Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 343

Review: MOLLY HACKER IS TOO PICKY by Lisette Brodey

Known as “Picky Molly Hacker” to meddling friends and family, she refuses to let anyone dictate her life. So what if she can’t seem to find “the one?” Still, she aims to prove to them that she can find someone all on her own. In fact, she found four.
Molly is brazen, witty, smart, and not afraid to say something. She’d rather write obituatiers for the newspaper than cover weddings. Me too!
Her story is a rollercoaster of lover’s lane—from prospective loves to past loves. Readers will enjoy Molly’s analytical shenanigans. It’s amazing how many men she juggles in this hilarious tale. Who will she choose in the end? Alan is an annoying schizo who could be a pawn by the she-devil; Tony is a past crush that recently got divorced and could be on the rebound; Cody could just be a R&R player; and Max just seems to be this perfect specimen that landed right smack-dab in the middle of this triangle. And then there's Leo, a ghostly love from the past that still haunts her to this very day. 
“I believed that I had all my demons neatly lined up like laundry, each one held up by a clothes pin, basking on a line in the afternoon sun. And now [the] windstorm had blown everything off the line, across splintered fences and into the neighbors’ yards, where everything I thought I knew lay twisted and unrecognizable on soiled grass.” (64) Loved this analogy!
Funny and relatable! I love her fast-talking, biting wit. It’s like listening to Billy Crystal. She’s kooky, quirky, and cute.

My rating: 4 stars

Review: FAKE BOOBS by Ryan Ringbloom

Judging from the title, you know that the theme is all about boobs. That’s how it starts off.
Tori has always felt self-conscious about her body. She’s thin, but thin is not attractive because everything on her is thin—thin frame, thin butt, thin chest. At 18, she’s never gone past first base with a guy. Bottom line: she feels ugly and hates it. Right away the reader will empathize and hate the way she gets treated sometimes.
Then she gets a crush on Grant, one of her brother’s friends. They spend an amazing week together, then, for no reason, he leaves. Wanting to be in control and tired of being used, Tori turns to the true power of “fake boobs.” She gets hooked on the power so much that eventually she makes the fake boobs real.
Story centers on a young and naïve girl looking to please everyone but herself. I thought she was way too eager to get things “over with.” She was trying to grow up too fast, trying too hard to be something she’s not, which doesn’t make her a character to admire.
Book is divided in two parts. The first part is in Tori’s POV and the second is in Grant’s POV. The reader gets the love story from both parties.
Endearing and relatable, story is a journey of self-reflection, self-discovery, and self-acceptance. And, of course, there’s a love story in there, too.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: FINDING LAILA by T.K. Rapp

Laila Nixon was inducted into the boys club at 5 years old when she first moved into town. These boys have been her peeps all of her life.

Laila is a smart high school girl that doesn’t give a crap what others think of her. She has a foot-in-the-mouth complex—she speaks first, thinks later, which gets her into trouble.  She’s a classy chick who’s lucky to have her boys who will stick up for her. Each guy is different, but they all matter to her, and because of them she is hated and envied by the other girls in school. Yes, she can have a good, solid relationship with the boys without it being romantic.
The truth is: could one guy feel more for Laila than friendship? Haden is a sweet, quiet, and talented artist. He’s always been one of Laila’s best friends.

Favorite Haden quote: “You’re smart and strong. I see everything you’ve put up with and you never let it get to you. You’re comfortable being you. You cuss like a sailor, eat like a guy, and have the looks of a model. From the time we were kids, you were always the coolest chick I knew and I couldn’t help but fall in love with you.” (49) WOW, sweet!

Overall this is a good YA story. It’s about a high school girl finding out who she really is with her male posse. It goes to show you that things don’t stay the same and “some changes are necessary.”  Her 18thbirthday was the best; the guys really went all out for her.
But what will happen with Laila and Haden after graduation?

Towards the end, story kind of tapered off, becoming less and less interesting.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: ONE NIGHT WITH A STRANGER by Linda Steinberg

First of all, I thought the lady on the cover looked more like a grandma. But, don’t judge this book by the cover.
Lisa, Courtney, Tish, and Jessica are BFF’s and all part of the Unforgettable Nights series. This one centers on Lisa, who hadn’t expected her one-night stand to happen twice—and about eight other times, too.
“She preferred to think of Matt as a phantom lover who existed only in her pleasure zone.” (LOC 588) Lisa and Matt kept on repeating that one night every chance they got. Holy Tamale! And who wouldn’t jump on Matt? I mean, he was an underwear model that could cook! He was also an awesome dad to his 9-year old son, which was hot as hell. And they’re both writers, too!
This book was definitely cleaner than some of the romance novels I’ve read, which I liked. The characters, especially Matt, were rendered in a realistic and endearing fashion.
A nice, contemporary romance!

My rating: 4 stars

Review: CHASING LUCK by Brinda Berry

18-year old Malerie is celebrating her birthday with a BANG—literally! A gunman shows up at her birthday dinner and kills her uncle. What a shock!
Ace is a struggling contractor trying to make ends meet and somehow he finds himself in the chaos of the restaurant shoot-out and saves Malerie.Malerie is sick and tired of being called “lucky” because “lucky people don’t walk around waiting for the next horrible thing to happen,” which is all she seems to be doing, ever since a bomb killed her mother many years ago.
From then on, Malerie turns into a cold, somber, menacing shrew. Who can blame her? Nothing kills your confidence more than when someone needs to bathe you. But, of course, she begins to soften when Ace gets hired to install security in her big mansion, eventually becoming her bodyguard—her babysitter, it would seem. I could see how Ace would resent having to watch over a spoiled, rich, little princess.
This is just like The Bodyguard with Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, except Whitney is a medicated and paranoid psycho. Or is she? Apparently her life really is in danger. How else would you explain all the recent close calls? But who wants to kill her?
Then the story unveils a hidden mass of Chinese hieroglyphic computer codes outlining a series of numbers—a mystery that dates back to the day her mother died. The numbers reveal specific dates and coordinates, giving Malerie and Ace the clues to follow and figure it all out before something bad happens. Is Malerie’s death prophesized by fate? And how will they save her?
An engaging mystery, romance thriller!


My rating: 4 stars

Review: FORGIVEN by Rachel Morgan

“My heart starts jumping around in my chest like it wants to get out. I understand. I want to get out too. Out of this car. Out of this country.” (Loc 27) Don’t we all know the feeling?

“I can’t joke my way through an explanation for why I left. Why I stayed away for so long. Why I still don’t want to be here.” (Loc 40) So, right away, I’m intrigued.
The story kicks off to Julia’s return to her home after being away for 306 days (for some reason, that number is very specific,) but we know nothing of her trials and adventures during her time away from home. Where did she go? What did she do? And why, for heaven’s sakes, did she leave? I mean, good friends, great boyfriend, a promising future—what could be so wrong?
Of course, not everyone is glad that Julia is back—not her baby sitter, and certainly not the boy she loved. Seriously, did she think he’d wait around for her forever? If anyone deserved the truth of why Julia ran away, it was sweet, lovable Josh. Like him, you won’t be able to rest until you find out what happened on that last night.
Filled with light-hearted drama and quirky humor, this story is all about regression—reacquainting yourself with dear friends and old flames, regaining your confidence to face hidden truths, and remembering your past to discover a future. For all these characters, it’s about forgiveness.
A quick and enjoyable read!
My rating: 4 stars

Review: THE NEW GIRL by Tracie Puckett

The FIRST in a FIVE-PART series.

Seventeen-year-old Steph has her heart set on a new beginning… for the eleventh time. A move to Webster Grove introduces her to a new school, new friends, and new experiences— including a few tender glances from her sexy English teacher. After signing up for a costuming position on the school production of Romeo and Juliet, co-directed by none other than the gorgeous Mr. Rivera, Steph soon learns the difficulties of withstanding the pursuit of forbidden love.





My thoughts: There’s a new girl at Webster Grove. Her name was A-B-C-D-E-F (“Step” for short)—an unusual name. She was a shy, lovely, smart artist, who had a crush on her popular and respected English teacher, Mr. Rivera. Her mother has been running from her abusive father all her life, hence, the constant moving from place to place. But with Mr. Rivera around, this place may not be all that bad.


What I couldn’t stand about Steph’s mother was how flighty and childish she was. When would she quit picking out these “internet buddies” and settle down into a place? She also couldn’t see all the beauty in Steph. Even with the bun and gaudy glasses, Steph was beautiful. Too bad her mom couldn’t see that, too. But Mr. Rivera did. “Call me Alex,” he told her. He comforted her and listened to her like no one else. There was something going on there. Something was going to happen, I predicted. I was actually looking forward to a steamy affair between them (even though that would've been gross and extremely inappropriate); but I guess everything happens (or doesn't happen) for a reason. I honestly felt the ending was a tad anti-climactic and coincidental.
I loved Steph! She had the shy sarcasm going on! She was a likable character that I may follow in the Webster Grove series. I’d like to see if Mr. Rivera comes back.

My rating: 4 stars





 

Review: VISIONS by Kimberly Readnour

In the prologue, we get a scene with a girl named April, who has apparently been kidnapped.


Then the story re-starts with Heather, a teen that has just moved with her mom for a fresh start, to forget about being clairvoyant or, in the phrase of her peers, a freak. You see, Heather has visions. She resents not being normal, which is why she’s always played it solo, never getting close to anyone. Then she meets Barry, a total hottie.


Why does Barry fear her house? What strange feeling comes over Heather over that bedroom? It turns out that she is having visions over a boy that disappeared long ago.
Told in the POV of Heather, reader experiences her visions, seeing and feeling what the victims felt.


For the most part, this was an easy and compelling read. I liked the concept of psychic visions and it was somewhat of a good mystery, but I felt the drama was daunting. Heather just over-dramatized everything—her feelings for Barry, her resentment toward her mother, her fear of being discovered a freak, etc. Also, the case for the missing boy was a tad anticlimactic; that could’ve been more compelling. I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to read the second in the series, especially seeing that it concerns some government corruption. Nah, I think I’ll pass.

My rating: 3 stars

Review: GRAVITY by Abigail Boyd

15-year old Ariel is a sad, pathetic girl that lost her friend a year ago and is now seeing her image everywhere.

Story had a slow start. All she really talks about is her boring parents and the monotonous cliché that is high school (although Henry was a little interesting.)
"What about me? I'm what's missing. You can't go until you find me." Jenna's voice rings in her head. And it is this very thing that piques your curiosity. The story begins to go in misguided directions with Ariel's dreams. First of all, you can't even tell what's a dream and what's not a dream. Is this a psychological thriller? Is it a ghost story? Is this girl being haunted or what?
The whole thing is mainly Ariel talking about the people around her. She just goes on and on and on and...Grrr
My rating: 2 stars

Review: THE MYSTERY BOX by Eva Pohler

A strange box has arrived at Yvette's door, but it doesn't belong to her; it belongs to the "Witchy Woman," a mean old neighbor. What to do? Keep it or deliver it? I wouldn't do a thing. Now she's stuck listening to some old crone's kooky story, and it's boring. And the only reason Yvette's listening is so she can find out what happened to the baby. Who cares?

What's even more annoying is that old bag's story kept getting interrupted throughout the book, bouncing back and forth between past and present, from Mona to Yvette, jumping from one dull tale to another.
I was allured by the mystery of the box, but this was disappointing.
My rating: 2 stars