Hunting Adeline

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual violence and/or sexual harassment, rape, sexual content, death, graphic violence, addiction, substance use, and mental illness.



Dark romance is a genre that blends the classic themes and tropes of romance with more ominous or violent elements, creating a sense of danger and moral complexity within the traditional romance structure. Characters often act upon dark or taboo desires, and the key scenes of such novels often feature sexual acts based upon dubious consent, or instances of outright sexual assault and abuse that are paradoxically framed as “romance.” Other examples of relationship dynamics in dark romance include consensual non-consent fantasies and sex acts. Additionally, dark romances sometimes incorporate tropes from the horror and thriller genres, such as ghosts, monsters, and sorcery. A prime example of such genre-blending occurs in Emily McIntire’s Hooked, which blends the classic story of Peter Pan with a contemporary dark romance plotline.

Within this context, Hunting Adeline is often regarded as one of the darker examples, exploring themes and events that are considered taboo even in a genre that pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable in fiction.