Reviews with content warning for Trafficking - Hunting Adeline

Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

1104 reviews

thelayne's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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sirenaxox's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I was not expecting the beginning of this to be SOOOOO heartwrenching and yet also dark. 100% please read the trigger warnijg, but my heart is sobbing. I am truly happy with the ending and cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!

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katelyn227's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

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jo_march_'s review against another edition

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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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luisalovesbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This was the second dark romance book I have ever read (the first one being Haunting Adeline, the first part of this duology).
With these books I learned to take trigger warnings very seriously. (I never had books with extensive trigger warnings so I kind of brushes them off) So, most of, if not everything, I was not the biggest fan of was mentioned in the trigger warnings.
Simply, I should have paid attention and I wouldn’t have had to read what I did not like.

I like that I learned more about myself and my boundaries with this book, even if it was not the point of it.
I learned more about my taste in books and what to look out for to find books I truly like.

With all of this being said, I liked this book a lot. It was very graphic and hurt my virgin-to-dark-romance-bookish-soul a little but it was very well written. It was exciting and I could not put it down (explaining why I read it 9 days - to me that is fast).

I am glad I read it. And I will be reading more from H. D. Carlton.

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misspeachii's review against another edition

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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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jholl99's review against another edition

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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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torikay's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense

4.5

Zade will forever be my favorite obsessive book boyfriend. This book is absolutely insane and a LOT but I personally loved it.

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solaris_wintergale's review against another edition

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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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firefly31's review against another edition

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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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