This Is Not a Valentine

This isn’t a Valentine in the usual sense—no lace edges, no sugary hearts—but it is full of lucky rocks, secret hiding spots, and gumball machine treasures. It’s a story about waiting, wishing, and realizing that caring deeply sometimes means showing it in the smallest, most honest ways.

Debut author Carter Higgins and illustrator Lucy Ruth Cummins celebrate the messy, bashful, handmade moments of love that connect us all. A heartfelt, wacky, and honest story perfect for sharing with anyone you care about—parent, sibling, friend, or crush alike.