Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter

A grumpy/sunshine, workplace romance with a fun-loving heroine and a rule-following hero? Yes, please! Keep reading and find out why this contemporary romance was a 5 for me!

Isabella Shay is usually a very honest person. But when she’s running late for her first day at her dream job and the barista yells for “Amy” three times with no answer, she does the unthinkable.

Izzy takes that PSL.

It’s the exact drink she ordered and paid for, only way further ahead in the queue—and she’ll take whatever bad karma is coming for her; she’s desperate and very late. But when she turns around and runs directly into the most attractive man she’s ever seen, spilling the drink all over his made-for-GQ shirt and tie, she ends up having the ultimate meet-cute. Karma who? Sparks fly and things feel beyond promising, until he says to her: “See you tomorrow, Amy.”

Izzy reasons she can just straighten things out the next day, no biggie. Only when she gets to her new office and meets the VP of her department, it is none other than Blake Phillips—the hottie from Starbucks. And the man might’ve been charming to “Amy,” but he is an arrogant grump to Izzy, an arrogant grump who does not find her explanation funny at all. But day by day, an attraction simmers between them and they’ll have to find a way to work together without ripping each other’s heads—or clothes—off.

 Publisher: Berkley |  Release Date: 1/14/2025 | Genre: Contemporary Romance  | Source: Publisher | Rating: 5 

I had so much fun with this one. It’s been a minute since a contemporary romance has pulled me in and wowed me but, let me tell you, I absolutely loved this one and I cannot get it out of my system.

Not wanting to be late for her first day on the job, Izzy decides to grab an unclaimed PSL meant for ‘Amy’. Even though she paid for her PSL, the karma gods intervened, causing her to spill her drink all over the sexiest man she’s ever seen. While there’s no denying that there’s an instant spark, he thinks she’s ‘Amy’ and things take an even worse turn when he discovers he’s her boss. While Blake is drawn to Izzy, he’s a stickler for the rules and there’s no way he can date someone he’s in charge of and there’s the fact she lied about being ‘Amy’ and he cannot tolerate a liar. But, rules are meant to be bent. When Izzy comes up with a plan to be ‘friends’, Blake is more than willing to comply but will they find a way to work around those pesky rules and become more than friends.

I’ve noticed a lot of ‘romance’ books as of late are actually women’s fiction with a side of romance and I’ve been missing true romances. Thankfully, Accidentally Amy is exactly what it is labeled: a contemporary romance.

Blake is probably one of my favorite characters in a contemporary romance. He’s such a straight up, honest guy who cares about ethics and telling the truth and he’s sweet, funny, and takes amazing care of his two disabled cats. He’s also been hurt before and that’s made him a bit guarded. Izzy is such a fun, unique character with this exuberant nature that makes everything fun.

I loved the romance in this one. The chemistry was spot on and the way the relationship developed felt realistic. Blake is a stickler for honesty and doing what’s right. While Izzy, technically, didn’t lie to him, she didn’t correct his belief that she was Amy, which gave Blake pause. He also wasn’t willing to cross the line and date someone he was the boss of. He’s very conflicted when Izzy draws up a ‘friend’ plan. Izzy’s entering into new territory with Blake. She’s never been in a relationship and it’s a bit daunting for her. I loved watching them navigate this new situation and found myself rooting for them. They also have this amazing back-and-forth banter and the way they put each other at ease made me melt.

Going into this one, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to get past the ‘Amy’ issue. I find it very hard to accept a character that lies, especially in a romance. I don’t feel like this was an actual lie but rather a misunderstanding and it wasn’t a lingering issue, which I appreciate, and Izzy was completely horrified by what she had done.

Overall, I highly recommend this one. It has everything a contemporary romance should have: wit, chemistry, and a true connection. It should be on everyone’s 2025 ‘to-be-read’ list.