My Imperfect Valentine

New small business owner Amanda Jensen is living her dream—and struggling to keep it alive.  Struggling to save her fledgling business, to find her feet and place in the world, to trust her own judgment in a battle of wills with her mother, who is trying to push Amanda into marrying a man she doesn’t love. 


On the verge of losing everything—her business, her home, her confidence—Amanda seeks the help of the one person she trusts:  a bag lady who has stolen “baubles” from her shop since its grand opening.  A bad situation gets worse as Amanda finds her heart torn between an illustrator she’s never met and the bag lady’s nephew. But no one is who they say or seem, confusing Amanda even more. Challenges escalate and the night of the Secret Admirer’s Valentine’s Day ball pandamonium strikes.


When the dust settles, will Amanda or her mother win the battle for Amanda’s future? Will her dream business succeed or fail?  And which man—mom’s choice, the illustrator, or the bag lady’s nephew—will win Amanda's heart? Who will she call My Imperfect Valentine?


First published by St. Martin’s Press in 1998. Rewritten and published in 2015 by Magnolia Leaf Press.