Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 359

Review: EVERYBODY HAS A STORY...THESE ARE OURS by Audrey N. Lewis

Family relationships. Friendships. Finding our Place. This collection is a series of narratives exploring events, experiences and memories. Each short work, while unique, brings the reader in touch with the inner monologue of the characters bringing their reality to life. Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Daughter, Son, Wife, and Husband – this book pulls together seven independent stories into a compelling, and thought-provoking anthology. While the focus is on the women – the men in these stories provide an interesting counterpoint. Readers meet: Lexi’s mom, as she struggles to understand her daughter; Abigail, now grown, remembering her nanny Chamele and the life lessons she shared; a sister trying to forge an adult relationship with a once-adored older sibling; a woman finding beauty in a place others have forgotten; another woman finding a true understanding of what holds meaning to her; Claire, the empty-nester and her “girls night out” group with an unusual twist, and Megan – lost but not forgotten. But don’t judge a book by its cover, in each story nothing is exactly as it seems.




My thoughts: Everybody does have a story.

"The Closet" was nothing but an ode to motherhood, relaying a tale of one woman's quest for a big family and endurances of raising children. Oh, brother.
I guess this is a collection of works--some are stories and others are some type of poetry. In all honesty, they weren't very interesting to read.  
 
My rating: 2 stars  

Review: THE RELUCTANT BACHELORETTE by Rachael Anderson

Taycee always ends a relationship before the guy bends to one knee--she doesn't plan on ever getting married, a concept that I can totally relate to. She just can't seem to forget about Luke, a guy who left and broke her heart without even knowing it.

Suddenly, he reappears in her life, and she still acts like the same dorky 14-year old kid. For Taycee, the "past and present collide with a colossal bang." And can you blame her? Luke is gorgeous!
Then a reality dating show to raise funds for a small town is born and Taycee becomes "the reluctant bachelorette." What's so interesting about this show was that Taycee wasn't choosing the guy. No, the audience was choosing him for her. The shy flower girl turns into a TV sensation overnight.
You'll love seeing Taycee and Luke reconnect in a love/hate battle, reminiscent of their brother-sister relationship but now added with an undeniable attraction.
This is a story about real love and heart. A funny, romantic comedy that would totally make a great movie.

My rating: 5 stars

Review: HYPNOTIC SEDUCTION by L.L. Kellogg

Hannah has just been dumped, lost her job, and got kicked out of her apartment. Well, that’s what you get when you get engaged to your boss and cheats on you with your roommate.
If only she looked like some “bulimic, lingerie model,” she could get any job and any man she wanted. Then she gets hired by Jordan, another hottie. Oh no. A second mistake twice?
“Only an idiot refused to learn from her mistakes.”
Jordan is known as the “condom king” because his company manufacturers contraceptive products for the boudoir. Kinky!
Hannah has always been shy when it comes to sex while Jordan was considered a sex God, causing uproar and every breathing female fawning over him. The irony was that each had a little erectile dysfunction. Could hypnosis solve their problems? Can Hannah make Jordan realize that she is the woman of his dreams?
Funny and witty! A fun romantic comedy revolving the psychology of sex and inhibitions.
My rating: 4 stars

Review: JUST MARRIED AGAIN by Charlotte Hughes

Michael and Maddy are about to be divorced; however, Michael, a hot-shot attorney deteriorating under the crunch of stress, is having health issues and secretly hopes it would make her feel pity for him. He basically has been letting himself go since the day she left.
Then good ole' Dr. Cupid sends them both off to a remote cabin in the mountains for some R&R. Of course, you can imagine the shock when the two discovered each other at the same cabin. But the best part was when she accidentally knocks him out and gives him amnesia while a terrible snowstorm surrounds them and locks them in. So we have a guy who doesn't remember the wife at all but is still captivated by her. Unfortunately, the wife does remember, memories of the rise and fall of their marriage filtering her mind.  The caring she bestows upon him is sweet....until the next morning when Michael regains his memory and continues to fake it. At this point, you might call him a jerk, but then you figured that this might be the only chance he has at winning her back.
Well-written and sweet, this story is a long road to redemption, rebuilding, and reconnection. A love reborn.
My rating: 4 stars

Review: I WISH FOR YOU by Camilla Isley

One morning, Ally Johnson wakes up a rambling, senseless lunatic. Well, she did just discover her ex is dating a woman she hates. Ouch! It just seems that if anyone was going to have the worst luck in the world, it would be Ally. Wouldn't it be great if she could get all things she wanted?
Then, out of the blue, a strange box mysteriously comes into her possession. And POOF! Out pops a genie that can grant all her wishes. Suddenly Ally has hit the jackpot.
Who doesn't love a good genie story, especially when you've watched enough Barbara Eden episodes as much as I've had?
Ally is a witty, humorous character, albeit a bit neurotic at times, but it certainly was enjoyable watching her make all these wacky wishes. And this story wasn't your average "I wish for" tale (even though she wished for beauty and wealth, which are your typical wishes for nearly everyone.) No, you couldn't simple say "I wish" as there were some strange, annoying rules to it. I mean, having to say "Avra Kehdabra?" And the genie was this haughty British dude from the 18th century, so, naturally, he and Ally butt heads throughout the book, which was a hoot!
It seems the "coffer" (A.K.A. the lamp) was drawn to Ally because it "picks only women suffering for love, and, in particular, women facing a rival." (44) Readers will surely enjoy watching her exact her revenge on the hussy that stole her man. But will she win James back or finally get closure?
An enjoyable and funny read!
 
My rating: 4 stars

Review: THE TYCOON'S MAKE-BELIEVE FIANCE by Elizabeth Lennox (a novella)

Now that his long-lost sister turns out to be alive and is looking to reunite with him, Royston must prove his "happiness" to her by finding a fiancé. Enter Miranda, an employee in his finance division who is also shy, spunky, and spry--a perfect candidate for the role.

This is the classic, overplayed story of a billionaire tycoon hiring one of his flunkies to play make-believe. Royston is your typical arrogant, chauvinistic man you love to hate, but then he takes charge of certain situations, which make you love him.
It's your typical short, sexy romance.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: STAGE FRIGHT by J.J. Murphy (novella)

Somebody was shot, and it wasn’t part of the play. Right away it’s a case for Dorothy Parker.
Every member of the crew is a suspect as Dorothy tries to figure out who would want to kill the lead actor in front of a live audience.
Dorothy’s snarky humor was a delight while her keen observational skills and in-depth knowledge of the theater made her an instrumental asset to the case. Refreshed with a 1920’s dialogue, the story navigates the reader through the clues of this perplexing case. Apparently everyone had a motive. But who did it?
A quick, enjoyable mystery read! Of course, no one can solve a crime in five minutes. It was REALLY short.
 My rating: 3 stars  

Review: THE NEXT FOREVER by Lisa Burstein (novella)

“Maybe because now we were more than friends, it also meant we were less.” (39)

Love is never quite the same as it was in high school. Now that they’re in college, Amy and Joe didn’t feel the same anymore. Joe was “so honest and fair and normal”—everything Amy was not. (80) Then Amy sets her eyes on Trevor, the blonde-haired rock ‘n roller. For Joe, he used to like a lot of things before he liked Amy—volleyball and football and just hanging out with the guys. It seemed like Joe just wanted to be a hard-playing bachelor again. Joining a fraternity might just be the thing Joe needed.
Like an old married couple, Amy and Joe just aren’t having fun anymore, and fun is exactly what you should be having at such a young age. I really can’t blame them for seeking out their alluring curiosities, especially Joe, who has always been Amy’s baby-sitter.
Would they ever stand on their own? I firmly believe that a person should be able to stand strong on their own before committing to anyone. Be a “me” before becoming a “we.” Believe it or not, I was rooting that they both cheat. Amy and Joe had grown apart; they were not ready for “forever.”
The whole story revolves around the overwhelming guilt Amy and Joe feel over the “bad thing” they’re doing while memories of their love flood the backdrop. Couldn’t they get over the fact that their relationship had changed and move on already?
A quick, okay read.  Don’t be fooled by the “adult” warning; this is actually a clean story.

My rating: 3 stars

Review: BREAKING FREE by L.L. Collins (novella)

This is all about a young girl’s will to “break free” from her home and family to find independence at a college university. Right away, I applauded the pursuit of higher education and growing up. I agree that high school is nothing like college—it’s better.

On first impression, Alexis seemed too perky and perfect—valedictorian, cheerleader, lots of friends, guys asking her out, and wanting to be a doctor. And then there was Greer, who was the opposite—the nerd, the tech-geek, the friendless, the one people made fun of. The fact is that Greer has Aspergers. So when the two get teamed up as lab partners, it made for an compelling spin. This is all about looking beyond first impressions.
The interesting thing with both of these characters is that they don’t necessarily fit the stereotype. Alexis may be a cheerleader, but that didn’t make her a blonde bimbo; and Greer may be called a loser, but he had movie-star good looks and a sculpted body.
I liked Greer. He may not be sociable and his communication skills may need some work, but he was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. I find that interesting, and, apparently, so did Alexis. I found it sad how the college cheerleaders can be just as mean as high school cheerleaders. What problem did they have with Greer? He was a nice guy! Like Alexis said: Why are people so mean?
This is a cute college friendship-turned-romance. The story is sub-par and somewhat banal. It’s practically an after-school special to teach kids good behavior (a must, in my opinion!) “If we all spent more time worrying about helping others rather than thinking we’re so much better than them, the world would be a much better place.” (36) A cliché you’d so hear in one of those programs.
My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER by Rebecca Raisin (a novella)

“You know the frustrating feeling of losing the page in your book? You didn’t want to go too far forward and spoil the surprise, and you didn’t want to go too far back, so you kind of stagnated and started from a page that didn’t seem quite right…that was how I felt about my life.” (LOC 76)
Sarah always kept her nose in a book (like me!), waiting for something to find her yet worried she may never be found. Yes, it would be nice to have a man who understood your love, or obsession, with books. But where do you find one? What’s a girl to do to get off a rut? Start a book blog, where she would be free to discuss books and connect with other book aficionados. It’s always easier to live vicariously through a book.
Suddenly a handsome stranger has the books falling out of Sarah’s hands. Then a story of puppy love unravels.
You can’t help but love Sarah’s love for books and the cute, little love story is endearing. However, I got kind of sick of hearing all the talk about weddings and babies among the circle of friends. Seriously, those women were just nosy and neurotic. I also didn't adore the small-town life, which, let's face it, is usually filled with nosy busybodies.
I liked the hopeless romantic concept, but wasn’t all too impressed with the writing, which had expressions like “sticky-outy.” I guess it was sort of fitting as the main character was shy and introverted in a cute, dorky way.
Sweet, short, typical love story.
My rating: 3.5 stars