Hunting Adeline

Hunting Adeline 

Hunting Adeline is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list. If you’ve read my previous reviews on H.D. Carlton’s books, then you already know I hated Haunting Adeline. But I had to read Hunting Adeline to find out the conclusion, and decide if it really was worth the time to read. 

My wife read these books and raved about them. Obviously we have some differing opinions on books, and that can be entertaining. My husband and I read very differently as well. Sometimes comparing notes can be fun, as books speak differently to us. 

This post contains affiliate links

I ended up listening to Hunting Adeline while I was crocheting for a couple of days, and my husband came home from work and asked me if I was listening to Haunting Adeline again and why. He recognized the narrators, and I had to explain to him that this was the sequel. 

At the time I’m publishing this review, this book is also available via Kindle Unlimited, and given that I’ve been trying to utilize this subscription more and more, this was a good score, in my opinion, which bumped it farther up to the top of my to be read list. 

Have you read Haunting Adeline? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

About Hunting Adeline 

The conclusion to the Cat and Mouse Duet is here…

“If she were to die… the world would die with her.”

The worst Adeline Reilly expected for her life were a few unholy ghosts haunting the hallways of Parsons Manor, not falling in love with her stalker and ending up in the clutches of a trafficking ring.

Trapped in a house used to groom women for the elite, she faces the biggest fight of her life—survive the Culling and escape. But that’s not so easy when watchful eyes are determined to see her fail. However, Adeline may have an unlikely ally, who just might be the key to her getting out alive.

But trusting them is a risk that could cost her everything.

Meanwhile, Zade will stop at nothing until Adeline is safe in his arms again, even if he must burn the world to find her. Hunting his little mouse is what he’s best at, but who she’ll be when he finds her is a battle that he doesn’t know he can win.

It won’t be the test of time they must survive, but the memories of who they once were.

Recommended Reading Order for the C&M Universe:

• Satan’s Affair
• Haunting Adeline
• Hunting Adeline
• Where’s Molly 

Hunting Adeline Trigger Warnings 

• Sexual assault
• Graphic rape
• Human trafficking
• Slave trade
• Graphic violence
• Grooming
• Physical and mental abuse
• Severe PTSD
• Kidnapping
• Psychological abuse
• Explicit sexual situations
• Blood play
• Knife play
• Degradation
• Somnophilia

This book is significantly darker than Haunting Adeline. Please take these warnings seriously. Your mental health matters.  

Hunting Adeline Book Playlist 

• “Miracle” by Story of the Year
• “Black Mirror” by Sophie Simmons 
• “No Rest for the Wicked” by Klergy
• “Crazy” by Gavn!
• “The Death of Peace of Mind” by Bad Omens
• “Skull and Bones” by A.A. Bondy
• “Saints” by Echos
• “Danger” by Jacqui Siu
• “Waking Up” by MJ Cole and Freya Ridings
• “Monster” by Skillet
• “Tragedy” by Zero 9:36
• “Kill for You” by Skylar Grey and Eminem
• “Hypnotizing” by Aaron Camper
• “Sad Season” by Gavin Haley
• “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” by Glimmer of Blooms
• “Spellbound” by Ghostly Kisses
• “Guest Room” by Echos
• “Let It Burn” by Red

A Note from the Author 

I’ll start with honesty. This book destroyed me. And you may think because it is dark and twisted, but the true reasoning is because of the immense pressure to make this one live it up to the first and to be frank, I was a little burnt out. It wrung every last blood, sweat, and tear from my body. And I believe I came out of the other side with something beautiful – a little jagged and imperfect, but beautiful all the same. 

I know some may have wanted them to reunite sooner, but I felt like I would be doing an injustice to the realities of human trafficking. And to be blunt, if I was truly being realistic, she never would’ve been found at all. I truly felt her trials and tribulations were necessary for her development and transformation, and I’m so proud of who she became. 

Some will say Hunting isn’t a romance, but I will kindly disagree. Zade and Addie have an epic love story, and the journey back to each other may be long and hard, but that doesn’t make their love story less than. And they certainly don’t need physical intimacy to show how much they love each other. (Though there is still plenty of that.) 

Thank you all for taking this journey with me. I know it’s dark, and heavy, and these characters have gone through hell and back. But who are they now? I couldn’t love them more. 

Thoughts on Haunting Adeline 

“Heaven isn’t a place you go to when you die, it’s inside the person that’s worth dying for.” 

H.D. Carlton, Hunting Adeline

Let me first say that Hunting Adeline could benefit from being a solid two hundred pages shorter. The author needed desperately to edit parts and cut some out. That would have made the whole thing less tedious to read. This is also in part because of the subject matter. It really is dark and heavy, and can get old fast as a result. 

Now I’ll be honest with you and say that I didn’t have the highest hopes for this book. I hated Haunting Adeline, and it took me several months to get over being mad at myself for giving in to the hype of reading it. I fully expected to hate Hunting Adeline in equal measures. 

But it was actually better. In comparison to Haunting Adeline, Hunting Adeline had a much straighter direction, and the author stuck to that. The big focus was on human trafficking and what happens to women who are victims. I really appreciate the fact this one didn’t have a bunch of distracting side plots that didn’t necessarily fit into the story. 

I also really like the fact that Sibby from Satan’s Affair made an appearance here. She was hilarious, and a very necessary comedic relief. That is actually what made it memorable for me. She helped to lighten up a very heavy story. But I also really liked Satan’s Affair because of the direction that story went in. She may very well be my favorite character. 

But I did appreciate that Addie grew into a different person. She had to decide how long she wanted to remain a victim before transitioning into being a survivor. 

I found that I’m glad I read the story, just to say that I did and have an opinion on it. But I found that I just made it through it to say I did. This one didn’t make me love or hate it. It was just that I read it and finished it. 

Final Thoughts on Haunting Adeline 

“Without you, I will shatter. But with you, I am indestructible.” 

H.D. Carlton, Hunting Adeline

I’m calling Hunting Adeline a three star read. It was good, but I really wanted great, especially after the letdown that Haunting Adeline was. 

I should also bring up the fact there is no real romance in this story. Rape isn’t romance. It is rape, and there is a lot of that here. It isn’t a romance, just a very dark story about rape and human trafficking victims. 

I should also note that you absolutely need to read these stories in order. I’ve seen a number of people asking if reading them in order is an absolute necessity, and the answer is yes. You definitely need to read them in order. They are not written to be standalone stories in a series. If you read them out of order, none of it will make any sense, and reading time is precious. Don’t waste it by going out of order. 

Discussion 

Have you read Hunting Adeline or any other writing from H.D. Carlton? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

About the Author 

H. D. Carlton is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author. She lives in Oregon with her husband, two dogs, cat, and Bigfoot. When she’s not bathing in the tears of her readers, she’s watching paranormal shows and wishing she was a mermaid. Her favorite characters are of the morally gray variety and believes that everyone should check their sanity at the door before diving into her stories. 

Author Acknowledgments 

I have a lot of people to thank, but I always start with my readers. You are the light of my life, and I am so very grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for continuing to support me, even when I have trouble understanding why. 

To my alphas – May, Amanda, and Tasha – you three are probably sick of me by now. I complain a lot, and gripe about how badly I suck and how awful these books are, and y’all just continue to shoulder it. But seriously, I don’t know what I’d do without you. Probably have even shittier books. I think I’d actually die without you guys, and I will never ever find the words in the dictionary to express how much I love you guys. Don’t ever leave me. 

A special thanks to Autumn for getting this book on track. You helped me with this book more than you know, and I will forever be grateful for you. And to my other betas, thank you for putting up with such a shoddy version of these books and help making them better. 

Angie – I don’t know why the hell you put up with me, either, but I’m greedy and will forever keep you anyway. Thank you for sticking by me and always being so damn reliable, warm, and just a fantastic friend. I love you. 

Rumi – you’re stuck with me, too. Thank you for doing such an incredible job cleaning this hunky-monkey up and making it purdy. 

Of course, a special thanks to Cat for these BEAUTIFUL covers, and to Chelsea for making the guts look pretty. 

Last but not least, thank you to Victor, who pretty much manages my brain and keeps this author thing from crashing and failing, then exploding. I love you.  

Purchasing Hunting Adeline 

• If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Hunting Adeline, click here.
• For the hardcover version, click here. 
• Click here for the Kindle version.
• Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

More from H.D. Carlton 

Did you enjoy my review of Hunting Adeline? Need another great H.D. Carlton novel to read? Here are my favorites! 

• Satan’s Affair 
• Haunting Adeline 
• Hunting Adeline 
• Where’s Molly 

Amazon Notice 

The Reading Wife is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, at no added cost to you.