Kathy Hamilton 
I had initially planned to have this book finished for Valentine’s Day, in fact I went on a hunt for a book with “Valentine’s” in the title specifically so that I could review it. That said, I was actually surprised how hard it was to find a book that fulfilled this requirement. In fact, this was the only book I found that featured the name. Considering that up until the 14th of February you couldn’t move for Valentine’s Day merchandise, this surprised me. But good old Mills and Boon swooped in and saved the day by publishing this book, and then I failed you all and didn’t even finish the book in time!
I actually really enjoyed this book. Mills and Boon gets a bad reputation for producing formulaic trashy fiction, but I think you should look passed this. In my experience Mills and Boon usually produces some really well written escapist literature, far from trashy. Yes, this book is undoubtedly a romance and yes, it’s sometimes a bit cheesy- “blazing looks” anyone? But having tried hard to diversify my reading habits recently, I have come to realise that these stock phrases and occasional cheese are in no way unique to romance fiction. Plus, there is enough plot here to make the story interesting.
The premise of “The Trouble With Valentine’s” is this; “Hallie Bennett loves flirting with danger. So when a man with trouble written all over him walks into her shoe shop, she finds him impossible to refuse. Nick needs a “wife” for a week to seal a Hong Kong business deal, Hallie needs £5,000. It might not be the most traditional Valentines Day proposal, but she’s hardly a traditional girl…
Two beautiful (and borrowed) Tiffany rings later, and Hallies on her way to live the high life. But the trip comes with a deadly twist.”
Having the “hire a wife” aspect in this book was a fun take on the usual boy meets girl style story, and reminded me of the film “What Happens in Vegas” slightly, in that these people are together for a monetary purpose initially. In fact, my experience of reading this book was like reading a “RomCom”, it was funny, well-paced, and left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling when I finished it. Hallie and Nick fit really well, they had enough give and take in their relationship to make it feel realistic. Plus Hallie is no walkover, which is always a plus for me. She constantly asserts her independence and makes Nick realise how valuable she is as both a business partner and a romantic interest, Kelly Hunter seemed very aware of some of the frustrations romantic fiction creates in terms of weak heroines and tackled them head on and I appreciated this. Hallie has career aspirations and a life outside of her relationship with Nick. Even better, Nick actually had feelings! This is a trend I’ve noticed more and more with romantic fiction and I’m really enjoying it. Gone is the impenetrable icy hero who gives nothing away and acts like a prat until the final page, and in his place is someone who isn’t afraid to analyse what he’s feeling and is at times vulnerable.
Overall I’m very pleased with “The Trouble With Valentine’s” and with Mills and Boon, I mean come on, there’s not a cheesily staged scantily clad couple in sight, that’s got to be a good sign! Yes, I was pretty sure I’d worked out the mystery of the novel well before the end, but anyone who’s ever watched a film with me will know that this is not unusual for me. I pride myself in being able to unravel a plot and am only surpassed in this ability by my Mam, who occasionally doesn’t even have to see the film to have worked out the twist at the end! This aside, I liked that this book was set in Hong Kong, as it added a little spice and exoticism, I liked Nick and Hallie, and I liked the secondary characters…that’s a lot of likes!
If you want a light-hearted read before bed I want you to read this book! If you’ve never read a romance before why not try this one, and if you are a lover of romantic fiction, what’s your favourite?! I’m always looking for a good new romance to add to my to-read list!
