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…

I Think I Might Love You. Christina C. Jones. 2019. 130 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] I haven’t enjoyed a book quite the way I enjoyed I think I Might Love You in a while. I mean put the Kindle down, guffaw, and wipe tears from my eyes laughing. This book is so fun and so real. I Think I Might Love You doesn’t start off like you’d think a romance would. Jaclyn, a bit tipsy, strolls into her sister’s apartment only wanting some good ice cream to ease the pain of finding out her boyfriend has a whole wife and family he’s been hiding. She finds the ice cream, but also finds a naked dude in the kitchen. She punches him and locks herself in the bedroom, only to wonder where the hell her sister is. She later finds out Kadan is actually a legitimate subletter … awkward. That’s just the first of many awkward and uncomfortable — if not completely hilarious — interactions between the two. Their “courtship” is anything but. I mean, she intended to use him as DoD* and saved him in her phone as “Dicky McStrangerballs.” (Shoutout to Mrs. Jones for that piece of literary excellence…

He’s Just a Friend. J. Nichole. 2019. Not the Last Page. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] I’m a sucker for a good buddies-turned-bae romance, and He’s Just a Friend is exactly that. Brooklyn and Josiah have been thick as thieves since they were kids. They’ve held each other down through the good and the bad, but have never taken it any further. They’ve batted away the usual comments about them really wanting to be together, but that changes when they both find themselves single at the same time. For her part, Brooklyn is still pining away for Marcus, who broke up with her out of the blue. She’s convinced that at any moment, he’ll call and be ready to jump back in with her for good. Josiah, however, is a barely willing participant in his new relationship with Alana, whose high-maintenance ways are a constant source of annoyance. Brooklyn and Josiah, however, have an obviously comfortable rapport that demonstrates their care for each other; it seems obvious to literally everyone except them. With this book, I felt that the author made it easy to love Josiah. He’s a genuinely good guy who wants to keep the people around him happy and cared…

Displacement. Alexandra Warren. 2019. 105 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] For her third installment in the Building 402 series, Alexandra Warren puts the spotlight on Nicole and Montgomery. The two were introduced in the previous installments of this series, and I’ve been wondering what their deal was for a while. I definitely enjoyed getting up close and personal with them in this book. Best friends since middle school, the two find themselves in uncharted territory as they grapple with a shift in their feelings toward each other. These feelings couldn’t come at a more precarious time for Nic. She’s reeling from an accidental apartment fire that turned nearly all of her belongings into ash. Now, she’s an extended visitor on her best friend’s sofa while she regroups. They already have an uncomfortable tension from them because Nic’s jealousy reared its head. Being under one another puts their friendship to the test, mainly because neither is comfortable in making the first step. I’m a sucker for a good “can they escape the friendzone” romance, and Displacement doesn’t disappoint. Nic and Monte have a playful rapport that you can see is rooted in years of having each others’ back. Their chemistry mostly made me wonder how they managed to front…

Wonder. Christina C. Jones. 2019. Warm Hues Creative. 283 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] I’ve grown to look forward to the new book that comes on the heels of any Christina C. Jones announcement that she’s trying something out of her comfort zone. From experience, I know that book will test boundaries, explore new ideas, and make me check my assumptions about my own worldview. Wonder is no different. It is a post-apocalyptic reimagining of a classic fairy tale that felt so right that it stands on its own. Wonder focuses on Aly, a 25 year old living more than a century after modern-day climate change has reared its ugly head, leaving Earth a collapsed shell of itself. A talented hair stylist who works in the privileged Apex, Aly lives in the less affluent Mids. Her ability to straddle both worlds is based on a keen ability to navigate relationships, social class, and the dangerous streets of her home. With only her grandmother and sister, Nadiah, in her life, Aly lives her life nose to the grindstone, until her sister goes missing. The rest of the book follows Aly as she ventures outside her city limits to find out who took her sister and determine how to get her back. In…