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darcynewtonn's reviews
32 reviews
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
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.
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.
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
Twisted Lies by Ana Huang
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Twisted Hate by Ana Huang
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
4.0
I'd say this one is the 'darkest' of the 4 due to the nature of the plot and the initial relationship between Josh and Jules. Yet I still wouldn't class this as a dark romance so if DR isn't for you don't worry.
Overall good book.
Thank you for reading, feel free to follow so we can interact.
Overall good book.
Thank you for reading, feel free to follow so we can interact.
Twisted Games by Ana Huang
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
Twisted Love by Ana Huang
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I love writing reviews but I really don't have much to say about this book.
While the MMC and FMC do develop a truly wonderful bond, I felt this book lacked content.
I am writing this having read Twisted Love, Games, Hate and Lies and id say twisted love defiantly lacks that twisted magic so to speak. Comparing it to Twisted Lies which is much more in depth, I would have loved to have a larger understanding of Ava and Alex's relationship. I felt it lacked the emotional pull on the readers and the tugging point was Ava's trauma rather than the actual relationship.
Overall id say this book needed maybe 100-150 more pages to take it to a 4 - 4.25 star review.
However, Alex is still a very likeable character and Ava's uplifting outlook on life is beautiful so it's not all negative.
The spicy scenes are still very much spicy and enjoyable but they almost felt awkward at points due to the fact we didn't really know much about Ava and Alex as a relationship, only their personal lives and background history.
The books do get increasingly better and even If you have a similar opinion to me of twisted Love, I do strongly recommend reading on through the series which I will also write reviews to.
If you've made it to the end of this review, thank you, and do send me a friend request as I love connecting with people who share similar interests.
While the MMC and FMC do develop a truly wonderful bond, I felt this book lacked content.
I am writing this having read Twisted Love, Games, Hate and Lies and id say twisted love defiantly lacks that twisted magic so to speak. Comparing it to Twisted Lies which is much more in depth, I would have loved to have a larger understanding of Ava and Alex's relationship. I felt it lacked the emotional pull on the readers and the tugging point was Ava's trauma rather than the actual relationship.
Overall id say this book needed maybe 100-150 more pages to take it to a 4 - 4.25 star review.
However, Alex is still a very likeable character and Ava's uplifting outlook on life is beautiful so it's not all negative.
The spicy scenes are still very much spicy and enjoyable but they almost felt awkward at points due to the fact we didn't really know much about Ava and Alex as a relationship, only their personal lives and background history.
The books do get increasingly better and even If you have a similar opinion to me of twisted Love, I do strongly recommend reading on through the series which I will also write reviews to.
If you've made it to the end of this review, thank you, and do send me a friend request as I love connecting with people who share similar interests.
Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-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
3.25
Empire of Lust by J.L. Beck
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I’ve never been a fan of reading, just something about sitting in front of a page never appealed to me, never gripped me. Then I found this book, I. was. hooked.
While this book is what sprouted my love for reading, looking back at it, there wasn’t much of a plot.
I’ve read other books since Empire of Lust which had a way more gripping story line. However if you’re beginning reading smut or only just developing a love for reading and think you’re interested in this sort of content I’d 100% recommend this as your first book.
It was easy to read, gave me an understanding of different genres and opened up a whole load of doors to the sorts of things I could read next.
There was nothing bad about this book whatsoever, but I think there is definitely better out there.
While this book is what sprouted my love for reading, looking back at it, there wasn’t much of a plot.
I’ve read other books since Empire of Lust which had a way more gripping story line. However if you’re beginning reading smut or only just developing a love for reading and think you’re interested in this sort of content I’d 100% recommend this as your first book.
It was easy to read, gave me an understanding of different genres and opened up a whole load of doors to the sorts of things I could read next.
There was nothing bad about this book whatsoever, but I think there is definitely better out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wanted an emotional book and i definitely got that. However the storyline was very predictable.