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Just in time for Valentine's Day comes a funny, fresh novel from Sabrina James! Valentine's Day is fast approaching at North Ridge High! And this year, the school is sponsoring a "Most Romantic Couple" contest. Everyone wants to win—including Jennifer, who's not going to let the fact that she doesn't actually have a boyfriend stop her! Romantic twists and turns and comic mishaps abound. Will the proper couples be reunited in time for the Valentine's Dance?

323 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

21 people are currently reading
742 people want to read

About the author

Sabrina James

7 books96 followers
One of the reasons why Sabrina James loves writing romantic comedies is because she loves reading them and watching them! Two of her favorite romantic comedies are Clueless and Legally Blonde. When it comes to “classic” romantic comedies, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, starring Audrey Hepburn, is her absolute favorite. Has anyone ever worn a tiara and black dress better?! Sabrina has always been a huge reader. As a teen, some of her favorite authors were Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, R.L. Stine and Lois Duncan. When she got older, she devoured the novels of Danielle Steel, Jackie Collins and Sidney Sheldon. Sabrina currently lives in New York City, with her cat, Miss Thing, and an apartment way too small for all her Pop! Funko figures – she can’t stop buying them! Sabrina loves to hear from readers. Her books appeal to fans of Rachel Hawthorne. She can be reached at: sjamesauthor@yahoo.com.

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5 stars
387 (39%)
4 stars
281 (28%)
3 stars
230 (23%)
2 stars
56 (5%)
1 star
21 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
Profile Image for Jessica.
744 reviews762 followers
February 10, 2011
Rating clarification: 3.5 stars

D’aaaaaaaaaaw! ♥ How cute was that?

Be Mine was a very predictable but very cute read.
Really, there were absolutely no surprises at all, it was completely obvious how everything would play out and the writing was also pretty simple but still, the story was cute, warmed my heart and made me smile a lot. A light and fun read!

Side note: It’s a pity I haven’t read Secret Santa before reading Be Mine since the characters from the previous book get mentioned a few times and it would have been nice if I had known their stories, too.
Profile Image for Arlene.
1,199 reviews622 followers
February 8, 2011
Rating Clarification: 3.5 Stars

Be Mine by Sabrina James is the perfect read for Valentine’s Day. It’s a very cute albeit predictable read that will make you smile and sigh in mild frustration over the characters’ antics. It’s a fun, fast and adorably written YA contemporary that you shouldn’t miss if you’re looking for a light romance.

This book centers around North Ridge High couples . A few of them are competing for Most Romantic Couple and as the contest progresses, messy situations develop. I got a little frustrated at times with Jennifer’s constant ability to get herself in precarious situations. She seems to speak before she thinks on a constant basis, but lucky for her, all her stars are aligned and a fix is right around the corner. I really liked Will and Leo in this story. Their characters were well developed and I enjoyed their addition to the story-line. The ending is convenient, but I knew that going in and I still enjoyed it much.

The only suggestion I have if you decide to read this book is you might want to read Secret Santa as this storyline refers back to events and characters that obviously played a role in the previous story. I didn’t read the Christmas installment and I wasn’t lost, but I did feel at times that I was missing out on the inside scoop. I definitely enjoyed this book!
Profile Image for Ruby Rose.
269 reviews78 followers
February 16, 2021
This is a bit late... I started the other book on Valentines day when I should have been reading this fun drama.

Five reasons I really enjoyed this book:
1.) It was a drama! Following multiple couples through the whole valentines day ordeal.
2.) The book WAS NOT like you were the character... you were a person looking in (sorry, I get all the 1st, 2nd, 3rd person stuff all mixed up every single time...) and you rarely find that. At least if you are me. And then they are hardly considered good by my standards because you don't connect as much to the main character(s).
3.) It had all ways of finding another person.
4.) This book encouraged being different and standing up for yourself! Which is big in my opinion.
5.) Short, cute, silly, not very problematic, it was just a cute book in general.

Two reasons this book wasn't the best:
1.) This book wasn't very descriptive.
2.) It was a bit hard to follow in the beginning, tbh. But as soon as I figured out that it changed perspectives it wasn't as hard... that brings me to another good thing:

6.) I didn't have to search to find who the chapter was about even though Ms. James didn't label them! Which even with a good book I still have to check!

Anyways, sorry for the shot review, this was a very good book and I recommend it to all. This book is clean with no pushy moments. The only thing that I will warn you is it does talk about size difference and being "skinny" compared to "fat".

I hope you enjoyed my short review! Happy reading! -Ruby Rose
Profile Image for oliviasbooks.
784 reviews530 followers
February 2, 2011
"Be Mine" is very, very similar to Secret Santa. The main protagonists are different students enrolled at North Ridge High, but they basically fill the same roles as the the Christmas set. Nonetheless I had a lot of fluffy, harmless fun reading the Valentine version. The final couples were absolutely lovable and made me look forward to reading Spring Fling.

I distributed two stars less than to Secret Santa, because
- I simple adore Christmas romances (and this is a Valentine story)
- The ending was quite predictable.

Although the series' are completely different/incomparable: Mindy Yee from North Ridge High reminds me of Bindy McKenzie from Ashbury High (The Year Of Secret Assignments and others) somehow.

Do you also find North Ridge High's principal a little strange? She sends out memos for romance-based assignments at Christmas and Valentine's, but she is invisible otherwise.
Profile Image for ~Tina~.
1,092 reviews156 followers
February 1, 2011
There is only one word to describe Sabrina James books; Adorable!

I'm really glad that I read Secret Santa a couple of months ago since it felt easier to slip back into North Ridge High, in Be Mine.

Be Mine was another really fun book that is centered around couples and there friends who are competing for Most Romantic. Only I think this one was less confusing then Secret Santa.
My favorite couple were Jennifer and Will and Natalie and Leo! I don't know why but I hardly cared for Eden and Claudia was the schools 'mean girl' so I'm glad she got what she deserved (Haha)!
How fun was it that even some older characters like Celia and Freddy and Noelle and Ryan got mentioned? (Ryan was my fav)
All in all, Be Mine was a really sweet, cute and fun treat that is perfect for getting into the Valentine spirits!

Too cute!
Profile Image for Neon.
593 reviews13 followers
February 16, 2017
Very very cheesy

Too many teenage girls and teen drama for me.

How fucked up it is that teenagers think not having a boyfriend for Valentine's Day is the death of them.

It was on the verge of being cute. But too much of perfect cheesiness and teddy bearish. Yuck. Yet I finished it so it's fine. :)
Profile Image for Natalie.
3,448 reviews120 followers
February 13, 2019
A perfect (if far fetched) Valentine’s Day read!

Jennifer and Will: I love fake romances and theirs was cute. Will was quite impish and so cute and funny. Jennifer held her own with him too and they had some decent chemistry.

Natalie and Leo: they were so cute together! I liked that Natalie could be herself with Leo. I really liked Leo too; he was so sweet with his little niece. It was also nice that while Natalie was super pretty and popular, Leo wasn’t. She fell in love with his personality rather than his looks and I love stories like that.

Eden and Dexter: I liked that they were friends and that Eden bonded with his sisters. They weren’t as cute as Jennifer and Will or Natalie and Leo though. I liked the prank Dexter’s sisters played on them. However, I wish there had been a scene of Eden telling her parents what she wanted to do with her life. I felt bad for her because she was always compared to her sisters, and that plotline wasn’t really resolved at the end.

Claudia and Chase: ugh. Claudia was such a snot. Obviously she’s the “mean girl” of the piece and you’re not supposed to like her, but she was such a snot. I was glad both Natalie and Eden were able to stand up to her in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
4 reviews
May 8, 2009
Cupid is taking aim at North Ridge High.
Do you think you and your boyfriend or girlfriend could win a Most Romantic contest? The students at North Ridge High hope they have what it takes. Especially Jennifer Harris. Fed up with her arch enemy, Claudia Monroe's, bragging about her amazing boyfriend. Jennifer soon hatches a plan to get a fake boyfriend, convince people they are romantic, and win The Most Romantic contest. But will she be able to do all of this by Valentines day??? Her prayers are soon answered when her eye catches the hunky pizza delivery guy who may just make the cut. Can they fool the whole school including Claudia? Not only does this book follow Jennifer, we also get to see what is going on with Claudia's friends, Eden and Natalie, as they struggle to overcome boyfriend troubles before the votes are cast on Valentines day.Eden is dating Keith, even if it doesn't feel like it. But Eden gets fed up and has to make a choice about him after she sees his arm around another pretty brunette. Meanwhile her tutor has been dropping hints all over the place. Natalie has a secret, a secret that her boyfriend Tom just wouldn't understand. Natalie finds comfort in someone who understands what she is hiding better than anyone else would. Will thy get too cozy in the February chill? I like the way that the author, Sabrina James, writes the book in the point of view of many different people. It keeps the story moving along and really makes it interesting.
I would recommend this book to girls that like love story and happy Endings. You won't be disappointed!
WORD COUNT: 281
Profile Image for Natasha.
292 reviews33 followers
August 10, 2015
After reading Secret Santa this past Christmas, I was anxious to read more by James. Just in time for Valentine’s day, I started to read Be Mine... and I was not disappointed. James has a way of making you fall for each character – you’ll swoon over the guys and wish you were the girls. She takes an in-depth look at the neutrals – not popular, not unpopular crowds – and makes you wonder why they’re not idols for other students. She makes you take a closer look at some characters who are the idols of the school, but never lose sight of who they are inside. In this twisted story, you have a girl named Jennifer, who tries win the Most Romantic Couple contest (without a boyfriend!) and a girl named Natalie, who tries to put up with her “best” friend’s bickering – and watch them both meet a guy and, well, let’s just say..... Your heart will be melted by the last page.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Katie (hiding in the pages).
3,518 reviews330 followers
January 22, 2010
I was pleasantly surprised with this book--it was clean (just a few kisses without description). This story is about several people who are vying for the title of the school's most romantic couple, which will be announced at the school's Valentine's Day dance. What I really liked was that some of these teens realized that it's more important to be who you are and not who you think others want you to be. The "Queen Bee," Claudia, was a real "mean girl" and got kind of annoying, but it was great to see these characters stand up for themselves. It did have me pondering---was high school really that shallow? It seemed everyone was overly concerned about having a boyfriend. I guess sometimes I'm just in the mood to vicariously re-live high school. A quick, clean teen romance.
Profile Image for Jocelyn.
43 reviews9 followers
April 28, 2016
What I think of the book,"Be Mine" by Sabrina James, was that this was a really good book that I enjoyed reading.This book unlike any other books I've previously read gave me a real reality taste of what may come in the future refering as to a girl's life in high school.I would recommend this book to maybe just girls who like reading funny romances that take place in high school.
Profile Image for Sarah.
51 reviews
March 1, 2009
Jennifer and Will r cute together. Jennifer's plan to get Claudia was a major good plan. She got a good no GREAT boyfriend and every one was happy. Cheak out Be Mine!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for D.L..
465 reviews64 followers
October 13, 2022
Aww. What a cute romance. I especially loved Leo and Natalie's story. They were an unexpected and great couple. This had a 90's teen rom-com vibe to it, and I appreciate that so much. What a nice treat.
14 reviews1 follower
June 6, 2017
I gave this book a 3 star rating. I read this book before Secret Santa, but this story takes place after it. I thought it was cool and can't wait to read Secret Santa.
Profile Image for stephanie .
2 reviews
July 24, 2017
I loved this book its all about love i was so sad when i finished this book i wanted to see the next part
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Liz.
469 reviews3 followers
October 18, 2017
This book was pretty sappy and wrapped up a bit too quickly for the build up. It’s a good read for young tweens who want teen romance that’s gentle.
Profile Image for Eden Linford.
64 reviews
April 16, 2020
This was a pretty cute book. It was cliche and very predictable, though. I read it way back in 4th grade and I loved it back then, so that should tell you something. :)
Profile Image for Jennifer Rae.
293 reviews
July 15, 2022
Lovely cutesy read to lift your spirits up. Fresh breath of air that reminds you true love does exist out there for everyone.
Profile Image for Jya T.
29 reviews
February 9, 2025
This book was a reread! I remember loving this book when I first read it in middle school. Such a nostalgic read
Profile Image for Julianne.
348 reviews1 follower
Read
July 1, 2025
PERFECT for reading on a train after a two hour delay lol
Profile Image for Hannah.
378 reviews27 followers
January 30, 2025
Not as fun or chaotic as Secret Santa. I appreciated the POV characters being narrowed down to three this time (since Secret Santa had like eight or nine), but this just didn’t have the same silliness.
Profile Image for Amy.
362 reviews12 followers
March 11, 2021
North Ridge High is having a Most Romantic Couple Contest and has got the school in a frenzy of couples trying to get nominated. There will be five nominations. The couple that wins will get to go to New York City for a dinner. Some students are really excited while others are reminded that they are spending Valentine’s Day alone. For instance, Jennifer. She doesn’t want to be alone for another Valentine’s Day. She gets mad at Claudia (local queen bee of North Ridge High( and tells her that she does have a boyfriend and ends up getting invited to a party Claudia is throwing. However, Jennifer has to bring her boyfriend. She walked herself right into Claudia’s trap.

One fateful night, Jennifer and her best friend, Violet, order a pizza, the pizza delivery boy just so happens to be Will, North Ridge’s own heartbreaker. He’s never been out with one girl long, and Jennifer convinces him to be her pretend boyfriend. Jennifer might actually beat Claudia at her own game; nothing can go wrong, can it? The more she hangs out with Will the more she likes him and the more she opens her big mouth and spouting off more lies to Claudia. Will she and Will be nominated for the Most Romantic Couple?

Eden and Natalie are two of Claudia’s friends. Unlike Claudia, they’re nice. Eden has been dating with Keith for a month, if you can consider it dating. Keith won’t answer any of her phone calls or text messages. He also hasn’t been eating with her. She’s even tried to meet him at his locker, but she still can’t get a hold of him. Then one day in the cafeteria, he sees him getting cozy with another girl. Later, she gets a text message from him that says they’re over. She’s devastated. Eden tries to get him to talk to her. Eden isn’t as smart as her other sisters and her parents constantly comparing her to them. She even has to have a SAT tutor, Dexter King. Dexter is a brainiac and the complete opposite of her, but she can’t help herself developing a crush on him. Can she figure out what being in a relationship means truly means and snag Dexter for herself?

Natalie dates Tom, Claudia’s boyfriend’s best friend, Chase. Tom always makes the decisions in the relationship, and it drives Natalie crazy. She used to go to another school and wasn’t always popular. At her old school, she was really big and students often made fun of her. Tom treats her more like a trophy. She has more in common with Leo, a guy that is made fun of because of his weight. Everybody thinks Natalie and Tom has a great relationship, but Natalie is the only one the knows everything is far from perfect. Natalie wants to be Leo’s friend but is afraid what he’ll think if he finds out how she used to be. Will Natalie and Tom be nominated for the Most Romantic Couple if the even last? Will Natalie and Leo become friends?

I have read Secret Santa by Sabrina James and I loved it. I definitely loved this one has well. I liked that the couples from Secret Santa made a brief cameo in this one. These are fluffy reads, but I love them. I’m glad the book ended the way it did, even though I was rooting for another couple to win Most Romantic Couple.
Profile Image for Tara A.
348 reviews1 follower
March 27, 2012
I read this book for two reasons: 1, it looked cute (and it was). 2, I want to write YA romance in this sort of comedic style, and I enjoy reading books currently being published in that genre.

It worked well as a sort of "do's and don'ts" for YA writers. Looking at the majority of reviews on Goodreads, this book was well liked by its target audience. It's cute, has a variety of likable and appropriately unlikable characters (though they are very stereotypical), and there are plenty of plotlines to keep you interested.

On the downside, all the characters were pulled straight from the Big Book of High School Stereotypes, and I could see every single conversation, plot, and resolution coming from a mile away. All this isn't the worst thing in the world, in fact, it could be just what the publisher's looking for, but I see no reason to indulge in cliches to this extent.

My favorite characters/plotline were Natalie and Leo, but was rather torn at the same time. Natalie likes and pursues Leo despite the fact that she's popular and all her friends make fun of Leo: awesome! Natalie lands Leo and proceeds to fat-shame him about his cafeteria selections and convinces him to start jogging with her: NOT AWESOME. Of course, it's all under the guise of her caring for "his health." Of course. And Leo laps it up. All he needed was a pretty popular girl to show him the light of healthful eating and proper exercise, naturally! And it's all okay, because Natalie, wait for it... used to be fat zomg.

Aside from the fat-shaming and stereotypes, it was a cute read.
12 reviews
March 8, 2013
I chose the book, "Be Mine" by Sabrina James when I was in the school library in the beginning of the quarter. I had read the first book of the series in seventh grade, so I wanted to read the next book which is Be Mine. Be Mine takes place in North Ridge High School and takes place near the times of Valentine's Day. The school is holding a contest for the most romantic couple. The main character, Jennifer asks the most popular guy in school, Will to be her fake boyfriend so that they could beat their enemy Claudia and her boyfriend Chase in the contest. Jennifer's best friend Violet warns Jennifer not to fall for Will because of his history of past girlfriends, but Jennifer and Will forget about their fake relationship and end up falling in love with each other for real. My favorite quote in this story was, "Will you be my girlfriend for real?" In my opinion, this quote was the perfect ending to this story. It was sweet, and told the readers that Will was really in love with Jennifer. The author's writing style was similar to the books that I have read in the past. I am in love with this writing style! It fits into the type of books that I enjoy to read perfectly. I would recommend this book to any teenager. I would especially recommend them to read this book in February when Valentine's Day is coming up.
15 reviews
January 26, 2013
Falling for you: A Book Review of Be Mine

Point,2009,368pp.,$6.99
Sabrina James ISBN:0545097398

Valentine's Day is around the corner at North Ridge High School. Everyone is talking who likes who. There a contest, "Most Romantic Couple" Jennifer challenges Claudia, the most popular girl, on this contest. Jennifer will do anything to win, even if she doesn't have a boyfriend. That is until, Will shows up. That's when everything happens.

This bookcis a typical romance story that could happen in real life. I found this book to be relateble to real life situations. The storyline is told from different character's point of view. Therefore, you get a sense of what all the characters are thinking of.

I really enjoyed reading this short romance book. I found it really predictable because I could predict what was going to happen in the end. I thought this book was great, I love trying to guess what was going to happen next. When I guess it correct, I would feel pleased for guessing it correctly.

Although this book was pretty short, I loved it! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading short romance books and books that are quite predictable. I love reading this book!
11 reviews
October 12, 2012
This book is all about one stupid couple contest that ends up creating a ton of problems and drama. It all begins when the school principle announces the annual Most Romantic Couple Contest. Claudia and Natalie, who are best friends, end up arguing with each other. Everyone is making of the fat kid Leo who happened to be Natalie’s neighbor’s uncle. Natalie never made fun of Leo; in fact they sometimes bonded when they both baby -sitted the little girl. When Natalie’s boyfriend starts being a jerk, she is ready to go with a sweet hearted boy like Leo. I liked the authors writing style in this book because it was in third person which made it a little simpler yet more elegant to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a little heart breaking, surprising, love story. This book started out very interesting and it had me at the edge of my seat the whole way through.
Profile Image for Krithika Sundar.
182 reviews15 followers
November 22, 2015
What a cute,adorkable and predictable read.

I loved every bit of it. Jenny, Eden, Claudia and Natalie are 4 girls this story covers.

Jenny hates valentines day and is so annoyed that there is a competition for most romantic pair. She hates this and wants to participate. the catch Is she doesn't have a boyfriend . But she's determined.

Claudia is the typical mean girl. Natalie and Eden are two sweethearts that hang out with Claudia but they're such good characters and your rooting for them as well.

Eden has a boyfriend Keith that cheats on her and dumps her. Natalie has Tom but he's a dumb shit.

Jenny tries to find a bf and lands will the heartbreaker as the pretend boyfriend. what ensues is a hilarious and sweet story....

The ending was a great valentines read. So glad I read it :)
Profile Image for Jennifer Wardrip.
Author 5 books517 followers
November 13, 2012
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Jennifer has a bad habit of lying whenever Claudia's around. Not only has she made up a fake boyfriend, but she's agreed to bring him to Claudia's party on Saturday.

Now she has to find a boyfriend in a week and maybe compete for the school's most romantic couple.

She stumbles across the perfect boy: the heartbreaker. Revenge gets even sweeter when he's looking to settle a score with Claudia, as well.

Can the two of them pull off a plan to teach the Queen Bee a lesson on romance?

This sweet, enjoyable romantic tale equals a cross between Mean Girls and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews

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