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ccgwalt's review against another edition
3.0
Accidentally in Love starts out a bit slowly and suffers from uneven pacing, but once Katharine is back in her home town, the story picks up. There is a lot going on in this book. Katharine's relationship to her family members, her job loss, her best friend and that best friend's wedding, a maybe boyfriend, starting her own business, and a combative relationship with a local artist, Christopher (Kit). Add to that the snippets of Kit's backstory and Katharine's brother Adam's woes, and it's a very busy book.
The book is written in what I guess I'd call the British vernacular, with some words and phrasing I didn't know or quite understand. That's not a drawback, just an observation. It was interesting.
I think the initial meet cute was too abrasive and not quite believable (would Christopher actually act that way as a guest?), and then the nasty exchange at the art shop was a bit shocking. Christopher's character was a mercurial - sometimes flirty and then rude. But once Christopher and Katharine start getting to know each other I really enjoyed the story and thought the rough times were over. I was happily swimming right along until the last big misunderstanding crops up, Christopher acts like a total ass and leaves Katharine and her gallery opening hanging. Christopher's 180 is head-spinning.
The reconciliation was way too easy and everyone was happy and laughing in minutes. Bam! The book is over. I'm left wondering if Christopher and his temper can be trusted.
3 stars for the middle of the book, and the handling of some of the secondary storylines. The writing was enjoyable, but the plotting felt uneven at times.
The book is written in what I guess I'd call the British vernacular, with some words and phrasing I didn't know or quite understand. That's not a drawback, just an observation. It was interesting.
I think the initial meet cute was too abrasive and not quite believable (would Christopher actually act that way as a guest?), and then the nasty exchange at the art shop was a bit shocking. Christopher's character was a mercurial - sometimes flirty and then rude. But once Christopher and Katharine start getting to know each other I really enjoyed the story and thought the rough times were over. I was happily swimming right along until the last big misunderstanding crops up, Christopher acts like a total ass and leaves Katharine and her gallery opening hanging. Christopher's 180 is head-spinning.
The reconciliation was way too easy and everyone was happy and laughing in minutes. Bam! The book is over.
Spoiler
When Christopher shows up to apologize, Katharine immediately jumps into his arms and it's all hearts and flowers. He does apologize, but the ramifications of his rather vicious turn on her aren't talked about.3 stars for the middle of the book, and the handling of some of the secondary storylines. The writing was enjoyable, but the plotting felt uneven at times.
creativelifeofliz's review against another edition
3.0
A cute story about a woman finding herself and love.
Katharine ends up quitting her job after being passed over for a promotion yet again. After visiting her Dad over the weekend, she ends up seeing a building she falls in love with and decides to open her own gallery, just as she's always wanted to do. That same weekend, she meets Kit, a local artist, who immediately infuriates her and challenges her, and they keep running into each other. As she works on opening her gallery and he helps out, they come to understand each other better.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. However, it's billed as romance but it's really more a women's fiction novel, as it centers on Katharine finding herself and understanding what is important in her life. The first half of the book is quite slow and I didn't really like either Katherine or Kit. The end also wraps up too quickly. The middle bit is pretty good though, as Katharine and Kit try to grow as people after facing challenges.
For people who love women's fiction with a bit of romance thrown in, this might be a good book to try!
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Katharine ends up quitting her job after being passed over for a promotion yet again. After visiting her Dad over the weekend, she ends up seeing a building she falls in love with and decides to open her own gallery, just as she's always wanted to do. That same weekend, she meets Kit, a local artist, who immediately infuriates her and challenges her, and they keep running into each other. As she works on opening her gallery and he helps out, they come to understand each other better.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. However, it's billed as romance but it's really more a women's fiction novel, as it centers on Katharine finding herself and understanding what is important in her life. The first half of the book is quite slow and I didn't really like either Katherine or Kit. The end also wraps up too quickly. The middle bit is pretty good though, as Katharine and Kit try to grow as people after facing challenges.
For people who love women's fiction with a bit of romance thrown in, this might be a good book to try!
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
dinipandareads's review against another edition
4.0
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. 4 stars
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.
Check out my full review on my blog!
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.
Check out my full review on my blog!
hollymckie's review against another edition
4.0
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 in her home city (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. 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. 3.5 stars
*Review copy from Netgalley
*Review copy from Netgalley
kiki124's review against another edition
4.0
Solid 4.25 for an ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, and sweet, and the relationship between Katherine and her stepmother Fiona developed in a realistic way. Katherine's relationship with her best friend Lainey shifted throughout the book, and that was explored nicely, as was her mutually supportive relationship with her older brother, Adam. Katherine was well developed, and we got just enough of her friends and family to imagine her as a real person in a real world.
The hero Kit was a typical rom-com handsome, smart, wounded, asshole with a heart of gold and an sexual A-game. We were told that Kit and Katherine were the same sort of person, the opposite gender version of each other. Whilst I didn't totally see that, I did enjoy their prickly banter and their mutual all-in capitulation to lust and affection (though love seemed a bit rushed). I liked Kit, but he wasn't as fully developed as Katherine (and his family was briefly seen early on and then totally dropped).
Whilst I very much enjoyed this book and totally recommend it, I want to be clear. It's not a romance. The love story is secondary to Katherine's narrative of leaving London, changing jobs, and figuring out who she really wants to be. And though there is certainly a happy ending, the romantic resolution is less satisfying than Katherine's professional success and personal growth. Told in single, first-person POV, it's similar to Beach Read and One to Watch, two books I loved but have been dinged as "chick lit" rather than romance.
I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, and sweet, and the relationship between Katherine and her stepmother Fiona developed in a realistic way. Katherine's relationship with her best friend Lainey shifted throughout the book, and that was explored nicely, as was her mutually supportive relationship with her older brother, Adam. Katherine was well developed, and we got just enough of her friends and family to imagine her as a real person in a real world.
The hero Kit was a typical rom-com handsome, smart, wounded, asshole with a heart of gold and an sexual A-game. We were told that Kit and Katherine were the same sort of person, the opposite gender version of each other. Whilst I didn't totally see that, I did enjoy their prickly banter and their mutual all-in capitulation to lust and affection (though love seemed a bit rushed). I liked Kit, but he wasn't as fully developed as Katherine (and his family was briefly seen early on and then totally dropped).
Whilst I very much enjoyed this book and totally recommend it, I want to be clear. It's not a romance. The love story is secondary to Katherine's narrative of leaving London, changing jobs, and figuring out who she really wants to be. And though there is certainly a happy ending, the romantic resolution is less satisfying than Katherine's professional success and personal growth. Told in single, first-person POV, it's similar to Beach Read and One to Watch, two books I loved but have been dinged as "chick lit" rather than romance.
myevergrowingbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
This is my first book by Belinda Missen, and I absolutely loved it! So much so that I finished it in two days! Katherine was such a great character to read, I loved her personality and her relationships. Her and Adam had such a lovely brother sister bond. You could really feel the way they looked out for each other, which is just what the two of them need. I mean when Adam shouted Pivot! Pivot! Pivot! when moving furniture, I immediately loved him! As much as I didn't like John, I liked the part he played in the book, especially his return later in the book! And Kit. Oh Kit. My heart goes for him., everything he's been through, the way he is with Kitty Kat. I loved him!
In books like these, I love the friendships the protagonists have, but I'll be honest, I didn't like this one. Lainey irritated me so much. Yes, she had a wedding to plan, but that's no excuse to continuously blow off your friend. Their friendship felt so one sided, it just made me feel for Katherine at such an important time in her life. But, obviously, that's the kind of vibe that Belinda was going for, and it worked!
I won't lie, there were some parts in this book that didn't exactly feel realistic. I couldn't imagine some things actually happening in real life, but honestly? I didn't even care! That ending, oh my goodness. I felt so emotional, my eyes welled up and before I knew it I was crying when it was all over! I don't know what came over me, as it wasn't an overly emotional ending, but I just loved the whole story so much, then add that ending and it was just so beautiful.
In books like these, I love the friendships the protagonists have, but I'll be honest, I didn't like this one. Lainey irritated me so much. Yes, she had a wedding to plan, but that's no excuse to continuously blow off your friend. Their friendship felt so one sided, it just made me feel for Katherine at such an important time in her life. But, obviously, that's the kind of vibe that Belinda was going for, and it worked!
I won't lie, there were some parts in this book that didn't exactly feel realistic. I couldn't imagine some things actually happening in real life, but honestly? I didn't even care! That ending, oh my goodness. I felt so emotional, my eyes welled up and before I knew it I was crying when it was all over! I don't know what came over me, as it wasn't an overly emotional ending, but I just loved the whole story so much, then add that ending and it was just so beautiful.
rach_11's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
goldiefan's review against another edition
4.0
This book, for lack of a better phrase, was like a big hug. The author was fantastic in establishing the main character before jumping into the romantic elements; by focusing on her family, her job and her best friend at first it allowed us to get to know her intentions a lot better than other authors allow. All the characters are well developed and feel like they may be real beings rather than your typical cardboard cut outs usually seen in some similar novels.
Complaints? I don’t have many, although despite how long this book is compared to books I’ve read recently the ending still managed to be a bit rushed. As other readers have picked up on , communication is deliberately ignored at times to put more obstacles in the way for the main characters. I’m also a bit on the fence at the way Katharine’s best friend is written.
Complaints? I don’t have many, although despite how long this book is compared to books I’ve read recently the ending still managed to be a bit rushed. As other readers have picked up on , communication is deliberately ignored at times to put more obstacles in the way for the main characters. I’m also a bit on the fence at the way Katharine’s best friend is written.
nurseamber's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun and mostly light hearted read. I truly enjoyed the main character and all of her angst. This book had me laughing in parts and in others holding back tears. I would definitely recommend to fans of romantic comedies.
chrissie_oh's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was very cute!! I really liked Katharine, Christopher, and her whole family. I loved that she took charge of her life and started her own business, I would definitely visit her gallery. It felt a little rushed at the end, but overall I really enjoyed reading it. The one thing that bugged me was the proposal at the end; they have known each other for a very short period of time, and I felt like it was unrealistically fast.