Book Review: All the Ice Cream in the Land by Emmy Kastner

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All the Ice Cream in the Land  by Emmy Kastner  is about a princess, the kingdom she lives in, and her loyal subjects. Full of twists and turns, children will surely delight in this story about ice cream. When I saw the title and cover art of this kid's book, it made me instantly think of my childhood and how I would've loved a book like this one. A huge shout out and thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for approving my request to read this book. I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. The storyline is very easy to follow, making it especially suitable for toddlers, preschoolers, and early readers, particularly children between the ages of two and six. Its straightforward narrative and clear structure make it an excellent choice for read-aloud sessions at home, bedtime stories, or classroom story time. While there is limited character development, which is typical for a picture book format, the princess is still an intere...
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Book Review: Masquerade Party Murder (Juniper Holiday, #4) by Leighann Dobbs

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Masquerade Party Murder (Juniper Holiday, #4) opens with Juniper Holiday setting up for her New Years Eve party, but the party goes horribly awry during the fireworks when the mayor is found dead . . . killed by a gunshot.  Juniper must find out who the murderer is and clear her dear friend's name.

I have absolutely fallen in love with the Juniper Holiday book series by Leighann Dobbs.  The books in this series are the perfect beach read and super fun.  And, if I get in a funk while reading, these books definitely pull me out of that funk.  Masquerade Party Murder definitely pulled me out of a reading funk.

What's great about this series is that you don't have to read them in order, although it definitely helps, and Masquerade Party Murder can be read as a stand alone book like the rest in the series.  Even though this is a cozy mystery, there are some fantasy elements in the story lines . . . witches and werewolves play a part, and of course, ghosts do as well.  If you're not a fan of fantasy, you don't have to worry as the witches and werewolves aren't in the forefront of the story.
 
I love the characters, especially Juniper and Victoria and even Detective Mallard.  In fact, I keep waiting for Victoria and the detective start dating and fall in love.  If that happens, and I think it will, it will probably not happen for several books . . . just a guess.

There were a few red herrings in the story, which I definitely fell for in my guessing of who did it.  However, when a certain piece of evidence is introduced, it confirmed my original guess of who the killer was, and I was mad at myself for being led astray.  

Five out of five stars is what I gave Masquerade Party Murder (Juniper Holiday, #4) by Leighann Dobbs.  I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series, and I hope there are many more.  If you enjoyed this book, I recommend reading the Lucy Stone book series by Leslie Meier.

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