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max_lovesreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Stalking, Torture, Death, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Pedophilia
meganlaza's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Classism, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Medical content, Murder, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Child death, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Gore, Rape, Alcohol, Death, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Sexism, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
kbrocks2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Trafficking, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, and Rape
kat_reads26's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
With that said, Haunting Adeline started strong and then became a chore to read. The idea of a sexy-stalker-CNC romance with a spooky setting was very intriguing. I'd heard good things from Booktok about this one, including how heavily "spicy" it was. While there is graphic sex scenes depicted here, I have definitely read better. What's worse is that the book is so plot heavy that you have to read through several chapters of our FMC playing detective in her house and our MMC playing "good guy" mercenary with maybe 10 spicy scenes in a 500+ page book.
Speaking of our MMC, he's a complete hypocrite. The chapters from his POV are all about how he wants to save women and children from trafficking and take down pedophile rings/the skin trade and how disgusted he is by the sexual abuse that takes place. And yet he is a textbook definition stalker that has set his sights on the FMC for no discernable reason besides beauty and sexually assaults her again and again. The author does her best to convince us that its not as bad as it is because our FMC is aroused by fear and mystery. That while she "knows its wrong" her body "can't help it." The MMC is clearly told no to his advances over and over again throughout the span of the story (with a few CNC moments nearer to the end) but he persists, claiming it's a game and that he's turned on by her fear and by the chase. The author insists the stalker needs to be redeemable and likable so she has essentially made him the batman of sex trafficking rings.
The sex scenes we do get (albeit rape for most of the book) are padded with multiple chapters of our MMC being the hero of an action movie no one signed on for, as well as an ongoing (and insufferable) added plot of the FMC solving her Great Grandmother's murder. I mean, I guess Adeline needed SOMETHING to do when she's not getting assaulted by the MMC.
If you were hoping to get a dark/taboo sexy love story to get off to while you read... this isn't gonna be it.
I'm not kidding when I tell you that 95% of the sex scenes in this book are non consensual. The FMC is more or less Stockholm syndromed into falling for her stalker via his magic penis. I'm not saying this story wasn't worth reading...but I am saying I probably won't read the next one.
This story ends on a cliffhanger. I'm fine with not knowing what happens next.
Trigger Warnings with Spoilers:
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Trafficking, Child abuse, Stalking, Murder, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Cursing
Minor: Cannibalism and Drug use
hypnosicelos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
feeow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Torture, Gore, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Death, Cursing, Gaslighting, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Slavery, Addiction, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Body horror, and Alcohol
norliuwu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Rape
Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Kidnapping
destinynichole11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Car accident, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Addiction, Blood, Medical content, Body horror, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Gun violence, Cannibalism, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Mental illness, Rape, Trafficking, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Toxic relationship, Gore, Murder, and Violence
j_raby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Rape, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Blood, Murder, Emotional abuse, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Stalking, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Alcohol and Mental illness
josiebunbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Child death, Cursing, Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Child abuse
Moderate: Trafficking
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault