Hello everyone, and welcome to a dual series book review! Today we will be discussing Haunting and Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton. I decided to make a review on both books in one post because the first one ends on a cliff hanger and then second one picks up right where the first one left off, so it felt fitting to do them both in one go.

So let’s dive in and start with Haunting Adeline first!

Synopsis: The story follows a young author named Adeline, who finds out she’s being stalked. She also found out that her great grandmother also had a similar situation happen to her from reading her journals when it took place for her. Aside from that new discovery this story revolves around Adeline’s fascination and need to find out more about her family’s past, which could help her future. Mainly because it could include a possible future repeat of her grandmother’s murder, except it could happen to Adeline this time. However, with everything going on in her life, Adeline started to think about the idea with possibly falling and being in love with her stalker.

When I first started reading this book I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Especially when there was murderous stalker and unsolved homicide in the book. However, the more I read it the more I enjoyed it! I thought the beginning of the book was a great way to introduce the two main characters and I really enjoyed that this book was a dual point of view because we got to see what both characters thought of the other. I thought having Adeline live in great grandmother and grandmother’s old home was great way to implement an old murder into the book and also how the author had the setting around the house with it being all around woods was another great set up for the stalker as well.

At first, I thought the stalker wasn’t anything important because he didn’t make any moves or tried to make any form of contact until right before the half way mark. The most he did at the time was just leave roses and break into Adeline’s house. I did like the slow buildup though because when the stalker was finally properly introduced my whole perception of that character changed. I will say that some of the grimey/bloody scenes that he was in was a little much for me, but that was mainly because I’m not the biggest fan of gore. To each their own though.

Then when the two main characters finally had actual contact with each other and not just looking at each other through a window was great because you could definitely sense the tension between the two. It was definitely an opposites attract kind of love trope at first, but the more and more Adeline was around the stalker, they were basically two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly with one another.

I thought also having a sub plot for the stalker was also a great addition to put into the story because it gives his character more depth than just being obsessed with some random girl he saw doing a book signing event. The sub plot is how he’s trying to put a stop to sex trafficking and he kills the people who’re involved in it, but saves the woman and children who were taken from their lives. I know that probably sounds so weird and confusing, but trust me it’s good.

Then when the stalker and Adeline finally actually have their first face to face encounter like not through the phone, window, or anything like that but actually in the same room with each other was honestly kind of crazy. Like the stalker is actually crazy and Adeline is crazy for liking this man. Also some of THOSE scenes were a little too much. Smut is great and all, but for me personally, I don’t need to know every single thing with those kind of encounters.

We’re now getting closer to the end of the book when the Stalker who we now know as Zade or “Z” is not only head over heels in love with Adeline, but he is also trying to protect her as well because they find out that she has a target on her back to be entered into the sex trafficking system. I thought this was crazy, but so interesting to read. Like once it got to this point I didn’t want to put the book down because I needed to know if and how she got taken. That was great because you can actually see Adeline starting to come to terms with everything about her feelings with Zade and this is when I actually start to like them together. I know that sounds so weird to say, but you have to read the book first to understand what I’m putting down.

Then the book ends on a cliff hanger and honestly I think that was the best way to end the first book. Literally right when I finished this book, I immediately started the second one because I had to know what happens next. I also just want to put a disclaimer that this book is the “calmer” version of the two, but it is still very graphic and talks about a lot of serious topics so it is definitely not meant for everyone to read. Like I mentioned in some earlier paragraphs, there were even some parts that were a little too much for me to read.

This book had so many twists and turns, and I can definitely see why it got so popular!

Rating:

Now let’s get into Hunting Adeline!

Synopsis: Adeline is currently trapped in a sex trafficking house in the process of being groomed for the most elite people in the world. She has been facing the biggest fight of her life and is trying to survive by holding onto hope that Zade will come rescue her. However, that’s not very easy when there are eyes watching her every move to see if she’s worthy to live or not.

I’m just going to say right out of the gate that this book was way better than the first one, but it also way more graphic than the first one.

The books starts with Adeline being in the sex trafficking house scared out of her mind not knowing what is going to happen to her. She goes through many tests to prove her worthiness and goes through a lot of trial and error with not knowing when to stick up for herself and the other girls in the house. She was only in that house for about three months and within those few months she changed so much. I thought the author did a good job with showing Adeline slowly losing her most important ideals and humanity because it just shows how terrible those kinds of situations truly are.

This book was also in a dual point of view and I enjoyed this a lot more than the first one because in the first half of the book it’s showing what Adeline is going through everyday in that terrible house and then it’s showing Zade working night and day with trying to find her before it’s too late.

A lot happens in this book just within the first half and I definitely don’t want to spoil everything about this book because if you do decide to read it, I want to make sure that there’s still some element of surprise for you. Just know that Adeline goes through the unimaginable with so many people and tasks basically each time you’re reading from her perspective with this book. Then Zade is actually going crazy over this like he truly did not get any real rest until he found her. He had every person he knew find her by hacking into camera systems to try and find her face and by hacking into a lot of sites. He even teamed up with Adeline’s best friend Daya.

Do not worry though everyone because Adeline does end up escaping the house, but not because of Zade. She actually got out on her own, but Zade and her both escaped and rescued her all around the same time. So when Adeline escaped Zade ended up rescuing her that same day. That part was a little too convenient for me because where Adeline was held up it wasn’t surrounded by anything except for woods and an old train. So I was expecting her to have to rough it out in the woods for a day or two, but hey that part was still very good nonetheless.

We then are in the second part of the book and it takes place back in Adeline’s home trying to readjust with life now that she’s out of that place. She was obviously going through some severe trauma and definitely lost a part of herself during that situation, but Zade made sure to be there and to always protect her. While Adeline is dealing with these struggles is when she truly starts to actually fully start falling in love with Zade because of how selfless he has been and for everything he has done for her since she got taken.

However, don’t let this make you think that Adeline is out of the woods just yet because she is no where even close. There was still a target on her back and many people were looking for her still trying to get her back. Zade obviously was not going to let that happen, so he made sure to have all of his forces up. While Adeline was trying to get used to her new reality again, Zade made sure to train her on how to defend herself and she actually ended up being such a badass during this part. I loved that she started to actually see how strong she is throughout this book.

Then when she was finally trained to a point where she could not only protect herself but also win a fight she actually started to go on missions with Zade and his team. So she helped end sex trafficking in the book and also ended whoever’s lives that made hers a living hell. All of those parts in the book were very gory, but still so cool to read because I’m not even kidding Adeline had such amazing character development in this book.

Then once they finally ended their goal things started to calm down for the most part, but Adeline still had some lingering trauma that was going to be stuck with her for a long time after. Zade made sure to let her know that he would always be there and he actually ended the book in such a romantic way by referencing something that happened in the first book.

I tried to not spoil as much in this book because of it being a longer book with way more events that happened in this one because I am not kidding this actually had me gasp so many times from all of the twists and turns it had.

Rating:

All in all, I really enjoyed this two part book series and would definitely read this series again! I hope you all liked this dual book review and if you end up reading the book I also hope you enjoy just as much as I did!