Book Review (and a Giveaway!): A Valentine’s Proposal by Kim Findlay

A Valentine’s Proposal, On Tour with Prism Book Tours

A VALENTINE’S PROPOSAL
SERIES: Cupid’s Crossing #1
GENRE: Contemporary Romance (Clean)
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Heartwarming
RELEASE DATE: February 1, 2021
PAGES: 227

Their engagement is pretend
Cupid has other plans…

Wedding planner Mariah Van Delton has a plan to save the charming small town of Carter’s Crossing—by turning it into a romance destination! All Mariah needs is a very public Valentine’s Day proposal. And her only option? A fake one between her and the handsome town veterinarian and wedding hater, Nelson Carter. But a little charade between adversaries might just be the start of something undeniably real…

The town of Carter’s Crossing (soon to have a name change) is full of ‘real people’, meaning it’s not a town populated by perfect models or wealthy families. It’s mostly just made up of hard-working, “ordinary” people with big hearts and small town loyalties. With the mill recently closed, they are struggling to find new streams of income to keep the quaint town alive. Enter Mariah Van Delton, commissioned by Abigail Carter (a determined older woman, the town matriah, and a college friend of Mariah’s grandfather) to come up with a plan to save the town. Much to the irritation of Abigail’s grandson Nelson who has pretty valid reasons for not being readily on board with the plan they’ve decided on.

Both Mariah and Nelson had chips on their shoulders at first introduction, which made it a little difficult for me to connect to them at first, particularly Mariah. Nelson had me at his first grin (and I regret not one bit of swooning) and the scenes written in his perspective gave me more insight into his character than Mariah’s scenes did for her. However, once the fake relationship (with the purpose of a fake proposal for publicity) got underway, I was fully engaged in both characters and their swoonilicious “practice” kisses. (Mmmhmm. Y’all aren’t fooling anyone lol)

The aspect of the plot that involved Nelson’s rescue horses was by far my favorite part of the book (next to the romance, of course), and I melted more than once over scenes with sweet Toby. The author crafted these scenes well to let readers see Mariah & Nelson’s true natures, with just the right combination of softness and strength – for the people and for the horses. It allowed us the opportunity to see them when their guards were down (as only animals can help humans do) – as individuals and together.

Bottom Line: A Valentine’s Proposal by Kim Findlay has all the ingredients for an enjoyable romance – great characters, a charming setting, and some swoonworthy kisses! Abigail, Mariah, and Nelson may take a bit to warm up to but it’s worth the effort once the story really gets under way. I loved the supporting characters too, and with few single people left in the town, I’m curious to see who future books will match up. I’m looking forward to finding out 🙂

Reviewer’s Note: Readers may want to be aware that there is some mild, infrequent cursing in this book.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!

KissingBook Level: 4 / keep that fan & fainting couch handy!

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Kim Findlay lives in Toronto, Canada, with her very handsome husband, two strapping sons, and possibly the world’s cutest spaniel. When she can get time away from her accounting business, Kim can be found traveling, sailing, reading, or writing, depending on the season, time of day, and her energy level. You can find her at kimfindlay.ca, @missheyer74, or on Facebook.

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