BOOK REVIEW: A Valentine Challenge by Kiru Taye

Note: this book was read and reviewed by me in August of 2023 on a previous site that no longer exists.

Nobody needs me to tell them how tough it is to find Nigerian love stories. It’s a feat that has me searching Bookstagram, Goodreads, Pinterest, Bambooks, and other sites. It was through one of these searches that I learned about Kiru Taye and ‘The Valentine Challenge’ specifically. A sensual romance with Nigerian characters that is also set in Nigeria? I couldn’t jump on it fast enough. Two hours and eighty-something pages later, I had a new author to add to my expanding list.

To prove to his friends and himself that he's over the ex who broke his heart, soldier turned self-made millionaire Michael Ede accepts a wager: Make a wealthy socialite fall in love with him, not as one of the richest entrepreneurs in Enugu but as an ordinary man. An easy win. Or at least that’s what Michael believes.

With heartbreak still fresh in her memory, a new romance is the furthest thing from Kasie Bosa’s mind. Particularly not romance with someone outside her social class.

Their attraction is immediate, but what neither of them anticipates is for that attraction to bloom into love. Can their tenuous relationship survive once the truth is revealed?

Writing With Potential

Given that it was released a year after her writing debut, this was one of Miss Kiru Taye’s early works. Even though this was my first exposure to her writing, I realized right away that Miss Taye had not yet come into her own as a writer at the time this novella was written.

The writing is awkward and riddled with cliches but it's also straightforward and has a certain charm to it. Perhaps because I’m a writer myself, it makes me want to read more of her work to see how her style has evolved since this novella.

An Interesting Premise

It's not a particularly original premise. One protagonist approaches the other due to a bet or challenge and of course things don't go as planned and they end up catching feelings. It's been done again and again, from movies like She's all That to books like After. And for good reason too. It's always entertaining to experience. Kiru Taye definitely brought new life into an old concept by making both protagonists have a social gap, even though it's fabricated. I thought this was interesting.

“Today, danger was disguised as a woman. A stunningly beautiful woman.”― Kiru Taye, The Valentine Challenge

An Interesting Start and Dual POVs

We are thrust into the meet-cute as soon as the story begins. Then are taken back in time to discover how we got there.

This sort of beginning is one of my favorites because it establishes a good pace for the story.

I also adored the dual points of view. I see romance writers using single POV more frequently now, and it always makes me feel cheated out of something. The dual POV works so well in romance because it allows readers to truly connect with both protagonists and understand their perspectives.

The Plot: Too Ambitious For a Novella

The book starts off fantastically. And everything would likely have continued this way if the novella’s scant eighty-something pages had not been loaded with enough plot points for a full-length novel.

Don't get me wrong, a good plot is essential for every story, but for a novella, it’s even more important to balance the number of events. In this novella, there are too many individual plot points, from complicated families to lying exes. And because it's so hurried, none of them could be fully developed. Everything is so shallowly covered that it leaves a sense of dissatisfaction. It feels as if the author only scratched the surface of a much richer, more captivating story.

“Their eyes connected; she could have sworn the air crackled with electricity. The impact of seeing him again hit her stomach, knocking the breath out of her.”― Kiru Taye, The Valentine Challenge

Characters that Fell Short

The characters are complex and intriguing. Or they're supposed to be. We never get to know them since there simply isn’t enough time in the pages of this novella.

Michael’s childhood and ex-lover, Kasie’s problematic family, and her previous failed romance—all these intriguing background details that could provide deeper understanding of their motivations and personalities—are skimmed over so quickly that our main characters come off as one-dimensional.

Kasie is a stereotypical ice princess, and Michael is a stereotypical alpha male. But how did they become these people? How do these personality traits translate into other parts of their lives? They lack depth and complexity beyond their romantic entanglement.

Characters shouldn't exist solely to fall in love. They shouldn't exist in a vacuum. They should have wants, needs, and ambitions. However, Kasie and Michael are reduced to mere vessels to serve a predictable romantic plotline. They existed only to notice each other, resist each other for all of 24 hours, and then finally declare everlasting love for each other. They seem to have no personal goals or individual journeys, which is a letdown because they seem like they could be interesting.

It feels like I went on a really good first date but was ghosted before getting to know my date well.

“When she looked back up at his eyes, there was no mistaking the look in their fiery depths. He was going to kiss her.”― Kiru Taye, The Valentine Challenge

Insta-Love

Perhaps it’s the absence of character development that makes the connection appear so superficial and unrealistic, making it difficult for me to emotionally invest in the relationship.

We don’t know much about them, and it appears that they know even less about each other. Yet their attraction is immediate, and there's no development beyond that. It's insta-lust that never deepens into anything more.

When I was younger, I would have devoured this as is, but as I’ve gotten older and seen more of life and people, my taste in romantic fiction appears to have evolved.

Of course, a healthy dose of physical attraction is great, and I can't deny enjoying the spicy scenes, but the bare minimum for a genuine emotional connection should be some meaningful conversations and shared experiences. When the main characters say they can’t imagine their lives without one another, I want to be able to believe them.

In this case, I just don't believe them.

“He didn’t know how it’d happened except in the space of two days she’d gotten under his skin. She meant the world to him.”― Kiru Taye, The Valentine Challenge

The Setting

It’s not like I’m unfamiliar with Enugu. On the contrary, I spent a lot of Christmases there as a child. But the idea of it serving as the backdrop for a romantic novel is something I've never experienced. And even having finished the story, I believe I'm still yet to experience it.

The author missed an opportunity to truly immerse readers in the beauty and charm of Enugu. I longed for vivid descriptions of local customs and traditions that would transport me back to the vibrant atmosphere of the city. Then again, I guess there's not much room for florid descriptions in a novella.

“He actually wanted to date Kasie. Not for a dare. Or a bet.”― Kiru Taye, The Valentine Challenge

Final Thoughts

Overall, the story has a promising premise, but it's too ambitious for a novella. It deserves a full book with thoughtfully crafted subplots that explore the characters and themes in greater depth.

Writing: 3/5. Although the writing style is engaging, the limited space constrained the author’s obvious potential.

Characters: 3/5. Interesting at first glance but lack depth.

Plot: 3/5. Interesting premise but it fell short.

This gets a 3/5 from me.

Who is it For?

Despite its flaws, the book manages to hold attention and provide a quick escape from reality. Readers who don’t mind insta-love might find it enjoyable.

Whatever the case, it’s short enough that you can’t be mad after reading it, even if you don’t enjoy it.

“A weekend would never be enough, my love. Don’t you get it? I’d give up everything I own to have you for the rest of my life.”― Kiru Taye, The Valentine Challenge