In the Heart of a Valentine by Stephanie Nicole Norris

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(This post is in regards to Books 1-5 of the series.)

Book 1 - No Holds Barred
Hunter & Camille
One a millionaire playboy. The other a charming news anchor. The chemistry is combustible. And Hunter waste no time endearing himself to Camilla. All other women are forgotten and he sets about soothing her fears and proving he is the man for her. Camilla's ex, who jilted her twice, makes an appearance and added the potential for some interesting drama. It could have been left out of the story and not affected how it was received.  I can honestly say that what initially pulled me was Travis Cure on the cover

Xavier & Corrine
This story picked up where exactly where book 1 left off
 This Valentine brother's intensity leapt off the page. You could almost feel what Corrine felt. The author certainly got my attention. She also did a better job of incorporating a little drama to spice up the story. And that Marvin Bienaime model does not hurt a thing.

Lance & Allison-

This story picked up at Hunter's wedding reception where someone's illness was revealed. This installment was heavy on the angst & a little conflict from an old love that added texture to the story. The author made the heroine a little more relatable for some with her medical condition and possibly introduced her audience to a condition that can accompany it. 

Jonathan and Lance's Feud

The freak out in the opening was ridiculous. Now I'll say that may be because I just discovered these characters this week and am not familiar with the Rose women. I'll be going back and reading Falling for a Rose.  At any rate, imagining a grown woman, married with a husband that speaks often of children and his desire for them is what made the doubt and meltdown ridiculous. And just didn't fit the couple.  This was a good catch up to give you a glimpse of what the couples were up to now.   A baby was born, a wedding, the promise of new love between 2 couples Kyle/London Raphael and Bri and most importantly the feud between Jonathan and Lance was addressed.

Raphael & Brittany


After the birth of Camille's & Hunter's baby, this duo began to "hang out" and build their friendship.  Raphael had been suffering for years. He believed that his fiance's death by a drunk driver was his fault. Brittany was running a successful business with a friend. A friend she met in college. The longing for a brother lost prompted her to take in a young man named Phillip, who was subsequently in love with her. But, she was unaware of that fact. Raphael and Brittany's relationship built slowly through shared outings, long conversations and mutual attraction. But one electrifying, soul-stirring kiss during a party that led to a bout of naked wrestling and broken headboard things would never be the same for our long-suffering Raphael.  I think this relationship was the sweetest of all those thus far.  Once love was realized, Raphael took steps to ensure Brittany's professional and personal life was made whole. Brittany, in turn, mended Raphael's heart in a way he didn't think possible. I don't want to spoil the story so I won't say any more. The story definitely pulled on the heartstrings and evoked some powerful emotion from me. While I love all the Valentine men, Raphael is now my favorite. Happy reading!

I like the writer's crossover/continuation style. The family IS the story. But each brother is the focus of one book.  While the books are best enjoyed as a whole, a reader could read each as a stand-alone and not feel too lost or short-changed. Something that is usually a point of contention between reader and author.  The author somehow manages to stay just on the surface of drama so that the story is not overtaken by it. They remain "feel good" romance books.  And, I'm not mad it.  In each book, there are a few instances of incorrect word usage OR it could be just that the word chosen while it had the correct meaning for what the author wanted to convey, it just didn't fit with the story. I'm still not sure on this one. All in all, I am definitely a new fan of this author.


Reviewed by KayBee @kaybeesbookshelf & TBlack@tblackallday
#justmytwocents

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