Hunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse Duet) Paperback – January 25, 2022

I'm just in awe. Utterly mind-blown. The first book I completely obsessively loved and devoured, but this one was the cherry on top. I read the first half of the book compulsively and fast, but once I could finally breathe again (you'll know what I mean if you've read it or once you read it) I tried to stretch the second half as much as I could, not wanting it to end. Delayed gratification, people. But don't let what I say kid you; this book is brutal, in a masochitically and beautiful sense of the word. Your heart will beat fast, it will break, you'll hold your breath, you won't be able to sleep (not well, at least lol) until you pass HALF OF THE BOOK. SPOILERS It doesn’t matter that Zade and Adeline are separated half of the book; this doesn’t make it less... gripping, captivating and addictive. And! Regarding what I said above, I didn't even devour the book because I wanted Zade and Adeline to reunite (of course I wanted them to), but because I just wanted to keep on seeing how they managed to survive the whole... thing. The awful, tragic THING: Adeline being kidnapped and trafficked because of her connection to Zade (Zade and I believe this; Adeline doesn't blame him). What a tragically awesome plot twist! (End of book 1). The man who lives to destroy these Societies, has to live at least 2 months apart from Madeline, knowing that she's being abused and exploited (and this she is, graphically and explicitly. Brace yourselves). I LOVED Adelene's attitude while living this awful reality, focused on surviving and trying to play the cards that she was delt as well as she could, until she finally escapes and is found by Zade and the whole experience comes crushing down on her. Of course, since she's trying to survive, as I said, you then see how desensitized she became in order to cope better with the situation... The way the author deals with her trauma, her healing, being okay, then the anger, the mixed feelings, itt was all just so... I don't know. Perfect. This author has a way with words and how she tackles these topics, and I just really appreciated that she found a way to weave them into a beautiful and sexy dark romance novel. On the other hand, I LOVED how Zade was almost crazy, wild, desperate, losing it (of course he tried to keep his cool as much as he could) while he was looking for Adeline. I loved how "real" the "hunting" process was; I couldn't believe it took him 2 months to find her! But then, of course as much as he's a beast of a man, he doesn't have superpowers so. That was really sobering... I also loved how, when he finally finds her, he tries to be the pilar now that Adeline's trauma starts coming to the surface, even though he's dealing with his own shit internally. He deals, so, so well with her constant ups and downs, angry lashouts. I just LOVED that this man, even though he's patient and keeps his distance cause Adelene has issues with him touching her now, doesn't shy away from showing her his desire, either verbally, by the way he looks at her, and gradually touching her more and more. You'll see that after all the stalking and the tragedy, he ends up giving her POWER; physical, mental, and emotional. I don't know. I still think he's a psycho, but now he's my favorite male fictional character. Seriously. I'm not going to share more spoilers than I've already had. You'll just have to read the novels because I could write an essay saying all the things that make him the perfect man lol psycho, dominant, confident, intense, possessive and all. LOL thank God Sibby's back!!! I couldn't help laughing whenever she made an appearance!Just brilliant. EVERY SINGLE THING

Whoah!!! A great conclusion to an insane story. I have read dark books, but this is the darkest book so far. Not so much with the torture of bad guys, but the trauma that Addie experiences while being held captive ready to be auctioned off. Parts were uncomfortable to read, but I think that’s a testament to the great writing. Zade really burned the world down to get Addie and get his revenge. I loved how Addie then used her trauma to strengthen herself and she became a bad ass getting revenge alongside Zade. It was a good break from the typical damsel in destress that happens in dark romance books. I feel like there were some unresolved story lines, and I would love more from the characters in the future…but overall this duet was a great read and really captivated me!

This was an okay ending for this duet, I guess for half of the book they were separated and then for the inner half she had been traumatized, so they were still separated. I don't kn, and once again, I always think they let the main evil character who does all the evil c*** off so easily. It's a Lee. I mean, they could have tortured her a little bit. I mean sold her into the sex trade, but I guess that would be counterproductive. But it was okay. I will give it 4 stars.

Read the trigger warnings before you read. Don't pick up this book with the intention of anything kind or heroic happening. If you do, you have no one to blame but yourself if you dislike it.This book is not a romance book. It is a dark horror that delves into the bowels of humanity and will remake your own moral compass. THIS BOOK IS REALITY.TWS: R@P#, Explicit Violence and Details, Murder, Blo0d, S*x Trafficking, PTSD, Psychological torment, Trauma, Dubious consent, CNCHunting is as enthralling and real as Haunting was. It is completely different but just as enthralling. It is dark, it is unhinged, it is the worst of humanity, and it is unapologetic. There is also strength and resilience.This book hurt and you bled when Addie and Zade bled. You cried for them and you felt for them. I have my own traumas and this was as close to reality as I have ever read. This book broke open the heartbreaking reality of what happens to women and children around the world every day and that reality deserves to be unpacked and witnessed. Having to witness it through Addie hurt more than I can say. We all need to take a page out of Zade's book and adjust our moral compass when it comes to fighting for the freedom of the reality that is outside this book.This book broke me and put my jagged pieces to fit with Addie and Zade, and I was okay with that. Addie's experience is painful. I liked that HD didn't shy away from that and put it to paper. Usually, the hero saves the heroine before the trauma occurs or the trauma is light in comparison to what Addie experienced. A small part of me hoped she would follow that plot line but then I realized this book mirrors reality and the hero doesn't always show up or arrive in time. I cried for Addie. I lived her pain in my own life and then I lived it again through her story, but I was okay with that pain. There was no mercy for Addie. She tore her moral compass to pieces, broke her own heart, took a life, and contemplated the end. HD gave her a real experience with real thoughts and reactions. I have never had an author write such an authentic character with real-world experiences and reactionsRio, our new character and participant in Addies horror show, has me conflicted. He has his own moral compass and like Addie, I'm blurring mine when it comes to him. Rationalizing his choices, his actions, and his treatment. I can empathize with him though. Is it not the same thing that many would do to save their own sister? I can't wait to unpack his story when HD writes it.<<<Fast forward to after her escape>>>>The psychological and physical trauma that Addie has experienced wrecks both her and Zade. There is no happily ever after or easy ride into the sunset. It is raw and devastating. Addie is not the little mouse Zade tried to tame in book 1. She's a broken shell. I have experienced all of the emotions Addie did and all I wanted to do was scoop her up in my arms and remind her that one day in the future it will get better. One day the darkness will lighten and you will be able to take baby steps. Then those baby steps will lead to bigger steps until finally (however long it takes) you can stand in the light again and breathe.We see the side to Zade we knew was hiding in there. Addie hadn't seen that side of him yet, she had only seen his jagged pieces. Zade stands strong behind her and holds her up when she falters. He is patient, he is loving, and he will wait until the end of the world for her if he has to. There is no force or pressure. The Zade from book 1 regarding their s*xual encounters is gone. He doesn't take and watch her body for responses he lets her set the pace. He said in book one that she "holds my life in the palm of her hand, she’s just incapable of seeing it that way" and this is proven in this book. He lives for her and slowly she starts to see that no matter what her inner thoughts and feelings tell her from her trauma he will never leave her.Zade helps her take ownership of her trauma from her time with Xavier. One of my favorite scenes, which he does only with her consent (such a change from book 1), is when he uses a knife over the scars Xavier left giving her a new experience and new emotions to tie to them. He helps her heal through s*xual, physical, and emotional needs. He molds himself into whom she needs and what she needs and my heart beats for him more because of it. He helps build her up and heal her into the new version of Adeline. The version that matches all of his jagged pieces.I am in love with Zade and Addie. I am in love with their story. I am in love with the reality and truth that shines from this book. I am grateful to have read it and for HD for bringing it to life.