Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 316

Review: FORGET YOU by Annabelle Costa

Maggie is about to get married to the man of her dreams. Everything was going perfect. The one thing she didn’t plan was passing out during the ceremony and waking up in the hospital. Oh, no, it would seem that she ruined the wedding. But her mother and her “fiancé” don’t know what “wedding” she’s talking about because the two are already married. What?! Yes, they married 3 years ago, and Maggie has no memory of any of it or the last 3 years of her life. And when did she get so old and fat?


Nothing makes sense to Maggie, especially the part about her having an affair with Riley, a paraplegic in a wheelchair. Maggie would not have cheated with Riley, even if he was cute, funny, charming, and the only one getting her through this difficult time. Funny that she never realized how horrible her husband was. Surely her husband could not be lying about Riley stalking her. So who was lying: Walt or Riley?


In this quirky tale, we follow a confused woman as she stumbles through her old life and finds her way back to where she belongs.  An enjoyable read with lots of twists you won’t see coming.


My rating: 5 stars

Review: GIRL, UNSEEN by Athena Daniels

Pia Williams is a gifted psychic for a paranormal investigation TV show. One night, while visiting an old, dilapidated cottage, she sees the spirit of a young girl and feels her pain.
I love psychic stories, especially when they involve a mystery or a murder of some sorts. This story certainly sounded interesting, but it moved a little too slow for my taste. The investigation was rather daunting, which dulled the mystery. You almost don't know what's going on most of the time.  
My rating: 2 stars

Review: HEART OF CRYSTAL by Obelia Akanke

After getting out of an abusive relationship, college-student Crystal has once again decided to venture out into the world of the living. And Mario, who was in her song writing group, just seemed like a nice guy. But was she ready to move on?
Crystal's heart certainly lies in music, which was she had musical ring tones for every person in her contacts, and it was Mario that encourages her and gets her to sing.
This is the story of a girl trying to get over her fear and try dating again, which sounded interesting. Crystal is a shy, reserved character with a caring heart. At times, the dialogue was a little juvenile and overbearing. I mean, the way these kids talked...It was like non-stop. There were too many characters, I thought. It also seemed like the story wasn't really going anywhere.
My rating: 2.5 stars

Review: TOXIC BOMBS: THE BEGINNING by Karen L. West

“A bright light lit the sky and then turned mustard yellow with green/blue around the edge.” (Loc 91)
Driving through the San Diego Interstate, Callie knew what had set the sky ablaze.
This book had a rather slow and monotonous pace. The whole thing revolves around the preparation of sanctuary and battle. Story takes on the POV’s of several different families and their dealings of the bombs, which I’m not sure if that was the right approach.  I mean, the author probably wanted to have multiple stories in one book, but I think it would’ve been better had this focused more on one point of view—one family, like Callie, for instance. Instead, the whole thing was rather confusing and dry.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: LUCKY LOVE by H. Stinington

Relationship or Friends with benefits? Abigail and Justin couldn't define what they shared. Of course, it's never easy, especially when the two work together. And queue the complication. Is it worth being together and risk getting fired? So they agree to a secret affair. But who would've thought that an affair could turn romantic.
This tale follows the basic ups-and-downs of an affair. Writing was simple and easy-to-follow. Characters were mediocre and okay to read about.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE SKELETON LADY by Tori L. Wilson

Story follows the adventure of Oliver and Kayte as they stumble upon a mystery one day after school. Following the blood-curdling scream down an alley, they soon find themselves in the chilling presence of the Skeleton Lady.
Told in the POV of Oliver and Kayte, story is a slight take on the Hansel & Gretel tale, in which two children must escape sheer horror. At first, the characters really don't know what's going on or where they are. Heck, they don't even know how they got there. All they know is that they need to get out, especially once they experience the sadistic and deadly torture of the Skeleton Lady. I mean, getting acid thrown in your face and ripping off your thumbnails? Ouch! And how about getting a dead girl's face sewn onto your face?  Ouch and yuck!
Throughout the whole scary and confusing ordeal, Oliver and Kayte must obey the orders of the Skeleton Lady or "mum," as she'd like to be called, while inflicting unspeakable pain on them. In fact, the first half of the book deals with their physical pain, and each time they get it, they fall into a deep sleep. The pattern continues like this until eventually they get used to it. In fact, they even realize that they might even like it. This was one sick story. It's a sweet and twisted tale―kind of a mixture of Pleasantville and Nightmare on Elm Street. One thing's for sure is that you'll never disobey the Skeleton Lady.
I thought the story had a fascinating take on the horror genre, but it was bit repetitive in the beginning and you end up with more questions than answers. I mean, who was the Skeleton Lady―more importantly, whatwas the Skeleton Lady?  And why was it her mission to create the perfect children? Story wasn't too clear on that aspect, but it is spooky and creepy and worthy candidate for the young fan base of this genre.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: TEN DARK TALES OF MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE by Craig Enger

A thief looking for his big score gets taken by the master of all thieves.

A woman begins to wonder about her Valentine's date and what the night has in store. Suspense and doubt fill her to the brim as the mystery night drags on. 

"Who would want to steal a diamond with such a cursed history?"

An avid bibliophile dares to fellow acquaintance to read the "deadly" manuscript. This one was a chilling.

Witty, well-written, and full of suspense and dark irony. Great stories to read!


My rating: 4 stars

Review: OBLIQUE by Neal Vandar

"I was fourteen years old the first time I killed a man." Even though the kid was saving a girl from being raped and murdered, "that's not the way justice works."
Twenty-five years later, the same girl he rescued contacts him again. The night the two meet at the restaurant, terror and confusion strike―suddenly, everyone in the place is dead, including the girl he saved when they were kids. What happened here? And why was there no mention of this tragic incident in the news? Was it his imagination? "It certainly [was] an oblique situation"―devious and misleading.
In this tale, one disoriented man makes a mad and desperate attempt to find the truth and what was real. He becomes a paranoid mess.
Simple and strangely compelling. You can't help but wonder if all this was real or if the man was just going crazy. But then it goes from weird to weirder. I mean, who checks into a motel one night and wakes up outside a forest lodge? I'm like, "Huh?" Throughout the whole thing, you feel like you're going just as crazy as the character. I mean, nothing was making any sense. You're just lost and confused the whole way.
But then our hero somehow finds himself in a far-away town, where he sees a 25-year old picture of a girl that went missing―the very same girl he had dinner with 3 nights ago. What? Turns out that girl had died shortly after she went missing. Oh snap!
This strange case of a disillusioned man and his "ghostly" encounter with a dead girl and his grim realities was just too good of a concept; however, at times, it can be a little too confusing and there was often a lag. Story ultimately follows the trail of paranoia and a lost mystery. I couldn't help but wonder if the guy was just fooling himself and wasting time on something that wasn't really there. I enjoyed the mystery aspect and saw the potential in it, but I wasn't too keen on the overall progression.  
My rating: 3 stars

Review: RECLAIMING RAVEN by Mary Holt

"Marriage to Cole demanded unending praise. Admiration fueled him. Food never did." (6)
For years, Raven has been locked under Cole's menacing trap, and she knew that if she didn't kill him, she would never escape. Once she saw her chance, she made no hesitation and just fled into the night.
Meanwhile, Cole wakes up, dazed and confused, and realizes what she has done. He had to get her back. The chase was on. Raven needed to be reclaimed.
When I first started reading this, I understood this as a woman escaping the abuse of her hateful husband. But then, as I read on, it would seem that there was some mental instability here. Were these all mental delusions of some sort? So then who was right and who was wrong? Who was the real crazy here?
The writing tended to have a richly poetic feel often with a dark lure, however, I must say that it was somewhat odd and puzzling at times. For instance, "the blow glanced off Cole's skull." Although I understand the insinuation here, I'm not quite sure about the phrasing. I would've actually preferred a more simplistic approach.
The story lagged a little too much for my taste, and it continued to toggle back and forth with no real progression. It seemed to repeat the same pattern, and it was a tad confusing at times. I just didn't like it as much as I thought I would.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: UP TO NO GOOD by Nicky Matthews

Sara has just found out her boyfriend was cheating on her. Not wanting to hear any words of comfort or advice, she rushes off, not wanting to fall for her best friend and just try to forget about this whole rotten day. But how can she really shut herself away from Alex when he is always there for her? But even if the attraction is mutual, is it worth losing a friendship over?
It's a simple story with a certain dawdling lag throughout. The premise of a friendship-turned-love story was interesting, but I felt like the pace wasn't moving fast enough for me. Sure, readers might enjoy Sara and Alex's uphill journey with its rocky bumps, but it just wasn't as amusing for me. Not a total bore, but just okay. I also think the cover could’ve had a little more than just a dry landscape—it should’ve had something to reflect that this was a love story of some sorts. Yes, this story takes place on a farm, but there’s no other reference to indicate the main theme; all you have is trees.
My rating: 3 stars