Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 264

Review: THE HOUSE ON MAPLE STREET by Heidi Slowinski

Grad student Hillary Altman needed a place to stay before school started. Then she found the house on Maple Street. It was a house with five bedrooms to rent.
In the interim, Hillary gets acquainted with some of the other tenants. The old Victorian home was something else. It had a housekeeper and a cook, and it certainly presented a chilling atmosphere overall. What was so unsettling to Hillary?  
The writing was pretty good, but the pace was a little slow. There’s definitely an allure of mystery as you settle into the story; however, it just seemed like we were waiting for something to happen. A great deal is put in trying to find the historical remnants of the house. I wish more mystery would’ve been emphasized instead of hearing so much about Hillary was writing about.
Overall, this was an okay read.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: AMIGA by Matthew Arnold Stern

With a master’s degree in computer science, Laura Rodriguez was a whizz in her field. If only she could convince these companies to give her a chance. The story starts off with her interviewing for a job.
“Men like girls who are smart, but not too smart, and certainly not as smart as they are. And men don’t like a girl who tells them they’re wrong.” (13)
Evidently, just being smart wasn’t good enough. What else was she missing? Besides a penis.
I liked that the main character was a Latina. Not only is this story infused with girl power, but it’s Latina power. It’s so hard to get ahead, especially for a Latina. Men certainly don’t have to deal with what we do. The writing was simple and easy to fall into. Of course, the programming language wasn’t as easy.
Judging by the title, Amiga, I thought this to be a New Adult or Coming of Age novel. In actuality, Amiga was the name of the computer program. On the one hand, we see the character grow and develop as we get into the story.  Things get more complex when business and politics get in the mix. It might even be confusing for readers, but still, nonetheless, they will definitely root for Laura the entire way. The cover could’ve had a better design though.
But, overall, this was a pretty good read.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: WERE WE AWAKE by L.M. Brown

Stories were well-written, sentimental, and lyrical. They almost seemed to revolve around a religious theme. There was a certain somber quality, and, at times, there was a sliver of complexity lacing these lengthy tales. Although I wasn't too taken by these stories, I still have to value good writing. Overall, they were generally fascinating little tales.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE DOCTOR'S ESTATE by Heather Quinto

Strange dreams were haunting a man. Ever since he moved into the house, the same dream has been coming night after night.  
Ted worked as an orderly for mental patients, which was a sensible move considering his own mother had mental issues. Working hard all day and then succumbing to sleepless nights did not bode well for Ted. Was there something wrong with the estate he bought? Was it haunted? How else would you explain those dreadful sounds? Moans and scraping from...insidethe walls?
Later, Ted learns that a murder took place in the estate 8 years ago. Not only that, but the house was once a mental hospital. Can it get any more chilling?
But why was he seeing a woman shot by a man―a man seeking a journal. What journal? Why was this happening?
Story was well-written and full of mystery. So many questions with no plausible explanation. An eerie and scintillating read.
My rating: 4 stars

Review: REALM OF THE UNKNOWN by James McPike

Who is he? What was his name? And why was he BIG TROUBLE?
Vince Ramsey couldn’t figure out what the old man was saying or why he advised him to STAY AWAY. It’s certainly an odd thing.
Then he gets a call from a priest with news from an unusual murder—actually around a dozen. It was deemed a “ritualistic style slaying.” Sounds gruesome, but it sounded like just the thing for a Ritual Investigator like Ramsey.
The writing was pretty good. The mystery was complex and very thorough, full of historical facets and religious artifacts. Story was calculating as it reached more in-depth into the mystic ruins of God. Although I’m not religious, I could still appreciate the supernatural element in the story and the mystery behind the unknown. I liked Ramsey’s methodical approach in the investigation. He was like an Indiana Jones character.
A good mystery for thriller buffs.
My rating: 4 stars

Review: A HAND-ME DOWN HEART by Becki Willis

Having a famous sister, Nurse Grace was used to living in the shadows of her popularity. Her sister was the talented one and she was the studious one. And she was fine with it, for the most part—fine with settling for her hand-me downs all her life.
Grace’s volunteer work in the hospital was her pride and joy; she didn’t have time to think about relationships. Until…Cruz came back into her life again. Cruz was another one of her sister’s hand-me downs. He was her first love, even if he didn’t know it. He had returned from battling in combat to volunteer for a medical study to show that war was hazardous to one’s health.
I liked the human connection between the characters. Cruz’s anger on war was understandable, but it wasn’t right how he was taking out on Grace. Chill out, dude! Grace was a sweet, caring, and compassionate person. At first, it would seem that she wouldn’t be right for Cruz, who was irritable and cynical. But then they fell into their witty banters, easy smiles, and hearty laughter. They end up talking about books, their old stomping grounds, and how different Grace was from her sister. Grace had always been beautiful—inside and out—and Cruz was the only one that ever saw that.
“Sparks flying around between them were nothing but left-over embers from bridges burned.” (LOC 1048) Or was it?
The easy narrative made it natural for the reader to fall into the story.
A sweet and wonderful tale.
My rating: 4 stars

Review: MY MR. SEXY by C.C. Cartwright

From the moment Marissa sets eyes on Nick, it was like WOW. From then on, she called him Mr. Sexy. In the midst of a heated make-out session, she finds out that he doesn’t have a girlfriend; instead, he has a fiancé. Aw, snap!


This is a mediocre office fling. I admire her resolve to not get involved with an engaged man, but it was only a matter of time before her resolve would crumble. There was a very slow lead up to the sex part—a total counterpart to the provocative image on the cover. I mean, who gets to know each other first in a steamy romance?


Eh, this was okay.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: HAPPILY EVER AFTER AGAIN by D.F. Jones

For Lauren, the most romantic night with her husband started with a promise of a family and a lifetime of togetherness; but then it all flew out the window when he suddenly died that night. A heart attack? Poison? But how? Who would want to kill her husband?


In this case, everyone was guilty until proven innocent, especially Lauren, who was the last person to see him alive. Could whoever killed Bratten be after Lauren, too?


Story had a nice concept, but there were too many POV’s cluttering it (even Bratten, the dead guy.) And the complicated shady business dealings did nothing to ease the reader into this whirlwind mystery. Apparently, the worlds of the living and the dead collide in this difficult tale that it confuses the reader and makes it hard to follow. The writing was good, but it was too overdone and complex.


My rating: 2 stars

Review: LITTLE SECRETS BETWEEN FRIENDS by Mary Kelly Reed

Do not fall in love with your best friend.


For Ella, her only mistake was blogging about her feelings for Tyler and having it go viral. That’s why you don’t do things drunk at 3 a.m. But Tyler thinks the secret blogger is a pathetic coward. Boy, he was a real jerk about it, too. Ella’s been in love with him since high school, and he never reciprocated any of those feelings. Perhaps her blog would help her get over her feelings once and for all.


Soon, the blogosphere gets out of control with followers and media involvement. Things get even crazier when an imposter steals the spotlight, taking credit for her blog.


Will Tyler see the truth—that Ella is the secret blogger and the one for him? Will the real truth come out?


A light and easy read!


My rating: 4 stars

Review: SPRING FLING Anthology

A honeymoon for one ends up being a double when two people battle and banter on a flight to Antigua.


What do you do when you accidentally sleep with the wrong brother? That’s what happened to 18-year old Emery, who slept with her best friend’s 30-year old brother. Yikes!


“Here at Camp Pour Judgement, we believe in the right to drink, play, and f#@.”


A college girl comes home for the holidays to find her boyfriend in her sister’s bed. Four years later, she was rehearsing for their wedding. Ain’t no cat fight like dueling sisters.


This anthology was full of witty, fun, and sexy flings. Of course, I enjoyed some more than others, but they all try to heat up the spring. Pretty good stories.


My rating: 3 stars