"Best Mistake Ever" is a witty and flirtatious romance book that traces Beatrice Donovan who takes on the role of her identical twin Delilah and runs a fading boutique hotel. What was a straightforward scheme very soon becomes unruly when Beatrice finds herself at odds with Jonah, owner of the brooding ex-rockstar hotel. As Beatrice attempts to fly low and remain professional, she uncovers the actual man behind Jonah's grouchy exterior, which results in unforeseen sparks and a possible romance.

Christy McKellen is great at developing likable and lovable characters. Beatrice is a feisty and clever heroine who will do anything for her sister. Jonah is a grumpy but lovable former rockstar with a chip on his shoulder. Both characters change a lot throughout the book, with Beatrice discovering her purpose in life and Jonah learning to trust and open up again.

Christy McKellen's writing is clear and readable, so the book is a fast and pleasant read. The dialogue is crisp and realistic, and the chemistry between the characters is enhanced by it. The setting of the boutique hotel and the eccentric festival is seamlessly woven into the story by the author, making the atmosphere of the book feel festive and quaint.

The novella deals with issues of love, self-discovery, and the value of family. It shows how at times the greatest errors can result in unintended happiness and development. The narrative also points to the significance of taking risks and embracing new ventures.

Christy McKellen uses several literary devices to heighten the story, such as using dual POV narration, whereby readers are able to learn more about both Beatrice and Jonah. The trope of mistaken identity and the grumpy-meets-sunshine dynamic provide an entertaining and amusing twist to the narrative.

The novella's pacing is well-timed, with an increasing development of romance and emotional complexity. The organization is strong, with an evident progression towards a conclusive resolution. The readability is strong, which is an easy and entertaining read for readers of holiday and contemporary romance.

"Best Mistake Ever" is a charming and humorous romance novel that provides an entire and fulfilling story. Its engaging characters, smart dialogue, and festive cheer are ideal for a cold winter's night. Though the novella has a few weaknesses, such as a bit of hurried endings, these issues are dwarfed by the strengths of the work. I would suggest this novel to anyone searching for an amusing and playful romance with a bit of holiday enchantment.

Although it was a bit rough in beginning, the story progressed very well. I would’ve liked less dialogue and more “showing” of actions, it was an okay book. It’s dual pov and sometimes it can be hard to pull that off, this book does an okay job at it,

~3.5~

A fun, quick read with a little spice and a lot of tension!

It's twin swap with forced proximity and grumpy/sunshine characters. Plus double-POV!

Thank you for the ARC!!

Also, I NEED to know what happened on that trip to Greece...just saying.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood Books that I chose to review after reading - Cross-posted on Goodreads on February 13th)

Signing off,
B.

This book was alright. It didn't sweep me away, but it did make me smile, and leave me with a good feeling.

I've read the "Rockstar & normal person" trope many times, and this is so similar. If that's your jam, definitely read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In this funny and spicy new romance novel, readers meet Beatrice Donovan whose love and loyalty to her identical twin sister gets her in over her head. Taking on Delilah’s hotel management job when her sister is out injured -- and impersonating her to her boss Jonah -- Bea has to keep a low profile, not get fired, and not make a move on the ex-rock star boss. However, Bea and Jonah’s time working together and Delilah’s schedule changes might just keep the two of them on the job for too long. With a charming English countryside setting and a lot of tropes to get Bea and Jonah interacting with each other, readers will love the spice, charm, and romance present throughout this novel, especially with its funny catalyst. The characters are the star of the novel, and Bea and Jonah alternate narrating the chapters so readers get a chance to see what they are thinking as the story and mutual attraction unfolds. With its funny plot and excellent character chemistry, this is a great summer or holiday read that romance fans will love, and McKellan has once again created a fascinating new story populated with brilliant characters and circumstances that readers will love.

ARC review - all views are my own and I have not been compensated for this review. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing the e-Arc in exchange for this review.

“Beatrice Donovan would do anything for her identical twin sister. Including stepping into her hotel management job temporarily and pretending to be her - she’s desperate. What could go wrong?”

I want to start my review by acknowledging that I may not be the target audience for this story; I tend to like my characters more on the morally-grey side than cinnamon-sweet and the enemies-to-lovers trope has me in a chokehold (at least for the foreseeable!).

That being said, I am so glad I read this book! My first foray into Christy McKellen’s work was enjoyable - sweet but not saccharine, with the right amount of “believability” in the plot for the reader to see how this could actually happen, without it being predictable. There are a couple of things which, if they happened in reality, would be found out straight away, such as Bea Dee’s story about a student hairdresser messing her hair up so needing a wig. However this doesn’t detract from the plot or the readers’ enjoyment.

I will preface the rest of my review with this: if you are expecting a high-stakes, intense romance with tonnes of yearning and toe-curling spice, this won’t be the book for you. That’s not what this book is for, in my opinion, but I think this story - a beach-read romance to thumb through for a fun time - is still worth a read. With that, here is what I did and didn’t enjoy about the book.

What I enjoyed:

The story being set in the UK was an unexpected and very pleasant surprise.

I was invested in Bea’s story, possibly because I related to her quite a lot: she was the academic to Dee’s creative, the responsible to Dee’s carefree, and as an older sister who was labelled the “mature” one, she resonated with me. Through this perspective, seeing her thrive in - and eventually take over - Dee’s job was interesting because to everybody else she would be changing her life not for the better but to her detriment, despite having more fun there than in her safe, but boring, startup. Seeing her accept this and still choose her happiness was awesome.

There was a “third act breakup” (which I hate) BUT it was short, the reasons behind it made sense and the characters discussed their feelings afterwards which I think isn’t seen enough in these kinds of stories and I appreciated. I also don’t think there would have been a way to avoid it in this story given Bea’s deception over Jonah as to her identity.

The relationship between Dee and Jem, Bea’s best friend and start-up partner, was explained rather than explored and then they had their own adventures off-page. I would be interested in their story, particularly as the tidbits indicate an enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity situation (which I will eat up for sure). Could a sequel be in the works?

I wouldn’t say I “disliked” any of this story, however there were some things I would change if I had to think about it. For me, the instant love trope isn’t exciting and even though the romance between Bea and Jonah isn’t instantaneous (mostly because he believes she is Dee), it’s hard for me to believe they could fall in love so deeply with each other after a week.

I made one other note during my reading during one of Jonah’s chapters: “Jonah says “I won’t have it, this obsession with appearance” but a page ago he was ogling her and fancied how she looked? Just admit she is peng!”. I still stand by this note but this is a minor and likely very personal thought so may bother nobody else!

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would and, whilst it was my first experience with Christy’s work, it won’t be my last.

Bea is asked by her twin sister to cover for her in her job as she's hurt her ankle and thinks she'll lose the job if she takes time off. Bea reluctantly does so but then discovers Dee hasn't been exactly truthful about the job. The boss Jacob is getting increasingly suspicious

Christy McKellen’s Best Mistake Ever is a grumpy/sunshine romantic comedy you are going to love.

Bea Donovan would do absolutely anything for her identical twin sister Delilah – even taking her place and stepping into her hotel management job. Only her twin hadn’t been entirely honest with Bea. It turns out that Delilah had promised to reverse the ailing fortunes of the hotel and save it from closure. With a lot more stress than she had previously envisaged on her plate, Bea just wants to keep her head down, get the job done and leave before anyone notices anything. Only, she hadn’t counted on her gorgeous new boss, Jonah.

As if being as handsome as sin isn’t enough, Jonah has standards that are absolutely impossible to reach and with a huge chip on his shoulder, it looks like Bea has got her work cut out for her. Bea is determined to keep things strictly professional between them and to stay out of Jonah’s way, only that quickly become far easier said than done. With sparks flying and temperatures rising, it looks like their relationship might end up going from the boardroom and straight into the bedroom!

But with so much at stake, will Bea end up falling head over heels in love with the man she has been lying to all this time? Or will Jonah end up surprising her in ways she never expected?

Best Mistake Ever is a delicious romantic comedy packed with style, steam and sizzle from Christy McKellen that will go down a treat with Tessa Bailey fans. With red-hot chemistry, laugh-out loud humour, emotional intensity and plenty of heart, Best Mistake Ever is a fabulous read by Christy McKellen that is a struggle to put down.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC

So, I just finished <i>The Best Mistake Ever</i>… and I have thoughts.......

The whole twin swap thing? Super fun concept. Bea, the responsible one, takes over her sister Dee’s hotel job after an accident, only to get tangled up with her sister’s boss, Jonah - who also happens to be a former boy band heartthrob. I mean, come on, the drama basically writes itself.

I really liked Bea’s character (even though I wish she stood up for herself more), and her bond with Dee was one of my favorite parts. The setting was great, and there were some cute moments, especially during that lake scene. But Jonah? I was into him at first, but as the book went on… oof. He kept bringing up his ex, and the way he handled Bea’s confession about the swap? Not great. Like, sleeping with her and then shutting her out??? Sir, please.

The romance itself also felt kinda forced. There was instant attraction, but I didn’t really believe in their feelings until way later. Plus, the pacing was all over the place - sometimes super fast, then dragging, then picking up again. And don’t even get me started on Dee’s random POV chapters that didn’t really add much.

Overall, it was a quick, entertaining read, but not super memorable. I did love the cover, though. And if Dee and Jem ever get a book, I’d totally check that out because I love an enemies-to-lovers moment.

Tropes:
-⁠ Grumpy sunshine
-Workplace romance
-⁠ Forced proximity
-⁠ Mistaken identity
-⁠ Twin swap
-⁠ Celebrity romance
- Multiple povs

⭐️⭐️✨ (2.5/5 stars) – Fun idea, mixed execution, but not a total miss.

#BestMistakeEver #NetGalley

The book Best Mistake Ever by Christy McKellen is an entertaining ride of fast-paced romance with a fun, unique premise. The story follows Beatrice, who steps into her twin sister’s shoes to manage a struggling boutique hotel. What should have been a simple plan turns complicated when she finds herself clashing (and connecting) with Jonah, the hotel’s brooding ex-rockstar owner.

The writing flows well, making it an easy, bingeable read. The character development is decent, and the narration flows seamlessly through the characters. The romance builds at a good pace, and the chemistry between Bea and Jonah has its moments.

Overall, Best Mistake Ever is a fun, quick read, perfect for those who enjoy workplace romances with a bit of mistaken identity thrown in.

Get ready to dive into a rollercoaster of emotions with this spicy, laugh-out-loud workplace romance! It's a delightful blend of tropes that will keep you on the edge of your seat: grumpy meets sunshine, forced proximity that sparks undeniable chemistry, and witty banter that will leave you grinning. But wait, there's more! Brace yourself for a hilarious sister swap, hidden identities that add a layer of mystery, and a touch of glamour with a dash of celebrity. This story is a whirlwind of unexpected twists, heartwarming moments, and sizzling romance that will keep you turning the pages.

Something about this author’s writing style really didn’t gel well with me. It seemed like it wasn’t edited too well.

This took me a bit of time to get into but once I did i really enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me read this book.

I love the idea of twins switching places and falling in love etc etc, but this book felt rushed. I don’t feel like our main characters had time to truly fall in love, and then I didn’t love the epilogue…. I know it’s setting up the next book but I felt like it ended things a bit abruptly.

Fun, flirty and fast-paced for a quick read!

This was quite a silly premise to begin with, but it kept me entertained for a light, fluffy read.

Cutesy, playful and a little spice.

Swapping daily lives with your twin always sounds like a good idea but in the worst way possible. The book starts with describing how the identical twins lived very different lives from an early age, even living with different parents as a result of their divorce. So, realistically, how plausible would it be for them to believably switch, even for a day. I couldn't connect with this book at all. I really didn't enjoy the characters. The son of a rockstar, Jonah, with a bad boy persona was also not written in a believable way. The storyline was choppy and the reader had to suspend reality a couple of times to follow along with the ruse. <i>Best Mistake Ever</i> had the makings of a good story but it ended up being superficial.

The writing is very simplistic and, at times, jarring in its use of random, cringe-worthy thoughts and phrases. I struggled to become invested in any of the characters because I didn't find the narration believable as being the thoughts of real people.

Unfortunately, it was all too surface-level for me, and the sudden insta-love and unnecessary drama of the third-act break-up gave me whiplash.

I love enemies to lovers and this was no exception! I will keep Christy as an autobuy author for sure!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.