Be My Valentine [Paperback]

Sheila Rabe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2001

To make her commitment-phobic boyfriend jealous, Shelby Barrett sends herself flowers-and signs the card with a name she made up: David Jones. But she never thought she'd meet the real David Jones-or that she'd find him so completely compelling.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When Shelby Barrett doesn't get a diamond ring from her boyfriend for New Year's, she heads to her mom, romance writer Diana Valentine, for advice. Taking Diana's suggestion to send herself flowers, Shelby ends up inadvertently meeting another very intriguing man, complicating her romantic life. There is love in the works for Diana, too, in this light, gently humorous, contemporary story, which will please readers looking for an upbeat, romantic Valentine's Day diversion. Rabe is the author of All I Want for Christmas.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

A many layered highly enjoyable reading treat -- Romance Reviews Today

BE MY VALENTINE provides readers with a boatload of romance, emotional confusion and fun-filled meddling -- Romantic Times

Don't miss this delightful look at modern love, filled with humor and heart. -- Susan Wiggs

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Jove (January 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 051512995X
• ISBN-13: 978-0515129953
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #547,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Romance, January 23, 2001

By 

MaryannJr "MaryannJr" (PHILADELPHIA, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Be My Valentine (Paperback)

'Be My Valentine' was my first Sheila Rabe novel, but definately not my last. I fell in love with these characters in the first chapter! Shelby Barrett is the girl we'd all like to be- even for just a little while. Fabulously talented, smart, witty and beautiful with a handsome snake of a boyfriend (who refuses to propose) and a mysterious 'make believe' admirer... who turns out no to be so 'make believe' after all. This book has everything you want ...romance, comedy, drama, and a cast of secondary charactres like Shelby's mom, romance writer Diana Valentine and Matt's Romeo uncle Lance- who steam up more than a few pages themselves. I really liked this book and will definately keep my eye out for other titles by Ms. Rabe. It's a lot of fun, and a really enjoying read. Grab this one today.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be my Valentine - forever please., January 21, 2001

By 

D. Davis (PAYSON, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Be My Valentine (Paperback)

I think I have just found my auto-buy of contemporary romance. I have been really enjoying several contemporary authors this year and their greatest universal gift seems to be humor (my drug of choice).

Sheila Rabe knows women. She must have hundreds of girlfriends, or else she writes about her own life in order to grasp our idiocies so well (oops, Sorry Sheila! That came out wrong <evil grin>). The main character, Shelby Barrett, takes loyalty to an extreme I could never have managed, but I do know women like her. Lots of women like her. Hmmmmm. Shelby has been in love with Matt for 3 years, but when the engagement ring doesn't appear at Christmas, and New Year's evening yields only a kiss, something in Shelby snaps.

You have to read this book to really appreciate what Shelby goes through to sort her life out. I smiled and laughed through much of it, especially the part where Shelby sends flowers to herself at work in order to make Matt jealous. Unfortunately (?) she decides to invent a man to send them, you know, like when Sandra Dee sent flowers to herself in that old movie and then pretended to be a secretary ordering them for her boss? Shelby puts a lot of thought into it, inventing the boss's name and all. She used to love reruns of Davy Jones in the Monkees hence her new guy becomes David Jones. To Shelby's mortification Matt tracks down a real David Jones and goes and threatens the life out of him.

No more plot giveaway (except for the highly entertaining subplot of Shelby's romance-author mom Diana of no libido, and Matt's gorgeous uncle Lance). Just the best quote, my favorite from the book: 'Shelby closed her Nora Roberts novel. She always hated to come to the end of a good story. It was a little like having a friend move away just as you were getting close.' (Sheila Rabe, Be My Valentine, page 143.) AMEN. Not only is Sheila Rabe not afraid to drop a fellow author's name, she knows exactly how I felt when I finished Be My Valentine.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Valentine Delight, March 28, 2001

By 

Denise Woods - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be My Valentine (Paperback)

Shelby has one wish for New Years - she wants her boyfriend Matt to give her an engagement ring! Well she can forget about it because good looking, self-centered, Matt has no intention of marrying her. He's perfectly happy with things as they are because with little or no effort he has a beautiful, smart woman to go out with, share his bed and cook for him whenever he drops by. Shelby shares her frustration with her Mom, Diana, a gorgeous, accomplished romance novelist who has no illusions about men and is content with the lifestyle that her career provides. She wants to tell her daughter to forget about Matt, but understands that she needs to learn herself. Reluctantly she tells Shelby to send flowers to herself in order to make Matt jealous. Shebly does it and signs the card with a name she makes up: David Jones. Well David Jones turns out to be very real, very attractive and very much attracted to Shelby. As Matt figures out that he's losing his girlfriend to another man, he seeks the advice of his rich, middle aged, and handsome playboy uncle, Lance Gregory, who owns an upscale jewelry store chain. Uncle Lance likes young women and the fast life and tells Matt that he can win Shelby back by giving her jewelry and in the meantime he agrees that he will distract her disapproving mother, Diana, so that Matt can successfully get back with Shelby. Little does Uncle Lance know what a profound effect Diana will have on his playboy ways. All in all, this is a fun romantic read and the romance that blossoms between both Shelby and David and Diana and Lance give this book a great twist. It's one for the collection.