Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

French Illusions - My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley (Book 1) by Linda Kovic-Skow is the author's true story which makes for a very interesting read. Linda Kovic-Skow wants to become an international stewardess and she needs to be bilingual for that. Linda decides to become an au pair in France to become more familiar with the language. Linda goes to work at the Chateau de Montclair with Monsieur Dubois and his family. Her life takes a turn when she meets Adam, a young student. It becomes more complicated and in this story she takes readers along with her on her adventures.

The book is an honest account of the author's life and her dreams to travel the world. The book is insightful and it captures the beauty of the Loire Valley. There are also some French words scattered here and there throughout the story. The story is about how Linda tries to adjust to the family and the difficulties she faces. The clash of personalities, the conflict, and the tension is another aspect in the author's life at the Chateau which she has captured very well.

The Loire Valley is the backdrop of the story. I liked the development of the characters; the author's writing is descriptive and elevates the scenic beauty of the place. It is a fast paced story that will keep readers interested till the very end.

Reviewed by Karen Pirnot for Readers' Favorite

TRAVELER ALERT! Jackie Chase's latest travel book, 100 People to Meet Before You Die: Travel to Exotic Cultures, is a real winner for those considering traveling to lesser-known destinations. She takes the reader's imagination to twelve different locations in Central America, Africa, and the Far East. The pictures in this book are stunning! I wish some of them could have been full page photos as the detail is quite remarkable. The author has an eye for people, places, and context.

100 People to Meet Before You Die is written for the layperson and it is written from a human interest standpoint. Individuals, cultures, and religions are treated with the utmost respect and the attempted interactions (despite the language barriers) with individuals and families is touching. There is no doubt in the reader's mind that Jackie Chase has a vision of seeing the world in its rawest and most common condition. She is unafraid to risk dangers to herself in order to better understand the cultures of the world. The stories on interior African tribes was nothing short of heart-stopping. But, I personally loved the chapter on China as the author disclosed a great deal of herself in the chapter and, for me, that is a human interest bonus. The epilogue helps the reader define why travel might be mind-changing and the glossary of named pictures is a bonus to those wanting to flip back to favorite photo memories. Not being one to choose a travelogue book, I found myself fascinated with this one!

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

The Lullaby Illusion: A Journey of Awakening by Susan Joyce is the story of an American woman and the situations she faced in her life while living in Europe and the Middle East. The story takes you to the time when Susan was living in Cyprus and how the coup affected normal life. She finds her life changing as a border refugee. Later she gets rescued from a boat in the Indian Ocean. Along with the story of her survival and resilience runs the story of her miscarriages and tragic still-birth. The setbacks see her reinventing herself as an artist.

The memoir is a compelling read. The military coup and getting trapped in the middle of a war, a failing marriage, and a suspicion that her husband is a spy give many dimensions to the theme. There is a lot of action and emotion happening in the story which makes it fast paced and exciting. Her travel descriptions lend color to the story. The book sees the transformation of the author from a housewife to that of a confident and determined woman. The dialogues are rich, the travel descriptions are detailed, adding to the visual appeal of the scenes. As extras, the history and humor make it a beautiful memoir.

I found the book inspiring, sad, beautiful, humorous and it will strike a chord within readers on many levels. It is a remarkable and truly inspiring story. Though her story is scary and dangerous in the beginning, it ends on an uplifting note. There are so many dimensions and levels to the author's experiences that make it an engaging read.