Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 284

Review: CHRISTMAS ON THE BEACH by Tori L. Wilson

An artist lives out her dream, living on a peaceful island, where she meets an interesting, young man. The two become instantly close and end up spending Christmas on the beach.
Story was lovely and well-written with a leisurely pace, which is synonymous with life on the beach. Scenes are very descriptive in a romanticized fashion. The characters obviously get swept up by the holiday and their crippling loneliness, so they naturally find comfort in each other. I thought they got too close too fast, but, nonetheless, it's a nice, little story.
My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: THE MAN WHO LOVED TOO MUCH: ENTENDRE by John Rachel

This is Book 2 of the Billy Green saga. It begins with Billy’s college class with students engaging in comprehensive studies on Dear Abby letters, thus, provoking feministic views and gender equality.
Story is a journey of self-discovery and especially love. But what was love? That’s the eternal question on Billy’s mind.
The writing itself was sentimental and thought-provoking; however, the reading was not as compelling as the first book, for some reason. Following Billy’s story seemed more challenging this time.
Still, it’s good writing, but the story wasn’t so great.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: NORMALISH by M.C. Lesh

A new kind of “normal:” somewhere between average and out-of-your-mind crazy. It’s about perception. Was she normal? She was a freshman, who didn’t fit it, hated school, and thought all the other kids were idiots. For Stacy, the movie, 10 Things I Hate about You, can sum up her life pretty well.


Everyone knows that life can be depressing and this kid was as witty and sarcastic as can be. She keeps it real. But she’s also in love with love—actually she’s in love with Anthony.


“For the past 2 years, my love for Anthony has been the one constant in my life: the thing I can count on, just like the extra zit on my forehead when I’ve had too many French fries (love is like…junk food?)” (17)


She sums up her mediocre high school existence in a diary format, which read like an 80’s teen movie (I could almost see the prissy Molly Ringwald in a shallow role.) Her monologue read like a vapid drone at times. That’s when my interest started going down. It’s okay if you like reading a teen’s diary.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: LIV by Kelsie Rae

After being married for five years, Liv was pregnant. She should feel happy, except she was burying her dead husband. At the funeral, she reconnects with an old friend, Luke, who offers his 3-bedroom condo to help her out. Hopefully, his girlfriend, Trisha, doesn’t mind.


I thought this was a pretty sweet romance, but I think it concentrated too much on the pregnancy, which would make sense since that’s how the two characters connect. I liked Luke being there for her.


An okay love story.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: PERFECTLY FLAWED by Nessa Morgan

What if you were the daughter of a murderer? What if your dad went totally psycho and brutally murdered your mom, your siblings, and left you to die with 20 stab wounds? Yeah, you'd be a freak alright.

Joey is used to being the talk of the school. In fact, she takes it in cynical stride.
So is this a story about relishing your imperfections rather than conform to the monotonous standards of popular culture?
This seemed like an interesting story, but it seriously lags with endless rambles and drains the reader with mindless banalities.
Joey is not really an interesting character to begin with. All she does is whine about death and being different. In fact, most of the time she dreams of death (drowning, suffocating, being buried) and this is probably because she should've ended up that way when her dad went postal.
The only thing that was even remotely interesting was the therapy session and even that totally bombed out.

My rating: 2 stars

Review: LOST by Jodi Kae

Derek is a Fortune 500 millionaire who finds a beaten woman on the dirt road near his cabin. It was strange that while he was cleaning up and doctoring her wounds, he was aroused by the mysterious woman.


The unknown woman can’t remember what happened or who she is. Was she running from people trying to hurt her? And, if so, will they come for her again?


“Needing a connection to someone, even…on a physical level, seems like a necessity for me. Feeling lost and alone, no identity or past.” (29)


Love story was sensual, but the erotica was tapered by the summary-like monologue of each character. It was often repetitive and it didn’t feel like it progressed. It’s an ok suspense love story.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: SLEEPLESS NOVEMBER by Kelsey Clayton

College student Kayleigh could never quite compare to the other girls, which is why a stud like Caleb wouldn’t think to look twice at her. One of the things constantly on her mind is her weight, which is why she tracks the calories she consumes on a daily basis. “Skip dinner, wake up thinner” are words she’s had to live by.
One day, she’s forced to team with an arrogant, egotistical jackass for a class project. As the two reluctantly work together, she begins to see that he may not be so bad after all. Then he stumbles upon her food journal. To her surprise, Holden actually wants to help her.
“Perhaps the boy I couldn’t stand will end up being the one who saves me.” (49) Perhaps he would end up being more. How could it when he was dating her roommate?
A simple story of an unlikely bond amidst social angst, peer pressure, and eating disorders.  You can’t help but feel bad for Kayleigh as she struggles with her weight and anxiety. She constantly beats herself up for having the tiniest bite of food. It was frustrating to see Holden caring so much about her when she refused to do anything to help herself.  
Things get even more complicated when the two sleep together. As if Kayleigh wasn’t feeling guilty enough. But no matter how much she tries to push him away and forget about him, Holden is still there. Tensions run high, and the emotions displayed by such earnest characters are raw and endearing.
Was this just a harmless fling…or could she really have something with the university player? It’s certainly NOT easy. It’s not a wonder why Kayleigh feels the need to run.
“It’s an escape—from all the negative thoughts, the calories I’ve consumed, the girls Holden has slept with, the broken promises in my life.” (181)
The couple’s addictions may be more than what either of them can handle.
A sweetly complicated and chaotic romance that readers will fall into.
My rating: 4 stars

Review: EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE by J. Bennett

A college grad is stuck in a crummy customer service job for orthopedic socks. Hey, it pays, right? Until she gets unemployed. But then she sees a chance in being a housekeeper for a geriatric vampire. Hey, it pays, right?

The vampire is very old-century. “He was a bitter, old man trapped in a bygone era.” He’s a chauvinistic jackass with his beliefs that a 25-year old woman is past her prime and should not wear slacks. Of course, the help shoots off a few words at him, but she can handle the job, especially when an old vampire hunter with a walker seeks vengeance on her boss. Two old guys duking it out? What could be more funny?


Snarky, witty, and funny!


My rating: 4 stars

Review: MOON DANCE by J.R. Rain

6 years ago, Samantha Moon was attacked, and, ever since then, she’s worked as a P.I. from home while taking care of her kids. She’s actually a vampire.


Now’s she’s been hired to find someone who shot a guy in the face 5 times. Why didn’t the man die? Sh then discovers her client is a werewolf.


Being a creature of the night wasn’t easy when trying to regain some semblance of normalcy. In fact, her only sustenance is through blood bags she orders online. But when she gets her first real drink from a dead rapist, the hunger becomes too good to pass up.


With her strength and powers, Samantha could easily kill the perpetrators, but she refuses and would rather let the law handle it. Her vampire abilities are pretty cool. Whatever you do, don’t ever try to take her kids away from her.


“What dark voodoo was keeping [her] alive?” (114) Throughout the novel, Samantha Moon tries to understand her purpose and her existence. She constantly ponders what she is, how she lives, or if she’s even dead or alive.


“The attack…cost me my job, my sunny days, my home, my husband, my kids, my life.” (123)


To top it off, while working on her case, a vampire hunter is on her tail.


Witty and compelling.  Samantha Moon is a kick-ass vampire.


My rating:  5 stars

Review: SANGRE: THE WRONG SIDE OF TOMORROW by Carlos Colón

There have been random killings spreading the country. Perhaps it would benefit from the aid of an undead vigilante.
Nicky Negron is back wandering the streets of New York with his crass and delinquent nature, but now he must deal with his tortured soul.
“Any remaining traces of my humanity were to forever be shrouded by the sickening truth that I needed to feed on human blood to survive.” (17)
The character is ridden with angst and disillusion, especially when his mind becomes haunted by the memories of another demon. Was he being possessed? Was he doomed to become a soulless predator like the host?
In his quest, he is plagued by his childhood past and shackled by the insatiable hunger running through his veins. What’s even worse was all the suspicious death surrounding him.
Once again, the author gives us an unconventionally dark tale of torment and triumph. Nicky is a complex character with a spear for justice, a sharp tongue, and a tortured soul. At times, the story becomes disorganized by various plot lines and random characters. It almost felt like too much was happening at once, which was slightly overwhelming and caused a patchy flow. Story definitely carves a new niche to the horror genre with its savory additives of mystery, suspense, and emotion.
My rating: 3.5 stars