Phantom

What was I thinking going from one emotional book to another? Honestly it was not a well thought out plan. Did this book have me in my feelings?! Absolutely! Was it partially because I could relate to several things inside the book? Yeah, that really did not help the situation. But honestly I was still emotionally raw from the last book I read. Im over here like I will take a break from fantasy romance, and read the prequel to haunting adeline! Definitely gonna be okay. Well it wasnt! IT WASNT!!! Is the spice good?! Absolutely! Is the romance between them so amazing?! Uh yeah! But her martial struggles?! Uh yeah no. Break my heart. Then if you know what actually happens to Gigi because youve read haunting/hunting adeline! Yep no, you cry! THEN the bonus chapter is beautiful BUT it made me sob! I also enjoyed the audio book, along side reading. Which was fantastic, highly recommend that as well! Is this a great book? Yeah, its good. But it made me cry. So theres that. This Dark Historical Romance is the Prequel to Haunting Adeline. This book does have darker themes, scenes, and topics so please check all trigger warnings before diving in. The romance in this book is a forbidden romance. The book is very spicy, and all the spicy scenes are very descriptive. The book moves at quick pace following Gigi as she falls for her stalker Ronaldo. She knows its wrong as Gigi is not only married, but also has a daughter. The war is raging, and her husband is coming home later, with actions becoming more volatile. As her life becomes more dark, Ronaldo becomes the only light. This steamy, angsty book is captivating, and addictive.

I must admit that this book was not exactly what I was expecting. I definitely have mixed feelings however, overall I really did enjoy the love story between Ronaldo and Gigi. If you've already read the previous two books you know what happened to Gigi however you don't really get to know her very well. I loved that in this story we got to experience her falling in love with Ronaldo. It was sweet, kind, tender, definitely rough also, and enjoyable seeing her come out of her shell and experience life with Ronaldo. Personally, I don't really love when people have affairs however in this case with what John was doing I guess I looked past the fact that this was technically Ronaldo and Gigi having an affair. I just thought that the book was going to be a little bit more traumatic I guess, and it turned out to be more of a love story than I expected. I did enjoy the ending but it was not what I was expecting. I was hoping to experience more of what happened with her death. But honestly, the more I think about it I think it ended at a perfect spot with the reader feeling their love and the hope that they had for the future. It was a really good book and very well written. I read the book on Kindle and listened to it on Audible and I loved the voice actors. They really did a great job of bringing the characters to life and overall, although the book wasn't exactly what I was expecting, this was a great book!

This book was fine! I feel like sometimes the spicy took away from the plot and would have loved to have more in the story about the mob or John’s gambling. Overall glad I read it!

"There is little in life I'm deserving of—little that I allow myself to indulge in. Yet you are the crux of all my selfish desires." Before I start my review, I want to say that I don't think you need to read the Cat & Mouse duet prior to this. Will it help and break your heart even more when you connect the dots to Gigi's story? Absolutely. But this is coming from someone who didn't remember much about Gigi's story and had to go back to read through the journal entries in Cat & Mouse duet, and this story still made sense. You will want more, though, to really get even more details of the outcome after the ending. Phantom tells the story of Genevieve, a wife, a mom, a reader, a writer. She's been a devoted wife all of her life, but she's slowly realizing her family—mainly her husband, John—isn't as picture perfect as it once was...if it ever had been. She finds out her husband gambled all of their life savings, and has become a true drunkard, and even abu$ive towards her. Ronaldo was sent to keep an eye on John, but instead comes across a lovely woman sitting by her window, and one look at her, he is a gone man. "How cruel it is that Mother Nature spent millions of years forming such a beautiful sight only for you to exceed it within mere minutes." Listen, I love Zade with my whole heart, I really do. But Ronaldo had me physically SWOONING! He also had me tearing up over the things he'd say to Gigi. He has this tender side towards her that had me *banging fists on table*. I seriously hope people love him as much as I do. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to only love you in the dark when you deserve to be loved in the light?" The writing fully transported me to that time period. I loved seeing Gigi through Ronaldo's eyes, how he would describe what she was wearing, how she looked; it was what first set me back completely to the 1940s. And Gigi is a soft yet vivacious character I couldn't help but be drawn to. What I loved most about her was her complete devotion to her daughter, Sera. While she's head over heels for Ronaldo and wants to have that happy ending with him, her priority is and always will be her daughter. I found that so admirable and heartbreaking at the same time. While this is a mafia and sta|ker romance, there's a softness that seamlessly ties everything together to deliver a breath-taking and addicting story that will consume you from beginning to end. Going back to Ronaldo, this man had me equally swooning and fanning my face with his dirty talk! Even when his dirty talk was filthy, there was an elegance to the way he'd phrase his wording that had me in the biggest chokehold! "Does one stand beneath a waterfall expecting to breathe? I beg you to suffocate me, mia rosa." Hailey's writing is vastly different, in a great way, with a softer and lyrical undertone that flowed into the storytelling—poetic without it being poetic; it's hard to explain! But it showed a different side to her writing that I can't fully put into words; just know it was phenomenal, which makes me even more excited for her future books! "I would follow you anywhere, Genevieve. If you were standing at the edge of the earth and wanted to fall, I would only stop you long enough to take hold of your hand so I could go with you. There isn't a life where I wouldn't be your phantom, or a death where I wouldn't be your reaper." I did not want this beautiful love story to end, but in true H.D. Carlton fashion, we got a bonus scene that made me so happy! It was the scene that gave a full-circle moment to this all-consuming romance. - Mafia Romance - Forbidden Romance - Sta|ker Romance - Possessive MMC - Cheating (not between the mc's) - Touch Her and 💀

Absolutely loved this story! I think it’s my favorite out of the set 🖤 addictive, bitter sweet, adoring

Que isso mulher? Eu amei o livro amei conhecer a gigi e o ronne mas que triste eu queria tanto que eles ficassem juntos 😭 to com um vazio no peito uma tristeza 🥺😭

We wanted more of Gigi and Ronaldo. Carlton said 'challenge accepted' and here we are, crying in a corner 🫠 I loved it: Gigi is a queen, Carlton always knows how to portray internal pain, the educational spicy is chef's kiss. I had intense crying sessions from seeing them so happy and finding light in each other's darkness (knowing his ending...). And the bonus chapter!! I can't get over it. It has flaws though: I don't feel like we get enough depth on how the relationship shifted from fear and curiosity to love (Gigi's pov). I thought a certain storyline, considering how Gigi died, was going to be more obvious. And it felt too short—maybe because I needed more of them.

*arc review* ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ legit was so so so good 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ This felt like such a Satisfying read! Can’t say I’ve really ever read any historical romances but this was super good! Gigi and Ronaldo fit so perfectly together and the love they have for each other burns so bright, and it’s consuming, and even tho they had some challenges they kept going. They were destined to be together forever. I love that Gigi started to learn a bit about what she likes and didn’t know she could feel, and Ronaldo helped her see that. But yo — Gigi, ma girl, the mouth on her was so good. She presented herself as innocent and then BAM — the dirty talking so whipped out of nowhere. You go girl 😮‍💨 she had Ronaldo wrapped around her pretty little finger 💅🏻 "There will never be another, nor will I live a life without you. Death awaits us all, Genevieve. Even still, it will not keep me from you." CRYING RN Also can we talk about how beautiful the illustrated cover is??? Wheeze

Wonderful period drama, an historical and tragic story, hues from a past that is as fascinating as scary. Impossible to put down the narrative is flawless and involving capturing the reader in one unforgettable experience.

I'd loved haunting adeline, wrestled through hunting adeline part 1, loved part 2. This book is the cherry on the cake. Especially the bonus chapter, it gave me goosebumps and made me all teary eyed. Thank you miss carlton! I love the universe of Haunting adeline!❤️