REVIEW: “Haunting Adeline” by H. D. Carlton

“Sometimes the happiest people are the saddest.”

H.D. Carlton

READ THIS IF:

You’ve ever entertained a stalker fetish.
You order your Thai food with a spicy level 5/5.

PLOT OVER-SIMPLIFIED:

A writer inherits her grandmother’s house, attracts a sexy vigilante stalker on a mission to end sex trafficking, and in the process of coping with her attraction for him she channels her sexual frustration into solving the cold case of her grandmother’s death. Potentially by *dun dun* HER GRANDMOTHER’S OWN STALKER.

MY THOUGHTS:

Full disclaimer: Taste in books, as with all taste, is subjective.

I did not give this book a star rating because while it wasn’t a book I would re-read – it is a dark, ambitious, and independently published book that deserves respect. I want readers to reach their own conclusions, but since mental health is a big component of this book I think some transparency is necessary. Read on, but don’t let my opinions deter you if you determine it’s a good fit for you.

I am torn.

I love dark, spooky books.

I love romance.

So why is a gothic romance difficult for me to swallow?

It’s the themes, albeit brave as they are, that weighed on me.

The trigger warnings at the start are appropriate. The author is incredibly mindful of her reader’s mental health and divulged with compassion.
The prominent theme of child/sex trafficking comes from a POV of justice for the innocent – but it added an inescapable weight to the plot that made me almost feel shameful for reading it.

My main qualm is this:

The seeming hypocrisy of Zade valuing consent, but not practicing it himself. This story builds up a romance between Zade and Addi, but (while I like their relationship in the end) I could not reconcile the contradictory foundation it was built on.

The term “dubious consent” is a new one for me, but I think it applies here. I did not fully understand the implications of that trigger warning before I read this book, so I recommended learning more about it before determining if this book is a good fit for you.

Some parting thoughts:

This book is atmospheric and so appropriate for Halloween.

The music IS. A. VIBE. If this book is made into a movie, “Hide and Seek” by Klergy has serious “Trailer Song” energy.

For the right audience, this book is a memorable one.

All Booked Up