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

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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