Review Detail

My High School Valentine Boyfriend is a swoony, sweet teen romance. Shay and Finn are matched to work together on the school’s Valentine’s Day committee. Finn is a bit of a grinch about Valentine’s Day and makes his opinions heard openly, saying it’s a day of commercialism. His parents are divorced, and it’s contributed to his bitterness about the holiday. The committee decides to bake heart shaped cookies for the holiday.

Shay comes from a big, happy, healthy family. Her dad works for a bakery and helps Shay plan the logistics of how to get the cookies baked. As Shay and Finn work together, they get to know each other better and their attraction grows.

What worked:
Finn’s situation bouncing between households of his divorced parents felt very realistic. A lot of kids struggle with the same thing, and it was good to see it portrayed in a YA novel. I think a lot of teens would be able to identify with what he was going through. The contrast of Shay’s big happy family made my heart ache for Finn. I wanted to watch her family embrace him, and was happy to see it happen.

What left me wanting more:
I would have loved to see a bit more of Shay’s family taking Finn under their wing, especially when things get worse with his family situation.

Finn was so grumpy in this book. It was a bit hard to read at times, and it was difficult to like him. I could understand why Shay didn’t like him for so much of the book. A big chunk of the story was spent with them hating each other, and that wasn’t really resolved until near the end. I would have liked to see them soften toward each other a bit sooner.

The Final Verdict:
This sweet teen holiday novel is perfect to curl up and read on a rainy afternoon. It was fun to watch the characters grow to like each other. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a lighthearted, quick clean romance.

See my review on Cindyrayhale.com: https://www.cindyrayhale.com/reviews/2021/6/14/my-high-school-valentine-boyfriend-by-kylie-key