Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

235 reviews

msmagoo502's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense

• 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? It's complicated

2.5

Problematic requires a large suspension of belief and morality just nope

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

e11iphant's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

child and women human trafficking and sex rings. stalker and rape on adults and children.

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

max_lovesreading's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

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 abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use and Cannibalism

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

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

feeow's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Slavery, and Blood

Minor: Body horror, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Alcohol

kassidypf13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting

alis143's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

booksonmain's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

First, let me start by saying that this is a *dark* romance. If you do not want a bit of blood and tears mixed in with your smut then this will not be the right book for you. You have been warned. 

All of that being said, I think the author did an exceptional job of creating a morally gray character. Zade is not someone you want to like, but in the end you do start rooting for him because his cause is so just. Addie is the perfect heroin for this type of romance novel. She enjoys being scared and I think is a little bit twisted. Honestly, the novel wouldn't work if she wasn't just a little bit insane. The banter between the two leads is top tier and the spice is definitely high. 

I think that this book is a great way for people to explore a darker side of romance without actually putting themselves in danger. I think it's okay to enjoy reading about things that we wouldn't be okay with in real life. I am eagerly anticipating the second book in the duology.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism