A review by _onemorechapter_
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

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

0.5

๐‘ป.๐‘พ: Make sure to read the authorโ€™s warning before diving in!
โš ๏ธ - If youโ€™re a fan of this book, then definitely skip my review. Itโ€™s not going to be what you want to hear.
 
๐Ÿ’ญAbsolutely Terrible 

Haunting Adeline was a huge disappointment which had the potential to be a dark and gripping story, but unfortunately, it fell flat in almost every aspect and it turned out to be a total waste of time. The plot, which revolves around a stalker romance, wasn't intense or excitingโ€”it was just plain disturbing. 
The characters were underdeveloped, with the main protagonist, Adeline, lacking depth and relatability.
When diving into a dark romance, you usually expect some depth and intense themes, like drugs or death, to give the story a serious edge. Instead, this book throws in a goofy hacker vigilante stalker and an insufferable heroine, calling itself a dark romance. Itโ€™s really just a joke.

The central storyline revolves around Adeline, a young woman who becomes the target of a stalker, Zade. The relationship dynamic between the two characters is deeply unsettling, and while dark romance often pushes boundaries, the portrayal here crosses into uncomfortable and problematic territory. The concept of romanticizing stalking and non-consensual behavior is not only disturbing but also detracts from any emotional depth the story might have had.
The writing dragged on with way too much unnecessary description, making the story feel slow and boring. The romantic parts? Awkward and uncomfortable, to say the least. Instead of feeling any chemistry or tension, it just left me cringing.
The book tried to tackle dark themes like obsession, but it completely missed the mark. It ended up feeling more exploitative than anything else, and I kept wondering why I was even reading it.

Adeline was incredibly frustrating. She came across as so clueless and childish and fucking dumb that it felt like a personal insult. I never meet women like this in real lifeโ€”women who act so irrationally and immaturely. 
Itโ€™s disheartening and insulting to see female characters written this wayโ€”completely lacking in logic or maturity. We need to see more respect in the portrayal of women in literature, with characters that feel authentic and well-rounded.

Zade was just awful. I seriously feel like there's some joke I'm missingโ€”people actually like this guy? Heโ€™s so pathetic. Heโ€™s constantly hyping himself up in his inner monologue, acting like he's some tough guy. His โ€œthingโ€ is killing sex traffickers and making it his hobby, which he uses to stroke his ego. But then, heโ€™s casually stalking and assaulting a girl in his spare time, completely without remorse. Itโ€™s beyond messed up.
Zade is the epitome of double standards and hypocrisy! 

The most infuriating and ironic part is that Mr. Savior, the so-called hero who canโ€™t stand to see innocent kids being abused by powerful men and supposedly saves them, ends up RAPING the main character with gun!!
Are you kidding me? How does the author not see the problem here? You canโ€™t have him be this so-called savior for rape survivors and then turn around and rape the main character!

Overall, Haunting Adeline was a major letdown. I honestly regret spending my time on it, and I wouldnโ€™t recommend it to anyone. If you're looking for a good dark romance or thriller, skip this one.

๐.๐’ Not sure if I am going to read the Hunting Adeline!

๐Ÿ”ธ๐‘ด๐’š ๐‘น๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ: โญ
๐Ÿ”ธ๐‘ฎ๐’๐’๐’…๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’…๐’” ๐‘น๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ: 3.96 (544354)
๐Ÿ”ธ๐‘ฎ๐’†๐’๐’“๐’†: Romance, Thriller, Suspense, Erotic literature, Gothic fiction 
๐Ÿ”ธ๐‘บ๐’‘๐’Š๐’„๐’š: ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ                                                                                                                                                   
๐Ÿ”ธ๐‘บ๐’†๐’“๐’Š๐’†๐’”: Cat and Mouse Duet (Book 1)
๐Ÿ”ธ๐‘น๐’†๐’„๐’๐’Ž๐’Ž๐’†๐’๐’…๐’‚๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’: NO!
I skimmed through 85% of the book because I don't DNF. If youโ€™re thinking about picking this up, save yourself the time and avoid it.

๐Ÿ”ธ ๐‘ญ๐’‚๐’—๐’๐’“๐’Š๐’•๐’† ๐‘ธ๐’–๐’๐’•๐’†๐’”:

โ€œWhen you make someone fall in love with the darkest parts of you, thereโ€™s nothing you can do that will scare them away. They will be yours forever because they already love all the fucked up bits and pieces of you.โ€

โ€œBaby, you rule the fucking kingdom, and I will gladly bow to you.โ€

โ€œLove is an enigma, and it's redefined every time someone says it.โ€

โ€œSometimes the happiest people are the saddest,โ€

โ€œIf itโ€™s real, then Iโ€™ve chased you across time and space, and youโ€™ve never been able to get away.โ€

โ€œI guess I wanted to see roses all over your house, too. Maybe because you feel like home.โ€