Please Be Mine

by K. Sinko

Jake Talbot focused on the darkness for six years, but now, he’s trying his best to focus on the light. He’s finally cleaning out his mother’s house getting it ready to sell, when he finds an old pair of trousers in the corner of his bedroom. It’s the pair of pants he wore at his mother’s funeral, and in the pocket he finds a folded slip of a paper with an address. An address of a girl he hasn’t thought about in six years. Now, he can’t stop thinking about her.

So he sits down to write her a letter.

Please Be Mine is a story of healing and reconciliation between two former friends who find one another after years apart. Between personal tragedies, heartbreaks, cross country moves, and battling mental illness, these two marching band nerds are reacquainted with joy…and possibly something more. But while sharing your heart in a letter can seem easy, moving it off the page is a completely different story.

Genres: Novella, Romance, Second Chance, Contemporary, Short Stories

73 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2025

About the author

K.Sinko is an indie published author with a deep love for love stories. She is the author of Call Of The Loon, Sunday Supper, Please Be Mine, and the Scoops Series—a trilogy of stand-alone romances featuring the of a fictional ice cream shop. Her debut novel Safe Harbor became an Amazon best seller for young adult contemporary romance and is the winner of two Indieverse Awards. Follow her on Instagram and sign up for her newsletter to get the latest book updates.

Reviews

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was 90% letters and I am not complaining

"... you absolutely deserve happiness. Those years you said you spent in darkness do not make you unworthy of love. Struggling with mental illness doesn’t take you off the chessboard of life, or whatever other metaphor you want to throw in there.

Every person in the world enters a relationship with some kind of baggage, whether it be illness or trauma or debt. There’s always something. Having baggage is normal, Jake. You are also very special. You should be happy. I really, really want you to be happy."

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most novellas, I always find myself wanting just a smidge more, but this was an adorable romance (73 pages) to celebrate Valentine's Day! It follows two former friends reconnecting after six years of no contact, effortlessly falling back into the comfort they once shared.

It's told almost entirely through letters, which I think really helped pack in depth and emotion within so few pages. I loved how the epistolary format gave the characters a sense of bravery, allowing them to speak completely from the heart in a way they might not have in person.

Their reconnection was so sweet, full of nostalgia from their time in marching band together while also touching on some truly heartfelt topics. Super cute!

"A life of solitude may be easier, but I'm not sure that is equivalent to a life of happiness. And I want you to be happy, Shelly."

(heat level: kissing only + language)

[earth to vivie' · Rating 3 out of 5]

nothing to say really but, this was cute 🫶🏽

[Anisa Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how the majority of this Novela is letters between the two main characters, seeing them fall in love through their penned words to each other. 🥰

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this novella. It is the perfect little slice of romance filled with letters, two people who are crushing hard and the reconnection is just so sweet.

Kisses only

[K. Sinko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is for the marching band nerds. 🎷💞

From those all-time high moments of a great competition followed by singing and screaming on the band bus, to the tiresome days of filling out dot books and memorizing songs and fixing our posture and doing push-ups and drilling sets day-after-day, my marching band years formed me into who I am. And they gave me the dearest friendships of my life.

PLEASE BE MINE is a soft Valentine’s Day novelette about two high school friends who find each other after years apart. It’s a story of love letters, a love for music, and a love for the people that feel like home. 🎶

Wow, I didn’t expect to cry writing a caption today, but here we are. I fell in love with Jake and Shelly really fast, and wrote a whirlwind story in less than two weeks. And I can’t wait for you to fall in love with them, too.

💘 Now available via ebook and Kindle Unlimited 💘

Happy reading. ✨

[Bethany C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute fun novella for vday!! Told mostly in letters, it follows a second chance at love and I read it in one sitting! Def recommend ❣️❣️

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars.

“Things are hard, and I have no idea when they will get better. But that shouldn’t stop me from enjoying parts of my life that I love.”

💕 The vibes:
- Valentine’s Day novelette
- Mostly in letter format
- Grief
- 73 pages
- Closed door

💕 My thoughts:
This was really cute. It’s really short so things move very quick but I think it mostly worked! Most of the book is in letter format which I thought was so unique. Lots of nostalgia and lots of love for school bands which I thought was cute.

💕 I did get a tiny vibe of instalove - but since this was a novelette, I was still able to enjoy this read a lot. That was the only thing that kept this from a 5 star for me- just my reading preferences.

💕 With that said, this is the perfect in-between book, the perfect palette cleanser, and perfect for valentine week. There’s even some depth here which I loved, and I think the author did a really wonderful job fleshing out two full characters with full backstories in such a short amount of time.

Note- closed door; some language

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

swoony and sweet, lovely quick read

Please Be Mine by K. Sinko

Really liked it
🚪*just kisses (spice)
2/3🦋 (swoon)

Well, this was a adorable. I loved the letters and the second chances (both at life and love). Both main characters had learned some hard life lessons and I loved so much how letters brought them back together. This was quick, heartwarming and sweet with depth. Perfect for a happy, swoony Valentine’s Day read!

[Jennifer B. (jenn.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

the cutest, little (it’s 74 pages long) Valentine’s read. loved the letter format. so sweet.

🔥 - kissing only

[Stephanie Profio-Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just an adorable, cutesy quick read.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this novelette was only 72 pages, I fell in love with these characters! The format was epistolary for the majority and it really worked to move the plot along. It says a lot that I highlighted several quotes in this cutie! A perfect feel good story to read in February when you are feeling all lovey dovey.

CW: closed door, some language

[Ty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything by K. Sinko. If you’re like me and loved Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule or Abby Jimenez’s Worst Wingman Ever, then you’ll LOVE Please Be Mine. It’s witty, it’s adorable, it’s hilarious, it’s romantic. My heart physically ached for Jake and Shelly to be together and I was smiling the entire time.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ Review ✨

📖 Please Be Mine
✍🏻 K. Sinko
☑️ Contemporary Romance Novella
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ | 4.25

“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩.”

Absolutely adorable!

Overview:
•Second Chance Romance
•Swoony Novella
•Letter Writing
•Nostalgic Vibes

𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗝𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

As K. Sinko said, this one is for the marching band nerds! This novella is filled with sugary sweet vibes and cozy nostalgia.

Jake and Shelly were close friends in high school while in marching band. In the years since graduating, they’ve both experienced hardships and loss and growth.

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙣𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.”

Through adorable letters, they reminisced on their friendship origin stories and rediscovered that some bonds are for life.

“𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

This novelette is only 70ish pages and a wonderfully quick read, and it made me wonder about all those old friends from high school years - and find a dose of gratitude and nostalgia.

I recommend this to all romance lovers, especially around February!

✨ Read via Kindle Unlimited ✨

[anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

fiquei apenas triste, porque queria mais disso aqui. eles são tão amáveis em todos os sentidos da palavra, que foi realmente um conforto ler todas as cartas e o reencontro da shelly e do jakey jake. muito, muito lindo. adorei o relacionamento deles e como eles estavam escrevendo cartas um para o outro diariamente, admitindo coisas que eles nunca haviam admitido antes na infância, contando sobre suas vidas, sobre suas conquistas, sobre seus erros. sobre como o jake queria tentar algo com a shelly, porque ela merecia ser feliz e como a shelly estava com medo de tentar algo com o jake por não querer perder ele.

foi genuinamente especial ler isso aqui, meio que um pequeno conforto. e o momento do reencontro, da conversa e do primeiro beijo tocou meu coração. estou dando duas estrelas, porque gostaria que fosse maior. queridos, queridos, queridos demais! 🫶🏻🎈

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet Valentine's short story about two former bandmates and high school friends who reconnect years later through chance and end up exchanging letters. It is also a story of grief, loss, depression and healing as Jake goes to a dark place after his mother's death and by a stroke of good luck and chance finds Shelly's address much later. I loved that epistolary format of this story, we get to experience their nostalgic feelings and love of all things high school marching bands and music and also the sense of hope for the future. Overall sweet, heartfelt story that leaves you feeling all the feels. Highly recommended! I've heard good things about this author from friends and I can't wait to dive into their backlist.

Steam level: kissing only

[Anisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
Some books leave a mark. This one barely left a smudge.

It had potential sprinkled throughout, little moments that felt like they could build into something more, but the story never pushed beyond the most familiar beats. It became repetitive, slow, and ultimately left me with a plot that felt painfully ordinary.

Nothing stopped me in my tracks. Nothing made me swoon. Nothing felt new. It wasn’t bad, and it wasn’t difficult to get through; it was just basic. And with so many other stories out there, some even shorter yet far more impactful, I found myself wondering why I chose this one.

It seemed like it was building toward something meaningful, but in the end, it simply stayed sweet, and only sweet.

I’ll forget this book long before I forget how much I wanted it to be more.

[Jillian Fairfax · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute love story written in letters! ❤️

I started and finished it all within an hour! It’s a super easy novelette read that keeps your attention the whole time.

If you are/were a band kid, please do yourself a favor and read this book to relive some of the nostalgia of those glory days!

I smiled and giggled over 90% of this book. Ugh I loved it so much! It will be an annual Valentine’s Day read for me going forward! 🥰

[Kay marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved it so much 🥹

[Emily George · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read!

[Ice Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute way of writing a romance book and I also loved the letters they sent to each other. It really kept me on my toes. Short and easy to read

[Karalin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cutest short story. This is a romance short story done right and the playlist at the end made it chefs kiss. Once I sat down and started reading I was hooked.

[Molly Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so freaking cute omg

[Allie Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a novella it was well done. It was such a cute story and fun read.

[Chyenne Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was so sweet

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was too short 😭😭😭

[Elizabeth Martinez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book. The aspect of communicating by letters was cute but the execution in this case made me mad. I didn't like the characters. A lot of the details added were cringey. They were supposed to be out of high school for six years and I felt like I was reading about middle schoolers. Just not a fan.

[theravingbooknerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for Jakey Jake and My Shelly!!

I am so happy to read a second-chance, friends to lovers ALL about marching band. As a former band kid myself, it made me so happy to be able to connect with the MCs and what they were talking about.

As always, K. Sinko's writing hooked me from the first letter, and I couldn't put this down. It's super short and the perfect read to get you into the Valentine's Day spirit.

Jake and Shelly are (fictional) examples of everything that my friends and I wanted to happen on the band bus, including falling in love, but not being able to share the feelings.

I also LOVE a grand gesture, and Jakey Jake did a superb job. Balloons, a date, and involving the band. Sheesh. I loved it so much!!!!

[Savanah Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had intended to read this book for Valentine’s Day but I forgot but I just finished and I absolutely loved this short novella. Something about second chance romances always get me in my feelings.

This book is about Jake and Shelley. They knew each other since middle school but they never had a chance to date and after Jake lost his mother, he went into a dark place. Shelley moved away and moved on with her life as well.

Jake finds Shelley’s address from years prior and writes her letters and Shelley writes back.

Gah.. this book was just so sweet but only 73 pages. I wanted more of their story

[Cami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this sweet Novellette! The main plot was driven through letters sent between two high school crushes who reconnected after six years. It was incredibly unique and I loved hearing more about their past, memories, and what brought them back together after all this time through the perspective of the letters.

I was blushing the whole time through and genuinely laughed out loud at some parts. If you are nostalgic for high school, you’ll love this.

At just 73 pages, it took me a little over an hour to finish. Quick and easy read that will get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day.