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

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? No

4.0

Honestly. For what this book was I’m pretty impressed. 

For a novice to the dark romance genre this was definitely an interesting plot. Zade was a hybrid of Dexter and Joe from You and I found that to be a fitting combination. Adeline is an adrenaline junkie who finds pleasure in fear. So honestly their relationship feels kismet. 

My only real issue with it (besides the general implausibility), is their connection was far too rushed. I was all down for their game of cat and mouse however, the fake dating and the training sequence just felt off kilter compared to the rest of what was happening. That really threw me for a loop and I felt like he should have waited longer to start training her with self defense, once their bond was more cemented. 

Secondly; I would have preferred her only think that Zade was her stalker when she was approached at the restaurant. I think that would have added a really interesting perspective because she would clearly be skeptical of him pretending to be her boyfriend then at the end of the scene he could have lit up a cigarette and it all would have come crashing down around her. That would have been more intense than what actually happened. 

“One day, you will realize that you are not trapped in a prison,” he murmurs roughly. “You are in my church where I am your God, and you are my equal. I’m not a jail little mouse, I am your sanctuary.” “Does that make me a goddess?” “Baby, you rule the fucking kingdom, and I will gladly bow to you.”
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