Review: Our Trespasses

Author: Michael Cordell

Started reading: May 25th 2022

Finished the book: May 28th 2022

Pages: 247

Genres: Paranormal, Horror

Published: October 15th 2021

Source: TCK Publishing

Goodreads score: 3.95

My score:

Synopsis

Drowning in a meaningless existence flipping burgers, Matthew Davis suddenly collapses from a powerful psychic connection he shares with his twin brother, Jake. The pain is violent and immediate, and Matt knows exactly what it means… hundreds of miles away, Jake has been viciously killed. But instead of severing their connection, the murder intensifies it and Matt begins to suffer the agony of Jake’s afterlife.
Hell bent on solving Jake’s murder in order to break the connection, Matt travels to his troubled hometown of Hatchett, Nebraska, where an old lover and savage new enemies expose the festering wounds that Jake left behind.

Matt tries atoning for Jake’s sins, but when a demon infests the connection between the two brothers, Matt must find a way to sever their bond before his world, and ours, become engulfed in the flames of hell.

Review: The Perfectly Fine House

Author: Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young

Started reading: April 17th 2022

Finished the book: April 25th 2022

Pages: 232

Genres: Paranormal, Horror

Published: March 16th 2020

Source: Digital copy from the author

Goodreads score: 3.75

My score:

Synopsis

In an alternate reality where ghosts are as commonplace as the weather, the most terrifying thing imaginable is a house not being haunted.

Donna Fitzpatrick runs a surrogacy agency, where ghosts can briefly possess volunteers in order to enjoy carnal pleasures. She’s also working herself into an early grave. But that’s no big deal because death is no worse than puberty. That’s particularly evident in Donna’s twin, Kyle, a self-absorbed roustabout who spends most of his time high on sage. Kyle’s been in arrested development since his motorcycle accident fifteen years ago.

When Donna has a panic attack, Kyle insists she take a vacation at an abandoned mansion. There’s just one small problem: there isn’t a single ghost in Jackson Manor. And while an unhaunted house seems no worse than an oddity at first, soon ghosts go missing, natural disasters consume entire cities, and every afterlife on earth is threatened by the terrible secret behind... The Perfectly Fine House..

Review: Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga #4)

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Started reading: April 19th 2020

Finished the book: June 4th 2020

Pages: 756

Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal

Published: August 2nd 2008

Source: Bought the book

Goodreads score: 3.69

My score:

Synopsis

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the date of two tribes hangs..

Review: Eclipse (The Twilight Saga #3)

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Started reading: January 26th 2020
Finished the book: March 6th 2020
Pages: 629
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Published: August 7th 2007
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 3.69
My score:

Synopsis

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Review: New Moon (Twilight #2)

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Started reading: November 29th 2019
Finished the book: December 22nd 2019
Pages: 563
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Published: September 6th 2006
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 3.53
My score:

Synopsis

I knew we were both in mortal danger. Still, in that instant, I felt well. Whole. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, the blood pulsing hot and fast through my veins again. My lungs filled deep with the sweet scent that came off his skin. It was like there had never been any hole in my chest. I was perfect - not healed, but as if there had never been a wound in the first place.

For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella could ever have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning...

Review: Twilight (Twilight #1)

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Started reading: September 18th 2019
Finished the book: October 11th 2019
Pages: 501
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Published: October 5th 2005
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 3.59
My score: 

Synopsis

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife-between desire and danger.

Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

Review: A Pack of Vows and Tears (The Boulder Wolves #2)

Author: Olivia Wildenstein
Started reading: October 3rd 2019
Finished the book: October 9th 2019
Pages: 418
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, YA
Published: May 28th 2019
Source: Digital copy from the author
Goodreads score: 4.30
My score:

Synopsis

Ness Clark's place amongst the Boulders and at Liam’s side is compromised. First, when her cousin claims Ness helped him elude his death sentence. And then, when August Watt, Ness’s childhood friend, comes home to Boulder.


Although August’s plan was to pledge himself and return to active duty, he finds himself incapable of leaving. This becomes problematic for Liam and Ness, because a mating link has clicked into place between Ness and the ex-marine. If not consummated, the link will fade, but that’ll take months. How long and hard can two people fight a physical attraction that renders their bodies unreceptive to anyone’s but their mates?

Review: Touch of Smoke

Author: Karissa Laurel
Started reading: May 24th 2019
Finished the book: June 4th 2019
Pages: 336
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Published: February 7th 2019
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads score: 4.38
My score:

Synopsis
Three years ago, Rikki Albemarle watched her best friend die at the hands of a supernatural evil. Certain she was slated to be the next victim, Rikki fled her small Smoky Mountain hometown, vowing to never come back. Plagued by nightmares and knowing she's the only one who believes Mina's death was no accident, Rikki returns with hopes of finding answers and holding the killer accountable.

Rikki is convinced the key to unlocking the secret of Mina's death lies with Owen Amir, the alluring young army vet who once claimed her heart. But the deeper Rikki digs into Owen's past, the more she's torn between the urgings of her heart and her memories of him on the night Mina died.

Review: A Pack of Blood and Lies (The Boulder Wolves #1)

Author: Olivia Wildenstein
Started reading: February 9th 2019
Finished the book: February 14th 2019
Pages: 362
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, YA
To be Published: April 18th 2019
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads score: 4.26
My score:

Synopsis
Three months shy of her eighteenth birthday, Ness is forced to return to Colorado. Even though it’s been six years, and the wolves of her all-male pack don’t recognize her, she recognizes them. People who shun others because of their gender are hard to forget.Especially Liam Kolane—son of Heath, the crudest and cruelest Alpha to have ruled the Boulder Pack. Liam is as handsome as he is infuriating, as kind as he is punishing, and he makes Ness’s traitorous heart race, which isn’t good. After all, he’s a Kolane. Like father like son, right?
When Heath dies, Liam vies to become the new Alpha and no one dares challenge him. Except Ness. Thus begins a treacherous game.
The rules: winner takes all…including loser’s life.

Review: Claimed

Author: Andrea R. Cooper
Started reading: February 25th 2018
Finished the book: March 1st 2018
Pages: 241
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Erotic
Published: June 6th 2016
Source: Got a digital copy from the author
Goodreads score: 4.14
My score:

Synopsis
Renee Maxwell lands her dream job as assistant to archaeologist Damon Cubins in wondrous Turkey. However, she starts seeing strange things after finding a unique crystal. For one, hot Damon now looks like the sexy demi-god and underwear model of her dreams. Her feminist ideals are challenged with each bit of banter and seductive look he gives her, but she's not falling for his charm.

Time is of the essence for incubus, Damon Cubins, who must find a one-of-a-kind crystal or turn into a full-fledged demon. He has neither the time nor desire for love, but his new assistant tests his resolve. When he discovers she’s got the crystal he needs to save himself, he must make a decision to either romance it from her or walk away. But can he?

Review: Freeks

Author: Amanda Hocking
Started reading: January 10th 2017
Finished the book: January 26nd 2017
Pages: 400
Short review: Paranormal gifts, traveling carnival, insta-love, mystery, no great plot twists
Published: January 3rd 2017
Source: Netgalley - Kindle Edition
Hearts:
❤❤♡♡♡


Got a copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Characters:
The main-character is Mara. A girl that lives with her mother. They travel with a carnival through-out the country. Mara has no special gifts, like the other members of the carnival. She just helps out with little tasks all over the place. She often has boyfriends in the places they visit, after that, she just moves on with her life. This book has a lot of side characters. You get to know a lot of the members from the carnival and also get to know some people of this little town they visit.
I really feel like the charcters all lack description. I would love to see more depth in the personality and in their appearance.

World-building:
The story takes place in Caudry, a little town the traveling carnival vistis. The story mainly takes place around the carnival, and the trailer-camp.
It isn't clear to me what the balance is between "normal" people and the people with the special powers. In this story, the people with the special powers work at a carnival, but how about the people around the world with special powers who have normal jobs. And do the "normal" people know that there are people with special powers?

Story-line:
The traveling carnival is staying in Caudry and at night, strange things happen. People from the carnival get attacked and the members don't really know what is happening. The authorities in Caudry don't do much either, even when the members of the carnival ask for help. The carnival can't leave Caudry, because they have to stay a full week to get payed and the carnival is broke. Mara gets to know Gabe, a boy from Caudry and falls in love with him. While they have secrets for each other, the carnival also tries to survive through the night.
The story just goes on, and on, and on. The "climax" of the story is in the last 20 pages. That is when everything is explained (very quickly) and those pages aren't even that exciting.

Plot-twists:
It's all just too clear that something is up with Caudry and the people living there. From the first page you get to know Gabe, the author is way too clear about the fact something is going on with him. The book isn't too exciting and while people keep getting attacked, I never really felt that anyone was in grave danger. I really hoped for a shocking ending, but that wasn't the case either.

So:
This book has a lot of promise, but it's just written too "easy". The insta-love is too easy, people getting attacked without answers is too easy. The police in Caudry isn't doing anything and when you expect a great climax it really just all collapses. The ending isn't exciting and I wasn't scared. I could see it coming from miles away. I think a traveling carnival with people who actually have "gifts" is kinda unique, so that's why I gave 2 stars.

Goodreads Review:
Review Freeks