Book Review : The Valentine's Card by Juliet Ashton

The Valentine's Card by Juliet Ashton

Published by : Sphere (17 Jan 2013)

Received a review copy from the Malaysian distributor, thank you!

The blurb:

The Valentine's card was meant to be Orla's fairy tale ending, but really, it was only the beginning... 

Orla adores her actor boyfriend, Sim, who's away filming a sumptuous costume drama. Although the long-distance relationship means that she can eat toast for dinner and watch as much reality TV as she likes, she misses him like crazy.

But Valentine's Day changes everything . . . The same morning Orla learns that Sim has died, she receives a card from him. As Orla travels from Ireland to London, to live and breathe Sim's final moments, can she bring herself to open the Valentine's card and read his final message?

What I thought about it:

When I saw the cover of The Valentine's Card, I was instantly attracted to the book, you have no idea the wonders cover can do for books. They draw your attention and make you want to pick them up at bookstores the minute you lay eyes on them. I was so thrilled when I got this in the mailbox, keen to start on it as I was really intrigued by the blurb.

The premise of the book is really captivating as it managed to draw my attention to the plot. The Valentine's Card is about Orla (what a name! I think it's Irish), who is devastated to discover the death of her boyfriend, Sim. On Valentine's Day, what a sucker punch. Immediately, the mood of the book went a few shades darker, therefore the book started off on a dismal note.

Don't get me wrong, I thought the book started off well as it contributed to the plot, but I was really hoping that Orla and Sim's relationship would be delve into more before his death. At least I did enjoy the bits and pieces of Sim's journal, trust me, although he's dead, he was such a charmer. To be honest, I couldn't really warm up to Orla throughout the book, maybe it's just me, but others might be able to relate to her.

This book is definitely a powerful book which deals with love, loss and moving on. I wouldn't go so far to say it was a really heartwarming tale, but it will certainly pull some of your heart strings and compel you to shed a few tears. But what made me flip the pages was the Valentine's card. I did really like the snippets of Orla and Sim's time together as a couple and Sim's journal entries, which acted as a lightener in the book.

Verdict:

For me, I can't say I loved it but I did enjoy some parts of the book, which made me smile at Sim's really charming behaviour and some parts did move me, on how Orla dealt with it. A good debut novel by Juliet Ashton, worth picking up if you're feeling for a tearjerker.

Rating : 3.5/5