Montag, 7. Oktober 2024

[Book Review] Butcher and Blackbird - Brynne Weaver (The Ruinous Love Trilogy 1)

 




Title: Butcher and Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy 1)
Author: Brynne Weaver
Number of pages: 352 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: Dark Rom-Com
Price: 12,50€ (Taschenbuch)


Book Blurb

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive - the friendship of two like-minded, pitch-black souls who just happen to enjoy killing other serial killers. 
Stalking across the country, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. 
But as their friendship develops into something deeper, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their new-found romance.
Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?


My Opinion

Two ruthless serial killers who, like Dexter, target other "bad" serial killers and end up falling deeply in love. The concept sounds intriguing, but unfortunately, it didn't really resonate with me. The plot overall felt quite shallow, with a lot of repetition, which made it drag on as a slow burn that just couldn't keep up the tension. The "spice" elements also pushed boundaries for me and weren't really my cup of tea, though that's likely a matter of personal taste. I had high expectations, but sadly, the book felf short of them.


Rating
"Butcher and Blackbird" unfortunately was not my cup of tea although I liked the Idea of the Story. Therefore I'm rating the book 3 out of 5 Stars.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

[Rezension] Der Heimweg - Sebastian Fitzek




Titel: Der Heimweg
Autor*in: Sebastian Fitzek
Seitenzahl: 400 Seiten
Verlag: Knaur TB
Genre: Psychothriller
Preis: 12,99€ (Taschenbuch)


Zum Cover
Das Cover ist sehr schlicht gehalten. Ich mag die dunklen Farben und das kleine Fenster mit der abgebildeten Person. Für mich ist das Cover zwar kein Hingucker im klassischen Sinne, dennoch wirkt es auf mich ansprechend.

Klappentext

Es ist Samstag, kurz nach 22.00 Uhr. Jules Tannberg sitzt am Begleittelefon. Ein ehrenamtlicher Telefonservice für Frauen, die zu später Stunde auf ihrem Heimweg Angst bekommen und sich einen telefonischen Begleiter wünschen, dessen beruhigende Stimme sie sicher durch die Nacht nach Hause führt - oder im Notfall Hilfe ruft. 
Noch nie gab es eine wirklich lebensgefährliche Situation. Bis heute, als Jules mit Klara spricht. 
Die junge Frau hat entsetzliche Angst. Sie glaubt, von einem Mann verfolgt zu werden, der sie schon einmal überfallen hat und der mit Blut ein Datum auf ihre Schlafzimmerwand malte: Klaras Todestag! Und dieser Tag bricht in nicht einmal zwei Stunden an ...

Meine Meinung

Sebastian Fitzek hat mich mit diesem packenden Pageturner wieder einmal begeistert. Die Geschichte ist genau das, was man sich von ihm erhofft - wenn nicht sogar erwartet: extrem spannend und voller überraschender Wendungen. Ich konnte das Buch kaum zur Seite legen. Allerdings eine Warnung: Wer aut Themen wie häusliche und sexuelle Gewalt sensibel reagiert, sollte lieber Abstand von diesem Buch nehmen.


Fazit
"Der Heimweg" konnte mich nach ein paar Flauten endlich wieder überzeugen. Spannung pur - ein echter Pageturner, der definitiv einen meiner Highlights im September darstellt. Daher vergebe ich für das Buch 5 von 5 Sternen.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

[Book Review] Daisy Darker - Alice Feeney

 




Title: Daisy Darker
Author: Alice Feeney
Number of pages: 352 pages
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Genre: Thriller
Price: 12,99€ (Taschenbuch)


Book Blurb

Isolated on their private island in Cornwall, the Darker family have come together for the first time in over a decade. When the tide comes in, they'll be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours. When the tide goes back out, nothing will ever be the same again. Nothing – because one of the family is a killer . . .

As the leaves of autumn fall, Daisy Darker arrives at her grandmother’s house for eightieth birthday celebrations. Seaglass, the Darker’s ancestral home, is a crumbling Cornish house perched upon its own tiny private island.

Every member of the family has their secrets. Nana, alone for so long. Daisy's absent father, Frank. Her cold-hearted mother, Nancy. Her siblings, Rose and Lily, and her niece, Trixie, full of questions and without a father of her own. Daisy has never had an easy relationship with her family, but some secrets are much darker than others. This will be a gathering that some of them won't remember.


My Opinion

An unusual yet captivating thriller.

Beautifully descriptive writing in a fascinating coastal setting that serves as both a blessing and a curse for the protagonists. I loved the detailed way Daisy Darker's thoughts were portrayed and thoroughly enjoyed the story. The twists toward the end are unexpected and take on a slightly surreal tone, which fits the story well but might not appeal to everyone.


Rating
"Daisy Darker" was a pleasure to read. I loved the unexpected twists and the beautiful yet weird setting. I'm rating the book 4 out of 5 Stars.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

[Book Review] Loving Mr. Daniels - Brittainy Cherry




Title: Loving Mr. Daniels
Author: Brittainy Cherry
Number of pages: 328 pages
Publisher: Independently published
Genre: Thriller
Price: 12,58€ (Taschenbuch)


Book Blurb

To Whom it May Concern,
It was easy to call us forbidden and harder to call us soulmates. Yet I believed we were both. Forbidden soulmates.
When I arrived to Edgewood, Wisconsin I didn’t plan to find him. I didn't plan to stumble into Joe's bar and have Daniel's music stir up my emotions. I had no clue that his voice would make my hurts forget their own sorrow. I had no idea that my happiness would remember its own bliss.
When I started senior year at my new school, I wasn’t prepared to call him Mr. Daniels, but sometimes life happens at the wrong time for all the right reasons.
Our love story wasn’t only about the physical connection.
It was about family. It was about loss. It was about being alive. It was silly. It was painful. It was mourning. It was laughter.
It was ours.
And for those reasons alone, I would never apologize for loving Mr. Daniels.
-Ashlyn Jennings


My Opinion

This is a tale far beyond a mere love story. It encompasses themes of loss, forgiveness, forbidden boundaries, personal growth, desire, and reason. A beautifully written book that moved me to tears by the end and has left a lasting impression on my heart.


Rating
I loved reading "Never Lie" with its unexpected twists. Therefore I'm rating the book 4 out of 5 Stars.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

[Book Review] The Inmate - Freida McFadden

 



Title: The Inmate
Author: Freida McFadden
Number of pages: 336 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks LLC
Genre: Thriller
Price: 11,50€ (Taschenbuch)


Book Blurb

As a new nurse practitioner at a maximum-security prison, Brooke Sullivan is taught three crucial rules:

  1. Treat all prisoners with respect.
  2. Never reveal any personal information.
  3. Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.

But nobody knows that Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary's most notorious and dangerous inmates.
They certainly don't know that Shane was Brooke's high school sweetheart—the star quarterback, the golden boy who's serving a life sentence for a series of grisly murders. Or that Brooke's testimony was what put him there.
But Shane knows. He knows more than anyone. And he will never forget.


My Opinion

"The Inmate“ unfortunately didn’t quite convince me. The main character felt a bit too superficial for my taste, and her actions were often hard to understand. Of course, there’s as always a shocking twist towards the end, but this time it was rather obvious to me…

Rating
Unfortunately "The Inmate" couldn't convince me. I'm rating the book 3 out of 5 Stars.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

[Book Review] Never Lie - Freida McFadden

 




Title: Never Lie
Author: Freida McFadden
Number of pages: 320 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks LLC
Genre: Thriller
Price: 11,50€ (Taschenbuch)


Book Blurb

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. They think they've found it when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace years ago. But when a violent winter storm traps them at the estate, the house begins to lose its appeal.

Stuck inside and growing restless, Tricia stumbles on a collection of audio transcripts from Dr. Hale's sessions with patients. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to the doctor's mysterious disappearance.

With each tape, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and a web of lies slowly unravels. But by the time Tricia reaches the final cassette, the one that reveals the entire horrifying story, it will be too late…


My Opinion
Oh Freida, What a great psychological thriller you have created again! The story about Trisha, Ethan, and the missing Dr. Hale captivated me once again. A crazy story, with a touch of creepiness, full of shocking twists that one wouldn't have expected. Such a great reading pleasure.

Rating
I loved reading "Never Lie" with its unexpected twists. Therefore I'm rating the book 4 out of 5 Stars.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Freitag, 6. September 2024

[Rezension] Daughter of the Pirate King - Tricia Levenseller (Pirate-Queen-Saga 1)

 


 Titel: Daughter of the Pirate King - Fürchte mein Schwert (Pirate-Queen-Saga 1)
Autor*in: Tricia Levenseller 
Seitenzahl: 320 Seiten
Verlag: blanvalet
Genre: Romantasy
Preis: 16€ (Paperback)


Zum Cover
Das Cover mit den Sternen im Hintergrund, der schönen Titelschrift und dem Steuerrad im Hintergrund, hat definitiv mein Interesse geweckt. Es stellt einen klaren Bezug zur Geschichte dar, was ich immer sehr gern habe.

Klappentext

Captain Alosa hat nur ein Ziel vor Augen: 
Im Auftrag des Piratenkönigs Kalligan soll sie das Fragment einer Schatzkarte beschaffen. Ein Kinderspiel für sie, da kein Freibeuter es mit ihr aufnehmen kann. Das brutale Training ihres Vaters Kalligan hat sie zu seiner Geheimwaffe gemacht, denn sie setzt ihren Gegnern nicht nur ihre Kampfkraft, sondern auch die Sirenenmagie ihrer Mutter entgegen. Siegesgewiss beginnt Alosa ihre Mission auf einem Schiff voll verfeindeter Piraten, doch hat sie dabei nicht mit dem unverschämt attraktiven Ersten Maat Riden gerechnet, der gegen all ihre Kräfte immun zu sein scheint …

Meine Meinung
Ein fesselnder Einstieg in eine Welt voller gnadenloser Piraten und mystischer Meereswesen. Alosa, die Tochter des Piratenkönigs und Halb-Sirene, ist nicht nur attraktiv, sondern auch frech, stur und voller Stärke. Auf diesem Abenteuer wird das besonders deutlich. Ich fand die Protagonistin sehr sympathisch, denn hinter ihrer harten Schale entdeckt man schnell eine einfühlsame und empathische Seite, die sie noch liebenswerter macht. Ihr Schwachpunkt? Ein sensibler, gut aussehender Pirat – doch er gehört zur Gegenseite! Das perfekte Beispiel für Enemies-to-Lovers. 
Die Geschichte mit ihren außergewöhnlichen Charakteren hat mich absolut mitgerissen, und ich freue mich schon darauf, wie das Abenteuer weitergeht. 

(Wer allerdings viel "Spice" erwartet, wird hier eher weniger auf seine Kosten kommen.)

Fazit
"Daughter of the Pirate King - Fürchte mein Schwert" ist ein spannender und überzeugender Auftakt der Pirate-Queen-Saga. Ich vergebe daher für dieses Buch 5 von 5 Sternen.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★