Virtually Yours

Accidentally in Love #1

by Lisa Baillie

Jesy Pattinson is stuck in a loveless marriage, overlooked by her alcoholic husband and going through the motions of a life that feels smaller by the day. When her mother-in-law passes away, Jesy sends a family email to arrange the funeral, only to accidentally copy in Brian, a stranger who shouldn’t be there at all.

Brian, a successful app developer, might have it together professionally, but his personal life is a mess. When Jesy’s accidental message lands in his inbox, curiosity turns into conversation, and conversation turns into connection.

Their emails quickly become the highlight of their a private corner of the internet where they share dreams, fears, and a closeness neither expected. But when tragedy strikes, Jesy is forced to confront her fractured marriage and the cost of the future she’s building with Brian.

Can a love that started in the safety of a screen survive the messy, complicated reality of life in Meadowcraig?

441 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 16, 2026

Reviews

[Serena Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

’Te amo con intensidad, con desesperación y sin pensar en mi propia supervivencia.’



•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers.
•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen.



Virtually Yours de Lisa Baillie serie Accidentally in Love libro 1

Argumento:

Jesy Pattinson nunca imaginó que se enamoraría a través de su bandeja de entrada.

Un correo electrónico enviado accidentalmente la lleva a una conexión inesperada con un hombre al que nunca ha conocido. Lo que comienza como respuestas educadas se convierte en correos electrónicos nocturnos, humor compartido y sentimientos prohibidos.

Brian, desafortunado en el amor, sabe que no debería seguir respondiendo. Al fin y al cabo, ¿cuántas citas se han arruinado por culpa de una pantalla? Sin embargo, con Jesy, no puede evitar sentirse atraído.

A medida que las fronteras se desdibujan y los sentimientos se profundizan, la distancia entre ellos deja de importar y la vida real que les espera se vuelve menos atractiva.

Un tierno y emotivo romance ambientado en Meadowcraig, un pequeño pueblo. Ideal para quienes disfrutan de historias de amor que se desarrollan lentamente, la intimidad emocional y los romances que comienzan con calma pero que lo cambian todo.


Mi humilde opinión:

Romance con amigos por correspondencia, pueblo pequeño, de amigos a amantes.

Jesy era una mujer increíble, divertida y amorosa. No podía creer que estuviera casada con un hombre como Jerry, que le permitiera el maltrato y abuso tanto de él como de su familia, que a pesar de eso se quedara en un matrimonio la hacia infeliz justificando a un hombre que no la valoraba y respetaba. No sabia quien me daba mas asco si Jerry o su padre. Realmente detesté a estos dos personajes.

Entendía que murió la suegra de Jesy (la mujer nunca fue amable con ella tampoco) pero la trataban como una sirvienta, la criticaban, la insultaban, era un maltrato verbal constante. Sin embargo, se quedaba porque eran su familia y sentía la obligación de estar para ellos en un momento difícil, porque aun amaba a Jerry y en sus días buenos tenia detalles lindos con ella. Era duro para mi leer la forma en que el marido la hacia pequeña y no alentara sus sueños.

Así que fue difícil leer la historia de Jesy a través de sus correos electrónicos a Brian. Quería sacudirla por los hombros para que despertara! Tampoco podía culparla por como terminaría su matrimonio ya que detestaba Jerry. Yo tenia cero pena por el hombre y su padre.

Por eso cuando conoció a Brian me alegre por ella, por fin tenia a alguien especial a quien pudiera contarle sus problemas, hacer su descargo sin que opinaran. Brian la escuchaba, apoyaba y se preocupaba realmente por ella. Un amigo que le mostró su valía y cuando se enamoro de él le mostró lo que era realmente ser amada. Me encanto cuando al final ella logra sus metas, encontró a un hombre que la adoraba, escribió y publicó su libro con éxito.

Isla, Penny y Felicity son las amigas mas cercanas de Jesy, ahora que esta casada no las ve tanto como antes y se da a entender que es por culpa del marido que la aislaba de todos. Jesy mantiene conversaciones con ellas por medio de correos y mensajes compartiendo lo bueno y lo malo de sus vidas cotidianas. Se sentía como un grupo de amigas en la vida real que ríen, pelean, lloran juntas, se emocionan por la otra, se apoyan y están para la otra pase lo que pase. Me identificaba mucho con Isla, me imaginaba yo diciéndole a Jesy unas cuantas verdades. Me encantaba este grupo de amigas porque se sentía realista.

Brian era un tipo con un gran corazón, primero por su donación, quien hace eso por alguien que solo conoce por unos correos electrónicos? Era un desarrollador de videos juegos, era un nerd que no tenia suerte en las citas. Me encanto su personalidad y como era con Jesy. Que la escuchara, la forma en que la adoraba y alentara a seguir sus sueños fue lo que me robo el corazón. Mencione antes a las amigas de Jesy y tengo que mencionar ahora a los de Brian. Darrell que fue el apoyo de Brian cuando necesitaba hablar y le brindaba consejos, después vino Justin con el que me reí mucho. También me encantaban estos hombres.

Jesy vive en Escocia y Brian en Inglaterra, conectan cuando ella envía un mensaje que no era para él y comienza a desarrollarse una bonita amistad a la distancia. Me gustaba mucho todas sus conversaciones. No eran aburridas como para rellenar el libro, sentí que realmente me contaban lo bueno y lo malo en sus vidas cuando leía sus correos. Algunos podían ser tontos y me hacían reír pero se sentían genuinos. Me encantaba su complicidad compañerismo, la confianza que se tenían a pesar de no conocerse personalmente. Sus discusiones eran divertidas, se complementaban muy bien tanto así que se notaba que eran el uno para otro.

Ame el momento en que Brian y Jesy se encuentran finalmente, llore de emoción. Se que lo que hacían estaba mal, ella estaba casada aunque fuera con una basura de hombre, no apoyo la infidelidad y debió pedir el divorcio a Jerry antes, pero no podía no estar feliz por que al fin se habían reunido.

Ame el romance de amigos a amantes con quemadura lenta. A pesar de que los dos vivían lejos del otro y no se habían conocido en persona se palpaba la química entre ellos. Podía sentir la distancia entre ellos, ya estuviera con Jesy en Meadowcraig o Brian en Inglaterra y luego en la ciudad de Detroit. Por cierto, Meadowcraig en Escocia sonaba increíble tanto que cuando Jesy hablaba de su hogar y las personas interesantes que vivían allí me daban ganas de ir a conocer.

La historia contenía temas reales como la infidelidad, el abuso físico y mental, alcoholismo, pero no dejaba de ser un romance apasionado y emotivo. Las escenas spicy fueron muy buenas y eran las justas. Agradecí que no estuviera abarrotada de ellas para demostrar que tenían química.
Brian y Jesy recorrieron un largo camino, estuve apoyándolos desde el comienzo, involucrada en cada capitulo, en un momento creí que no seria posible que terminaran juntos. Me iba a enojar tanto de ser así pero por suerte la autora solo me dio un susto y les dio su final merecido.

El epilogo fue hermoso, el libro con su historia de amor en mensajes, los dijes especiales, Brian hizo una de las declaraciones mas preciosas que leí! Brian me hizo llorar de emoción! Me gusta mucho como escribe la autora, como logra meterme en la historia sin querer dejarla y amar a sus personajes. La historia de Penny sigue y me imagino que será tan sentida como la de Jesy.

[Meggi · Rating 5 out of 5]

💜 Virtually Yours 💜

This book was written in a different format made up of mostly emails and messages and I loved it! I love when authors try something different to tell a story and really make it work, as was the case with Virtually Yours! I loved that it all began as a happy accident!

This was actually a departure from the kind of book I usually read, but I adore Lisa Baillie’s books and I loved Jesy in Merry Inncident, so I was dying to read her story! I am usually extremely hard on cheaters and be warned, there was cheating in this book. Somehow, I sympathized instead of wanting to burn Jesy at the stake, though. It didn’t hurt that Jerry, her husband, was an incredibly unlikable and controlling character. Even in Merry Inncident we saw evidence of this and Isla and her other friends were not fans of his. I saw it and I hated the way he stifled and controlled Jesy as well. I won’t say I condoned her cheating, but I understood it. Yes, I wish she kept the moral high ground, but in the context of the book it made sense and I got it. Jesy had growing to do and she needed to find her strength. Brian encouraged that, rather than stifling it like Jerry did. I loved her finally following her dreams and taking charge of her own life. What started as a weak FMC really became someone strong and I loved seeing her growth!

What can I say about Brian? I absolutely loved him! I loved him helping with her mother in law’s funeral behind the scenes and supporting her. Brian was just a sweet guy, who was terrified of being alone and didn’t think he had a chance with Jesy. He was not blameless in any of this and tried dating women while having an emotional affair with Jesy. I understood where the women he dated were coming from and I would not be ok with my husband or boyfriend having the relationship he had with Jesy. They crossed soooo many lines before actually getting together. They handled things completely wrong, but I loved him and Jesy anyway and I think that is the beauty of Lisa Baillie’s writing. She somehow made me root for a couple that was made up of one of my tropes for OW that I actually hate, the female best friend that the H puts above his girlfriends. I almost always hate when the H prioritizes his female best friend over his girlfriend and somehow here I was wanting them to get things together and finally give their relationship a chance.

There were many missteps along the way for them, but I loved the journey, even when I was upset with the characters for not standing up for what they wanted. I am super excited for Penny’s book next! I am loving Meadowcraig and the characters living there. I can’t wait to read more about them! I know some people are likely to shy away from reading this as it does have cheating, but I would recommend it anyway. I just love the characters and the format was different and original. This was just a great book! Loved it!💜

[Tabatha Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Virtually Yours by Lisa Baillie piqued my interest from the moment I opened the book. Unlike most novels I have read, the format included emails being sent from the MFC to other characters, and eventually between the MFC and the MMC. It really was an interesting addition to include and it was so well written, that there was no confusion as to which character was speaking. I discovered that I was going to LOVE the MFC, Jesy, within the first five minutes of reading the book. Her sense of humor and timing were on point! My first impression was that she was sassy, quirky, and tired of people overlooking her and I knew she would be someone I could be friends with. Jesy has been married to Jerry for eight years and has somehow kept her sanity even though she is not appreciated, respected, or treated well. Brian, the MMC, is a self-professed nerd who is sweet, understanding, and an all-around great guy. Jesy and Brian’s “meeting” was completely by accident. Brian’s email address was accidentally included when Jesy was sending out emails to her husband’s family regarding a death in the family. Through Jesy’s emails to her husband’s family, Brian gets a glimpse of how she is mistreated by her in-laws and decides to privately email Jesy. The email that initially went astray and Brian’s private reply is the beginning of their journey. Over time, their email correspondence developed into messages, phone calls, and video chats. They became friends that played active roles in one another’s lives. They shared their dreams, fears, hardships, and happy moments with one another. Jesy and Brian find themselves in an emotional affair. Lines are crossed and relationships are tested. I found myself in an interesting position while reading this book. I love many different romance tropes, including marriage in crisis, OW drama, emotional or physical cheating, and groveling. I normally root for the person who gets cheated on and hope for a comeuppance for the cheating parties. This book had me doing the exact opposite! This story goes against the usual romance novel grain, and instead tells the love story that develops between a wife who finds herself in an unhappy marriage where she is taken for granted and disrespected and a man who becomes her confidante, support system, and friend. The story tells the journey of their love across distance and time, as they slowly find their way to one another. Their path isn’t without rough patches but they continue to find their way back to one another and get their HEA. I was given a copy of this book as an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Reading.With.Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

I’ve never hidden the fact that Lisa is by far my favourite author, and Virtually Yours definitely solidified that! The email format of the book makes it feel so much more unique and interesting, and i loved every second of it! Jesy and Brian have the perfect sense of humour, and just *get* each other, which just makes their relationship a lot more realistic and romantic 😍
This book had me in a whirlwind of emotions, as i sat and read it all in one day (if you wanna see the live reaction, it’s on my tiktok @reading.with.cara)! I had scenes where i couldn’t stop happy crying, scenes where i was sad crying, and scenes where i was so happy i felt like i could scream, because i swear Lisa’s writing just does that 😍
I also love the long distance representation and meeting online. In a society where it is becoming a lot more frequent that people meet the love of their life online, whether it be through dating apps, social media, or in this case email, it’s nice to see that represented in a romance book.
Additionally, the links to Merry Incident and the hints for the next book??? I’m obsessed!! I love a good interconnected series and Meadowcraig is the perfect example of that 😍 Plus, not a lot of stories are based in Scotland, or at least that i’ve seen, and considering it’s such a pretty place, i love the representation 😍

So if you love a book with a unique feeling, stories where the MCs genuinely love eachother, or even just a friends to lovers, definitely check this out!

Thank you Lisa for writing this, and i am very patiently waiting for your next book 😍

[Mairi Swan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this arc and this is my honest opinion.
I have to admit I'm not really into stories that are told through letters or text or emails. But this one was a clever one, depecting modern world that often relationships start online. This story is an online relationship, friends to lovers, slow burn with character growth. Please check the trigger warnings first.
It starts accidentally by sending a funeral arrangement to the wrong person. The hero responds and there starts an online friendship with banter and honesty that makes it comfortable to express behind a laptop. The heroine is in a loveless marriage with a husband having serious issues. Hero is a green flag and understands the situation the heroine is in and tries to support her even though at times it feels hurtful.
I would say that this story is more about character growth with a side of romance but it doesn't make it any less interesting. It was quite emotional to be honest. And I loved that the heroine tried to find herself instead of jumping to a relationship even though her heart wanted just that. It seemed only fair for both of them to get her wits together before starting something new.
Overall it's a story about finding connection in unexpected ways and learning to value your own happiness through healthy environment.

[Tammy Gul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first story I've ever read from this author and I think she did a good job! It is more of a slow burn which makes sense due to the type of story it is and the circumstances surrounding the couple but the HEA at the end makes that worth it. It is not close door so does have a couple of spicy scenes but I do feel that there were moments that they gloss over some scenes that I think would have been really interesting to include in the book as it would have added a little more of the forbidden/longing to the relationship. I did also have a small gripe with the MFC, she does drive me a little insane with her disappearing act she likes to play at certain points in the book and I do understand she was probably overwhelmed due to what was happening at the time, it just seems a little out of character when it does happen because even though she in denial a good portion of the book, I do feel that her character is all around very caring and would never want to cause someone undue upset, so that didn't make too much sense to me. Aside from those couple of things, I really love this type of trope and I thought the author was very thoughtful in her approach to the relationships involved. I also thought the book had lots of funny fun moments and I can't wait to read Penny's book :)

[Carole Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written and complex book that was intricately told through the eyes of email and direct messages. Starting when Jesy mistakenly sent Brian personal family emails in error, their relationship developed through these emails and messages into calls and video calls and finally meeting up to face their special connection with each other.

Jesy’s hilarious commentary of life hides her painful existence with her husband and being his family’s slave. Brian is beautifully nerdy but gorgeous and feels he’s far below Jesy’s standard, so he sets out to be a very supportive and caring friend. Through the ups and downs of Jesy’s marriage and Brian’s girlfriends, they realise their foundation for each other and their caring support becomes an emotional and then physical affair, that sees them overcome the odds in the end.

This is an emotional and angsty read that is descriptive and well written, with few typos or grammatical errors. Thank you to the author for giving me the opportunity to enjoy the arc and provide my voluntary review.

[Kaybee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a clever premise! Virtually Yours unfolds almost entirely through emails and text messages, capturing the serendipitous online connection between unhappily married Jesy and (mostly) single guy Brian. It starts with a funny mix-up wherein Brian gets accidentally added Jesy's family's chaotic group email chain about her mother in law's funeral and it quickly spirals into witty banter and forbidden flirtation with an unexpected emotional depth.
The email format was a struggle for me, hence the 4-star review; But Baillie's dialogue crackles with humor, and the slow-burn tension had me hooked, however the intimate scenes left a little to be desired. It's a smart take on digital-age loneliness, temptation, and those "what if" moments we all have.
That said, the email exchanges occasionally leave character backstories feeling thin; I craved more insight into their offline lives. And while the ending delivers a satisfying tie up, it left something to be desired that I can't quite articulate.
Perfect for fans of epistolary rom-coms like Eleanor Oliphant or You've Got Mail. This was ultimately an emotional read that lingers. Grab it if you're into modern love stories with a tech twist!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC so I could leave my voluntary, honest review.


Triggers Include (not exhaustive):

Cheating (on page)
Addiction (on page and explicit)
Gun Violence (not explicit)
Miscarriage
Domestic Violence/Abuse
Death of a Family Member

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian and Jesy

Hoo boy… I’m not normally one to root for the cheaters, but Lisa Baillie had me cheering them on!! I know… I was shocked, because I normally rage!

Jesy is a mess. Her husband is toxic, her father-in-law is toxic and she’s clearly unhappy in her life.
Brian is unlucky in love and after striking up an unusual online friendship through an mis-sent email, things take a wild turn!
It was an unusual format - mostly in the form of email conversations, DM’s, texts and occasionally in person.
Funny, lighthearted at times, heartbreaking, and angsty as all get out.
Goes without saying… triggers include cheating, but also mentions of alcoholism, DV, gaslighting, toxic families, death….

I knew the triggers, and I’ll admit I was hesitant, but I’m glad I read it.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Jesy and Brian and was told via email conversations. It started when Jesy sent Brian an email in error. This was a unique way to tell the story, and I've only read one other book that used this format. It took my brain awhile to register it and get used to the flow of how this story was told, but once it settled, it did flow for me.

Looking forward to other works from this author.

[Vilborg Vif Gudmundsdottir · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a good book. It's took me a wee while to get use to how its written but soon as I got into it I liked it. It's through emails and messages.
It's about accidentall email and becoming friends through that. Then it evolves to emotional cheating then physical cheating. In the end they got their hea but its wasn't simple or easy. I would give it 4'n'half stars. Really enjoyed it after I got over the initial way it was written.

[Salima · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Hooked from the first page. I absolutely love the interaction between Jesy and Brian. I got such a good laugh over the comments with each other. I felt bad for Jesy with her horrible husband. Brian was the light she needed. I don’t really condone cheating but in this case I give it a gold star. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!!!

[Cara Buss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to read this as an ARC. I loved the book and really enjoyed the format of it. Most of the dialogue is done through emails and I love when authors try something different. I love her books and this one was no exception. I highly recommend.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me a wide range of feels. For anyone who's felt stuck in a relationship and has met the right person at the wrong time this is a must read.