The details…
- Title: Purposefully Accidental
- Author: G Benson
- Publication date: September 4, 2022
- Indie Author and Publisher
- Available formats: ebook, paperback
- File size: 1500 KB
- Print length: 519 pages
- Genre: romance
- Themes: women loving women, loss and grief, learning to love again, living with ADHD, fighting homophobia and sexism in the workplace,
- Tropes: Hollywood, celebrity superstar, fake dating, enemies to lovers
The blurb…
An unfortunate accident, an old grudge, and a Sapphic fake romance.
Since A-List actress and Hollywood’s sweetheart Wren Acker came out, not only is she at the top of the acting world; she’s also crush number one for her queer fanbase. Loving life, loving her job, loving her cat—everything is fantastic. Except that lack of any kind of private life.
When a car accident brings her to the ER, the bottom falls out of her world when she realizes that reserved Doctor Taylor, her physician, is Madison Taylor from camp way back when she was a kid. And boy, does Madison still hold a well-earned grudge for how that all ended.
When Madison ends up working on Wren’s set as a medical consultant, suddenly everyone’s assuming they’re a couple. The media loses it, their fanbase grows even further, and the entire thing snowballs.
Every grudge has to be moved on from eventually, right?
My thoughts…
I adore this romance. There are so many lovely things going on inside the pages of this book; Benson just gets so many things right. The characters, the story world, the tropes, the themes, the dialogue—all are finely developed and executed. I’ve enjoyed all of Benson’s work, but Purposefully Accidental is a clear stand out. The writing is definitely some of her best.
Where Benson really shines is character development. Purposefully Accidental is a character driven story and she does a thorough job of letting readers understand who these women are. Madison and Wren aren’t perfect; they have baggage. However, that’s what endears them to the readers. Additionally, readers understand their baggage. Their vulnerabilities have weight and meaning. Readers feel a connection to these ladies and are fully invested in the story because of it. It’s what makes this romance so captivating. Readers want these women to end up together.
Besides having strong character development, this book is thoughtfully and beautifully threaded with captivating themes. Benson knows how to construct the story arc so that they are effectively integrated into the narrative. These themes appropriately and solidly enhance the storytelling. I especially like the way she worked Madison’s ADHD into the storyline. It is done with real sensitivity and insight. Also, her handling of Madison’s grief was tender and heartfelt. Benson masterfully guides readers through some genuine and authentic emotions and the storytelling glows because of it..
Benson has always demonstrated good literary instinct while developing her stories, but I am particularly impressed with this one. She demonstrates patience with Madison and Wren’s story. Purposefully Accidental has some raw and emotionally charged scenes, but Benson uses poise and humility while shaping these ladies’ arcs as well as their romance. She doesn’t rush that first kiss. She builds the intimacy slowly and organically, and the narrative benefits greatly from it. This diligence fosters not only credibility but believability. If readers can believe in it, they can invest in it, and that is something they are eager to do with Madison and Wren’s story.
Final remarks…
This romance has received a lot of positive feedback from readers and reviewers alike. The praise is well deserved; Benson’s Purposefully Accidental is arguably well written and well told. Beware though: it will ruin you for your next second chance/celebrity read. You’ll make comparisons and there will be high bars to hurtle. It’s going to be tough; the next one may fall short.
Strengths…
- Well-written
- Well-constructed
- Likable, well-developed main characters
- dynamic, immersive story world
- Engaging, enjoyable romance
- Has strong read-again potential
An excerpt of Purposefully Accidental…
“So, you never watched any of my movies?”
Madison didn’t know how she did it. How Wren could ask something like that and not come off sounding conceited, but more curious.
“Not a one.”
“I think if we’d been in reversed situations, I wouldn’t have been able to contain my curiosity about the girl I knew from camp being in movies.”
“Ah, but did that girl you knew from camp shove you into the dirt?”
“She did not, no.”
“There you go then,” Madison said, smirking.
“But even if she had…no, sorry, curiosity would have won out.”
“We clearly don’t carry grudges the same way.”
Wren laughed, throwing her hand over her mouth since she’d just taken a bite of some kind of fish they’d been promised would be ‘heavenly.’“But what if I was terrible? You could have gloated to yourself.”
“But see, I’m less about gloating and more about stewing. Case in point: it was twenty-five years later and I was still bitter. I like my grudges.”
“We definitely hold grudges differently…Are you a big grudge-holder?”
“I mean…probably not? To be honest, you fed my grudge holding for such a long time that no one could ever really compare.”
“I was unbeatable?”
“Oh, come on! What happened at camp? And that girl who pushed me being the first girl I—” Madison snapped her mouth shut, heat racing up her arms and back to flood her neck and cheeks. But she was too late. The damage was done.
A wicked, teasing grin was curling up Wren’s face. “I’m sorry? The first girl you what now?”
That grin was growing even wickeder and something about it made Madison’s face heat up even more.
Though that could simply be the sheer mortification she was experiencing.
“Nothing,” she squeaked.
Wren laughed delightedly. “The first girl you ‘nothing?’ Wow, you’re red.”
“Shut up,” Madison said, reaching for her water in the hopes that drinking it would somehow cool her flaming cheeks.
It did not.
Wren took pity on her, resting an elbow on the table, chin in her hand. “You were the first girl I had a crush on too, you know.”
More heat in her cheeks? How was that possible?
“Why do you think I dared you to kiss me then panicked so hard?”
Madison cleared her throat lightly, hoping to regain some of her dignity. “That’s embarrassing for you. I was going to say the first girl I wanted to deck in the face.”
Wren’s grin was like a thousand-watt bulb, Madison’s attempt doing nothing to dim it. “Sure you were.”
Madison rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. The first girl I had a crush on. But don’t worry, that went away the second my ass hit dirt.”
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A bit about the author…
G Benson is an Australian living with her wife and three cats in Spain. Since a young age, she’s put pen to paper, then hand to keyboard. Her foray into terrible angsty poetry as a teen will thankfully stay hidden and, again thankfully, is something she has moved on from. She spends her time travelling when she can, being passionate about queer topics, accidentally rescuing animals, and playing video games. Her other novels include All the Little Moments, Flinging It, Pieces, Who’d Have Thought, The Thing About Tilly, and Dead Lez Walking.
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