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A review by shewriteswithknives
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
1.0
I have never hated a book as much as I do this one.
First off, let me start by saying I've always believed if you can't divide a room then you're not doing something right. Whether you love or hate the Cat and Mouse duet, Carlton is doing something right. She knows how to get people to talk which brings in more attention and more money to her books. I think that is fantastic.
Now, for the actual review....There may or may not be spoilers so read with caution.
I hated it. One star is generous. I used to think there wasn't a worse piece of fiction than 50 Shades but this surpassed it by a mile. I previsouly read Does It Hurt? and went into this book with HIGH hopes only to be severely disappointed.
I decided to listen to the audiobook. I loved our female narrator. Her voice and influx was fantastic. The male narrator was one of the worst I've ever heard. It was a chore to listen to him. However, I was able to picture Zade as more of a douche better because of it, so thanks? I guess. Audiobook gets 3.5 stars solely for our female narrator.
Adeline is one of the dumbest women on the planet. I can't even begin to list all the negatives about her. Her friend, Daya, who works for the secret agency, isn't too far behind. I was disappointed in Daya that when she found out Addie was being stalked that she wasn't more concerned. Then once she figures out who Zade is, how nonchalant she was. Like it wasn't a massive issue. The gun scene? Addie, and any of the readers that actually thought this would feel good, have clearly never been to a gyno and had a cold piece of metal shoved up inside of them. Nothing about that was remotely believable.
Zade. Talks like a bro, dresses like a sleezy bum (you know the kind of guys that wear those oversized hoodies that haven't been washed in years and are ratty at the sleeves), and is an absolute tool. There is nothing good or redeemable about him. He hunts down the kind of men that he is: pedos and grapists. Ok so Zade isn't a pedo, but he is the other thing. How anyone thinks anything about his character is good is beyond me.
Also, how is this labeled dark romance? There is no romance.... just because Zade is obsessed with Addie doesn't make it a romance. There's no love. He is just full of evil and lust. Addie is being manipulated into her slow forming "feelings".
Requirements for writing romance: sympathetic heroine, irresistible hero, emotional tension, HEA, etc. Maybe there is an HEA in the second book, but as is, this book checks off NONE of those boxes. The marketing team is way off with this one.
First off, let me start by saying I've always believed if you can't divide a room then you're not doing something right. Whether you love or hate the Cat and Mouse duet, Carlton is doing something right. She knows how to get people to talk which brings in more attention and more money to her books. I think that is fantastic.
Now, for the actual review....There may or may not be spoilers so read with caution.
I hated it. One star is generous. I used to think there wasn't a worse piece of fiction than 50 Shades but this surpassed it by a mile. I previsouly read Does It Hurt? and went into this book with HIGH hopes only to be severely disappointed.
I decided to listen to the audiobook. I loved our female narrator. Her voice and influx was fantastic. The male narrator was one of the worst I've ever heard. It was a chore to listen to him. However, I was able to picture Zade as more of a douche better because of it, so thanks? I guess. Audiobook gets 3.5 stars solely for our female narrator.
Adeline is one of the dumbest women on the planet. I can't even begin to list all the negatives about her. Her friend, Daya, who works for the secret agency, isn't too far behind. I was disappointed in Daya that when she found out Addie was being stalked that she wasn't more concerned. Then once she figures out who Zade is, how nonchalant she was. Like it wasn't a massive issue. The gun scene? Addie, and any of the readers that actually thought this would feel good, have clearly never been to a gyno and had a cold piece of metal shoved up inside of them. Nothing about that was remotely believable.
Zade. Talks like a bro, dresses like a sleezy bum (you know the kind of guys that wear those oversized hoodies that haven't been washed in years and are ratty at the sleeves), and is an absolute tool. There is nothing good or redeemable about him. He hunts down the kind of men that he is: pedos and grapists. Ok so Zade isn't a pedo, but he is the other thing. How anyone thinks anything about his character is good is beyond me.
Also, how is this labeled dark romance? There is no romance.... just because Zade is obsessed with Addie doesn't make it a romance. There's no love. He is just full of evil and lust. Addie is being manipulated into her slow forming "feelings".
Requirements for writing romance: sympathetic heroine, irresistible hero, emotional tension, HEA, etc. Maybe there is an HEA in the second book, but as is, this book checks off NONE of those boxes. The marketing team is way off with this one.