H.D. Carlton has become an auto buy author for me. I don't know what she laces her books with, but I eat it up every damn time. I loved Gigi and Ronaldo's story. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, and so damn spicy. This was one of my most anticipated reads, and I am so glad it didn't disappoint.

This prequel was so intriguing! I loved getting to learn more about Genevieve and Ronaldo. If you’ve read the Cat & Mouse duet you’ll know that Adeline’s grandmother Genevieve has a diary where she talks about this mysterious stalker. I think this is one of those books that is best to go into with little to no info. It is jam packed with drama, mystery and is dark so please check tws!

Dark, intoxicating, and so unhinged—I mean that in the best way possible. Phantom takes gothic obsession to a whole new level, blending the eerie with the sinfully seductive. H.D. Carlton has this delightful way of making you feel just a little bit wicked for enjoying what’s unfolding. If you love your romance with a heavy dose of danger, secrecy, and characters who really need therapy but you wouldn’t change them for the world—this one’s for you.

I read Haunting Adeline parallel with listening to Phantom. A lot of people say you should read Haunting Adeline first, but I didn’t mind the order. It doesn’t matter with which you start... you either spoil Haunting Adeline for yourself if you start with Phantom or spoil Phantom if you start with Haunting Adeline… so kinda doesn’t matter.

I didn’t enjoy this book that much… maybe I didn’t because I was reading it at the same time as Haunting Adeline and they both felt really similar to each other. Zade and Ronaldo are literally the same person, and it just was boring for me. The random Mafia problems Ronaldo had to solve did nothing for the plot and were not well written. The smut scenes were good, but the cheating trope ruined even that for me.

If you want to read the book for the smut only and have no problem with cheating then you will probably enjoy this book more than I did!

This is a prequel to the cat and mouse duet. I enjoyed every minute of this book! The chemistry between Genevieve and Ronaldo was perfect… and the spicy was perfect! And don’t get me started on the way Ronaldo was worshipping Genevieve… phew, epic! . On the opposite end of the story, I appreciated how strong Genevieve was for her daughter. The only thing missing from this novel was some karma being served to John. This is a perfect romance… on the darker side… for a 1940s era mob style love affair. The narrators did excellent work… I loved the way they brought the characters to life!

The narration on this was fantastic! It seems to be a "prequel" for Haunting Adeline (which I haven't read) but Phantom was still enjoyable none-the-less. I will be reading the Cat & Mouse duet now based on this book.

This is the story of Gigi and Ronaldo, who are very minor mentions in the author's Cat and Mouse Duet. Gigi is married and has a daughter, and Ronaldo is a mobster phantom who she spots outside of her home. Gigi's husband has gambled all of their money away, and Ronaldo works for the mob boss that he owes money to. Ronaldo falls in love with Gigi, and this is their story.

HOT. Oh my gosh is this book hot. I had feelings about the affair aspect of the story but that quickly went away once I learned more about the characters. Ronaldo worshipping Genevieve is so perfect. On the opposite end of the story, I appreciated how strong Genevieve was for her daughter. Although, I still think John should meet his demise; the asshole.

I enjoyed going back and seeing where it all began
but I feel like I need more! I know this is just their love story but I need to see John meet his end and the story leading up to it from her POV.

Captivating, dark, and decadent are the words I'd use to describe Phantom. Historical settings, mafia, and still a strange love emerging from it all. The audio book was so wonderful, excellent narration

Time to play Guilty as Sin? by Taylor Swift on repeat

I really enjoyed this book. The narration was perfect, too. So that made the listening smooth and easy.

I haven't read the Cat and Mouse Duet yet, so I was curious to see how this stood up on its own, and it did just fine. I didn't feel like there was anything I was missing along the way.

The story was interesting and I felt for Gigi. I think the author portrayed the era well, even though there were a few moments that I questioned the language used, but it was easy enough to let go of that.

If there would have been a little more depth in their relationship, and in their collective personalities as well, I think this would've been 5 stars for me. But it just didn't seem like they spent much time getting to know each other, and I feel like it was the only weak point in the book.

Phantom takes p[ace during the fall of 1944. Genevieve is a happily married woman to her husband John. While money has been tight since the war, Genevieve had no idea that John hasn't been paying the bills and they hardly have money to purchase food. Genevieve feels like she is being watched and can't shake that feeling until a stranger walks into her home one morning. Ronaldo has been watchin Geneieve for months and nothing will stop him to have her for his own. Ronaldo teaches Geneieve what she has been missing all the years she has been married to John. This is a steamy book from the start and will not disapoint the reader/listener. I did love how the audiobook was directed. I would like to thank both NEtGalley and Brillance Audio for letting me listen to an advanced copy of Phantom.

Thank you for the ARC! I really enjoyed reading about Gigi and Ronaldo’s story. I think it might have been a *tad* too long and quite surface-level for what I was expecting, based on HD Carlton’s other books, but nevertheless I did like this. The narrators were great and really brought the story to life!

I really can say that Ioved it.

The audiobook is an easy 5⭐️—the narrators did an incredible job bringing the story to life. As a book and story overall, I’d rate it 4.5⭐️.4🌶
I went into this book with a different mindset, expecting something new from H.D. Carlton, and I was not disappointed.
Set in the 1940s, the book captures the era’s vibes perfectly. A very differnt dark romance story.The mobsters, the atmospheric setting, and the gothic allure of the mansion were impeccably crafted. It’s a unique historical romance set in the Cat and Mouse Duet universe, featuring a highly likable male lead and a strong, complex female protagonist.
Gigi is a powerful character, grappling with her dysfunctional marriage to the problematic John. She’s a mother doing everything she can for her daughter, but John’s destructive behavior and involvement in shady dealings make things incredibly challenging.
When Ronaldo—a man deeply tied to the Mafia—lays eyes on her, he’s captivated instantly. Unlike her husband, Ronaldo is a very different man and a differnt kind of stalker that we used to see in the books of H.D: possessive yet gentle, and utterly magnetic. And his mouth… OMG.
The banter between Gigi and Ronaldo? Chef’s kiss! It’s witty, sharp, and full of tension. Gigi starts questioning her life and her feelings for Ronaldo, leading to an affair. While some might struggle to justify her choices, her marriage with John is utterly broken, and his actions are deeply questionable. As John’s sketchy dealings spiral out of control, Gigi finds herself caught in a web of dangerous situations.
For me, reading is about stepping into new worlds and experiencing different lives, and this book did that beautifully. The chemistry between Gigi and Ronaldo was electric, and their intimate scenes were sensual, hot, and refreshingly unique.
I was completely immersed in the story and loved seeing H.D. Carlton explore a different narrative and writing style.
I was fascinated with Gigis story when I read the Cat and Mouse Duet l, and I wanted this book really bad.

I didn’t expect the ending of the story, even though I already knew what happened from the other books. It left me with one burning question:
Will we get more, or perhaps a second book?


At last the narrators truly captured the essence of the characters, making it feel like I was watching a series unfold in my mind..
The mafia subplot added even more intrigue, making the story impossible to put down. I’d love to see more books set in this universe!

I was given an early copy of the audio book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. NO SPOILERS!

1940s Haunting Adeline prequel? Sign me up!!

HD Carlton is a drop everything and read type of author so that’s what I did. I finished this baby in one day!

Because I know someone’s going to ask, you don’t need to read Haunting Adeline to understand this story. It’s a complete standalone. Like many people who read dark romance, I read and LOVED Haunting/Hunting Adeline, so I was looking forward to reading more stories in this universe and I was not disappointed. Yes it’s different from Haunting Adeline and Renaldo isn’t Zade, but it was so good! I love the gangster, mobster vibes with fedora hat wearing characters.

Genevieve is living with her derelict, no good, POS husband, John, and their daughter Sarah at Parsons Manor. She discovers she is being stalked by a man outside her window, Renaldo, and over time they have an affair. I enjoyed the characters. Their sexual dynamic was different from what I was expecting. Which isn’t a bad thing. Genevieve is tough, confident and knows what she wants. This is a dark romance, but not as dark as Haunting Adeline which was perfect for this story.

I love the duet style audio book. Both narrators did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. Also forgive me if I misspell names. Since I listened to this as an audio book I’m not sure if the names are correct.

Definitely check triggers before diving into this story!

I have no criticisms or ideas to improve this story so FIVE STARS
The spice was spicy. I’d give it four chili peppers