My Dreadful Darling, by H.D. Carlton (Mild Spoilers!!)
My first HD Carlton book! Figured I’d go for one of her recent stuff before I (eventually) tackle Haunting Adeline.
And it’s....well.
It isn’t awful?
A big ick for me was the MMC at first. Idk if it’s because I’m older but I’m just SO OVER the bully romance stuff. I get his motivations now after reading the book but he was hard to sympathize with, dead mom and all. To his credit, he does get better—but that first impression is why I find the sex scenes to be so tedious. I think the only thing stopping me from seeing the FMC as a complete victim is because, well she isn’t—she does get him back, but imho never in the same ferocity as he gives her—and because it’s because it’s clear that they’re both really, REALLY fucked up. Reverie is the daughter of a serial killer who was convicted but the public believes it was a wrongful conviction. Dread is the son of his last victim before he was locked away, and is considered the child who lied in his testimony to put him in jail.
Which is, yeah okay, sad.
But it took a while before I really took their trauma seriously. Like their nicknames are Reverie and Dread. Someone call the Edgelord Committee, I think I found two prospective members.
The real redeeming factor is the plot behind the smut and hate-hate-hate-love dynamic: Who is stalking Reverie? Is it her serial killer father who just got out? Is it the copycat? Someone else, perhaps a little closer? I liked that mystery. I wanted more of it. Unfortunately, the sex scenes kept getting in the way. Now, I love smut. I even like it when it has dubcon/noncon elements—January Rayne is one of my fave authors—but for me, both characters have to have personalities that click for me. Reverie is fine. But Dread? I didn’t really start liking him until near the end, when their relationship starts to improve—because then he actually started to have a personality beyond edgelord bully who hates Reverie. I like his FRIEND, who is one of Rev's bullies—and has a quirky fixation with romance novels—more than Dread. And he's not a main character! He's also not super nice either! But he has a personality.
MMC's should have some funny quirks. They don’t have to be normal, but if they make me laugh, even when I’m feeling "WTF??" I’m sold INSTANTLY. It took me like 500 pages on my kindle to start liking Dread. Idk, that's just me tho.
Overall, I give this a solid 3 out of 5 stars.
There's a sequel coming out in August, and I'll read it because the mystery is interesting to me. I also want to see their relationship improve a lot more. But this was an eh kind of start for me.
Diving into "My Dreadful Darling" truly reveals the complexity of dark romance in contemporary literature. After finishing the book, I found myself reflecting deeply on how trauma shapes individuals and relationships. The protagonist pair, Reverie and Dread, are not your typical romance characters—they carry the heavy baggage of their pasts in ways that profoundly affect their interactions. What stood out to me was the layered mystery element embedded within the romance. The question of who is stalking Reverie adds an edge-of-your-seat suspense that complements the dark themes. It reminds me that dark romances can extend beyond just emotional or sexual tension to incorporate thriller aspects that keep readers hooked. While I initially struggled with the bully romance trope, which can be contentious especially as tastes evolve with age, the character development toward the end gave me a new perspective on Dread. Seeing him evolve beyond his 'edgelord' facade into a more nuanced individual made the story's emotional payoff more rewarding. This progression reminded me how important character growth is in any compelling romance, no matter the genre. I also appreciated the subtle commentary on how public perception influences the characters' lives—Reverie is burdened by her father's infamous past, while Dread fights against the legacy of his family's tragic history. This complexity brought a realistic texture to their dark love story. For readers who enjoy dark romance with elements of mystery and psychological intrigue, "My Dreadful Darling" offers a thought-provoking journey. The upcoming sequel promises to delve even deeper into their relationship and the stalking mystery, which I find exciting to anticipate. Overall, this book encourages readers to look past surface-level conflicts and appreciate the tangled human emotions beneath.