I actually LOVED this book, although it was not what I was expecting. - Thought it might have a thread from the first book.

Maggie Mayfield is school Principal and her main objective is teaching the students at her school, making sure they get the best education possilbe, without any teachers losing their jobs. I can relate as my sister is an Art Teacher and they are always the first to be laid off, which is a constant worry.

BUT, along comes MathPal, with a sure fire way to teach the students and raise funds for the strapped school system. But with the MathPal also included is their star DannyZ, who plans on getting rich off of this latest technology. Maggie objected to the intrusion and disruption of this gizmo, but DannyZ was looking better each day!

This takes us to DannyZ's mega-rich boss and his Wyoming over the top bunker made for the Apocalypse. Upon their personal jetted tour with Maggie and her friend Diane, it seems Diane has found a striking attraction to Hank, who works at the Wyoming safe house.

Of course, there is always the problem of her ex-husband lurking in the background, which complicates the situation, but add a lively character to the theme.

The drama, the laughs - who could forget that Thanksgiving dinner! It was pure delight for me to read and sink into the daily drama of Maggie Mayfield.

I recommend this thoroughly for all readers - who would enjoy the ups and downs of a school principal

Maggie is the principal of an elementary school, she loves her job and her children, and is willing to do whatever it takes for them. Unless what's good for them is not good for the rest.
I loved how the story unfolds, and that all the characters had their backstories, their flaws and their strengths. And most of all, I loved that the story did not spin only around the romance.
Other than that, some quite interesting topics are mentioned (addictions, eating disorders, friendship, love, data selling) without going too deep into them, but as good kickstarters for book clubs or just conversations.

Thanks NetGalley for my copy of this book, I really enjoyed reading it!

Intelligent chick-lit: something I haven't seen in a while!

I haven't typically picked women-targeted contemporary fiction books lately because they seem pretty shallow and easy to predict. This novel has thicker, deeper characters and a more intelligent voice than any of this genre that I've read in a long while. It was a funny read without being that exhausting sort that tries to make an obscure reference every ten words. This is just how the character thinks and it happens to be funny.

If you're a teacher, former teacher, or in education, this is a funny read for you. The author clearly consulted with many in the education world and hit the tone of the teacher/admin's rosy perspective almost perfectly. I am an ELL teacher, so I'm all around the school all day. Many of the details were spot on.... but she idealized it a little bit. Not enough complaining and venting from the teaching staff and admins ;-)

*Spoiler* The love story was fine, but I was never convinced it would work out. What could she possibly love about Danny? She didn't show actual love in her language, either, just lust and infatuation. Obviously, he never truly loved her, either. Worldly selfishness prevents love as service and this is a clear (albeit constructed) example.

Interesting ending. It's the only way it could have happened for the mood of the book. I winced out loud when they decided on their course of action. The seeker of justice in me wishes they had faced the court for their crime. The reader who likes a red bow on well-fleshed characters gives it a thumbs up.

The Very Principled Maggie Mayfield was a lot of fun! It's a quick read that left me laughing quite a bit.

Maggie Mayfield is the principal at Carmel Knolls Elementary and she spends most of her time conspiring with her best friend/co-worker Diane about ways to earn money in order to keep their school fully funded without having to let any teachers or programs go. When given the opportunity to beta-test new software designed by a Silicon Valley techie, Daniel Zalinsky, in exchange for a stock option in their company they reluctantly go along with the plan. The new software, MathPal, isn't exactly what the women had in mind and they find themselves struggling with the decision of taking the money and letting their school children suffer intellectually or taking the high road and figuring out another way to run their school.

Every character was extremely well fleshed out - no cardboard cutouts or placeholders to be found! From people that were mentioned once to those that had their own subplots, all were rich with characterization. As a result, I found myself rooting for Maggie and getting emotionally invested in the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, despite the fact that I felt the ending was a bit rushed and very improbable; though most of the book felt improbable, I had a harder time suspending my disbelief for the ending.

I received this ARC as a courtesy from NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks for the early review copy!

I recommend this novel to fans of contemporary novels. It was well-written and interesting novel.