Conversations with Kav – Valentine’s Day Book Tag + Giveaway

‘Tis that time of year when a young (or old) reader’s fancy turns to books…well, technically, that’s all the time…but today we’re going to celebrate the love of all things bookish in honour of St. Valentine’s Day with a:

Valentine’s Day Book Tag and Giveaway

To participate in the giveaway simply answer one or two (or as many as you want) Book Tag questions in a comment. You’ll be entered in a draw for either a Baker Book House or Amazon gift card (value $10). US and Canada entries only. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 14 2026.

The Questions:
  1. First book crush
  2. A book you love that no one else is talking about.
  3. Standalone book you love
  4. Favourite Love Triangle
  5. Favourite Book Couple
  6. Book that other people love but you don’t.
  7. A book that depicts a favourite romance trope.
  8. This year’s Valentine’s Day Read
My Answers:

First Book Crush

It’s a tie — between Gilbert Blythe and Jim Frayne. I started reading both series at the same time and discovered the wonders of book boyfriends.

Is it weird that I still get swoony when I look at these images of Trixie Belden and Jim Frayne? I think if I had to choose between Gilbert and Jim, I’d have to pick Jim. And now I need to reread some of my Trixie Belden books!

A Book I Love That No One Else is Talking About

This book never got the attention it deserved. My first experience with WhiteCrown Publishing and I was impressed. Still get twitterpated when I think about it!

Standalone Book I Love

I’ve been meaning to revisit this one too. Might even have been my first Christian Fiction rom/com!

Favourite Love Triangle

No. Just. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Favourite Book Couple:

Way too many to pick just one but I’ll say Freddie and Grace because I recently read The Juliet Code and am gearing up to read The Highland Heist. They’re just such a great couple and since it’s a five book series, we’re given ample time to really bond with them. Love how Pepper Basham has kept their romance alive in every book. Fun to see a happily ever after play out.

Book That Other People Love and You Don’t

A Book That Depicts a Favourite Romance Trope

Not sure if magical realism is considered a trope, but I love it! This book was such a great surprise.

This Year’s Valentine’s Day Read:

Been on my TBR for awhile. I read the second book (St. Patrick’s Day) first and it’s time I got around to this one. Plus — woohoo, hockey hero so it counts for the Olympics Readathon!

You’re turn. Let’s get the conversation started!

31 thoughts on “Conversations with Kav – Valentine’s Day Book Tag + Giveaway”

  1. Book that I love is We are the lucky ones by Georgia Hunter. Yes it’s the same book as the tv show I’ve never seen it nor plan to. The book is loosely based on her paternal side and how they all survived WW2 and being Jewish which she didn’t find out until she was a teenager. She had to fill in alot of the blanks from other holocaust survivors from the many camps so it’s written as fiction.

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  2. My first book crush – that still continues to this day – is Gilbert. Oh Gilbert. I love him! He cannot be topped.

    kathrynlvossATgmailDOTcom

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  3. Happy Sunday! This is a great tag for Valentine’s Day! I have really had to put on my thinking cap for this one. I’ve read randomly over the years, but it wasn’t until we got a Christian bookstore nearby that I really had access to good books and got hooked.

    The first crush I can really remember was Jim Micah in Flee the Night by Susan Warren.

    I’m interested in the book you said no one was talking about, Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer. It didn’t get a lot of pr, I don’t think White Crown does much of that. When I did finally see it, it was the royal aspect that didn’t appeal. But, once in a while there’s one worth it so I may give this one a try after seeing it various places. After all, Christmas in the Castle Library was a royal book and so good!

    Standalone books can be harder than I’d imagined to find, so many of what I read are in series. I did enjoy A Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter.

    Favorite Love triangle trope has me laughing because I know how much you hate them Kav. I’m not a fan either. The closest I could come is unrequited love in Sweet on You by Becky Wade with Britt and Zander. Best friends, he loves her but can’t stand to see her dating other guys so he goes away. She doesn’t see him that way…until she does.

    I think you win the prize for picking the favorite couple with Freddie and Grace in The Mistletoe Countess. I so agree! Pepper has a lot of great couples, but I have some other favorites too. Susan May Warren has Owen and Scotty in You’re the One that I Want, Denise Hunter has Daniel and Jade in Dancing with Fireflies and Becky Wade has Remy and Jeremiah in Memory Lane to name a few.

    I’ve not spent much time thinking about my favorite tropes, so I just looked back at the last book read that will be on my favorites of the year. Where Stillness Speaks by debut author Chelsey Welwood is the first of 2026. It’s listed as slow burn, enemies to more. (another great couple in Audra and Tobias) I’ll read “most” any trope if it’s by a favorite author.

    I read My Phony Valentine last year and loved it. This year I read Smoochin’ My Valentine…Again by Madison Love. It’s a shoot off of a series that all the titles start with Smoochin’. I do wish she had just used the word Kissing, smoochin’ downplays how good the books really are. A young married couple find out they’re pregnant the same day the husband has an accident and gets amnesia.

    I enjoyed my walk down memory lane with some of my favorite books. Thanks for the fun and giveaway Kav! 🙂 tracey14567 atgmail dotcom

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    1. I’m not surprised that one of Susan May Warren’s heroes is a first crush….so many great examples to choose from! Trust the Stars is so much more than a royal romance. It’s absolutely gobsmackingly good! Hope you get to read it sometime.

      I had to hunt for a standalone too. So many of the books on my shelves are series books. But then Siri Mitchell’s jumped out at me and is also appropriately pink for Valentine’s. 🙂

      It’s hard to pick just one favourite couple, isn’t it? Not surprised to see Susan May Warren in your list again. Have you read all her books? I’m hopelessly not caught up and am scared to put her on my read to zero author list because that would be so overwhelming!

      You just helped me spend another audible credit, Tracey. Your high praise for Where Stillness Speaks sold me! I just started My Phone Valentine last night — that meet cute is awesome!!!! I’m definitely in the mood for a rom/com and I know Courtney Walsh will deliver that as well as emotional depth. I’ve heard you speak about Madison Love before, she’s still an unknown for me, but she’s on my radar now thanks to you. Good luck, Tracey!

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      1. I bought Flee the Night at my local Christian bookstore in 2005. I think I read the series Team Hope 3 times, this was before amazon and ebooks reduced my rereading to 1 or 2 books a year. I’ve read her books for 20 years and have read 92 at last count, averages to less than 5 a year, so doable. I just read she has 135, but I’ll never read them all, especially not the Rembrandt Stone series, not my genre.

        By comparison, I’ve read just as many of Shanna Hatfield and Jo Grafford because most of their books are on KU and I can read one right after another. It’s been fun not to have to wait for next book in series to come out. I’ve read 90 of Jo’s in less than a year and 105 of Shanna’s in 2 years. Those are my top 3 author book counts, they are all so prolific and I like their writing style.

        I think you will love Chelsey’s book! And she’s Canadian too. After I read and reviewed Where Stillness Speaks, I posted my review to Avid Readers of Christian Fiction on FB. I then messaged her and invited Chelsey to join the group and she did. She has been a hit with the group and had so many readers chime in with their own love of it. If there was ever a second book I’m looking forward to it’s hers. She said it may be out later this year and I’m cheering her on. I love finding new Christian fiction talented authors like her.

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      2. And I love that you share your finds with us!!!!! Much appreciated.

        Whoa – 92 Susan May Warren books, that’s amazing. I love that you have been following her for 20 years! That’s a compliment to her storytelling for sure. And 90 of Jo Grafford’s books in one year?! Thud! Shanna Hatfield’s book count too. I can definitely understand the appeal of being able to get them on KU and not having to wait for the next book in a series to come out when you’re playing catch up like that. It’s much too expensive to try and do that with print copies. Happy Reading, Tracey!

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      3. Kav, it’s like going to the library and checking out 5 books to read that week then return for 5 more the next week, so easy to fly through all the series that way.

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  4. Good Sunday!
    #3. A stand-alone book that I love is The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox. So much love in that one.

    #5. Favorite book couple is Willow and Corbin in Falling for You, my favorite Becky Wade book.

    #6. Before I saw your answers this book popped into my mind as the book that didn’t work for me, Trust the Stars (sorry).

    #7 I think I like ALL the tropes and I just can’t choose one favorite!

    I may have to reread My Phony Valentine again this year, love that one!

    Sandyavery at comcast dot net

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    1. Oh, yes The Edge of Belonging is a great standalone choice! Becky Wade has certainly written some memorable romantic couples, Willow and Corbin among them! swoon! Nooooo, Trust the Stars didn’t work for you? Ah well, just goes to show how subjective reading is, what one reader loves, another doesn’t and that’s okay, there’s enough bookish variety for all of us! Glad to see more praise for My Phone Valentine. It’s fun to read it during the actual season. Good luck, Sandy!

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  5. Fun taking a trip now memory lane!

    1. 1st book crush: Colonel Cassius McLinn in The Colonel’s Lady by Laura Frantz

    2. Book you love that no one else is talking about: The Healing Rose of Savannah by Jenny Elaine

    3. Standalone book you love: Indigo Isle by TI Lowe

    4. Favorite Love Triangle: Eva, Leon, and Asher in The Whispering Shadows of Savannah by Jenny Elaine (I can’t remember anymore!)

    5. Favorite book couple: So so many, but I’ll go with Roxanna Rowan & Cassius McLinn in The Colonel’s Lady

    6. Book other people love, but you don’t: The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold

    7. Book that depicts a favourite romance trope: Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet (second chance romance trope)

    8. This Year’s Valentine’s Read: Still the One by Susan May Warren & Rachel D. Russell (been on Kindle for awhile now)

    Thanks, Kav, for the fun Valentine’s Day giveaway! dianalflowers at aol dot com

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      1. Laura Frantz does write good heroes. Lots of angst too! How serial killerish is The Healing Rose of Savannah? Like super graphic and creepy? Or a level I could cope with? I’ve only heard about it from you and it’s been out for over a year now and has a 4.5 rating on Good Reads, though only 45 reviews.

        Yikes, I still haven’t read Indigo Isle and I forgot to put it on my 26 in 26 list! Oops. Brave you, having a favourite love triangle. You will never hear those words from me! Bwahahaha! Interesting that you didn’t love Mrs Kip. I find it so interesting how varied we readers can be when it comes to likes and dislikes, even within the same genre.

        I don’t think I’ve read anything by Rebekah Millet but I do love a good second chance trope. Still the One looks like a perfect Valentine read, from the heartsy cover to a blizzard theme! That sounds about right for Valentine’s Day up here in Canada. 🙂 Good luck, Diane! Enjoyed the trip down memory lane with you.

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      2. I remember Red Shirt & Cassius, but the other heroes from Laura’s books didn’t come to mind. So Cassius it is! He was so romantic. I can do love triangles, but not a steady diet of them. lol I may have liked Mrs. Kip if I could’ve gotten past the death scene in the nursing home. It depressed me! Indigo Isle is a modern day take on Beauty & the Beast so I think you’ll like it!

        The serial killer was mostly an eerie shadow in the background. The most graphic part was when he 1st did his dirty deed & I think you can handle that. There is a nice HEA. Here’s a short review I wrote on GRs about The Healing Rose of Savannah. “Wow! Jenny Elaine is a new-to-me author and what a prolific writer she is! My emotions ran the gamut with this one and isn’t that what a master storyteller does? . . . evoke the reader to laugh one minute and cry the next? The serial killer scenes are more in the background (and aren’t overly graphic), with the focus more on the lives and loves of the characters during WWII. Just began reading Book 2 in the series, The Whispering Shadows of Savannah, and it promises to be just as intriguing!

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      4. It’s also a dual-timeline. It took me less than 24 hours to read, but books are so subjective & you may not enjoy it. If not, you can get your money refunded from Amazon within a week’s time as long as you don’t read too much of the book (or listen).

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  6. Speaking of book love in general, the first “adult” one would be Christy. A main male character in a book who was unforgettable in early reading in grade school into high school – I don’t particularly remember. As previously mentioned in comments, Becky Wade has had several books (earlier releases) with strong romantic characters who were interesting couples. A standalone book I really enjoyed by an author who typically does series would be Rosanna White’s Yesterday’s Tides. I noticed that a nonfiction book of interest is currently on sale, so I plan to purchase that (and it will probably be my next weekend’s read). Second chance romance – Lauraine Snelling has several good ones in her older North Dakota series.

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    1. Christy brings back memories. I didn’t read it as a teen. My introduction was from a movie…or serial tv series? Does anyone remember that? Then I read the book much later. Oh yes, Roseanna M. White — loved Yesterday’s Tides and I should have thought of her latest Christmas book for my standalone pick – The Christmas Book Flood. Good luck, CC!

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  7. I don’t have answers for every question, but here are a few.

    A book you love that no one else is talking about – I really enjoyed the first two books in Megan Soja’s Harbor of Spies series! I haven’t had a chance to read the third yet, but maybe it’ll be my Valentine’s Day read. She is wearing a pink dress on the cover. 😉

    Standalone book you love – Hmmm that’s a tough one. A lot of books I read are a part of a series (but I guess they might still count if you can read them without needing to read the others?) I’d probably say To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

    Favourite Love Triangle – I’m trying to decide if The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham counts as a love triangle… If so, that’s definitely my favorite!

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    1. I’ve heard of Megan Soda but haven’t read her books yet. She’s been mentioned a lot during Reader’s Choice Weeks. I know, I found it hard to think of a standalone when I was writing this post and now stray ones keep coming to mind. 🙂 Good luck, Bridget!

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  8. First book crush – Joe Woodard from the Mandies. I reread one of the books with my son and I’m confused why I thought he was such a great character. His jealousy and control are kind of red flags, but definitely obsessed as a teen 😆 2. A book I love that no one else is talking about – Northargyle Abbie by Janelle Leonard 3. Stand-alone Book I love – Neverending Mercy by Latisha Sexton. This question was so hard! Turns out I tend to read books in series. I do enjoy reading books within a world that can be read as stand-alone but have characters make appearances from other books. Dee Henderson is great at this. 4. Favorite Love Triangle – you couldn’t pay me to read one 😂 5. Favorite book couple – romantic – Jack O’ Malley and Cassie from Dee Henderson‘s The Protector. Non-romantic – Holly Cross and Richard Marx. 6. Book that other people love that I don’t – Secrets, Lies, and Deadly Ties by Tawni Suchy. The love triangle was so uncomfortable and the kissing was too descriptive, especially with the weird love triangle. Plus the faith element was really marketed but almost non-existent in the actual book. 7. A book that presents a favorite romance trope – this might not count because I’m thinking of the movie (and I’ve never read the book), but…Emma! That is the reason I love friends to more and age gap. I’m looking forward to Janelle Leonard’s Emma retelling. 8. This year’s Valentines Day Read – I’ve been in such a reading rut lately, that I have no idea. I keep trying to start a Michael Phillips’s romance but they can be slow starting. Definitely a mood reader!

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    1. I never read the Mandie series but I find it so funny that you don’t know what you saw in that first fictional crush all these years later. Sounds like Joe didn’t last the test of time! Yeesssss Northargyle Abbie is amazing and not talked about enough for sure!

      I’m like you, tend to read more series books and I do love when the books are written in such a way that they can also be enjoyed as standalones. I keep running into recommendations for Neverending Mercy by Latisha Sexton – I guess I really need to read something by her!

      Yipee!!! Kindred anti love triangle spirit! Bwahahaha! Like your couple mentions — Dee Henderson writes such emotional depth in her relationships. And you’re reminding me I really need to get back to the Holly series.That’s too bad about Secrets, Lies and Deadly Ties. I’d never heard of it but the book blurb looks intriguing however not even a hint of a love triangle which is a hard no for me. I really need a LT to be at least hinted at in a book description so I don’t get blindsided.

      I did not know Janelle Leonard has an Emma retelling coming out! Or maybe I sorta did? I’m sure it will be stupendous! A well written friends to more trope is always a win. I hope you find the perfect mood read for Valentine’s Day, Rebecca! Good luck!

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  9. Not a particular book, but my favorite love triangle is when there are two guys mentioned, but the girl only likes the one, and it’s obvious. Also the other guy is a bit of a jerk so you never like him anyway… 😜 In other words I don’t like traditional (or mostly any) love triangles.

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    1. Bwahahaha! I like the way you think. Yes, a love triangle where one of the guys is absolutely Not in the running and you know it for the very start is much preferred to the other kind. Good luck, Sabrina!

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  11. 1.I generally don’t have book crushes, no matter how excellent the hero, but I must have read The Witch of Blackbird Pond at an impressionable age, because I did indeed have quite the crush on Nat Eaton

    3. My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade – I’ve read it 5 times now and still get all the feels!

    4. I’m in complete accord with you – No love triangles!

    7. Proposing Mischief by Regina Jennings – I really enjoy a well-written marriage of convenience

      rdalquist AT gmail DOT com

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      1. OOooohhh, now that’s a blast from the past! The Witch of Blackbird Pond was a favourite of mine as well. I felt sooooo grown up reading it! 🙂 Wow, rereading a book 5 times is certainly an endorsement! I love a marriage of convenience trope too! I have a few on my TBR come to think of it. Might have to edge them up in the queue! Good luck, Rachael!

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    1. Valentine ~ The Heart of Bennet Hollow and my very favorite couple also by same author I give accolades for every chance I get ~ drum roll… Lonnie Sawyer and Gideon O’Riley from her Cadence of Grace series, beginning with Be Still My Soul. YaY, Joanne Bischof DeWitt ~ every bit of her heart is a treasure. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House lanehillhouse(at)gmail(dot)com

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