Review Roundup!!!

About the book: The Kingdom of Soron bustled with activity as preparations for the Fall Festival began. Lively merchants, hardworking farmers, and musicians eagerly awaited this event of harvest and joy. This year’s festival was even more important, as they celebrated Princess Madeline’s betrothal to her knight champion, Daniel. 

Celebration quickly turns to disaster as Prince Paulsen returns with curious demands, either Princess Madeline will be his, or no ones. Rejection turns to obsession and battle is declared.

In a tense struggle to decide her future, Princess Madeline must choose where to put her trust… in the king’s tried and true plan, the wizard’s cryptic messages and maps, or her own sense of bravery. Follow Princess Madeline on this adventure as she battles evil in an attempt to create a future of love and magic.

My thoughts: 
I love this series so much.  I love that Pulioff  writes quality stories for our younger audience   There is so much that is great about this series...the amazing characters, the mystical adventure, the story with the moral lessons and the way she writes the story makes you feel like you are there with the characters!!!  I think that Pulioff has found a voice in this genre and  I can't wait to see where the series continues to take us!!!! 4 stars!!!!

About LARKSPUR:  During a dance performance, Taylor and Leslie mysteriously fall into the enchanted land of Larkspur. With the help of Redmond, the great counselor-in-training, they discover their mission: to perform the magical Dance of the Dawn in order to help their beloved dance instructor, Madame Lumiere, find her way home from the Earthly Realm.
But first they must rescue the adored talking pet of the Fiery One and aid Little Light, the glowing princess, as she bravely sets off to rid Larkspur of the cruel Puranna and despicable Derrick of Dungeoness. If everything goes as planned, Taylor and Leslie will also
play an important role in freeing Larkspur’s true king and queen from the Murky Realm, where they have been imprisoned for over a year.

Join Taylor and Leslie in Anastacia Hawkins’s Larkspur as they discover the depths of their courage and faith and the risks they are willing to take for friendship. You will fall in love with the Areli, the amazing people of light, and Larkspur, a land where beauty and the arts reign and magic abounds.



About RETURN TO LARKSPUR:  There's a new enemy in Larkspur. Kieron of Wickland will stop at nothing in order to gain the power and position he believes he deserves. As Kieron forges a deal with Darkness, King Alastar of Larkspur boldly sets out to pour the Areli Light into the hearts of his people, the same Light that turned a castle wall into a pile of rubble, and led Larkspur's previous enemies into their imprisonment in the Murky Realm. In this anticipated sequel to the fantasy adventure, Larkspur, Taylor, Leslie, and Mason return to Larkspur to be infused with the Areli Light in order to help defend the land and people they have come to love. As they face new challenges and form new friendships, their loyalties will be tested, and their hopes and dreams divided. Will the Light bring peace once more? Or will Darkness overcome it?

My thoughts: 
Another great series for a clean YA read.  There are so many magical and fun characters who teach us about love, friendship, kindness while taking us on an adventure of action and fun!  These are short books, but are filled with a wonderful story for both parent and child...perhaps to read together! 4 stars for both books in the series.

About the book:  The 25,000 Mile Love Story is a love story, but not a love story in the traditional sense. It is not just about a man and woman; nor is it just about a husband and wife. There are many people who can write that story. Instead, this is a love story that has lasted a lifetime a love for the worlds roads and all the people who inhabit them. You will follow Serge Roetheli through his childhood as an adventurer, through his teen years as a boxer, and through his adult life as a runner and mountain guide. As he writes in this intriguing memoir, You will sit by my side as I fell in love not once, not twice, but three times. And you will run the road with me on The American Challenge and The World Tour. Then, you will return with me to where I belong, and I pray that you will take away some life lessons and the truth I have come to know so well. His life lessons are simple: It doesn't matter where you come from or what you start with. Possessing more or less doesn't ensure happiness or even victory.

You cannot win the race overnight; you win it by persistenceby daily devotion. And you win it by doing the little things well.

My thoughts:
Wow, this book is such an amazing story about a man who ran to raise money impoverished children. This memoir is a tale of the struggles, joys and everything in between!  What an inspiring tale of what one human can do to improve the lives of others!  It is heartwarming, amazing, a bit crazy and truth be told incredibly motivating.  It makes me want to make changes at a local level!    I rate this book 4 stars!

Jack MacTaggart series book 2

About the book:  U.S. Senate candidate Warren Burkett has a history of marital infidelity. Three weeks before Election Day, Burkett comes to the aid of a beautiful green-eyed lady, only to find himself alone and naked in a stranger’s home from which a priceless painting is missing. As the resulting scandal threatens to tilt the election, the painting turns up in a most unexpected place . . . and so does a dead body.

Hired to defend Burkett and unravel the deepening mystery, Jack must traverse a mine field of ruthless politicians, felonious art dealers, swarming paparazzi, the amorous wife of Burkett’s billionaire opponent, her mobbed-up brother, and a District Attorney with an old score to settle. With the electoral clock ticking and the press following his every move, Jack’s investigation leads him on a serpentine tour of the lofty heights and gritty depths of Southern California, lending new meaning to the adage that all’s fair in love and politics.

My thoughts: 
What a crazy trip this book was!! I really enjoyed being taken on a ride with some amazing characters, in some crazy circumstances that contained twists and turns wrapped in a mystery !  Fun stuff!!!  4 stars!