, little mouse?”
“Sometimes the happiest people are the saddest.”
“Love is an enigma, and it's redefined every time someone says it.” -
Halfway onto
Minor Spoilers 🚦
what's up with me finding all these useless books left and right, huh!!
Is there some kind of algorithm going behind my back, goodreads? Or is it like a domino effect where if one falls down everything follows??
okay yes, my fault for picking the book just bcos of its cover. And yes, the positive reviews did push my expectations beyond. But how can you say no to a skull with a 👑 people.
WHY 2star??, you ask.
Honestly, it's only because of her writing. Initially when I was digging the story, I was excited to be sucked right into the book. But apart from that, I loved 🥜 in.
M•O•V•I•N•G O•N
• The book has like 40+ chapters. So, naturally the romance would be a epitome of a turtle going on a walk.
And when you have this slow of a romance going on, you expect somthing to keep you stimulated.
So, comes the dark side of the book,
Our hero who is a hacker and a badass fights the bad guys ( the human traffickers) and saves numerous victims.
Which started to 🥚 me the wrong way as the time went on, because...let be honest, I am not really interesting in knowing HOW and WHY he kills them and to read all the glorious details.
Like, I am all up for a spiderman swinging but that's not why I am really here for.
• And apparently, there is a ghost in the house. Not whore. Don't go singing that song now !
So this ghost is the grandmother 👵 of Addie (the heroine) , and she is helping addie dear to find some clues about her own murder.,( my money is on her husband )
So.. Addiewell is playing detective too, with the help of a friend of course.
The very friend who could be working as a employee for the hero and take my guess with a grain a salt here but that's just my lady senses tingling.
Sooo here is my frustration..
Me being fed all the information about things I could give a f**k about .
And on top of that, I had, Kinda like a fool, expected that as the romance is already going slow, the Lust would be too.
Expected to see some fight in her and the angst of whether they will be together or not. Had hoped for a realistic reaction and consideration. Which itself is a joke that I now understand
I know my review is long so here is a gif of a potato.
• "my pu**y wants what it wants" theme. Yeah, I went there, I know I know people love this shit.
But it's such a turn off when the heoine is strong and sexy only to come out flat in the department that really matters.
I like to think not all women think with their VV and actually uses common sense when it matters, which addie dear has none bdw.
I take a single step towards the staircase. My instincts are to run towards the danger, not away.
God? Me again. We really need to talk about your life decisions when you made me.
But at the end of the day I overlook it. I was for up for the romance and excited nonetheless. But I overestimated my patience for mind over body heroine.“
But I will bite it off if you try it.”
I’m too busy staring at his cock to notice the smirk glide on his face.
“Let me go,”
You want to act brave, then I’m going to show you exactly what happens to smart mouths. You’re going to swallow my cum like the fucking bad girl you are, and I don’t give a fuck if you don’t like it.”
He roughly lets my face go, and the hand still tangled in my hair yanks me back to its previous position
he’s wrapping the belt around my neck, looping it through the buckle, and pulling tight. My eyes bulge like a fish, the metal biting into my skin as the belt constricts.
You can breathe, little mouse. Don’t panic.”
I fucking dare you, little mouse. You think I won’t be able to snap your jaw before your teeth break skin? Try me.”
This was the breakthrough for me...this type of shit doesn't fly well with me. The false bravado and lying to yourself as if you wouldn't cream yourself if he came anywhere near you.
The sad excuse of a fight just because the said spark is so electric that you could cord sing on it.
I don't like the way he treats her .. he should be getting a nice kick up his ass is all I am saying. But this dum girl is busy enjoying his dum treats every now and then and I just can't seem to wrap my mind around it.
And you know at sealed the deal.. ??
The cliffhanger,
Like bruh, this romance is already going slow with all the unnecessary plot, and for what really ?
a second book??.
Nuh eh
I am goodbye
But hey, if that's your palette don't let me stop you! -
THE AMOUNT OF TIMES MY COWORKER ASKED ME WHAT I WAS GASPING ABOUT WHILE READING THIS BOOK IS ASTRONOMICAL
-
ｃｈｅｃｋ ｏｕｔ ｍｙ ｂｏｏｋｓｔａｇｒａｍ:
https://www.instagram.com/the_romanti...
Do you know the feeling when you watch a horror movie and know that the heroin's decisions will get her killed, and you want to shout at her "what are you doing? Do not go there!!!! Why are you going upstairs??? Why are you not calling the police?"
So that’s how I felt reading this story! 😂🖤🙈
📚 "𝑴𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚. 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅." 📚
Adeline moves to live alone in her grandmother's large, ancient and secluded house and discovers a diary written by her great-grandmother before she was murdered, in which she writes that someone is stolking her... At the same time, a mysterious threatening man begins to follow Adeline - Standing outside her window And even leaves her roses inside the house. 🥀
Who murdered her great-grandmother? Who is the mysterious man? And how do these two plots link together? 🖤
The book started great - with a lot of suspense and mystery and one plot in which two fascinating stories from the past and present are intertwined. but as I progressed I could not enjoy the story... because of the hero. 💩
I swear, he has a split personality! On the one hand, he does all sorts of good things and on the other hand he does everything he fights for to the heroin. What the hell dude?! 🤦♀️
I loved the heroin, she's not a helpless stupid girl who falls in love with a man who causes her trubbles (at least at first, I don't know how it developed later lol) even though I did not understand her behavior or some of her choices... like, lady, what are you doing? Do you WANT to be killed and have your body dumped in an alley?! 😂😂😂
📚 "𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏. 𝑰 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒕 — 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎." 📚
I must point out that I kept hoping it wasn't the same guy (it could have been a crazy twist!) But each chapter made it clear that it could not be the case (if I'm wrong, I would love to get spoilers!!!) 🙏
So, despite the excellent writing and even though I'm still curious about the secondary plot, before I'll become violent and throw my Kindle on the wall in frustration, I stopped reading at 45%. 😬
This is a dark book, full of mystery and will suit anyone who loves evil stalker heroes. 🖤
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📖 ᖴOᒪᒪOᗯ ᗰE Oᑎ IᑎᔕTᗩGᖇᗩᗰ:
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📖 ᐯIᔕIT ᗰY ᗷᒪOG ᖴOᖇ ᗰOᖇE ᖇEᐯIEᗯᔕ:
https://books-romance.com/
📖 GOOᗪᖇEᗩᗪᔕ:
https://bit.ly/3acMRMP
💕 לקריאת הסקירה בעברית, כנסו לבלוג:
https://books-romance.com/ 💕 -
'HAUNTING ADELINE' is the first full length dark romance book in the duet by H.D. Carlton.
Spoken in 'Dual perspectives.'
Going into this one I didn't know what to expect, I'd seen it popping up on all my news-feeds so I couldn't wait until I could jump in and read and I was so surprised with how much I loved this story. It drew me in straight away and I couldn't put it down. It was so unexpectedly good, unique, unputdownable, addictive, exactly how a stalker romance should play out, I was on the edge of my seat loving this thrilling ride never wanting it to end!
Twenty-six year old Adeline Reilly is a successful writer who inherited 'Parsons Manor' a gothic house on a cliff's edge by her grandparents, right out of a scene of a horror movie, which is shrouded in a mystery of its own when she uncovers her great grandmother's 'Gigi' diary’s and discovers after digging deeper who may have killed her in cold blood, a murder which went unsolved, she was also intrigued to read about a stalker who was watching her great grandmother closely, never realizing how close this story touched on her own life.
Zade first encounters Adeline at one of her book signings and from that point onwards he'd set his sights on her and it seemed like history had a way of repeating itself.
He will keep you on your toes, you'll never know when he's pop up, he thrives in the shadows, he'll take out anyone who touches Adeline even if that means killing them in cold blood.
Zade sent shivers down my back, this story set my nerves to racing, the cliff hanger had me pacing, the sex scenes had my ipad combusting, I seriously can not wait for the next book!!
-
I'm sorry, this was awful, but I want to count it LOL
TW: SA discussion in this review
The worst thing about this book, for me, is how overly corny it is in its attempt to justify itself.
Adeline is being stalked - the dude is literally obsessed with her, bugging her house and killing dudes who touch her and leaving their hands in a box for her to find on her doorstep. Stalked - he even sexually assaults her without her consent multiple times, telling her she'll get on the same page as him eventually and want it.
Now, I've been reading some dark romances for the fuck of it, and I could honestly get over it because I've learned that there are parameters in books where exploring shit like this can be cathartic.
But one of the hard limits is trying to excuse the behavior, and that's what this book does at every turn.
Z isn't just a stalker with a desire to assault the target of his obsession - he's also a super rich vigilante who works to stop sex trafficking!!! He saves women who are being abused by men!!! He's so uwu righteous and morally correct!!! While he rapes the object of his own obsession, convinced she'll want it one day!!!!
Like - you lose me completely there. I will not be manipulated by "okay he does this to her but look at all the girls and women he's saving!! Look how disgusted he is by older men who aren't hot like him preying on women!!!" It just makes the whole thing awful for me. I'd rather he was just a billionaire businessman, I'd be fine with most of it then LOL
Plus this book adds a weird 'my great grandmother had a stalker' story to it in order to.. I don't know? Make Adeline think about stalking in a sexy way? It's weird.
I did not like this. -
Let me tell you a thousand ways how much I love this book. Haunting Adeline is a psychological thriller with dark undertones. I love mind trickery at its best. On my dark scale, it’s dark gray. To some, it’s maybe pitch black. It’s not for the faint of heart and does end on a cliffhanger.
Adeline Reilly is an author who has inherited her family home, Parsons manor, passed down from several generations. During an Incident Addy finds her great grandmother's diary’s and reversals secrets and a key to her great grandmother’s murder. While investigating, what Addy is oblivious to is what lurks in the shadows. Her stalker.
Zade first sees Addy at one of her book signings and is instantly addicted to her. He is so much more than a stalker. He is highly Intelligent, a hacker, vigilante, gets what he wants, and never forgets his failures; he takes it very close to heart. I instantly fell in love with him. He is such an intriguing man.
I stalk her because I’m fucking addicted. I’m fascinated with every move she makes, every word that comes from her pretty pink mouth. And now I’m addicted to her scent, her taste, and the way she sounds when she’s scared for her life—just as much as I’m addicted to the way she sounds when she’s begging for more.
Haunting Adeline is in my top five favorite books so far in 2021. Words can't say how much I love this book. This book is addicting, and I savored every minute of it. Let's talk about how spicy the book is. 5/5. CNC AT ITS BEST!!!!! Hot as hell 🥵. Have an extra set of panties on hand.
The author does not sugarcoat one iota in her books, and this one is no exception. It’s what I want and crave. What is very intriguing in this book is the conspiracy theories surrounded by the government and secret society. That mixed with stalking is what drew me into this book.I did chuckle in a few parts of the book as I have a dark sense of humor.
Can I say how excited I was with the crossover with Satan’s affair? Seriously I almost jumped up and down with excitement. I can’t say enough how phenomenal this book is. Addy and Zade have a special place in my heart. That whopper of a cliffhanger almost sent me on edge. I can’t wait to see what happens next. -
UNKOWN: You haunt me . Its only fair I return the sentiment
I happily accept defeat . I'm just gonna go traipsing back to my life that seems like sunshine and flowers compared to this ☀🌻
* this review may contain mild spoilers*
The books notes and trigger warnings both scared and excited me when I began this . I can certainly appreciate how the author drew attention to many of the horrible things that go on in our world without sugarcoating them , things we forget about most of the time as we focus on our own lives . What I have an issue with is the MMC being one of them and not just that but romanticizing him ?! I can accept a lot of fucked up shit with morally grey character's and the likes but romanticizing a rapist is where I draw the line . IDK maybe he or rather IT improves throughout the story but I know I wouldn't be able to look past this which is the reason for my opinion and my choice
to DNF this ( I know that's not how its used but it works in my head )
"I'm gonna make you fall in love with every fucked up part of me"
yeahhhh orrrrr- hear me out - maybe we go for therapy ? yk , to fix said parts of you instead since we've clearly moved past the denial stage right? Lets talk about Zade first .Other than him being egotistic , arrogant and thinking he's THE SHITTTT he's also fucking ironic . You cant go around saving trafficked girls , killing the bad guys and acting like some hero (which btw did not succeed in me liking him as u can see) before going and doing the same to the FMC . He stalks her, sends her a persons HAND , fucks her without consent -which if some of yall didnt know , is called RAPE and leaves her crying her eyes out . All in the name of - "youll love me one day" . EXCUSE ME ?! Not to mention he took one look at her and BAM insta-lust , then misnterpreted as insta -love all 'ohhh i shall make her mine' .SPEAKING of first times , he fucked her with a GUN ! A GUNNN !!! Thats gotttttaaa hurtttt AF . And to add to that , a gun is freaking dangerous , its not some toy.I would have probably passed out from terror .goodnesss. sexual predator fr . Acting all like "I cant imagine what these girls Im saving are going through or how they feel " YES DUDE , you clearly cant . Because if you were truly empathetic and OK IN THE HEAD , THEN YOU WOULD NOT HAVE DONE WHAT YOU DID!!
It was bad enough that he spoke of my girl in such a disgusting manner , but then he went and topped it off by implying Addie isn't anything special . She's the first of her kind to exist , and there will never be another like her
Lets keep in mind that he had never even interacted with Addie at the time he said this. Whats so special about her ? You know shitt boyyo . Half the things this guy said were pure bullshit or so godamn cringe and fake 🤢🤮
"but you seem to forget that just because i am wholly yours little mouse , i am not a nice man"
Fucking understatement of the decade . U? Nice ?! I don't believe anyone was thinking that
"Thats fucked up , youre going to jail" , she cuts in , disgust curling her lip "actually i hope youre sent to prison and are sentenced to death"
The only time i connected with this woman . This is straight up the smartest thing that has been uttered in this book , but then ofcrs she has to go and lose all sense . Typical . Her nether region overpowered her mind and what he did was ok becuase EVENTUALLY she got turned on 👏👏 . Fantastic
At first the mind games and cat and mouse chase were quite intriguing as well as the suspenseful aspect of it . However a gradual buildup of thrill was forgone which disappointed me heavily as bits such as the mmc looking at her through the window were gripping . But ok lets not go slow . The dual pov was also a score since i love those. Furthermore involving CS actually excited me but I would give it all up if it meant having to deal with people like zade. This could have been great 😪
"do you think theres redemption for me ", he whispers . The tenor of his voice dark and sinful . He grinds his pelvis into mine
If you ask me ? hell to the NO . Absolutely fucking not . Rot in hell Z and pay up . -
not even coke can give me the same rush that this book does
-
4.5⭐️
I’m kinda speechless. I absolutely loved this book.
I’ve been meaning to read this for years but I’ve had so many people warn me away (especially towards book 2), and their reasonings are absolutely valid, but I’m glad I finally read this.
I actually had physiological responses while reading this book: goosebumps, heart rate increasing, shallow breathing to name a few. The first 45% was fantastic and eerie and spooky and I couldn’t put it down. All about the characters and this creepy old mansion, just 🤌🏻👌🏻.
The last half was more about the plot development. The suspense wasn’t as prevalent, which I kind of missed, but setting up a great story about taking down human trafficking rings one by one was more than enough to keep me hooked.
I loved Addie (FMC) and Daya’s friendship. They were goals. But honestly, there was so much open communication and respect and honesty between them. I want more women friendships represented like this.
Zade (MMC) was mysterious and intriguing. I enjoyed being in his POV a lot more than I thought I would. I know it’s hard for some to wrap their head around this being a romance considering the triggers listed and the fact that he is, indeed, Addie’s stalker. I get it. But that’s the beauty of dark romances, they’re fiction, we don’t want this IRL, it’s interesting to read about and get lost in. Which I was.
While this wasn’t as dark as I was expecting, I am not denying it wasn’t dark, because it was. I think it helped going in expecting it to be pitch black.
I did see some of the surprises coming, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I thought this was a well put-together, excellently written book. One that ends on a cliffhanger y’all! I am gonna read book 2, once I can find myself not dreading it based on reviews, spoilers, comments I’ve read 😅. I think I will read Satan’s Affair before Hunting Adeline. Sibby was a fun character we got briefly introduced to. I wanna know more. 🖤 -
“When you make someone fall in love with the darkest parts of you, there’s nothing you can do that will scare them away.”
LIES. I’m scared and you should be too. I feel like less is more when it comes to this review (nah we all knew I’d end up ranting again). It’s a NO from me🥳
Haunting Adeline was truly out of my comfort zone and I hate it here (respectfully). To say it’s CERTIFIABLY INSANE is an understatement. This piece of literature is so dark and disturbed, I have no clue how I haven’t checked myself into a nunnery yet. I probably would have been able to continue and give this a decent rating if it wasn’t for the TW// lack of consent, supposedly cnc mess. It was really just assault. It’s extremely unsettling. You won’t be seeing me romanticize any of that. I couldn’t get past it and frankly, it ruined the story for me. I know this is a DARK THRILLER STALKER ROMANCE but I don’t care, I want the bare minimum!! CONSENT!! And the “hot” quotes aren’t really all that cute when given context babes. Anyways (fml😑) this book wasn’t banned for nothing (please check all trigger warnings). The characters make me want to commit a crime. The HYPOCRISY from Zade and the STUPIDITY from Addie. On the bright side, I read something suitable for the Halloween season😤🎃. I was honestly experiencing fomo lol. Now REGRET. So ya this reading experience was genuinely HORRIFIC🥰🫶 (i.e. my updates where I went through the 7 stages of grief🤡 mainly just rage)
DNF at 55% {EDIT *SpongeBob 12 hours later*- I decided to skim the rest (it’s amazing how fast you can read when you skip over a bunch of stuff😍), specifically for Gigi's murder investigation and the “big cliffhanger”. I googled spoilers too lmfao now I’m truly FREE and I can move on🙏. Btw, I saw someone comment on ig today “Zade is the standard” and I want to CRY😭}.
I feel terrible writing this review but it’s just not for me. I can acknowledge that H.D. Carlton is a very unique author and I mean no hate to her. Maybe the books get better but I don’t have the time or energy for that anymore🧘♀️. I need to return to my sweet love interests and get away from this toxic shiza🏃♀️<3. Read what YOU enjoy reading. You live and you learn so it’s all good :)
Oh and if anyone outside of this app ever asks me about this book, I know nothing🫡 -
i feel like for a romance book this was a bit too long, 600 pages bitch? AND it’s a duet? did not need to be this long. At one point i was more intrigued with her great-grandmothers story than the book itself.
