A Natural Transition.Nicole Falls. 2019. 109 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.]
One of my favorite romance tropes is enemies-to-lovers, and A Natural Transition definitely
Nyema and Langston are opposites, so it makes sense that they easily fall into a contentious relationship. To her, he’s the lame “suit & tie” accountant who’s been taken under her father’s wing and doesn’t respect her profession. To him, he’s the woman who’d already been his if his remarks about her occupation hadn’t landed him permanently on her bad side. For the past few years, they’ve been enemies, more on her end than his. That, however, doesn’t keep them from harboring secret crushes, especially since they often find themselves together for Sunday dinners at her parents’ house.
The turning point comes for them in part because they can’t avoid each other, when they try. He’s at dinner almost every week, then ends up at the club where she DJs. When he steps in to check someone for disrespecting her … things change. Eventually, they are forced to reconcile the obvious sexual tension that’s been building. Their chemistry is potent, but is balanced out with a rapport that still sports a bit of the skepticism that is their trademark.
As with any enemy-to-lover story, there’s a few obstacles. One that’s obvious from the start is Langston’s image of being a straight-laced guy. He’s mature, respectable, and — let Nyema tell it — corny. It’s almost as if he has to prove to her that he can be the man she sees herself dating. Then, one of the more prominent issues is around Nyema’s father and his concern about her career and the men she dates. Langston being a mentee of his doesn’t help the suspicion she has around his motives. The question is whether his interest in her is authentic and whether she can be open to something serious with him despite her past experiences. Like I said — tension!
One of my favorite parts about this book was Nyema’s career as a DJ. It’s still (unfortunately) a male-dominated field and I appreciated how Falls acknowledged the ways sexism still impacts women DJs. While it wasn’t a prominent part of the story, there were several instances of Nyema’s skill and credibility being questioned to show that while respected, she still was subject to widespread issues. The result is that she’s a character who is determined and has a lot of fortitude, even in the face of a dad who continues to ridicule her career choice (with love, of course).
A Natural Transition gets my recommendation. Although a quicker read, it’s got a lot packed into it that makes it well worth reading.
No Comments