Haunting Adeline’s Wildest Moments: A Hilarious Tier List From ‘Nope’ to ‘Where’s My Fan?’

Move over, pumpkin spice—this Halloween season, we’re diving into the real spooky: H.D. Carlton’s viral dark romance hit, Haunting Adeline. If you’ve seen the book floating around BookTok or noticed its infamous black-and-red cover haunting your recommended reads, you already know: this isn’t your everyday love story. In fact, it’s not even your everyday dark romance. It’s more like walking into a haunted house run by a morally gray hacker and the gothest author this side of Dracula’s castle.

Haunting Adeline has it all—ghosts, guns, gothic mansions, a stalker-vigilante (yes, really), and enough red flags to make a bull charge your Kindle. And yet… we can’t stop reading.

So instead of pretending we’re better than this, let’s celebrate the madness with a full-blown chaos ranking. Introducing: the Haunting Adeline Tier List™, from scenes that made us fan ourselves (Why Is This Hot??) to ones that require a cold shower and possibly legal counsel (Zade. Please.).

But first, here’s a tiny bit of context in case you haven’t taken the unhinged plunge yet.

What Is Haunting Adeline?

Haunting Adeline is the first book in the controversial “Cat and Mouse” duet by H.D. Carlton. It exploded in popularity after its 2021 release, thanks to a tidal wave of BookTok hype and the bold marketing of dark romance themes taken to the extreme (source).

The plot centers around Adeline, an author who inherits her grandmother’s eerie mansion. Thinking she’ll find writing inspiration and solitude, she instead discovers secret tunnels, hidden letters from a serial killer, and—oh yeah—a stalker who calls himself Zade.

Zade is not your typical romantic lead. He’s charming, obsessive, and a vigilante hacker who runs an operation that rescues victims from human trafficking rings. While breaking several laws and your boundaries.

Readers are split. Some say it’s a haunting, addictive story that pushes the limits of the genre (source). Others… well, let’s just say they were left breathless, but not always in a good way.

Still, one thing is clear—it’s unforgettable.

And with that, let’s dive into the tier list you never knew you needed.

Welcome to the Chaos: The Haunting Adeline Tier List

S-Tier: “This Shouldn’t Be Hot… Why Is This Hot?”

Let’s start at the top. These are the moments where you felt your eyebrows raise, your palms sweat, and your moral compass quietly slink out the back door.

Zade watching Adeline through the cameras he installed in her home.

Yes, we’re going there right away. This is pure Edward Cullen’s watching-you-sleep energy… but instead of sneaking in through windows, Zade wired up her entire house. Somehow, someway, Carlton made surveillance almost swoony. Like, “If I ignore everything I know about legality and personal space, this guy is a twisted romantic at heart… right?”

Add creepy wallpaper and a violin in the background and—boom—you’ve got Gothic Fantasy Rom-Com Night on Netflix.

What’s wild is how many readers reported blushing during this scene. We don’t know what that says about us, but… moving on.

“I see you. I see everything you do, Adeline.” – Zade, probably during hour 17 of illegally monitoring her private life.

For more demented but enticing dark romance recommendations, check out our take on irresistible book boyfriends in Discover Fantasy Books for Adults with Romance.

A-Tier: “Peak Gothic Drama™”

Now we’re in full spooky castle mode. These scenes made us want to light a candelabra, wrap ourselves in a velvet cloak, and yell dramatic things like “I must know what lies beneath!”

Adeline wandering her grandmother’s old haunted mansion in the dark.

She keeps hearing noises. Creaking floorboards. Doors cracking open on their own. Any sensible person would flee, but Adeline? She digs deeper. Classic gothic heroine behavior.

Meme energy? “When you hear a creak but assume it’s supernatural instead of, say, a techno-stalker named Zade.”

Bonus detail: The house has underground tunnels. We don’t even have a working basement light, and she’s out here casually exploring like Indiana Jones’ scary cousin. Major mood.

Also worth noting: these spooky settings and high-stakes vibes are part of why Haunting Adeline gets grouped with fantasy romance, even though it’s firmly grounded in our (weird) reality (source).

If you can’t get enough of that eerie, gothic atmosphere, you might also enjoy exploring the magic and mystery in Crescent City: A Fantasy World of Magic, Romance, and Mystery.

B-Tier: “I Need a Shower (But Not in a Good Way)”

We’re entering murky waters here—scenes that made us feel conflicted, disturbed, and maybe just a little like we were being punk’d.

Any confrontation where Adeline says “no” and Zade hears “try harder.”

These parts are uncomfortable by design. Consent is blurry. Emotions are high. Adeline often expresses fear or resistance, but the intensity of Zade’s obsession barrels forward like a train with broken brakes.

To be clear: this isn’t meant to romanticize that dynamic. It’s complicated. H.D. Carlton doesn’t shy away from these moments—and a lot of people have strong feelings about them (source).

GIF recommendation: raccoon staring into a trash can in existential dread = our faces during basically half this book.

C-Tier: “Plot Twist or Trauma?”

These are the scenes where we couldn’t tell if the plot had just thickened or emotionally mugged us in a dark alley.

Adeline constantly wondering if she should call the police or just keep writing about it.

Ma’am. This man literally left a note saying, “You’re mine.” He broke into your home like it’s NBD and ruined your sense of safety. And yet… you’re writing about him in your journal like a love-struck Poe fan?

This whole love story had us questioning ourselves: Am I okay? Is Adeline okay? Should someone stage an intervention for both of us?

Also, the cat-and-mouse narrative really leans into psychological manipulation—and doesn’t let up. There’s a constant tension between should I run and do I want to be caught? which builds the entire tone of the book (source).

If the rollercoaster of messed-up love intrigues you, then you might want to dive into Once Upon a Broken Heart: Evangeline & Jacks – A Rollercoaster of Love, Lies, and Immortal Shenanigans (Ranked!) for another wild ride.

Relatable moment: that scene when your friend clearly texted “wyd” at 2 a.m. and you know it’s chaos, but you go anyway.

D-Tier: “Zade, You Need Jesus”

The most unhinged, rule-breaking, full-send moments go straight down here. Welcome to the dungeon (literally, maybe).

Zade’s vigilante missions.

At one point, Zade leads an underground network of hackers committed to breaking sex trafficking rings. On paper?… Noble. In practice? He’s committing war crimes via “Anonymous but make it sexy.”

It’s like a true crime doc with a narrator saying “And then things got even darker.” Think: Batman’s ethics, minus Batman’s no-kill rule.

Imagine the therapy bill.

Zade’s red flags don’t wave—they’re choreographed in a Broadway number. And yet here we are.

For a survival guide when dark romance characters push every boundary (and then some), check out How NOT to Make a Deal with a Wicked Prince: A Survival Guide (Inspired by Once Upon a Broken Heart).

Bonus Round: Memes That Summon the Spirit of This Book

We all process gothic trauma differently. Some people write dissertations. We prefer memes.

• “When HR hears your ‘dark romance’ book club discussion.” – Image: a horrified office worker clutching a coffee mug labeled “Not today, Satan.”
• “My face during Adeline and Zade’s first ‘consensual’ moment.” – Image: Squidward grimacing with a single tear streaming down.
• “My TBR pile after finishing Haunting Adeline: ‘Are you okay? Blink twice.’” – Image: Kermit hiding behind a bookshelf next to a bottle of wine.

For a quirky twist on character vibes, don’t miss our fun quiz, Which Quicksilver Book Character Are You?

These resonate, right? If you tried explaining this book to a friend without sounding unwell, you’re not alone.

Honorable Mentions: Scenes We Can’t Explain, But Can’t Forget

• Adeline’s internal monologue sometimes sounds like a Taylor Swift bridge.
“He hurt me, but I love him, and now I’m driving at midnight through the rain…” type beat. Somewhere, Taylor is nodding with cautious approval.

• Zade’s hacker lair.
Think: if Batman’s cave were designed by a Hot Topic manager with unlimited funds and no concern for privacy laws. It’s underground, high tech, and somehow still covered in mood lighting.

• The journals and ghostly parallels.
Adeline finds her grandmother’s old letters from a stalker she had decades ago. The similarities are eerie, fueling the plot’s twisted echo effect. It’s the book’s thesis on generational trauma but make it soap-opera.

So… Should You Read Haunting Adeline?

Here’s the thing. If you like morally gray characters, power imbalances so extreme they need footnotes, and haunted mansions dripping with psychological chaos—Haunting Adeline might just be your dark romance fever dream.

But make no mistake: this book isn’t for the faint of heart. With numerous content warnings, intense emotional manipulation, and explicit scenes that push beyond comfort zones, it’s a book to approach thoughtfully.

That said? It’s also powerful, compulsively readable, and entirely unforgettable.

And if you do read it? Tag a friend who would side-eye Zade throughout the entire book but still power through this duet like it’s a 3AM pizza delivery.

Final Takeaway

H.D. Carlton didn’t just write a dark romance—she wrote a fever-dream manifesto on obsession, trauma, and all the blurry lines in between. Whether you’re in it for the Gothic aesthetic, the psychological twists, or just the “Haunting Adeline funny review” energy, one thing is certain: this book will stick with you.

So maybe keep your lights on. And your windows locked.

(And don’t check your security cameras tonight… or do. Zade might be watching.)

Sources:

• BooksRun Overview on Haunting Adeline
• Barnes & Noble Listing for Haunting Adeline
• Goodreads Reader Reviews

Thanks for coming to our chaotic TED talk. Stay spooky.