Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 263

Review: AROUSED by Jade Kerrion

Vera Rios is a divorced mother with shared custody of her daughter, resenting how little time she gets to spend with her kid while the father gets so much. Working the family health center, she meets a “male escort” coming in for a “routine checkup.” Unfortunately, Vera runs into a lot of these “types” at the health center. What she didn’t expect, however, was a handsome and debonair man. It’s such a shame that was he was a prostitute.


Rowan (actually a model, not a prostitute) was captivated by Vera’s beauty and kind nature. To give her fun night, he takes her out, letting her think he was an escort. He makes her feel special. Although some of it was sweet, the whole thing was a mediocre woo-fest. Characters were endearing, but there was no real heat or chemistry. Nice romance, but nothing really “arousing” about it.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: BRAVER THAN YOU KNOW by Katie Ardea

Kimberley was a wild life photographer. Normally, she’d be the one spotting and shooting, but this time, someone else was watching her instead. It would seem that Lincoln’s teen son had taken an instant liking to the pretty lady.
The writing was pretty good, although the pace was rather slow and steady. It had a lyrical quality that was elegant and free-flowing. I liked the lush scenery of the Rocky Mountain view and the emotional drama of the characters was endearing. The love story is sweet and heartfelt, and it’s certainly provokes everyone to think that we, ourselves, must be braver than you know.
An inspirational tale!
My rating: 3 stars

Review: SAVING HIM by Ariella Talix

Sibley longed for someone she could have a loving relationship with, but never was able to find the right man. As she was walking down the aisle at her best friend’s wedding, she couldn’t help but be stunned at the array of handsome men.
As the reader tries to sift through the characters and their roles, we learn that Leo was moving away, but had agreed to stay friends with Sibley. Can anyone really be just friends?
Soon, the reader burrows into a warm comfort with Leo and Sibley. At times, I wondered if the other characters were as significant (Ase, Gunmar, Halden, Eddie.) Perhaps there were a few too many characters?
One thing that sets this story apart from a typical romance is that Leo is a private investigator and is being chased by bad men. Funny, because, at first, I didn’t really peg Leo in that kind of daring role.
The writing was okay.  At times, I thought the story moved rather slow.
Overall, this was a decent read.   
My rating: 3 stars

Review: SEEKING GLORY by Patricia Hamilton Shook

Graphic Image designed by Sandra Lopez

Life is never static. Just when you think you finally have everything under control, that illusion is shattered…and the life you once knew has spun off in unimaginable directions. Seeking Glory is an eloquent novel that explores the complexities of family relationships. With themes of loss, recovery, estrangement, and reconciliation woven throughout, it tells the story of a woman who seeks to uncover the truth about her young granddaughter’s origins.

Available on Amazon











My review: It has been 10 years since Kate saw her daughter, and, suddenly, she gets a call from the hospital saying they have her. As her daughter lays there in the ICU, only one word was barely spoken: Glory.
That night in the hospital, Kate lost her daughter and gained a granddaughter named Glory, a 4-year old that’s never spoken. Could Kate take care of her?
Kate learns what she never knew about her daughter and Glory. Well-written, sorrowful, and enlightening. There some lag over some menial scenes that might’ve been more than necessary with its filling background and overflowing descriptions.
As you continue, you hope to get to the unraveling mystery of Glory. Who was her father? Why her mother ran away? Why doesn’t Glory speak? There’s a lot of reminiscing involved as the characters trudge through the day-to-day’s of a new life confined within the long grieving process.  Some days felt the same while others brought something new.
All about a woman’s grief, loss, and quest for recovery.
A pretty good read!
My rating: 3 stars

Review: HER MOTHER’S GRAVE by Lisa Regan

Detective Josie Quinn discovers a kinky Craigslist ad with her name and phone number. What?! Who placed such ad?


A call back home to the old trailer park brings a new case—old bones discovered in the woods, possibly the result of a murder. Who was the woman? And who was her killer?


As the investigation runs deeper, Josie and her team find out that the woman was Belinda Rose. Not possible. That’s her mother’s name, who, as far as Josie knew, was still alive. Oooh! Had her mother’s identity been stolen after her death? Who was the woman they found? Was her mother…a killer?


Josie’s past resurfaces as memories from her troubling childhood with her abusive and controlling mother flood her mind. She digs into her mother’s past to solve the murder case. Amidst the case, Josie has the unfinished business of that fake ad, especially when one of the readers seeks her out for a rape fantasy. My god! Who was posing as her?  Whoever it was obviously knew where she’d be.


But Josie could definitely handle herself. She’s a kicka#@ fighter. Was she ready to learn the truth about where she really came from?


Full of secrets and oddly fascinating! A must read ‘til the end!


My rating: 5 stars

Review: UNTIL I DIE AGAIN by Tina Wainscott

Chris was dead, but her spirit was alive.


How can this be? Then she hears a voice from God: “You are not ready to die. It is not your time.” What????


Her task: find his heart. Whose heart? What are you talking about, God?


Then we cut to Jamie’s wife dying in a coma. Here, the points of view kind of shift around between Jamie and Chris and everyone. Did Chris go into his wife’s body? This part is kind of chaotic and not too clear. But, yeah, I guess she’s in her body—but why?


A lot of fluffery words describe death and souls and whatnot. The whole thing was slow and uninteresting.


My rating: 2 stars

Review: DEADLY PARADISE by Jullian Scott

It had been 10 years since Jamie had been home, since the day her best friend disappeared. Upon her return, the first thing she runs into was a murder in town. It was her other best friend. Was it somehow related to her friend’s disappearance?


Jamie, along with her sheriff dad and police brother, try to piece together the final events of the victim’s life while figuring out if there was a connection to their past. As the case is underway, story relives the time from 10 years ago when her friend disappeared. What was interesting was that one week before Lyla disappeared, Jamie saw her get into their coach’s car.


As the story progresses, Jamie goes back to old memories, even a first love she left behind. It has a lag with going back and forth (past and present.) Interesting that they call it Terror Island, but I don’t see the terror…in any of it. The mystery sounds compelling and all, but it just didn’t rev me up enough. It’s okay, I guess.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: TIME TO RUN by Susan C. Muller

Graphic Image designed by Sandra Lopez
Jax Duncan lives in a world of privilege. But no amount of money can compensate for a distant alcoholic mother and a stepfather with wandering hands. Desperate for freedom, she leaves home only to witness a high-profile mob murder and make herself the next target.
Fleeing both the hitman and the FBI agent who thinks she pulled the trigger, Jax moves from city to city in search of safety. But when they track her down, a bloody confrontation seriously wounds the federal cop, forcing her to care for the man who’s sworn to put her away. And now they’re both in the killer’s crosshairs…
Can Jax clear her name before she’s sleeping with the fishes?
Time to Run is the first book in the pulse-pounding There’s Always Time For Murder thriller series. If you like determined characters, heart-stopping chases, and twists at every turn, then you’ll love Susan C. Muller’s action-packed adventure.

Available on Amazon



My review: It all starts when Jax witnesses the mob murder of a senator. She couldn’t go to the police, the FBI, or her home. What could she do? It was time for her to run.
Four years later, Jax remained hidden in plain sight, working a greasy diner. But then the FBI agent looking for her finally catches up with her—to arrest his murder suspect. He doesn’t believe her story about a ponytail guy killing the senator. But then the hit man strikes and now they both have to run. An intense race to live.
Jax has a determined will to survive. She never gives up and keeps on running.
A fast-paced, action-packed, and invigorating novel! A gripping read!
My rating: 4 stars

Review: FINDING LISA by Sigrid MacDonald

“The faster I approached the big 4-0, the more I envied Lisa [and] her relative freedom.”(5) Of course, Lisa had her share of problems in the past with drugs and abusive boyfriends. Then Lisa turns up pregnant.


The writing was pretty good, although I think it tended to deviate often from the plot, which might be the reasoning behind its laggard pace. When does Lisa disappear already? In fact, it does take a while for the reader to eventually settle on the plot, which, at first, seemed to have several angles. I thought this was a little too complex and I couldn’t really get into it.


My rating: 2 stars

Review: THE DEVIL AND DAYNA DALTON by Brit Lunden

Dayna Dalton was sick of her life. She was tired of all the drinking and shoddy one-night stands. Apparently, she had no shame at all. So why did she feel like she was punishing herself? Regardless, the girl had no fear.
“Dayna knew she had a way with guys, could get them to do anything she wanted, but somehow Clay was different. She had a built-in reputation, care of her mama. Didn’t matter if she was free with herself or not; she was Becky Dalton’s white-trash daughter, and that was enough for the town.” (17)
All Dayna ever wanted was Clay, but when he didn’t return her affections, she bounced from guy to guy with an empty feeling. Men meant nothing to her. But when Clay’s marriage went under, he became fair game.
Dayna certainly had a dark side, certainly a possessive one when it came to Clay. I mean, she was practically obsessing over him, watching every move he made.
Then an attack in the woods leaves her confused and disoriented. Was it a wolf? Or…was it something else?
The writing was good, and I liked that there was an air of mystery and darkness. The direction of the story certainly alluded to some bigger force beyond comprehension; however, the plot remains ambiguous. You don’t really know what’s going on. All we have is a voice that speaks to Dayna.
Overall, this was a decent read.
My rating: 3 stars