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A review by booktheshelves
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I was hesitant to read this because I’d heard it was DARK. And they were not wrong… However, I still loved it. I remember starting this book in late 2023, and putting it down because I was freaked out by the house Addie lives in 😆
So, I read this and Hunting back to back. So doing a review for the first book will require me to pick through my memory bank, which is legit terrible. I forget major things about books right after I read them. My star ratings are based on “vibes”, if you will. Very in the moment, mood reader I am (oh hello Master Yoda).
Anyway, Haunting was everything I was expecting and also… not. I don’t know why I thought it just *couldn't* be as hot as everyone was saying. I was wrong. It was. Now I understand the whole daddy Zade thing. He’s hot. And f*cked. Addie was hard to like at first, but I grew to really enjoy her character as her development progressed. I kinda thought her being an author was a little corny, but it actually worked.
This book was spooky, which I’m not super into. I know it’s a dark romance, blah blah, but like, I just don’t like ghosts. So there’s that.
The human trafficking themes literally ripped me up. It was so hard to read about. I know that it’s not exactly real life average human trafficking because usually it’s a family member doing the trafficking, not some elaborate government scheme, BUT, I think a lot of the elements here do really exist. It’s evil and horrid. Zade can justify killing child rapists any-day in my head.
Spiceeeee was spicin’. Lemme just say: gun, belt, rose, knife, more belt, cliff (and this is both books). Need I say more. No, I need not.
Anywayyy, 4.75 for the whole duet. Hunting is wayyyyy dark and crazy traumatizing. I don’t think my brain will ever be the same. But it added needed depth I think. Honestly coulda done without the side character Sibby. Hated Sydney. Rio was cool. Hated every trafficker’s guts and wanted them to die. Anyway, that’s all for now.
So, I read this and Hunting back to back. So doing a review for the first book will require me to pick through my memory bank, which is legit terrible. I forget major things about books right after I read them. My star ratings are based on “vibes”, if you will. Very in the moment, mood reader I am (oh hello Master Yoda).
Anyway, Haunting was everything I was expecting and also… not. I don’t know why I thought it just *couldn't* be as hot as everyone was saying. I was wrong. It was. Now I understand the whole daddy Zade thing. He’s hot. And f*cked. Addie was hard to like at first, but I grew to really enjoy her character as her development progressed. I kinda thought her being an author was a little corny, but it actually worked.
This book was spooky, which I’m not super into. I know it’s a dark romance, blah blah, but like, I just don’t like ghosts. So there’s that.
The human trafficking themes literally ripped me up. It was so hard to read about. I know that it’s not exactly real life average human trafficking because usually it’s a family member doing the trafficking, not some elaborate government scheme, BUT, I think a lot of the elements here do really exist. It’s evil and horrid. Zade can justify killing child rapists any-day in my head.
Spiceeeee was spicin’. Lemme just say: gun, belt, rose, knife, more belt, cliff (and this is both books). Need I say more. No, I need not.
Anywayyy, 4.75 for the whole duet. Hunting is wayyyyy dark and crazy traumatizing. I don’t think my brain will ever be the same. But it added needed depth I think. Honestly coulda done without the side character Sibby. Hated Sydney. Rio was cool. Hated every trafficker’s guts and wanted them to die. Anyway, that’s all for now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, and Stalking