Welcome to the dark side, dear bookworms, where limits are to be tested and orders to be obeyed. If you are a fan of dark romance books, you have probably heard or read H.D. Carlton’s Haunting Adeline and its sequel Hunting Adeline. We can definitely tell you it is not for the faint of heart. Stalking, SA, and dark themes like human trafficking are tackled in this book.
Ripe with countless trigger warnings, Haunting Adeline has once again divided BookTok and the reading community. It is surely a fictitious work, but there are several lines that many people think should not be crossed even in fiction—we will play the mediator for now, by treating this like any other romance book.
But today we will only tread the surface but dive into the characters of the Cat and Mouse Duet. We will dissect the author's key figures, and rest assured there will be no holding back on our criticism when it’s due.
For our dark romance bookworms, check out our Serpent and the Wings of Night summary, One Dark Window summary, Shatter Me summary, Book of Azrael summary, and our Devil’s Night reading order to pick your next read!
Let’s dive in, and there may be spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution.
Haunting Adeline is the story of Zade Meadows and Adeline Reilly. After accidentally witnessing Adeline at her own book signing, Zade becomes obsessed with her. He is determined to make her his, and soon makes his presence known by breaking into her house and leaving her a lone red rose. Shortly, they start exchanging messages and Adeline tries to get him to stop stalking her, but to no avail.
After their first encounter face to face, Adeline is traumatized and violated, but for some reason chooses to provoke Zade. In a twist of events, she becomes a target for the human trafficking organization Zade is trying to dismantle. They agree to combine forces, which leads to their flirtation blooming. The story climaxes when the unsuspected Adeline goes to Satan’s Affair. There she is openly hunted by her predators, but does not even realize because Zade with the help of Sybil, eliminates them. After this, the two have sex for the first time, solidifying their bond and dire need for each other.
After successfully dispatching those high-ranking officials, the operation seems to be almost over. Zade has infiltrated the secret ring and is about to put an end when the real villain is revealed. In the meantime, a trap is set for Adeline, and she is kidnapped by the traffickers. The first book ends with Zade vowing to find her and completely eradicate the traffickers.
We will attempt to give you a glimpse into the main characters and the minor yet very intriguing ones like the Ghosts of Parsons Manor.
Picture yourself as an already successful author at just 25, who just inherited a huge haunted mansion. Now add a stalker to the mix and you get Adeline’s life.
Adeline is tenacious, feisty, stubborn, and fiercely independent. Thrill and darkness excite her, the unknown beckons to her, and her mind keeps spinning. She is a badass FMC and highly intelligent, earning her the nickname “the Manipulator”. She has a rocky relationship with her mother, Sarina, but absolutely adored her grandmother, which explains her conviction to stay in the manor. The minute she realizes someone is stalking her, she panics, but it would be a lie to say she is not secretly excited as well.
What creeps her out, though, is the discovery of Gigi’s journal, only to discover her great-grandmother also had a stalker and was found brutally murdered. However, her relationship with Zade is all brutal and far from ordinary. Despite feeling violated on several occasions, Addie is deeply and toxically attracted to Zade. As Zade’s obsession progresses, they pass from a cat-and-mouse hunt to an actual relationship, with twisted desire, control issues, and undeniable love.
In the second book, Adeline is taken by traffickers and forced to experience excruciating brutality, leaving her traumatized and empty. However, her connection with Zade and the quest for vengeance helps her feel whole again.
Don’t let the lethal face card fool you, Zade Meadows is a true enigma. A morally gray antihero, Zade has built his own hacking company, Z, in order to root out human trafficking rings. He has saved countless children and women, but has also taken the lives of their captors and their higher-ups. He is brooding and vicious only to those who deserve it, until he sets his eyes on Adeline and the chase begins.
His obsession with her can’t be attributed to anything else than pure, twisted, and dark desire. Red roses are his symbol, and he uses them as a tribute to his mother and a love confession to Adeline. He is unapologetic, possessive, controlling, dominant, yet extremely intelligent and capable in all aspects. He is constantly toeing the line between protector and predator. As their romance progresses, his love for Adeline is undeniable, largely proven by the countless times he got hurt in the process of protecting her.
Zade’s mettle shows after Adeline is rescued, and he is forced to watch her crumble. He is the most patient and caring man a victim could hope for. Does this justify his stalking and assaulting her in the first place? Of course not! Is he a book boyfriend many—including us— like? Shamelessly, yes. But we are here for his redemption and if Adeline can forgive him, then who are we to judge?
Adeline’s closest and super-protective friend, Daya, is a joy to be around. She works for Z as a hacker to stop trafficking, and is, in reality, Zade’s employee. When she first learns of Adeline’s stalker, she tries to protect her by all means, including installing cameras in Parsons Manor, which is quite ironic considering Zade has access to the cameras.
Daya goes through hell when she is kidnapped by an ex who helps in Adeline’s kidnapping. She fights alongside Zade to get Addie back and stands by her side throughout her recovery.
Cute pigtails, innocent eyes, and doll-like appearance—now cue insanity. One of the most peculiar and yet layered characters of the series, Sybil or Sibby is a deranged murderer who has killed those who have preyed on others. Parading with Satan’s Affair, a traveling fair with haunted houses and other attractions, she has hidden in the shadows and secretly taken care of several predators over the years.
When Zade meets her, she catalogs him as a predator, and with the help of her imaginary henchmen tries to take him out, only to find an ally in him. Zade gives Sibby a home and a second chance in life. She is also vital to Adeline’s rescue. By the end of the duology, Sibby is once again on the move by herself, but has found a place she can return to.
Sybil has her own story. Find it in Satan’s Affair by H.D. Carlton. There was supposed to be another book with her story after Haunting Adeline, but the author has temporarily put this on the shelf.
Adeline’s great-grandmother and the first to find herself with a stalker. She has left journals detailing her daily life, especially after her stalker enters the picture. Several problems and isolation lead her to long for adventure, and when the sinful Ronaldo gives her an opening, she melts in his arms. The mystery of her murder will be solved almost eighty years after the fact with the unexpected help of Sarina Reilly and Mark Williams, whose father is the real killer.
Adeline is said to have felt Gigi’s ghost wandering Parsons Manor and is determined to give her justice.
A criminal mobster, Ronald is the original shadow. As Gigi’s stalker, he has a first-row seat in her domestic life and is surprisingly not the violent type. Through Gigi’s journal, we see them slowly exploring a passionate love. At first glance, Ronaldo seems the prime suspect in Gigi’s murder, but he is not.
If you want to read their story, check Phantom by H. D. Carlton on Amazon.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing, Claire is the wife of a politician involved in human trafficking. She presents herself as meek, abused, and trapped, only to reveal herself to be the true head of the operation. With Mark out of the way, she kidnaps Adeline to spite Z and will give him a run for his money. In the end, she meets her punishment when her curated government falls and Zade successfully destroys her trafficking ring.
As far as romance novels go, Haunting Adeline is definitely not your typical one. It is a narrative of raw passion, obsession, control, defiance and the darkest urges of human nature. Probably not the safest book club option, but we suggest you be the best readers you can be and decide for yourselves if it is worth the hype like a true reader captain.
For spicy book recommendations, books reviews, TikTok deep-dives, and everything books join our crewfiction and subscribe to our Tea & Cakes Newsletter.
Control and obsession are the main themes explored in Zade and Adeline’s relationship. There is also trauma and redemption for both the main characters, especially in the second book. Zade and Daya represent loyalty and duty, while Sybil’s character is built around the theme of freedom vs. chaos.
Zade Meadows and Adeline “Addie” Reilly are the protagonists of H.D. Carlton’s dark romance series Cat and Mouse Duet. Adeline is an author in her mid-twenties and has just moved into Parsons Manor. After setting his eyes on her, Zade becomes obsessed with Adeline and tries to make her his. The story explores themes of violence, assault, and trafficking.
As of February 2025, there is no indication that there will be another book in the series. Zade and Adeline’s story concludes with Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline. We meet the characters again in Phantom, Gigi, and Ronaldo’s story. There are also two more novels with background stories of Molly and Sybil, Where’s Molly and Satan’s Affair. Sybil’s story, after the duology, might be released at some point by H.D. Carlton.
Always living in her own enchanted little world, Christina discovered the magic that can be hidden within the pages of a book when one dares to take a closer look from a tender age. An avid reader, she is constantly inspired to delve into the secrets woven between the lines and challenges herself to find her own voice amidst the chaos. She is a dedicated fan of the classics, but the supernatural creatures that have tormented readers for years are her kryptonite. The mastery it takes to infuse the author's essence, molded by the era they grew up in to their innermost desires fascinates her. Undoubtedly, putting her passion and knowledge on paper has a mesmerizing allure on her, and following the steps of so many other dreamers before her she wishes to leave her mark in the literary world. Guided by T.S Eliot’s haunting words: “I will show you fear in a handful of dust” she intends to wreak havoc in the minds of her future readers.
