The Valentine Lines
TK Sheffield
Making Hay Press (2025)
ISBN: 979-8990563186
Reviewed by Joan Kirschner for Reader Views (09/2025)
In The Valentine Lines, by TK Sheffield, readers will find a charming and frothy mix of romance and fantasy, with several key characters who hail from Greek mythology. Cupid, the immortal god of love and desire, is the novel’s hero. He’s decided to leave his home on Mount Olympus for good after visiting Mineral Point, Wisconsin, where he has met the woman he considers his fated partner. He has fallen wholeheartedly for Monet, a beautiful mortal who runs a local café and bakery where she creates fabulous scones, muffins, croissant sandwiches, and other yummy treats. Delightfully described food and drink play a prominent supporting role throughout the book.
Mount Olympus has become the headquarters for what is referred to as “the firm,” whose CEO is the autocratic Hera, the volatile queen of the gods, and aunt to Cupid. Her marriage to Zeus, the king of the gods, has become frustrating and dull, so she takes out her disappointment in dramatic fits of temper. The other gods, including Cupid’s uncle Apollo, generally live elsewhere and pursue business interests that keep Olympus afloat, though they often use their godly powers to advance their personal goals and pursue romances of their own.
Cupid, whose full name per The Valentine Lines is Cupid Bartholomew Apollo McGee, introduces himself in Mineral Point as simply Bart McGee. He’s rebooted his life in the guise of a regular guy, though he will quietly use his powers in The Romance Realm, a new matchmaking business he plans to run out of a town storefront.
Bart takes on a slightly eccentric office manager, Deirdre Devine, a cowgirl type who’s crazy about all things equine, and befriends several other local denizens, who are all unconventional characters in the best possible way. Down from the Olympian heights, Apollo and Pegasus, the mythical winged horse, join the local action.
Before he knows it, Bart is recruited for Mineral Point’s February event, the Valentine Lines, from which this novel takes its title. Of course, there are many well-known Saint Valentine’s Day lines, or quotes, some of which spring straight from Shakespeare, and they become incorporated into the story.
Will Bart find true love with Monet? Will he succeed in his business, bringing together local townspeople looking for love? And how will Hera and the other Olympians approach life in Mineral Point? Readers will find the answers to all these questions, told through a plot that spins into a delightful series of events set against colorful and whimsical images.
All in all, author TK Sheffield’s novel is a lighthearted and humorous read, like a relaxing mug of hot cocoa that might just have been spiked with a little liqueur. It proves that a well-constructed novel can stay far away from controversial topics like politics, sex, and religion and still be entertaining and diverting. Adults and teens, especially those who enjoy romance and fantasy, and particularly those who have a basic knowledge of Greek mythology, will find a lot to love in The Valentine Lines, book one in The Cupid Chronicles. It’s clever and original, and readers will soon be looking for the next installment in the adventures of Bart McGee and his friends.
When Cupid Falls in Love, Romance “Reins”!
Meet Cupid Bartholomew McGee—Bart, for short.
For Eons, he has used his magical arrows to pierce human hearts with love. But, what happens when he gets a taste of his own magic?
This cozy winter/spring mythological rom-com is set in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, and it follows Cupid “Bart” McGee as he launches his consultation firm, the Romance Realm, with the goal to revive romance in this digital era. All the while, he navigates his budding love for Monet, a local bakery-owner, and tries to hide these feelings for Monet from his terrifying Aunt Hera, who rules Mount Olympus with a diamond-clad fist (and sometimes Zeus’s lightning bolt!) Along with his Uncle Apollo and best boy, Pegasus, Bart enlists the help of human friends along the way—Dierdre, the horse gal; Mrs. Bradshaw, a septuagenarian firecracker; and Mickey, a local potter and a CROWN (Cool Rural Older Woman, No kids) in search of her prince charming. Together, they work to get the Romance Realm up and running and do their best to find and celebrate love along the way.
TK Sheffield’s “The Valentine Lines” is a sparkling, sometimes silly, and delightful romp through the Wisconsin winter wonderland in search of true love. The author writes with a fun turn of phrase, including lots of puns and jokes to keep things light. For the foodies, Monet’s bakery serves up delicious treats that will make you crave a trip to your local patisserie. While our tale begins with the anticipation of Valentine’s Day and its related excitement and shenanigans, the story unravels to capture the fun of winter and early spring in Southwestern Wisconsin— snowshoe softball, ice fishing, and the pleasure of a crackling fire and hot cocoa on a cold, snowy day.
TK Sheffield also pours effort into showcasing the historic beauty of Mineral Point with rich depictions of the Mineral Point Opera House and highlighting the city’s Cornish roots and artistic inclinations with descriptions of cottages and the infamous Shake Rag Alley—she even gives a shoutout to the nearby American Players Theater in Spring Green. Overall, Sheffield does a great job displaying a vibrant small-town life in Wisconsin.
“The Valentine Lines” is an artistic blend of sweet contemporary romance with a dash of poetry, a cup and a half of laugh-out-loud hilarity, and a whole bag of mythological characters stirred in for a little extra zing! Throughout, Bart learns how to handle the tension between his earthly desires and his obligations to Mount Olympus. He grows as a person, deepens old bonds, and forges new friendships. Even Cupid can learn a new thing or two about love!
Bart’s romantic interest, Monet LaFleur, is also an enigma. Bart continually describes her as magical and goddess-like. We are left to question that perhaps she, too, has a secret identity? We’ll have to stick around for Sheffield’s next book to find out!