Review: Accidentally in Love by Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow

If this story was an m/f, set in the regency period then the plot would fit neatly into the virginal heroine who captures the heart of the seasoned rake. As it is, the modern day setting gives it a new twist and I found myself really enjoying this story for most of the book.

The story follows Cal who's a photographer and a bit of a player. He's used to going out a couple or more times a week and picking up random men for good sex. He's attractive with a good income and a job he enjoys and he can't see himself changing his ways any time soon. When his landlord sells the house he's renting, Cal has to find new accommodation which fortunately comes through Tom, who's a friend of mutual acquaintances. Tom could not be more opposite than Cal being a bit shy and socially awkward, and Cal decides he's going to make Tom his pet project. However, after a measure of success, Cal is a bit alarmed to realise that he's not too happy seeing Tom in the arms of another man.

To say that I was riveted by the first half of this book is an understatement. The whole set up of Cal the player and Tom the virginal shy young man was just the sort of thing I usually enjoy and I could hardly bear to put the book down. Tom is a delight. After years of bullying at school he's got a very low self-confidence about his looks which makes him dress to hide his body despite being decently attractive. My heart went out to Tom several times as he tries to cope with the loneliness by pretending it didn't matter. Not only that but he's not the most sociable person, preferring his own company and having a tendency towards bluntness which other people find off-putting. Cal finds this rather refreshing and, apart from a few hiccups, the pair get on well almost from the start. There's a bit of a make-over storyline where Cal decides to offer Tom some tips on how to look good, and the whole time this was happening I just knew that Cal was going to fall for him. I read on with gleeful anticipation of the time they would get together and I wasn't disappointed when it happened.

Cal too is a great character. He has his own brand of honesty in that he's quite open about the fact that he likes to sleep around and doesn't see the need to settle down. His horror towards the beginning when he discovers that a friend and occasional hook-up has fallen in love, may have been a tad over-the-top but it set the scene for what was going to be a very satisfying fall into love for Cal. I also liked that he was unable to charm and seduce Tom, and so had to rely on other methods to get his attention. He deals with Tom's lack of self-esteem in a surprisingly gentle fashion, showing that he's not quite as shallow as you might think.

As I said, the book gripped me from the start and this continued for most of the story. My main niggle though is that once the two men get together the story flounders a little and loses the focused intensity that was present at the beginning. Partly this is because there's a lot of sex as Tom attempts to make up for lost time, but also there's nowhere really for the story to go after the men get together and so it meanders through a few scenes before a sudden crisis brings everything to a head. The crisis itself was due to lack of trust - a theme which runs through the book - and also a misunderstanding. However, I couldn't help but get the impression that the men behaved a little out of character by running from the situation rather than doing what they had throughout the book, which is to talk sensibly to resolve their issues. It left me feeling that the last few pages had been a little forced when for most of the book both the plot and writing had flowed beautifully.

Despite my feelings for the latter part of the book, Accidentally in Love is still worth reading. There's an engaging, witty tone to the narrative and the characters are well rounded and realistic. The story is mainly lighthearted but doesn't shy away from some topics such as low self esteem and conflict arising from lack of trust. If you're the sort of reader who likes a shy, virginal hero then this will be a good book to read but I would also recommend it, with a grade of 'Very Good', to those looking for a well written contemporary with likeable characters.

Buy this book HERE.