Have a page turning Valentines Day party with these book mail buddies

The other week, I highlighted some of my book mail additions to my ever growing TBR and with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I have a nice trio of titles from Gallery Books that seem suitable for such an occasion.

First up is The Wedding Menu by Letizia Lorini, which begins with Amelie Preston preparing to get over the worst year of her life. Her dream wedding to her high school sweetheart Frank dissolved into nothingness, she’s lost her chef job and her best friend is barely speaking to her.

However, Amelie has a chance at a do-over by attending a major cooking expo, which happens to be set in the hometown of Ian Roberts,a charmingly snarky fellow that she met at a wedding and instantly clicked with. Trouble is, his family and hers are professional rivals and this new found connection between them is layered with business secrets seasoned to imperfection.

Can Amelie and Ian create a new recipe for happiness or are they stuck with the same emotional menu as before? This does sound like quite the engaging edible story that’s sure to be as sweet as any wedding cake tasting would be:

Next, the lovely paperback edition of Christina Lauren’s The Paradise Problem is now available and yes, I did read this in it’s hardcover incarnation (BOTM copy) last year.

When Anna married Liam back in their college days, it was strictly for better access to campus housing. Four years later, Liam shows up in need of a plus-one to a family wedding and since his inheritance is tied to maintaining a five year marriage, he is willing to pay Anna for her assistance in this matter.

Having just lost her retail job and still paying off her dad’s medical debt, Anna feels that this is her best shot at financial solvency at the moment. However, upon spending more time with Liam at the remote resort island where his sister’s nuptials are taking place and seeing him deal with his discordant family, this becomes less of a business arrangement for Anna there.

Can the two of them truly make a love connection or are Anna’s feelings simply one sided? I do enjoy Lauren’s well developed characters and the emotional complexity given to all concerned. If you’re in the mood for a romance with Succession vibes in a White Lotus type setting, this is must-read material indeed:

For something a tad different, we have Grace of the Empire State, a debut novel by Gemma Tizzard.

In June of 1930, Grace O’Connell is thrilled to be achieving her dream of being a dancer in a show at Times Square.

However, when her twin brother Patrick is injured on his job as a riveter, she must take his place on the work crew for the Empire State Building, a position that pays well enough to support their family still in dire straits upon the death of their father.

While her natural sense of balance aids Grace in doing such  dangerous work, keeping her true identity a secret is just as risky. Is she able to maintain this high wire act or will one misstep throw everyone off beam?

“Hey, this isn’t a romance!” No and not everyone needs a love story for Valentine’s Day. If instead, you want a well crafted historical fiction with a smart and savvy leading lady, then this book should be your best bet here:

I do wish everyone a happy Valentine’s Day and/or weekend on their own terms. Given the concerning headlines these days, taking time out for some romantic amusement is good and also for non-romantic entertainment as well.

Self care is important and if done in proper balance with regular life, a vital necessity in these troubled times. Do something good for yourself this week, whether it’s reading that book you’ve been meaning to get to or just going out for a nice lunch, treats are definitely fundamental: