Review: The Valentine Edition by Robin Shope

Title: The Valentine Edition (Turtle Creek Editions Book 2)
Author: Robin Shope
Pages: 248
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press (January 16, 2009)
Genre: Fiction / Romance / Christian
Edition: Paperback - Huge thanks to Robin for sending me a beautiful copy of her book to read!!



Perfect for : Personal reading, book club read

In a nutshell: Another wonderful, heart-warming book from Robin Shope. Full of the ups and downs of life, the book will touch your heart and help you to remember what life is all about. It will also gently remind you about the power of prayer and forgiveness, that God causes things to happen for a reason, and that things will work out. Published just in time for Valentines Day, the book is wonderfully romantic and will give the reader some refreshing ideas for Valentines Day (romantic picnic, fun gifts, flowers, etc).

Extended Review: This is the second book in the Turtle Creek Edition series, but it can easily stand on it's own. Like the first book, this one takes place in Turtle Creek, Wisconsin. Jodi Williams has just joined the staff of the Turtle Creek Newspaper, and on her way to her new job, she has an unexpected encounter with the small town's veterinarian Josh Thomas.

As Jodi experiences huge success at work, she also has success in her budding relationship with Josh . . . until his obsessed employee (Della) decides to try to tear them apart. Will God soften Della's heart and help her fix the trouble she has created in time to save Valentine's Day for everyone involved?

Characters: Robin has added three new and wonderfully diverse characters in the form of Jodi (big city girl who needs a change of pace), Josh (small town veterinarian who is charming, nice and smart!) and Della (Josh's employee, who sees herself as Josh's future girlfriend, obsessed with Josh) to the already wonderful characters from the first book. I was extremely excited to see Ulilla, Lucy and Joe throughout this book!

Story-Line: The story will pull you in and keep you interested, starting with the first chapter. I especially liked the Valentine's Day Match-Making Dance, and the romantic picnic.

Readability: This was a very fun and enjoyable read.

Overall: A wonderfully romantic story that helps the reader to gently remember the importance of prayer, forgiveness and faith. Robin has included a recipe for Jodi's Blueberry Kiss Me Quick Tarts at the end of the book, and while I haven't made them yet, they sound scrumptious!

From Amazon:
The last place in the world Jodi Williams wanted to live was Turtle Creek, Wisconsin, but when her stepdad refused to put in a good word for her at the Chicago paper, she had no other choice than to accept the first job offer that came her way. Josh Thomas was Turtle Creek's veterinarian, but he also happened to be single and quite handsome. His life was pretty peaceful until a pretty, young stranger came to his clinic with a dog that had been hit by a car. While his first reaction was to care for the injured animal, he couldn't help a few glances at this unique young woman. That day was one of quite a few new beginnings. Jodi came to the aid of an injured animal, earning her the respect of a handsome man, she started a new job as a reporter for The Turtle Creek Newspaper, and she gained the wrath of the vet's receptionist. Della had her sights set on Joshua, and she wasn't about to let anyone come between her and the man of her dreams.

First Paragraph:
Jodi Williams sighed for the hundredth time as she waved goodbye to the Chicago skyline, catching the last of the city in her car's rearview mirror. Dreams of working at The Tribune were dead right along with drinking green tea latte's at Starbucks any time she wanted.

About the Author: (from the publisher's site)
I have a double major in Special Education and English with a minor in Theater. In high school I worked summer stock at my older brother’s professional theater.

Presently, I hold five teaching certificates. I am the Special Education Coordinator for Denton County Juvenile Justice Alternative Program.
For our first two years of marriage, my husband and I traveled overseas as missionaries before pastoring a church for six years. Rick still goes overseas each year for a month of ministry. We have been married for over thirty years and have two grown children. We live near Dallas, Texas.To date, my literary works include approximately two hundred articles in magazines such as: Live, Lookout, Mennonite, Christian Reader, Decision, Breakthrough and Today’s Christian. Other short stories appear in the books: A Match Made in Heaven, Stories from the Heart, The Evolving Woman, and in the New York Times bestseller, In The Arms of Angels by Joan Wester-Anderson. Ann Spangler also used one of my stories in her book, Help! I can’t stop Laughing. Another two-dozen stories have been published in the Chicken Soup books. One story, Mom’s Last Laugh, was re-enacted for a PAX-TV program: It’s a Miracle. I co-authored a thriller, The Chase, for Revell and sold 14,000 copies. My second book, The Replacement, was released in June 2006. The Candidate was released July, 2007. The first book in The Turtle Creek Edition series, The Christmas Edition, is out now. The Valentine Edition, second book in the series will be out early 2009. Wildcard is a stand alone and the release date is May 2009.

Visit her at shoutlife.com/Robin_Shope and http://write2robinshope.blogspot.com/

If you have reviewed this book and would like me to add a link to your review, please include a link in your comment!