I had hoped to experience some of the--intriguing curiosity?--that I had about the first book, but since I only gave the first book 3 stars, this was looking about the same, so at 20% I started skimming ahead.

Maybe if I had rolled from “The Accidental Pinup” straight into this, it would’ve hit different. I can usually handle the swirl of exposition--the names and connections and job titles and businesses--that helps those who haven’t read a previous book in a series, or refresh memories--but I wasn’t feeling it in this moment. And I’ve read enough romances over the years with “body positivity” in it that the phrase at this point in time becomes performative. This was where the skimming started.

Next, there are contrivances, and then there are CONTRIVANCES. Call me crazy, but if I was attracted to someone who was clearly still attracted to me, even as I was putting on weight, I’d give it a go. I mean, I HAVE gained weight, Hashimoto’s among one of the reasons why, so I can TOTALLY relate to the thyroid issue. But Sam’s hot and cold treatment of Russ kinda turned me off. But also--how was Russ pining after Sam all this time, asking her out again and again, but then still had plans to up and bail? Just the hot and cold between them felt over the top.
I’m not seeing anything else coming in the series, but I don’t think I’ll read it past this book, sorry!

2.5, rounded up. I'm glad this book exists because the representation (folks of color, main character w/ chronic illness, burnout, etc.) is solid, and it's great to see it normalized in romance. I also loved the fun, silly abandon of Chicago summer; it reminded me of my years spent in the city. The writing, unfortunately, doesn't flow well; there are many moments that feel stilted and awkward or inserted for the sake of inclusion rather than incorporated into the story. The chemistry between Russell and Sam also felt off--that might have had something to do with how persistent Russell was at the beginning, though.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love this novel as much as I had hoped I would. I was excited about the diversity, chronic illness rep, and mental health rep this book promised, which ended up being pretty well done, however other major aspects left me wanting more. The book felt repetitive regarding many subject areas and really caused the book to drag at times. I also just really wanted more out of the romance and the fact that the promise of a summer fling ended up being a bad and forth if miscommunication and not actually having them come together until summer was almost over was just too much of a slow burn for me. The ending was cute but didn’t save this one for me.

I DNF'd this book at about 40%. The story was super cute, and I liked the characters, but the writing was lacking for me. The beginning was a little too expositional, and I couldn't connect with the romance in the way I wanted.

I loved the setting in Chicago and I thought it was fun that this was about two people who are in the same broader friend group as the duo from the first book in this series. This can definitely work as a standalone since each is its own story.

Sam is kind of an interesting and unique character for a romance novel, since she doesn’t fit the typical mold for a heroine of this type of book. She was recently diagnosed with Grave’s disease, which is an autoimmune condition that effects the thyroid and ultimately led to her having it removed.

This condition has left Sam scarred and heavier than before, and she’s still adjusting to her new, plus-sized body that looks different from how she saw herself before. Particularly as a former Burlesque dancer, where her body was part of her career. I thought it was interesting to see a leading lady going through these sorts of struggles that many women face with their bodies and particularly this very challenging disease.

Sam is completely burnt out and running on fumes between her health struggles and trying to grow her business. She continues to run into Russ while working the street festival circuit. Russ has been pretty adrift—couch-surfing through life and working odd jobs around the country before settling back in Chicago and getting a job at a hot local restaurant. Russ is definitely on a journey of seeking stability in life.

The friend group was fun to revisit from the previous book. I liked Sam’s story and seeing those aspects of diversity represented in this genre. I also thought Russ and his brother Reid had a nice growth arc in their narrative.

The romance itself was fairly average as far as these books go. I wanted to see a bit more depth because the set up would have leant to it, particularly with both Sam and Russ being at such pivotal points in their lives and really going through transition periods. This made them attracted to a no-strings-attached fling scenario, but I think more could have been done to really explore the tension both as individuals and as a duo. In general their love story was more mild than I expected it to be.

That all said this is definitely worth a read. I appreciate what Danielle Jackson has done to push the diversity boundaries in romance. I would actually love for a character like Sam to get a more swoon-worthy story because she is so different from the typical lead in romance books.

Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Becoming a Danielle Jackson fan the more I read her work! I completely understood where Sam was coming from, trying to juggle all of the things on her plate - the (both self-imposed and delegated) work, making time for friends, family craziness and a blossoming romance. As a self-proclaimed lover of to-do lists myself, Sam was extremely relatable, even when she frustrated me. I also appreciated watching her grow through being self-conscious with her body after her surgery.

Normally I do love the trope when the guy falls first/hardest, but in this case, it was really frustrating to see Sam continuously ignore her own feelings. Especially because she tends to be so sure of herself, even when she can't articulate it well. I know that's a huge part of the genre as a whole but it got a bit aggravating after a while.

While I preferred The Accidental Pinup a bit more, there was a lot about Accidentally in Love that I did adore. I would definitely recommend this to a friend!

I loved Sam and what we saw of Russ from the first book and I knew I needed to read their story. Sam is no nonsense. She is on her way to big things, even if she is a little more self consious now. Russ is back and has been reunited with his brother, but he seems to be a bit lost. The only thing he knows for sure is that he can't and doesn't want to stay away from Sam.
Sam knows that Russ isn't staying long, she isn't interested in a fling, but the man does not give up. As they start working together and become closer, will Sam be the one thing that Russ is looking for to ground him or will he leave her to follow his dreams in the end.
I really did enjoy their story, but at points I found it a little, forced. Russ got a promotion and couldn't wait to tell Sam, but from Sam's POV it felt like the two barely knew one another so why would he run to her? I know he was taken with her, but they weren't close at first by any stretch. Yes, they got closer and the two of them had a lot of issues to overcome, but there were many bumps in the road to get to where they both wanted to be. 3.5 Stars.
Thanks to Berkley, Netgalley and Danielle Jackson for an early copy.

I rarely do this, but I DNF’d this book at 35%. Sam, the FMC, finds Russ annoying and she’s unhappy about her health situation etc. I don’t think their relationship rings true given her prior feelings,
I really like the author but this was a miss for me.

Sam and Russ....whew! This was such a fun alternative read. Alternative in the sense that the characters and their interests were eclectic and super fun. I think what I enjoyed and what made it special was the location, all of the careers of the characters and the cast didn't feel one note, each person we were introduced to had a story and a depth that was interesting! Once Sam got over herself and Russ made it through his issues they found such a beautiful happiness that was legit made just for them which makes this story special. I don't think I read a book where I wanted to shake bot of the main characters so much!!! Liiiike your person is right there!!! I do wish we could have gotten to them falling and being together a little quicker, I was on the verge of being annoyed that they were both in their head but also in love with the other person. The book was a bit too slow of a burn for me however I enjoyed the other aspects of the writing! I will be telling my friends about this book!

Accidentally in Love by Danielle Jackson promises an abundance of heart, humor, and care, and it surpasses all expectations. This smart, thoughtful, and deeply sweet read is sure to captivate readers.

This book was definitely more of a slow burn than the last, which is usually not my favorite, but Jackson has a way of making me just love her books!

I adored seeing familiar characters from her last book and seeing woman being bad*ass in the business world, they literally take it by storm in this book.

I loved watching the Sam go on this journey of self discovery with her body and both Sam and Russ go on a discovery with their careers…YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT!

While, I think Cassie and Reid are my fave, I still loved to see the development of Russel and Sam’s love story. The way Jackson crafts depth into her characters and shows how their families, namely their parents, deeply effected their relationship with each other was so well done!

I could go on and on about all the things I loved about this book!

But if you love books with found family, diverse characters (namely women of all shapes and sizes and an MC with chronic illness rep), and a love story with dual pov? Definitely pick this one up!

This is a steamy one!! And a true slow burn romance.

I did not read the first of the series, so I read this as a stand alone and had no issues there!

I loved the dynamic between the FMC and MMC and all the banter and give and take between them. I also really appreciated the representation feat. a black woman with Grave's disease.

If you love a good slow burn romance then this book is for You. Overall it was a good read after reading The Accidental Pinup I was hyped to read this second book. I love that their circle of friends was everything and exactly what they needed. I was all here for the character growth which lead to an incredible romance between Sam and Russ.


Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook. And thank you to @berittalksbooks and @dg_reads for including me on this buddy read.

I didn’t read the first book in this series, but Accidentally in Love can be read as a standalone. There is plenty of information and background. The characters on their own are interesting and the group of Sam’s friends was the star of the book.

Unfortunately, I found the relationship between Sam and Russ boring, and I just could not get engaged with their story. The constant mention of “Just a Fling” and the gross amount of inner monologue verses actual conversation between the two burned me out.

I’ve read good reviews for this book, so I think it’s worth checking out. It just wasn’t for me.

3 stars

I enjoyed The Accidental Pinup with Cassie and Reid. This is the next book in the series with Sam and Russ.
The Buxom Boudoir is getting more business and expanding. Sam is getting lots more on her plate.
Russ is getting more duties at the restaurant and getting ready for his move to go to Culinary school.
They both have been tasked with a food/entertainment truck for the different events in their area, respectively. So they keep seeing each other.
Russ has been trying to ask out Sam for months. It takes a lot of tries and fails but they finally get together.
There is great body positivity in this book and I loved the plus size lingerie campaign.

Thank you berkleypub for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Sam has a lot going on, especially with spending her summer working Chicago’s summer festivals with the Buxom Boudoir “photobus”. But when Russ, a man she can’t stand, also gets involved in the festivals, launching a food truck, the two are forced to spent a lot of time together.

I wanted to love this book - between the body positivity and incredible girl gang, there were some great messages and themes in this story. However, I found myself never fully engaging in the story and it just didn’t hold my attention.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy

This is a friends from the same friend group to lovers romance with medium spice and a beautiful amount of body positivity.

My favorite part of the book isn’t the romance but the supportive group of work friends that lift each other up.

I can also relate with the main character who has weight gain from a thyroidectomy since I have had the same experience after having thyroid surgery in 2019.

I love the Chicago setting for this book as my husband works there and I live there some of the year.

This was a fantastic no-strings attached Chicago summer romance between two career-driven individuals set in the same close-knit friend universe as The accidental pin-up. I loved Sam and Russ's dynamic as they circle each other for months with Russ finally convincing Sam that she deserves some fun.

Recently diagnosed with a autoimmune thyroid condition (Grave's disease), Sam is still self-conscious about her newly plus-sized, scarred body and adjusting to her new look. A former Burlesque dancer and office manager/photographer for Buxom Boudoir, Sam is overworked and looking for some fun.

When she keeps running into Russ on the street fair circuit, she finally caves to his romantic overtures. But since he's planning to move to NYC to start culinary school, she doesn't want anything too serious. This was full of sizzling chemistry, complex family relationships and wonderful found family/friends.

Great on audio narrated by Zenzi Williams and perfect for fans of authors like Denise Williams, Jodie Slaughter or Anna P. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

I would like to start by saying, I LOVE this cover. It is so pretty and colorful, and the reason that I immediately requested it.

I thought the ideas behind the characters and what the author was trying to get across and represent was important. I 100% get what the author was trying to do and represent and it wasn't BAD.
To me, there was just something missing from the main relationship between Sam and Russ, I didn't feel a lot of chemistry. And that's what I look for in my romance books. It (for me) was just missing a little something, that I can't put into words, lol.

All in all it was a cute book with good representation. And it was worth the read.

DNF at 35% I just couldn't get into the book. I found myself getting sleepy or reaching for my phone a lot. While not stated as a second book in a series, I felt like I was missing something and when I looked it up her first book is in the same world as this book. When we start the book it's as if Sam and Russ already know each other and have an established connection which would make sense considering this is book 2. It also felt a bit repetitive. At only 35 percent it was hit over the head over and over again that Sam had a thyroid condition and didn't feel like herself and Russ was constantly fleeing life even though he felt so at home in Chicago.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 8/8