Accidentally Yours

by Christina Lauren

Serendipity works wonders for a woman and her seemingly unattainable crush in a funny and flirty short story by Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and My Favorite Half-Night Stand.

When marketing consultant Veronica accidentally crashes the wrong Zoom meeting and brutally critiques their presentation, she’s shocked to receive a job offer from the company’s intriguing CEO. Their professional email exchanges quickly turn flirty, but Veronica’s mind keeps drifting to her reserved but gorgeous new neighbor. As Valentine’s Day approaches, she’ll discover that sometimes the most improbable meet-cute can lead to the perfect match.

Christina Lauren’s Accidentally Yours is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances, stories for star-crossed lovers and hopeless romantics. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s do it again.

Genres: Romance, Novella, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Short Stories, Holiday

93 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 20, 2026

About the author

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced twenty New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 30+ languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)


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Reviews

[aira · Rating 2 out of 5]

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 2.5/5

"...caught a flash of two of the deepest dimples I’d ever seen and probably should have taken a pregnancy test a few days later."

...girllll please 🤣😭

It was supposed to be fun in theory, but I don't think I enjoyed this as much as I thought I was going to. Maybe I went in with too many expectations, but it didn't quite give me the feel of a Valentine's Day novella until the date.

I'm definitely in the minority with this opinion, so I would say check it out if you haven't yet. The biggest reason I couldn't rate this higher even though it's a cute novella would be that it just felt like there was so much going on even thought it was under 100 pages if you catch my drift.

Anyways, short books for the win especially when my January has been slow reading-wise. In my free time, I've been binging all those tv shows I've been meaning to get to for a long time.

-------

pre-read: short books hate to see me and my 2026 reading challenge coming lmao

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute novella, I really enjoyed it!
It was quick, fun, well developed and it had me giggling so much.

Veronica accidentally crashes a Zoom meeting and gives them some harsh criticism which leads the company CEO to offer her a job.. Their work e-mails lead to banter, which leads to flirting.. They don't know each other, but their connection isn't all that coincidental..

I loved Jude and Veronica, their banter was so good and they really had chemistry, which made the quick timeline much more believable. I loved their e-mails and texting and how well they matched each other's vibe, they were so adorable. I'm also glad we got some backstory.
We got to meet some secondary characters too and I really loved her sister, but Larry was definitely the star of the show. 

I really hated the miscommunication though.. That was such an unnecessary addition, it was honestly so stupid, which is why I took away a star..

*Thank you to Netgalley and to Amazon Original Stories for providing me with an ARC.*

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The anticipation was real for these two to meet face to face. I actually liked the email/text format, but glad it was a short read too. Cute story 3.5 rounded up.

[Salma [HIATUS] · Rating 4 out of 5]

⤿ rating: 4 stars
⤿ age: 12+
⤿ spice: none

This was so, so cute, but the FMC was a childish bitch. I adored the heck out of Jude, though. This reminded me too much of their other novella, "The Exception to the Rule"—they were very similar. However, I enjoyed The Exception to the Rule more than this one.

[emilybookedup · Rating 4 out of 5]

my two fave romance authors put out another adorable novella and ofc i gobbled it right up!!!!!

love their novellas and always wishing they were longer! as a chicago native, it’s always fun to read a book set there. this book was cute, creative, funny and quick. the banter was good and Jude is a vibe. parts were unrealistic to me (a CEO doesn’t have a LinkedIn?! her big box didn’t show the chair on the outside?!) but i suspend belief in the spirit of romance!!!

TLDR; a cute little romcom perfect for a february/vday binge!

[maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so cute and fun!!! lowkey unrealistic but who cares about that?

[lauren ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

super cute read that i read in less than an hour 💓🥰💌

they fall in love through email after she accidentally entered his business’s zoom meeting, and it’s just a fun time! perfect for the lead up to valentine’s day.

pick this up if you are in the mood for a quick, cutesy romance 💘

[Casey Reads 🌸 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited for this one, because I saw good early reviews, but I found this incredibly boring.

I usually enjoy the email and text format throughout books as it is usually fun, but it was basically all about work and not exciting work. I felt like I was back at work instead of reading a romance.

This was a total miss for me, so hope others enjoy this one more than I did.

[Emma.catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Workplace romance ✅
Close proximity ✅
Accidental meet-cute ✅

Despite being a quick, fun, and lighthearted read, this book actually had a decent amount of depth to it.

After accidentally joining the wrong zoom-call, Veronica is shocked to receive a job offer from the company she just berated online. Desperate for a job, she accepts a freelance position; intrigued by the company's CEO.

As a proud ‘You’ve got mail’ lover, I always appreciate a bit of back and forth email communication, and Christina definitely delivered with her usual witty banter and lighthearted responses.

It was fun and flirty without too much spice 👌🏽 A perfect little short story to make you smile 😃

“Veronica Cochran, my beautiful neighbor, my brilliant Zoom crasher, and the most perfect first date of my life.” He reaches across the table, taking my hand. “I suspect we have all the time in the world.” 💘✨

4 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Kelsey S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the pacing was perfect, the length was perfect, and the characters were perfect. 10/10, no notes.
Fair warning: Like the FMC, I am a woman in marketing that eats/breathes PowerPoint pitch decks, and DEVOURS modern epistolary romances, so I feel like my rating/review is going to be skewed (for the positive). I actually plan on re-reading this again SOON.

▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
▹Format: 📱 eReader and 🎧Audiobook (Narration rating: 5/5)
─────────────────────────

○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○

– About: Veronica accidentally ends up in a sort of “all hands” virtual meeting for a tech company and because she’s anonymous, gives them brutal feedback from a marketing perspective. The CEO tracks her down and begs her to do a consultation, but the two soon realize that there’s more here than meets the eye. But they probably don’t even live in the same town, right? SURELY not the same apartment building… 😉
– FMC: Veronica Cochran. Marketing pitch deck creator looking for a job. Quick witted and a go-getter
– MMC: Jude Tilde (aka “Friday”). Runs his brother’s tech company but misses being the one to do the coding
– Location: Chicago, Illinois
– POV: Dual first-person; additional emails/IMs included
– Spice: None (mostly witty flirting and maybe some innuendo)
– Tropes: URL to IRL, serendipity, secret identity, neighbors, workplace romance
– Content warning: communicating through Slack (hehe), corporate expectations
– Representation: nothing noteworthy

─────────────────────────

↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12

Now Playing: Knock 3 Times by Tony Orlando and Dawn

╰┈➤ ❝Knock three times on the ceiling if you want me, oh, twice on the pipes, if the answer is no❞

(hahaha this is not GENERATIONALLY appropriate, but they ARE neighbors…)

─────────────────────────

★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★

➼ All Wrapped Up in You by Rosie Danan (minus the holiday theme), The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez, and Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter
➼ Workplace romance adjacent that pokes fun at the HR of it all
➼ Serendipitous moments between strangers

─────────────────────────

⍟»This or That«⍟

Character Driven————✧———————Plot Driven
Fast Burn———————✧————Slow Burn
Sweet—✧——————————Spicy
Light/Fluffy——✧—————————Heavy/Emotional

─────────────────────────

🎯 My Thoughts:

OKAY Christina and Lauren! You guys really struck oil with me on this one. I know that it’s because Veronica and I pretty much have the same career (though she seems WAY more put together about it) and you got me with the subtle (and not so subtle) jabs at corporate work. But I very much enjoyed this.

I am a sucker for improbable meet cutes. I think it makes the romance so much more fun if, for example, they meet because a pigeon flies into the room (and one of you are seven years in the past) or they meet at a coffee shop minutes before the FMC has a job interview at the company the MMC also works at or—in this case—the FMC’s accidentally invited to an all hands of the MMCs company and tears them a new one. And then they flirt through email and text? Scrumptious. Give me more.

But also, how did she randomly get invited to that…I get random invitations all the time but it’s super evident that they are spammers, so Veronica either needs some InfoSec training or she just is grinding in hopes of the next big job.

Would I Recommend?: Heck yes! Especially if you’re looking for a quick and clean romance.

[paula ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐

OMG?? So far this series is incredible, I didn't think I'd like it this much, but I did.

In fact, it's one of the best stories Christina Lauren has ever written 👀

[Rayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for secrets penpals. Add Christina Lauren’s cute and witty story telling and I know it’s going to be a good time.

[Alya ( 20 comments restriction ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughts
Oh my days I ate this up it was sososo cute! I need another 300-400 pages of them 😫 it was way too short 💔 never thought a under 100 page book would have me this invested!

Plot Summary
A Zoom mishap leads marketing consultant Veronica to unexpectedly land a job with a charming CEO after offering blunt feedback she was never meant to give. As their professional emails grow increasingly flirtatious, her attention is pulled in another direction by her quiet, captivating new neighbor. As Valentine’s Day approaches, an improbable meet-cute challenges her expectations and hints that the right connection may be closer than she thinks.

My Bookstagram

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet cute & mistaken identity done right!!

•Email + text formatting
•Workplace romance
•Witty banter
•Neighbors
•Valentine's Day
•Novella

I always look forward to these Amazon Originals collections and loved last year's Improbable Meet Cute series. Fab authors, cute stories, and quick reads. Accidentally Yours is the first in this new series (Second Chances...a FAVE trope of mine) and we are off to a great start!! A modern take on You've Got Mail. A zoom meeting gone awry leads to a dream job offer, a few cases of mistaken identity, and tons of pining! I loved this one and am excited to check out the rest!

4 ⭐️

[TheConnieFox · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was incredibly boring for me & just not my cup of tea. This book has a lot of positive ratings, so don’t let my review or rating stop you from reading it.

It is a short story that is now on Kindle Unlimited and is a part of a series. This is book 1 out of the book series. I give this one a 2 out of 5 stars rating. ⭐️⭐️

💖 Valentine vibes 💖
💖 Novella 💖

[CatsBnB · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC 🩷!!!!

[Em (semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Christina Lauren can pack a novella with everything except a true HEA.

[✎• нuѕηαн · Rating 4 out of 5]

⤷ Rating : 3.5 ✰

⤷ Plot : Veronica accidentally bombed a zoom meeting and ended up giving them pointers on their marketing strategies. Despite her being rude af, because the trauma she had from her previous job, Jude, the CEO became extremely pleased and wanted her as a contract worker.

⤷ Thoughts : This was an extremely cute novella. I absolutely love the emails between Jude and Veronica which eventually leads to flirting. I love their banter as well.

➷ • ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇꜱ Qᴜᴏᴛᴇꜱ & ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ

His eyes crease with amusement. “No shrink ray, but there’s a freight elevator in the alley.” I gape at him. “There is?” Friday’s smile is infectious. “How do you think they get furniture to the upstairs apartments?” “That’s on the list of things I consider none of my business,” I say, and he laughs. “What else is on the list?” “Why the fifth floor always smells like beef stew, why the salesman today called me ‘Captain,’ and why Loud Kevin is so loud.”

Jude winces. “What if we live together?” My heart does that lurching thing again. “Date one and we’re talking about cohabitating?” He shrugs. “If you suggested picking out china patterns tonight, I wouldn’t protest.”

We haven’t even kissed. Didn’t we agree on love at first kiss? What if it’s awful and the chemistry just evaporates, and we realize all this time the stars were just spelling out ‘Be serious, you’re terrible for each other’?” “That’s a pretty complicated constellation.” With a smile, he crooks his finger at me, beckoning. I lean forward, and he meets me halfway across the small table.

Veronica Cochran, my beautiful neighbor, my brilliant Zoom crasher, and the most perfect first date of my life.” He reaches across the table, taking my hand. “I suspect we have all the time in the world.”

[Sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute meet cute

But not exactly a second chance 😅.
I’m glad the spice levels were told to us,
Or else I’d be PISSSSSSSED 🤣🤣🤣.

Veronica, a marketing consultant, accidentally joins a zoom meeting 😅 one she ends up criticizing them for not being up to date on much-needed upgrades 😅. The CEO, Jude, ends up offering her a job 👀, and after much negotiations, she gets hired 👏🏻.

While she’s flirting ish with her colleague/boss/whatever you wanna call him lol, she’s also eyeing one of her neighbors 👀.

Oh what a complicated life she leads 🤣🤡.

I liked: POTENTIAL SPOILERS
— the banter
— the messages
— the work related stuff
— the way they negotiate 🤣
— the side characters
— the one kiss 😅

I wanted more of/didn’t like:
— more than just a kiss 😑
— a feeling that it’s more than just a “we’ll see what happens”😐
— the abrupt ending 😒
— the lack of information for both of them. We don’t even know how old they are 🤷🏻‍♀️

Overall, this was cute, but there was stuff missing for me 🤷🏻‍♀️

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/omd/owd*
-the h thinks the H is with ow but he was talking about himself
-no sex- only a kiss
-HFN? Even this is questionable

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite of the novella collection! There’s just something about Christina Lauren’s writing that's so fun and breezy, and this one felt like a perfectly condensed romcom, complete with witty banter and You’ve Got Mail vibes! My weakness!

After accidentally crashing a Zoom meeting, instead of quietly logging out like a normal person, Veronica absolutely roasts the subpar presentation—somehow ending up with a job offer and a flirty email exchange with Jude, the company’s CEO, who is unknowingly her neighbour!

A little strange that he’d hire Veronica without a proper interview, but whatever! I was way too entertained to care. Veronica is loveably stubborn and playfully unhinged, and I couldn’t get enough of their email exchanges. The chemistry was crackling, and the pacing was A+ for a novella!

(heat level: kisses only + language)

[debs ༉‧₊˚. · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋆˚꩜｡𐔌՞. 3 stars .՞𐦯⋆. 𐙚 ˚

[Anila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5⭐️

This novella was super cute and quick to read. I really liked the emails Veronica and Jude wrote back and forth. You could really tell how much chemistry they had even though they haven’t met each other in person yet. It is probably my favorite of the series so far.

[Jill (readinginpjs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was SO CUTE!!
very reminiscent of their previous Valentine’s story (The Exception to the Rule which I also loved 🥰)
so much email banter 😍

thank you to Brilliance Publishing for the ALC.

🎧 narration was great, dual + duet sometimes - each narrated their pov + the emails back and forth were duet-style.
Dominique Salvacion was the perfect Veronica, & Andrew Gibson was exceptional as Jude!

📖 Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren
📚 part of the Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances collection
💜: contemporary romance (mf)

*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍

✦ tropes & stuff:
💌 all the email banter
🏠 neighbors with "hidden" identities (from each other, not us)
💻 tech company CEO mmc
🌟 marketing professional fmc
💞 dual narration + dual 1st person pov

🎧 audio| ⭐️: 5 | 🌶️: closed door - only a kiss |

[britta ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet neighbor crush Valentine’s Romance that sparks up when she accidentally zoom crashes his marketing meeting. 💖 Lots of zippy banter via emails/texts and easy going tension make for an enjoyable quick read. 💋💝

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

Accidentally Yours is an Amazon Original Story. It is part of The Improbable Second Chances series for Valentine’s Day.

This is a review of the ebook and audiobook. The audiobook is performed by Dominique Salvacion and Andrew Gibson.

This story is wonderful. It’s set in Chicago. Veronica is a marketing consultant who accidentally crashes the wrong Zoom meeting. Jude is the company’s CEO.

I loved this story so much. Much of the story is told through email and texts. And I loved this so much.

The audiobook is wonderful. And even though it’s not duet narration the emails/texts are done by the correct narrator. So it almost feels like it’s duet. Dominique Salvacion and Andrew Gibson are both great in their parts. I highly recommend listening while you read. That’s what I did.

Overall even though this is only 93 pages it feels very substantial. I loved it!

[James McRay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore Christina Lauren’s 2024 Valentine short story, The Exception to the Rule. Seriously, EttR is the most romantic 103-page short story ever written, imho. Accidentally Yours is written in a similar vein, with a couple corresponding and flirting before meeting or even know what the other looks like. Eventually, one learns that the other is the hot neighbor they’ve been admiring when passing in the apartment lobby. The secret is eventually discovered by both and happy ever after ensues. Lovely, but not as good as EttR (though nothing ever will be).

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

workplace romance is boring to me.

I don’t care about marketing, slide decks, or desk chairs. 😴

[Ri ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

this was cute, wholesome, and funny. it reminded me a little bit of rosie danan’s christmas novella, so i really enjoyed it. i still think a couple more chapters would’ve benefited this because i wanted more for the couple. they were funny and adorable, and i liked the romance as well.

this one is my favourite so far because who doesn’t love it when the characters fall for each other both in real life and also under anonymous online identities? i need more cute books with this trope!

[SJARR ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shes cute or whatever

[valek · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I caught a flash of two of the deepest dimples I’d ever seen and probably should have taken a pregnancy test a few days later.”

The text format/font was annoying!
It was an okay read.