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28.9k reviews for:

Haunting Adeline

H.D. Carlton

3.73 AVERAGE

dark sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: N/A
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Nothing short of terrifying. Just a rape fantasy disguised as “dark romance”. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

I’m not triggered easily, really. I started this book knowing there would be violence, gruesome content and possible talk about abuse and traumas and stuff that usually comes up in dark romance, and even though I read the trigger warnings, my eyes couldn’t believe the words before me.

Here I was thinking I would read a stalker romance where the circumstances would make her fall in love, but as it is clearly stated several times throughout the book, he just loved forcing himself on her. I’m aware of kinks and cnc, but there was not even a single atom of consent at the start and somehow she grew accustomed to the abuse because her “body reacted”. I’m fucking sick of that shitty line. It was repeated more times than the amount of steps I’ve walked on this earth. And there was a point where the smut was just so repetitive. The investigation about Gigi was incredibly underwhelming (I could smell the plot twist miles away). And I have nothing negative to say about Zade’s missions or job since those parts in my opinion were the most entertaining. But I never liked his character, specially when he kept raping Addie while admitting it was wrong, when his WHOLE LIFE PURPOSE was saving the kind of women and children who didn’t have a choice. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.

But okay, I’ll fall into the trap and say he’s a fucking enigma, I wonder if there was some reasoning behind his sickly behavior. Well, guess what? THERE WASN’T. He had regular parents, who supported and loved him dearly until they tragically died. And as shitty as that is, I probably missed a part where he learned the behavior was justified someway, as if he just couldn’t show his “bad parts” through time like fucking normal ppl do in a relationship. But well, I guess he’s not normal, or he is but he woke up and just wanted to be like that all of a sudden, because as he stated “he did it because he wanted to”.

Don’t even get me started on Addie, she keeps repeating to herself she’s making stupid decisions, yet she doesn’t know why she keeps making them. Boo hoo, poor Addie. Well, yeah Addie I think you’re fucking stupid. I’d really like someone to mention her traits besides being hot, stupid, and alcoholic, because my brain was only capable of noticing those.

I’m tired of female protagonist on dark romance accepting abuse and masking it as them “owning it”. This book gave me Corrupt vibes yet 1000 times worse.

Definitely not the type of story that should be romanticized the way I’ve seen it is.

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional funny reflective 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: Yes
adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

hated this book
— hated how zade tried to act like he was a “good guy”
— hated how he raped adeline multiple times ( this book isnt cnc) Cnc is discussed beforehand !! i am a dark romance lover but zade just wasnt for me.

if you love this series and zade tho i respect you


— if you want a book with a stalker and kinky sex in it i reccommend that sik luv by jessica hall tbh

I am looking forward to HD CARLTONS OTHER BOOKS THOUGH !!!

Es un libro que no solo tiene dark romance, tiene acción, justicia social y un monton de delincuentes en el. Es un libro facil de leer y sus escenas spicy 10/10.
challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I think less of myself for reading this book.

Not only did I go into this book with low expectations, I was still disappointed. Some things shouldn't be written about - also there was too much going on, and I couldn't tell what the actual point was.

Adeline has no sense of self-respect or self-preservation, which is infuriating, and is one of the worst MCs I've ever read.

Zade... don't even start. Jail.

Also... child trafficking. Is H.D. Carlton okay?

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