I blame Bridget Jones and Jane Green, but I’ve always had a weak spot for chick lit set in England. And yes, I realize chick lit is no longer a thing, but really, it is a thing, it’s just repackaged as romance and/or women’s fiction, depending on the author. And this book is a perfect example of why chick lit set in England is so lovely and charming.

When Katharine Patterson is passed over for a promotion at an art gallery for a less-deserving bro dude, she quits her job. When her on again off again boyfriend proves he is definitely not worth anymore “on”, she decides to leave London and move to the suburbs where she was raised. She finds the perfect loft space and manages to snag a short term lease, giving her the chance to open her own gallery and see if she can make it work. She needs to land the perfect artist to show for her opening night, and luckily, her father has connections to just the right artist. Only problem is Christopher isn’t Katharine’s biggest fan, and he has no intention of showing his own work, only the work of his art school students. Katharine does what she can to win Christopher over, and her wooing ends up working out better than she could have planned. But Christopher has some baggage, and Katharine’s ex doesn’t want to take no for an answer, putting not only her new gallery, but Katharine’s heart in jeopardy. Not to worry, this one comes with a lovely HEA and it all works out in the end.

This is one of those books that I honestly don’t have too much to say about. It was lovely and charming and I thoroughly enjoyed it while reading. I liked reading about the process of opening an art gallery since I am always a sucker for a career in the arts, and I really liked some of the photography throwbacks (Katharine puts a darkroom in her gallery, which gave me some flashbacks to middle school, when I freakin’ loved developing my own photos). I don’t know that this is a book I would return to again and again, but I liked the characters and the setting, and found the whole thing a cheerful distraction from the trash fire state of the world.

I love a feisty female lead and Accidentally in Love gave me just that! Join Katharine (Katie) Patterson, our fearless art curator main character as she uproots her life in London after losing out on a well-deserved job promotion. Literally, down with the patriarchy and the unqualified man who got the promotion instead! She opens her own art gallery near her hometown and that’s when the story really takes off. No rom com is complete without a full cast of quirky and lovable characters, and that’s exactly who we meet while Katie sets up shop and tries to get her footing. And once you throw the mysterious and reclusive artist Kit— as well as Katie’s workaholic (and delusional?) ex-boyfriend— into the mix, you know things are bound to get interesting. The double whammy of fights between both friends, and lovers you might see coming, but you’ll be shocked by everything else that happens in between. But what’s a rom com like this without a happy ending, of course? I just wish we got to see more of a resolution here, especially after such a tumultuous story.

I was immediately attracted to this book; the cover, the synopsis. So I was happy to receive an advanced copy.

I struggled to settle into the book and found myself reading a few pages and not engaging.

I found the writing style quite jumpy. Some scenes were over-described, while others were skimmed over. The author wrote animatedly about art, but character chemistry was lacking.

I had to re-read certain paragraphs to try to figure out what was happening as the text just didn’t flow as well as it could have.

Christopher could have been a great character. He had all the foundations for a brooding male lead. Unfortunately he came across as a rude man. Many love/hate stories are written in a way that the reader still likes the characters. I never felt like this.

I didn’t not find Katharine and Christopher’s relationship believable. They go from heavily disliking each other one minute, to falling for each other the next?? The build up felt non-existent.

Best friend Lainey was another unlikeable character. Yes, she had a bridezilla storyline, but that’s no best friend. She was vile at points.

The references to Katharine’s finances were confusing. In one breath she’s buying tonnes of equipment and then she can’t afford a bus ride or a croissant??

There were some good elements. I loved the hints of humour from the author and would like to see more in future books. I also quite liked John!

I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn’t gel with it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

CW: Slur - mention of esk*mo in Chapter 1

So you know, this was a quick, fun read. I binged it all in one sitting.

Aside from the slur, Accidentally in Love was really enjoyable. The witty banter was very amusing, and the story kept me on my toes. It was so cute, and soooo fluffy. If I start pooping out rainbows, I won't be surprised.

First, I really love this pink cover! That's what initially drew me in and then I read the synopsis and was hooked. Second, this book was so good! If I could share all the goodness I felt while reading this book I would. But, for now, you'll have to settle with me telling you about the goodness.

While it took a second for the plot to really got started, once it did, I was hooked on the book. I got to know Katherine, the main character, pretty well as she uprooted from her old life and began a new one. I could really feel all her sadness and anger for getting overlooked for a promotion AGAIN, all her stress at starting her own art gallery and new life, and her driving personality as she got to know her love interest and herself more. Katherine was a great main character, and I almost wish this was a series so I could see a little more of her.

The romance is this book was *chefs kiss* magnifique. The relationship between Katherine and Kit was cute and heartwarming, yet honest. As well, part of what made their romantic scenes so sweet was that there were other things happening besides just the romance. The whole book wasn't just them falling in love, but also working towards things they wanted and needed in their lives.

Overall, this was a book full of great rom-com banter, honest characters, and a lovely storyline to keep you wanting more.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was adorable and had me hooked from the very beginning! You can tell that Belinda Missen has done so much research into this book by the way she writes and how much description she went into about photography and art. Having done photography at A-levels and spending a lot of my free time in a darkroom developing photos, reading about Katharine’s own one had me reminiscing on my experiences and watching the images come to life.

Katharine and Kit are two very well written characters, both with their own individual flaws and situations that make them realistic and relatable. The banter between the two was perfect and I enjoyed reading their scenes together.

My only issue with this book is that I felt that the ending was rushed and I would have liked to have seen more about their life after and what decisions were made in regards to the gallery etc. I think if Missen had added just another chapter to wrap up loose ends then this would have been a five star review.

Overall, Accidentally in Love was a cute and fast-paced read packed with laugh-out-loud moments. With an amazing array of characters, this book is perfect for any romcom lovers out there!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

In one week Kathrine has quit her job, dumped her maybe boyfriend, and moved back home all to start her own gallery. This was always her dream and she is tired of the boys club that seemed to persist at her last job. She is going to focus all her time on this new gallery and there is no time for distractions. Kit has other ideas, from the moment they met he was under her skin, and not in a good way. He was rude, a know-it- all, and extremely handsome. Then when they end up having to work together to get something they both want and that's when Kathrine’s plan starts to go downhill.
The cover of this book is what caught my attention. I love that art is a thread throughout the whole story. Kathrine is more than a gallery curator but she is also a photographer who genuinely loves art. Kit is a painter who just wants to make sure other artists get the notoriety they deserve. Kit is such a loveable character and he was fun to read about.
This is a slow burn romance. At fifty percent through the book we still had very little romance from our characters.
This was a perfect cozy romance for a cozy night in.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQ Digital for letting me read and review Accidentally in Love early! This book was pretty different from the other books I’ve been reading recently because it wasn’t really a romance novel- like there was some romance in it, but it was more about Katie (our main character) getting out of the gallery that’s passed her over for the promotion that she deserves three times and starting her own gallery. She doesn’t have to care about men, because they’re not in the big picture right now. She’s focusing more on her career and her family, and honestly, I loved that.
Accidentally in Love 3.5/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: In the space of a week, Katharine Patterson has quit her job, decided to move back home, and broken up with the guy she thought was the one.
No big deal.
Because Katharine has a plan. She’s going to open her own art gallery, just like she’s always wanted. What she’s not going to do is worry about boyfriends.
Then she meets Kit, a handsome and talented local artist. He might be the most stubborn person Katharine has ever met. He might also make her feel like no one ever has before.
And Katharine might be about to fall accidentally in love…
Overall, this was a pretty good book. Like am I going to go out and scream from the rooftops about how much I loved it? Not really, but I did enjoy it while I was reading it. I loved Katie’s relationship with her brother and her dad. I also really liked how she just picked up and started her own gallery- that took guts and immense courage, which I know a lot of us don’t have. I’m always so in awe of people who start their own business, because man, it’s so much pressure and you have nothing to fall back on during hard times or if things don’t really work out! And doing it during the same week that you get broken up with/the week you end a dead end relationship- man, that’s intense! I thought Katie and John’s relationship was sad, but it’s definitely a dead end relationship where the guy doesn’t want to commit and the woman is bending more than she should and I’ve seen it so many times (in my own life- curse you situationships. You’re the worst!). This was definitely a good, quick read that made me feel good and empowered, but wasn’t what I was expecting going into it (which was more romance, which is why I gave it 3.5 stars).

Oooh, I love this! Pitched just right by the author, and a fabulously entertaining read.

Katherine Patterson ups and quits her job, suddenly and without forward planning. With a lack of art curator jobs on offer, she takes the leap into setting up her own gallery. Moving out of London, leaving behind the uncommitted sometime boyfriend, she is homeward bound and before she knows it, is standing in what will be her new premises. Off men for the foreseeable future it is, however, necessary to sweet talk artists of whom Kit is one. Taciturn, grumpy, stubborn Kit who may just be sparking something within Katherine that she was certain was in hibernation . . .

I have cheered for Katherine from the very start of this novel, and can imagine that every other woman will do the same. Oh, how I would like to be her! Taking giant leaps is admirable and rather inspiring.

Along with the very skilful writing, this is a fun read and the author's warm and witty words kept it flowing smoothly all the way through. Not only were Katherine and Kit great characters, I really liked her brother too; in fact, each and every person in the book was beautifully rounded and complete with their own idiosyncrasies. Brilliant writing and a smashing, funny read which is easily worth all five stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley and to Rachel's Random Resources for my spot on this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

A refreshingly sweet romantic comedy that was a joy to read, especially in these times where I am looking for the silver lining and the fun.

It is cheesy, there are cliches and I am 100% here for it.

If you need a lovely, easy and funny read I highly recommend it.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for my honest opinions.

*Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book*

I absolutely fell accidentally in love with this book. I found this book on Netgalley, and the cover itself made it look intriguing so I decided to request an ARC not knowing that I would get so involved in this book I didn’t want to do anything else. I can quite honestly say I fell *accidentally in love* with it. It was such a cute and nice little romcom The authors sheer knowledge of the art and photography she writes about honestly shows how much research/ effort went into this book this made it even more interesting. I fell in love with Katherine from the beginning of this book. It is so true that women are often overlooked compared to men in some industry’s when trying for a promotion. I also fell accidentally in love with Kit. At the beginning I had a strong dislike for him but as the book went on I was absolutely rooting for him. I don’t want to spoil the book in my review, but I absolutely loved it and would recommend everyone read it. I do however wish that the ending of the book was a bit longer or that there was an epilogue which would show things three months later.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Accidentally in Love follows Katherine who has just quit her job when she is turned up for a promotion in favor of a much less qualified candidate. She finds herself back home with a new dream: opening her own art gallery. The story follows Katherine as she struggles with money, family, friends and boyfriends. But as soon as she’s written men off, in comes Kit, a painter who is just as talented as he is infuriating to Katherine. But he also might make her feel like no else has before.
The plot of Accidentally in Love was what immediately hooked me, it sounded so fun and light-hearted and did not disappoint. The character’s are genuine and realistic, they create a visceral setting full of love and witty banter. I loved the ways it touched on sexism in the workplace through Katherine’s career. She was a very inspiring character who never compromised her dignity or self-worth in favor of success. I found her efforts very admirable and her entire character to be very refreshing.
The plot itself for me felt a bit misguided, I think it centered much more around Katherine’s career and the start of her gallery than the actual romance. I didn’t mind this at all but it was a bit confusing when I was past halfway through the book and there weren’t many hints of a romance. I think this stemmed from my initial dislike of Kit. When we are first introduced to him he is supposed to be abrasive, but I found him just plain rude and I don’t think I ever really got past that. I never quite understood why he was so intent on humiliating Katherine for the first half of the book which is partially why I am giving this 3 stars.
My other criticism I believe is purely based on personal preference. The writing style simply wasn’t for me. I found myself having to read through sentences multiple times to understand what they were trying to say and it made the book drag a bit for the first half. After I got used to the writing I didn’t have as much of a problem but it did make the read a bit choppy for me.
Overall this book is really fun. It’s a quick and easy read that covers some really important topics like grief and family. I really appreciated how accessible it was as well when it could have drowned readers in art terminology. It captured a perfect balance between showing readers the depth of the character’s knowledge about art while not losing readers to information about a subject they might not understand.
I definitely know quite a few people who would enjoy this book so I definitely will be recommending it around. I’m very interested in picking up other works by the author as well!

3.5 stars, While I did find this book funny in parts I didn't find it laugh out loud funny, the humor and chemistry did pick up in the second half of the book. I would put this in more of a cute funny love story than hilarious read. Katherine quits her job and moves home to open a gallery, oh and broke up with her boyfriend, Coming home isn't as easy as she hopes, putting together a gallery is a lot of work especially if a certain local artist prove elusive. Christopher has no idea what to make of the city girl coming home to the country, fun banter ensues. Many ups and downs, chasing and catching and running, turned off phones drama all in the passionate art world. Good read.

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!

You see the tagline laugh-out-loud rom com sprinkled about like confetti these days, but Accidentally in Love absolutely lives up to it—Belinda Missen is a new-to-me author and as far as firsts go she delivered, and then some.

“I do love a good bit of bants.”

There’s never a dull moment for Katharine as she takes hold of her life and makes the major decision of leaping from art curator to gallery owner. Stubborn and determined, she’s cheered on by her supportive, eccentric family who waste no time in introducing her to brooding, frustrating local artist, Kit. And the sparks fly.

“You were getting on like a house on fire. If that fire was lit with petrol and a match and was burning off toxic plastics.”

Katharine and Kit’s verbal sparring was absolutely on point for me, dry, quick and with innuendo, not only were they funny, they were natural. And I loved how this story didn’t just focus on their romance which to a point is secondary to Katharine’s own journey and her family play a huge part bringing even more giggles and some touching heartwarming moments.

“We get along well when he’s not being rude.”

With drama that wasn’t too overplayed and swiftly tied-up, Katharine and Kit hit all the right spots. There’s always something special about discovering a book set on your turf—I loved how the gallery was Sheffield’s historic Old Fire Station—and curling up with this was simply home to me. If a fresh, charming, fun read with a grumpy man to love takes your fancy, this is one to tickle it with.

What is the book about:

In the space of a week, Katharine Patterson has quit her job, decided to move back home, and broken up with the guy she thought was the one.
No big deal.
Because Katharine has a plan. She’s going to open her own art gallery, just like she’s always wanted. What she’s not going to do is worry about boyfriends.
Then she meets Kit, a handsome and talented local artist. He might be the most stubborn person Katharine has ever met. He might also make her feel like no one ever has before.
And Katharine might be about to fall accidentally in love…

My opinion:

Soo this book was really cute, I liked the characters and enjoyed reading it.
But for me the relationship felt kinda rushed, it was enemy one minute and best friends the other, well at least I got the feeling that it was. Although it was kinda predictable, but that is often the case with RomComs, so that it didn't bother me too much.

What I really liked about the book were the relationships between Katherine and her family, especially the one with her brother and Fiona. It really helped me to get to know Katherine better and to understand her choices and what it means to have a supportive family is really nice put in this book.

So to sum it up shortly I'd say I liked the book, but didn't love it.

Rating: 3,5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and HQDigital for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars
This book was everything i didn’t know i needed.
Katharine’s life did a 180 when in one week she quit her job, she broke up with the guy she thought she had a future, and she moved back home.
In London, she worked as an art curator, and back at home, she is planning on opening an art gallery.
Kit is an amazing artist, who hasn’t shown his art in 2 years, he is sometimes unbearable, and the first time he meets Katharine, they don’t get along.
As she starts working for her opening, she will also start working in her relationship, with Kit, with her best friend, with her family and with herself.
This book is heartwarming, really funny, and cute.
I love how Katharine grew throughout the book, how she discovered she could do things she thought she couldn’t, how she started trusting herself.
Kit is a cinnamon roll boyfriend, cute, lovely on the outside, but hurting on the inside. Katharine is the same, on the outside she is living a happy life, but on the inside, she is suffering with everything she has going on in her life.
Will they be able to help each other and themselves without fighting? Without wanting to stop everything?
Ps: if you are a fan of art, paintings and all that, you will love this book , because it includes lot of that; but if you don’t, you should read it anyways because you will start appreciating it with this story ✨❤️

I picked this book up wanting a lighthearted fun read, and that's pretty much what I got. I loved the family element, particularly Katherine's stepmother, the characters were decently well written with relatable backstories, and the story moved at a good pace.

While the book was entertaining, I did had some frustrations with it. First, the romance was seriously rushed. I read a lot of romance, so I am certainly no stranger to the insta-love concept. I can't fully explain why this was worse than most, but it was. While I think it's very probable that Kit and Katherine are compatible for the long term, I just didn't see ANY development to their relationship. They were portrayed as enemies, started to form a bit of a friendship, crossed over into "more than friends" territory, had a massive fight/misunderstanding/falling out, and were engaged, all in about a month's time (with the bigger events fitting into a week or two). A couple of little tweaks could have fixed my issues here (forgo the engagement or move it to an epilogue, add a couple chapters, etc), but as is, especially given the characters' relationship histories, it was too much, too fast, and with too little substance.

My other problem was that Katherine was portrayed as this strong woman that doesn't take a lot of crap, but she put up with being treated like total dirt by her supposed BFF Lainey. I get that Lainey was planning a wedding and was stressed by all that goes with that, but she repeatedly abused her relationship with Katherine, ignored Katherine when she needed her, and ultimately never even apologized for being a raging b**ch. Maybe Lainey was a better friend before she got engrossed in wedding planning, but we certainly don't see that side of her in the book. I can't believe that the Katherine that quit her job on the spot after being unfairly passed over for a promotion would put up with being treated the way she was by a supposed friend.

I also really wish we'd seen more of Katherine embracing her passion for photography. It came up plenty through the book, but the primary focus was on her opening her art gallery, we never really saw her truly pursue her love of photography and I wish we had.

I gave this book 3 stars because despite my issues with it, it was an enjoyable enough read.

Hands up – who loves the enemy to lovers trope? It’s one of my favourite tropes and usually consists of the main couple hating each other from their first meeting, either due to rivalry or bad vibes. As the story goes on they both realise the other is not as bad as they first thought and soon they are lusting after each other.

I thought Belinda Missen did a great job at making her characters Katherine and Kit really despise one another over Katherine’s new art gallery. It was clear on both sides why there was dislike for each other; Katherine was letting her ambitious streak get the better of her and not taking any regard to local talent within her home town of Sheffield. Kit was an art teacher who had a class full of budding artists who just needed someone to showcase their art. Belinda did such a good job at creating tension between them because when they finally did come together – there were flutterings inside of me..

One of the many things I love about the enemies to lovers trope is that once the characters begin to see the other person in a different light – big things happen! In this book Katherine and Kit became better people. I loved both the character arcs of these two feisty and strong willed people.

Belinda Missen is at the top of her minor character game. Blimey she brought out a good cast of fun and likeable supporting characters; Fiona (Katherine’s father’s girlfriend) who was adorable, hunky Adam, Katherine’s brother, John, her ex and best mate Lainey.

This was a fun read with a good premise, great characters, some good heartwarming moments and it had a Bridget Jones vibe to it which I loved. More please, Belinda!

Accidentally In Love is a lovely easily readable RomCom.
The characters were likeable. I loved the chemistry between Kit and Katherine,you could even feel it when they first met despite Kit being very abrupt with Katherine at the beginning.
Overall this book took me a while to get in to and it, like most romcom’s, was predictable but it was an enjoyable story none the less
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.