As The Legend of Valentine, a book exploring the origins of Valentine’s Day and the Saint Valentine legend, sparks discussion in book clubs and libraries, conversations are shifting from romance as spectacle to love as sacrifice.
LOS ANGELES, CA — As Valentine’s Day approaches, readers across the United States are re-examining the story behind Valentine’s Day and the legend of Saint Valentine. In book clubs and libraries, conversations are moving beyond cards and chocolates to explore the origins of Valentine’s Day, the faith of the Roman martyr Valentine, and why his story continues to resonate in modern relationships.
Those discussions have increasingly centered around The Legend of Valentine, the award-winning historical novel and audiobook by author-director Sheldon Collins, which traces how the story of Saint Valentine evolved from third-century martyrdom into one of the world’s most enduring symbols of love.
Rather than debating historical certainty, modern readers are engaging with Valentine’s Day history as a living narrative — one that raises contemporary questions about commitment, belief, and the cost of love.
Author Sheldon Collins with members of a Los Angeles–area book club following a discussion of The Legend of Valentine, where readers explored how the story behind Valentine’s Day resonates with modern relationships.
“At book clubs, I’ve noticed a real shift,” Collins says. “People aren’t asking whether the Saint Valentine legend is historically precise. They’re asking why it still matters — and what it reveals about how we define love today.”
A STORY DRIVING MODERN CONVERSATION
Originally remembered as a Christian martyr executed in Rome around 268 AD, Saint Valentine’s story expanded across centuries through miracle accounts, medieval hagiography, and later romantic reinterpretations. Collins’ work embraces that layered evolution, acknowledging both what history records and what belief and storytelling added over time.
In discussion settings, readers have focused less on separating myth from fact and more on the emotional truth embedded in the Valentine legend: love practiced under pressure, faith tested by authority, and devotion that carries consequence.
Collins speaks with book club members about how faith, myth, and storytelling continue to shape modern ideas of love.
“What surprises people is how contemporary these themes feel,” Collins notes. “Valentine lived in a time when love and belief could get you killed. That reality forces modern readers to reflect on how low-risk, and sometimes low-commitment, romance has become.”
WHY THE ORIGINS OF VALENTINE’S DAY ARE RESONATING NOW
As dating apps, algorithm-driven romance, and performative gestures dominate modern courtship, stories rooted in sacrifice and conviction are striking a chord. Readers have drawn parallels between Valentine’s defiance of imperial authority and modern struggles to sustain meaning, loyalty, and belief in an increasingly transactional culture.
“Legends survive because they meet emotional needs facts alone can’t,” Collins says. “The story of Saint Valentine endured because it spoke to love under pressure — love that demanded courage.”
That renewed interest in Valentine’s Day history has extended beyond private reading into shared community spaces, where discussion itself becomes part of the experience.
A book club discussion of The Legend of Valentine turns toward questions of sacrifice, conviction, and why the Saint Valentine story has endured for nearly 1,800 years.
FROM PAGE TO AUDIO — AND BEYOND
Produced over 14 months and featuring more than 20 international voice actors, cinematic sound design, and an original score by Grammy-nominated composer Stephen Endelman, the audiobook edition of The Legend of Valentine has introduced the origins of Valentine’s Day to new audiences worldwide.
The production has received multiple honors, including the Independent Press Award for Best Audiobook and two 2026 SOVAS Voice Arts Awards, often referred to as the “Oscars of audiobooks.”
Building on that momentum, Collins is developing The Legend of Valentine as a limited television series, expanding the Saint Valentine story visually while preserving its emotional and historical core.
“I see this project as an ongoing conversation,” Collins says. “The book, the audiobook, the discussions — they’re all part of the same journey. This story has survived for centuries because people keep finding themselves in it.”
A TIMELY CULTURAL REFLECTION
As Valentine’s Day approaches, Collins has become an increasingly sought-after voice for conversations about how myths evolve and why societies continue to return to certain stories. Rather than debunking tradition, The Legend of Valentine invites reflection on how meaning is shaped over time — and why the story behind Valentine’s Day continues to endure.
“For many readers, this isn’t about flowers or fantasy,” Collins reflects. “It’s about remembering that love has always required bravery — and that the stories we pass down reveal what we still need to believe.”
AVAILABILITY FOR INTERVIEWS
Sheldon Collins is available for interviews discussing:
• The story behind Valentine’s Day and the Saint Valentine legend
• The origins of Valentine’s Day and how the story evolved
• Why Valentine’s Day history resonates with modern readers
• How book clubs and libraries are re-engaging with classic legends
• The evolution of The Legend of Valentine from novel to audiobook and screen
Public appearances around Valentine’s Day include:
• Barnes & Noble, Marina del Rey, California — February 7
• Pasadena Public Library (Lamanda Park), California — February 7
• Barnes & Noble, San Luis Obispo, California — February 14 (Valentine’s Day)
Media inquiries:
Wes Seeley
PR By the Book
+1 512-501-4399 ext. 713
wes@prbythebook.com
