Book Review: My Lost Valentine by James Micael Pratt

WARNING: Do not read in public. This fictional love story surrounded by the semi-reality of World War II is the most beautiful story I was able to discover. With all this hype surrounding 50 Shades of Grey and the infamous love triangle in the Hunger Games series, it was nice to read a love story that made me melt into love in a way that I never imagined. A love that I can’t even fathom to exist in reality today. A love worth waiting 50 years for and a promise that makes you believe that true love isn’t just a something we read in fairytales. Hats off to the author who created memorable characters that will forever live in the corners of my heart.

Many love stories begin with rainbows and butterflies but sometimes end with demise, but “My Lost Valentine” was a riveting love story that instilled hope and wonder even in the moments of sadness and uncertainty. We begin the story with a quirky woman in 1944 and as she helps the soliders coming in and heading out from union station she falls into the arms she believe she had lost to war, Neil Thomas. He is confused with the beauty he laid his eyes on and from that moment knew he could never leave his secret love again. On February 14, 1944, these two lovebirds wed, but it wasn’t long until Neil was called back into war leaving Caroline with their son alone.

We venture into this story 65 years into the future of Caroline and Neil’s love story, and we are introduced to Neil Thomas Jr. the son who has written about his parents love story in the local paper and Susan Allison is a reporter who is trying to get more publicity out of this story. This isn’t Susan’s typical story and she is only trying to get by her boss by doing the bare miniumium but she soon realizes that once you start this love story you feel obligated to finish.

This was an amazing novel that had a dual love working side by side. There is a film that was released in 2011 with Betty White playing Caroline and Jennifer Love Hewitt playing Susan and even though these actresses were in my opinion perfect for these roles the story line was different then the story. I much preferred the story even though both of these mediums required a bag of tissues.