The book is filled with stories of love and romance set in the Jane Austen era. I love the variety of authors and how each story gives readers a taste of amazing writing from six talented authors. I did have a hard time with the book because the stories were not in chronological order and I was quite confused. One of the stories was a bit too long and could have been shortened. For a reader who has read Jane Austen books may find this collection hard to follow.

I Dream of You by Robin Helm

I loved this story because it reminded me of two people courting. Elizabeth wants to make sure her husband always wants to be with her. She dreams of romance and times shared with her husband. Those dreams become a reality in a way when she finds ways to share time with him and keep the romance alive in their marriage. It's a sweet story of love and devotion between two people.

Sir Walter Takes a Wife by Laura Hile

Sir Walter is certainly a person of judgment. He looks down on those that are not up to his standard and I had to laugh as he thought a prominent woman was coming by his table perhaps to chat with him. Maybe he should be a bit more friendly and less stuck up. His desire to have a wife is not exactly romantic, but he thinks he is a catch. Sir Walter has his eyes on Lady Catherine and is so sure she will be smitten with him. Their letters back and forth are funny as each tries to be cordial. I liked the story and was intrigued by who Sir Walter would end up with.

My Forever Valentine by Wendi Sotis

This story was fun to read and I adored Elizabeth. Looks like there is some matchmaking going on and I was interested to find out who would get Eliabeth's attention. I am finding that this book is chocked full of delightful characters and I love the time period. Elizabeth will have her hands full when two scheming people try to play cupid for her.

Pretense and Prejudice by Barbara Cornthwaite

This story had a bit of intrigue in it that I really enjoyed. It's hard to determine just who to believe when Elizabeth and Darcy meet. Why would Darcy present himself as a Reverend? Is he hiding something? There is talk among people that there are French spies among them. Elizabeth is certain that the Reverend she met is a spy and is beside herself. The story was good and I liked the mystery surrounding the characters. I liked the part about the characters talking about lying and how "honesty is is the most important of the virtues."

My Valentine by Mandy Cook

Right away I knew I was going to like Charlotte. She is a bundle of en energy at four years old. I liked how she wanted to have friends and be outside playing. I could feel her longing for a normal childhood. What child at four years old wants to play piano and be stuck inside a lonely house? Her antics were fun to read and I liked how her mother and father adored her. When Charlotte contracts an illness the house is in an uproar. Charlotte has never been sick before and her illness is very concerning. Oh my that child is full of mischief even when sick. I laughed when I read that she wanted to sip drops of water from a thimble. The story moves forward to when Charlotte is a young woman. It is a mystery who has sent her a valentine since she was five. I loved how the author slowly introduces us to a grown up Charlotte who finds her valentine in a most delightful story.

The Lover's Ruse by Susan Kaye

This is a true love story in which everything seems to be against the couple who is in love. Anne's family does not think Frederick is right for her. As they begin to see each other it becomes harder for them to be apart. I loved how deep their love for each other was and how it hurt to be apart. When Frederick gets his orders to ship out it becomes hard for the couple to think about anything else but being together. The ending is wonderful and I loved the spunk Anne showed her family as they continued trying to talk her out of marrying Frederick.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. ( )

A Very Austen Valentine focuses on various characters from Jane Austen’s books and their relationships at Valentine’s Day. The individual stories are enjoyable to read, and I loved finding out how various characters met the love of their lives. If you like historical fiction, then this is the perfect book for you.

My first and largest complaint about this book is the stories are not placed in order. Constant jumping forward and backward in time made this book annoying to follow at times. I wish the stories had been placed in chronological order so it would have been easier to follow.

I think one thing I really enjoyed about the book was the various characters appeared in the various stories so I was able to learn more about them. So check this book out for yourself. ( )