Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

1066 reviews

jo_march_'s review against another edition

Let’s say Zade and Addie had their happy ever after and she was never kidnapped. 

This is all too distressing and the warning the reunion is not quick does not motivate me to try and make it through with A.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

misspeachii's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

jholl99's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, and Stalking

solaris_wintergale's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Car accident

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

firefly31's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

This book is undoubtedly a work of dark fiction. It delves deeply into heavy and controversial themes while capitalizing on showcasing more "meaningful" intimate scenes between Zade and Addie. These scenes are clearly intended to provide insight into their BDSM dynamic and its role in their relationship. However, this aspect feels like a strange juxtaposition when set against the subplot of sex trafficking and Addie’s own traumatic experience as a trafficking victim. While the intimate moments aim to show a consensual, controlled exploration of BDSM, it feels at odds with Addie’s recent trauma, making some of these moments difficult to reconcile.

One of the strongest scenes in the book, for me, was when Addie contemplates killing Zade. This moment feels like a natural and powerful point of character development, given everything she has endured. It highlights her psychological complexity and her internal struggle with her conflicting feelings for Zade—her savior, but also a man with dark and obsessive tendencies. This tension is amplified because, while Zade wasn’t the direct cause of her trafficking, his actions as a stalker and his initial obsession with her were a catalyst that changed her life for the worse. Reconciling her love for him with the pain he indirectly caused is both moving and complex, showcasing the nuanced emotional layers that define their relationship. This moment truly captures Addie’s growth as she grapples with her trauma and the love she can’t deny, making it one of the more compelling and authentic aspects of the story.

Where this book excels is in embracing the defining traits of a dark romance. The genre thrives on pushing boundaries, exploring themes of obsession, power, and the thin line between love and destruction. The inclusion of BDSM in Addie and Zade’s relationship serves as a lens through which these themes are magnified. Their dynamic highlights the controlled and consensual side of darker desires, contrasting sharply with the non-consensual brutality of Addie’s trafficking experience. This juxtaposition, while jarring, underscores one of the core aims of dark romance: to explore the coexistence of love and pain, vulnerability and power, and the ways in which people with fractured pasts can find solace in each other—even if that solace is unconventional.

However, the narrative quickly pivots back to polarizing intimate scenes between Addie and Zade after her contemplation of killing him, which felt rushed and emotionally disjointed. This sequence could have been much more impactful if Addie had been given more time to process her trauma and work through the lingering effects of her captivity before re-establishing such a sexually intense connection with Zade.

Breaking the story into an additional book or two would have greatly benefited the overall pacing and depth. Doing so would have allowed the author to explore Addie’s psychological recovery more thoroughly, following her journey as a survivor and truly addressing the trauma she endured. Instead, the focus shifts too quickly back to Addie and Zade’s relationship, making it feel as though her recovery is sidelined in favor of reestablishing their intimacy. This narrative choice undermines the realism and gravity of her experience, even if the intention was to emphasize her resilience.

One aspect that could have been explored further is whether Zade’s job influenced his sexual preferences. As a vigilante fighting sex traffickers, Zade is constantly immersed in the darkest corners of humanity. While the book doesn’t directly connect his profession to his BDSM habits, the reader is left to wonder whether his exposure to such brutality has shaped his desires and need for control in intimate relationships. This would have been an interesting layer to expand upon, as it could add depth to Zade’s character and make his duality—protector and predator—more compelling.

Additionally, the timeline for Addie and Zade’s return to intimacy could have been handled with more care. After her trafficking experience, the story doesn’t make it entirely clear how much time has passed before they reengage in their BDSM dynamic. While Addie’s consent is emphasized, the quick reintroduction of their intense physical relationship feels emotionally abrupt and diminishes the opportunity to explore her recovery in a meaningful way.

In conclusion, while the book succeeds in delivering a dark and gripping story, it struggles with balancing its heavy themes and polarizing relationship dynamics. Slowing the pacing and dividing the story into additional books would have allowed for deeper exploration of Addie’s trauma, her recovery, and the psychological complexities of her relationship with Zade. As it stands, the juxtaposition of their intimacy with the trafficking subplot remains difficult to reconcile. That said, the book’s focus on raising awareness about sex trafficking is commendable, and it offers an unflinching look at both the horrors of exploitation and the resilience of survivors. Moreover, the exploration of BDSM and darker desires serves to highlight the controlled, consensual side of such dynamics in stark contrast to the abuses of power depicted in the trafficking subplot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Trafficking, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

rachieanniereads's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.0

low 3 star. this one lost me... the first one was so much better. 

i would classify this one more as suspense than romance. that said, none of the motivations of the characters made sense except maybe zade. i felt like plot elements and character involvements were added for shock value, but wasn't developed in a way to also make sense.

this was also a long ass book and it felt long. this was repetitive, and i don't think we needed over 250 pages of torture and graphic rape scenes to understand the trauma adeline was experiencing. 

also sibel was so annoying pls. h.d. carlton is writing a book with sibel as the main character and i will NOT be reading that, thank you :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

bre_mad's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

I truly did enjoy this book. It is dark but that is not a secret. This book did a lot of eye opening for me and I feel it does capture trauma response in Addie well for how it would go for someone else.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

s689's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

gigglybookgeek's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Again, on kobo it was very disappointing to have an AI voice. This is such a disservice to the narrators that did work on the book. It’s also a disservice to author because of mispronunciation and disjointed words. 

This book is definitely darker. You read the trigger warnings, right? Right?! Well, it hits even harder. So get ready. This is more than just dark romance. It will push you over the edge. 

There isn’t anything Zade won’t do to find his little mouse. While others work to shatter the diamond to pieces, she remembers all the things Zade has taught her. In the end, they will regret her turning her pain into a rage. 

As the description says, blood will paint the ground all through out this book. Addie endures so much, it broke me. Parts were so difficult to read, and Zade really felt like just an absolute ahole in some places. Not love or desire, just an ahole. 

This book is full of suspense, twist and turns, pain, the darkest parts of humanity (if you can even call it humanity), and enough blood spilled to save several lives. You’ll wonder why you’re still reading it. Especially if the ptsd/cptsd hits. You will probably still finish it, and be glad you did. Now, I need to go touch grass and feel some sunshine on my face. Whew. What a freakin journey!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

crimsonwhispers01's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment