H. D. Carlton

Who am I?I've forgotten the answer to that question long ago. Ever since I ran from that house, so desperate to escape, I left with only the clothes on my back and socks on my feet. After that day, I've only ever walked in stolen shoes.Could I be a girl who is searching for the meaning of life in faceless men? They were all so forgettable. Until he came along. He took me under a waterfall and made me forget my name, and in return, I took his instead.Enzo Vitale.An enigmatic man that will only ever love the deep sea. Or rather the predators that inhabit it. Turns out, he's not so different than the monsters he feeds. He lured me onto his boat like a fish in the ocean, seeking vengeance for my crime. Had I realized his intentions, and that a massive storm would leave us shipwrecked, I would've ran.Now, I'm a girl who's seeking refuge in a decrepit lighthouse with a man who loathes me almost as much as he craves me. He wants to hurt me, but the old caretaker of the abandoned island may have intentions far more sinister.It's no longer a question of who I am, but rather, will I survive?

Does It Hurt?

So to start off, I wouldn’t place this under the list of my favorite books I’ve read. I merely read it due to the hype on TikTok over how he fucks her while drowning her in an ocean swarming in sharks. Most of the book takes place while they’re on the island with the creepy old man. I’m definitely a fan of enemies to lovers but this to a different turn with that trope. Enzo, the latest victim of identity theft, treats Sawyer with such venomous hate and cruelty. Over identity theft? The way he treats her throughly this book, and takes what he wants from her body is disgusting. H.D. Carlton blurs the lines between sexual assault and cnc and I’m not really a fan of that. The fact that he makes sawyer hate herself more than she already does, and even more so after he uses her body. Just for them to do a complete 180 and fall in love?? Enzo sees how wrongfully he has treated her, and wants nothing more than her forgiveness. Which is a start. Not that he deserves it. Not after sexually assaulting her on a boat in the middle of sharks. People can say this is a dark romance, and in some aspects it is. But I find it nothing more than disturbing smut. The most interesting part for me was the mystery around the chained “ghosts”

Renata

this book is amazing istg- hd carlton doesn't fail to amaze me. 

enzo and sawyer are such a perfect match, just like thunderstorm and lightning. it was such an amazing book i can't find the words to describe it. 

- ""Oh my God, Enzo" 
"My name and God's don't belong in the same sentence, bella," he rasps, his voice as rough as the rock below us. "One is holy, and the other is depraved."

- "I wasn't yours then. You didn't even know me."
"You were always destined to be mine,"

- "I lie to myself every day. I tell myself that I'm so fucking addicted to you because of how sweet your pussy tastes or how it cries so easily for me. But I know it's only because of vou."

- "She's walking lightning. Both beautiful and fucking destructive."

- "You're right. You've brought chaos into my life." 
"I like it, bella."

- ""È impossibile odiarti quando mi fai sentire così vivo,""Ed è esattamente per questo che voglio odiarti.
Prima di incontrare te ero un sonnambulo. Cazzo, non ero pronto a svegliarmi.""Ho sbagliato a dirti che eri debole. Sei così incredibilmente coraggiosa, vorrei che lo vedessi anche tu.""Ti penso ogni ora, ogni minuto, ogni dannato secondo. Non so che fare.""L'oceano era l'unico posto in cui mi sentivo a casa,""Era l'unica cosa che mi eccitava e dava pace. Hai rovinato anche questo. Sentirti su di me è meglio di immergersi nell'oceano. Neanche con questa rivelazione so che fare." 

- "We're the perfect storm, where he is the thunder, and I am the lightning."

- "There's a place in the ocean, so deep, where not a single point of light penetrates through it. And for so long, I've been trapped there, unable to breathe.
When I met you, you lifted me out of that darkness, and it was the first time I came up for air. You've become my oxygen, bella ladra, and I can no longer breathe without you."

- ""Beautiful thief,""That's not who I am anymore."
"You are a thief, baby. You stole my name, and now you've taken my heart, too. Demand anything else from me, and I'll give it to you."

- "There are many things you deserve, bella ladra, but the only prison you will be a captive in is one of my own making. If my love is a prison, so be it."

- "The day you stole from me was the best day of my life," he whispers against my lips. "Because then you became my life, and I don't want it back. I won't fucking take it."

- "I told you my love was going to hurt like hell. So tell me, bella ladra, does it hurt?"

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5 • 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5

This was unlike what I thought it was going to be. We all know what the scene everyone talk about with this book. What I didn’t expect was how I knew nothing else about it😂

Overall, this was a true enemies to lovers for me. The hate these two had was palpable. But was so entertaining at the same time. I do think plot wise it was slow and repetitive at points but fast and interesting at others. It was a fun read and H.D. doesn’t disappoint. I think my favorite parts of the book was the tie in the title made throughout. I really liked that and I think it really added to it. Also that little quote at the top of the book there makes so much sense now😂

Priscilla Stanfield

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5 • 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5

This was unlike what I thought it was going to be. We all know what the scene everyone talk about with this book. What I didn’t expect was how I knew nothing else about it😂

Overall, this was a true enemies to lovers for me. The hate these two had was palpable. But was so entertaining at the same time. I do think plot wise it was slow and repetitive at points but fast and interesting at others. It was a fun read and H.D. doesn’t disappoint. I think my favorite parts of the book was the tie in the title made throughout. I really liked that and I think it really added to it. Also that little quote at the top of the book there makes so much sense now😂

As someone who lives in Australia and it Italian, this book was a nice, refreshing nod to both cultures that you often don't see in books like these. The plot, as like any H.D. Carlton book was exceptional. I read dark romance for the spice (doesn't everyone) but I enjoy having a gripping storyline as well. I felt Simon's character a little useless though. He had such potential in this book but only appeared twice which I feel was a waste. The gruesome/horror elements was a pleasant surprise and Enzo was magnificent. 

ariah 

Roxanne Benoit Gagnon

The plot was good but not amazing. this book took me so long to finish and i almost gave up like 3 times. I had really high expectation from all of the other reviews and it was maybe why I didn't enjoy it as much.

detelinka

bro. HOW WAS THIS BOOK SO GOOOOOD. 
OKAY SO.
the plot - immaculate
the spice - absolutely hot and overwhelming and literally perfect.
Enzo is just MWAH. sure he made me cry like 20 times because he hurt my bby Sawyer ,but after he realized he was wrong it was fine. ngl i was down bad for him since the start. 
their relationship was so cute (full of banter, sex, emotional damage, pain, but yk thats where the good stuff is)
i absolutely adore H.D. Carlton's writing and this is yet another one absolutely perfect book of hers, like gurl how are you so good at this. Cant wait for another book to just grab me and never let me live without it.
(i legit started reading it the other day and didn't stop untill i finished it)
10 absolutely perfect stars from me❤️

Madeline Frampton

Felt like a fever dream.. living the same day over and over and over again. Not going to lie the spice in this book was phenomenal but everyday in the lighthouse was the exact same and it was dreadful

Elena

I DEVOURED this book. I loved the spice. I loved the morally gray main characters and how the plot leaned on it. I also thought that the plot to spice ratio of PERFECT!

Does It Hurt?

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