Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

96 reviews

jen1804's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

EDIT 9 months post reading: Rating increased to 5 stars!!!

I have given this baby a 4.75⭐️. 
This book has an excellent dark plot, covering some very real issues and it’s triggering, and traumatising, and just a lot at times.
But this is honestly some of the most top tier smut I have ever read in my life. This book is hot af and has made me question myself, holy hell. Do I need to have my soul redeemed now? Am I a masochist? Where can I get my own deep-voiced, fit, scarred, dangerous, hooded, murderous, dubious-consent, obsessive, dominant but also vulnerable, stalker? please and thanks, hah!
The story ends on a dangerous cliffhanger, which I love. Can’t wait to read the second part of this duet and take on more ✨trauma✨.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kaileeledger's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

abundance_of_fiction's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This was *NOT* it.

I went into this duology seeing it all of insta and booktok as a gritty spicy read butttt, just no. I did finish because I was semi-invested and I can’t find it in myself to DNF a story. The plot was all over, the romance was nonexistent (really it was just lust and obsession), and the gritty elements were basically just there for gore galore; none of this added to the actual story. The writing wasn’t bad, and the atmosphere in the beginning was genuinely good. I was intrigued with the haunting, stalking, and great grandmother mystery, but then it all falls apart.

New conflicts every 2 chapters, check. No resolution to prior conflicts, check. Complete happenstance regarding 90% of the conflicts, check. And NO REAL ROMANCE! There is no reason Zade should “love” and be obsessive about Addie. Like he saw a cute girl with a smoky voice at her book signing... now he is k*lling people for her?!?

This one just aint it. If you want sm*t without a decent plot then here you go, but if you want a mix run

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

valentinaambrosius's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

betmwelch's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Read the trigger warnings before even thinking about reading this book. They are no joke. There are some incredibly intense scenes involving rape (they call it non consentual consent, but let's call it what it is), child abuse, stalking, and trafficking. 

The relationship between Addie and Zade was completely fucked up. She got off on being scared and he got off on scaring her. He is her stalker (he breaks into her house and rapes her/sexually assaulted her) and we are meant to believe that she just accepted it and formed a relationship  with this man (within 3 months). There are some very traumatic scenes near the beginning of their "relationship" where he sexually assaulted her with a gun and then ties her to a bed and sexually assaulted her. It is played off in the book as though it was a non consentual consent situation, but it wasn't. He did not have her consent at that point. Later in the book he did, but not during those scenes. These scenes could be very traumatic for some readers. 

What I cannot understand is that Zade works to eliminate rapists and pedophiles from this world, but he himself is a stalker, rapist, and murderer. We are give no logical reason as to why he became this way. He came from a good home and when he learned about human trafficking he wanted to "do something about it". I feel like this was lazy writing and we needed more of a motive and backstory as to why he does what he does and why he is the way he is. 

I feel like the whole storyline surrounding her great-grandmother was pointless and could have been cut out completely. It didn't add anything to the story. 

I think the writer was really focused on writing for "shock value" and not enough on creating a strong story. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

abzauthor's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

miandi's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.75

HE FUCKING RAPED HER WITH A GUN
and they just acted as if it was romantic. Tf


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

zc2's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The ending…. I hate it here. Other than that the book is pretty good. The smut is intense beyond words and the mystery with her great grandmothers death had me on the edge of my seat. I’m reading to read the next one 🤭 CHECK TW!!!!!! 🙂

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bbygirl21's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow this was such an amazing book. It had my emotions all over the place. Constantly back and forth and up and down. I almost never wanted to put it down needing to know what happens next. 

I absolutely love Zade and Adeline. They are phenomenal together. I love the little cat and mouse game they play together. And I love how Adeline loves being scared and how Zade plays into that fear.

Now don't get me wrong there's some absolutely disgusting things in this book that made me absolutely angry. And it's very graphic about it too. But it makes me love Zade more because he's out there fighting against the bad guys doing these absolutely horrid things to women and children. And he's not doing it to avenge a horrible past or anything as he's always had a good childhood and parents, he's doing it out of the goodness of his heart even if many would find his tactics and methods wrong. His way actually gets things done.

And the side story with the mystery of Adeline's great grandmothers(Genevieve/Gigi) murder. Absolutely phenomenal as well. I guessed the killer pretty early on even though it's not in your face out there. The guy just gave me bad vibes from the moment he was introduced even though he's only seen in diary entries. Although the reasons behind him killing Gigi was what shocked me. I never guessed the motive behind the murder so I still found some surprise in the reveal of the murderer and who helped cover up the murder shocked me as well.

It's safe to say this was definitely a very hot and often scary read. And I loved seeing the meeting of Sibel (Sibby) and Zade from Zade's pov this time as well.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings