Hunting Adeline

Cat and Mouse, Book #2

By H.D. Carlton

ISBN#  9798759208624

Author’s Website:  hdcarlton.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Review

*Beware of possible spoilers*

Addie has been kidnapped by Zade’s enemies.  They are salivating at the mouth over the big payday they will get once they can finally sell her.  The potential buyers will be fighting to have the big bad Z’s girl as their own personal sex toy.  In the meantime, they must let her heal from the injuries they inflicted on her while capturing her.   And, she must be properly groomed for her new life.

Zade is losing what little humanity he had now that Addie is gone.  All he can think about are the horrors she’s being put through.  And, he can’t seem to find anything that will help him find where she was taken to.  He has to reach out to others that are just as scary as he to help bring her home.

After months apart, Zade finally finds Addie.  But can they ever go back to the way they were?  Will the trauma Addie suffered be too much to overcome? 

After finishing Hunting Adeline, I had to immediately jump into this book to see how everything played out.  I can honestly say, I was a bit disappointed though.  I didn’t like this one as much as I it’s predecessor.

The pacing seemed off and the book was just too long.  It took Zade forever to find Addie.  And, I enjoyed the chapters from his point-of-view as he destroyed everything in his path to get her back. 

“Zade may be Hades, but the dark God has never been known to bow for anyone but his woman.”

However, I dreaded all of Addie’s chapters knowing that I wouldn’t like what was happening to her, in that house of horrors. 

Then, they are reunited! Hallelujah!  As expected though, they did have to deal with Addie’s trauma.  I’m glad that the author didn’t gloss over that, but it did seem to drag on way too long.  I was surprised with how well Zade handled all that, to be honest.  He still had some jerk moments, but he did keep it to a minimum when she was going through everything.  He honestly let her avoid dealing with stuff for too long.  And, I was surprised that he was willing to let her come with him on missions.

Sibby fans will be happy to see that she is also reunited with Zade in this book.  Although we do not see, a clear resolution where she is concerned.  It seems like the author was leaving the door open for a Sibby book and intentionally left those ribbons untied.  I personally am not all that interested in a Sibby novel, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t read it eventually.  I’d much prefer a Rio book though.

As long as this novel was, it felt unfinished.  I think the whole Sibby being in the wind stuff that I mentioned above really made the book feel incomplete.  Not to mention, it didn’t really feel like Zade and Addie had their happily ever after.  It’s obvious they are going to end up together, but the ending didn’t leave me with the warm and fuzzies.  Their last scenes really left a lot to be desired.  Yes, he’s a jerk, but for someone that loves Addie so much, I feel like he could do better than how he left us.

“I don’t care if I need to set this world on fire until there’s no one left but you and me. The world will burn around us, and I’ll gladly live in chaos with you as long as the only person that is a danger to you is me.”

The book also left a big unknown on what was going to happen with the whole shadow government agency.  And, there was no resolution with Addie and her dad either.   

I was hoping for so much more in this one.  The potential was definitely there, but the author dropped the ball halfway to that elusive touchdown.  Shame.