ROSES ARE READ: BOOKS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH ON VALENTINE’S DAY

Yours Truly
By Abby Jimenez

Briana’s divorce is days away from being finalized and her brother’s kidneys are failing as he anxiously awaits a donor. Her promotion to head emergency room doctor at the hospital has been postponed. Oh, and Briana is living in the crumbling home in which she was raised, with childhood posters taunting her. In walks Dr. Jacob Maddox. Recently transferred from Memorial West, he is ridiculously handsome and out for her promotion. With one mishap after another, Briana keeps as far away as possible from Dr. Death. One day Jacob writes Briana a letter to explain himself – in pen, on paper. Jacob has been misunderstood. His severe panic attacks keep him at arm’s length, preventing typical social interactions. He is smart, kind and unequivocally does not want Briana’s job. Jacob recently suffered a horrible breakup and needs a pretend girlfriend to get his meddlesome family off his back. The two docs begin an unexpected friendship. Briana calms him while Jacob makes her feel safe. While neither imagined a new relationship so soon after heartbreak, it may be the prescription for both their problems. Love is in the air and the ER. “Yours Truly” releases on April 11.

Exes & Os
By Amy Lea

Tara Chen has no luck with men. Her most recent catastrophe: her fiancé called off their wedding. After months of sulking at her sister Crystal’s house, she finds herself swapping apartments with Crystal’s soon-to-be husband. From the moment Tara arrives, she knows she is in trouble. Her new roomie, Trevor Metcalfe, is a hot hunk firefighter with a string of one night stands. Tara, a.k.a. the online romance queen, is ready to take her book loving followers to the next level. She challenges herself with her favorite trope: second chance romance. Desperate for love and a date for a Valentine’s gala, Tara compiles a list of her 10 great lost loves. One by one she begins the search – after all, as her grandma always said, men get better with age. At the same time Mr. Hottie Roommate becomes her sounding board, helping Tara reel back her smothering ways. Their roommate connection (wink wink) is perfect while Tara tears apart the list one victim at a time. Finding humor in the challenging world of dating, this laugh-out-loud Valentine romcom is as sweet as any heart candy treat.

Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man
By Emily J. Edwards

New York City, 1950. Viviana Valentine is well known as an efficient and faithful assistant. But she is not your typical Girl Friday. Her boss, dreamboat Tommy Fortuna, is a top private investigator and she is his diligent sidekick, uncovering evidence and solving puzzles. Even though the handsome local cops treat her with kid gloves, Viviana’s rough-and-tumble background prepared her well for the surliest scoundrels. When Tommy takes on the wealthy Tallmadge Blackstone as a client, Viviana immediately senses trouble. His daughter Tallulah is a tabloid darling – beautiful, fashionable and chased by photographers. When the P.I. office is ransacked and Tommy disappears, Viviana befriends Tallulah in an effort to put the kibosh on the bad guys. With the help of her best girlfriends from the boarding house, Viviana sets out to decipher the mystery and save Tommy. Flawlessly set in 1950s vernacular, this charming whodunit is like watching an old movie; the glamour and romance of this bygone era was simply cool.

WATCH TIP: “Your Place or Mine” on Netflix. Always adorable Reese Witherspoon stars with Ashton Kutcher in this romantic comedy that is perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Karen Newfield is first and foremost a reader, she has reviewed hundreds of books on her blog www.readingandeating.com. And, more recently, this new Keys resident has also begun writing.