Book Review: Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton + Duet Review

Welcome back, book lovers! Today, I’m diving into one of the most intense, controversial, and emotionally draining books I’ve ever read: Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton, the second installment of the Cat and Mouse Duet.

If you’ve already picked this up, you know that this book is not a casual weekend read. It’s the kind of story that takes hold of your chest, squeezes until you can barely breathe, and doesn’t let go until the very last page. If you haven’t read it yet, let me be the first to tell you: Hunting Adeline is brutal. It’s disturbing. It will drag you into the shadows and force you to sit with pain, fear, obsession, and survival in a way that most books would never dare to do.

Warning: this book will break you, haunt you, and leave you questioning everything. Proceed with caution

My Rating: 4/5

This is not a “perfect” book — but honestly, I don’t think it’s meant to be. It’s meant to scar, to linger, to live under your skin. That’s why, even with some flaws, it’s still one of the most memorable books I’ve read this year.

Trigger Warnings

Let’s be very clear: this book is not for everyone. It contains:

• Human trafficking

• Graphic violence

• Sexual assault and abuse

• Psychological torment

• Obsessive, morally gray relationships

If these topics are triggering for you, I would highly recommend skipping this one. Carlton doesn’t hold back, and there are scenes that left me shaken long after I closed the book.

What Worked for Me

The raw honesty of the darkness

H.D. Carlton doesn’t romanticize or water down the horrors of the skin trade. She throws the reader right into the nightmare, and while it was incredibly hard to read, it also made the story feel real. It wasn’t just shock value — it was a brutal reflection of an issue that does exist in our world.

Adeline’s strength

Adeline goes through things no one should ever have to endure. There were moments when I thought she wouldn’t make it out — and yet she did. Her resilience, even when she was shattered, made me admire her deeply. Watching her claw her way back, piece by piece, was devastating but also empowering.

Zade

Zade is complicated. He’s obsessive, dangerous, and morally gray to the point that it makes you question yourself for caring about him. But that’s exactly what makes him unforgettable. He doesn’t fit neatly into “hero” or “villain,” and yet his devotion to Adeline is undeniable. His chapters pulled me in every time.

The tension and writing style

Carlton has this way of building suspense that feels suffocating — in the best way. The pacing in the second half especially kept me hooked, and the writing was atmospheric, sharp, and haunting.

What Didn’t Work as Well

It was overwhelming

I knew going in this book would be dark, but there were times where it felt like too much. I had to put it down and step away because the content was so heavy.

The romance felt secondary

While Zade and Adeline’s connection was powerful, at times it felt like the horrors of the trafficking plotline completely overshadowed their relationship. I wanted more moments that made me feel their love, not just their obsession and survival.

Predictability

Some of the big plot turns didn’t shock me as much as I wanted them to. I could see them coming, which made the emotional punch less sharp.

Final Thoughts

Hunting Adeline is not just a book — it’s an experience. It’s disturbing, it’s heartbreaking, and it takes you into places you probably don’t want to go. And yet, that’s what makes it unforgettable.

This isn’t the kind of romance you read for butterflies and swoony moments. This is the kind of story that drags you into the mud, tears you apart, and then dares you to look for beauty in the aftermath. It’s about obsession that defies reason. It’s about resilience that refuses to be crushed. It’s about love that is so twisted it makes you question what love even is.

Zade and Adeline: a love story that isn’t pretty… but unforgettable (Artwork: pangolin2b)

I gave it 4/5 stars because while it shattered me and left me reeling, it’s not the kind of book I would recommend lightly. If you pick it up, know that you’re stepping into the darkest of dark romances. You will come out of it changed — maybe scarred, maybe conflicted, but definitely not untouched.

Would I ever read it again? Probably not. But will I forget it? Absolutely not.

The Duet as a Whole

When you put Haunting and Hunting together, you don’t just get a love story — you get a descent into obsession, trauma, and survival.

Some love stories are sweet. Some are passionate. And some are sharp enough to cut you. The Cat & Mouse Duet is the last kind.

• Strengths:

  • Bold and unapologetic in exploring the darkest corners of romance.

  • Memorable characters who don’t fit the usual hero/heroine molds.

  • A writing style that feels atmospheric, raw, and addictive.

• Weaknesses:

  • Very slow pacing in Haunting.

  • Trigger-heavy content in Hunting that can be overwhelming.

  • Romance often felt overshadowed by the darkness.

Final Take: This duet is not for the faint of heart. It’s a series that will scar you, shake you, and maybe even make you angry. But if you can stomach the darkness, it’s also one of the most memorable and daring dark romances out there.

Overall Rating: 3.75/5