The Accidental Pinup follows photographer Cassie Harris who loves her job—her own company Buxom Boudoir focuses on making people feel beautiful and empowered in their own skin thanks to Cassie’s modern twist on classic pinup photography. When Cassie’s best friend Dana is about to launch her size-inclusive lingerie line and wants Cassie to shoot the career-changing campaign, Cassie thinks all of her dreams are about to come true. But when Dana’s complicated pregnancy and company politics interfere, Cassie suddenly finds herself not behind the camera—but stuck in front of it. Though she’s never modelled herself, Cassie’s pretty sure she can handle the job—what she’s not so sure of is working intimately with the chosen photographer, none other than her long-time competitor and thorn in her side, Reid Montgomery. What neither expects, though, is how fast sizzling chemistry can turn into real feelings when the camera’s off.

The Accidental Pinup has a lot going for it in terms of themes: a fun rivals to lovers workplace romance, great body positivity rep thanks to its fierce and proud plus size Black protagonist Cassie, an emphasis on female empowerment, what it means to be a Black woman and face constant racism and sexism at work and the importance of loving yourself.

What I struggled was the actual storytelling. Especially in the beginning, the writing was pretty clunky. The first two chapters are info dumping galore – it reads more like a CV about Cassie. Sure, we get all the relevant info about her and how her lingerie came to be and how she became friends with Dana but after the fifth page of non-stop recapping her entire career, I almost DNFed the book. Unfortunately, the exact same thing happened when it came to establishing Reid Montgomery. We once again get a rundown of everything that would later on become relevant in a clinical bullet points list which made it hard to care for these characters early on. So to say that I had a rocky start with this book would be an understatement. However, I’m super thankful that I stuck with it because, as you can guess from the fantastic premise, this turned out to be a pretty great read once the writing began to flow.

And much of that can be attributed to the way this book handles important topics with a gentle hand: Cassie has fought tooth and nail to create her own space in the Chicago photographer scene. She’s had to—and still does—deal with racism and sexism at almost every turn, being passed over for male photographers even though her work is just as good if not better. This can of course diminish your confidence but Cassie never let the bastards get her down—she gives everything for her company and is truly a fighter. Sure, there are some hiccups and days where things don’t work out or she questions her place but she always gets back up and works even harder, which was inspiring to read. I loved how that translated into her friendships—Cassie is the kind of friend you want in your corner when things get rough and Dana is the ultimate hype girl. It’s these kind of positive, empowering female friendships that always make my heart soar.

In turn, there’s also such a big emphasis on body positivity and learning to feel comfortable in your own skin— Cassie literally founded her business because she wanted people of colour to feel beautiful in life and have that reflected in photographs. The premise of Dana’s size-inclusive lingerie line also made me feel really seen which I loved.

Now there’s of course the romance between Cassie and Reid. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the trajectory of their relationship due to secrets Reid has to keep and the role he plays in the campaign, I really enjoyed their witty banter and their insta-attraction. Though neither of them wants to pursue a relationship, they grow closer as they scout for locations and try to make sure that this campaign is the best it can be for Cassie’s best friend. As their friendship and eventual romance develops, we also get to learn more about Reid’s backstory (which was really well-paced in opposite to the clunky first chapters) and fall in love with him alongside Cassie. They’re both flawed characters that deal with a lot of self-doubt and wondering whether they deserve the love of the other which always makes for delicious tension and the will-they-won’t-they quality that I’m sure many readers will love to devour. All in all, if you can stick it out past the first few chapters, then this story is definitely worth falling in love with.

Packed to the brim with body positivity, female friendships and witty banter, The Accidental Pinup is an empowering rivals-to-lovers romance that will hopefully make readers fall in love with their own reflection in the mirror.

There was no way I was not going to love Cassie. Her friendship group in The Accidental Pinup makes me jealous! I loved the ways in which they support each other and know when to prod each other. I now need books about each one of these side characters because it's clear they have their own stories to tell. Cassie is driven, talented, and facing a ton of misogyny within the industry. And it's meant she's become outspoken and determined to make her space.

The rivals to lovers trope provides a foundation for their tension and some witty banter. Being dual POV, it allows us to get a sense of why Reid has been acting the way he has. What makes him tick and what has he lost track of. We can become so focused on that status quo that when things appear in our life to shake it up, that can cause room to wobble. He's laden with burdens and unsure about how to take care of the people in his life - which leads to some pretty epic mistakes.

Going to keep this short and to the point. The idea behind it I am all for-body positivity and inclusivity. The enemies to lovers trope gets me usually bc the man is a grump and I am a sucker for a grump. But there was nothing super memorable about the story. And Reid, her love interest was meh at best.
Reid and Cassie are rival photographers finding themselves going after the same gigs often. So when Cassie’s best friend and designer of a plus size lingerie line, Dana, has to go on bed rest and the advertising company wants both Reid and Cassie to audition for the principal photographer role, Dana tutors Cassie on what she wants for her line. And because Dana can no longer model for her own collection, Cassie becomes Reid’s muse and steps in and models while Reid takes the pictures.
See? Had the potential to be cute but was just kinda ok. I rounded up from 2.5 because of the body loving message.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I loved the premise, but this was pretty lackluster for me. The love interest lies to her the entire time, and she deserves better. I cannot tolerate a guy who is deceptive in this way. It's unethical and shows that he doesn't properly care for her. I did think it was well written, and I enjoyed a number of the supporting characters.

I wish I could give this more stars. The plus size rep.. the sexy heat... the plot! It was everything!

This book was fun from to start to finish. I’ve never read a romance book with these types of characters with these kinds of backgrounds and it was very refreshing! Danielle Jackson made me relate to these characters quickly and easily.

The Accidental Pinup follows a photographer that specializes in pinup photos with a modern twist. The positive body representation makes this an empowering read but overall this book was a miss for me. It was a quick read and I think someone much younger than me might get more from it than I did.

Thank you to Berkley and PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Cassie is a photographer who is planning a launch of her best friend's lingerie campaign. But when her best friend can't be the model, Cassie is asked to step in while her professional nemesis, Reid, takes the photos.

I really liked Cassie as a strong female protagonist. She and all of her colleagues at Buxom Boudoir were an amazing team. And I loved the body positivity throughout the book.

However, I didn't like Reid as the male protagonist. Even after Cassie had conversations with him about how different it was for her to succeed as a Black woman than for him as a white man, he persisted in behaviors that undermined her career. I could never really see them as a good match or hope for their HEA because I just didn't feel he was good enough for her. He seemed utterly selfish.

Jeanette Illidge narrated beautifully with wonderful voices for each character. I was especially impressed that she was able to voice Kit's British accent taking on a valley girl tone.

I am almost finished reading this book and it is leaning more towards women's fiction than it is romance. I enjoy it. I like Cassie as the main character. Reid and his "spying" really does not fit in the plot like I think the author thought it would and I feel like we are just thrust into Russ's life without knowing much else.
I would still recommend it to someone but its not my all time favorite read of the year

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This story is a cute and easy read with inclusive body representation, an interracial couple, and fun side characters. Cassie is a photographer working with her best friend at Buxom Boudoir, when she’s forced to model on a major campaign. Reid is also a photographer, and he’s often picked for major jobs around Chicago based on being a white, male over Cassie, a black woman. Though Cassie and Reid are competitors for jobs, they’re forced to work together on a major lingerie campaign and feel an immediate attraction, but will their relationship make it? This book was a fun summer read, with me mostly reading it at the pool in this July heat in the South. I liked the character of Cassie a lot and the writing style was easy to read, but I think some of the pacing of this book was slightly off for me and I did not connect well to the male main character of Reid. Overall I recommend this book for fans of contemporary romance, interracial romance, inclusive size representation, and boudoir positivity.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this e-arc with me. The following review reflects my honest reading experience.

The Accidental Pinup was just ok. I loved the body positivity and representation with a strong, plus sized Black woman as the lead. I really liked Cassie as the lead. She is fierce and so hard working. She deserves the world!
However the story was just ok. The premise was great, but it was a bit too insta-lovey for me and I didn’t really like the dynamic that was in the background of Cassie & Reid’s relationship. I think Cassie deserves better!
The Accidental Pinup was fun and I enjoyed it, but just wasn’t my favorite.

I received a gifted galley of THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP by Danielle Jackson for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP follows Cassie, a photographer who specializes in modern takes on pinup photos and using natural lighting to make people of all shapes and sizes and skin colors look amazing. She is helping her best friend Dana with the launch of her own lingerie line for people of all sizes and it seems like a perfect match.

When problems with Dana’s pregnancy put Dana on the sidelines, Cassie is determined to help keep her friend’s vision on track. It comes as quite the shock when she is asked to be the one in front of the camera instead of the one taking the photos. Learning that her professional rival Reid will be behind the camera doesn’t help. Still she’s determined to bring her vision for Dana’s launch to life.

This was a steamy and easily bingeable romance. I loved Cassie’s takes on lighting and photography that we got to see throughout the book. Being put on the spot to be a model in skimpy barely there lingerie was a big ask and absolutely not one I could have gotten on board with, no matter how much I love my friends!

This book does weigh heavily on miscommunication. Reid is brought in to work with Cassie with the idea that Cassie still maintains some semblance of being in charge of the vision, but he’s also working behind her back with the company to give some handholding and guidance to make sure the company ultimate gets what it wants. Miscommunication isn’t my favorite thing to find in books, so it is something I had to look past a bit with this story.

The Accidental Pinup is a debut by Danielle Jackson. When a black, plus-size, woman photographer ends up on the other side of the lens modeling her best friend's hot new size-inclusive lingerie, sparks (and clothes) will fly. I loved this new take on a body positive woman in an enemies to lovers trope. Overall a cute and fun read!

This was a okay read. Didn't see Cassie and Reid as a couple, like at all. Their "romance" wasnt believable at all. And honestly, I don't know where this story was attempting to go. Too much gunk and not enough of a building of a story.

Cassie is a boudoir photographer who is very used to being behind the camera- until she’s suddenly in front of it as a model for her friend’s lingerie line when her friend is put on bed rest. If that wasn’t already outside of her comfort zone, the photographer for her shoots is none other than Reid, her nemesis who has stolen several jobs from her in the past.

This was cute! I appreciated the plus sized representation and discussion around privilege. I had a hard time getting over Reid’s actions and to see how a relationship would be possible after the events that transpired. The relationship between the people who worked at the studio was so cute and I wanted to know more about them, especially Sam!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reading copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

When a plus-size, black photographer ends up on the other side of the lens for her friend’s lingerie campaign, sparks fly!

Cute, debut romance that made me smile and enjoy the ride. 3.5 stars

Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity,

Danielle Jackson brings humor and heat to her debut romance, The Accidental Pinup, a body-positive love letter to Chicago, photography and found family. When Cassie Harris's pregnant best friend Dana, a queer fashion influencer and designer, is put on bed rest, Cassie sets her dream job to the side to take on Dana's role as model for a new line of lingerie and swimwear. Luscious Lingerie had promised that Cassie would be photographing Dana's line, finally guaranteeing Cassie a prestige role long denied her as a Black female photographer in a competitive niche, but now Cassie must work with the man she's lost countless jobs to, Reid Montgomery.
As Cassie and Reid explore the city, looking for the perfect backdrops for Dana's inclusive, quirky line, their initial impressions are replaced by respect, artistic admiration and a simmering heat that boils over in a rather unprofessional way. The Accidental Pinup is told in dual perspectives, meaning that while readers will develop a quick and powerful protectiveness toward Cassie, they'll empathize with Reid as they learn of his difficult upbringing and sense of familial and financial obligation to his much younger brother.
The romance remains central, but readers will savor the moments Jackson dedicates to the way Cassie captures light, joy and quiet beauty in her photographs. With a cheeky, subversive lens, The Accidental Pinup claims space for Cassie's dreams, gives readers a satisfying happily ever after and neatly sets up several possible sequels.--Suzanne Krohn, Librarian and Freelance Reviewer

Discover: This debut Chicago-set interracial romance will delight readers interested in pinup photography, intimate fashion, steadfast friendships and women finding love while making space for their dreams.

In THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP, when a plus-size Black woman photographer ends up on the other side of the lens modeling her best friend's hot new size-inclusive lingerie, sparks (and clothes) will fly.

Danielle Jackson flips the negative in this sexy, body-positive romance centered around alternative fashion, found families, and photography.

#enemiestolovers #slowburn #hea

The Accidental Pinup is a cute and fun story about Cassie who is a boudoir photographer. Always getting in the way of potential clients, is Reid Montgomery. So what happens when the two are forced to work together for a common goal? Sparks fly and emotions run high!

This book was very fun and easy to read! I did feel as though the romance was missing some chemistry between the love interests. But other than that, the plot was well done! And all the supporting characters were amazing! (is there going to be follow up stories for kit and Sam cause I am here for it)

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book, primarily for the body positivity, sex positivity, and Cassie. I loved Cassie, Dana, Sam and Kit - I am truly excited to see if Kit and Sam have stories (but I am a little annoyed that every romance is interracial with one person being white. Would love to interracial relationships outside of the Black/white dynamic as that is so prevalent.)

This is a great example of a book with body inclusion that is real, without a focus on fitness, losing weight, etc. There are some CWs for fatphobia, but it was most body positivity. There was a significant amount of knowledge dump in the beginning that I found annoying but once the story got going it got going. I did have some concerns about timelines (timelines of Dana's pregnancy - like she had a baby bump but then we find out she was still in the first trimester which for most people, especially plus sized folks, that is not accurate. And then later in the story, Cassie mentions her baby bump not visible yet.) But I loved Cassie's drive, her desire to give folks the ability to love feel sexy. Loveeeedddd BB.

What I struggled with most was Reid. And I truly don't think Cassie should have forgiven him. The entire conflict is built on him being shady - how do you ever trust him after that? He didn't seem all that and for me, mediocre white men need to be OUT of romance. But overall I would recommend because it's nice to have a Black woman, plus sized, body positivity not focused on fitness/food, be the focus of a romance novel.