Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 323

Review: PARIS EVER AFTER by K.S.R. Burns

After endless arguments and animosity with her estranged husband, Amy Brodie sets off to Paris for a second time. "All [she] wanted was a break―from [her] life, from [her] past, present, and future." (10)
 
But it would seem that her husband, William, has come for her again. How would she tell him about the baby?

Story is well-written and well-read, but it had a few too many characters for my liking. I prefer plots to be simpler and this one certainly had its complications. I mean, there's an American woman living in Paris, she's pregnant, she's separated from the baby daddy, and she's wondering how in the heck she's supposed to cope with everything. It's women's fiction in its international finesse. My main issue was that it just droned on and on and on.
 
This story certainly had an interesting angle, but it just fell flat for me.  

 
My rating: 2 stars

Review: TOWNE SQUARE by Dianna Wilkes

Upon first starting this book, it begins with mass confusion. So was Kate dead or not dead? There were certainly a lot of characters in the mix. Rhys, Dana, Canfield. And there are lawyers. Huh? I was already lost at this point. And, unfortunately, the more you read, the more unclear it becomes―unclear and uninteresting.
 
Story was well-written, except, well, I couldn't really get to the story. Too much confusion and jibber-jabber.

 
My rating: 2 stars

Review: GARBAGE COLLETORS: STORIES FOR YOUNG ENGINEERS by Mike Grabois

I honestly didn't get the idea behind the garbage collectors. Something that had to do with a volleyball net and ropes?

 
Clearly, this didn't compel me as much as I'd hoped.

 
My rating: 2 stars

Review: TICK TOCK: A STITCH IN CRIME (Anthology)

Stories were pretty well-written and organized. Some were a little daunting, but, honestly, they didn't really do anything for me. I felt a little "meh" about them. Nothing exciting about them, really.

 My rating:  2 stars

Review: UNREAL ENCOUNTERS by Milo James Fowler

This is a collection of short stories that make you question the scheme of things. These twisted tales are certainly full of dark irony and otherworldly elements. You don’t always get them. At times, you reach the ending and go “huh?” 
 
Stories are described as “Twilight Zone-ish,” which is blatantly obvious once you start reading. They’re bound by confusion, mystery, and illusion. You don’t know where you are and you’re out in the middle of nowhere; then you’re taken on a trippy ride and you don’t know how you ended up there. It’s kind of weird, but you appreciate the dark setting and are strangely allured by it.
 
Some stories were certainly better than others.  Like I said, some I didn’t get at all. The words I’d use to describe them would be: weird, dreary, and unreal.

 
My rating: 3 stars

Review: FIRST CRUSH, LAST LOVE by Elizabeth McKenna

Ever since high school, Jessie has made a nightly wish to make Lee love her, but, alas, he only ever had eyes for another girl, one who didn’t love him like Jessie did. For years, Jessie has stood idly by in the friend zone, hoping and praying that Lee would see her—truly see her.  

Jessie’s patience and wishful thinking were commendable; she truly believed that she and Lee were meant to be together. But when Lee ditches her to make out with his ex-girlfriend at the Spring Fling, she suddenly seemed like a pathetic, love-sick fool.  Why was she putting herself though this?
 
After graduation, Jessie finds herself in a miserable marriage to a bossy, drunken playboy, and Lee discovers his fear of commitment runs far deeper than he realizes.
Years later, Jessie and Lee unexpectedly run into each other, provoking the two to reminisce on their high school days and ponder the last 10 years of separation. Old wounds are certainly re-opened at their class reunion.

Written in three episodes, story follows the narrative of an unrequited love in the midst of life’s trials and tribulations. Nostalgia and regret are key elements. Characters are so appealing and relatable; they are so fleshed out that readers feel like they grew up with them, naturally feeling a sense of empathy for their hopes, fears, frustrations, and heart aches.

 
Can Jessie and Liam forget the past and find a future?

 
Well-written, captivating, and endearing.  A worthy novel!

 
My rating: 4 stars

Review: THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARTY by Wendy Delaney

Charmaine is a detective specialist with a new case. Marty suddenly died at his birthday party, possibly from a cardiac arrest. But there’s been some speculation that the wife may have had something to do with it.
 
Although the story gets right to the case from the start, it kind of has a lagging progression. Charmaine certainly tries to play the quirky, off-beat character, which makes her slightly likable; however, she didn’t quite reach the par.  She was okay, but not great. There were also a few too many characters—something I tend to get annoyed about on a regular story, but especially more so in a murder mystery. That may have over-complicated the plot a bit. Actually I had a hard time weeding through the plot, to be perfectly honest. I think I would’ve liked it better had the story started before Marty’s death. Maybe I would’ve understood it better had I been acquainted with the events leading up to Marty’s death, but  I guess that was really up to Char to figure out. It’s just that I wasn’t too keen on her style.

 
My rating: 2 stars

Review: YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT by Kevin J. Kennedy and J.C. Michael

Four writers. One test. And a fatal judgment call. Remember, YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT.

 
The task is to write the best story ever. Those deemed that write a good story will live and those that don’t will die. Oooh, chilling!

 
This was an interesting premise. I mean, you’re basically writing under duress—practically with a gun to your temple the whole time. Forget writer’s block; try writer’s impotence.
We begin with Fiona, who writes a story about a kidnapped girl. Readers have the opportunity to read through their submitted stories. Fiona’s wouldn’t get my vote. Actually, neither of them would get my vote. So test done—kill them all! He, he!
The most disturbing one of the bunch had to be Drexl, who apparently has killed before.

I guess each was trying to write a story of “suspense and horror.” Problem was they all felt lukewarm to me.  What I liked best was the anxiety and pressure by the situation, but the story didn’t progress fast enough. I mean, this is supposed to be harrowing. You’re sitting on the edge of your seat here. Sweat pouring down your skin. The clock is ticking. One wrong move and the bomb goes off. Right?

 
Well, I certainly wasn’t riveted by it. In all honesty, I didn’t really need to read the writers’ stories. I was mainly interested on who was going to get it in the end.  Story obviously had an interesting premise, but I was rather disappointed with the execution.

 
My rating: 2.5 stars

Review: THE RUNAWAY ROCKSTAR by Veronica Blade

A rockstar that’s had enough and needs a break flees to the open road, eventually stumbling across a country diner/bar, where he’s captivated by the alluring waitress. The waitress can’t help but be attracted to the bad boy Adonis that sits at her table. But Emma has been burned enough by one too many bad boys.
 
I know they say that you shouldn’t be fooled by tabloids slinging celebrity brawls, but, in the case of Liam, it’s pretty much true with his temper and fighting history. He surely can’t stand by and watch the sweet waitress being harassed by a#holes.
 
For a while, Liam and Emma do everything they can to avoid their attraction for the other, especially since Liam was just passing through town and would soon return to his rockstar life anyway. So a good chunk of the book is mostly on denial while Liam tries to conceal his celebrity identity.
 
Of course, the story is not without its moments. The way Liam acts around Emma’s daughter is endearing and his protective nature makes him a lovable character. I liked how Liam and Emma get to know each other first, that it’s not one of those “slam-hard” romances.

 
Even though the book is written in typical he said/she said fashion, story progresses nicely; it’s not just a diary of the characters’ private thoughts. Story was somewhat lagging at times, but, overall, this had a decent combination of sweet and passionate.

 
My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE TULIP SHIRT MURDERS by Heather Weidner

Delanie Fitzgerald is a private investigator aiming to catch cheaters and liars through espionage and trickery. With her partner, Duncan—the techno-geek—she takes on a CD bootlegging case for a music company.
 
Delanie and Duncan are certainly a great P.I. duo with Delanie obviously having a natural knack for this spy stuff; however, the plot had a steady lag. Although the bootleg case had a mildly appealing angle, it certainly wasn’t interesting enough to sustain a lengthy narrative.

 
Story was certainly well-written and well-informed, but I guess I was kind of wondering where the murders come into play here. Someone was going to die, right? Perhaps this just didn’t move fast enough for me, which is ironic considering this was deemed as a “fast-paced mystery.”
 
Nonetheless, story had a thorough investigation and a strong female protagonist. Pretty good for those mystery lovers.

 
My rating: 3 stars