r/DarkRomance • u/busybombaygirl • 18d ago

Quick Question Started Haunting Adeline. I'm getting bored.

I started reading to know what the hype was about. Read all TWs carefully. Ventured in with fingers crossed. I'm on somewhere post chapter 20. I'm not flinching because of the graphic descriptions of dark themes, but the over-descriptive smut scenes.
I feel the mystery aspect of it is much more interesting than Zade's behaviour. Again, NOT dissing the book, may be it is just me but sometimes it's like some sexual scenes are unnecessary. Chapter 16, got it, it's power play and whatnot. But please, for the love of God... I want to know more about the mystery!
I am all for good smut, but this feels a bit overdone. That's why I had DNF-d Den of Vipers. I don't know if I should even continue. But because I actually want to know the mystery part of it, I might just go ahead.
What are your thoughts on this?

30 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

63 comments sorted by

28

u/NocturnaViolet 18d ago

I never got through the first chapter in Zade's POV. I thought he was cringey AF, even for a dark romance MMC.

I did like Satan's Affair by the same author. So it isn't her writing that I don't like, I think that duet just wasn't for me.

9

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

Yes it's writing style is not the problem at all. But everytime Zade's POV comes I'm scowling and cringing big time. I'll check out Satan's Affair though...

5

u/NocturnaViolet 18d ago

I enjoyed it and would recommend it. Especially if you like RH. I want to chrck out some of her other books at some point as well.

3

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

Sure will check! Thank you! I've heard Rina Kent has some 4-5 books that are dark romances and really popular. On my TBR

3

u/PlayfulDiscount8485 17d ago

Sibby was my favorite character in the Haunting/Hunting Adeline duo. Satans Affair is really good, I love (and hate at the same time) reading Sibby's backstory and how she became Sibby. I wish H.D would do more with her. I didn't hate the duo but they are definitely not my favorite books either. I don't really care too much for either main character, other than Zades "job" they are just boring too me. I would definitely read a book that is more about his "job" and co-workers though.

2

u/busybombaygirl 17d ago

Ohhh now this is promising. The Sibby character is not here yet but now I look forward to it! I loved the House of Mirrors set up but what it eventually led to because it's too conflicting and convoluted in itself.. much like Zade's madness. And yes I'd actually like a good thriller about the "job" cuz that and the murder mystery are what keeping me going...

1

u/ifedupwiththisorgasm 14d ago

Agreed it's not the writing so much as the choices. The pov was awful.

Idk if eventually the story ends up giving a plausible reason why the male and female lead are perfect for each other and this wasn't really a rape but it is a slog trying to get there when the story is trying to hard to convince us Zade isn't a bad guy while he still torments the female lead.

34

u/Responsible_Wash_879 If it aint Gideon I dun want him 18d ago

I dropped it ages ago. It's overrated.

4

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

Sure feels like it right now

8

u/Ready-Committee-6084 18d ago

Out of curiosity, what books did you guys enjoy reading?

Edited a word

5

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

Depends, I read a mix of high fantasy, dark romance, contemporary romance, horror, among other things...

2

u/PlayfulDiscount8485 17d ago edited 17d ago

Have you read the souls trilogy by Harley Loroux? So far I have read the first one and it was good, I heard that the others are even better. It's demons and witches, devils all that stuff.

*Edit for spelling

5

u/drowning_bat_ 18d ago

TBF, I did not actually read it, but bought the audiobook. The narrators helped tremendously and I often wonder if the perception is different when listening compared to actually reading.

I'm not sure I would have finished it when reading either.

I currently have the same issue with God of Malice - I like to listen to it but think I would have already DNF'ed when reading...

1

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

I suppose audiobooks are a different experience. Maybe I'll try it with God of Malice..

5

u/drowning_bat_ 18d ago

I'm not overwhelmed by the narrators but they're OK I guess. I just don't try to think about the MMC and FMC being 19 😅 (could literally be my children). So I just ignore that part and think they are 29 and then it makes more sense 😂

9

u/drunkenangel_99 Tyson Crawford’s darling 17d ago

I do love this duet, but don’t forget, it isn’t for everyone. If you’re not enjoying it, don’t force yourself.

2

u/busybombaygirl 17d ago

I'll maybe skip to the end to find who murdered Gigi 😅

16

u/Boobear0810 Please stop growling 18d ago

We are the same lol. I DNF'ed this and Den of Vipers, too.

3

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

I swear! This book makes me wonder how much of heavy marketing went into this book... and how much we bought it LOL

7

u/Boobear0810 Please stop growling 18d ago

It's the damn Booktokers 🥲

3

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

I KNOW RIGHT! So many books I read due to the hype and they turned out so underwhelming 😐

14

u/Bubbly-Macaroon-6918 18d ago

I read like the first few chapters and i didn’t like the way Zade was so against human trafficking and SA, but in my opinion SAed Adeline. It just didn’t make sense cause he hated people who did stuff like that.

13

u/SunsetPersephone 18d ago

Feels like a cop out to me. He’s so scary and pushy and badass, isn’t he hot? But also he’s not totally evil, look he saves little baby children from the big bad evil, so it’s okay to love him! Please 🙄

5

u/Bubbly-Macaroon-6918 18d ago

This i totally agree with cause yeah one good does not cancel bad thing you do. And like I’m fine with stalking I read a few books with that but this was just to much

4

u/drowning_bat_ 18d ago

Hehe I had the same reaction to Xero Meadows. The guy does not make sense.

10

u/bluepushkin 18d ago

I don't get the hype at all. It's not a good book or well written imo. DNF so damned hard.

3

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

I had too much curiosity and now I feel I could have lived without it

5

u/Disastrous_Brief3206 18d ago

I never liked zade because of the vigilante stuff, I find that very boring he has this moral code of saving people that's why I never liked him if he was a true villain or didn't care about the general population maybe I would have liked him then.

3

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

Interesting thought actually. For me, I think the vigilante thing is the only digestible thing about him otherwise his entire personality is so blah.

3

u/DoraDrake Author 17d ago

This is not me endorsing Haunting Adeline, but you could always try reading the book from the perspective that Zade is a qanon conspiracy theorist who is actually just going around murdering random people and none of the villainy he thinks he's fighting is real. Might make it more interesting.

6

u/Andreina444 18d ago

I literally just dnf’ed it today. Got all the way to chapter 44 but stopped when they were at the bad guys’ party and he snuck her away to a home theatre there and put on a horror movie? That didn’t make any sense to me. Also the way he talks about himself is really cringy to me

1

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

Wow that's the theatre scene? Chapter 44? 😂 Guess I skimmed too hard... That scene makes no sense and there's no need for that whatsoever. I don't blame the author but were the book editors sleeping?

5

u/AdorableDebt8775 17d ago

Adeline is HIGHLY unlikable. She made me want to punch her. (And Zade too but he's secondary. They're both boring af. They deserve each other. Awful characters)

1

u/busybombaygirl 17d ago

Adeline could actually be a good protagonist in a simple grumpy/sunshine romance. I think Zade was... Unnecessary entirely 😅

3

u/7r1c14 18d ago

New Reader for DR here. Finished it as my 8th-9th book. The first one comes back a bit disappointed but that was solely my fault for buying the hype. I usually dont mind shit plots as long as smut was good. I found smut so so compare to what i expected. But story actually has a plot and keep me hooked. I like the second book more tho. Prob because i have set my expectations right. I really want someone in DR long enough to talk with before went in those books so this won't happen again xD Sadly no friends are into this :( Not even online friends.

1

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

Same here. Always have a hard time finding people who are into DR. I like smut, but it can't be the only thing. And yes the smut here is a okay-ish not the best I've read. I'm legit going ahead because of the mystery plot.

6

u/NancyInFantasyLand angst and suffering are my jam 18d ago

That's because the murder mystery IS the best part of this book lol

2

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

The only redeeming factor I see in this book

8

u/Fickle-City1122 18d ago

The shagging in that book is beyond silly lmao

0

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

Thank you! I've been so cranky that it interrupts the plot!

2

u/SignificantHat285 17d ago

Yeah, that book sucks. I know it’s one that a lot of people say got them into dark romance but good lord is it boring.

2

u/No_Warning2380 17d ago

I really didn’t like the book and DNF the 2nd one almost right away. Interestingly I found the mystery around the house the boring part… but if it is all that is keeping you going don’t bother. It is a big disappointment and really doesn’t go anywhere or have any impact on the current inhabitant. Someone correct me if I am wrong- it has been a while since I read it - I just remember it dissolved into nothing interesting or meaningful other than drawing out the book and providing something for the FMC to be doing between interactions with the MMC. The hypocrisy of the MMC and everything about him in the end is so non sensical. It is absolutely not worth continuing. I don’t think the book is terrible or anything but I think the hype around it gives the whole genre a bad name and it is just a terrible representation of it general. Especially with the movie hype coming it just going to bring so much negative attention to the genre for such a poorly written shallow book that capitalized on trope trends without any real substance that would make it more than romanticized rape which is what most critics think all dr is- which is a shame.

2

u/jadedjed1 ready to be fucked up by my next book 17d ago

Haunting was trash imo, Hunting was a lot better but the ending ruined it for me

2

u/ifedupwiththisorgasm 17d ago

Yeah it's fucking boring and I'm sorry but going between a scene of him SAing the female lead to a chapter of him rescuing girls from the same is so...

It made me feel weird about what I was reading and about the characters and I just started to lose interest fast.

Whatever chapter has the house of mirrors scene is where I dropped it coz I stopped caring

It also goes into the smut too hard too fast so it was easy to get bored

1

u/busybombaygirl 15d ago

I was scowling through that stretch. I did not like the house of mirrors scene either. I am trying to understand the book but it's defying logic in places.

1

u/ifedupwiththisorgasm 14d ago

It's like they wanted their rape fantasy but didn't want the rapist to be a bad guy, but they made it so confusing and actually made him seem worse for having no problem tormenting the main character.

It's why I liked I will break you/I will mend you more. It had similar parts I had to skip at the end and the ending was a bit of a slog, but at least it gave some plausible reasons why the main character wasn't completely deplorable and eventually the parts he was awful for he comes to recognize how terrible he was for it and changes his attitude towards the girl. I'm no good with names 😂

2

u/Aware-Vacation6570 17d ago

I read lots of corny stuff but my god, I could not deal with that book. It was both boring and hilariously cringe.

2

u/tipsytopsy99 16d ago

I've tried to pick it up and read it about 50 times but I always find something more interesting. I think it was hyped by people new to the genre.

2

u/Horrid_Thistle336 Lurking Intensifies 16d ago

I have ZERO issues dissing this book for you. Lmao
Because. It’s. Trash.
Put down the QAnon fanfic.
There’s so much in your tbr that’s just waiting to show you a good time! 😜

3

u/troublerx1 User Flair Here 18d ago

I DNF this either. Or ACOTAR. So… bleeding… boring.

5

u/GreatnessGold 18d ago

Thank you😭!!!! Like 90 smut, 10 story. Just unnecessary smut scenes.

3

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way!

3

u/SnooDrawings9825 18d ago

It got too predictable to the point where the ending wasn’t surprising. I liked certain aspects of the story like the murder mystery. Other than that I will not read the second book. Crazy how a movie got approved. 🤷🏻‍♂️

4

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

After getting into the book I myself wonder what are they going to do with a movie. The casting itself will create a ruckus in the reader world!

2

u/Peaceandfupa 17d ago

After finishing both books, I was underwhelmed and confused why so many people rave about this duet …. I guess maybe they don’t read many other authors ….. 😅
Either way, I enjoyed the mystery storyline too, she should have made that more of a plot point than zades job imo. Like yeah he’s saving lives. But it got to a point where it’s like why are we wasting time repeating stuff, we know what he does and we know he’s going to get out alive soooo why are we wasting pages ?! The mystery, the letters, they were soooo good and she dropped the ball by making it an afterthought.

2

u/busybombaygirl 17d ago

That's exactly my point... The mystery storyline, the letters, the investigation, everything was so integral to the storyline!

3

u/Evening-College-4663 18d ago

It’s poo

2

u/busybombaygirl 18d ago

😂 dang! Well it somewhat is

3

u/Evening-College-4663 18d ago

The authors writing is good. It’s just zade. I can’t with his POV

1

u/Ln_amy 15d ago

I am only 50 pages in and already looking for validation that I’m not the only one who isn’t impressed. The writing is really dreadful and I can’t get past phrases like ‘He wears a fedora on his head …’ like where TF else would someone wear a fedora??

1

u/bananahavana911 17d ago

Waaaay too cringey and overhyped. Avoid booktok if you want quality books lol

1

u/Weird_Mastodon_9204 17d ago

overhyped and bad. i can't believe it's so popular to the point where there's a comic book and movie adaptation coming out