My Dreadful Darling

My Dreadful Darling is a dark college romance novel published in 2026 by H.D. Carlton, the bestselling author of Haunting Adeline. It serves as the opening installment of the Hollow Graves Duet. 

The story follows Reverie Adams (born Charlotte D'Amour), a college senior trying to maintain a normal life at Hollow Canyon University. She carries a massive emotional burden: her father, Lionel D’Amour, is a convicted serial killer known as "The Locksmith," believed to have brutally murdered over a hundred women. Though Reverie aims to keep her head above water, she is deeply traumatized by her childhood—her very first memory is almost drowning.

Her fragile peace is shattered by Kellan "Dread" Sharpe, an Olympic swimmer who has transferred to her university with a singular, toxic goal: absolute vengeance against Reverie and her family. 

When Dread was eight years old, he witnessed Lionel murder his mother. His crucial childhood testimony put Lionel behind bars. However, because the public accused Dread of lying—and because copycat murders continued after Lionel was jailed—Dread spent his entire life being scrutinized, isolated, and bullied. 

Now an adult, Dread blames Reverie's family for destroying his life. He targets Reverie for intense, dark psychological bullying to make her drown in his wrath. Reverie refuses to bow down passively, resulting in a volatile, dangerous game of mutual torment.