Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 354

Review: MINECRAFT (50 Books in 1) by Billy Miner

50 short stories all revolving around Minecraft, the online game. Cool!
“The only way to save yourself is to lose yourself.” (16)
Tales are a compilation of courage and adventure. You have kings and queens, goblins, and zombies. Good for teens as the language was simple and relatable. Author has a witty and crafty knack. I felt that a few stories could’ve expanded with further detail and some were too outrageous even for fantasy, but, all in all, they’re pretty good. You almost feel like you’re trapped in a Super Mario World and your task is to fight the dragon and save the princess. Great for those fantasy fiction and gamer aficionados.
 
My rating: 3 stars

Review: GODDESS FOR HIRE by Sonia Singh

A hip chick from Newport Beach, California, who's just turned thirty, discovered she's the incarnation of the Hindu goddess Kali,and happens to be unemployed and still livingwith her parents. Saving the world, though,may prove to be a curry-scented breezecompared to dealing with her extendedIndian family. In their eyes she isn't just theblack sheep -- she's low-grade mutton.

To make matters worse, despite frequent andtherapeutic bouts of shopping and Starbucks,and the mentoring of a Taco Bell-loving,Coca Cola-guzzling swami, Maya hastrouble just surviving, thanks to the attentionsof a Kali-hating fanatic and a matchmaking aunthell-bent on finding her a nice Indian boy. Maya hasno interest in boys. She wants a man and she may have found one.

He's tall, dark, and gorgeous ... and completely uninterested in her.



My thoughts: This is the Indian version of My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding. Your duties: marry an Indian and have Indian babies by age 25. Oh, and be a doctor or a lawyer. For Indians, it’s all about status. That’s why they live in Newport Beach.

I liked Maya. She’s an independent, fierce woman with an acid tongue. Outrageously funny! But is she the reincarnated spirit of a goddess? Apparently.
The story had a quick overview of Indian culture. It was fun seeing Maya harnessing “the Goddess within” and unleashing this massive power. Whoa! She was kind of like Buffy—always having to vanquish the evils of the world as long as it didn’t conflict with her shopping at Fashion Island. It was funny how hooked she got on the power. Of course, darkening and bring lightning to the skies can do that.
“Women like me had only one hope: Marriage.” (173) Maya had more power and potential than credited.
I was all for Girl Power. I absolutely loved this story!
Light-hearted, humorous, and frank!
My rating: 5 stars

Review: JUST A LITTLE CRUSH by Tracie Puckett

Julie is a high school senior with no direction and no plans after graduation. Then a job-shadowing program suddenly puts her to work at a police station for her uncle, the chief. But they didn't give her a desk to push papers around. Oh, no! They put her in the squad car to patrol the streets. What!? I mean, yeah, sure the cop that's toting her around is super gorgeous, but c'mon!

Julie is a spunky kid with wild wit; she seems to have a good head on her shoulders. So, of course, she would predictably get a crush on Luke, the arrogant, egotistical ass. Officer Luke: "It's just a little crush." (Oh, SO infuriating!) I'd want to smack him too. The reader will enjoy the love/hate relationship between the two.
But even though Luke blows hot and cold, which confuses Julie, there is a connection and the two help each other heal.
A plucky, funny, little novel!
My rating: 4 stars
 
Note to self: Check out Just a little Crushseries.

Review: THE WISHING COIN by Antara Mann

“There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.” –Oscar Wilde
Julia is a goal-oriented up-and-coming news reporter, but her career ambition is not working out as planned because there’s always some newbie that gets ahead of her. Imagine what it would be like to get one thing that you wanted. Then she meets a coin vendor selling wishing coins. A coin that grants wishes? Cool!
“Remember that now looks like a gift may very well soon turn into a curse.” Intrigue!
But what harm could a couple of wishes do? It’s nice to get what you want, but then there’s that whole “be careful what you wish for” thing. But Julia tries to be smart about, wording her wishes carefully so as not to accidentally kill someone.
But then the power becomes addicting. What started off as simple wishing soon gets out of control, especially when interfering with people’s lives.
This book is relatable and hits that yearning spot in all of us. Although Julia eventually comes to the realization that you can’t get what you want by wishing it, I wish she would’ve made more wishes before coming to the conclusion. Her story was just too short.
Still this was a quick, easy, and witty read!

My rating: 4 stars

Review: BEDDING THE WRONG BROTHER by Virna DePaul

This is the story of Melina and the Dalton twins. Melina has had a crush on Rhys since they were kids; now grown up, she wants to practice pleasing a man so she recruits his twin brother to be her tutor. But she ends up bedding the wrong brother—she ends up with Rhys instead. Of course, in actuality, she beds the “right” brother because, undoubtedly, the two end up together in the end.
I liked the concept of the twin-switch and mixing it with sex and love. I loved the look of horror on Melina’s face the morning after when realized she bagged Rhys, not Max.
Book was nothing but a lesson and challenge in wild passionate sex; it was about taking a risk for a chance at love.
Quick and stimulating read!
 My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: SOMEDAY GIRL by Melanie Shawn (Book 1)

Cat, a smart, shy, awkward nobody, is at college and away from home for the first time in her life. She has a list of things she’s never done and hopes to accomplish some of them in college. Cat is insecure but willing to open up to new experiences. Then she sees him: Jace, the cool, calm, and HOTTEST guy ever. He is intrigued by the shy, brown-eyed girl. He knows he has a certain something, something “real.” But does he deserve a young, innocent beauty like her?
Cat eventually becomes the “light” for the deployed army recruit, who lives in constant darkness. Both have their personal demons and together they learn to combat them.
A typical YA he said/she said, story gives an in-depth look at the fears, insecurities, and excitement of a college romance. Cat is certainly relatable—she’s introverted, smart, and oblivious to her own beauty (inside and out.) Cat is like Rory from Gilmore Girls—simple, funny, and cute. I also liked Jace wanting to protect Cat and how he goes all death-match with one silent look. HOT!
Overall, this was an enjoyable, sweet story. I did feel, though, that I got the gist of Cat and Jace’s story and have no need to read the rest of the series to read more of them.
My rating: 4 stars

Review: TEMPTING LOVE by Melanie Shawn (Book 5)

Haley is always trying to get Eddie to notice her, but for now she’s stuck babysitting his daughter. She’s about to open Tempting with her own line of sexy lingerie. That alone sets the sensual tone for the story.
Being capable with one’s own hands and fix anything is very HOT. And that was Eddie. Too bad he’s only interested in no-strings affairs ever since his wife left him with a kid to raise. Still, there’s no denying the sexual tension between Haley and Eddie.
Author knows how to write compatible characters with steamy love scenes. Her characters feel real. Although this is book 5 in the Harpers Crossing series, this is the second book I’ve read. These novels are good, but  I wouldn’t read the entire series because even though each one features a different couple, they all pretty much follow the same pattern: boy and girl hot for each other but for some reason can’t be together, tension breaks with steamy sex, a misunderstanding, and then they live happily ever after. These stories are good to read once in a while though.

My rating: 4 stars

Review: MY FIRST by Melanie Shawn (Book 1)

It’s an old photo of Jason and Katie at 11-years old that brings Katie any comfort and subside her oncoming panic attacks. Why? What happened? What was “the incident?”
Now Katie returns to Harpers Crossing and the two are reunited at a mutual friend’s wedding party.
A trip down memory lane from their first meeting in kindergarten to their romantic rendezvous on her last night in town play throughout the book. Ever since kindergarten, Jason has been trying to get her attention.
This is the story of an “unfinished” romance in the whirlwind of wedding events, which were kind of dull. This is the story of “firsts”—first crush, first kiss, first love. Jason is just so WOW! He was the knight in shining armor. Let’s hear more about the Sloan boys!
A sweet, sensual romance.  

My rating: 4 stars

Review: THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LARGE by Becky Siame

Isabella has always had a problem with her weight. In fact, her husband dumps her for her much thinner sister because of it.
"Make your life count by taking charge."--words that provoke Bella into bringing a date to her sister's wedding to prove that she is much better off. But finding a date is not so easy when you're 126 kg.
"Why can't men see what a great person I am? Why can't they see past the fat to the real me?" (51)
For once in her life, the woman is on a mission to lose weight. That along with a list of other goals, some a bit too optimistic if you ask me.
Story illustrates the true horrors of online dating. But I'm glad she found Jae, who appreciated her for the person she was right from the start.
"Life is so unfair and tragedy strikes indiscriminately, but if you keep getting back up when knocked down, you win in the end." (247)
And she does start to see a difference in herself. Pretty soon though, vanity takes over. It's true: People are never happy and always want more. When does the desire to change one's self ever stop? Why is it never enough? I kind of thought that Bella went overboard with all the fat discrimination stuff, so much that it became daunting.
Ultimately, this is a taxing road to weight loss. This is the female version of Fatso--both comical and endearing.
A light-hearted and compassionate story about self-reflection, self-domination, and self-love. Most of all, it is an inspiration to accept yourself as you are.
My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: STAR CROSSED by Alisha Watts

Skylar is obsessed with finding the “one,” the one guy she’ll fall head over heels for at first sight, the one she can move in with at a spectacular new apartment, the one she’ll marry and have 10 kids with. Oh, brother!

Chris is a studious intellect with a brain for numbers and equations; he is the eternal student who doesn’t want to get bogged down by a relationship. He’s like a cute little Sheldon (Big Bang Theory.)
Even though Skylar likes Chris, she’s determined to meet someone. Chris can get so involved in studying that can he can forget to take a shower, so, yeah, a relationship with Skylar might not work out.
Skylar is so naïve that it’s annoying. She needs to see that a guy is not just what he tells you. Talk about a rape victim in the making. Then, of course, she meets Grayson, who sweeps her off her feet. I knew he was too perfect. There was something wrong with him.
This was an okay story—silly and simple.
My rating: 3 stars