To Kiss a Frog - Elle James (Love Spell - Mar 2005)

WANTED: Single woman, very near-sighted, who doesn't care about height (3") or skin flaws (green and bumpy), who can see past minor details (like not being entirely human) to find and love the man beneath the warts.
 
Craig Thibodeaux is cursed. Frog by day and man by night, he has until the next full moon to free himself--by finding someone to love him. Elaine Smith seems perfect. She is beautiful and smart, and even passionate about frogs. But while she came to Bayou Miste at just the right time, the sexy scientist needs a bodyguard--not a boyfriend. And truth be told, he was a bit more frog than Prince Charming even before he tangled with that Voodoo Queen. Elaine deserves more. She deserves to be the queen of someone's pad: a wife. But with a single kiss, Craig might start to believe in fairy-tale endings.
 
Fun modern take on the fairy-tale "The Frog Prince." Craig is a high-powered New Orleans attorney on a working vacation in Bayou Miste. He spends part of his time helping out at his Uncle Joe's marina and bait shop, part of it recruiting a new client for the family law firm, and the rest indulging in his playboy ways. That is until he messes with the wrong girl and her voodoo queen granny puts a curse on him. Now Craig is a little green frog by day and a man by night, with just two weeks to find a woman who can love him and break the spell.
 
Elaine is a New Orleans scientist who receives an anonymous sample of contaminated bayou water from Bayou Miste. Ready for a break from the lab and her cheating ex-fiancé, she and her trusty microscope head for the bayou to figure out what is causing the contamination. She needs to gather specimens but is terrified of water, which is where Craig comes in. Uncle Joe asks Craig to take Elaine to get what she needs.
 
I loved the development of the relationship between Craig and Elaine. Their first meeting was hilarious, as Craig had just transformed back to a man from a frog - and frogs don't wear clothes. To say that Elaine got an eye-full would be putting it mildly and roused unfamiliar feelings in her. Just being around Craig short-circuits her brain and turns the ordinarily cool and articulate scientist tongue-tied and clumsy. While Craig may be an insensitive jerk to women at times, he's never deliberately cruel, and when he sees Elaine's genuine fear of the water, he comes through like a champ. I loved his care and understanding as he helped her into the boat and on their journey to the site of the dead fish. Craig's reactions to Elaine surprised him since she isn't his usual type. Craig earned extra points from me when he decided against making her fall in love with him because he didn't want her to get hurt.
 
The sparks that flew between Craig and Elaine were undeniable. Though determined to do the right thing and leave her alone, Craig found it impossible not to give in to those sparks. The more time they spend together, the more she gets under his skin. Elaine is well aware of his reputation and knows she should stay away from him, but she can't help being drawn to him. With Craig's help, Elaine overcomes her fears and blossoms under his attentions. When Elaine's insecurities make her question her actions, two new friends step up to help her fight for her man. I loved the makeover section and the effect it had on Craig. I loved seeing the commitment-phobic Craig experience changes in his outlook but still worry about hurting Elaine. In the end, danger opens their eyes to their true feelings, and love's true kiss comes through to break the spell.
 
The mystery of the contaminated bayou water was well done. Elaine's determination to uncover the truth put her and Craig in unexpected danger when one of their trips ran into opposition. If not for Craig's knowledge of the bayou waterways, Elaine's research might have come to an unfortunate end. Craig feared for Elaine's safety when her house was ransacked and her research stolen. I thought I had it all figured out when Elaine found out the only business likely responsible. But an unexpected twist put her in mortal danger. The final confrontation was a nail-biter, and I was glued to the pages until it was all over.
 
I had a lot of fun watching Craig's antics as both man and frog. I laughed at his encounter with the voodoo queen and his skepticism about the curse - until he woke up as a frog. His descriptions of the world from a frog's-eye view were vivid, and I felt like I was right there with him. I liked his determination to watch over Elaine, even as a frog, and how he got Dawg to help him. Who would have expected a dog to have a pet bullfrog, right? Craig also tended to get caught in awkward places when it was time to transform from frog to man, leaving him "exposed." When in man-form, Craig had to deal with too-helpful friends, old girlfriends showing up at awkward times, and nosy neighbors seeing far too much.
 
The secondary characters were almost as great as Elaine and Craig. Craig's Uncle Joe had far too much fun giving him a hard time about being a frog, but he also was there when Craig needed him. Nosy neighbor Mozelle had a big heart, and I loved seeing her take Elaine under her wing. When Mozelle and the hairdresser, Josie, set out to help Elaine, she didn't know what hit her. Craig's friends Mo and Larry had me a little confused at first since they helped the voodoo queen and tried to help Craig break the curse. 

I've been a fan of Elle James's romantic suspense books for a long time, so when I stumbled across this very different offering, I couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed!