Book Review: Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

 

Book Summary

Disclaimer

This is a light spoiler review! 

TRIGGER WARNING FOR SA, STALKING, ABUSE.

This book is labelled as "dark romance" but there was nothing romantic about this book. 

Rating

⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ( my real rating is zero stars but for the purpose of reviewing, I gave it one star).

Review

Haunting Adeline is straight up a book about r*pe and abuse. She does not fall in love with Zade, she develops Stockholm syndrome. He literally breaks into her house and threatens her if she calls the police. He murders a guy she was hooking up with because he was jealous over a random woman who he saw one day at a book signing event and became obsessed. Zade's job of working for an organization that stops sex trafficking felt like a cop out way of trying to make him into a good guy when he was just as scummy at the guys he was catching. He was a literal r*pist. 

    There were multiple SA scenes throughout the book that take place on page in graphic and disturbing detail. I don't understand why H.D. Carlton would want to write such scenes... she needs help. She tries to make the r*pe scenes romantic?? There is one scene that has become quite viral on booktok, that scene is probably the most disturbing of them all. Zade SAed Adeline with a gun. How mentally disturbed do you have to be to marke up something like that and then write it in a book and publish it. I had to take a break from the book for a while after that scene because I was just so disturbed by it. 

    I think  it's disgusting that this book is being promoted on booktok and young impressionable girls are being exposed to this kind of traumatizing and disturbing  material. Having a stalker is NOT romantic. SA is NOT romantic. Abuse is NOT romantic. I really am not a judgemental person, however there is a line that has to be drawn and if you enjoyed this book and gave it five stars, are you okay? I've seen fan edits of Zade floating around the book community. We should not idolize and romanticize this kind of behaviour. To me, it doesn't matter if it's "just a book", the things that Zade does is absolutely not acceptable, especially because the author tries to make it romantic. I think the author and everyone who enjoyed this book all need help. Why does this book exist??

    Please don't read this book, it crosses the line even for "dark romance".