Is Haunting Adeline spicy?

Haunting Adeline is high spice (5/5)—explicit, detailed intimate scenes are a central part of the story.

Does Haunting Adeline have a happy ending?

Haunting Adeline ends on a cliffhanger—no traditional HEA or HFN. This is part of the Cat and Mouse series, so the story continues in the next book.

What tropes are in Haunting Adeline?

Haunting Adeline features several romance tropes including stalker romance, dark romance, captive romance, forbidden love, enemies to lovers.

What are the content warnings for Haunting Adeline?

Content warnings for Haunting Adeline include: rape, sexual assault, stalking, violence, murder, child trafficking, torture, kidnapping.

Is Haunting Adeline a standalone or part of a series?

Haunting Adeline is book 1 in the Cat and Mouse series.

Is Haunting Adeline dual POV?

Yes, Haunting Adeline is dual POV—you get both perspectives throughout the story.

What is the setting of Haunting Adeline?

Haunting Adeline is set in manor house / estate—contemporary, gothic.

How long is Haunting Adeline?

Haunting Adeline is 629 pages, which takes roughly 21 hours to read at an average pace.

What is the mood of Haunting Adeline?

Haunting Adeline has a dark, intense, suspenseful, eerie, tense feel to it.

Is Haunting Adeline on Kindle Unlimited?

Yes, Haunting Adeline is available on Kindle Unlimited.

What order should I read the Cat and Mouse series?

Haunting Adeline is book 1 in the Cat and Mouse series.

Haunting Adeline

by H.D. Carlton

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️explicit·Cat and Mouse #1

4.2 on MoodReads (7 ratings)3.9 on Goodreads (899,078)

Rate this book

Available on Kindle Unlimited

find similar →

Report Spoiler settings

Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?

Synopsis

The Manipulator I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me. I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh. But my words don't affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave. He's always there, watching and waiting. And I can never look away. Not when I want him to come closer. The Shadow I didn't mean to fall in love. But now that I have, I can't stay away. I'm mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves. The way she undresses... I'll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine. And once she is, I'll never let her go. Not even when she begs me to.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads Rating

3.94 ★ (899.1k)

Page Count

629 pages

Published

2021

Primary Genre

Dark Romance

Pairing

POV

Dual POV

Romance Pacing

Cliffhanger

reveal ending

Audiobook

Available

Yes

Format

Full Cast

Narrator

Teddy Hamilton, Michelle Sparks, Tempest Mensah, Grayson Owens

Narrator Count

Full Cast

Tropes

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

Mood

darkintensesuspensefuleerietensedangeroushauntingsensual

Writing Style

darkdramaticsuspensefulrawedgy

Story Pacing

fast

Emotional Weight

heavy

Energy Required

high

Vibes

the stalker who built a shrine in your atticBookTok's most debated MMC—monster or protector?gothic manor hiding two centuries of family secretscat and mouse with someone who always knows where you arevigilante dark hero who is also the villain of your storydread on every page but you can't put it downthe book that broke the BookTok discourse for a year straightdead grandmother's journals meet present-day obsession

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC Archetype

MMC Archetype

Relationship Dynamics

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

🌶️

Spice Level 5

Spice Style

Getting Steamy

Bringing the Heat

Browse more books by spice level →

()▼

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World Type

contemporarygothic

Primary Setting

manor house / estate

Fantasy Creatures

ghosts

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional Payoff

Best Time of Year

autumn

When & Where to Read

at night

Cat and Mouse

#0.5 Satan's Affair

#1 Haunting Adeline

#2 Phantom

#2 Hunting Adeline

#2.5 Where's Molly

this page is just the start

import your Goodreads or StoryGraph TBR. we tag every book with spice, tropes, CWs, mood, all of it
tell us a vibe (“enemies to lovers fae, high spice”) and BookMatch finds the book
4,000+ romantasy books searchable by 45 fields
book clubs, reading challenges, and a community of readers who get it

free account

Quick Facts

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️explicit

629

2021

3.94 ★ (899.1k)

reveal ending

Series

Cat and Mouse #1

Similar picks →

My Notes

Short Takes

quick 280-character reactions for this book. drop a thought, rate the vibe, keep scrolling.

Book Chat

live reactions, hot takes, screaming into the void about Haunting Adeline

Haunting Adeline

At a Glance

Book Details

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Narrator Count

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

Characters

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

Spice Details 🌶️

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

⚠️ Content Warnings

World & Setting

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

Reading Context

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

Cat and Mouse

Haunting Adeline

At a Glance

Book Details

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Narrator Count

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

Characters

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

Spice Details 🌶️

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

⚠️ Content Warnings

World & Setting

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.