Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 236

Review: PERFECT KISS by Melanie Shawn

 

Levi had shared the perfect kiss with a woman before she disappeared from his life. Suddenly, she was back in Hope Falls and back in his life. Unfortunately, Shelby was coming back with war wounds from a bad break-up.

Slow, lengthy, and repetitive. All you hear from each character is how hot they are and how much they want each other. The baby shower was dull and didn’t really give you anything, except this whole “thing” with the paper towels. 

A nice romance with mild heat. The whole thing was on hot foreplay. When they finally actually do make the lovin’, it wasn’t really all that.

 

My rating: 3 stars

Review: AGAISNT THE WALL series by Julie Prestsater (Books 1-4)

Against the Wall (Book 1 ): This book grips you from page 1.

Shelly is bitter because she lost her man to another woman—a teacher at her school. Now, she must face work everyday while the two new lovers make goo-goo eyes at each other. Can anyone blame her for being bitter?

But, as they say, “the best way to get over a man is to get under a new one.” How about Matty, her best friend colleague? He’s gorgeous! I liked how Matty is always a friend. I wished I had a friend like that…who was so much more. And I also like how he wanted to test Shelly to make sure that she was over Chase and that she loved him. Chase was a total ass. Is it any wonder why they didn’t make it with all the times they broke up in the past?

Still, even though Matty seemed perfect for Shelly, is it a good idea to mix work and play?

My favorite line was: “My tias are gonna be all up in my masa.” (165) I loved the Mexican flavor in the story.

A cute romance—funny and witty!

    Between the Sheets (Book 2): Melissa could never resist her best friend’s brother, but timing’s never been right with them, especially now since they live miles apart from each other and get re-acquainted on the occasional visits.

 

With a week together, they spend an amazing time in Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and San Francisco. But do they just keep meeting up for a quickie between the sheets or is there something more. Mel certainly wants more, but is afraid Ty’s not up for giving up his independence.

 

Things get even more complicated when Mel finds out she’s pregnant. Oh no!

 The writing was okay, but it felt a little rushed, like a babbling run-on sentence. I thought Shel was annoying with the whole “my husband” stuff.

 

Story had decent drama with a happy ending.

 

 

Straddling the Edge (Book 3 ): What Summer expect when she dated a known cheater? Of course, he’d cheat! (Chase cheated on Shel in Book 1)
Then she meets “Hot, Sexy Guy” at a bar during a Dodger game and it’s all over for her. Funny how these teachers tend to act like horny and immature teenagers, which I found totally annoying. The writing tends to go on and on, babbling incessantly.
Dean is actually a good guy. I loved how he protected Summer from that horrible Chase. Still, how could the dude be in love so soon? One passionate romp in the sack and it’s love? C’mon! Of course, all the married couples sucked, too. I just found this particular story more annoying than the rest.

 

 

Playing Chase Book 4 ):  Mel, Shel, and Summer are playing a trick on Chase to get back at the cheating bastard. At first, I wondered why the author would write a story on the douchebag.
Then you find the answer once you get into the game. First, Chase is enraptured by his new student-teacher, Tiffany Gutierrez. But what’s really fun to watch are the disaster dates the girls set him up with to get even, which include a crazy cat lady and a prostitute that likes to have sex in public. Ewe!
But Tiffany’s not fooled. She makes the girls realize that there’s more to Chase than the scumbag they remember. Turns out that’s true. Apparently, his problems all come from his cheating, bastard father, who tells him that women are only good for one thing—to have fun with and move on to the next. That’s why his relationships to Shel and Summer never worked out—because he was being influenced by this foul-mouth dad. But Tiffany believes that Chase is a good guy and would never hurt her, which prompts Chase to finally apologize to Shel and Summer—a nice gesture!
This was a great ending to the series!

 

Overall: Passionate love stories with relatable characters, but the writing tended to ramble on, and I thought the teachers were pretty immature sometimes.

 

Overall Rating: 3 stars

Review: PREUNION by Madison Murphy

A 10-year high school reunion and a past love that has resurfaced. All Bree wants to do is go to her reunion and forget about the first hot love she once had and is now grazing the screen and magazine ads all over the country.
The bulk of the story centered on Bree's memories of her past love with Ryan (how intense they were in high school and the love they shared.) You'd think that Ryan would've made an appearance early on, but he doesn't show up 'til the very end. Instead, this book is mostly one hot fling with a former classmate filled with hot, naked sex. I guess, this is all fine and dandy, if you're into that sorta stuff. If you want to learn what happens when Ryan finally enters the picture, you'd need to check out Reunion, the next book in the series.

My rating: 3 stars

Review: A NIGHT TO FORGET by Jessica Wood

Just before graduating college, Emma and her friends were spending spring break in Cancun. Meanwhile, Emma harbors feelings of guilt over her sensual dreams she’s been having about a Mystery Man. The frustration over the sexless relationship bubbles over and her boyfriend breaks up with her. Cancun couldn’t have come at a better time. There, she spots the Mystery Man.
Emma spends a good amount of time obsessing over the Mystery Man that it felt like there was no real story here. Not very good, in my opinion.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: STIRRED by Nancy S. Thompson

20 years later, married with a son, Eden is still in mourning over the love of her life and the child that didn’t make it. Even though her marriage lacked love and compassion, it was still a shock to see his infidelity unfold with her best friend. She goes on about not really feeling betrayed, but more disappointment—in herself. She feels mostly regret at not really doing anything for herself.
Reads kinda boring.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: I LEFT THE HOUSE TODAY by Cassandra Calin

 

Short, little panel comics that make you go “what the….?” I didn’t always get some of them, but, I have to admit, some were actually pretty funny, like her sitting in a folding chair and it snaps shut on her. Just quick, easy comics about a woman trudging through life’s tasks and finding the humorous irony in it. Stupid chin hair, lousy people, overrated boob sweat. So relatable. It brings to mind that the expectation is never the reality.

A good, funny read!

 

My rating: 4 stars

Blog Tour: THE CHAEBOL'S WIFE by Dei Arauio

 

The Chaebol's Wife

by Dei Araujo

 

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GENRE: Multicultural Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

With the life of her unborn child in danger, Camille Jacobs had no choice but to flee Seoul, South Korea, and the man who made her heart soar.

 

Four years later, after the launch of her start-up skincare line, Camille is a successful, single mother who has taken the skincare industry by storm. In need of a new sourcing company to meet her clientele's demand, Camille strikes a deal with the devil—her estranged husband, Seung-ju Park, who still leaves her weak in the knees. But is passion enough to make Camille rethink marriage and a life with Seung-ju, or will old problems succeed in destroying her?

 

Seung-ju was amazed by the passion that roared to life at the sight of his wife. Camille stokes a desire in him that demands to be satiated. As the CEO of IPCorp Industries, a deal to source her skincare line would open the door for him to finally slake his obsession of her and put her out of his mind for good. Yet Seung-ju realizes that just one taste of Camille isn’t enough; he would need an eternity to love her and drink his fill. But a secret threatens to destroy his feelings for her, hurtling them to the point of no return.

 

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Excerpt One:

 

Camille Jacobs appreciated a gorgeous man.

 

Especially one that was strong and tall, leaving her head raised, neck arched, and gut tingling as she gazed up into a pair of arresting eyes.

 

Why wouldn’t she? She was still a hot-blooded—okay, warm-blooded—woman with a healthy sex drive, even though it had been a while since she’d gone for a ride. Starting her own skincare company, Naturally You, and maintaining its continued success had wreaked havoc on her libido.

 

But when life brought her an Adonis who filled a business suit better than David Gandy, she couldn’t help but take notice. Especially after slamming into the rock-hard wall of his chest on her way out of the women’s restroom.

 

Her fingers flexed into the quality fabric of the suit jacket as she inhaled the intoxicating scent of his cologne.

 

“Hello, Camille.”

 

Shock reverberated through her like an earthquake, and she froze. She recognized that voice. His smooth, cultured tone held the hint of an Asian accent. It was a voice Camille had prayed she’d never hear again, one she only heard in her dreams.

 

“Seung-ju,” she gasped.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Dei Araujo is a multicultural romance author who enjoys reading and writing stories of love where color has no boundaries. When she’s not writing, she can be found binge-watching Korean and Chinese dramas and anime. She received a bachelor’s degree in Journalism/News Editorial from the University of Southern Mississippi and later a MFA in Popular Fiction Writing from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Dei is a retired Air Force officer and comes from a proud military family. An adjunct professor at Barry University, she’s living out her real-life love story in beautiful Miami, Florida with her soulmate and their boys.

 

You can find her on these social platforms:

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeiPAraujo

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Instagram: deiaraujo73

Pinterest: @mystibleu73

Twitter: @dei_araujo

https://www.amazon.com/Chaebols-Wife-...

 

The Chaebol's Wife – free on Kimble Unlimited

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Dei Araujo will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: SPIRAL by Khaled Talib

 

Spiral

by Khaled Talib

 

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GENRE:   Thriller

 

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BLURB:

 

Laurence Turner, a pharmacist from Sydney, is wracked with guilt after his fiancé dies on a sailing trip. The tragedy is followed by yet another fatal incident when he dispenses the wrong medication to a customer.

Laurence moves to the Clare Valley in South Australia for a fresh start, but when he stumbles across the dead body of a visiting American reporter, things take a turn for the worst.

The case explodes into far more than Laurence could ever expect with the arrival of a beautiful American woman, Skyler Hawthorne. Her troubles put Laurence in the path of both domestic and foreign agents, including a dangerous Russian spy who believes Laurence is hiding a secret.

 

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Excerpt One:

 

Holding the hat in his hand, Laurence Turner took the elevator up to the mezzanine level of the Burning Bush Winery in the Clare Valley of Australia. The mirrored doors reflected a tall man whose almond-shaped blue eyes were past better days.  February, the last month of summer, was as mundane as any other month for him. He was still trying to adjust to his new life here.  Not much else he could do to reframe his negative thoughts.

 

Laurence wiped his Roman nose consciously. Unsatisfied with his appearance, he tucked the white short-sleeved shirt inside his cargo shorts with one hand, then raked his long, blond hair curling over his collar into neatness.

 

The doors parted to the chattering din of a lunch crowd. Turning right, he proceeded down the hallway to the back of the mezzanine and continued along a balconied hallway on the left with several doors.  He arrived at the far end and mouthed out a breath of nervousness. He knocked once and opened the door inward to off-white walls and the smell of rose-scented air freshener.

 

A young woman with a phone’s earbud in her ear sat behind a wooden desk. Lisa, the young, voluptuous hazel-haired secretary with a heart-shaped face wore a violet one-piece dress. She was also Laurence’s breakfast companion at the refectory. He liked her and detected she liked him more, but he chose not to go that way, his life being uneven. Besides, she was the general manager’s niece, which was worse than a dingo trespassing on a farmer’s property.   

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Khaled Talib is a former magazine journalist and public relations consultant. He has authored four novels since 2013.  Born and raised in Singapore, the author is a member of the International Thriller Writers. 

 

www.khaledtalibthriller.com

Buy Link

https://books2read.com/Spiral-by-Khaled-Talib

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/khaled.talib

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Khaled Talib will be awarding a classic turntable record player ( US, Australia, Canada and UK) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter to win a classic turntable record player - a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: HE'LL BE WAITING by Liz Alterman

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Liz Alterman will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What would you do to remember? What would you give to forget?

When Tess Porter agrees to pick up her boyfriend’s college pal at the airport on a snowy December night, she has no idea she’s about to embark on the most dangerous ride of her life.

Two days later, the 17-year-old wakes up in a hospital with broken bones, unable to remember how she got there. Her parents are acting strange, and neither James, her boyfriend, nor her best friend, Izzy, has visited.

As she struggles to physically recover, Tess wrestles with haunting questions: What happened? Will her memory ever return? And what if she’s better off not recalling any of it?

Read an Excerpt

“Tess! Tess!” Mom pats my right arm gently. “Honey, wake up, you’re having a bad dream.” I stare at her, confused. It was so real. I’d been tumbling, falling down beside a flat cement wall. I’d tried to stop myself, but there was nothing to grab on to, no banister or ledge. All I could smell was damp, wet earth. A man stood above me. I couldn’t see his face and had no idea who he was. But one thing was clear: He’d come to hurt me. Me specifically. In my nightmare and in real life, my mouth is dry, my tongue as sandpapery as Daffy’s. I can’t speak. My heart gallops, thumping hoofbeats pound in my ears. “This is how it ends!” he shouted in the dream, his voice echoing as I plunged into total darkness and struggled to crawl out of sight. I couldn’t move. My legs wouldn’t work. I want to tell Mom everything, but I can’t catch my breath. Was it only a dream or does it have something to do with my accident? What if it’s one of the flashes Lydia talked about? Memories attempting to resurface? My head hurts thinking about it. For once, I'm actually grateful to be in this hospital bed. Safe.

 

 

My review: An accident she doesn’t remember. When Tess woke up in the hospital broken and bruised, she remembered everything about her life, except how she got there.

This started off with an interesting premise. It sparks curiosity as to what happened. The diary-style narrative is easy to read and relays the character’s thoughts and emotions well, although, at times, it can be lagging and redundant.

Will she ever remember? Was she better off not remembering? These are the notions that compel the reader to read on, to see where this whole thing goes. It mainly describes Tess’ life in a slow and easy prose without many clues to the accident. You kind of have to read between the lines. It wasn’t exactly what I hoped, but it was interesting story.

A pretty good read. 

 

My rating: 3 stars

About the Author:

Liz Alterman lives in New Jersey with her husband and three sons. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Parents, McSweeney's, and other publications. She spends most days microwaving the same cup of coffee and looking up synonyms.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizAlterman
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21164511.Liz_Alterman
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/liz-alterman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liz.alterman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethalterman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizalterman

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091N9XH9M

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Blog Tour: THE TAYLOR MORRISON PSYCHIC THRILLERS by Cat Gilbert

 



Brain StormThe Taylor Morrison Psychic Thrillers Book 1by Cat GilbertGenre: Psychic Suspense, Thriller


One Woman: Taylor Morrison - a private investigator who is suddenly gifted with a psychic ability.
Three Men: One who has secretly watched her for years - guarding over her as he waits for her gift to emerge. One who offers her protection, safety and hope, but at a cost she is not prepared to pay. One who will do anything to control her and the power she now possesses.
As Taylor’s once ordered world erupts into violence and chaos, she is forced to go on the run, fighting to protect the people she loves, even as she struggles to control the power she doesn’t understand...

Brain Storm is the first book in the Taylor Morrison psychic suspense thriller series. If you crave clean, fast-paced action — full of twists and turns, believable characters, and loads of suspense —  then you’ll love this first installment of Cat Gilbert’s page-turning series.

**Get it FREE!! ** Goodreads* Amazon

The Third OptionThe Taylor Morrison Psychic Thrillers Book 2


Desperate. Deadly. Dangerous.
Injured and hunted, Taylor is forced to form an uneasy alliance with KOR, a clandestine group of “patriots,” in the hope of protecting the people she cares about. She soon discovers all is not as it seems as she is thrown into a world of secrets, spies, and betrayal within the organization, even as Vice President Armstrong sets a trap for her, with bait he knows she cannot resist. 
Not knowing whom to trust or how to evade Armstrong, she must push her telekinetic ability further than ever before, as she fights to survive the consequences of choosing...The Third Option
The Third Option is the second book in the Taylor Morrison psychic suspense thriller series. If you like fast paced action, unexpected twists and turns, believable characters, and loads of suspense then you’ll love Cat Gilbert’s thrilling paranormal series.

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Blacker Than SinThe Taylor Morrison Psychic Thrillers Book 3

He’s taken the girl she'd sworn to protect.She’s been gifted with an incredible power she didn't want. Until now...
Psychically gifted Taylor Morrison saves children. But she didn’t save this one. Unaware that Abby, a gifted twelve-year-old girl, was still alive, Taylor executed a daring rescue of the children that Vice-President Armstrong had taken, only to learn that she has left Abby behind and at the mercy of one of the most evil men she has ever known.
Jeremy, Armstrong’s right-hand man and Taylor’s mortal enemy, has Abby and is using her psychic ability to trap Taylor, a prize he’d give anything to collect. Even if it means killing Abby to do it.
Desperate and haunted by guilt, Taylor is forced to embrace her powers as she attempts to turn the tables on Jeremy and rescue Abby before it’s too late. Will Taylor succeed in keeping one step ahead of him in this deadly game of cat and mouse?
The hunter becomes the hunted in the action-packed thriller Blacker Than Sin, book 3 of the Taylor Morrison Series by Cat Gilbert.

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GoneThe Taylor Morrison Psychic Thrillers Book 4

She thought it was over, but she was wrong. The nightmare had only just begun…
The unthinkable has happened. The very people Private Investigator Taylor Morrison has fought to protect are suddenly gone. Vanished, without a trace.
Refusing to believe that her friends are lost forever, Taylor launches a desperate mission to find them, discovering that not only has she been betrayed by one of her own, but that an enemy she thought vanquished is searching for them too.
Caught in a web of lies, deception, and danger, Taylor must draw on all her psychic abilities, resources, and cunning as she races to find them before it’s too late…
Get your copy today and join the adventure in Gone, book 4 of the gripping Taylor Morrison Psychic Thriller Series.

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The SwordThe Taylor Morrison Psychic Thrillers Book 5

She’s embraced her power. Accepted her destiny. Now, she’s a force to be reckoned with.
PI Taylor Morrison has been gifted with an incredible power. Known on the streets and in back alleys as The Sword of Justice, she wields her unique ability to help others — protecting the innocent and defending the weak. But that is all about to come to an end.
Taylor’s base of operations has been discovered by Jeremy — the man who has been seeking to destroy her and all those she cares about.
In a desperate attempt to end the war between them once and for all, Taylor takes the battle to D.C., praying she can stop him before he succeeds in his deadly vendetta…

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**Get the box set of books 2-4 for a discounted bundle price! **
The Taylor Morrison Psychic Thriller Box SetBooks 2-4
Buy on Amazon


My Review on BRAIN STORM: 

Taylor Morrison wakes up to an odd scene—surrounded by spoons. It’s slow on the clarity of it all. It would seem that she had telekinesis. Either that or she was crazy.

Story has a nice narrative, but it’s fairly slow. Not quite as suspenseful as I would’ve liked, but a nice read. 

My rating: 3 stars

I'm Cat Gilbert, and I write the Taylor Morrison Psychic Thrillers and the Molly McMurray Mysteries. In both series I try to give you, the reader, that experience. Characters you can connect with, a gripping plot chock full of action, danger, and enough twists and turns that even I have a hard time keeping up.
The The Taylor Morrison series centers around Taylor Morrison, a private investigator whose life is turned upside down when she suddenly develops psychic abilities. We're not talking X-Men, comic book, mutant type stuff here. Instead, this is the kind of thing you've always wondered about. Or at least I have. The idea that maybe we aren't utilizing our brains to their fullest. That maybe if we tried hard enough, we could do stuff and if we could, what sort of ramifications that would have.
The Molly McMurray Mysteries is a new series. The main character is, of course, Molly McMurray. There's a psychic 'twist' to this series as well, and his name is Kaegan. Who he is, and the role he plays, I'll leave to you to discover.
Having moved over 32 times, Cat Gilbert now makes her home in Arkansas with her husband and their dog, Clancy. When she's not writing, she spends her time trying to figure out a way to keep the deer from eating her blackberries and fig trees, experimenting with new Paleo recipes, and attempting to convince Clancy that playtime has to wait until she finishes the chapter.

Website* MeWe * Bookbub* Amazon* Goodreads





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