So it seems that in some ways (by which I mean profanity), Stunich writes like I talk. (Yep, I have a dirty mouth. I'd toss in a "Sorry, Mom!" here, but she's already well aware.) And I admit to being pleased by anyone who uses "Fuck" in the title and has the balls not to censor it on the cover.Also, a story title with the first word being "Fuck"...fuck yeah.
Moving on from that, the actual story is one of those fun reads, complete brain candy with a simple plot (sex), a simple theme (sex), and a simple inner monologue for the main character (say it with me now: sex). Stunich's humor is on display, quite a bit of deadpan wit and smart ass quips, and while some jokes fall flat on their faces, there are a handful of laugh out loud passages. Fuck Valentine's Day is a perfect summer read for those who want something naughty and aren't easily offended--and if you're seriously offended by dirty sex scenes or jokes made at the expense of the Twilight series, I have doubts that you're mature enough to read this. Or why you would even pick it up in the first place.
I don't think the author meant this, but the book feels vaguely like a spoof of the YA classic plot: good girl, bad boy, good boy, love/lust triangle, sexual tension. (See: Twilight, The Vincent Boys, Lament, Alice in Zombieland, or a thousand other series.) She just cut out all the bullshit and got straight to the point: that sexual tension bit. Good for her, and good for us.
Now, is this going to go down as classic (or even good) lit? Absolutely not. This book makes no attempts at being "classy". The writing itself is solid but certainly not impressive, and the manuscript itself needs to spend some time with a good copy editor. We're talking glaring, wince-worthy typos here, people. Fortunately these aren't as jarring as I usually find them, mainly because the writing isn't strong enough to make you not expect those. Sad but true.
But if you take Fuck Valentine's Day for what it is, that being a steamy, fun, quick summer read, than you should be satisfied. Is it going to change your life or stick with you much past the time you finish and put the book down? Nope. It's not going to take more than an hour or so to read this in one go, but it's an hour you won't regret, although perhaps not the most productive hour you'll ever have in your life.
But who can resist handcuffs? And random sexual acts performed in public? And sex swings and dirty talk? Okay, probably a lot of people can resist those, perhaps they even find them unpleasant, but screw it: if you've chosen this book, the "warning" makes it all perfectly clear. You know what you're getting into, and damn it, you like it.
