My Valentine 1993

Saint's Alive by Anne Stuart: When Shannon Donnelly met divorce lawyer Patrick Lockwood in a crowded courtroom, the attraction was inexplicably instantaneous. They were complete opposites - him cynical, her sentimental - but there was no denying that sudden sizzle. What they didn't know was that they were pawns in a love-or-lust contest between Saint Valentine and Eros. My comments: Although the romance storyline followed a predictable formula, it was presented in a unique and interesting way, the interaction between Saint Valentine and Eros/Cupid provided an entertaining and thought-provoking dialogue highlighting the need to balance spiritual and carnal desires. Very well done! Chocolate Kisses by Judith Arnold: Caterer Claudia Mulcahey was known for her kisses - chocolate kisses. The ones that were ruined by a near collision with a crazed cyclist. Now, with only hours before a gala Valentine debutante ball, she demanded the crazy Ned Wyatt help her replace the confections. But why did she suddenly dream of how those chocolate kisses would taste...on Ned's lips? My comments: Any story centered around food, especially Valentine's confections, is highly romantic and sensual! The interactions between Ned and Claudia were so cute, and his family provided colorful secondary characters for them to play their romance against. The ancestral home and the food were descripted in such luscious detail that they can be experienced with all the senses as one reads along. (Feel the texture of the melted chocolate, taste the candies, smell the cinnamon and peppermint, visualize the manor, etc.) Nicely presented! Simple Charms by Anne McAllsiter: Twenty-three second graders couldn't be wrong - Jane Kitto needed a real man in her like, not just a secret admirer who, every Valentine's Day, sent her a tiny charm. Jane wasn't sure she agreed with her pint-sized Cupids, especially when their candidate turned out to be Zack Stoner, a man from Jane's past, presently determined to charm her more than any simple trinket ever could. My Comments: Adorable story about an unlikely relationship between a meek Catholic school teacher and a charismatic football player. This man knew how to woo a woman!! I appreciated how their love developed slowly and deliberately over time and brought out the best in the other, including healing and self-discovery. Ms Scrooge Meets Cupid by Linda Randall Windom: They called her the "Scrooge of Februrary 14th" but Claire Madison had had more than her share of Valentine horrors. Now summoned to her grandmother's country inn, she was forced to spend two weeks in a town called Cupid's Corners. She made it through the Cupid Cake Fest, but what she found at the town's Valentine dance was too much to bear. My Comments: A cute story that seemed more rushed and less developed than the others in the collection. The setting was charming and so was the male protagnost!