The Rose and the Briar (Faraway Castle #3) by J.M. Stengl

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved fairy tales.  She grew up but her love of the stories never ended.  She has passed her love onto her children.  Her youngest lives off the original stories in the Blue Fairy Book.  

Her oldest loves retellings and has been reading every night with mama

The Rose and the Briar is book 3 in the Faraway Castle Series.  From the back:  Power-hungry princes are Rosa's greatest dread.

Deep within the gardens of Faraway Castle sleeps a secret Rosa the gardener has sworn to protect with her life--the legendary princess Zafira. For three years she has hidden the princess almost in plain sight. But two nosy princes threaten to undo the work of a century.

When asked to take his sister's old job as Faraway Castle's Magical-Creature Controller, Prince Briar leaps at the chance to disguise himself as a commoner, earn a place in the magical world, and be trained by the mysterious Gamekeeper. Nothing works out the way he'd expected, and he is far too busy working to gain Rosa's trust to bother about uncovering her secrets. 

Until dashing Prince Javier of Evora pursues Rosa . . . and Briar suspects the rival prince of dark motives. Can Rosa and Briar learn to trust each other soon enough to prevent a magical disaster? 

Will the kiss of a prince really awaken true love? 

These have truly been great stories.  Not only are they just the right amount of the things I love (princes, magic, romance), they also keep an 11 year old boy involved (magical creatures, mayhem, bad guys).  There is an art and balance in doing that and these books deliver.  From Pookahs to Princes there was something that we both loved in the book.  

Rosa is a complex woman and Zafira is, in the words of my son "a creep".  She really oozes evil even in her coma like state.  Rosa hates caring for her and feels inferior to her.  Rosa has great magic and brings gardens to life.  

When Prince Briar shows up to train under the Gamekeeper Rosa tries to avoid him like a bad case of poison ivy.  Their playful banter was fun to read and they kept you guessing what would happen next. 

Add in a few villains, plot twists, and a giant bear topiary who reminded us of Pooh both my son and I enjoyed our visit to Faraway Castle.  The book comes out this month.  So pick up your copy of The Rose and the Briar and get ready to discover the next chapter in this enchanted destination.  Happy Reading! 

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*