I think the British sayings were a bit fun in this one but that is about all I liked from this book. In one word, this book is boring! The title has love in it but there is no major interaction between the two until about 60% in the book. We have Katherine who is a snob and Kit who is rude. Seriously both are so unlikable. How are we supposed to want them together when they are arguing not in a fun cute way and then just don’t interact. Also I could never really imagine these characters. We didn’t get enough description and also I always forgot Katherines name because we didn’t get it for awhile and then it just never stuck. Lainey, Katherine’s friend suddenly turns into a bad friend I guess because of her wedding? That was annoying because it just didn’t fit her character from the beginning. Overall this is a hard pass. I slugged through it and even the ending wasn’t much of a redemption for it.

Firstly huge thanks to the publisher for my e-arc in exchange of an honest review *smile*. Gosh to say that I liked this book is an understatement 😃 I loved it! It was such an amazing rom-com that we all need in SUMMER. It follows Kate a London curator who is stuck in a job she likes but is consistently being passed on for promotion *sob* -so relatable right!? So she makes a grown up decision and quits her job, moves back home with goals to open her art gallery while dealing with the fact that her dad is tryna play matchmaker with a fellow artist called KIT. THE banter was on plot, the plot so adorable and the characters wonderful. I recommend this book so much.

I love hate to love romance books, they are one of my absolute favorites. That being said, this book just kind of fell short for me in comparison to other romance novels I have read.

Katherine Patterson is a 35-year-old curator at the Webster Fine Art Gallery in London. When a well-awaited promotion is given to Steve, also known as Bloody Foot Fetish Steve, who deserves it less than her, she decides to quit her job. After her boyfriend, John humiliates her at a work dinner, she leaves him too. Kit is an artist and runs an art school at Loxley. He is also a friend of her father’s. They meet and sparks fly. She also decides that she wants to run her art gallery and moves back to her hometown to do so. Can Katherine achieve all that she dreamed of?


I take a deep breath and resist the urge to trip him. ‘I want you.’
He lowers the wheelbarrow and takes a slow deep breath. ‘Well, I must say, that’s the most forward a woman has been with me in years.’ He glances at his wrist. ‘We don’t have long, but I’m sure I could-
‘I didn’t mean it like that.’ My face is on fire.

Katherine and Kit were the best part of this novel. Their humorous, awkward banter brightened the mood. Their scenes were repetitive but funny and realistic. She runs into him everywhere; the bar, their dad’s store, the grocery store. From their very first scene, I shipped them and was waiting for them to get together. Although Kit helped Katherine in many ways, her brother Adam was her all-time rock. I liked his character and hope he gets his book. I also enjoyed how career-oriented Katherine is and all the details regarding art.

‘No’? With a small hand gesture, he offers to take my shopping basket. I let him, and the physical load it relieves almost feels like a metaphoric one, too.

The novel picked up pace in the second half. The ending felt rushed. I enjoyed the dialogue. Most of the lines were comic enough to make me laugh out. Their romantic subplot could've been introduced earlier in the book. This novel is in the first person from Katherine’s perspective. There were a lot of words I haven’t come across in other novels set in London, such as thinners, gauntlet, twonk, and more.

Accidentally in Love delivers what it promises, a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy indeed. Recommended to anyone who wants to read a casual, fun romance. ARC provided by HQ Digital and NetGalley. Thank you. #AccidentallyinLove#NetGalley.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
The writing was easy to read, and the plot flowed well overall in this story. I liked that Katharine had an interesting job and we got to see all the work behind art shows. The interactions between Katharine and her family, especially Adam, were really lovely. The author didn't make an issue out of the mum dying which was refreshing.
In the end though, it felt like the issues between Lainey and Kat were fixed a bit quickly. The same could be said for Kit and Katharine. We got to know John and Kat's relationship which was ending, and yet, Kit and Katharine got together without spending that much time together. It went from despising each other, to love, quite fast.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the ARC. I am really enjoying this book so far and can't wait to finish it. I will update my review when I finish it.

Lovely book, definitely one of the best love to hate romance books I've read. Love how it involves art, and how the characters end up falling in love. Would recommend to my female students that enjoy this tiype of chessy Rom-com. Such a nice book and amazingly written by Belinda Missen.

Specially thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are into cheesy, clean, happily ever after Hallmark movies, this might be for you. I think the ideal audience for this novel is anyone who likes things to be wrapped up (very) quickly and perfectly.

Nothing is wrong with any of those things. I actually really enjoy a cheesy, cute novel now and then, but this one just didn't do it for me.

The beginning is strong. We meet Katharine at work as an art curator for a big gallery in London, and she up and quits because she has been passed over for a big promotion (for the THIRD time), while a man less qualified than her gets the job. I loved the feel of the initial chapter and the next few.

The one thing I truly did enjoy about this book is Katharine's work. I love how it started, watching the work she put into opening her own gallery, dealing with how terrifying it is to start over, etc.

Once you meet the love interest, though, is where I feel this book started to lose me. It seems as if it's trying to be an enemies-to-lovers type novel, but I just ended up thinking that Christopher was an immature asshole. These characters are in their mid-30's btw.

There is a way to write an enemies-to-lovers story (I've read so many good ones), but this just didn't have the character development required for it to really impress me or make me feel like these characters have any type of sexual tension between them. Their bickering actually had the opposite effect on me. I found myself not liking either of them.

Another problem I had is the predictability. I was able to guess just about every single thing that happened in this novel. As soon as we met Christopher, I knew exactly what is issue was going to be. I knew exactly how Katharine and Christopher would end up bonding and liking each other. I knew exactly what her and her best friend were going to go through.

What I didn't expect was how fast everything went down. The ending felt so rushed after such a drawn out book. So much time was spent on details of her shopping trips and we repeatedly get summaries of conversations/events that we've already heard about, yet the last 10% contains almost all of the conflict (which was pretty ridiculous) and all of the resolution (which was also ridiculous).

I completely intended for this book to be 3 stars at about halfway through, but the way Christopher acts toward the end upset me so much. It was unbelievably immature and quite dumb. Also, they've only been dating for about a week or two at this point? For the end of this novel to feel real to me, this timeline has to change. I get why he may be a little more ready than most men due to his situation, but... no. Just no. The fight they had and their reactions, plus the way they make up.. all of it is too soon for any relationship.

Something that might make this novel better is an epilogue. I need an epilogue to justify that abrupt and absurd ending.

Although a disappointment for me, I hope this book finds its rightful audience, and I have faith that it will.

Happy reading!

This was a sweet and entertaining rom-com that’s perfect for summer. After being looked over for a promotion at her job in an art gallery, Katherine up and quits. She knows she’s ready to take on more responsibility, so instead of just finding a new job, she decides to become her own boss by opening her own gallery. She then gets the unexpectant help from the broody artist Kit, a friend of her fathers.

The two of them definitely don’t start out as friends in this classic enemies-to-lovers story. Their banter was fun, but I just think everything was just way too rushed. I wanted the characterizations, plot, and relationships to be fleshed out a little more.

3.5 stars
This was a very fun contemporary! While marketed as more of a rom-com, I’d say this is more focused on our main character taking control of her life by opening her own art gallery. We also see her navigate friendships and relationships, though her new career definitely takes center stage. Katharine is a headstrong and determined main character who goes through a lot of development over the course of the book. I really enjoyed seeing her progression over time. I also loved the family dynamic, as Katie spends a lot of time with her brother, father, and mother figure. These interactions were so much fun. I really enjoyed the love interest as well, though he didn’t really come into play until later in the book, which is why I’d say this isn’t necessarily a “rom” com—though it does have plenty of comedy! There are many jokes and modern references that made this book feel so real. Overall a very enjoyable, quick read!

This book was adorable and absolutely delightful. It was cute and snappy and just what I needed this week.

I appreciated that Katherine knew how to stand up for herself even if it sometimes took her awhile.
My one gripe is that I loved the female friendship between Lainey and Katherine in the first half of the book but it seemed to disintegrate the second half and there was not a proper apology from Lainey. It seemed like once again, Katherine accommodated her.

I loved Adam and would love to see more from his character.

hen I read this was going to be laugh out loud funny, I could NOT wait. Sadly for me, it never did happen. It was an ok book, but at times, I was a little bored to be honest.

Kit and Kate were ok characters.

I took a little while to get into this, finding it predictably written at the beginning. It wasn't until Katharine left London to set up her gallery (don't worry - not a spoiler, it's in the synopsis) that I feel like everything really fell into place. The characters became more rounded, with their flaws and perfections. The dialogue got funnier. The pace lifted. More than anything, I was enthralled by a romantic story that doesn't feature a perfect protagonist. Katharine has her own faults, as many as the other characters, if not more, but it is learning about these herself that makes her the perfect narrator.

On another note: Kit. Swoon.

This was an interesting take on the trope of a heroine who loses her job and boyfriend at the same time and moves home to start all over. The difference is that the heroine, Katharine, is the one who quit her job after she got passed over for a promotion because she wasn’t one of the guys. And she gave her boyfriend the heave-ho once she came to the realization that he was never going to treat her seriously.

She moves back to her hometown in Sheffield and decides to fulfill her long-held desire of opening her own art gallery. And she decides that the mysterious local artist, Kit, would be the perfect artist to showcase in her gallery. Unfortunately, she didn’t hit it off with him from the beginning and he’s quite resistant to her attempts to show his art.

The story is leisurely told. We follow along with quite a lot of detail about the house she leases for her new gallery and all the work she’s putting in to paint it and get it ready. She has several encounters with Kit and it takes a while for the two of them to lose their mutual antagonism and see what is worthwhile in the other. Their attraction builds slowly.

At first I was a little irritated with Katharine as she jumps into this new career and investment without much idea of which artists she was going to show. But I got more and more interested in her and her plan and her growing relationship with Kit. I ended up staying up late to finish the novel and didn’t regret it one bit.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Accidentally in Love is a delightful distraction. Katharine’s life as she knows it is falling apart. She quit her job after being passed over for a big promotion that she has been working years to achieve and she can’t get her “boyfriend” to commit. Katharine goes home to visit her family for the weekend and comes up with the crazy, spur of the moment decision to move back to her hometown and to open her own art gallery. One of the first people she meets when she comes back is Christopher. Christopher doubts everything about Katharine. Can she really give up the big city living she is accustomed to in London? Can she settle for showing local artists instead big names at her new gallery? Katharine is determined to prove him wrong and both of them are surprised when sparks between them start to fly.

I love it when a funny story is combined with a cracking protagonist. This book has both plus a terrific side show of characters which make you feel like you are right in the middle of things. It’s a pretty easy read which is what we all want from time to time. One to take on holiday and leave behind for someone else to enjoy!

I read this book as part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources. Special thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wooh, did this book send me on an unexpected rollercoaster of emotions or what?! My moods have been swinging erratically lately and as a mood reader that means I've found it difficult to stick to a book...until I picked up Accidentally in Love! This had everything I love to read in a romance: cheeky banter, sarcastic/dry humour, enemies-to-lovers, eccentric families and tight sibling relationships, interesting friendships, and realistic and relatable characters. Although the story meanders at an often slow pace, I found myself so quickly invested in their lives that I didn't mind that it took a bit of time to reach our end goal. As I have many artist friends in real life, I appreciated the art aspect to the story because I've been in some of these situations myself when helping them, but if you're not into art/art scene, I would keep in mind that it's a big part of the story.

I loved Katharine's character and found it motivating that she was so sure of what she wanted, knew what she deserved, and 100% pulled through on her vision for herself and her future. I found it very easy to relate to her because a lot of her thoughts and the things that she experiences in the story (especially in her friendship with Lainey) are things that I've also thought and experienced myself in recent years. She's someone I could see myself being friends with and I found myself rooting for her throughout all her many ups and downs; I really felt her heartbreak but also her excitement and joy for what's to come. What I also really appreciated was that she was willing to admit her flaws, even though it took a bit of time, and that she was also willing to grow and learn from others.

As I mentioned, the relationships in this story are wonderful. Although I found myself dubious about Kit and his ability to be charming, once they both admitted their errors, the chemistry between them was INTENSE! Oof, I felt that chemistry jumping out my screen and the slow burn and anticipation of 'will they/won't they' was so sweet and ultimately satisfying. I do think Kit acted immaturely at times but I also understood his insecurities and fears. I loved Katharine's family. Her father and Fiona were super quirky free spirited parents that made me want to be friends with them, but I especially loved her relationship with her brother, Adam. It's been a while since I've read such a fun and supportive relationship between brother and sister (usually it's sister-sister) but I was 100% here for this! I just want a story about Adam now, please? He's definitely a romance hero I can get behind!

TL;DR: This was the romance that I didn't know I needed in my life right now. Although it's not very fast paced, and it talks a lot about art/curating and the 'every day life' activities of our MC, it had all the elements that make me fall head over feet for characters and had me rooting for that HEA all the way through. I'm so glad that this was put on my radar and I can't wait to read more from this author!

This book had everything I look for in a modern rom com. Witty banter, a little heart break, and an enemies to lovers story line always makes for a good story.

While I loved the journey for Christopher and Katharine some of the other non romantic relationships in the story are what stood out to me.

Katharine’s relationship with her best friend Lainey I felt like was an honest portrayal of how friendships change during big life events. But her brother showing up when she needed him most and always have her back in an honest way only family can do shows how family always is there for you.

Mostly though I loved her relationship with Fiona and how clearly Fiona adores her role in the family. From the moment Katharine is back she goes out of her way to make her feel welcome and take care of her while never overstepping and in turn Katharine and Adam show their gratitude in the best ways they know how.

I’ll read any romance based in London and loved the writing in this one. It was a quick light read but wasn’t cheesy or over done and will definitely checkout more of Belindas books.

When Katharine is passed over for a deserved promotion at a London art gallery, she decides to take a huge risk and move back home to open her own art gallery. Where she meets Kit, an artist who hasn’t shown his paintings anywhere for years, and who doesn’t seem to like her very much.

Accidentally in Love is a fun romance filled with witty banter, and a journey to restart her life. She learns to demand more for herself, that she has some not easy to acknowledge faults, and that some relationships don’t survive the uprooting of an old life to a new one. A fun and enjoyable read!

Thanks to the publisher for providing me a free copy via netgalley in exchange for my honest review!

Accidentally in Love by Belinda Missen | review.

Genre: Romance.

Rating: Four stars.

I read this book after a stack of dark thrillers and it was PERFECTION. Seriously, I spent one entire Saturday cuddled up with this book enjoying it’s sweet and carefree story.

Katherine is at a crossroads in life when within a week she quits her job, moves home and decides to start her own art gallery.

Of course, there is a fun romance in Accidentally in Love, but it also focuses a lot with Katherine’s other relationships- her brother, her step mother, and her best friend. I think they were my favorite part!

I also really enjoyed reading about the opening your own art gallery and I appreciated how good Katherine was at her own job.

I enjoyed Accidentally in Love!

Thanks you to HQStories and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review