Happenstance sparks transformation in this modern twist on The Frog Prince.
Ten years ago, teen-TV prince Jaime Reyes left behind his life in the spotlight with no regrets. He’s proud of his charity work associated with the family restaurant empire, and no one could tempt him to risk the life of anonymity he’s built. Especially not the former costar who broke his heart.
Reality TV diva Charlotte Lavigne has grown weary of the role she’s been given to play, but the pampered princess life is all she knows, and change feels impossible. When an on-camera meltdown proves everyone’s assumptions right, her only thought is to flee before it goes viral.
When a chance encounter brings the two together, Charlotte finds herself with an unexpected, albeit reluctant, sanctuary. At every turn, Jaime’s goodness inspires her to grow into a better version of herself as old feelings are made new. But when Hollywood calls her home, will their rediscovered love be strong enough to triumph, or will she revert to the toad she used to be?
Inspired by Grimm’s The Frog Prince (and not to be confused with The Frog Princess, an unrelated YA novel that a certain animation studio turned into a bayou flick) this dual point-of-view novella first appeared in the Once Upon a Summer collection. It is now the second book in a trilogy centered on fairy tale endings for all three Reyes siblings. As with all of Jaycee's books, you can expect a sweet and clean romance with HEA, borderline spicy kisses but no steam, and faith elements that feel natural and never preachy.
When New Mexico resident and USA Today bestselling author Jaycee Weaver isn't reading or writing, she enjoys dates with her brainiac hubby, drinking coffee, crafting, pretending she's a nature photographer, and making her teenagers cringe.
Jaycee considers herself a recovering perfectionist and frequent hot mess. She does her best to live her faith in action authentically, trusting God to be Lord over the good, the bad, and the ugly even when it’s hard.
I loved getting to meet Lottie and Jaime in this story while being immersed in the culture of New Mexico. It's always a treat learning more about the southwestern part of the States from Jaycee Weaver as she brings such a love and passion for the foods, traditions, and geography of the area, giving me the opportunity to travel while meeting her characters. In this case, Lottie is quite the character as the story begins with her epic meltdown. Making her likeable after that is quite the feat, and one that Jaycee is up to by softening her edges over time. Jaime, on the other hand, is consistent, steady, and leans heavily on the Holy Spirit, which is what makes him leading man material.
I appreciate that this book takes the time to go through the Gospel with a unique twist; the setting certainly inspires the message of salvation in a creative way where I won't look at the spa the same way again! As usual, the author writes heartwarming family members, and I certainly look forward to reading more about the Reyes family. If you're looking for a light but deep story of God's love even when we feel unlovable, Unkissable is unmissable when it comes to a cute and meaningful Christian rom-com.
I love how author Jaycee Weaver pulled in elements from the Frog Prince fairy tale in clever ways in UNKISSABLE, while also creating a story that is fresh and unique. Charlotte (Lottie) and Jaime are each other’s ‘one that got away’, and up until now they’ve lived worlds apart, even if only separated by a couple of states. When Lottie’s reality show life implodes around her, she crashes back into Jaime’s life in desperate need of a friend. Her redemptive character growth throughout this story was truly special to watch, and the gospel was presented clearly without being forced. On a more shallow note (lol), get ready for a doozy of a kiss that is definitely going into my next KissingBooks Hall of Fame
(I originally reviewed this story as part of the Once Upon a Summer collection, of which I received a complimentary copy)
Rough start with a jerk of a leading lady who spewed curses (not explicit) and flipped off some people. However, the author voice was fun and inviting, so I kept reading. The romance turned out to be pretty cute! I was glad because I didn’t want to give up on a book with such a darling cover. And the best news? The leading lady grew on me.
Content: crude gesture, cursing rant mentioned, profane phrase, crude sexual term
"But Lottie wasn't any other girl, she was the untouchable, unkissable Charlotte Lavigne, as much as I'd tried to forget. She had a life in California, a family, and responsibilities. A contract and whatever else kept her there."
Charlotte wonders how her life went off track. Perhaps questioning this fact loudly and with startling words in a very public place was not her best plan. Now she finds herself in need of a fresh start. But she certainly did not expect JT, her one-time teen co-star, to be the one to offer her a reprieve. Can she find her way back and make a fresh start?
Based on the title, I thought this might be a simple, sappy book. But the plot had so much depth. The mission work that JT created after stardom was so meaningful. I loved the family aspects, his and then eventually hers. The faith lessons really shined through.
The author set the book in her state of New Mexico. The local Albuquerque culture really added to the storyline. Since part of the plot revolves around restaurants, I enjoyed the food references.
Although this novella did have fairytale connotations, I did not find that aspect to be predictable. There were a few frog prince references, but they made sense with the storyline. The main character's life was far from a fairytale, and throughout the course of the book, readers cannot help but cheer when she discovers how to help people who are worse off than she thought she was.
I read this book as a part of the "Once upon a Summer" collection. I own a copy of that title. Now it is only available separately.
Originally part of a boxed collection of contemporary fairy tale retellings, UnKissable was a delightful read. When Charlotte (Lottie) Lavigne's reality show life implodes, she heads to the airport to get away from the fallout and ends up turning to Jaime Reyes, her former teen co-star, in need of a fresh start and a friend. Jaime, who left Hollywood and fame behind to start a mission work, lets Lottie stay at his family's property. While there, Lottie had time to reflect on where she had messed up. The maturing, changing, and transformation were evident, and the gospel message was delivered without being preachy or too hard. Jaycee Weaver added a nice twist of the Frog Prince to this contemporary fairytale of Unkissable.
This is my voluntary review of a copy I received from the author.
Oh that was so well done. The story was believable and the Christian bits were woven into the story in a way that seemed natural to the conversations (and the Bible verses were used correctly to their context).
Jaime seemed to have his life together, but poor Charlotte was a mess. It takes a while to get to the root cause of her troubles, but all of it was written well.
I really enjoyed this one. I originally read it in a collection, and this was probably my favorite. I really like the nod to fairy tales, but still a reasonable plot. The characters are great. The author excels at great character development and this was no exception. There were some more serious points, which I love.
Really, buy this one. Or at least borrow from kindle unlimited like I did!
This is a great fairytale retelling. It pulled me in and I didn’t want to stop reading. I loved the characters as I read their stories and they seemed real to me. I loved how the characters learned and grew and became better. The storyline fits perfectly with some intensity and a few surprises.
I loved this book! It’s a story of sin and the Redeemer. It’s a tale of grace and mercy. It’s a short volume of a poor little rich girl who has come to the end of herself. It’s a book that gives real hope.