Book Review: Be My Valentine: Volume Two | #ValentineRomance #Antho #SweetRomance

Life is beautiful especially when you're in love.
Dive into these hand-picked contemporary romance novellas and fall in love this Valentine's Day.

Featured stories

• The Curse of Valentine by Glory Abah
• She will be loved by Zee Monodee
• When Love Happens by Rosemary Okafor
• Until Morning by Mukami Ngari

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book, and this review is given voluntarily

MY REVIEW

Be My Valentine: Volume Two is a good collection of sweet romance novellas that will appeal to readers who like something a little different.

                          BLURB                                                                      REVIEW

THE CURSE OF VALENTINE by Glory Abah Jane fell in love in January, to a man she glimpses every evening after work on the way home. Not bold enough to talk to him, she’s content with just staring at her daily fix from afar. Until one stupid February day when he approaches, starts a conversation and she bolts. Because February is the worst month in the history of months. And she’s cursed. Cursed to be dumped and left broken-hearted on Valentine Day. Can she break the curse of Valentine and keep the man she loves?	A young woman who believes she's cursed at love panics when her crush takes the bold step of asking her out a week before Valentine's Day. To Jane, this is a disaster waiting to happen. The premise of this story was interesting, leading to a journey of self-acceptance by the heroine. I liked the setting, which depicted scenes very similar to life in Ghana. The story is told entirely from the heroine's POV and I found myself wishing there had been a portion in the hero's POV. There were a few places where I rolled my eyes, especially towards the end when confessions were being made. But, it's the stuff of romance novels... In all, this was a fun read. I liked Glory Abah's voice and will most likely check out her other books (4 stars)
SHE WILL BE LOVED by Zee Monodee This Valentine’s Day, the music scene’s hottest artist, DJ Den, is set to perform his worldwide smash hit in Mauritius. Jaeden Kang—the man from Shetland behind the stage name—is looking forward to a break and some inspiration before his tour gobbles him up again. Tanzanian medical doctor Zenobia Hashemi is visiting her brother on the island when her path crosses that of Jaeden and they’re off to a rocky start. Neither of them ‘does’ love … but life has other plans for them during this trip!	I enjoyed reading this story about two people who didn't expect to find love, but found it in each other. The beginning was a little bogged down with details of the setting. If you like that sort of thing, then you'll most certainly enjoy 'seeing' Mauritius through Zenobia and Jaeden's eyes. The characters were strong and well-defined; the plot, solid. However, what I enjoyed most about this story was the writing (as the highlights on my kindle will attest). Zee Monodee definitely knew what she was doing with this short story. This story features characters from Unravelling His Mark, so it was a nice bonus to get a glimpse of the characters from that book here. (5 stars)
WHEN LOVE HAPPENS by Rosemary Okafor Morgan is ruthless and plays dirty to protect his billion-dollar conglomerate. However, he holds a dark secret that could destroy him if exposed. His relationships with women are about pleasure alone until one weekend with the beautiful Eno leaves him ready to risk everything for her. Eno was a young journalist when she witnessed Morgan murder his wife. Six years later, she’s ready to do anything to make him pay for his crime. Until she falls for his charms. Now she’s torn between destroying the proud billionaire and allowing herself to fall in-love with him.	I love stories where the hero/heroine is accused of a crime and looks guilty. The story combines that with a hate-to-love plot. I found the romance enjoyable. Eno is a good combination of fiery and sweet; she and Morgan proved to be well-matched. A jealous love interest and another sub-plot added some suspense and intrigue. There a couple of loose ends that weren't fully tied for me, but they didn't affect the romance, so I won't sweat it. Overall, I found this to be a good story. (4 stars)
UNTIL MORNING by Mukami Ngari Following a devastating relationship breakup, Zawadi is out on a girls’ night out with friends when she meets a sexy stranger with a deep soulful voice created for baby-making music, the handsome face and hot body of a potential cult leader and who rides a motorbike like a speed demon. He becomes her first one-night stand. Soon she discovers the sexy stranger is her new investor, Gerald. Things deteriorate when he pretends he’s never met her and then she discovers his unfathomable secret. Will love win this Valentine season?	Until Morning was the surprise read of this set. The story drew me in from the onset with a heroine who owns her own business and is looking for financing (can someone say, girlpower). Things take an interesting turn when she meets the investor. I thoroughly I enjoyed this story. It was different. I particularly enjoyed how the author handled a flashback scene. There was one thing I thought a little odd (but I can't say, because...spoilers), but most readers will probably not notice it. Ms Ngari has a lovely writing voice - definitely an author I want to read again. (5 stars)