Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

89 reviews

bimsa's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The writing was great, pace and plot was cohesive and engaging. Smut and story dark but not overwhelming. TW recommended for sure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Stalking, Blood, Car accident, Mental illness, Murder, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Rape, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Death, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Slavery, and Torture

honeybeewitched87's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Violence, Alcohol, and Stalking

Moderate: Torture, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Infidelity, Car accident, Alcoholism, Death, and Kidnapping

cxsmiccxtie's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Addiction, Torture, Violence, Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Confinement, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, and Toxic relationship

eaveryll's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

This book was extremely difficult to get through. Take the trigger warnings seriously. The first half is extremely graphic and the second half left me feeling uncomfortable after having read part 1. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Torture, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Confinement

The reunion does not come for a long time and you read a lot of on page and referenced rape/assault. There is PTSD and graphic sexual scenes after the first half kidnapping.

mimo_'s review against another edition

dark tense

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

ok so like what the fuck is this (again)
i dont care about either one of them and the "cliffhanger" at the end means nothing to me 
i read this purely for science to see what the booktok girlies see in him and quite frankly i dont see much please seek help if this is ur man
despite all of the questionable things in this entire book its somehow not the worst thing ive read (iykyk) but it still. wasnt very good. 

there is so much non-con in here like zade get it together this man has so many kinks that are doing a bit too much. after all this forcing himself on adeline because physically she wants it but mentally shes like get the fuck away from me hes somehow supposed to be redeemed bc hes a vigilante killing human traffickers

also why was there a random murder mystery in here it wasnt even that thrilling like she did the same thing jfkdndnksv adeline is stupid

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gore, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Blood, Child death, Stalking, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Car accident, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Cursing, Hate crime, Alcohol, Body horror, Violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Rape

navikris's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Body horror, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Rape, Drug use, Vomit, Torture, Trafficking, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Self harm, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Cursing, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Gun violence, Gore, Slavery, and Car accident

vireya's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

It was SO GOOD. TikTok lead me to believe it would just be some super fucked up Stockholm syndrome sexcapade, but in truth the story itself was actually very compelling and there’s only one scene where she well and truly doesn’t consent and even then you could make an argument for it if you wanted to. The rest is all very much consensual non consent. And that is a very common kink. It isn’t for everyone, but it’s very common and I didn’t feel like it was super overdone. I’ve definitely read more romance novels that have sex just tossed in for the sake of having it. This was built into the story very well and did a very good job of highlighting the developing relationship between Addie and Zade as she gets to know him. I appreciate that the screwed up nature of developing a relationship with her stalker is something Addie frequently chastises herself for. It’s written in a way that doesn’t feel like she’s developed Stockholm syndrome and at one point she says

she’s the worst possible person to have a stalker because she already knows she’s attracted to that sort of thing before he even came into the picture

. And I love her side of the story as she works through her feelings and tries to figure out what happened with her great grandmother. I love the mirror effect and how she’s seeking her own answers to the conflict she feels toward Zade in her great grandmother’s past. I thought it was really well done. The story was compelling and intriguing beyond just this strange developing relationship between them.

Update: I actually reread the series about a month and a half later and loved it just as much the second time around  so I upped my rating

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Sexual assault, Torture, Gore, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Child abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

It is very dark. If you are squeamish in the slightest this book is not for you.

autumn's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

0.25

I saw this book recommended on TikTok and FB groups for those of us who enjoy a bit (okay, actually, a lot) of spice in our reading, and after reading the synopsis, I initially decided it wasn’t for me. 

But, I’m trying to push myself out of my comfort zone with my reading this year, in case I might find that I enjoy something I never bothered to try. It worked with another title (following two serial killers’ romantic tryst), so why not this? 

Well. I’ll tell you why. 

The female main character is, of course, the most devastatingly-beautiful, well-traveled, successful, early-twenties writer, who inherits a spooky manor from her grandmother (travel in her early twenties and a homeowner in the PNW…in THIS economy?!) But, whatever. This is a trope in all the romance books. Successful, breathtakingly beautiful FMC. Fine. 

The male main character. Ugh. He’s a super-hacker who is also a super-spy and super-stealthy super-soldier who rescues “trafficking victims” by killing bad guys. He devotes his life to saving “girls and children” (as written in the book), but upon seeing a poster of the FMC outside a book shop decides he is going to stalk her and force her to love him. Huh??? Where’s that savior complex now, dude? 

Of course, the first trafficker we encounter is described as a “Mexican” man. The next predator we are introduced to is part of a group of politicians who participate in Satanic rituals of drinking kid’s blood, and - wouldn’t ya know it - he’s got a stereotypically Jewish last name! Bigoted stereotypes, ahoy! 

All the “trafficking victims” are portrayed as loved and cared for little English-speaking girls who were snatched up by evil immigrants and will be returned to loving families, furthering this ridiculous notion that these trafficking rings are snatching up middle-class white women and their tow-headed children Braydynn and Braxxlyeigh from the children’s section of Target, rather than portraying the reality that most trafficking victims are groomed by family or close friends, or are a part of marginalized communities that are easily exploited or taken advantage of. 

The “hero” MMC murders a man and leaves his hands on the FMC’s doorstep, sexually assaults her multiple times (once with a handgun), and then she falls in love with him because he bangs her so good. He’s a disgusting hypocrite, and she is a dimwit. 

We’ve also got a potential ghost (?), a drug dealing crime family, a 1940s mafia, a crazy “broken doll” who works in a haunted fair and murders people…the list goes on.
  
The FMC was maybe (?) haunted in this book, but the fact that people can find anything redeeming in either of the main characters of this book is what will haunt me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Murder, Slavery, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Blood, Cannibalism, Pedophilia, Torture, Vomit, Antisemitism, Child death, Drug abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

hcrocker18's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Trafficking, Child abuse, Violence, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content

darcynewtonn's review against another edition

dark funny 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

4.75

While I'm still relatively new to reading dark romance or just reading in general, I can confidently say this is one of my favourite books and will remain a favourite. 

If you're reading this review i'm going to assume you have a basic understanding of the book because let's be honest here... what dark romance readers haven't heard of Haunting Adeline? Exactly 

When I went into this book i'd tried not to research it on booktok as I wanted the book experience without a swayed opinion. This is something I highly recommend doing as it allowed me to enjoy the true content of the book without knowing any spoilers and I think it just made it that little bit better. Admittedly any spoilers put onto TikTok would probably be removed due to inappropriate content so there isn't really much you can research on this book, but anyway, don't.  

Yes Zade may be a little effed up, however I still can't help falling in love with him... and I sort of wouldn't mind having my own sexy stalker to throw my life into the air... is that bad? Probably, but hey if you're reading this then you probably got something a little loose up there too so you can't really judge me.

The only true warning I can give is, even if you're into dark erotic scenes, some parts of this book do get deathly dark *literally*. Me and my sister very much read the same books however we have an ever so slightly different reaction to gruesome details and this is one I know she would not enjoy. So please understand the sheer depth of what you are about to read. It is graphic and it is very easy to visualise. 

One piece of information I do need to give on Hunting Adeline is that it is substantially darker and sadder reading the... situation?... thats going on. If you do plan on reading Hunting Adeline I strongly suggest you read the duet back to back with as little break in-between as possible, it makes the second book slightly less dark, not much, but slightly. 

Overall this book was fabulous and I really did enjoy reading it, especially chapter 30 ;). 
I've recommended it to numerous friends even though I think that's a slightly cruel thing to do but I really hope more people can love this book how I did. 

If you've made it to the end of this review, do send me a friend request as I love connecting with people who are just as mentally messed as me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Blood, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Violence, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Body shaming, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Body horror, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Alcohol, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Deadnaming