Haunting Adeline — H.D. Carlton
Series/World & Book #: Cat & Mouse Duet, Book 1
Couple/Pairing: Zade Meadows × Adeline Reilly (MF)
Star Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)
The Main Characters
Adeline Reilly
Adeline is a writer who moves into her grandmother’s house after she passes, and the place isn’t just “old and creaky” spooky—it feels heavy. Like the air remembers things. She starts digging into what happened to her great-grandmother, Gigi, and that mystery becomes its own obsession. I liked Adeline because she isn’t written like a doormat. She’s anxious in a very believable way (overthinking, second-guessing, trying to talk herself out of her instincts), but she still shows up. She still asks questions. She still pushes, even when the answers make her stomach drop.
Zade Meadows
Zade is the problem. Period. He’s a vigilante going after trafficking rings tied to powerful people, and if that was the whole story, you’d be cheering. But he’s also Adeline’s stalker—possessive, relentless, and completely convinced she’s his. The thing is… Carlton writes him so confidently that your brain starts doing gymnastics. You catch yourself thinking, this is messed up, and then you catch yourself thinking, okay but he’s devoted though, and then you’re annoyed at yourself. That’s the point. He’s not meant to be comfortable.
About the Author
H.D. Carlton doesn’t tiptoe. She leans into morally gray (sometimes straight-up black) territory, and she doesn’t clean it up to make it easier to recommend. If you like dark romance that actually feels dark, she delivers.
My Thoughts About the Book
If you’ve been hanging around my blog for a while, you’ve probably noticed this one popping up more than once—I’ve already included it on a few of my dark romance lists. So, when I finally sat down and read Haunting Adeline, I wasn’t just curious—I needed to see if it actually lived up to the hype (and the warnings). Here’s how it landed for me.
If you’re like me and your taste runs straight into the morally gray danger zone, you’ll want to check out my post Morally Grey Book Boyfriends We Can’t Resist—because Haunting Adeline is one of the books I featured on that list.
I’m the person who avoids unfinished duets because I hate cliffhangers with my whole chest. I still read this anyway. Zero regrets… except the part where I would’ve been furious if book two wasn’t already out.
This book surprised me because it isn’t just “spicy stalker romance” and that’s it. There’s a full atmosphere here—rain, shadows, that constant sense that something is wrong and you’re only seeing the surface. The Gigi subplot is what hooked me early. The diary pieces and the murder mystery give Adeline something real to chase, and they add an eerie “history repeating itself” feeling that makes the whole story creepier than I expected.
Now the romance. It’s messy. It’s wrong in the way your moral compass keeps reminding you about. Adeline fights it, rationalizes it, hates herself for liking it, and then leans into it anyway. Their dynamic is control and defiance, a push-pull that stays tense even when things turn physical. And yes—this is very spicy. People talk about certain scenes for a reason. If you know, you know.
Also: Daya deserves her flowers. She’s funny, loyal, and she balances Adeline out when everything else in the book is getting darker and darker. I loved their friendship because it felt like the only “normal” thing amid the chaos.
Almost Perfect… Except
- Check the trigger warnings. I’m not being dramatic. This book has a long list, and it doesn’t pull punches.
- The stalking starts fast. It’s basically obsession-on-sight, and that may not work for everyone.
- Some readers will care more about the romance than the side plot. I liked the mystery, but I can see how the non-romance scenes might feel like speed bumps if you’re only here for Zade/Addie.
Favorite Quote
“One day, you will realize that you are not trapped in a prison,” he murmurs roughly. “You are in my church where I am your God, and you are my equal. I’m not a jail, little mouse, I am your sanctuary.”
This line is exactly why Haunting Adeline messes with your head. It’s intense, dramatic, and kind of unhinged… but it also explains why Adeline keeps getting pulled back in. Zade doesn’t offer normal love—he offers worship, and the way he frames it as “sanctuary” is both seductive and deeply disturbing.
That quote pretty much sums up the entire tone of this book—devotion twisted into dominance, comfort wrapped in something dangerous, and a dynamic that’s impossible to call “healthy” even when it’s written to feel addictive. It’s the kind of line that made me pause, stare at the page, and then keep reading anyway because the story commits to that darkness instead of watering it down. And honestly… that’s exactly why my thoughts on Haunting Adeline are complicated in the best way.
Final Thoughts
Haunting Adeline is dark, addictive, and genuinely tense. It’s not a “try this if you’re curious” kind of book—it’s a “know your limits first” book. But if you like morally messy romance, thriller energy, and a story that keeps danger in the background like a second heartbeat, it’s easy to see why people get obsessed. The ending hits like a shove, and I immediately understood why readers sprint to book two.
And if you’re building a darker TBR, head over to my post 9 Dark and Spicy Romance Books—Haunting Adeline made the list for a reason.
