Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 368

Review: RELATIVELY FAMOUS by Heather Leigh

An accidental fall is how Sydney meets Drew and the attraction begins. According to Syd, Drew is the most gorgeous, perfect specimen, which, of course, she obsesses over.
Syd is the daughter of an America’s Sweetheart actress and Bad Boy model—she was basically born under the Hollywood lights. This is why she has learned to be wary of everyone because they use you to get what they want. Her “famous” status has scarred Sydney, traumatizing her from ever getting close to anyone. Her coping method: escape from life and hide from the media.
All in the POV of Sydney, this is the love story of Sydney and Drew. It had a bit of a slow start (in fact, Drew doesn’t appear again until like chapter 5 or 6.)
I thought Sydney was being too melodramatic about the media frenzy and people discovering who she is. For godsakes, you can’t hide your head in the sand forever. She lets the tabloids dictate her life, which is not good. Also, she’s too horny for Drew. All she thinks about is ripping off his clothes the second she sees him. The whole thing was pretty much a sappy montage of romance and hot sex.
The romance and the writing were decent, but the overall story didn’t quite compel me enough.
My rating : 3 stars

Review: SUDDEN CRUSH by Camilla Isley

A book editor married to an author. That’s definitely a match made in heaven. Or is it?
It’s pretty bad when the guy you just married isn’t trying too hard to sit next to you on the plane.  The response Joanna got from the rude passenger was classic! =D  Now Joan has to ride a whole 6 hours without her husband. Oh, pooh.  But to make matters worse, the plane crashes on a tropical island. Oh, pooh more.
So it seems Joan becomes stranded, alone…..until she later realizes that she’s tuck with Mr. Ogre, the rude passenger she was sitting next to. Classic! And the two bicker and battle with each other with snarky and witty repartee, like Harrison Ford and Anne Heche on 6 Days, 7 Nights. I must admit that Joan adopting and trying to talk to a monkey was a little too weird. Yeah, like the monkey can really understand you, lady! Ooh, Eeek, Eeek, Ooh.
Throughout the book, the two try to work together, collaborating (more or less) on ideas, for survival. I mean, would you drink out of a condom if need be? It mostly consisted of them fighting endlessly.
Overall, this is another well-written work from Camilla Isley, but I wasn’t too encapsulated by it. Certain areas lagged a bit, especially with the day-to-day happenings of living on the island. This was okay for the most part, but not as good as her other novel.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: THE GHOSTS OF VARNER CREEK by Michael Weems

"I see dead people." At least some old geezer in a country nursing home does. He sees "Faceless," a woman whose facial features are a blur. "I've never really spoken of it to other people, but there's no convincing me it wasn't a spirit...that the Good Book was talking about when it said 'unclean spirits' and when possession is when they fill you up with their own misery." (5)
Story was laced with that witty, funny Texas drawl, which was oddly intriguing.  Mr. Mayfield may not know much (next to nothing, practically,) but he was still pretty wise about certain things.
I liked the comment about old age: "The body's the same old house that time has redecorated." (7)
The interesting part came when Mr. Mayfield dies and becomes a ghost of Varner Creek. It is at this time that he meets up with his long-lost sister (another ghost). Together, they relive buried memories. Now, we flash back to a truck load of history about the town, his mother, his father, his family, his neighbors, etc. There was too much talk about religious morals, God, and the bible. Where are the ghosts?
Book started off pretty good, but then got boring fast.
Overall, this was an unsatisfying read. I expected more ghosts, a horror story, which I guess it kind of was with all the skeletons in the family closet.
My rating: 2.5 stars

Review: SMILE NOW, CRY LATER by Paul MacDonald

This all begins with the disappearance of “the nice man with too much cologne.” At first, this seemed like an interesting mystery thrown in the crazy mix of The Office. But Chuck Restic is no Steve Carrel.
Story is too detailed on office politics and dull bureaucratic red tape. The main character, Chuck, narrates with pretentious banalities and a haughty tone. The mystery was slow from the start.
 
My rating: 1 star

Review: THE BACKPACK CHRONICLES: THE PERSPECTIVE by Adam Que

 
“keep yo cash cuz we all need that change.” (7)

This is a collection of short stories with a dose of perspective.
In “Never Just Black and White,” a colorful character named PO tries to forget his demons and fight for survival. Gruff in nature, this one was a bit hard to understand.  
In “The Flying Dragon,” a little girl’s imagination soars to the extremes.
The dialogue was certainly rough around the edges, and the overall writing had a certain urban eccentric style—it was almost like street poetry, which was odd but kind of cool at the same time. I had a hard time understanding some of the details, which I guess didn’t allow me to appreciate it fully.
Overall, this was a good effort, but I wasn’t too impressed with the stories. 
My rating: 2.5 stars

Review: THE SUPERMODEL'S BEST FRIEND by Gretchen Galway

I enjoyed This Time Next Door and was looking forward to this book, but, unfortunately, it wasn't a favorite.

It starts off interesting enough with Lucy just being dumped by her fiancé--via Smartphone technology. And Miles was just dumped by his b#tchy girlfriend for being unable to commit. The two get thrown together at posh wedding of a supermodel and a billionaire.
The new twist here is: In an effort to salvage her drying eggs, Rose's friends will pick the man she will marry. The thing was I didn't think Miles and Rose clicked in any way. First of all, I agreed with everyone else: how can a big guy like him get it on with a short shrimp? He's over 6 ft. and she's a mere 5 ft. I think that's totally ridiculous. Second: Lucy is too much of a planner, which is annoying, and he's way more laid back. It was a complete MISMATCH. I think Rose was better suited for Alex, but, of course, the story wouldn't take that course.
The whole wedding is a forum for speculation, stereotypes, resentment, drama, and crude jokes. It was hard to believe that these people could be connected to each other. How can you have a billionaire friend? For me, it would be damn near impossible to be friends with a billionaire or a supermodel.
Overall, this was a shallow, tepid story with unrealistic characters. It seemed amusing at first, dazzling me with that smart humor I enjoyed in the previous novel, but then it quickly tapered off into a dull and unbearable territory.
My rating: 2.5 stars

Review: COVER GIRL CONFIDENTIAL by Beverly Bartlett

She's the host of a wildly popular, top-rated morning show. Bride of a high-society golden boy. A veritable household name. An immigrant rags-to-riches story that's the American dream personified-and so perfect for Hollywood. Men want her. Women wish they could be her. But now Addison is in jail awaiting deportation and her celebrity rating is falling faster than a discount boob job. Maybe the First Lady's personal vendetta is to blame. (Addison insists that the president was pulling her onto his lap when that photo was taken.) Or perhaps everything started to go downhill when she threw exercise equipment at her husband on live TV. (Addison says the jerk had it coming.)





My thoughts: This is the story of an “exotic” beauty’s rags-to-riches-to-slammer story. (“exotic” because of the indiscernible ethnicity.)
Full of pop culture references that makes you feel like you’re in Hollywood Land. Yeah, I’m not into all that glitz and glamour.
“I was less the child of my parents and more a child of America.” (19) All Addison wanted was to be in the spotlight. She was such a vain and shallow character that sometimes comes up with a witty remark.
Why did I choose to read this? I must’ve gotten it for a reason, but I just can’t remember. In any sense, story wasn’t for me.
My rating: 2 stars   

Review: BECOMING FAMOUS by Natalie Scott

“My name is Bebe Barkley. I’ve never released a sex tape. I’m not America’s Next Top Model. I didn’t get pregnant at sixteen and I’ve never auditioned for American Idol.In fact I’m holed up at the Waldorf totally depressed. But, even though I don’t know it yet, I’m about to become famous. This is my story and how it all went down.” (9)
Bebe Barkley is a former equestrian rider, who is now in a depressed and lonely slump.
“I just tell him everything. All about King and my brother dying. About hooking up with Luis, a known drug dealer and getting trapped in Puerto Rico. How he almost killed me, and how my father had to rescue me. It just comes pouring out of me—the whole sordid story.” (13)
It just seems like her life is a mess, but she’s trying to turn it around. First, she starts taking boxing lessons from this tough guy named Roccho as she doesn’t want to be this weak, little girl anymore.  Throughout her journey, she encounters several eclectic characters, each with their own story to tell. Like Blue said, they want to escape their pasts, reinvent themselves, and become shinier and brighter than they were.  But, in the end, you can’t outrun yourself.
Honest and clever, this is the story of a young girl just trying to live her life and keep her head above water. Her voice carries strength and vulnerability that many would relate to. Although this is a quick read, story lagged a bit with excessive detail that had little to no relevance to the plot. I mean, how did Bebe become “famous?” Isn’t that what we all want to know? Unfortunately, it does take quite a while to get there. I guess it really doesn’t pick up until she moves from New York to California, where she starts auditioning for commercials and whatnots. So she’s an actress then. This is pretty much the diary of an actress judging by her day-to-day duties and activities.
Overall, this was an okay read—mildly amusing with a touch emotional appeal. 
My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: LOST IN CHANCE by Lize Jacobs

Story begins with Chrisna boarding a plane to Paris. And just how it begins, story slowly tumbles along at the start, moving in a sluggish pace, building interest little by little, before finally ascending to a high-flying leap.
Chrisna has just gotten divorced, and she’s going to Paris to throw her ring off from the Eifel Tower. So this trip was her “divorce present.” Cool! I thought the whole idea of taking separate vacations as a “marital sabbatical” was an excellent idea. Most people should try that.
“Never be afraid to be afraid of what you‘re afraid of. Embrace the fear, and release the crazy.” (19)
But how much fun can you have in Paris in five days? Chrisna is definitely about to find out.
Soulful, fun, and well-written, Lost in Chance is a story of taking risks and living life. Certain parts lagged here and there, which slowed the plot dramatically. I mean, if this was supposed to be a wild trip through the Parisian streets, then it should’ve read in a fast, non-stop way. Instead we spent too much time on trivial scenes detailing mundane tasks. Still, the message was there.
Paris is definitely on my Must-Go list.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: GIGI: FULL OF FURY by Jennifer Millikin (a novella)

I wanted to read this book after having enjoyed the first in the series, Full of Fire, the story where Lila and Xavier fell in love.

Full of Fury is the story of Gigi, Xavier’s vindictive ex-wife. According to the author, this is not the sequel, but rather a behind-the-scenes look of the first book from another’s perspective (Gigi.) Interesting!
“The cage is my safe place. The metal bars contain me. My anger. My hatred.” (6) Did we happen to mention that Gigi is an exotic dancer in her ex-husband’s Las Vegas club?
Her words are full of hate and venom toward Xavier. Hell hath no fury, right? But there is an undertone of regret and longing behind those vicious words. Perhaps she still loves Xavier and secretly wanted the family they never had?
Gigi is definitely the wild child, too wild for sweet, innocent Lila, whom she tries to corrupt and sabotage, especially with her blooming relationship with Xavier. Although Gigi can be horrible, the reader still manages to sympathize for her once you realize the reasoning behind her behavior, once you hear her side of the story.
This story was good, but I felt like I was re-reading the same story because of the recap of Full of Fire. I guess I would’ve preferred more of a sequel. Also, I kind of found Gigi’s obsession with Lila and Xavier to be exhausting, and I wonder if her story was even worth being told, even in a short novella.
All in all, this was an okay read.
My rating: 3 stars