The first book immediately drew me in. Zade was intense and mysterious, but in the beginning, there was something oddly charming about how he pursued Addie—leaving red roses, showing up unexpectedly, watching from the shadows. Yes, it was stalker behavior, but the story leaned into that dynamic unapologetically, and I found myself strangely enjoying the push-pull tension between them.
Addie herself felt a bit naive at times, especially when she tried to confront Zade without fully understanding who she was dealing with. That said, her reactions felt somewhat realistic given the genre and tone. One moment that really stuck with me was when Zade mutilated a man for touching Addie—it was disturbing but also strangely satisfying, which says a lot about how dark this story really goes.
The spice level in Book 1 was very high, and while not every scene worked for me, a few were undeniably intense and well-written. Overall, Book 1 was fast-paced, twisted, and addictive.
About Book
Author: H.D. Carlton (lives in Oregon with her husband, Bigfoot, two dogs, and cat).
Published: August 12th, 2021
Pages: 583
Series: Cat & Mouse #1
Description:
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.
(Source: Goodreads)
