Hunting Adeline is the second book of H.D. Carlton’s Cat and Mouse Duet. Both books are a mix of dark romance and suspense that delves heavily into human trafficking. This second book of the duet is much darker than the first. 

To say that my feelings about these books are complicated is the understatement of the year. What a journey I feel like I’ve been on throughout this duet. I don’t even feel like the same person I was when I started it. This is without a doubt one of the darkest books that I’ve ever read. I found it to be well written and compelling while simultaneously terrible and distressing. 

This is the first time the trigger warnings at the beginning of a book have ever given me real pause. When I saw the warning that it is not a quick reunion, I hesitated to turn the page but continued on with trepidation. The trauma and brutalization is tough to read. It helps that I read the worst of it while at my kid’s tournament because I couldn’t really immerse myself in the story, which is the only I have of how I made it through it. 

The dichotomies of Zade’s character are tough to reconcile. But, somehow Zade’s “burn the world” vibes are kind of … hot? And I appreciate Addie’s redemption arc, but, wow, is it tough it is to get there. Part of me definitely hopes that there are real-life Zades out there in the world effectively combatting evil.