Let me first say that I LOVE this cover. The colors, the illustration. It's gorgeous! It definitely made me want to pick this one up.

I enjoyed this book. The push and pull between Sam and Russ was good and the steamy scenes were great. That scene on the photobus! PHEW! It was hot!!!

It fell a little short in terms of the x factor between the two of them that I look for in romance books. There was a lot of internal dialogue and a lot of scenes with Sam and Russ and their friends and family and not enough of just the two of them, in my opinion.

Overall, a good read but the Danielle Jackson's first book is my favorite between the two.

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: chronic illness

Accidentally in Love is the second novel in the world of the Buxom Boudoir ladies and their community in Chicago. It follows grumpy office manager, Sam Sawyer, who is struggling with a recent thyroid surgery and the aftermath; her never married parents’ changing relationship; and a sunshine-y sweetie pie who won’t give up pursuing her. Add on top of that trying to keep up with managing all the projects at Buxom Boudoir and figuring out her life path, and well - she’s got a lot going on. MMC Russ has always been a rolling tumbleweed, never staying in one place long, but since reconnecting with his older brother Reid (The Accidental Pinup MMC), he has been in Chicago for far longer than most places. He’s almost finished his associates degree, held down a steady job, has a regular social group, and discovered his passion for cooking. If only, the extremely beguiling and beautiful Sam would give him the time of day. Set amid the Chicago festival scene, a summer love story serves as the delivery method for this story of two people figuring out who they are and what they want their future to be.
I, yet again, was completely enamored with the Buxom Boudoir ladies’ community. A group of badass creative mavens with business minds building each other up and blossoming in a non-conforming social space. A space populated with BIPOC, LGBTQ persons, and curvy queens. It’s a space that is exciting and fills me with antsy idealism craving these spaces to be mainstream and ordinary rather than exceptional. Ugh, I want to be a character in this world SO bad.
I’m really enjoying the deeper look into characters from this world I love so much, and sincerely hope more are to come!! Kit’s story next please!!!
Read it and revel in all the glory! Release date 8/8/2023.
Thank you NetGalley for the free copy!

When I read The Accidental Pinup, I fell in love with the main and side characters. And reading this book, I am just a bit disappointed that there were written the way they were. I thought this book was a bit repetitive at times, and had a bit too many time skips that I felt, as a reader, left out important parts of the characters’ development. Furthermore, the connection between Russ and Sam wasn’t as strong and sizzling as I was led to believe.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were well thought out and the plot was paced in a way that made sense. I would recommend this book to others and would enjoy reading other novels by this author.

Read an ARC of this via NetGalley
This book never quite clicked for me. In the first few chapters, some of the backstory of each character got bogged down and felt rather repetitive. Sam’s health struggles and stress were reiterated multiple times, Russ’s family history/trauma deeply delved into, but it didn’t always work to progress the story. I wanted there to be more movement towards them getting together, and instead the characters spent too much time apart.
The author does a great job of writing female friendship, and I found myself more interested in scenes with the friends/side characters. Unfortunately, in a romance novel that’s not exactly what I’m looking for.

I love the plus size representation, the body positivity, and the strong female friendships. Sometimes the writing doesn't flow as well as I'd want it to, but I do enjoy the books in general.

Danielle Jackson's writing is wonderful! I enjoyed the first book but liked this one better!!! Such wonderful characters with lots of love and humor.

Accidentally in Love is the story of Sam and Russ; she's an assistant at a growing photography studio and he's on the cusp of going to NYC for culinary school. Sam and Russ run in the same social circles and all of their friends are desperate for them to date or fling or just try something beyond friendship. Russ is one thousand percent down for any or all of that and Sam is a little more reticent. She's coming off some personal things she's dealing with and doesn't know if she's ready to involve him all of that, little does she know that he's carrying some heavy stuff too. Throughout the novel we get to know both of them and see them explore their private inner worlds, wondering (and sometimes agonizing) over what comes next --both in their romantic lives and their professional ones.

Accidentally in Love has it lighter moments full of humor and snark, but it definitely lingers on deeper things too. Sam and Russ are going through it and Danielle Jackson makes sure we see it all. Admittedly there were parts of this novel that dragged a little, I think because it seemed like Russ and Sam were covering the same ground over and over again and not making progress (for a while) and I was eager to see them move forward. Once it got going, though, it moved and it was rewarding to see exactly how they ended up.

Even though this is releasing close to when my summer ends, it feels like a good summer read-light in some places, thoughtful, and a very satisfying ending.

Accidentally in Love is a sweet companion novel to The Accidental Pinup! This time, we're following Sam, Cassie's friend and co-worker, and Russ, Reid's brother. This is a fun summer romance if you're looking for a lighthearted romance with another ode to Chicago. At times, there were a lot of expositions of Sam and Russ's family lives, backstories, and more, which often felt like an interruption to the romance. Otherwise, if you're interested in a low-stakes romance, definitely pick this up! I'd give this 3.5 stars rounded up.

This book follows two characters we met in Danielle Jackson’s first book, THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP: Sam, who works at Buxom Boudoir, and Russ, Reid’s younger brother. When I read the first book, I was intrigued by both of these characters, so it was fun to see them get their own story and fall in love.

One interesting thing about this book is that Sam is dealing with thyroid issues. I feel like at least in the trad pub space, there aren’t a lot of characters with chronic illnesses, so I appreciated the representation.

I was also happy that Russ displayed some real growth between the first book and this one. He was kind of directionless in THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP and here he’s working at a restaurant and making strides forward in his life and career.

Just like in THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP, this book really shines in its depiction of friendships and family dynamics. If you read that book, I think you’ll love this one and enjoy getting to spend time with some familiar characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A grumpy office manager at a luxury boudoir and pinup photography studio has finally meet her match in the handsome but sweet wanderlust bartender, but what was only suppose to be a summer fling soon starts to feel like something more. Samantha Sawyer is an office manager at the city’s leading luxury boudoir and pinup photography studio. She’s lovable but grumpy and has a constant need to have everything under control and consistent in her life, and especially after her parent’s own relationship. Sam is busy working at the studio and preparing to work at the city’s summer street festival, but there’s one person that manages to distract her and that comes in the form of a man named Russell Montgomery, a super sweet and handsome guy who has been in love with Sam since he met her. Russell has spent most of his life wanderlust, surfing from country to country, never really settling down anywhere. Russell has reconnected with his brother and started working at the hot local restaurant, and when he decides to finally pursue his future and go to culinary school he knows that means he only has this summer left to spend with Sam... if she would ever agree to go on a date with him. Russell has been asking Sam out for a wile but she always turns him down... except this time she doesn’t. Sam can’t help but feel that maybe she is finally succumbing to Russell’s charm, but the fact that he is leaving at the end of the summer means that they only have this summer to work out what’s between them. With a busy festival that they’re both working, their own past traumas and issues, the will they won’t they is very much happening, but can they work out what they want from each other by the end of the summer or was this relationship over before it ever begun. This one was a friends to lovers, will they won’t they story that felt so repetitive, and honestly I got bored with it. Sam is dealing with the issues from not only her recent surgery but the fact that her parents had a rough marriage, she doesn’t want someone who will choose work over her, she wants someone that will be there for her. Russell’s mother has left him and his brother when they were kids, he sends her emails but she never responds, he becomes just as wanderlust as her and he is afraid to settle down and commit to one place. The story felt like it was repeating itself over and over and honestly, it really could have been cut down to avoid that. Otherwise, if you are looking for a will they wont they, give this one a go.

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Samantha is an office manager for Chicago’s leading luxury boudoir and pinup photography studio. With an eventful summer season coming, Sam is going to prepare their first ever “photobus” a vintage coach that’s been updated. Her busy summer schedule doesn’t leave time for much of anything else.

Russell has changed in the last year. He’s tired of odd jobs and couch surfing and looking forward to starting culinary school while working as a barback and line cook. He’s welcomed into his brother’s circle of friends, with the exception of Sam.

While Sam can’t stand Russ, they keep bumping into each other. She was certain her schedule would avoid this…but fate seems to have other plans.

This book featured some amazingly strong friendships and great work environments. I also enjoyed how Samantha dealt with her body changes after her medical problems. However, the first 60% or so of this book was super long and really dragged. It is definitely a slow burn and I felt myself getting antsy and disconnected. Because of all the back and forth and doubt in the first half of the book I didn’t have much faith in the relationship of Samantha and Russell – it just felt too forced for me. I also feel that in the first half things are repeated a lot and I did not enjoy that. However, there is a lot of potential with this story and I think some will love it.

If you are looking for a quirky friends to lovers then check this one out August 8th!
Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Netgalley will be updated with social media links once posted.

"Accidentally in Love" is a will they, won't they friends to lovers with two very lovable main characters. Sam is a little grumpy but the so selfless, and Russ is a once wanderlust-ridden friend to all who seems to have found his people and his place. I enjoyed the setting of this book immensely- I felt like I was summering in the River North neighborhood of Chicago and I loved it! I also loved the cast of supporting characters, this is a group of friends that clearly love each other very much and root for each other's success.
There were many points in this book that felt repetitive for me. I appreciated the insights into both main characters from their perspectives, but the explanations of their feelings regarding their individual obstacles (Sam's thyroid and Russ's plan to leave for New York, both their parental issues) happened over and over again. I would've rather seen more interactions between them and their friend group than these repetitive inner monologues. In addition, the set up of their romance being Russ continually asking Sam out and her continually saying no felt off to me. Beyond that Russ is such a respectful guy, I was surprised that was their origin story.

Cute but kind of all over the place. There were places where things were explained twice, so it could use another pass with the editor.

Samantha Sawyer, office manager for Buxom Boudoir, her friend Cassie's photo studio in Chicago, is running on fumes. Business has picked up at the studio, and Cassie wants Sam to step up not only as lead stylist but as the force behind their new photobus, ready for summer festival season. But Sam's energy is lagging anyway, thanks to a recent thyroid surgery and the resulting weight gain, unending fatigue, and drop in self-confidence.

Russell Montgomery, the wandering younger brother to Cassie's fiance Reid, fell headfirst the first time he saw Sam, and he has tried repeatedly for the past year to ask her out. But he also doesn't fully trust the really good situation he's in now -- working hard at the restaurant Simone's, moving up to lead bartender, kickstarting the food truck the restaurant will use for promotion at local festivals -- so he applies for culinary school in NYC. So just when Sam thinks she might give Russ a chance, he's already planning to leave. Will they enjoy just a summer fling, or will they find a forever love?

I enjoyed seeing all these great characters return from the first book in the series, The Accidental Pinup, and I was pleasantly surprised to see Russ -- who appeared naive, directionless, and not ready for prime time in the first book -- demonstrate definite growth professionally as well as emotionally. Sam also had much to work through, including learning to advocate for herself even when she felt most vulnerable.

But the book's pace dragged so much in the first half, stopping to spill a bunch of interior musings from each of the main characters before starting to pull them together, only to stop again for more telling, often in a repetitive way. I started to feel like I was reading the same thing over and over. And because of all that self-doubt and push/pull from the main characters for so long, I really didn't have a clear sense that their relationship would really stick.

Big thumbs up for the great friendships, the supportive bosses, and the honest depiction of the aftermath of serious illness and its impact on body image. But the romance needed a little more focus.

Thank you, Berkley Romance and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

First off, another fantastic cover from Leni Kauffman! I love it when publishers use her art, as she is incredible.
Second, I love that this book represented not just POC, but people with chronic illnesses and how that can completely change the quality of life for someone. Russ was supportive and protective and I loved him. I liked Sam and could totally relate to adjusting to an entire new life and to learning to love her body after having it change due to a medical condition. I think the author did a fantastic job representing that. Personally, I would've loved some more steamy action between the two, but I loved the couple. Would definitely recommend this book!