Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 272

Review: THE FLIP by K.L. Montgomery

Andrew just inherited a house. His plan was to flip it so he can finally have enough money to move out of his parents’ house. Of course, the problem wasn’t the work that the place needed, it was the fact that half of the house was willed to Sonnet, the girl next door, whom he couldn’t stand.


Former high school rivals that were now co-heirs to a house. The two were as different as day and night. And they must work together? The funny thing was that they never left high school with the pranks that they kept pulling on each other. Story had some witty quips that I liked, but it was mostly the two of them just fixing up a house. It was kind of lengthy. But it was ok.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE SECRET OF SEA SIDE by Agatha Ball

Paige Comber (like the pun by the way – I consider myself one, too) works at her granny’s bookshop in Sea Side. It’s such a dull place that her only “How to pass the time” game was to try to guess how many coffee cups she could stack before falling over. Yep, this was bound to be a pretty boring summer for Paige…until the dead body of Old Man Byron—the meanest man in town—drifts ashore on the beach. Could it have been his estranged nephew? But Paige thought he was so nice and had the kindest eyes. It couldn’t have been him…right?


Suddenly, Paige throws herself into the town gossip and the historical significance of the founders. Such a hard case because everyone in town had a reason to kill the old bastard. Could there be a serial killer on the loose? Who was the second dead body?


Witty and easy-to-read. I enjoyed it!

My rating: 4 stars

Review: FOR LOVE OF LIVVY by J.M. Griffin

A strange package arrives to Vinnie after the recent death of her Aunt Livvy. Ever since then, something has been nagging at her about the strange death. But what? The death was not violent; she was found dead in her car. It is weird that we still don’t know how she died.

The story had a slow and unamusing start with too much talk on the small Rhode Island town and the ancient Victorian house Vinnie inherited. The mystery was a little drab and it took a long time to get to it. It seems to be all about the stone gems.
Although Vinnie came up with a snarky quip or two, the story just didn’t compel me as much as I thought it would. I just didn’t buy Vinnie as the detective type, even though she teaches criminal justice at the college. Still, those who can’t do, teach.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: PSYCHIC ABROAD by Lisa Freed

Teresa is going abroad for the first time in her life. Ah, Greece. But it’s not a vacation…well, not much anyways. She’s going to help her ex-boyfriend, who was kidnapped by the spirit of a dead drug king pin. Her psychic abilities should be useful here.


There was a misconception that psychics see all and feel all. Teresa just gets vibrations.


On the first day, she meets Mateo, a fellow psychic with better abilities and the desire to help.


I tended to relate to Teresa’s “lost in the woods” vibe as she was an American tourist in a foreign country (been there, done that.) Teresa is quirky and naïve, which makes her relatable, and, of course, the psychic angle made her all the more interesting; however, she tends to babble on the monotony of daily things (i.e. showering, brushing hair, and eating chips.) That’s not very interesting. You would think that the psychic thing would make it interesting, but, there’s not much psychicness going on. She doesn’t really use much of it as the boring search for this drug dealer goes on.


This is a quirky, little mystery, and the reading was okay. But I kind of expected more.


My rating: 2 stars

Blog Tour: LITTLE WHITE LIES by Jude Ouvrard

Little White Lies Truth or Lies Series Book 1 by Jude Ouvrard Genre: New Adult Romance Publication Date: January 6, 2020

When Hunter Reed’s longtime plans go awry following her college graduation, she has two choices. She can wallow in her grief, or she can get away from Utah, and the people who broke her. Determined to escape the shadow of her parents and make it on her own terms, she lands her dream job at an up-and-coming graphic design company in Portland, packs her bags, and hits the road.
No sooner has Hunter arrived, than the adventures begin. With a new apartment, and learning her job comes with a private office—and a handsome boss who is her age—she settles in straight away, befriending neighbors and co-workers alike. Welcomed into the fold, the transition is smooth and easy.
Almost too easy.
Just when she gets comfortable with how perfect her life is going, an unforgettable Elvis at a costume party will make Hunter forget everything she was taught about propriety, leading to a night of drunken abandonment and dangerous encounters that will set in motion a web of little white lies which could undo everything she has worked so hard for.
Although Hunter finds herself facing two choices again, this time, her heart is on the line. 

Goodreads * Amazon


My review: A young woman leaves home for the first time to settle in a new place and a new job. For Hunter Reed, this was the start of a new life. The prospect of a new life and a new start is exciting and scary at the same time.
She arrives in time to attend the company Halloween party, where she meets her other co-workers. There, she gets randy with a stranger in an Elvis costume, and somehow that stranger saves her from an attacker.
The writing is simple, and the diary format allows the reader to relate to the character. Although the pace was a little slow, the story is relatively easy to get into. The suspense is really not as heightened as it sounded, but, overall, this was a nice, quick read.
My rating: 3 stars

Jude Ouvrard is a mom, a girlfriend, a sister, and a daughter... well, you get the idea.
She's also an avid reader and writer. Ouvrard loves books--the words in them, and the worlds of fantasy they create. Basically, she's a sucker for any type of romance book. That's her thing.
Born and raised in a small village in the Canadian countryside, it's been nearly two decades since she moved out of the family home to go explore and enjoy the city life. Living with her longtime boyfriend, their son, and their fur babies in Montreal, her days are labored away at a law firm while she lives her dream job by night. Writing. Creating. Giving shape and form to the characters who whisper their stories in her head.
Ouvrard writes new adult, military, and contemporary romance tales filled with drama, love, and everything in between. 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads


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Review: THAT'S MY SISTER by Roxanne Rhaman

Image Graphic designed by Sandra Lopez

Having a younger, beautiful sister is hard enough. Having one who’s on the cover of magazines and is loved by all? Torture. For single mom Marie Stephens, all she wants is to survive her new business, provide for her children, and ignore the intense feelings she has for her married neighbor.

When her famous sister, Sadie, shows up after a five-year absence, Marie’s normal life ceases to exist. Add in their celebrity-obsessed mother, it’s no wonder they can’t get along.

The most important thing Sadie and Marie will learn? Accepting your sister can change your life.

Available on Amazon







My review: It’s tough when your sister is Sadie Stephens, notoriously famous singer and actress. Marie was a bookstore owner that stored and sold her own books (she was an author struggling to make ends meet.) She was often juggling work and motherhood as well as harboring a secret crush on her married neighbor.
After the father’s death, Marie was staying at her mom’s with her 2 daughters. She never expected to find her sister and their doorstep.
“My sister walks in the door, and I turn into a little girl raging against the unfairness of her life.” (LOC 417)
Jealousy and resentment toward her famous, attention-hogging sister boils to the surface. It’s a battle between an emotionally empty shell and a self-absorbed celebrity.
In the midst, Marie realizes that her married neighbor, who has a daughter of his own, wasn’t married after all. Could this be her chance at a romance? Well, she was trying to anyway. If only her sister wasn’t back in the picture.
Story was a pretty good read overall. It had a lagging pace and it wasn’t as comical as I’d hoped, although Marie did have a refreshing wit and a down-to-earth stamina. Her hard-working ethic and independent streak make her a relatable character.
My rating: 3 stars
~~~


Excerpt: I've had the same dream for the last few weeks. If you knew me, you'd understand how unusual fantasizing about my neighbor was. He had a wife, of course, and I'd never act on my feelings in real life. But, am I hurting anyone when I fall asleep, wishing for another encounter?
I'm eager for the first part, at leAnyway, the dream, maybe nightmare, starts the same. I'm sitting at the desk in my little bookstore, looking better than possible in real life.
My hair? Gorgeous. Every strand in place. My clothes? Pressed to perfection. I'm even wearing makeup.
As I consider closing for the night, I glance up. And Jeffrey's there.
I've only spoken to him once, when I first moved in, just enough for the crush to develop. He was tall with light brown skin, and fit. I mean, his muscles bulged under any and every shirt.
He wore glasses, sexy black ones that complimented his face and made me salivate whenever I caught sight of him. The best part? He had a cute laugh, like he almost seemed embarrassed to find something funny.
In the dream, he appears in my office doorway. Without saying a word, he crosses to where I'm sitting and pulls me up. He starts unbuttoning my blouse, his fingers moving slowly as my heart pounds.
My hands lift to return the favor. They're shaking I'm so eager.
He pulls me close. I lift my chin, letting him see the invitation. He lowers his mouth. I go up on my toes to reach his lips. Before they meet, someone fills the doorway, spoiling the moment.
Before I see her face, her beautiful, dark, flawless face, I know Sadie's standing there.
The sister I've barely spoken to in five years.
I should explain a little. She's a singer. Well, not just a singer. She's a famous one. The kind that's an actress, too. The kind who attends every award show. That stars in movies and is hounded by the paparazzi.
The kind most people secretly admire even as they judge her tumultuous public life.
The moment Jeffrey sees her, he abandons me and hurries to her side, giving Sadie the kiss I had craved. Before witnessing more of their treachery, I wake up.
I have issues. I'm aware. Don't judge me.
Imagine if one of the most notorious women in the world was your sister. And you were me, an average woman struggling to get through each day.
I know what you're thinking. But I'm not jealous of her. And I know she'd never act so inappropriately in real life, except for that one time.
Three times. But that was high school.
I just dread the inevitable day when people in my life learn she's related to me. When they become my friend, hoping to one day get an introduction.
That's when I turn into nothing. Nothing more than an addendum in the biography of The Sadie Stephens Story.

Review: THE DATING GAME by Brenna Jacobs

Allie was a busy lawyer with not a lot of time to date. Being at the courthouse all day didn’t leave her with many options. Nothing but lawyers and lawyers. When was the last time she dated a guy that wasn’t a lawyer? Thus begins the ABC list of dating—a date with a career for every letter of the alphabet.


I thought this would be interesting seeing a woman date a man with a different career. The concept was good, but the actual dates weren’t that entertaining.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: A IS FOR AUTHOR by Brenna Jacobs

Emma was a serious author. Her first and only book was published 5 years ago, which was why she kept her day job as a lit professor. She was never much for panels and book signings, but this one was run by her favorite librarian, so she had no choice but to join. She just hoped the audience wouldn’t ask when her next book was coming, because she was deep in writer’s block.


Aidan Maxwell was a famous author. Everything he wrote was an instant bestseller. He was such the typical arrogant alpha male he wrote so much about.


She writes literary fiction. He writes genre fiction. So, naturally, the two would clash at the panel discussion. It became The War of the Authors.


Emma was jealous of Aidan, of course. Yes, Aidan was an arrogant bastard, but she was really no better. She was such the pretentious, snobby artist, “living for the literary masterpiece.” She literally over thinks every word she tries to write. Aidan was much more laidback about his work. The two couldn’t be more different—like fire and ice.


Story was okay, but I just didn’t see a love connection here.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: HER ORDINARY JOE by Margaret Desmond

A 5thgrade niece is looking for a husband for her Aunt Polly and her teacher was just perfect. All the kids respected Mr. Joe Matthews. Needless to say that Joe was shocked to hear one of his brightest students wanted him to marry his aunt. After all, he wasn’t looking for a relationship, especially with a woman like Polly.


Polly is a struggling writer, often penning romance stories without sex. She’s never been able to meet a man as perfect as the heroes she writes about…until Joe came along. Although he had the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, Polly knew that he was just an ordinary Joe that couldn’t compare to Lance, her fictional hero. They just didn’t make men like they used to back in the days of the old west, which is why she wrote historical romance with rugged men that could handle anything. Polly’s writing was her life, and she wouldn’t rest until she got her first publication.


To Joe, Polly was a reminder of his free-spirited and lackadaisical mother, who was an artist solely concentrated on her work with no regard for anything else.


They were just no interested. Period.


But that eventually changes when Joe starts helping Polly with her story. He makes her see that maybe she doesn’t know romance as well as she claims. So Joe helps her feel romance.


Very good writing! I enjoyed Polly and Joe’s easy camaraderie and how they learned to look beyond first impressions. Of course, the cover is pretty ordinary, but it’s fitting to how the characters actually are—just ordinary. The story creating process between Joe and Polly could be a little daunting, but it definitely brings the characters together.


A nice story!


My rating: 4 stars

Review: COME MONDAY by Mari Carr

Keira is a woman much older than your average college student and has a crush on her creative writing teacher. After her mom passed away, she held off on her life for years, taking care of an ailing father, her younger siblings, and the family restaurant. Now, back in college, her plate is much fuller than ever. Her only reprieve is exercising dirty fantasies of her hot teacher. She becomes even more flustered when she starts working with him after hours re-writing her assignments. To be a writer, he teaches her to close her eyes and describe through sensory perception.


I liked Keira’s responsible and doting nature as well as her willingness to learn. But is she willing to be the kind of student that her teacher is used to? It turns out that he’s a dominant, meaning he’s bossy. “Give me your panties.” Gosh! But she seemed to like it, so she was just as kinky. They were often having sexual fantasies of the BDSM kind.


“Have you been a good girl?”


I thought this started off nice, but the BDSM and dirty talk made it too vulgar for my taste. Good concept and good writing, but I didn’t like the bossiness.


My rating: 3 stars