Death to Valentine’s Day Summary: A Sizzling Romantic Suspense
TL;DR: A Kiss, a Killing, and a Second Chance
The book blends a masquerade ball, a snowbound mountain lodge, and a murder investigation with a brother’s-ex-girlfriend romance.
- Maia St. James is dragged by friends to an anti-Valentine’s masquerade ball a year after a painful breakup.
- She kisses a masked stranger to avoid her ex, only to discover he is Decker West, the ex’s older brother and a pro athlete.
- A guest is found dead on the patio, an avalanche traps everyone at the lodge, and Decker becomes Maia’s protector.
- The story develops around Maia and Decker’s hidden history, the murder investigation, and a final act of betrayal from someone close.
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Characters in Death to Valentine’s Day
- Maia St. James: Works at a wildlife nature preserve and attends the masquerade ball one year after her breakup with Jackson.
- Decker West: Professional football player for the Boston Bears and Jackson’s older brother.
- Jackson West: Maia’s ex-boyfriend and Decker’s younger brother.
- Violet: Maia’s best friend and coworker at the nature preserve; later revealed as the murderer.
- Erik: Maia’s close friend who encourages her to attend the ball.
- Booker: Decker’s teammate and best friend from the Boston Bears.
- Frederick Ashford: Wealthy host of the masquerade ball and donor to the nature preserve.
- Henry: School programming coordinator at the nature preserve.
- Lucy Carmichael: Guest at the masquerade ball who is murdered on the patio.
- Detective Silva: Law enforcement officer who interviews Maia by video call.
Death to Valentine’s Day Summary: A Snowbound Romantic Suspense
SPOILERS ahead.
Maia St. James spends Valentine’s Day hiding in her Colorado apartment, still hurt from catching her boyfriend Jackson West cheating with her cousin one year earlier.
Her best friends Violet and Erik force her out of bed and dress her for a Death to Valentine’s Day masquerade ball at a mountain mansion.
At the party, Maia is cornered by the host Frederick Ashford and slips into a dark hallway.
There she sees Jackson with another woman and grabs a masked stranger to kiss her.
The stranger is Decker West, Jackson’s older brother and a Boston Bears football player who has secretly loved Maia for a decade.
Jackson insults Maia, and Decker punches him. Maia runs to a gallery room and later goes outside, where she finds Lucy Carmichael’s body in the snow.
An avalanche blocks the road, trapping everyone with the killer. Decker insists Maia stay in his room for safety.
In the room, Decker cares for Maia’s sore feet and shares a snack. A power outage leaves them in darkness, and Maia decides to be reckless.
They share a night of intimacy. The next morning, Jackson corners Maia in the billiards room, and Decker confronts him.
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Booker reveals that Decker sat out a football game to be with Maia during her appendicitis and that Decker is the anonymous million-dollar donor to her nature preserve.
Decker says he has retired from football to coach in Colorado. Maia confesses her love.
When the roads clear, Maia goes to pack and is confronted by Violet. Violet reveals she killed Lucy Carmichael by mistake, thinking the red-haired woman was Maia. Violet pulls a knife, but Decker, Booker, and Erik intervene and restrain her.
Two years later, Maia and Decker are married. Violet is serving a sentence in a mental health facility, and Frederick is in prison for insider trading.
Decker presents Maia with an emerald ring, and she accepts.
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The Book’s Core Conflicts
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