Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 329

Review: THE LAW OF TALL GIRLS by Joanne MacGregor

If you really stand out, can you ever fit in?
Peyton is a tall girl and has always abided by the Law of Tall Girls, which indicates that no male over 6 ft. shall date a female under 5’8”. There are so few tall guys and they are wasted on short girls. So true! Why should short girls get the tall guys when they have a massive pool of average guys? Yeah!
“Once you go tall, you never go small.”
A $400 bet was that Peyton couldn’t get the hot, tall guy to kiss her. Well, mission accomplished. But then there’s a raise in the stakes. The bet was now $800 to get a tall guy (at least 6’3”) to go on 4 public dates with her with a final date at the prom. Sounds easy enough, if Peyton had any confidence and didn’t feel like a freak show so much.  
Being a tall girl, I related to Peyton, especially never finding clothes that fit unless they came from the men’s dept.
This was a pretty good story, but it was lagging at times with a bunch of high school crap. Still, it was interesting reading about Peyton’s quest to find a tall guy (it’s like trying to find a needle in a hay stack.)  At times, I thought Peyton focused too much on her tallness, and I couldn’t get into the Romeo & Juliet plot. Apparently, that was her chance to snag the hot, tall guy she’s wanted all along. The problem was that he was already snatched up by, yep, you guessed it. A short girl!
This was okay.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: PAR FOR CINDERELLA by Petie McCarty

A stalled yacht leads to an unexpected encounter. And it is at sea that sets this sappy Cinderella story. He is captivated by the alluring woman and she simply can't stop thinking about the elegant stranger. But how to find one another?
It had a slow start and had some lagging areas throughout. Although the yachts and the sea life were certainly romantic elements, I just failed to see any chemistry between the two characters. They struck me as nondescript and blasé. They're story was not very riveting. It wasn't what I expected.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: FORGETTING OPHELIA by Julie C. Gardner

At 35, Lia has wondered if it was too late to adopt. Not that she seriously wanted kids, because she was overall satisfied with her life with Jake. Until recently, she and Jake have always been in synch, but lately it just seems that she has been second in his life. He's not following The Plan. Then, like a punch in the guy, Jake announces that he's leaving her.
Story has a slow start, then it progresses with Lia's ponderings of her recent separation and her life amidst the company of pedestrian characters. Frankly, I wasn't too taken by any of this. Between her and Jake, all I got was a barrage of memories and endless musings.  I didn't feel like the story went anywhere.  I mean, what was the meaning of forgetting Ophelia? I honestly anticipated for Lia to take on more of an independent role―for her to take charge of her life. Although the story was well-written and contained a poetic feel, I just wasn't too impressed by the development.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: SEX IN THE CRAZY ZONE by Teri Riggs

This is a short novella about an old married couple wanting to reignite that sexual spark.


It had quirk with a dash of ridiculous scenarios, like sex on a trampoline or in a playhouse. I thought this would be a funny, little story. After all, the funny illustration is pretty eye-catching. However, it didn't do it justice. It was on ok read, but I thought it would’ve been funnier than it was.


My rating: 2 stars

Review: WOMAN SCORNED by Shannon Heuston

Lexie was a shy, chubby child that loved to read and adored her big sister, Monica. Monica had always wanted a little sister, but then got more than she bargained for with Lexie.


Always the “freak,” Lexie didn’t quite fit in with the normal crowd and her mother was hardest on her most. Monica was always the popular one with many friends and respect, so she instilled the fear in others to stop picking on little Lexie, even though that only alienated her even more.


Told in the POV of Lexie and Monica, story follows two sisters that couldn’t be more different—“two sides to a coin”—but yet were always a part of each other. Life takes them through grueling obstacles as the two grow into adulthood, which include marriage to a controlling spouse and the death of their parents. Is it any wonder why they snapped? But no matter what, you feel for the girls right away and are endeared by their unbreakable bond.


“Our Prince Charmings had never arrived and the Evil Queen was too powerful after all.”


Lexie and Monica are two women scorned, but it was most interesting how each handled it in a different way. Monica would focus on her children and Lexie would just sit and cry. Things take a sinister turn when scorn leads to murder, and the sisters are put through a taxing trial. You won’t believe the ending of this emotionally charged novel.


Simply a scintillating read!


My rating: 4 stars

Review: MODERN SORCERY by Gary Jonas

As a result of his death and resurrection, Jonathan can see ghosts and was now working as a P.I. for the modern sorcery. One of his clients is his ex-girlfriend, who seeks his help in solving her mother’s murder and proving her father’s innocence of the crime. The father, a well-known wizard, sounds like he may have been possessed as he had no idea what he was doing and was shocked to see his wife’s mangled body.


The case was on.


“How do you stop someone who can simply point at people and make them die? How do you kill something that’s already dead?”


Furthermore, what else could Naomi, Jonathan’s former love, be hiding? Perhaps she’s not telling the whole truth?


Jonathan is inquisitive, smart, and a smart-aleck. He can definitely talk smack with the best of them and can keep up his wits. Plus, he knows how to fight. His partner, Kelly, was my favorite—the kickass Sekuter.


Fascinating murder mystery filled with a keen private eye and a magical sense. An exciting, magical tale!


My rating: 4 stars

Review: COMMITTED by Michael W. Griffith

Peter was working hard on his manuscript and wonders what could be if he did what he wanted instead of what was expected of him—working alongside his father at his multi-million dollar company. Could he give up his writing dream at 24?


“I spent 4 years getting a degree for a career I don’t want.”


The story follows the struggles of a writer wanting to venture into the world of publishing. He thought the world of writing would be so easy (he’d write the books, the publisher prints them, and the bookseller sells them.) Yeah, right. If it was that easy, then everyone would do it. Actually, a lot of people are doing this with the breakthrough of indie publishing.


“If you don’t read and read a bunch, how can you tell the difference between good writing and bad?”


“I have a thing for good stories no matter which shelf they’re on.”


But Peter must prove to his arrogant and controlling father that he could make a successful living as a writer. Will Peter be able to prove his bullheaded father wrong, or will he fail and end up working the grind for the rest of his life? You can’t wait to find out what happens.


I shared his love for writing. Writing is vividly candid and easy-going. Book is a crash course on indie publishing, which many authors would find helpful.  It combines a how-to manual format with a fictional story. A great read!


My rating: 5 stars

Review: IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME by Maggie Aldrich

"My life, so happily low-key and simple, was suddenly so very lonely. I had enjoyed my quiet life, my easy job, my beautiful house...but soon anxiety and loneliness consumed me." (9)
Ever since the mysterious, accidental death of her parents, Emily has been in a depressive rut. An only child born to wealth and privilege, she often felt lost and lonely. Of course, when things get bad, they can always get worse. Now out of a job and learning of her father's shady business dealings, Emily is more lost and broke than ever. "My life was falling apart once again, and I felt powerless to stop it." (30)
Hers was a sad and lonely existence...until a group of girls changed that.
The last thing she expected was to be the house mother to a sorority house. What!? Odd turn of events. I certainly couldn't imagine being a mom to anything, not even a cat, and, to be honest, I wasn't sure if Emily was a right fit for the job. At this point, my main concern was being bombarded with too many characters, and that's exactly what happened. There were just too many girls.
Overall, story was easy to read, and I liked how you could relate to Emily and her struggle to start over. Story also had some witty commentary and a down-to-earth stamina, but there was also a consistent lag that withered on me. Quite frankly, I didn't find too much joy in watching over a bunch of sorority girls. I thought it would be funnier. It just didn't suit me.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: DARK SIDE LOVE AFFAIR by Michelle Rosigliani

After a frightening scare, Charlotte meets dark, brooding man named Marcus. Even though he was part of the group of men that were harassing her, she can't help but be fascinated by Marcus. "He was one hundred percent purely, terrifyingly male." (28)
Against her own will, Charlotte, a lawyer, is forced to defend a man accused of killing his fiancé.
Story had a bit of a slow start and kept consistent in its drawling pace. While the writing was pretty good, I couldn't help but feel that the story was saturated with complexity and a few too many characters. I guess the story was divided into two parts―one focusing on Charlotte's dark intrigue with Marcus and one involving the sinister side of the judicial system. Although each contained a mild level of interest, the two just didn't coincide into a well-uniformed plot.
All in all, I just wasn't pleased with it.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: SPELLBOUND by E.E. Robens

She’s trapped inside her own mind
A young college student is accepted into the Paramedic Program.
The whole thing starts off practically in summary, relaying key points that seem rather derivative and drab. It didn’t really feel like a story, which caused it to feel rather slow. I felt that it lacked organization and structure, making the reader feel lost. I guess Alexa goes to a college party, where she drinks something that turns her world. It wasn’t easy to follow. The premise certainly sounded interesting and I loved the tagline, which is surely a shining beacon that will lure potential readers; however, personally, I was a little disappointed.
My rating: 2 stars