Member Reviews
My god this book, I honestly couldn’t have predicted how much I would’ve loved this but my heart is so warm. I haven’t loved two main characters in a book both together and apart in a long time the way I did Mack and Charlie. They were both so loveable to me even though they’re so different, the true grumpy sunshine pairing but what I loved most was the parts of myself I saw in both of them. You could feel the chemistry from the minute they saw each other and witnessing them both put their fears of love and their pasts aside was nothing short of gorgeous. I could have read thousands of pages of these characters, Ben, Mack’s family, Viv; all of them were such wonderful supporting characters that complimented the story so well. The writing of Mack’s book within this one was such an interesting look into the writing process and I so wish I could read that book too. This is going to go down as one I already can’t wait to re read and get my hands on the physical copy and I cannot recommend it enough!!
Welcome to my first ARC (advanced readers copy) review!!!
3.5/5⭐️
There were so many things about this book that I absolutely adored but also a few I didn’t so let’s get into it shall we?
First of all, sapphic opposites attract? With a coffee shop owner and a bestselling writer as the lead women? And both of them flawed and human and making mistakes along the way? Sign me up! I mean the main characters were literally so well written, they had backgrounds and traumas that still influenced them and they were scared and overwhelmed and overthinking and just so real. I loved how they felt human even as the successful women as they were, there was more to the success, the mistakes and suffering behind it was all shown.
The book was written in dual pov and at a moment at the start of the book I felt like the inner dialogue was a little too literary, as in using too many fancy vocabulary words and noticing things that a common human probably wouldn’t. But then I realised it was only true for one of the characters’ inner dialogue, the one that was a writer and used everything around her as inspiration and suddenly it made sense that she would think like that too. It went from bothering me to a brilliant genius detail of the book.
Now, what stayed as a bother for me was that while the characters were so intricate and complex and real the story, to me, somehow wasn’t. It was predictable, which on its own I wouldn’t mind, but it bothered me how these traumas and mental health issues both the characters were having suddenly didn’t matter as they fell in love. It stopped making sense to me, I kept waiting for the moment when at least one, if not both of them, would go to therapy, but they didn’t. They talked to friends, parents, each other, but mostly it seemed the love just kind of made the issues disappear. It doesn’t work like that.
At the start of the book I found it funny how the main couple was called Mack and Charlie and how it is so similar to Heartstopper’s Nick and Charlie. Now I find it kind of ironic, because Nick and Charlie pointed out what Mack and Charlie’s story is flawed in — love can’t cure mental illness. Or you know, make your trauma disappear, get someone who is always prone to abandon and flee to just suddenly stay when things get hard. I have experienced that firsthand, they still run when it gets emotional in a negative way, they still abandon you. But apparently not in this book..?
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Easy 5/5⭐️
Read this book with a smile on my face almost 100% of the time!
It was so wholesome seeing two young women navigate life with so many ups and downs while also discovering what love truly is.
Dana did an amazing job with all the characters (Drew, Kelli and Ben were 10/10 side characters!!).
Charlie and Mack! What sweet women they are! Their connection from the beginning had me hooked!
ALSO as a coffee lover, ABSOLUTELY LOVED the chapters' names!!!! super fun and creative way to incorporate them into the story!
Such an awesome book! Cutest, fun, easy read while also tackling real life problems (check trigger warnings) in the perfect balance!
100% recommend it to everyone
This was a sweet romance. No cliffhangers, and a fairly predictable outcome, however there was some great character analysis of the two leads. Both showed strength and ingenuity but also had a very vulnerable side. The importance of a warm and accepting family is stressed and of course it has a great HEA. A really nice read
Return flight read 2 was a pleasant surprise because it was easy like Sunday morning. I thought I was gonna get mad while reading this because of the synopsis about stolen stories, but I got ahead of myself. This was a simple story that continues a long love of sapphic romance.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.
I loved this! I fell in love the moment I saw the cute chapter names and how they all referenced drinks and emotions. I loved both characters and any story set in a coffee place (or that talks more about books in the book) has my heart. The emotional depth was so good and I loved the communication between the characters about this. Didn’t love the turn of events near the end, but it wasn’t the biggest deal since the rest of the story was great!
The book is about Charlie, a queer-friendly coffeeshop owner, and Mack, who just flew to Seattle hoping to get rid of her writer block.
In the very first pages we read about Mack, an anxious, self-conscious girl who started her day not in the best of ways; as she’s trying to figure out what to do and how to calm down for a while, she notices a rainbow flag outside Sugar Mugs, Charlie’s shop.
She quickly decides to enter and she instantly feels joyful at the sight of a warm place full of books and plants. Then, a stunning red haired freckled girl catches her eye. Mack orders her first drink to Charlie who’s mesmerized by this new customer’s accent, voice and dimples.
The story follows the two women slowly getting to know each other, discovering the other’s truths and secrets. One will learn how to trust someone, besides her best friend, again. The other will learn what being in love means for the very first time in her life.
Each chapter has a different drink name, which I find adorable and original, as well as coherent to the main location of the events narrated.
I liked the book, the plot was nothing too out of the ordinary nor boring. It was a sweet novel to read in the comfort of my bed. However it must be said that I, like many others, couldn’t completely connect to the characters although I did enjoy them and their introspection, quite well developed.
I wish we got to read a little more about Ben and Vivienne but I guess this would be too much to ask for in such a short book focused on the main couple.
I would like to thank Netgalley for sending me the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this arc of this title!
Not in the Plan was a charming Seattle based Lesbians romance that focused on a coffee shop owner struggling to keep ends mean while fighting her trauma from her divorce and other struggles in her life along with an author who is struggling with writers block and goes to said coffee shop.
i enjoyed Charle and Mack's relationship along with how they respected each others boundaries., it was comforting to see places i was familiar with growing up in the Greater Seattle Area. I enjoyed the little titles for chapters about the two POV of the main characters with what was going on in the book.
My only critique was there was a bit towards the end when Charle discovers that Mack used some of her stories of her life in her writing and then didn't communicate her anger.
Overall I loved this romance and would highly encourage it to anyone who is looking for a coffee shop and writing romance!
✨book review✨
Not In The Plan by: Dana Hawkins
✨4/5 stars✨
HOLY COW…….undercuts, tattoos, AND grand gestures??!! This adorable sapphic novel gave me all of those things. Hot, red headed Seattle coffee shop owner meets super hot undercut short haired writer from NYC, SIGN ME UP. 🥵
Dana knocks it out of the park with the connection between Mack and Charlie. The growth they make as individuals but also together is what really drew me in. It is what I crave in my sapphic romances. I loved the relatable themes and the pure happiness this read gave me. 🥹🥹
Please, go pre-order this book it comes out January 31st, 2024. You truly won’t regret it! Thank you netgalley for this ARC copy!
The story overall was a sweet and easy read. I really loved both of the main characters and thought they had great chemistry. Midway through though I felt myself starting to lose interest and was honestly a little bored. There were way too many sections of long internal monologues from both characters and after a while it became repetitive.
Thank you to Dana Hawkins, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for sending “Not in the Plan” to me as an ARC!
Thank you to Dana Hawkins, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for sending “Not in the Plan” to me as an ARC!
“Not in the Plan” attempts to weave a tale of opposites attracting in the bustling backdrop of Seattle's coffee culture. Mack, the free-spirited writer escaping her creative rut, collides with Charlie, the generous yet financially troubled coffee shop owner healing from heartbreak. While the premise is promising, the execution leaves much to be desired. However, Dana Hawkins was able to address difficult subjects including mental health struggles, financial instability, cancer, and addiction in a way that was graceful and respectful while keeping the story lighthearted.
The chemistry between Mack and Charlie is undeniable, and the initial setup of their contrasting personalities sets the stage for a potentially engaging romance. However, as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that the narrative relies heavily on clichés and predictable tropes. While not entirely one-dimensional, the characters lack the depth needed to make their connection truly resonate.
The novel introduces an interesting twist when Mack starts using Charlie's private stories in her writing, adding a layer of conflict. Yet, this plotline feels rushed and fails to reach its full potential, leaving a significant aspect of the story underdeveloped. The steamy moments promised in the synopsis are there, but they often feel forced and lack the emotional depth to make them truly memorable. The conflict resolution between Mack and Charlie is too tidy, leaving the reader with a sense of unfulfilled potential.
While “Not in the Plan” may find its audience among fans of lighter, fanfiction-like romances, it falls short of the expectations set by comparable sapphic authors like Ashley Herring Blake, Casey McQuiston, and Alexis Hall. The story's lukewarm blend of romance and missed opportunities for depth earns it a 2.5-star rating.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. 4.25 ⭐️ A great debut! I absolutely fell in love with the setting and the cozy coffee shop vibes. Perfect for a winter read! After reading the authors note at the end, too, the setting was so influential! The sweet chapter titles were absolutely adorable. The depth to these characters was truly something to behold and admirable for a cozy rom-com. There is certainly trauma here so I would recommend inserting a content warning at the start of the book. There were times I would get frustrated by the “should we, shouldn’t we” and “wow I can’t believe I’m telling you this!” It seemed to distract from the mood but once I finished, I get why it was there because of all the characters went through. I really enjoyed seeing the writing process of Mack, as someone who is interested in possibly writing myself one day. It was fun to read her snippets but I would suggest having some kind of physical indication that it was her writing (indentations, italics, etc.) because I would often get confused by the back and forth. I look forward to reading more by Dana in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. It was a quaint read, calm for all its drama. Those who would dismiss it as banal would be mistaken, as it offers a charming refuge from everyday tasks and was written with clear voice.
I can't decide how I feel about this one. I was interested in the characters and their stories (individually and together) and I did essentially read it all in one sitting. But I wouldn't say I was captivated at any point and I wondered to myself "am I enjoying this?" multiple times while reading. However, I am always here for a sapphic romance so I kept going (and there wasn't anything glaringly obvious as a reason for me to stop), so I think it falls in the "it was fine, not mad I read it, but maybe wouldn't pick up another by this author" level of enjoyment. Love the cover art, though.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This book will be released January 31.
This was a cute story, and a decent read. I wish there was more spice, and that the plot was a little less predictable.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Not in the Plan. This sweet sapphic romance tells the tale of Mack an uptight writer for New York City and Charlie a free spirited coffee shop owner. I really enjoyed this novel! The love between the characters felt genuine and they had great chemistry. The side characters were funny and a great addition to the story. The story tackled some heavy issues, but was still lighthearted. This is a cozy read that I can see myself coming back to time and time again.
The romance in this book was as steamy and sweet as a fresh brewed vanilla latte with whipped cream on top. Charlie and Mack seemingly couldn’t have been more different, but when bestselling author Mack wandered into Charlie’s coffee shop desperate for inspiration to write her newest book, she found Charlie to be just the muse she had been needing to break through her writer’s block and give life to her story. After both women felt an immediate connection, they found that their differences maybe were just what they needed to fill what was missing in each other’s lives as their own story unfolded.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and could hardly put it down, but my only critical critique was that it felt a little awkward and confusing when the writing switched between the narration of the IRL book and the narration of Mack's book because there is no formatting difference or quotations.
I think Dana Hawkins captured the very different and complex personalities and lives of each of the characters very well. She was able to address difficult subjects including mental health struggles, financial instability, cancer, and addiction in way that was graceful and respectful but also was able to keep the story lighthearted, witty, and very relatable.
Thank you to Dana Hawkins, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for sending “Not in the Plan” to me as an ARC. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Mack is a writer on a deadline with a bad habit of mining the lives of people around her for inspiration. Charlie is a coffee-shop owner who is a bit over her head with running a business and rebounding from a divorce. This book was a cute, gentle Sapphic snuggle of a romcom with messy characters, but the drama and the spice levels were lacking for me and the resolutions of conflict mostly came a bit too easy to be believable.
As a caffeine junkie, I'm extremely pleased that my drug of choice made me smile in so many different ways in this book!
Charlie is an incredibly sweet, cheerful and outgoing café owner.
She loves people and she radiates joy, although she had quite a few bad experiences in her life.
Mack is kind of the complete opposite.
She actually kind of hates people and especially social interactions with them.
She prefers to write in peace and quiet at home. However, Writes Block is very real for her and so she decides to visit her parents in Seattle and tries to escape the pressure of writing this new book.
There she meets Charlie and her world changed. She seems to have found her muse, but she doesn't know anything about it...these two were attracted to each other from the first moment. Like gravity.
They simply have no choice!
It started slowly, with a lot of very likable characters. Like the best friend or even the parents. It developed into something very beautiful and also very hot!
Beautifully written and captivating in its own way, this is a really super sweet romantic love story! I found the naming of the individual chapters very original!
Not in the Plan is a delightful sapphic romance set in Seattle infused with coffee references - what's not to love? I especially liked the juxtaposition of Charlie and Mack's parents, and the ways in which the two MCs navigate their adulthood both despite and because of their parents. I thought the description of Mack's writing process was fascinating, and could totally relate to Charlie's need to first pack away all the bills to avoid them, but then to find power in organizing her space and her life. Charlie and Mack were very relatable as characters and I was really rooting for their happy ending. This is a feel good book that I would recommend to all readers of romance!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!