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enamored_with_books's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC of this book for a review. It was the first time reading this author, but anytime I need a pick-me-up, I’ll grab something by her because this was delightful. There were several times that actually had me laughing out loud. Kit is a grumpy artist and he and Katharine get started off on the wrong foot. Their bickering was such fun to read. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is solely because I thought the ending was slightly rushed but overall, I really enjoyed this book. The steam level is probably mid?
caitedz's review against another edition
5.0
** Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a complementary review **
I LOVED this book !! I cried happy tears !!! This is so much more than just a romance - it’s a truly lovely story !! Katharine is not reliant on The Man to make her happy (sure it helps) but fundamentally it is her determination and ambition which see her through.
It’s nice to see Katharine’s confidence grow throughout the novel - it’s a reoccurring theme that she downplays her abilities and talents much to the bewilderment of those around her. The plot truly demonstrates it’s never too late in life to change direction and chase your dreams ! I also very much enjoyed Katharine’s realisation of her self worth both professionally and personally !
Kit (and actually almost all the men in Katharine’s life) sees in Katharine what she can’t see in herself, he encourages her to believe in herself and her abilities. This is something I found so refreshing because although I do enjoy a cliche romance, it’s nice that it is actually the male characters who are cheering the female protagonist on.
I also really enjoyed how this novel deals with the evolution of friendships as we get older.
amylwest's review against another edition
4.0
This was a highly enjoyable read! I loved the setting around the opening of a gallery and artists, things I knew nothing about before now. I found all the characters realistic and enjoyed reading and getting to know about each of them.
Would defiantly recommend!
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Would defiantly recommend!
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
turniip's review
Thank you to Netgalley and HQStories for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was really excited to read this when I saw it on Netgalley - it has the romance cover I always gravitate towards, and it sounded like a cute "girl goes back to her hometown and finds a home there" story.
Which makes me all the sadder for not connecting to it. It could entirely be a me thing, and so I won't be adding a star rating until well after release (except on Netgalley where it's required) because I don't like lowering a rating before release (I'm weird).
Katherine quits her job suddenly when she's passed over for a promotion again for another friend of her male boss, breaks up with her "boyfriend" when she realizes he will never be committed to her over his job, and moves back to her hometown of Sheffield to open her own gallery.
This is basically the premise I had going into it, but one of the problems is this premise takes so long getting off the ground - she's still breaking things off with John almost halfway through the book, and it felt uncomfortably drawn out, like a lot of the book. Discussion of the renovation, conversations about nothing of value to the plot, and internal monologue all felt like they could be cut a LOT and the book would be better for it. There's only so much about a tesco trip I need to know, you know? Personal preference.
The exposition relies on conversations with friends and siblings at the beginning, which is usually fine, but her conversation with Lainey felt like one you'd have with friends after a few months, not with someone you work with and see every day. It was a small thing, but it stood out.
These issues for me was accentuated by the romance - which, considering this book is a romance, I would hope would be the shining point. Instead Katherine and Kit have one of the WEIRDEST first conversations I've ever read between love interests and then rarely talk unless they have small bickering moments until the last 200 pages of my ebook copy where they're suddenly into each other. I saw another review say it felt like the bickering was supposed to emulate Jane Austen, and I can see where that reviewer is going with that comparison. It just didn't make sense for these two. They were both described as stubborn but even with that and their motivations, I didn't feel chemistry between them (also, the flirting really weirded me out because it was sex jokes out of nowhere - again, could just be a me thing).
The plot had potential and I'm just sad I saw so little of what interested me - I would have loved if the book featured a lot of Katherine merging with Kit's students and learning more from them rather than just being surprised they were good. I would have liked is Lainey's development and interactions had felt different than night and day depending on the book needing conflict from somewhere other than Kit. It didn't make much sense for me. I would have loved more family time with Kit, and for the scenes we get in retrospect (cute scenes with her brother helping) to be more in the forefront than the paint picking scenes. This all just accentuates how personal my desires were for the book, but my heart tells me I would have liked this book if it had highlighted different moments and been cut down a fair bit.
I will say one more thing - early on in the book, when Katherine sees Kit for the first time, the book reads: “And he’s solid. Not in that need-to-lose-ten-kilos way, but solid in a broad-shouldered, rips wood apart in the rain and plucks kittens from trees like low hanging fruit kind of way.”
I don't have words for how quickly my good faith in this book turned sour when I read that. I had to put the book down for the night so I could try to separate it and keep an open-mind. Fat shaming of any kind - even though Katherine has a less than delighted opinion at Lainey's mother guilt tripping Lainey about eating before her wedding - shouldn't happen without consequence. So when it's a side comment Katherine makes that is never addressed, it colors my opinion of Katherine until the end, and it made me like her less. I call out language like this because I myself am fat, and men of all sizes read romance books even if it's in small numbers, and no one deserves to feel hated or judged when they're reading. No one.
I still really wish I had liked this, it never brings me joy to dislike a book, and I hope it finds its audience!
I was really excited to read this when I saw it on Netgalley - it has the romance cover I always gravitate towards, and it sounded like a cute "girl goes back to her hometown and finds a home there" story.
Which makes me all the sadder for not connecting to it. It could entirely be a me thing, and so I won't be adding a star rating until well after release (except on Netgalley where it's required) because I don't like lowering a rating before release (I'm weird).
Katherine quits her job suddenly when she's passed over for a promotion again for another friend of her male boss, breaks up with her "boyfriend" when she realizes he will never be committed to her over his job, and moves back to her hometown of Sheffield to open her own gallery.
This is basically the premise I had going into it, but one of the problems is this premise takes so long getting off the ground - she's still breaking things off with John almost halfway through the book, and it felt uncomfortably drawn out, like a lot of the book. Discussion of the renovation, conversations about nothing of value to the plot, and internal monologue all felt like they could be cut a LOT and the book would be better for it. There's only so much about a tesco trip I need to know, you know? Personal preference.
The exposition relies on conversations with friends and siblings at the beginning, which is usually fine, but her conversation with Lainey felt like one you'd have with friends after a few months, not with someone you work with and see every day. It was a small thing, but it stood out.
These issues for me was accentuated by the romance - which, considering this book is a romance, I would hope would be the shining point. Instead Katherine and Kit have one of the WEIRDEST first conversations I've ever read between love interests and then rarely talk unless they have small bickering moments until the last 200 pages of my ebook copy where they're suddenly into each other. I saw another review say it felt like the bickering was supposed to emulate Jane Austen, and I can see where that reviewer is going with that comparison. It just didn't make sense for these two. They were both described as stubborn but even with that and their motivations, I didn't feel chemistry between them (also, the flirting really weirded me out because it was sex jokes out of nowhere - again, could just be a me thing).
The plot had potential and I'm just sad I saw so little of what interested me - I would have loved if the book featured a lot of Katherine merging with Kit's students and learning more from them rather than just being surprised they were good. I would have liked is Lainey's development and interactions had felt different than night and day depending on the book needing conflict from somewhere other than Kit. It didn't make much sense for me. I would have loved more family time with Kit, and for the scenes we get in retrospect (cute scenes with her brother helping) to be more in the forefront than the paint picking scenes. This all just accentuates how personal my desires were for the book, but my heart tells me I would have liked this book if it had highlighted different moments and been cut down a fair bit.
I will say one more thing - early on in the book, when Katherine sees Kit for the first time, the book reads: “And he’s solid. Not in that need-to-lose-ten-kilos way, but solid in a broad-shouldered, rips wood apart in the rain and plucks kittens from trees like low hanging fruit kind of way.”
I don't have words for how quickly my good faith in this book turned sour when I read that. I had to put the book down for the night so I could try to separate it and keep an open-mind. Fat shaming of any kind - even though Katherine has a less than delighted opinion at Lainey's mother guilt tripping Lainey about eating before her wedding - shouldn't happen without consequence. So when it's a side comment Katherine makes that is never addressed, it colors my opinion of Katherine until the end, and it made me like her less. I call out language like this because I myself am fat, and men of all sizes read romance books even if it's in small numbers, and no one deserves to feel hated or judged when they're reading. No one.
I still really wish I had liked this, it never brings me joy to dislike a book, and I hope it finds its audience!
annareadshere's review
4.0
Ah, this book was so lovely. I like being proved wrong when I get 10 pages into a book. I was expecting a predictable romance, but I got so much more. I love when romances have brilliantly written characters who are nothing like you expect them to be. Characters who surprise you at every turn and make you smile with their shenanigans.
Katharine was such a brilliant character too. Sure, she’s familiar and relatable, but she’s also a total wild card. She’s a curator at a respected art gallery in London and she’s worked hard and devoted quite a bit of her life to the job. But when she’s overlooked for a promotion - again - and it goes to a bumbling oaf, Katharine has had enough. And to add to that, there’s John. Who looks perfect on paper and is the kind of man we’d all like to read about in a romance novel. He’s charming, funny and attractive, and he’s not looking to commit. But Katharine wants more. After nine months of romping in the sheets, she wants more from John, who is clueless beyond belief. So after a particularly shitty evening in a gorgeous dress, Katharine is done with John and she’s moving on with her life.
Meeting Christopher aka Kit is a refreshing change for Katharine, but their relationship doesn’t start off on the right foot. He’s a little moody and grumbly and Katharine is a little judgey. But, like all good enemies-to-lovers, you know that they’re going to evolve from being at each other’s throats to actually falling in love at some point. Because I loved Kit from the moment we meet him. He’s so blunt and honest and he’s funny and keeps Katharine on her toes. And every meeting from there on is just so entertaining.
I had such a blast with this book. Lots of giggles and chuckles here and there and the need to cover my mouth while I was reading in public. Katharine and Kit are quite the pair and every interaction they have is just so entertaining. For all her misery and all of the things that keep going on, Katharine is a tough cookie. She picks herself up and goes after what she wants. Even when things look to be really dire, she doesn’t let that get in the way of following her dreams, of making it all happen. Katharine doesn’t let the past become a fixture in her present, she’s got a plan and she’s going to follow through with it.
Seeing all the relationships develop was a big part of why I loved this book. Katherine and Adam, her brother, have such a great relationship. It’s not perfect, because sibling relationships aren’t, but they rely on each other and they’re so solid together. Katherine’s relationship with her father and his girlfriend is so beautiful. I love how she refers to them as her ‘parents’ and how she bonds to well with her dad’s girlfriend. To see positive relationships like that really warms my heart. Katharine and Lainey have a normal friendship, which comes to a head over little things.
While the conflict and resolution was all happening a little too fast for my liking, I genuinely did enjoy reading this book. Belinda Missen created a wonderful world of art and family and love and friendship and somehow that just made me really happy. It’s a fun light-hearted book and it’s a quick read. Indulge in a little cheesy romance with a dollop of witty banter and you’ve got ‘Accidentally In Love’.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Katharine was such a brilliant character too. Sure, she’s familiar and relatable, but she’s also a total wild card. She’s a curator at a respected art gallery in London and she’s worked hard and devoted quite a bit of her life to the job. But when she’s overlooked for a promotion - again - and it goes to a bumbling oaf, Katharine has had enough. And to add to that, there’s John. Who looks perfect on paper and is the kind of man we’d all like to read about in a romance novel. He’s charming, funny and attractive, and he’s not looking to commit. But Katharine wants more. After nine months of romping in the sheets, she wants more from John, who is clueless beyond belief. So after a particularly shitty evening in a gorgeous dress, Katharine is done with John and she’s moving on with her life.
Meeting Christopher aka Kit is a refreshing change for Katharine, but their relationship doesn’t start off on the right foot. He’s a little moody and grumbly and Katharine is a little judgey. But, like all good enemies-to-lovers, you know that they’re going to evolve from being at each other’s throats to actually falling in love at some point. Because I loved Kit from the moment we meet him. He’s so blunt and honest and he’s funny and keeps Katharine on her toes. And every meeting from there on is just so entertaining.
I had such a blast with this book. Lots of giggles and chuckles here and there and the need to cover my mouth while I was reading in public. Katharine and Kit are quite the pair and every interaction they have is just so entertaining. For all her misery and all of the things that keep going on, Katharine is a tough cookie. She picks herself up and goes after what she wants. Even when things look to be really dire, she doesn’t let that get in the way of following her dreams, of making it all happen. Katharine doesn’t let the past become a fixture in her present, she’s got a plan and she’s going to follow through with it.
Seeing all the relationships develop was a big part of why I loved this book. Katherine and Adam, her brother, have such a great relationship. It’s not perfect, because sibling relationships aren’t, but they rely on each other and they’re so solid together. Katherine’s relationship with her father and his girlfriend is so beautiful. I love how she refers to them as her ‘parents’ and how she bonds to well with her dad’s girlfriend. To see positive relationships like that really warms my heart. Katharine and Lainey have a normal friendship, which comes to a head over little things.
While the conflict and resolution was all happening a little too fast for my liking, I genuinely did enjoy reading this book. Belinda Missen created a wonderful world of art and family and love and friendship and somehow that just made me really happy. It’s a fun light-hearted book and it’s a quick read. Indulge in a little cheesy romance with a dollop of witty banter and you’ve got ‘Accidentally In Love’.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
aguanieme's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
I don't expect a lot from books like this one but come on give me something.
Everything was so slow and suddenly so rushed I got to the end of the book and was surprised it was over.
Everything was so slow and suddenly so rushed I got to the end of the book and was surprised it was over.
taylorjenna's review
5.0
I received this as an e-ARC from Netgalley (clearly I didn't finish it before the release date)
4.5
Katharine uproots her whole life to move to her hometown and open her own art gallery. She meets Christopher and they initially clash, but soon they begin to fall for each other.
I love enemies to lovers. It's my favourite trope. I really enjoyed the characters and I found that Katharine was a very likeable character. It was adorable and I really liked the chemistry. I found that some of the side characters fell flat, but I honestly don't mind that in a romance book. My criteria for romance novels are: likeable characters, cute romance, happy ending. I'm very easy to please.
4.5
Katharine uproots her whole life to move to her hometown and open her own art gallery. She meets Christopher and they initially clash, but soon they begin to fall for each other.
I love enemies to lovers. It's my favourite trope. I really enjoyed the characters and I found that Katharine was a very likeable character. It was adorable and I really liked the chemistry. I found that some of the side characters fell flat, but I honestly don't mind that in a romance book. My criteria for romance novels are: likeable characters, cute romance, happy ending. I'm very easy to please.
ksteigert's review
4.0
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 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!