Valentine Wait

by Dhara Shah

I’ve known Caleb forever—after all, he’s my best friend Carrie’s little brother. Back when I used to babysit him, he once confessed his enormous crush on me. I laughed it off, and the whole town teased him about it for years.

But now, Caleb is back in Picnicville, not as the kid I once knew, but as our town’s new police officer—a confident, handsome man I can’t seem to look away from. When he asks me to the Valentine’s Day Dance, I know I should say no. He’s younger than me. Carrie would never approve. And the whole town seems determined to keep us apart.

But I say yes.

Now, I’m the town’s biggest scandal, my best friend wants nothing to do with me, and Caleb is realizing that life in Picnicville might not be enough for him. With so many odds stacked against us, is our love strong enough to last? Or will I lose both my best friend and the man I never saw coming?

Dive into this charming best friend’s brother, small-town romantic comedy today!

Genres: Contemporary

98 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2025

About the author

Dhara Shah an American author who lives in Phoenix. She writes multicultural romantic comedies, contemporary romance novels, and novellas. She writes both spicy and sweet/clean books. She enjoys writing romance with relatable characters carefully integrated into social, psychological, and physical relationships with other people and society. Her background in psychology helps her portray her characters in real-life situations. She is a firm believer in happily-ever-after endings and shows that these happy endings may look different for different people. She is a first-generation American who embraces growing up with both Indian and American cultures.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I downloaded this short story on a Stuff Your Kindle Day. The reviews (6000+) do not reflect the true quality of the writing at all. The one star and the three stars have been erased or they didn't bother to write anything. I can't fathom how it got so many 4-5 star reviews. This is a short story that is pretty poorly written. There is no character building even for a short story. Character descriptions are chopping and basic. "He has a gun, a badge and a cap on his head. He looks so grown up." She does eventually add to this a page or two later. But basically talk and blonde.
What about world building? "Picnicville is a small town, so they don’t provide living quarters for police officers. They expect us to live within the community we patrol.”And the main female character's uncle owns most of the town. He is looking for a place to live and FMC gets him an apartment and her intern basically lives for free. She has a free apartment, free coffee and donuts and the cafe they also owns lets her eat got free whenever she wants. There's a whole long drawn out conversation about this that is so flat I skimmed because how does this add to the story? other than to make the FMC seem overly generous? I don't know. I'll pop back to let you know if it gets better.
This reads like a child wrote it. The characters feel very flat and there is no chemistry between them. The MMC's sister is a grad student and acts more like a high schooler. This is mostly to reflect some truth about the quality of the story. I'll also try to add anything I do find appealing about the story as I try to do that with reviews for books I didn't like, if I can.

[The Book Times · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this novella was an emotional rollercoaster ride for me.
I love Deepa's character. She's mature and calculative. The small town is like a home away from home, with such friendly characters. I literally have a list of favourite characters. It was a really wholesome setting. There were many internal conflicts, which I feel were crucial for the characters to open up. Also, the relationship between Deepa and Caleb was very much realistic.
The ending was exciting, and I'm waiting to read the second book in the series. This is a perfect Valentine's day read. You can pick this up if you're looking for a cozy book to come out of your reading slump.

[Scarlett Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story would've worked better if it was longer. It felt like there was too much trying to be squeezed into a novella length book. We don't get enough time to care about the characters or have significant interactions to root for them since the surrounding drama, that would've been more impactful had we had time for more story, main relationship, and secondary character development. Not to mention the town hall scene after Caleb's sister leaves was so weird. The writing and dialogue were also a bit off. Almost stilted at times.

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was butt. The insta love is SO insta I think I have whiplash. I felt like I was reading about children in 6th grade with the back and forth and the worry about gossip. Yucky.

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

#BookLoungeReviewTeam
Book: Valentine Wait
Author: Dhara Shah
Rating: 3⭐️
Genre: Romance

✨️✨️✨️ BLURB: ✨️✨️✨️

I’ve known Caleb forever—after all, he’s my best friend Carrie’s little brother. Back when I used to babysit him, he once confessed his enormous crush on me. I laughed it off, and the whole town teased him about it for years.

But now, Caleb is back in Picnicville, not as the kid I once knew, but as our town’s new police officer—a confident, handsome man I can’t seem to look away from. When he asks me to the Valentine’s Day Dance, I know I should say no. He’s younger than me. Carrie would never approve. And the whole town seems determined to keep us apart.

But I say yes.

Now, I’m the town’s biggest scandal, my best friend wants nothing to do with me, and Caleb is realizing that life in Picnicville might not be enough for him. With so many odds stacked against us, is our love strong enough to last? Or will I lose both my best friend and the man I never saw coming?

✨️✨️✨️ REVIEW: ✨️✨️✨️

Okay, this was a very cute novella. I sat down and read it in just a couple of hours and probably would have finished sooner if I weren't distracted by my dogs so many times. The characters were cute, albeit a bit dramatic... but I get it, it was a novella and the whole plot needed to be packed in to a tiny package. It reminded me a lot of the cozy yet dramatic TV shows, like The Good Witch, Gilmore Girls, etc.. Like, you know it's all going to work out, but each time someone has a hissy fit, you just sigh to yourself like "okay, calm down there Caleb, you're being a bit much."

It was set up perfectly for the second book. The characters were decent. I liked Deepa and Caleb. I didn't care for Carrie or Cheryl, both seemed pretty rude, honestly. And the rest were all relatively flat, side characters.

The only things I didn't really care for were the major time hop toward the end, because I wasn't expecting it, but it DID make sense that it happened. Lol. Annnnnnnd how abrupt everything was at the end. It just felt a little rushed and a bit over-the-top, like a Hallmark movie... BUT it was still adorable and I love Hallmark movies, so why am I even complaining?? 🤗

✨️✨️✨️ RATING SYSTEM: ✨️✨️✨️

5⭐️ Could not put down and will think about for days or weeks to come, will definitely reread
4⭐️ Could not put down, would probably reread
3⭐️ Great story, but could set it aside and take my time with it
2⭐️ Good story, feel the need to finish and know what happens, but no rush
1⭐️ Probably should have stopped reading, but didn't for some reason and here we are (rarely used)

[Jaya Sri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book revolves around Deepa and Caleb, set under a small town backdrop. Caleb is Deepa's best friend Carrie's little brother who used to have a crush on her in the past but everyone in the town including Deepa laughed it off.

Now, Caleb is back to the town not as the kid Deepa knew but as the town's newly recruited Police Officer, grown up into a fine, handsome man. Caleb's crush on Deepa deepened through the years thus causing him ask her hand for Valentine's day dance and she very know she should deny it especially the whole town including her best friend Carrie doesn't support the thought but Deepa says yes.

The whole town seems to be bitter about her decision thus threatening her bonding with her best friend Carrie. Is this newly formed love worth risking everything she had or is she going to lose her best friend?

The book is sweet, warm and cozy read and the short length makes it to complete it in single sitting. Despite it's short length, the author succeeded in the perfect portrayal of each character's emotions. The plot is engaging and the conclusion is satisfying. I really thank the author for such sweet novella for Valentine's day.

Since it's a series, I am excited for Carrie's story coming in the next book.

Those who enjoy Small Town and Age Gap romance will enjoy this book.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully endearing story ,it really is . Dhara Shah knows her business. The premise is a simple one ,boy meets girl etc. except that this boy has loved her for a long time since he was little in fact ,which may be cute and all that but ,when Deepa and Carrie his sister are sixteen ,he is only eight. See now why they couldn’t date? Carrie made fun of him and soon the rest of town were on his case too. Stupid town ,he moves away first chance he gets ,no regrets. But now he’s back ,just done his police training . He’s still in love with Deepa but is she for turning ? The yearning is plain to see and Deepa is willing to talk with Caleb . Then before you know it they share a kiss and it’s bliss but all the town is up in arms it seems and Carrie ? Well she wants nothing to do with either of them . Oh no what have they done. Then he starts doubting her now and it’s all too much. Can they make the sacrifices ,are they enough . Read this great book and find out how devout is there love. Wonderfully inspiring story and good storytelling too.

[Live2readbookluva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valentine Wait is a small town, Valentine's day themed, rom-com. It’s the first book in the Picnicville Series and follows the MCs Caleb and Deepa. This was a quick, sweet, and entertaining novella. Caleb is all grown up and irresistible. Plus who doesnt luv a man in uniform?! Sorry to bestie, Carrie. It's funny how I hate age gaps, but for some reason don't mind a reverse age gap like the one in this book. I also appreciated that it wasn't a large age gap which usually gives me the ick. I enjoyed the small town setting, gossip dilemma, and determination of the main characters to be together despite all the resistance they encountered. lf looking for a fun, quick read, the picnicville series is a small town novella series that you should consider giving it a try.

Themes & Tropes:

❤️Rom-Com
🩷BFF’s Brother
🧡Age Gap
❤️Small Town
🩷Law Enforcement Representation

Overall, liked this read.

[Mohini Shukla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a small book about a small town with a short and sweet story, and it is definitely a must-read for Valentine's Week. If you have a girl who loves reading books, I recommend giving her this book, which will show your commitment to her.
The book is all about a small town called Picniville and how the people of the town, of course, know everyone's life history but the best part was everyone accepts each other with open arms and an open mind.
In this, a love story blooms between a guy who is younger than a girl who is our lead female, Deepa. She used to babysit him, and the whole town knows about it. Now, Deepa is skeptical about her feelings about society's pressure, and she never shows interest in Caleb, who has become the policeman of the town. Will their love bloom on the occasion of Valentine's week forever, or was it just a one-time thing for them?

[Shravani · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to finish a book in one sitting or you do not have more time to read any book, then this must be a good book for you to read.
"Valentine Wait" by Dhara Shah is a lovely small-town romance book and I can not wait to read more of this series which will have standalone books but it is always fun to read all the books of the series.
The characters will be different.
The book was fast-paced as it is a novella and less than 100 pages. The story language is easy to understand and I love the multicultural touch in this story as I like Dhara's work in other books as well.
The reference to 'Gajar Ka Halwa' will melt the Indian reader's hearts for sure.
Do check out this novella and enjoy it for Valentine's week. May God give Caleb like Valentine to everyone this Valentine's week.

[Tehteh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was glad to find this on Everand while I had a free trial. Sadly I was a bit too late for Valentine's Day, but I still quite enjoyed it.
It wasn't a one-sitting read for me, because I am a bit slow, but I could have read through it in a couple days if I am being honest and didn't have other obligations and honnies.
This is mostly a sweet, clean-ish small town romance with a touch of second chance and a reversed age gap. And inter-racial of course, since Dhara tends to write about Indians.
I did find Caleb to be childish and demanding and unreasonable at times, but for the most part he was sweet and romantic and I guess Deepa stood up for herself well enough so I'm not complaining-
It's a feel good book and I wouldn''t mind reading more from this series.

[Heather Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and short Valentine’s Day romance. If you’re looking for an uplifting and cute read to get you out of a reading slump, this is the one! Dhara as always killed it with her romcom!
The entire setting is warm and cozy.Caleb and Deepa have so much chemistry between them.
Deepa has known Caleb forever, and he is the little brother to her best friend Carrie. When she used to babysit him, he admitted once he had a crush on her.
But now Caleb is back home as the new Police Officer. He has turned into a handsome and confident man.
There is drama, odds stacked against these two and so many more things that could go wrong in the short romance. There is not a page in this novella where you get bored!

[Rups!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small, cute, vulnerable and thrilling story. So much happens in span of merely 100 pages. Story is about a small town, where everyone knows everyone and nothing gets hidden from anybody. It focuses on an age gap love story. About how the characters feel and how the society takes it.

📚 Character sketch is wonderful, it defines very minute details about the characters including their expressions, likes and dislikes.

📚 Plot is smooth with a slight swing between past and present. Most of the character sketch gets covered from the past.

📚 It highlights many sensitive issues related to loss of loved ones, trusting enough to fall in love and trusting enough to let be with what they feel while you live your life as you want.

A quick and quiet read that feels rejuvenating and amazing.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast, feel-good read—perfect for those who like their romance engaging. It’s the first “sweet” romance I’ve read from this author, and she absolutely delivers. I especially love that she includes an optional steamy scene that doesn’t take away from the story if skipped.

Caleb and Deepa are the kind of couple you cheer for from start to finish, and while the small-town nosiness had me clutching my pearls at times (seriously, does everyone have to know everything?!), it made the story feel so real. Believable, charming, and a perfect cozy romance for a weekend read.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute short story to read for Valentines Day. It has love and drama, a few twists, but in the end there is a hallmark happily ever after. There are a few moments I rolled my eyes in annoyance but I love the small town everyone has everyones back. I also love the fact there is a diversity in cultures among the characters. This makes it even more wholesome in my eyes. Overall a really good, quick read.

[Nicola]

What a sweet start to Valentine week! I read this in one sitting, it certainly put me in the Valentines mood. I’ve never had a best friends brother tempt me, and this drama makes me glad of that!
This sweet introduction to Picnicville is out now. Take a visit - this community is filled with fun and zany characters that you will want to meet.

[Kaitlyn Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun post valentines read! I enjoyed how believable the plot was and how charming the characters storyline worked out to be. The entire setting felt very cozy and warm. I wish the story was longer and with even more character development as I really enjoyed the female main characters personality. This was a shorter novella which was a nice quick read to shake things up!

[Elyssa Biron · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, this was just not good. The writing was all over the place and the characters had zero personality. I wanted a cute Valentine's romance but this didn't work for me. Stuff your kindle day did me dirty with this one. 🫤

[Cynshine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

[Kristin S · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a cute story and had the potential to be much longer. It felt like they were trying to put too much into 90 pages.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

short but sweet

How do I say I wasn’t sure how this would end. You need to get it to see. :). I loved this and will hav to get the next book to go on with the characters.