One mistaken name on a coffee cup and a run in with your boss who you kind of have a crush on... so begins a texting conversation between two people who definitely are "not" falling for each other... but how long can they keep this going before they both get caught or worse, fired? Izzy is starting her first day at a new job and decides to grab her favorite drink, a pumpkin spice latte.... but when the clock is ticking and her fear of being late leads to her taking another customer's drink and saying that her name is Amy instead and immediately crashing into a very hot guy, things only spiral... because said hot guy turns out to be her new boss, Blake. Blake finds out that Izzy lied about her name but so begins an unlikely friendship through texts that lead to more as both Izzy and Blake swearing to be only friends yet falling for one another. They can't be in a relationship because if anyone finds out one of them could be fired... but they can't stay away from one another either... so what are they gonna do? This one definitely wasn't for me, sadly I just kind of didn't vibe with Izzy's manic pixie chaos gremlin personality or Blake's lack of a personality. I do adore workplace relationship romances but this one just didn't really feel all that interesting to me. I did like the friends to lovers aspect, but I just didn't vibe all that much with the romance between Blake and Izzy. It just didn't feel like there was that much chemistry or romance between the two of them. While this one wasn't for me if you like contemporary workplace relationships, maybe give this a go!

Release Date: January 14, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Literal perfection! I originally read this as a newsletter and I absolutely loved it and I love these new changes! I really missed Mr. Chest and Starbucks Amy and I loved getting the opportunity to experience their relationship in first person now. Their relationship is just so cute and I loved their journey! It’s also the absolute perfect fall read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

MeetCute
Workplace romance
Friends to Lovers
Banter
Cats!
Dual POV
Third Person

Izzy and Blake get a cute little coffee shop meetcute when Izzy steals someone else’s coffee and tries to rush out the door in a hurry to avoid being late for her first day on the job. She bumps into Blake and spills coffee on him. She was all giddy and happy and he gave her his number in hopes to talk to her again…. Little did they know she would soon find out he was her boss at her new job. They can’t date, but can they be friends? Do they know how to not cross boundary lines?

Book was a quick read. Cute and had me giggling through it. I listened to the audio and throughly enjoyed it. I love Lynn Painter for her just fun, slow burn romances. Cute romance that’s not revolved around spice.

Lynn Painter writes the best feel good books. This book is no exception. This book has funny, quirky characters that you want to be friends with in real life. It’s a fast paced read that makes you chuckle and feel all the feels.

Lynn Painter never fails to create a story that feels exactlyyyyyy like an early 2000's romcom plot. This is perfect if you're looking for something fast paced, silly at times and romantic.

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for my ARC!

3.75/5

Isabella Shay is running late for her very first day as an HR generalist with her dream employer. While waiting at Starbucks for her PSL on the first day they are available; she hears "Amy" called three times. Starting to panicking looking at the clock, she makes the rash decision to say, "I'm Amy!" It was the same coffee she ordered and paid for, so no harm done. Until she turns around and collides with a handsome man. They chat for a bit, sparks are flying, and then she leaves and he says, "see you tomorrow, Amy!" Oh no! How could it possibly get worse, right? Wrong! Izzy arrives at her new job, and is introduced to the Vice President of her department, who just so happens to be the same man she collided with at Starbucks. How is she going to get herself out of this one?
Review:
4.5 stars
I absolutely loved Accidentally Amy! I laughed out loud so many times! Izzy's sense of humor is literal perfection, right down to her cat Darkling. Not to mention Blake's cats Hole and Goodyear! And the game Billboard Assholes..... hilarious!!! I honestly just really enjoyed my self reading this. It was light hearted, fun, silly, and just overall a good time! The perfect rom-com in my opinion.
Accidentally Amy is available 1/14, make sure to pick this one up if you need a good laugh!
Thank you to NetGalley, Lynn Painter, and Berkley for this ARC of Accidentally Amy in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a cute book! I really loved it! It was a quick read, adorable, filled with sarcastic banter. I really connected with Izzy and Blake. I enjoy the beginning a lot, how she started off by grabbing someone else's PSL. I also really love how quirky and just herself Izzy is. I really connect with a character like that, who is unapologetically themselves, weirdness and all.

Accidentally Amy delivers a delightful, laugh-out-loud rom-com that’s as sweet and chaotic as its meet-cute premise. Isabella "Izzy" Shay, running late for her first day at her dream job, makes a rash decision when she steals a latte meant for someone else—setting off a chain of events that leads to a memorable encounter with Blake Phillips, the charming yet grumpy man she accidentally drenches in coffee. Painter expertly balances humor, romance, and a bit of workplace tension as Izzy and Blake navigate their quirky, complicated relationship. The chemistry between the two is palpable, and while their banter is snappy and full of comedic moments, there’s a surprising depth to their connection that keeps the story engaging.

While the plot is fun and filled with moments of tension and awkwardness, it follows some familiar rom-com tropes, such as the office romance and enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Blake’s gruff demeanor and Izzy’s determination to make things right offer plenty of opportunities for comedic conflict, though at times their back-and-forth feels predictable. Despite this, the charming writing and likable characters, along with a perfect balance of humor and heart, make Accidentally Amy a breezy, enjoyable read. Painter’s ability to create authentic emotional moments amid the humor ensures that the story goes beyond just being a funny, feel-good romance. Fans of lighthearted rom-coms will find this one to be a delightful escape.

ACCIDENTALLY AMY is absolutely adorable! The story follows a cute lady, Isabella Shay, who is late for her new job. She takes a drink, meant for another woman named Amy, at her local cafe. She promptly smacks into a hunkalicious man and her drink is splattered all over his pristine shirt. Can her day get any worse?

Isabella dashes to her new job, only to discover that the guy she ran into is head of her department. At the coffee shop, Blake was pleasant to her, but at work he is blunt, churlish and demanding. Izzy's spirits deflate. However, that spark that ignited between them at the coffee shop, springs to life as they work on projects together. Blake is still a grouch towards Izzy. What's his problem anyway?

Blake and Isabella's attraction is fiery hot! Only there's trust issues and drama. Will they find a way to put aside their bickering and tango in the sheets?

ACCIDENTALLY AMY is a fun romantic comedy of enemies to friends to lovers. It's a slight take on a forbidden, boss romance. I fell in love from page one. This is my perfect rom-com that hits all the right notes with humor, drama, charm and romance. Ms. Painter depicts vivid scenes so bright that it stays with you long after the last page is read. I absolutely loved it! Fabulous story from my favorite author!

Thank you @berkleyromance for the gifted copy of Accidentally Amy! If you’re in the mood for a workplace romance, full of banter and one chaotic meet cute, this one is perfect. I loved the two main characters, and I loved that we got their point of view through all of the will they won’t they. This one reads quick is very funny and very steamy!!

5 ⭐️ I have not read a Lynn Painter book that I haven’t given a 5 star rating to, and Accidentally Amy is no exception. The characters, the meet-cute, and healthy relationships I cannot get enough of these novels! I loved Isabella and Blake’s banter, the grumpy x sunshine was done impeccably! If you love adorable meet cutes, grumpy x sunshine, friends to lovers, and lovable characters pick this one up!

Publishing 1/14/25

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

As someone who met their man at Starbucks, I can say with the utmost authority that nothing good ever comes out of meeting a man at Starbucks, and unfortunately this book was no exception. I was excited for this one for the personal connection to the plot, but was greatly let down by the immature characters and sheer absurdity of their conversations. Izzy is about to start her first day of work as an HR generalist at a big corporation, and is running late while waiting for her coffee order. When the barista calls out for Amy a third time, Izzy decides to take her identical order and make a run for it, only to be instantly smacked by karma and runs straight into the broad chest of Blake, spilling coffee all over them. They have an instant connection, but running late already, she leaves, and he says goodbye to Amy, not Izzy. When they end up sharing an elevator later that day, Izzy still thinks it's a coincidence, until she is introduced to her VP, none other than Blake. Blake overreacts that she's a liar because she didn't correct her name, which has 🚩 written all over it to me, and Izzy can't let it go so starts hounding him via text after work hours, until they form a platonic friendship. Normally I love texting banter, but Izzy's manic pixie dream girl chaos gremlin personality rubbed me the wrong way, and Blake was just as idiotic, neither personality really seeming to fit with their uptight corporate positions. This one had lot of potential with accidental meet cute, workplace/forbidden romance, and texting banter tropes, but the execution didn't work for me, and you could tell it was a re-write of an earlier work trying to meet a higher word count with no substance.

I was so excited to read Accidentally Amy after reading and loving Happily Never After. Unfortunately I was let down. Not that Actually Amy was bad, it just was kinda meh. Had lots of promise at the beginning but then it just sort of stayed flat the entire book. There were parts that were cute and parts that were funny. But some repeatative narration and lack of conflict between the love interests left me wishing for a bit more. Overall, an okay and quick read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and honestly review an advanced copy.

Read This Book If…you want to binge an entire book in one day!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter

Genre: romance
Spice Level: 2/5🌶, steamy
Setting: Omaha, NE
POV: dual, 1st person, past tense
Tropes: workplace romance, boss x employee

My Thoughts:
What happens when the most adorable coffee shop meet-cute goes wrong after a disastrous second impression? You read the entire book in one day to find out!

This was my first adult novel by Lynn and won’t be the last! The chemistry between these two was palpable and kept my pages turning.

This is a very quick read, so we don’t get a ton of side characters or plot beyond their relationship, but sometimes that’s exactly what I’m in the mood for! This is great if you want a cute and fluffy read to get ahead on your reading challenge for the year.

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!

Are you a pumpkin spice lattee girlie? Read this book because it's for all my basic b's out there. I laughed so much!

Izzy Shay assumes the name “Amy” in a moment of desperation at Starbucks, leading to an awkward yet adorable meet-cute with Blake Phillips. Things take a turn when she discovers Blake is her new boss and their workplace tension evolves into undeniable attraction.

I’ve read Lynn Painter’s three other adult novels before and Accidentally Amy is the fourth one I’ve picked up. Workplace romances can be hit or miss for me so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going in. Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. While the premise sounded intriguing, the main characters ended up being insufferable. The banter between Izzy and Blake felt more cringeworthy than charming and their immaturity was frustrating given their ages. I appreciated seeing Blake and Izzy in various situations, but I wasn’t a fan of how Blake treated his brothers and how Izzy treated her cousins which was off-putting. Blake’s obsession with honesty was over the top and Izzy’s “not like other girls” persona was so cliché. Many scenes were bogged down by excessive descriptions or awkward pacing which made it feel like the author was stretching to meet a word count. While it could have been a decent three-star read, the ending felt far too unrealistic which completely pulled me out of the story. This is one of those books that should have stayed as a novella. I wish I DNF’ed this one, but am generously giving it 2 stars since I did finish it.

💭”𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐦𝐫. 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭?”
“𝐢 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐢 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐦𝐲.”

𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
i loved this one! a light-hearted rom-com that had me giggling & cheering on their progression! the insta-chemistry had me reeling and i loved that our mmc was sprung for our fmc from the get.

blake & izzy are literally perfect for each other. i love a meet-cute & this one was so fun! i also loved how they were so authentic with each other!
 
thank you to berkley publishing and NetGalley for sharing the arc of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Absolutely loved the banter between Izzy and Blake. They were definitely the best part of the book and the reason I kept reading. I just found the plot to be very minimal and a bit too slow for me.

This is perfect for people that love really cute low stakes romances.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Lynn Painter for the gifted copy.

Thank you for the ARC. I love Lynn Painter and this did not disappoint. Fun, romantic, quick read. Perfect for any romance fan!

Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter is a charming workplace rom-com packed with humor and heart. When Izzy Shay, running late on her first day at her dream job, "borrows" a drink meant for "Amy" and spills it on a stranger, she unknowingly sets up the perfect meet-cute. The twist? That stranger turns out to be her grumpy new boss, Blake Phillips.

Their witty banter and simmering chemistry make for an engaging read...perfect for rom com fans who also enjoy a little heat. Painter balances the lighthearted romance with relatable character growth, making both Izzy and Blake feel genuine. Though it leans on familiar rom-com tropes, the delightful execution and playful tone make this a 4-star read perfect for fans of workplace romances.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my free review copy.