Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - Haunting Adeline

Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

202 reviews

got_smut's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

This book gets a lot of hype, it came very highly recommended. As an avid reader of spice and darkness, I scooped this up and dove in. I read it a year ago and it didn’t really resonate with me. I saw it gaining traction again and thought a reread was necessary… well, my original review stands. I didn’t really care for it. It has all the elements for a great read:
Stalker
Murder mystery
Fighting against human trafficking
Spice galore
Murder
Ghosts

I think it was Adeline who didn’t do it for me… she wasn’t a strong FMC in my opinion. I loved her haunted house, her job, her friend… but she was kind of flat. I know this isn’t a popular opinion, but it was not my favorite (or top 20). It’s not bad, give it a read. Though it wasn’t for me, I’d still recommend it to a friend who may enjoy it.

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sophieb91's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious fast-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

3.5

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d_endresen's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

I listened to this as an audiobook and Teddy Hamilton’s voice as Zade is absolutely unmatched. Dark, sexy and sinister. This book is very dark, but also emotionally captivating. You want to like the morally grey characters, and even end up rooting for them. But it makes you reflect on the topics at hand. That being said, some scenes were hard to wrap my head around, but the spice was spicy!!

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autumn's review against another edition

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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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veeeoleta's review against another edition

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Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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caroras's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

1.75

Badly written book. The main character, Adeline, is completely fucking unlovable. She’s unbelievably annoying and plain out stupid. She makes not a single logical choice during this 583 pages long book.
This is Stockholm Syndrome, so I guess whoever is into that, this one’s for you.
That is if you also enjoy idiot characters and predictable plots.

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ritzreads's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

this book made me want to gauge my eyes out, cut mu brain into a million pieces, and made me wish i never learned to read so i wouldn't have bad to read this book.
aside from the fact that this book is full of romanticized rape, manipulation, abuse, stalking and much much more, it's also just terribly written
none of the characters really had any personality (or one that was developed), the "plot" wasn't really a plot it was just a sad attempt at making a story that could've been something but was wasted by the rape scenes every other chapter
normally i'd feel bad saying that a book had absolutely no redeeming qualities but this book was so awful that all i can say is that i hope no one else has to ever read this book

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