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.

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.

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.

Accidentally In Love is a cute, somewhat predictable romance. It took me a few chapters to really get into the story, but after that I enjoyed it very much and finished it quickly!

This book was well written, funny and cute. Some parts had me laughing out loud. I was invested in the characters and overall really liked this book.

Major thank you to NetGalley and publishers for providing me with the opportunity to view this ARC.

Accidentally in Love is the epitome of a perfect rom-com. It was so sweet, and such an easy read. We follow Katharine, a curator at a well-known London art gallery, who is consistently overlooked for promotions by her male coworkers, as she moves back home to open up an art galley of her own. Her first night home, her father tries to set her up with an acclaimed local artist, Christopher (Kit), but they get off on the wrong foot.

Where do I begin? I'm currently sitting here beaming after finishing Accidentally in Love. Accidentally in Love was just so adorable. I loved Katharine - As a character, I thought she was dynamic and hilarious and so real, and I have so much admiration for the decisions she made. Moving cross-country and following her dreams is something that I've definitely thought about before - Who hasn't? Following Katharine's character growth and development was such an enjoyable journey.

One of the best parts of this novel was the relationships - not just the romantic relationship between Katharine and Kit (which was done spectacularly; I'm always a sucker for enemies to lovers, and the banter - don't even get me started on the banter), but the familial ones and platonic ones as well. Katharine's relationship with her stepmother, Fiona, was so heartwarming, and I loved reading about her relationship with her brother, Adam, and her father as well. I loved reading about Adam's arc as well, and I felt like Katharine's ex (who was also Adam's coworker), was a great foil for Adam. Reading about two siblings who had each other's back completely, and their tight-knit family brought such a smile to my face. And Lainey, Katharine's best friend - Belinda Missen has so perfectly captured this dynamic between two best friends, who have to relearn how to keep in touch and stay connected once they're not seeing each other daily.

It felt like the book took a little while to pick up, and the ending felt rushed to me - although, that might just be because I wanted to see more between Katharine and Christopher. I have some unanswered questions about Katherine and Christopher, and think Accidentally in Love could've used another chapter or two.

Overall, it was an incredibly easy read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of rom-coms.

When Katharine doesn’t get the big promotion at her job in London, she quits and moves back home to open her own art gallery. While trying to open her gallery and help her best friend, Lainey, with her wedding, Katharine meets Kit - another artist.

Oh man, this book. I don’t think I liked a single character aside from Fiona, Katharine’s stepmom. Everyone else was over the top selfish, and I never felt the build up to Kit and Katharine’s relationship.
It seemed really long to me, but that could have been because I didn’t enjoy the book. It’s hard to tell on Kindle. I found myself skipping pages and pages until i reached some dialogue.

I love it when a book surprises me and Accidentally in Love by Belinda Missen did just that. I read the first few chapters of the book, expecting it to be a typical romance, but it sprang a change on me and I loved it. I enjoy the enemies to lovers trope and this book did just that. I loved Katherine and Kit and loved the witty banter between them.

Katherine is down on her luck, she missed on a promotion and has an undefined relationship with John. On paper John seems like the perfect character for a romance novel, but Missen flips it upside down. After an embarrassing night, Katherine decides she has had enough of John and London and is going to leave it, and John behind and start her own art gallery back home. Katherine is a well written character, she is witty and goes with her gut a lot of the time. She is a totally relatable character, and someone I could imagine myself being friends with. I liked that she is not a perfect character, which makes it so much more relatable.

Enter Christopher, aka Kit, and a lovey enemies to lovers romance happens. Christopher is an artist that her father knows and he and Katherine do not start off on a good footing. He also comes with his own baggage. Christopher is such an honest and blunt character that you just want to love.

I found this book laugh out loud funny and really enjoyed reading these two as characters. I love how Katherine never gives up and takes her lumps too. My favourite part of the book was how Missen wrote all the different relationships in the book, and how you could see how genuine they are. The only problem I had was how quick they went from hating each other, to being okay with each other, and I found the wrap up a little fast. I really enjoyed this book and found it a light easy read.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher for an open and honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.

I enjoyed the Art Gallery story line and found this different from all other romance books I have previously read (giving us all a cheeky little look into the Art Gallery World). Overall a great enemies to lovers romance. I found the beginning a little steady but slowly became invested in the couple's relationship to need to see how it ended. I really enjoyed the ups and downs between Katherine and Lainey's relationship.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

A fun, enemies to lovers romantic comedy! Perfect for anyone who enjoys this genre or is looking to experiment outside of their comfort zone. A slow build featuring fantastic relationship building between the two main characters. There is just enough tension and movement through the plot to keep the reader engaged without feeling rushed. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC.

Katie's had enough! She's had enough of being passed over at work, of her love interest John being clueless, and generally of everything in London. SO, she takes herself to Sheffield, where she opens her own galley. And meets Kit. Kit's an artist with attitude and these two have amazingly fun repartee as Katie works to get him to show at her galley. This is a friends to lovers rom com (well, they aren't friends at first but you know what I mean) but it's also about Katie taking charge of her life. It's a fun light read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This will make you smile.

I've been in the mood for simple rom-coms recently, I think it's a sign of the times we are living in at the moment, that I need something light and diversionary.

This book fit the bill perfectly. It covers the story of Katharine who is passed over for promotion at work for the third time and realises that she's had enough of the London art world and decides to relocate to Sheffield to open her own art gallery. She leaves behind her on/off relationship and never really looks back.

Of course every rom-com needs it's romantic hero, which is where Christopher / Kit comes in, a moody, cantankerous artist who Katharine is determined to work with. It's more of a love / hate relationship story and includes an emotional rollercoaster and a couple of red herrings as they realise their feelings for each other.

Overall this is a great book, written with good pace and full of likeable characters. There is more emotion than comedy, each of the characters with their own issues to work through. I really enjoyed it, and it was just the ticket for me at the moment.

“A beautifully and realistically written laugh-out-loud romance."

Katherine’s ideal world in London comes crashing down when she is passed up for promotion, and she quits to show her discontent. A couple of days later, she breaks up with her not really boyfriend, John, for his utter lack of respect for her and her work. A visit to her Dad’s house in Sheffield and Katherine realizes what she’s been missing all along. Kit, aka Christopher.

I loved the chemistry between Kit and Katie. There wasn’t just passion and lust; there was mutual respect, understanding for each other’s work, and a mature outlook. The effortless writing was complemented with intelligent humor, and I was entertained thoroughly. Katie had her flaws, but who doesn’t, and she knew what they were and worked on it. That’s my favorite part when it comes to female leads.
In most romance novels I’ve read, the leads when they separate just keep missing each other and sulking and doing nothing about it. I wonder why they don't talk to each other about their issues. But here, Belinda Missen has kept things so real when she makes Katherine decide to talk about the issues arising with Christopher and her best friend, Lainey. I loved that so much. Why can’t all authors follow suit and make woman characters practical?

I loved the book's pace, although Kit did not have a significant appearance until well into the middle of the story, I loved every buildup that led to him. I kept turning pages and frankly only realized I read 300 pages so quickly when I sat down to write this review.
Books like these make me glad I review because, without that, the opportunity to read this book would never have come my way. In short, I loved Accidentally in Love immensely.
Other than a couple errors, I found no other editing mistakes, these too, did not hinder my reading experience in any way.

To talk about the negatives, the first and last thing that pops up in my mind is Katherine's name. I am truly sick of all the Katherines and Elizabeths in romance novels. Think of new names, please authors. These common names make the characters forgettable for me.

Sharp and witty dialogue between leads always wins my heart.

Romance buffs must read this; those looking for steamy passionate scenes will be disappointed. Read it for the creative story-telling, witty dialogue, and laugh-out-loud moments that’ll have you smile when you turn the last page. Happily-ever-after story fans, here’s another one for you.
Thank you Netgalley and HQ Digital for the reviewing opportunity.

Happy reading!

This was a fun, mostly light read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It made me laugh in several places as well as had me holding back tears in others. The main character definitely had her fair share of angst, but was a very likeable character. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy.

Accidentally in Love is much more than an enemies-to-lovers rom-com. It explores one young woman’s journey from being an employee passed over for promotion to being the owner of her own art gallery. The inside look at the art world and what goes into opening an art gallery were very interesting. Another theme was family - moving back to her hometown of Sheffield versus staying in London. I loved her family members: Dad, brother Adam, and stepmother Fiona. Her love interests were very different: John the London lawyer and Kit/Christopher, the Sheffield artist. I did think the switch from enemies to lovers with Kit was a bit abrupt, as was the ending. I enjoyed the banter between Kit and Katharine and I loved that they could relate over art and that it was more than just a physical attraction.

I love rom com reads and enjoy both the high brow and low brow kind. This one started with an interesting concept, but kind of dragged for me and then felt super rushed in trying to wrap up the story. I think this book might find lovers from other, but I wasn't the biggest fan.