BLURB:

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.

MY THOUGHTS:

This book is like watching a cringe-worthy reality show, but for some reason, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I kind of hate myself for getting sucked into the Haunting Adeline saga. How can something so cringey be so addicting? It’s a hot mess of a book, but I couldn’t tear myself away. I mean, seriously, “The Manipulator,” “The Shadow” – really? And don’t even get me started on the whole stalker-turned-world-savior thing. Eye roll And the whole “little mouse” pet name situation? Beyond annoying. But hey, I still couldn’t resist the urge to see what happens next.

I couldn’t help but giggle while reading this book – or was it not actually meant to be a comedy? It felt like stumbling upon an indie horror film on a lazy evening, thinking “Let’s see what this is about,” and getting strangely hooked. It’s not great, but it’s definitely entertaining. Adeline and Daya had me laughing into my iPad mini (which I totally use as a Kindle). Daya is like the best friend I wish I had! If they ever make a movie out of this book, sign me up to play Daya!

The passion and desire between the characters in this book were palpable, intense, and uninhibited. It had me blushing at the raw and wild nature of their encounters. The author, H.D. Carlton, crafted scenes that left me breathless and amazed. I must admit, there were moments that made me squirm with discomfort, but the overall impact was mind-blowing.

Nonetheless, I found myself unable to resist the temptation, so I dashed to Amazon and snatched up Book 2 of this series on Kindle Unlimited. Looks like I’m about to tumble headfirst down the rabbit hole!

Happy Reading Folks!