J.U.’s Year in Books

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2025

Year in Books

1,221

pages read

books read

J.U.

The Legend of Valentine by Sheldon Collins

Shortest Book

354

pages

Longest Book

473

pages

Average book length in 2025

407

pages

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Most Shelved

1,277,901

people also shelved

Least Shelved

141

people also shelved

J.U.’s average rating for 2025

4.0

really liked it

4.0

Highest Rated on Goodreads

4.50 average

J.U.’s first review of the year

really liked it

The Legend of Valentine was an engaging historical fiction read that has easily become my top historical reads of 2025 and my favorite historical fiction book set in Ancient Rome. I took a chance on the author and this book, because of its intriguing premise set in Ancient Roman times (which is one of my favorite historical periods to research and write about), to learn about a character I knew very little about. I was curious how the author woul The Legend of Valentine was an engaging historical fiction read that has easily become my top historical reads of 2025 and my favorite historical fiction book set in Ancient Rome. I took a chance on the author and this book, because of its intriguing premise set in Ancient Roman times (which is one of my favorite historical periods to research and write about), to learn about a character I knew very little about. I was curious how the author would develop this historical figure in a way that felt fresh and engaging from other books written in this period.

I think what helped me get emotionally invested early on was having a likable protagonist as Valentine, who is not only a brave warrior but also thoughtful and reserved away from the battle scene. Valentine's sensitive side is explored more when he decides to step away from his life as a soldier to become a Christian healer and marriage officiant, giving his character another layer of complexity.

I've skimmed over Roman books. Many seem to focus heavily on the gladiatorial games, war, or politics of ancient Rome. And while there are sufficient battle sequences and political intrigue to satisfy readers in this novel, including the plotting and scheming between the diverse cast of characters, there were still many tender moments to balance the darker, grittier moments in the novel. Those tender moments, especially between Valentine and his childhood sweetheart, Agatha, gave this story what I've been looking for: heart.

In terms of prose and worldbuilding, not only was this very historically accurate, but I also enjoyed the colorful descriptions that made the scenes jump off the page. The dialogue between the characters also felt authentic, although there were moments where there could have been a bit more distinction in the dialogue between characters or less telling when a subtle clue would have been more than enough to allow the reader to draw their conclusion about a character's motive.

Overall, this was a very solid, engaging historical fiction book with just the right amount of action, world-building, intrigue, and heart to keep readers interested. I give this book 4 1/2 stars. ...more

J.U.’S 2025 BOOKS

really liked it

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