Kissing Frogs

“Notting Hill” meets “Bridget Jones”:  except in this case her name is Kate. She’s living her dream in London, but a thick fog hangs over her head. Her husband dumped her for a Brazilian bombshell. If she gives him the divorce before the paperwork is signed on her immigration status, she’s on the next boat back to the US. Then an unexpected meeting with a dashing, he-kinda-looks-familiar Adam Wentworth ignites a flicker of hope.

An avid reader will recognize the plot of “Kissing Frogs”. Wealthy, handsome, famous movie star (Adam) falls in love with low income, slightly overweight waif (Kate) who has one heck of a nasty almost-ex-husband, a gay best friend and a dream to become a romance author. There’s the infamous paparazzi picture “oh no, what will we do?” scene. Surprisingly, there’s even a little mystery to be solved. Empathy for Kate may wane for some readers with her self-deprecating comments while she’s shoving in “globs of mash with onion gravy”. Yet, a spotlight shines on the novel for the laugh out loud bad dates Kate endures. “Kissing Frogs” has one of the funniest, unexpected love scenes ever written. The way Ms. Macleod weaves the teeth gnashing hookups Kate tolerates looking for Mr. Right between her dates with Adam, is original and fresh. The scenes are so vividly written anyone who’s had a bad date will relate on every level with Kate’s experiences. 

“Kissing Frogs” is a balanced read with entertaining characters about a woman who finds her independence but also her forever fairytale.

 Natasza Waters