Valentine Princess – My Funny Valentine

Another short novella done before I return to the regular series. I almost read this in one sitting but I fell asleep before I could and finished it up the next day instead. This one was a bit confusing because it’s listed as taking place before the eighth book but after Sweet Sixteen Princess, but the actual story appears to take place between volumes IV and V.

It’s simple. The prologue mentions Mia discovers her freshman diary where she wrote about her first Valentine’s Day with Michael before she goes to Genovia for the summer at the end of her sophomore year.

Now Michael and Mia are dating, the latter is really looking forward to Valentine’s Day with him but none of her friends, other than Tina, seem to be interested in the celebration. I understand where they are coming from because I’ve never been a fan of Valentine’s Day either since I hit high school. It’s just a commercialization of how important it is to society to have a significant other and to go spend money on cheap gifts for them when reality you should give them love and affection every day.

It also seems to be designed to make single people feel bad about themselves and that they should have someone. As I got older, I learned that Valentine’s Day can also be about other forms of love like family, friends, and self-love. I cannot stress self-love enough as you know. Sometimes one of my friends brings me chocolate for V-Day because friendship is important too and should also be celebrated on this particular day so hey, I won’t complain about that.

Mia’s worried about her grandmother who is spending too much time with an astrologist who warns the former that she could end up with a boy who’s a Leo, like Kenny even though she and Kenny split and now they’re just friends.

Eventually Mia learns that just because someone lacks spirit in the celebration doesn’t mean that she shouldn’t celebrate and that it’s more important to give than receive. She even gives a Valentine for Lars, her bodyguard. I thought that was adorable as it brought out his soft side. He may be her bodyguard and even though Mia sometimes hate having him follow her everywhere, she also mentions some advantages like when he scares people by showing his sidearm, even if not intentionally. She also treats Lars like family as he comes to her fifteenth birthday dinner he sits and chats with the group and gives her a present as well.

I thought her gift to Michael was the cutest thing in this book with the tear out coupons in a scrapbook and Michael used some of them right away like kisses and a dinner date. But in terms of romantic, nothing compares to what Boris did for Lilly: playing “Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera on his violin and giving her a ruby necklace. I just wish Lilly wasn’t such an ungrateful bitch but what Mia writes afterward seem to indicate that she eventually apologizes for her behavior and accepts his gift. That is, until the fifth novel where she cheats on him…

Anyway, another good short little read.