Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 278

Review: X-ED by Jackie Zack

Chloe was a struggling writer working a job delivering groceries to Mrs. X, an exotic old woman with a great artistic talent. Mrs. X tells her not to give up on her writing dream.


Jake was a fellow struggling artist, a painter who was honored be under the tutelage of the great Mrs. X, his new landlord. He never expected to strike a deal. In exchange for her feedback and connections to the art world, Jake must agree to be Chloe’s muse. The ruse was that she will pose for him while he talks to her about her writing. If he can get her to fall in love with him and then break her heart, that would be great, because, according to Chloe, the great writers experience heart ache.


Jake was reluctant to do this, especially since he had a whiny shrew of a girlfriend, who was the single mother of a mini version of herself. Yeah, she’ll be thrilled to know that he will be spending time with another woman.


Chloe’s choice of genre was unique. I mean, she could choose to write anything, but yet she chose Amish fiction. Well, regardless, the artistic desire to create was something I could relate to. All talk of the Amish was pretty dull though, and there was some lag.


That Mrs. X was a crafty manipulator. Even after realizing that Jake had a girlfriend, she still had faith in Jake and Chloe coming together. Perhaps that girlfriend is not the one for him. I’ll say! I couldn’t stand that woman! I couldn’t wait for Jake to get rid of her.


I liked this story. Jake and Chloe get to know each other and start to appreciate each other’s work. I liked how Jake actually acted out her writing scenes to help her out. The clencher though was toward the end, when even after the two have fallen for each other, Mrs. X. pushes Jake to break Chloe’s heart—all for the good for the art. Dang.


A good story!


My rating: 4 stars

Review: FRIES AND ALIBIS by Trixie Silvertale

Welcome to Mitzy Moon's life―the life in which she finds herself hung-over and in desperate need of a binge-watch and some aspirin. In short: parties, booze, and regrets.


An orphan for most of her life, Mitzy suddenly comes across her estranged grandmother's will, which leaves everything to Mitzy, including a bookstore in a nowhere town.


The character's dialogue was refreshingly candid, but sometimes you didn't always get what she was trying to say. Some of the things she says are real head scratchers. Mitzy is a quirky character, but she can be a little too kooky at times. I mean, seriously, did she have tourettes or something? The town folk were also a little too weird for my liking. They were a combination of Southern and punk. It took too long to get to the mystery, too. The reading, as a whole, wasn't really to my liking.


My rating: 2 stars

Review: THE MIRROR by John A. Heldt

Ginny and Katie are 19-year old twins, who are as different as day and night. Ginny was adventurous and Katie was cautious. A visit to a fortune teller at a county fair forsaw the girls taking a journey, an adventure like no other. “If you’re not careful, you may never see home again.”


Not really thinking much of it, the girls make one last stop at the House of Mirrors, where they walk through a glass, leaving their world behind. Suddenly, the twins find themselves at the same fair grounds, but in 1964. Oy vey!


According to their parents—Joel and Grace—who had time-traveled before, the only way back is the same way you came in. So the girls needed to find that House of Mirrors.


John Heldt knows how to write a good time travel story, but the problem is that his stories kind of sound the same, often following the same formula and plot sequence. Like any other time travel tale, the protagonists try to get back to their own time.


Overall, the story is well-written and well-crafted, but it’s a tad predictable, too.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: VERY BAD THINGS by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy, a highly decorated private school where Nora Blakely is the senior class president. She is a genius. She is talented. She is beautiful. She is perfect.
“How freaking wonderful it is to be a student at BA, how super terrific it is if you study hard and make good grades, and how awesomely fantastic it is to be rich and smart in a crappy, little world.” (5) Nora wants to escape her “perfection” because, deep down, her life is anything but. The reality is that is “ugly” wrapped up in a “pretty” package. And she wants to rip that package apart.
Then enters Leo, who is captivated by this seemingly bad girl. At first, you wonder why Leo would be so intrigued by this out-of-control Nora, who seems to be suffocating in her rich, perfect life. But Leo sees past her “perfection” and realizes that she has secrets.
“There were lots of things in life I didn’t get. How the universe was formed. How bed bugs can totally wipe out a hotel. Why Romeo and Juliet didn’t just talk it out before they offed themselves. Why needy people fish for compliments on Facebook. But, most of all, I didn’t get why my mother hated me.” (194)
Leo and Nora form a special bond, a trust and deep affection, a lust that never sways. Certain details were a bit too salacious. I mean, Leo and Nora were just obsessed with each other, crazed by each other, wanting to perform depraved sexual acts on one another. Ewe! But then the obsession eventually turns into a longing, a desire to hold and never let go, an epiphany to the meaning of love and soulmates. This part was rather sweet.
Ultimately, this is about a girl’s quest to be loved and her willingness to do ANYTHING for it. Basically, she was being bad to the attention she so desperately craved. At first, you’ll think she’s just nothing but another spoiled, rich girl. Still, if I were Nora and had that control freak of a mother, I’d get sick of being “perfect” too. The mother is just so scary. You almost feel sorry for her in that sense. Only when you read on do you realize how screwed up Nora really was and why she feels so compelled to be bad. She believes she is bad, but she really is not. Eventually Nora realizes that for herself as she attempts to free herself from her dark, heavy burden.  Like she said, “truth can be awful and even excruciating, but once it’s released, it’s like a bird that’s been caged too long who finally flies to freedom.” (264)
“One way or another, we’re all placed six feet under. It made me even more determined to live the rest of my life as a happy person.” (295)
Deep down, I wanted Nora to end up with Leo. I kept hoping for it.
Deep and emotional.  An enticing read!

My rating: 4 stars

Review: CHAIN SMOKER by Bill Stack

Fires were running rampant. Who was setting fires in the inner city?
Sergeant Beth Nichols was training to be a fire investigator.
Writing was overall pretty good. I liked the strong female lead overcoming obstacles, barreling through political red tape, and proving to everyone what she was made of. Beth was certainly very smart and capable. It gets a little too technical in the hierarchy and protocols of the fire department, giving it a slight ounce of tedium every now and then. Still, it was interesting to see how arson was investigated. Story was not as titillating as I would’ve thoughts, but it was still a decent read.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: BATTERED by G.P. Gottlieb

Alene was a chef at Whipped and Sipped.
I guess there’s a reason why a list of characters was included at the beginning—to sift through the many characters and to remember who was who. For me, this started off pretty slow—it was mainly an introduction to everyone. There seemed to be chaos in the kitchen with everyone butting in at once.
The characters weren’t very interesting, even with the upset of concentration that the story played on them. Were we getting to the dead body soon? It just seemed like we were waiting a long time for it.
Not as good as I thought it be.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: GUESS WHO’S MY NEW FRIEND by Lily Mai

Little Jonas was moving to a farm, where he will miss his friends. But it is at the farm where he learns about the different animals. Still, he could not play with any of them…until he meets Peter, the pony.
Colorful illustrations were rich and vibrant. The actual story was okay. It was a little too convenient, but I liked how Jonas was learning all about the different animals.
A pretty good children’s book.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE CHRISTMAS WALK CAPER by JB Michaels

The Christmas Walk Caper (Mac and Millie Mysteries #1)

By JB Michaels

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Age category: Adult

Blurb:

Add 'Catch a killer’ to your Christmas to-do list!



Meet Mac, a retired hero cop with writer’s block and a penchant for trouble. What holiday hijinks will he get himself into?



Probably a murder investigation.



Meet Millie, a local banker and former college athlete who may have a trick or two up her sleeve. What Christmas conundrum will she be brought in to solve?



Again, a murder mystery.



In this delightful cozy mystery set in downtown Geneva, Illinois, our sarcastic and savvy sleuths will seek justice for the untimely death of the owner of the beloved and charming retail mansion: The Tiny Wanderer.



It’s time to stroll on Third street. Immerse yourself in beautiful Christmas décor. Drink some hot chocolate and help solve the Christmas Walk Caper.

You can find The Christmas Walk Caper on Goodreads



You can buy The Christmas Walk Caper here on Amazon




My review: Mac, a former cop, was under a deadline with his publisher. He was trying to put something on paper as preparations for the Christmas Walk was underway. Suddenly, a resident turns up dead in her home. Was it a heart attack?

Along with his companion, Millie, Mac sets off on an investigation, which was not always easy to follow. There were a few too many characters for my liking, and I wasn’t that engaged with the case.
Overall, this was a decent holiday mystery.  
My rating: 3 stars



About the Author:

I am JB Michaels, award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author of two series: Bud Hutchins Thrillers and the Tannenbaum Tailors.



I have spent my life in the study of story from riveting novels to the slam-bang action-packed world of comics to the examination of film history, I have spent a lifetime learning and examining the elements that make a story incredible. This steadfast dedication has led me to writing stories of my own.



I am married and with a son, I have a great love of family. I hope that you enjoy my bestselling books that mash genres from thrillers to science fiction to fantasy!



You can find and contact JB Michaels here:

- Website

- Publisher Website

- Facebook

- Twitter

- Goodreads

- Amazon

- Instagram

Review: CARNAGE AT THE CHRISTMAS PARTY by Holly Tierney-Bedford

Charlotte works for a chauvinistic, arrogant, lazy boss, who often accuses her of not doing the job she was hired for. As a party/event planner, she’s supposed to set trends and motivate the employees. In fact, the office title on her plaque reads “Spreader,” as in spreader of cheers. Too funny! She has that holiday office party to prove to him that she can do this.  If she can’t spread it at the Christmas party, then she’s out of a job.


I enjoyed this story for the most part. Charlotte’s boss is so irritating that it makes it harder for her. He makes her feel so incapable and dumb. How was she going to make a miserable company happy? Working in a boys club, she has to come up with “extreme and fearless” ideas. But what? If the boss is bored at the party, she’s fired. Yeah, no pressure. How dare he actually tells her to put an ad for her job in case she screws up and has to hire her replacement. Really?! Grrrrr!


I totally get the plight of the worker, especially when dealing with an impossible boss.


As we get closer to the party, the everyday banalities hit big time, which made the reading less interesting. What’s with the day-to-day play? The party prepping took forever. Kinda long for a novella. There was really no mystery to this. Yeah, we have that mass murder and, for some reason, the only thing that Charlotte can obsess over is where to hold the party now?


A decent read though.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: A CHRISTMAS GIFT by Stella Wilkinson (short story)

Holly and Caleb had grown up together but separated in their teens. Now they couldn’t be further apart. Apparently she stayed sweet Sandy and he became the new Grease monkey Danna Zukko. Thing was that even though he turned mean on her, she never really got over her crush on Caleb.
Then she gets thrown for a loop when he asks her to help him pick out a gift for his girlfriend.
Holly is such a nice, sweet girl, so unlike the popular girls that are into hair and make-up. So it baffles me why she likes Caleb so much? And, as they shop around for a gift suitable for a high-maintenance, stuck-up snob, memories of their childhood fill the air and two rekindle something nice.
A like the movie, “Grease,” the shy Sandy straps on some black leather along with brazen confidence.
Sweet YA holiday read!

My rating: 4 stars