Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 278

Review: MAYBE THE DREAM KNOWS WHAT’S REAL by Steve Grogan

“No matter how real someone’s love might feel, I had to remember it wasn’t; I would have to train my eyes to see through this illusion.” (5)
A young boy that was different. “Time spent reading was time not spent exercising. As a result of this, I gained weight, which was just one more piece of lumber for my peers to throw on the fire so they could fuel their contempt for me.” (8) He was a loner…and, thus, his fixation with horror began.
Writing was pretty good. At first, this seems like a typical coming-of-age story of an isolated boy trying to come out of his shell and see the world around him. As he began his entanglements with the opposite sex, a jealous rage began to take root. Reading this felt like watching an episode of The Wonder Years, except there was a lot more sexual exploration and explicit scenes. His only purpose in life was to fulfill a dream of being wanted by another human being, but, unfortunately, it didn’t usually work out for him. Soon, he realized that love was nothing but a lie…and the rage got stronger.
There was definitely a vulnerable darkness to this story. It definitely shows what happens when a person snaps. How was this real? Was this a dream? Maybe only the dream knows what’s real. I didn’t quite get this statement. I understood as a psychological trauma, of being lost between fantasy (what you want to see in your mind) and reality (what actually is there.) I kind of think this is something that Hitchcock would say. It was a mad man’s fantasy.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE FIXER: THE NAKED MAN by Jill Amy Rosenblatt

Katerina Mills lived by the golden rule of “fixing” people’s problems: get in, get out, get done. See everything but never be seen.
One morning, she gets a frantic call from The Naked Man and goes to meet him. I wish I could say the name was a euphemism, but…he was reallynaked when she gets there. Flaccid penis swinging in the wind. Oy.
The Naked Man had a problem he needed to go away: an unconscious naked woman in his bed. For Kat, this was no problem. She was a Fixer, after all.
In desperate need of some quick cash, she takes a trial job working for MJM for what can only sound like an escort service. It’s pretty clear that what Kat does is highly covert and maybe even a little dodgy, but it’s kind of hard to tell what her assignment was. What exactly was she doing here?
Writing was simple, and the dialogue was refreshingly witty and candid; however, it’s kind of hard to follow a story when you don’t really know what’s going on. I liked that Kat was like this secret spy and was looking forward to seeing her in action. The reader does get to see her in action without fully knowing the mission. This could be a pretty good read with just a bit more clarification.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE OTHER TIDE by Carly Spade

Sam was a shark researcher with a fancy Biology degree and bodacious body. When an opportunity to join an expedition comes up, she jumps on it. The last person she expected to see was the same cocky bastard she’d hope to forget. The boat suddenly didn’t seem big enough.
Story is simple with a steady rhythm, and delves into great knowledge about sharks and sea-diving. It’s a tumbling life at sea! The schematics regarding the expedition and the scientific research were a little confusing at times. That along with the various cast and crew members made the story a little daunting. There certainly didn’t seem to be that much interaction between Sam and Luke. It would’ve been better to have felt how much those two really hated each other. Perhaps even find out what happened to have caused such animosity. The writing was pretty good. I liked the concept, but I wasn’t really that into it. It’s an okay read.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: SADIE’S SPIRIT by CB Samet

A person can only die once.


Sadie hadn’t expected her own death to come so quickly. A ghost among the living, her only salvation is in the form of a long-lost love, whom she left heartbroken years ago. If she didn’t believe much in the supernatural, she believed now. Now, with Asher’s help, she must resolve her unfinished business and close the case on her murder.


Story was well-written, intriguing, and east-to-read with sprinkles of romance, mystery, and supernatural elements.


My rating: 4 stars

Review: CONFESSIONS OF AN ABANDONED WIFE by Michal Hartstein

A woman is a proclaimed adulteress.


“I have a husband, but he’s never around.” (3)


I thought this would be an interesting read of indecent proposal, but it was nothing but the whiny confessions of a lonely and cheating wife. It made for some blasé reading.


My rating: 2 stars

Review: THEN HE KISSED ME by Maria Geraci

Lauren is a single, divorced parent, who is grateful for everything she has. She owns a nice, little vintage clothing shop in FL and enjoys classical holiday films—namely It’s a Wonderful Life. She never asked for much, but her meddling mother thought she should have more—like a man. So she sets her up on a blind date with a successful entrepreneur, who was as arrogant as they come. Lauren didn’t need a man to complete her; she could complete herself. You go, girl!


On the blind date, she sees a public proposal go sour. Turns out the guy was someone she used to know back in high school. He was the likable nerd, like Shaggy from Scooby Doo. Lauren then realizes that Nate dodged a bullet when the girl turned him down.


I thought the character was witty and relatable, and Nate was such a nice guy—quiet, quirky, and so smart. I thought they would have a nice romance. Story started off good, but then it slows down dramatically. It kind of made me wonder when exactly does he kiss her. It’s still a decent read though.


My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: THE GIRL IN THE RAIN by L.G. Davis

Paige was a teacher. For her, math was the only constant in her life when everything else was in chaos. Having to take care of her alcoholic brother, who lived miserably in a wheelchair, was more than she could bear. But what else could she do? After all, she felt guilty and responsible for him. Her friend has often told her that she had a right to her own freedom, but, still, her brother treated her like a prisoner.


Wheelchair-bound Ryan continued to abuse Paige with nasty comments, bitter retorts, and violent temper tantrums. “I didn’t see my brother at all—just an angry, bitter stranger.” (36)


She can’t get rid of him. He wants to make her pay for what she did. Paige was watching over Chucky—this demon child. He just tortures her for fun. The things he does to her. I would’ve so killed him.


“Reality is dark, painful, and filled with nightmares.” (163) Can a woman face her fear and try to get her life back?


Story was dark and gripping, although it lagged in certain areas. What was so surprising is that the story had its fill of “what happened” gaps, leaving the reader befuddled with several questions, many possibilities, and really no answers. What happened to her brother? What happened on her wedding night? I guess that was part of the whole mystery. The story just leaves a bunch of holes.


Overall, this was a well-written piece of work.


My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: HORSESHOES AND HAND GRENADES by S.M. Stevens

Shelby was just re-entering the dating scene and starting a new job. Astrid was a co-worker of Shelby’s. Right away, there seems to be some work tension between them. But can you blame them? Women are competition, after all.
Story starts off fairly slow as the girls navigate through the business structure of their industry, but it soon gravitates to the taboo side. For instance, Astrid has had a crush on her boss for a while, so she doesn’t seem to mind when he flirts with her or occasionally brushes up against her in a way.
“You have to keep your wits about you to succeed in the business world. Men are not potential husbands. They are stepping-stones on your path to success.” (18)
Readers follow the taxing lives of two women, who are just trying to make it in this world. It’s honest and impactful. Story keeps a steady rhythm and various characters nearly crowd the story. It didn’t quite grab me as much as I thought it would, but it’s still a decent read nonetheless.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: STORM OF THE SOUL by Sandy Granato

With a young daughter, a home, and steady jobs, life seemed good for an Italian immigrant family…but it was just an illusion. The husband was a drinker and an abuser. The wife had to file for divorce and leave with their daughter.
Story was simple with a summary style. It’s like a point-by-point narrative without getting into many specifics. Story seems to center on this one family as they live their lives both in Italy and America.  Their story was trite and unappealing. Nothing really captivated me.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: ABIGAIL’S CURSE by J.B. Cantwell

Nice illustration on the cover!


Is a house haunted? That’s exactly what a 6th grade ghost seer was trying NOT to prove.


Zander was a parallel, just like his father and his father’s father. Most of the time, he saw friendly ghosts. But then Abigail Stone came into town.


Upon first seeing Abigail, Zander spots a nasty (mean ghost) right behind her. Of course, he sprung into action and banished it with his magical amulet. But how could nasties be attached to Abigail? Was she a parallel, too? Only instead of banishing them with Zander, she lets them attack him. What’s the deal with that? And doesn’t Abigail bathe, wash her face, or comb her hair? Disgusting.


Zander soon finds that Abigail is a medium—someone that could open portals to the spirit world. Can he stop her before she wrecks havoc on the world?


This was a fun, ghostly read!
My rating: 4 stars