Something Like Love. Christina C. Jones. 2017. Warm Hues Media. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] “He’s just a guy; she’s just a girl. They’re just falling in love.” Spoken by the author herself in a pre-release video message, these words are a very apt description for the plot of Something Like Love.  The story, which is the sixth book in the Serendipitous Love series, takes a refreshing look at love and sexuality through the courtship between Eddie and Astrid. Eddie holds a generally one-sided animosity toward Astrid, who for her part just seems to be amused.  She’s not quite sure where the hostility came from, but quickly decides Eddie’s just mad because he wants her. The problem is that both of them have more or less sworn off relationships. Sure, they’re up for no-strings-attached arrangements, but finding someone who can be with them and accept them for who they are is just not in the picture.  So the fact that they keep bumping into each other seems, at least to Astrid, kismet.  I was happy to see them explore their obvious attraction, and appreciated the story that came from it.

Love and Vandalism.  Laurie Boyle Crompton. 2017. 366 pages. Sourcefire Books. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] They had me at graffiti.  They kept me with this heartbreaking/uplifting story. Rory is the town’s secret vandal. She’s been tagging lions under the cover of night, somehow dodging the watchful eye of her sergeant father who’s forbidden her from art. She’s remained anonymous until Hayes catches her one evening, but instead of turning her in, he turns her into his own personal tour guide.  It’s definitely blackmail, but Rory sees an opportunity to complete her magnum opus – painting a lion on top of the town’s water tower. This is definitely a compelling story that tackles several sensitive topics.  Hayes is recovering from an addiction, so it’s quite interesting to see how how he comes to terms with the damage he’s done to others near him and how he tries to put his life back together in a new place.  Rory initially seems like an angsty teenager who just wants to rebel for the sake of being combative. Her fractured relationship with her  suspicious father and near idol-worship of her artist mother factor prominently. It’s not immediately clear why her father is so adamant…

To Me I Wed. K.M. Jackson. 2017. 368 pages. Dafina. [Source: ARC provided couresty of NetGalley.] Lily is great at her job – she plans exciting events, whether weddings or birthday parties.  However, no matter how happy she says she is with her single-hood, being asked when she’s the next to get hitched is getting old.  What better way to shut up the critics with a spectacular wedding … to herself? To Me I Wed has a pretty interesting concept. What made me want to read it was the idea of Lily being surrounded by people who expected her to simply wait for Mr. Right to sweep her off her feet, but instead she opts to show them that she was whole on her own.  The wrench thrown in by her attraction to Vincent makes for a lot of tension, sexual and otherwise.

The Lies: The Lies We Tell About Love, Life, and Everything In Between. Christina C. Jones. 2017. Amazon Digital Services. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] After months of teasers through her “Sample Sundays” feature, Christina C. Jones released her latest, The Lies:The Lies We Tell About Love, Life, and Everything in Between, on March 30.  I’ve been a fan since discovering Jones last year, and her newest boasts the same drama spliced with hot sex and humor as her other books. The characters in The Lies aren’t new; they were actually introduced in The Truth: His Side, Her Side, and The Truth About Falling in Love.  Brandi is a single mom who’s raising a teenager while still struggling to love again after rejection from her son’s father. Ex-ball player Kyle has an back-and-forth cycle with his son’s mother that he just can’t seem to shake. The two have always had a flirtatious rapport, but never acted on it … until now. 

  The Queen of the Frogs. David Cali & Marco Soma, ill. 2017. 38 pages. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.]   Today is release day for The Queen of the Frogs, a hilarious story with a moral that everyone can relate to. The story is set at a pond with a community of frogs, flies, and dragonflies. One day, a shiny gold object drops into the pond – the frogs aren’t quite sure what it is, but it looks a lot like a crown. The frog community decided that the frog who found the “crown” should be their new queen, and then the fun ensues.