About the Book

Book: Dial V for Valentine

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 14, 2022

Valentine’s Day is perfect for a wedding. If only the bride will agree.

Being part of the military is not just a job for Fergus Rafferty, it’s a calling. He’s worked his way up the ranks and doing what he loves best: flying Apache helicopters. The only thing that will make his life complete is marrying Celeste. After he transfers to a unit scheduled to deploy in three months, he’s thrilled at the idea of marrying before he leaves so they can start their new life. Except Celeste wants to wait until he returns. Can he convince her to wed before he leaves?

Celeste Hardwicke has just opened her law practice when she finally accepts Fergus’s marriage proposal. Not to worry. She has plenty of time to set a date, then plan the wedding. Until she doesn’t. But a quickie wedding isn’t what she has in mind. Besides, why get married when the groom will ship out after the ceremony? When she stumbles on her great-grandmother’s diary from World War II, she discovers the two of them share the same predicament.

At an impasse, Celeste and Fergus agree to call into WDES’s program No Errin’ for Love. Will DJ Erin Orberg’s advice solve their dilemma or create a bigger divide? One they’ll both regret.

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About the Author

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a former trustee for her local public library. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state and immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

More from Linda

My mom was born on February 14th, so when I was growing up, Valentine’s Day wasn’t about romance and falling in love. Instead, it was a celebration of my mother. When I was asked to participate in the multi-author project, You are on the Air, I was hesitant to accept because of having little connection to the holiday and the books in the series are contemporary romance. I primarily write historical romance. But I loved the concept: the stories revolve around couples who call into a Christian radio station for relationship advice. I spent about two weeks mulling over (and discarding) ideas, then I realized the plot was right in front of me.

I had just finished putting together an exhibit with the curator at the museum where I volunteer. One of the display items was a wedding gown made from a parachute. Included with the dress was a photograph of the couple, and their names and wedding date, but nothing else. The lack of information got my mind going, and I wondered about their story. Why did they wait until the end of the war to marry? Why not wed before the groom shipped out? Did they regret waiting? I realized that members of today’s armed forces might deal with the same situation and decided to combine the two plot lines. (See? I can’t leave my historical roots behind!)

In Dial V for Valentine, Celeste and Fergus struggle with the sacrifice that comes with true love. Not the you-can-have-the-last-cookie kind of love, but a love that puts another’s needs and wants above one’s own. What they learn is that we can only love successfully when we understand that love comes from God. We are capable of loving (mates, significant others, friends and the unlovely) because “He first loved us.” Love is an emotion, but it is also an act of obedience.

MY REVIEW

The story is a nice look at a young couple trying to decide when to marry. Celeste has just opened a very promising law practice and is content to wait to marry her fiancé Fergus. It all seems to be falling into place until Fergus gets orders from the army that he is being shipped out for a period of time. Celeste doesn’t want to rush into a marriage because she has always dreamed of a big wedding. That takes time to plan and besides she is very busy getting her practice started.

I liked when they decide to call into a radio station for advice on what they should do. The advice is quite simple the radio personality explains. “Have you prayed about it.” Such a simple solution yet they never thought to do that. I loved watching this couple work together to make a decision with God’s guidance. Problems may seem overwhelming until we seek God.

When Celeste finds her great-grandmothers diary, it was so endearing to read along with her. Their lives parallel each others as they both were to marry men in the service. What will the diary reveal that will help Celeste and Fergus make the right decision for both of them? This part of the story was very well written as we see faith play a big part in the story.

A beautiful sweet story perfect for those who like characters with grace, faith and trust in God. Did Celeste and Fergus get married? What happened with Celeste’s great-grandmother and her fiancé? Grab a copy of this book, find a comfy place to read and discover the answers to these questions.

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