Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

261 reviews

misswirum's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.75

This is a book that's extreme hyped on social media, and I guess I expect more? It was kinda slow, but also kinda relaxing? 
I liked the c-plot the most. I was deeply invested in knowing who killed Adeline's great-grandmother. The ghost-vibes was a nice touch.

I also liked Parson Manor. It was described perfectly! 
I think Adeline was an okay FMC. I really don't see the hate for her. Zade was also okay, although unhinged lol.

Will be diving right into Hunting Adeline🫣

3,75/5⭐️
4/5📝
3,5/5🌶

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Child death, Sexual violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Death, Slavery, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Sexism

booksnart2023's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Car accident, Death, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Blood, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Rape, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Gun violence, and Torture

Moderate: Domestic abuse

meganlaza's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

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

kat_reads26's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

Haunting Adeline is one part dark erotica, one part action-thriller and a sprinkling of Nancy Drew style mystery. Despite how it may be categorized at your local bookstore, is not a romance. This is a NC/CNC Erotic Thriller that isn't for any readers who are easily affected by triggers such as stalking, NC sex, CNC sex, abuse, and mentions of pedophilia. If any of that puts you off, don't bother reading. 

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:

There is a scene where the female main character is made to masturbate with a gun, 50% of the story is about sex trafficking rings, child abuse, child torture, and pedophilia, the relationship between the main characters is non consensual for most of the book, then it is CNC for the rest

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Content Warnings

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

There is a scene where the female main character is made to masturbate with a gun, 50% of the story is about sex trafficking rings, child abuse, child torture, and pedophilia, the relationship between the main characters is non consensual for most of the book, then it is CNC for the rest

nholdenarendt's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Violence, Antisemitism, Drug use, Kidnapping, Child death, Death, Torture, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

raspberryjelly's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

It’s ok, the spice is good but that’s really it, plus the scenes are hard to imagine, like the way they are described.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Trafficking, Car accident, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Torture, Death, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Cursing, and Sexual harassment

tashieee's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Literally the first ever dark romance I picked up! It's absolutely very dark and not for the faint of heart (please take the trigger warnings seriously) but it was so bad that it was GOOD! Some scenes very much stay with you after you finish the book 😳 the writing is okay, it's nothing jaw dropping but I was really enjoyed this book and how dark it is!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, and Torture

jess_h7's review against another edition

dark funny tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Pedophilia, Murder, Rape, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, and Stalking

Moderate: Alcoholism and Blood

Minor: Car accident

lehuarivera's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Torture, Trafficking, Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, and Stalking

gabrielleandcompany's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective 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

5.0

Well, well, well. This book has many toxic, triggering, and terrible characters, however - looking at how it was written, I couldn’t have asked for better. Is the MMC very problematic? Absolutely. But God, how HD writes it was so difficult to not get sucked into the story and want the two MCs to end up together. Now, to ruin myself with Hunting Adeline!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Pedophilia, and Gun violence