Book Review: The Battle of the Brains (The Misadventures of Maggie Moore Book 2)

Synopsis: Maggie Moore is leaving small-town south Georgia behind to embrace adulthood on her own in big-city Atlanta. Finding inspiration in the unique people she’s met covering obscure sporting events, Maggie decides it’s time to fill her life with adventure – just as soon as she figures out how to cut ties with good ol’ Murphy, and his pesky laws, once and for all.
Naturally, the universe has different plans.
Before she even sets out to cover her next big story, Maggie is bombarded with old wounds and new insecurities, forcing her to choose between the reality in front of her and the promise of a dream just out of reach.
Channeling the hard-fought lessons of her Dad, Maggie struggles against the seemingly insurmountable force that is her troublesome partner, learning the hard way that things are never as easy as you think they’ll be.


Author: Michelle Graves
Publication: April 25, 2016
Buy Link(s): Amazon; Barnes and Noble

**Disclaimer** - I received a beta copy of The Battle of the Brains for review purposes. I was not paid for this review.

Author Michelle Graves does it again... she has a great talent for mixing emotions in this Misadventures of Maggie Moore Series. The Battle of the Brains picks up right where Maggie left of in the previous book. So I'd recommend reading the books in order though each adventure is completely different. 

We get to know more of Maggie and John and their climactic relationship. In The Battle of the Brains, we see both Maggie and John grow together and apart. Michelle does a great job in keeping the lightness of story going while still getting to the emotional root of both characters. I have to say that Maggie herself is a major player in this fact. She's spunky and compassionate; she's intelligent and a go getter. Yet, she's vulnerable. Throughout her vulnerability, we see Maggie pick herself up and keep going because she has a goal in life. We get to see and learn these things of Maggie through her hilarious inner monologues. Maggie is completely relatable and I really enjoy that in a story. 

And John... what can I say about John? He's got this knight in tarnishes armor thing going on. He's protective of Maggie yet holds her at length all the while dealing and navigating his own personal emotional demons. He goads Maggie thus making her compassion and go getter attitude come out even stronger. He definitely pushes her to be stronger. 

One of the things I really enjoyed throughout this story was the many times I chuckled out loud, and it happened when I least expected. I love that! I think those little nuggets of laughter are so important in a story. It's that little twist where you expect one thing to happen but something completely different happens. This series is definitely a great read for when you are needing a story that's not heavy in emotion yet has some good substance to it.

Do I recommend The Battle of the Brains? You bet I do! A great series that is fun, light and gives us some insight to a woman trying to find her way in the word through her wonderful and enlightening misadventures.