Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse Duet) Paperback – 13 Aug. 2021

Haunting Adeline is a dark romance novel. The first book of the Cat and Mouse duet series, with the second book awaiting publication.Adeline has moved into her great-grandmother Gigi’s home and home to her late grandmother Serafina. The family home is haunted by the unsolved murder of Adeline’s great-Grandmother Gigi, when renovating the family home Adeline comes to find Gigi’s hidden diary. The diary reveals that Gigi had a stalker whom she fell in love with. The answers to her murder maybe hidden in the pages of her diary. Adeline is desperate to find out what happened to Gigi all them years ago, and shockingly similar is that Adeline is plagued with her own stalker hiding in the shadows.Another character is Zade the ring leader of a vigilante group who are on a mission to bring down pedophile and human sex trafficking rings. Zade is no stranger to danger, risks his life to save children and young women from evil and help return them to safety. On his mission to rid the world of evil he stumbles across a bookshop hosting a meet and greet book signing, when Zade’s eyes fall on Adeline, he’s thrown by her beauty instantly and is determined to make her his own.This book has a lot of different elements to it and although it is very dark on times it was gripping from start to finish, and unlike anything I’ve read before.It’s a murder mystery, dark romance, haunted house and has a dark tone all in one. I loved this book, the writing style and Adeline and Zade were for me both very likeable characters. The story in my opinion was set out really well. I’d recommend reading Satans affair before reading this as there’s a great crossover.Also something to keep in mind if you are a person who does not like cliffhangers, I would hold off from reading this book until the second book is available.I just hope the wait for the second book isn’t to long!

H. D. Carlton’s The Haunting Adeline Duet: Dark Romance Meets Psychological Thriller.Bold, twisted, and disturbingly dark. The Haunting Adeline Duet will have you questioning your morals by chapter three. H. D. Carlton hasn’t just written another dark romance, she has carefully crafted a psychological mind-bender. The kind you can’t put down even when it hits 3AM…When people call this duet a “dark romance”, I think they mean vantablack. The commitment to atmosphere and suspense is just one of the many things that makes this duet stand out amongst others. It builds upon what happens when obsession meets horror. A gothic world plagued with foggy nights, relentless creaking floors, and secrets buried beneath the foliage of a bitter forest. It’s safe to say if you are in a reading slump, you wont be after beginning this. Not only does Carlton somehow manage to pull off weaving psychological suspense partnered with paranormal hints and intense chemistry. But she also doesn’t solely rely on intense chemistry and romance, rather it’s about power,control and fear. More importantly, and intriguingly, it is about the unknown… The unpredictable.Intense, dark, and not afraid to explore the more brutal inhumane side of human nature. One thing this duet should be applauded for, it leans fully into its genre without apology. It goes without saying, you should prepare for a wild, and more often than not, uncomfortable ride. There is no holding back on the many graphic scenes or psychological twist, hence the long list of trigger warnings. If you’re into the type of novels that have you curling up on your couch, cozy, warm, safe, then this is definitely not for you. There is one thing that Carlton doesn’t do, and that’s hold back.So, if you like the stories that keep you up at night wondering what you just read, questioning your own morals, high stakes, questioning your already unstable taste in fictional men, then I think Adeline and Zade might just be the unconventional story you need.*************************************************************For me personally:For me personally, this story really did have me in a choke hold for quite a while! I tore through the first book, and devoured the second barely coming up for air. That being said, if you have read this duet, you probably know what I mean when I say some of the themes felt a bit far-fetched. But! That’s also what comes with the territory in this particular genre. It is wild, intense, and honestly fits perfectly with the story’s vibe.There’s so much more I could probably write on this duet, but I’m sure you have heard enough from me by now! Carlton did an amazing job making me feel all emotions possible. So, if you are still with me here, thank you for making it all the way to the end. I can appreciate this was pretty long.If you would like to follow along for more of my reviews, feel free to follow me on here or over on my bookstagram where I post more updates on what i am reading:@thetravellingbookworrmIf you have a bookstagram account, let me know! I would love to take a look and chat with more book lovers. Feel free to DM me anytime!- E xx

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟This is a very dark adult romance/thriller. You are forewarned that there is plenty of strong language, graphic sex scenes and some dub/con moments too. Going into this story with this in mind, as the author clearly sets out her warnings well in advance, I plunged in the dark, decadent, and dangerous world of The Shadow aka Zane. He is a rich, tech savvy vigilante of sorts who spends his time rescuing those who have fallen prey to criminal elements that are involved human trafficking. But don’t be fooled into thinking that Zane is a good man as his own personal tendencies of brutal violence against those who have “sinned” would not be morally ok. He also unfortunately fell in love with Adeline from afar. Even though their “relationship” starts with him stalking her, leaving gifts of flowers inside her home, and calling her anonymously to taunt her, Adeline quickly finds she can’t resist the deliciously dark and slightly sinister pull of Zane especially after she gets an eye full of what he looks like. I don’t blame her!Adeline also gets herself noticed by even more worrying men which leads to Zane keeping a tighter eye on her at home while monitoring her whereabouts when she leaves. The romance and dom/sub dynamic that these two create between them is not for the faint of heart. The story has many triggers, and I cannot stress that enough. Many of Zane’s ideas to “woo” Adeline could be considered cruel, unsafe, and manipulative but I couldn’t resist their palpable attraction and the sex scenes were beyond steamy.The romance storyline goes side by side with the vigilante one which adds tension, action and drama to an already heady erotic novel but in this case, it adds layers of intrigue and suspense to the narrative and the developing relationship between Zane and Adeline. I love my Morally Grey Characters but even I have to say that Zane is heading more into the Morally BLACK territory, but I fell for him anyway. Overall, this was a compellingly sexy and thrilling book 1 in a captivating duology!