Name: The Accidental Beauty Queen
ISBN: 9781501197604

Teri Wilson

In this charming romantic comedy perfect for fans of Meg Cabot and Sophie Kinsella, critically acclaimed author Teri Wilson shows us that sometimes being pushed out of your comfort zone leads you to the ultimate prize. Charlotte Gorman loves her job as an elementary school librarian, and is content to experience life through the pages of her books. Which couldn’t be more opposite from her identical twin sister. Ginny, an Instagram-famous beauty pageant contestant, has been chasing a crown since she was old enough to enunciate the words world peace, and she’s not giving up until she gets the title of Miss American Treasure. And Ginny’s refusing to do it alone this time. She drags Charlotte to the pageant as a good luck charm, but the winning plan quickly goes awry when Ginny has a terrible, face-altering allergic reaction the night before the pageant, and Charlotte suddenly finds herself in a switcheroo the twins haven’t successfully pulled off in decades. Woefully unprepared for the glittery world of hair extensions, false eyelashes, and push-up bras, Charlotte is mortified at every unstable step in her sky-high stilettos. But as she discovers there’s more to her fellow contestants than just wanting a sparkly crown, Charlotte realizes she has a whole new motivation for winning.

The Accidental Beauty Queen

Patricia Nelson

I became aware of this book through the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide, and I'm so glad I did! It is a quick, fun read with a some depth to it. For me in particular it caught me up in the bonds of sisters and the challenges of figuring out who you are after losing a parent. Great book!

Kelci

Tbh I didn’t know if I would like this book, but it is due back to the library in two days so I figured why not try. I’m so, so, SO happy I gave it a chance. I was hooked from the third page and I read it in 2.5 hours; I am low key obsessed with Charlotte and Gray. I loved how the author interwove Charlottes love of Harry Potter into the book and the fact that Charlotte/Ginny were Miss Texas made my heart so happy. I sincerely hope there will be a sequel!!!!

Colleen

3.5 Stars
 
ARC provided by Gallery Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
 

This story was billed as Miss Congeniality meets The Parent Trap – The Parent Trap reference had me expecting something to do with setting up parents, but the only thing it drew from that story was the twins switching places. The story had much more in common with Miss Congeniality overall. The Accidental Beauty Queen is the story of two identical twins whose personalities are extreme opposites. When their mother died young, the two girls reacted differently. Charlotte retreated into her world of books and eventually became a librarian at an elementary school. Ginny, on the other hand, becomes obsessed with following in the mother’s footsteps and achieving the crown of Miss American Treasure. At twenty-nine, it’s Ginny’s last chance to win that pageant crown. So when she has a severe allergic reaction on the night before the competition, Ginny convinces Charlotte to secretly take her place in the pageant. Shy, awkward, and nerdy, Charlotte is a fish out of water when it comes to the glamor world of pageantry. And of course, things are made more complicated when she develops feelings for one of the judges who obviously thinks she is Ginny.
 
While it wasn’t the most original story, it was cute and entertaining. I was pleasantly surprised that the story is as much about family relationships and self-acceptance as it is about romance. I enjoyed Charlotte’s entertaining and endearing journey of self-discovery. I was a little disappointed that you don’t get to know her romantic interest very well. Charlotte’s interactions with Gray were cute and he seemed to tick all of the boxes of dream guy. But while you find about things about Gray, his character still felt underdeveloped. He almost seemed too perfect. Between that and the short time period of the story (events happen over a couple of days), I wasn’t sold that what they had was True Love. But it was a cute Chick Lit story. The book is also very PG13 with the romantic scenes fading out, so the steamy level was low. But I enjoyed reading The Accidental Beauty Queen and easily finished it in a day.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 2 Stars

3.5 stars. I don't like contemporary much, but I liked this one!

Carolina Poças

Emily C Peterson

Katy B

I loved this book. As soon as I opened this book and saw the quote by Michael Caine's character Victor Melling from the movie Miss Congeniality on the page before the book starts, I had a great feeling about this book. That feeling continued the whole way through. Was it cheesy at times? For sure, but as a fan of chick lit, I expect that and enjoy it. There were a few scenes in the book where I actually covered my eyes in embarrassment for the main character which is something I've done in tv shows and movies, but I'm not sure I've ever reacted that way while reading a book. 

If you're a fan of chick lit or the film Miss Congeniality you're going to love this book. The references to Gracie Lou Freebush scattered throughout were also a nice touch.