"...you’ve always gotten what you wanted, or demanded it, but now that you’re in a solid relationship, you realize that’s not going to fly anymore?"
This is a past due review and I'm upset that it has taken me so long to get to it. Life lifeing, per usual... But lets get into this review, shall we?
Love Me This Valentine's Day is the second release from Jasmine Nicole and also my second ARC from this author. LMTVD is about Crystal and Martin, who were introduced as an already established couple in Jasmine's first release: Love Me This Christmas. Since the couple met during the Christmas holiday, it makes since to start their story in that season.
This novella opens with the day that Crystal and Martin meet, at a Christmas event at the rec center that she works at as the parent coordinator. While Martin, who is an ER nurse, was only coming in as Santa to cover for someone else, Crystal ends up being Mrs. Claus because she lost a bet to her best friend and co-worker.
The couple hit it off seemingly right off the bat, even though Crystal wanted to act shy and nervous at first. But thanks to her bestie, Natalie, Ms. Fuck and Duck makes her way to him, where they set up plans for a date the next night. At this date, they discover Crystal's father is someone that Martin admires and looks up to while Crystal, on the other hand, has an iffy relationship with her parents. But that didn't deter them from crashing into each other at the end of the night.
Chapter 1 begins 5 years later, with Crystal still having that same contentious relationship with her parents as she did when we first learned about it. But she appeases her mother anyway. But we also get the slight enviousness she has for her best friend, who's loving being engaged and a new-ish mom again, while her own relationship with Martin has become stagnant. Between people questioning when they'd make that trip down the aisle and him working long hours at the hospital, things had become... off. Not that there were doubts on whether the love was still there or anything. It's just difficult to be content when the patterns of your relationship change in a way you aren't a fan of.
Throughout the book, Crystal has plans in her mind about when and how Martin will propose to her... for Valentine's Day. Because, why wouldn't he, right? When things don't go as she predicted, the spoiled brat that she is comes out full force. Martin on the other hand, knows he loves Crystal and has no question on whether he wants to marry her. But he has his own plans on how and when he will do things.
Martin wants the foundation to be SOLID before popping the question. And financially, he feels like things could be better. With a woman like Crytal, he can't come half-stepping. Not when she's used to being able to get whatever she desires whenever she wants it. I mean, even with her rocky relationship with her parents, Crystal didn't HAVE to want for anything. She just chose to be Ms. Independent to prove she can get it on her own. So when Crystal became a big brat, things come to a head between our lovely couple.
Our hero is not without his faults. (Read the book to find out what I mean) But what I can say is, he tries to make up for where he slacks. AND HE LISTENS!!!!! He proves that what Crystal mentions, even casually, does not fall on deaf ears. I LOVE a man that actually listens. I also love a man that can set a woman straight if she gets out of pocket. And Martin definitely was able to tell Crystal in no unwavering tone that she was spoiled and demanding as fuck. He'd allowed it for so long that it caught sis by surprise when he put his foot down. Let me just say now, I loved reading about him doing that.
One thing this book proves with this couple is that GOOD communication and true blue friendships are necessary to get back on track when things look to be derailed. Sometimes, just knowing that you love each other is not enough to survive, and these two show that throughout the story. To find out how Crystal and Martin handled their issues to get to their blessed HEA, check out the ebook here.
Love Me This Valentine's Day was a very cute read. I personally think most of the tension fell on the heroine's side in this book. Yes, we love a bleeding heart man, but make it equal. My girl was getting beat down from her man and her bestie. There were also some details I wish were added to the conversation because I still have some questions. Hopefully they will be answered in the next installment. (Which I know there's another because Nat & Fury gotta get down the aisle too... Plus, it's mentioned in the back of the book. lol) All in all, I rated the book a solid 4 and I look forward to more from Jasmine Nicole as she grows in the indie publishing game. I also want to thank the author for an advanced copy of this release for an honest review. My apologies for the late arrival.