The Accidental Diva

by Tia Williams

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick Seven Days in June comes a hot and hilarious borough-crossed love story about a Manhattan beauty editor, a Brooklyn writer, and the attraction that takes them by storm. Billie Burke is smart, endlessly driven, and fabulous—it’s no accident she landed a job as the beauty editor at the world’s leading fashion magazine. Caught in a whirlwind of long office hours and fashion industry party-hopping, she hasn’t had time to focus on her nonexistent love life. Instead, she’s been living vicariously through her friends.Then she meets Jay Lane, a gorgeous up-and-coming Brooklyn writer who pretty much knocks her right out of her stilettos. Soon Billie finds herself doing things with Jay in broad daylight that she’s never even dared to think about in the privacy of her own head. In no time at all she’s absolutely addicted to an affair that’s as crazy and seductive as New York itself. But there’s a lot she doesn’t know about Jay, whose rough past seems determined to start creeping back into their present....

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, African American, Contemporary

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Tia Williams began her career as a beauty editor for magazines including Elle, Glamour, Lucky, Teen People, and Essence. In 2004, she pioneered the beauty blog industry with her award-winning site, Shake Your Beauty - and published her debut novel, The Accidental Diva. She went on to pen two young adult novels: It Chicks, and Sixteen Candles. Her 2016 bestseller, The Perfect Find, is being adapted for a Netflix film starring Gabrielle Union – and her latest novel, Seven Days in June, debuts in June 2021. Tia is currently an Editorial Director at Estee Lauder Companies, and lives with her daughter and husband in Brooklyn.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, what to say! I can’t get enough of Tia Williams’ words. I am genuinely contemplating making a deal with the devil to get my hands on her next romance. Honestly, I would do some very bad things for a lot less.

The Accidental Diva tells the story of Billie and Jay. Like all of Tia Williams’ main male characters, Jay had a rough life, to say the very least. Billie didn’t have it easy either, but her life was far more sheltered and privileged than his. They meet as an upcoming writer putting on a one-man show (him) and a beauty editor for the country’s leading fashion magazine (her), and it’s on instantly. The tension, the heart flutters, the pants feelings, all of it.

The issue: Jay has a complicated relationship with his best friend, Tammy, which he foolishly decides to hide from Billie. Unbeknownst to him, however, Billie and Tammy are running in the same circles, and it’s only a matter of time before shit hits the fan.

This is Tia Williams at her best: instalove, obsession, frenzy. I can’t. Gimme all of it. I beg of you.

[Tori]

I think this was Tia Williams’ first book (or at least one of her very earlier works) and it shows - all the ideas were here, but I didn’t particularly care for the execution or the result.

I’m reading Williams’ backlist after falling absolutely in love with Seven Days in June (like it’s my fav book now) & just eating up The Perfect Find .

(If you’ve read her other works) You can see in this book that Williams has always excelled in writing witty, relatabley Black dialogue, creating passionate and heartfelt characters and drawing attention to the struggle Black people, particularly Black women, face to find (a safe) space for themselves in predominantly white spaces. You can also see how Williams has always been passionate about drawing attention to those who suffer with chronic pain.

I love these elements about this author’s writing and you can see the tremendous growth from this book to The Perfect Find to Seven Days in June.

What didn’t work for me with this book was the instalove; these characters fell in love SO quick. I get that the purpose was to showcase how losing yourself in love can be toxic but I wish the ending had reflected that more. Everything wrapped up and worked out too easily so it didn’t feel like the lesson had sunk in for these characters. I would’ve chosen a more difficult, heartbreaking (and maybe more healthy?) direction for the MMC & FMC.

This is also the first MMC by Williams that I didn’t care for; he was so juvenile and just made stupid choices. But, had I been younger when I read this I probably would’ve ate him up. I can see my younger self loving the MMC, but as a (maybe?) more mature, pushing 30, woman I’ve grown out of this type of hero and now enjoy the type of MMC Williams wrote for Seven Days in June and even The Perfect Find.

Am I comparing this to Seven Days in June too much (and am I tainted) because of my love for it? Most likely. But reading this made me appreciate the fact that Williams has always, genuinely been the author who wrote Seven Days in June (she didn’t just switch directions because of what was popular or hyped); with this book, she was just still growing & on her journey into flourishing into that author - the one she is now.

[Summer Slocum · Rating 1 out of 5]

She says stop. He doesn't. And this is the man of her dreams. Nah

[Kelis Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been finished with this book for a while. It's part of my break from "heavy" reading. IT WAS SO GOOD Y'ALL! The "accidental diva", Billie Burke, lives this very glitzy, very enviable life as a beauty editor for a huge glossy magazine. She's a NYC "it girl". I've tried to resist using this description, but it's the best way to describe her...she's like a Black Carey Bradshaw from Sex in The City, only she's still in her twenties. She's beautiful and stylish, her friends are all really interesting and accomplished, her love interest, Jay, is the perfect good-guy with a dark past, lovable, with so much love to give type guy. Tia Williams created these characters who are sexy--the relationship between Billie and Jay is sexy--this novel is sexy. Their relationship is like, when you meet somebody and you just know they're the one. Sometimes you want to fight it, and you try to fight it, they might even give you a reason to fight it, but it's useless, 'cause they're the one. You are drawn in and introduced to these really cool characters, who ultimately experience great success, in spite of the fact that they've experienced such difficult childhoods involving poverty, drugs, dysfunctional family situations, death and near-death. This was a really entertaining novel. It would make a great movie. It SO has the potential to be the next Love Jones.


I just wish I had discovered this, Tia's first novel, later so I could read her next one immediately. I'm not sure when to expect her second book, but I am certainly looking forward to it.

[K2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am being nice with these stats…Do not understand the title lol Should be Juvenile Diva

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible Quote: "What he didn't tell Billie was how naive she sounded, telling him what hustling was about. In the fifth grade, he had more game in his size-five Adidas kicks than anyone at that party could ever hope to have. He hustled to survive . It was either get out there and sell the shit out of some crack, or eat grape jelly for dinner and hope the rat that bit you in your sleep wasn't carrying anything lethal. When Billie talked about hustling and playing the game, what she really meant was that she was ambitious. She was a go-getter. She set high goals for herself and met them, exceeded them. But the bottom line was that she had been born into a supportive, loving, comfortably middle-class family that took care of her and nurtured her and provided as security blanket. Jay came from nothing. Worse than nothing" (186).

I love this distinction Ms. Williams makes in her novel. I never realized that people describing themselves as "hustlers" bothered me until I read this passage and found myself nodding in agreement. Especially when celebrities use the term, I just find it ridiculous (excluding those who actually came up from nothing as opposed to those born to famous parents, etc etc) and Ms. Williams perfectly illustrates why. If you're thinking this quote is a bit heavy and shying away from this novel, never fear. This quote is expertly woven into a romp of a read that straddles the line between light and social commentary. It was exactly what I needed to end 2015, a lot of fun to read while making witty observations about being "the only" and exploring class issues that it managed to not only hold my attention but also cause me to pause and think after reading a passage.

The only negative I can see is that it confirmed my fears about the beauty industry in terms of its shallowness. But it's a unique (for me) setting for a book so it kept me turning the pages. This book was published in 2004, 12 years later it's sad that we're still having the same conversations. Through Billie the author tackles cultural appropriation (which Bille calls "ethnic borrowing" in the beauty and fashion industry and maybe it's just because of the rise of the Internet and public intellectuals and blogging but it had honestly never occurred to me that people were having these conversations pre Twitter. That demonstrates my ignorance and I was happy to be enlightened while also being sad that white gaze still has so much power over beauty standards. Although it is getting better because it is harder for beauty companies, fashion companies and magazines to ignore being called out when they "discover" some trend people of color have been naturally gifted with/been doing/wearing for years.

Aside from the pleasing depth of the novel, it's a quick paced read. I actually felt caught up in Billie's sweeping romance and just as intoxicated as she did, I didn't want to resurface from her studio apartment. Honestly I'd like a prequel so that we can live vicariously through Billie, Renee and Vida's college years. And I'm so happy her friends served more of a role than just providing advice at Sunday brunch. Also Billie's family dynamics were absolutely hilarious and unexpected.

I dealt with similar issues to Billie and Jay although not on as large a scale, granted I'm not a professional (yet) but I can relate to the class issues that come up in a relationship with two different economic backgrounds, especially when it's the woman who comes from the comfortable lifestyle and the preconceived notions that we have/that other have about us.

[Continualknowledge · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a quick and easy read, but definitely nothing to write home about. It gave us an inside look at the beauty editing world from the lens of a black woman but nothing new. Being the only black person in any field while there is no monolithic experience there are some commonalities and well this book just explored those commonalities. And the relationship with the "love interest" was cute if not sickening. You give your entire life to someone you met 15 mins ago? While it wasn't entirely horrible, you would be okay if you didn't read it.

[kimorah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually 3.5 stars rounded up but teetering on 4 stars. Quick notes/review & kind of spoilers?? I don’t know:

- this “instalove” and insatiable obsession was tumultuous and so very interesting to read about. Total opposite of all the slow burn books im so used to reading & was quite a refreshing surprise.
- Always appreciate a black girl trio so I loved Vida, Renee, & Billie
- I suppose her parents relationship and desperate need for each other translated into how she fell in love with Jay even if she didn’t realize it
- The “nahmeans” were killing me but this was pre-iPhone so maybe that’s how “hood men” really talked ??
- I liked all of the references to pop culture (especially since it wasn’t current pop culture) but sometimes I felt like the writing got lost in all the name dropping, especially for someone like myself who wasn’t familiar with people like Tony Mareno …
- I feel like the ending was drawn out and then rushed?? I’m not sure I like how it was executed, I understand the symbolism behind “this is a toxic relationship, understand that!” But I feel like I wasn’t adequately shown that
- Absolutely love when authors name their chapters so shout to Tia Williams for that
- I’m still very lost on the whole “she’s LIKE my sister, I had sex with her” and “he’s LIKE a father, brother, and boyfriend to me & we have sex” thing like was that not incest undertones?? Um

[Katrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️s. If I was reading a physical book, it would be damaged from the amount of times I would have thrown it across the room. Such was the level of my frustration with the main characters, Billie most of the time.

This book was very much giving “Black Girls Must Die Exhausted” and we know how I felt about that book (if you’re curious, check out my review for the book). That annoyance aside, the “naïve suburbanite” meets “Mr. Thug life” grew to be a bit too much because Billie lost her mind over Jay, and she lost it early! She went from 0 to 100 faster than one of those fancy fast cars! The beauty stuff and celebrity name dropping interspersed within the novel was a bit over the top for me. Jay’s story is the only thing that kept me going initially but even that lost its appeal because he was using it to his advantage and also 🥷🏾 just tell the truth!!

It’s evident that this is one of the author’s earlier works. As much as I dig her vast knowledge base of facts and her humour, if I had read this first, I would have never read the gem that is A Love Song For Ricki Wilde, where her growth as an author is clearly seen.

Both these main characters were very “all about me” at certain (many) points of the novel and I guess if they could see outside themselves a bit more, I might have been less frustrated.

If you like “girl have you lost your damn mind, the 🍆 can’t be that good” drama, then this one is for you.

[Mrs Tupac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but seems semi autobiographical especially after googling the author .

Story was
dull at times , but good insight in the magazine/make up industry.
Billie was socially awkward growing up w| hippies for parents .... she seemed bored w| life , work , and in general everything coping w| a few things that she thought Jay could heal when he has problems and lies of his own to deal with .

He also had an interesting story he was equally smart as Billie yet closed off but wraps her up with good companionship & loving to top of with growing co-dependency now that's dangerous!

I wish the ending was more realistic :)

Definitely a Carrie Bradshaw, Devil wears Prada , Ugly Betty , Valley Of The Dollish type of read . All of Tia books seem to read the same but hey it's fiction so we can't complain too much .

[Rheona R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute love story of two totally different backgrounds coming together and making things work. I was annoyed however by the constant “air kisses” the annoying Nick names and felt that she could’ve done a better job at how she made the black male characters speak. It felt as if she’s never been around a variety of black men and made the black men sound very ghetto and illiterate. I do want to add that the taxi scene was 😳🔥

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first library book read in 2013 (and for quite a while before that too). I was just browsing the shelves and picked it out. I enjoyed the read, with its SATC-esque humour and setting. I guess you could say it's an African American version of SATC, but with Jay's story bringing in a much darker side of NY reality as well. For a while there I feared Billie was going to ruin her life because of Jay, but thankfully she pulled her head in and got back on track. And Jay was still around at the end, which was a good thing, otherwise the story would have had a very sad ending. :P

I doubt I'd ever read this book again, 'cause I guess I see it as a bit of a 'fluffy' story. But it was a quick, easy, entertaining read and I don't really have anything bad to say about it. I haven't read any other reviews of it yet so this one isn't coloured by what others have said.

[Dr. Nic Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It had a good storyline and the author was very detailed, but at times it seemed too detailed about things that did not require it. The author seemed to be trying to authenticate the main character as a beauty editor, but I don’t think that some of the details were necessary. This text could have been spent helping the reader get to know Billie better. Not bad though…and there were some very sexy parts to the story!

[Deliah Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title didn't quite fit the storyline. Billie Burke was definitely a diva but not an accidental one. Working as a beauty editor at a top fashion magazine leaves her little time for a love life until she meets Jay Lane, a performance artist, who pulled himself up from the streets. The rest you can probably surmise: they fall in love, have problems, then fall back in love. Fun read though!

[RK Byers · Rating 5 out of 5]

should be on EVERYBODY'S book shelf.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chic lit with stock characters, terrible dialogue and disturbing depiction of women.

[Kathryn G · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rape is not sexy.

[Hillary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable minus the normalizing of a nonconsensual sex scene

[kally · Rating 2 out of 5]

you know that feeling when you watch a series so addicting that you want to be part of, or watch a fashion show and wish you were shalom harlow or at least the model next in line and you have a guilty, shameful moment in the bathroom pretending you are living in the show or the book while blasting some really shameful music?
and you wonder to yourself maybe I could write a fanfiction on wattpad pretending I am a plus one in that episode of sex and the city where the girls are having the time of their lives in the hottest new manhattan club, hey samantha!
this book brings that wonder to life by dropping cultural fashion comments like yes hi! remember that mugler iconic fashion moment in '95? I was front line with my besties and oh! next to us was kim catrall.
at least, it wasn't cringe in the way she wrote it because if you are half a psychopath as me and actually tried to write that fanfiction you know that such ideas should rest in peace in those shameful bathroom moments.
so if you are looking for something like that? yeah, this will work.
but if you're here hoping for a book with a pathetic amount of depth you will find yourself searching and feeling, well, pathetic.
can't argue with the fact that tia williams has a way with words and i'm sure has a talent in rapid, fluid storytelling however, her characters are as shallow as the way the fashion industry handles the african-american couture.
you see, when it comes to characters you introduce them the way they're supposed to be now and then provide us with a throwback tuesday explaining why they are the way we know.
however, that's not really enough is it?
there should be an adhesive with which the depth of the character is created.
let's just say these characters and their romance was as dimensional and "adhered" as a 5 piece puzzle, still in the sealed box.
we always need a matter of conflict, but lets normalize not having one if it means we are going to write the most idiotic one known to mankind.
chicklit is notorious for presenting the most brainless third act breakups and reasons which caused them but there sure be a limit in sight.

“It’s incredible, you know? My horizons are expanded. Billie taught me how to enjoy exfoliating without compromising my masculinity.”
at least i appreciated the fashion deprecating humour.

[Lake · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wildly entertaining read, but not a romance I'd root for ordinarily, but these two weirdos won me over somehow.

It's a class gap, insta love and lust, explosive public sex one minute to breaking up the next, VERY trauma heavy backstories, unrequited love triangle with a showdown, betraying body, love or career ultimatum, romance (?) book. If someone had described it to me like that I wouldn't have read it tbh, so it's a good thing I didn't look at any reviews.

Billie and Jay's relationship is tumultuous to say the least. The cast of side characters are funny and engaging, and the writing sparkles even at the darkest bits.

This book does with the beauty and fashion industry what Seven Days In June did with romance and publishing - a tongue in cheek deconstruction from a Black author for Black readers. As always the liberal use of pop culture references root it firmly in the year it was set (1999), and it's funny to watch Billie come up the concept of cultural appropriation, or as she calls it 'ethnic borrowing'. It's slightly off in the way of debuts but you can see the writer Tia Williams will become.

[Sue✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ obsessed with this romance. It was so nostalgic and made me laugh,cry and made me feel jealous for people who got to be adults in the early 2000s what a time! The reviews for this book are way too harsh. It was well written and had such an unpredictable flow to it. Nowadays romance books almost have a script that they’re following and this was so refreshing and beautiful

[Danielle Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This couple is kind of toxic for each other. She outright admits that and then her boss of all people bullies her into accepting him back.

Read by Cherise Boothe. #booksin25

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billie and Jay’s backstories were interesting, especially Jay’s. I found all the work party details to be boring and unnecessary. The ending was so abrupt that I double checked the pages to make sure I didn’t miss something.

[Jenn Victorious · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not good. It was a struggle to complete. I completed it out of obligation to finish, not because I was entertained.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this and was a little disappointed when it ended. I wanted more, but I was satisfied in knowing that there may be a part 2 in this fascinating love story.

Billie Burke is the beauty editor for Du Jour!, the trendiest and hottest magazine out there. To her, its all about getting her work done and spending quality time with her two very best friends. She hasn't had a boyfriend since college and has gotten used to things being that way. Until a hurricane by the name of Jay Lane enters her world and sweeps her off of her feet.

Jay Lane, the hard-hitting Brooklyn bad boy turned actor/successful writer exudes all things sexy and jagged. Billie has never felt this way before and this love thing feels really good. So good in fact that she finds herself slipping at work and dedicating all her time, her energy and most of all herself into her relationship with Jay.

Delicious from start to end! Tia Williams has a winner with this one.

[Uta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Audiobook was wonderful. Well done!

Tia's story telling is deep, engaging, interesting with characters you want to know and will probably never forget. Tia set's the scene for us with this 90s New York setting of the beauty and fashion scene.

The audible was well done of Billie and Jay's story. When opposites attract and their separate worlds collide.The fashionista meets the poetic guy who has had a difficult past and is about to come up

It was realistic, it was messy and folks were just being grown folks. Billie and Jay's chemistry was fire from the moment they met. Tia was prolific in how these character grew on the pages and how their environment influenced what their relationship became but also struggled with. Lots of layers but also a fun read! great narration!

Happy reading!

Don't be fooled by the title this story has serious depth and the love connection was everything!

Happy Reading!

[Tracie Momie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something about this title threw me off. . .I was actually pleasantly surprised with this story. Billie Burke was a walking contradiction of sorts, living a fabulous life as a beauty editor- one of the only few black beauty editors- for a mainstream magazine. But then she meets Jay Lane and it's LUST at first sight.

Jay is from the 'hood and although on the surface it appears that he and Billie are complete opposites they actually have a lot in common. However their relationship faces a lot of challenges because they are from two different worlds.

But in the end they prove anything is possible if you really love someone and are willing to make it work. A sweet story and stunning debut for Tia Williams.

[Ewe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book

I’m not one to leave a bad review but good grief this was toilet paper. Everything about this book was dumb in the respect that that MMC is a giant douchebag narcissistic man baby. I hate the fact that this book portrays this a woman “intellectually advanced and socially inept doe-eyed DUMBsal in distress. What a waste of time.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to put it out there and say that The Accidental Diva book wasn't written with me in mind. I couldn't completely relate to the characters, but hey, it was a good (and on the lighter side) book!

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good storyline but not for someone who can't stand cursing. Lots of "F" bombs but it is great the author didn't sugarcoat anything. More realistic because this is more the real life. The title didn't go well with the book though.