A sweet and addictive story

Mack is on a deadline and can't seem to write a single word for her next novel. She decides to move back to her parents' in Seattle, hoping a change of scenery will help. That's where she meets Charlie, a beautiful and very inspiring coffee shop owner. Unconsciously, Mack starts writing Charlie's stories into her story. But when she starts falling for her, it doesn't feel right anymore... Can she have both: love and honesty in a relationship and a thrilling novel to send to her publisher?

I absolutely adored this romcom. It was sweet, addictive and really compelling to read. The characters were really well fleshed-out, and I like how the author incorporated real and relatable problems in their lives. I was completely pulled into their story, their history and their feelings. It was absolutely swoon-worthy and very fun to read, although some scenes really tugged at my heart strings because the author wrote very emotional and beautiful moments. The secondary characters stole my heart as well with their uniqueness and the endless support they show our protagonists. This book became a favorite and I need more sapphic romcom like those because it makes me feel so full and understood and complete. Absolutely brilliant story, really. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I highly recommend this heartfelt, addictive sapphic romcom!

"None of this made logical sense.
But she didn't need it to make sense."

Combining coffee, writing, and romance is a winning combination.
I loved the characters in this story. Charlie as the carefree spirit who is definitely not feeling too carefree at the moment. Mack with her writers block and guilt weighing on her. Mack’s parents who are so supportive.
Just a wonderfully well written romance!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Overall: 4 stars
Spicy: 2

This was the first Sapphic book by this author and she did an amazing job. The characters are relatable and dialogue was witty and playful which helped diffuse the hard conversations. Getting into a relationship after having your hear broken is hard regardless how long it has been. I loved how they showed family isn't just about blood but those that opt to accept you for who you are. This was just a great feed good book with closed door spice.

"What in the white chocolate mocha hell is going on?" AHHH!!

As an ex-barista who served her time and sentence, I adored the setting of this book so, so much. Not in the Plan's main characters Charlie and Mack absolutely pop off the page. I can call them best friends even though they're fictional . . . right??! I need them in a queer friend group ASAP, please and thank you.

Charlie's development as a previously co-dependent person was so lovely to see. There's truly nothing like seeing a character, especially a queer woman, fully come into her own, accept her own value, and appreciate herself. Mack's such an incredibly big sweetheart who, despite her own issues, really grows individually and thanks to Charlie. These two were such a fun pairing. I'd read literally anything else these two are in -- or that Dana publishes!! Please more soon!!

Thank you SO much Storm Publishing for my first ever e-ARC! All opinions are my own.

A cute book but I have trouble with internal monologues like these. I felt that a bulk of the book was descriptive language and similes which is difficult for me. Always enjoy a queer romance though and this one is decent!

Charlie was definitely the more developed of the two characters. Her “origin story”, so to speak, was much better laid out, which made her motives as a character a lot more believable. Her plot-line included some heavy topics like codependency and parental abandonment, both of which were responsibly written, through Charlie’s reflections on her own life.

On that note, I do think the story would’ve benefited from aging Mack and Charlie a bit more. Some of their personal reflections seemed a bit premature coming from two twenty-five-ish year olds. Charlie’s divorce in her mid-twenties was also unusual, considering how uncommon getting married young is amongst the queer community. She could’ve just as easily have been described as getting out of a ten-year relationship instead. It would’ve stood out a lot less, and raised fewer questions that were never addressed. On the flip side, Mack’s dynamic with her originally-teen-parent-but-now-in-his-forties dad was a bit too… intimate for me. I can imagine that as a kid, he would’ve been much more like an older brother, and I’m a big fan of Gilmore Girls banter, but when it’s between a woman in her mid-twenties and her adult father, it seems off.

Writing-wise, there were definitely some bumpy spots. Besides some classic violations of “show, don’t tell”, I found myself wincing at “was hypnotized by her smile and deeply feminine movements”, or physically cringing when Mack said to Charlie “Do you think this affected you as an adult? I’ve researched this stuff for my books but haven’t had this level of conversation before”, right after Charlie shared her childhood trauma. If I’d been Charlie, I would’ve gotten up and left.

And yet, with all of that said and done, I breezed through this book over a single weekend. Despite its shortcomings, Not in the Plan does romance perfectly, with just the right balance of chemistry and conflict.

Full review in link.

A cute and light sapphic Seattle romance between a cafe owner and a blocked writer with some adorable flirting.

The characters were likable, but I wasn’t all that invested in Charlie and Mack getting together, so I didn’t zip through this as quickly as I usually do with romances. The couple had more of a “you make me feel warm and fuzzy” chemistry than a “you’re my perfect partner and I need and crave you” dynamic, so I feel like they might’ve made better friends than lovers.

It’s a slower burn and there’s only some small dashes of spice, so this is a good fit for readers who’d rather avoid instalust and explicit sex scenes.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

A sweet sapphic rom com with a sprinkling of angst.
Set in Seattle, you can almost smell the coffee as you read.

Nicely rounded characters, you get enough insight into their background to know why they are the way they are. Also enjoyed the chemistry between the two MC’s.

Unfortunately the deception aspect kind of gave me too much of the ick if I’m honest.

I liked the creative drinks that came with every new chapter title.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher
3.5/5 ⭐️

Happy Pub Day! This is an interesting book to review. On the one hand, I was very into Charlie and the Seattle queer coffee shop vibes. Her chemistry and relationship development with Mack was well done. Insta-lust + slow burn romance is sometimes frustrating but this book manages to pull it off.

On the other hand, it did feel pretty... icky to read about how Mack was using Charlie for her book and lying to her about it for so long. Even though I was mostly ok with the resolution, I really wish the ick factor hadn't lasted for so long.

Overall, I'm going to call it a 3.5 star rounded down. Content warnings for parents with (past) cancer and alcoholic parents and all the trauma that comes with both of those.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my honest review in exchange for an ARC for this novel that comes out today.

Oh no! There’s only one hammock!

This was a lovely read for me. I am all about queer baristas and especially love that: I’m a writer, but I’m stuck—and then the muse comes along who makes them feel like they never have before and wants to write for them and about them. It’s not quite slow burn but more of a can I love someone else when I’m not the best at loving myself which I think we can all relate to. I loved the variety of two characters’ lives and struggles and passions and the variety in coming out and being queer experiences. There’s an interesting element to it as well with parental relationships, and financial hardships especially in relation to the medical system and as someone who struggled against their parents and then individually to tackle medical debt for my own health, I found this to be a really interesting take. If you like queer kissing in the rain or oh no there’s only one bed, may I interest you in a Seattle monsoon that results in an accidental hammock cuddle? You won’t regret it! I can definitely see this for fans of Alexandria Bellefleur’s queer Seattle series as a familiar instant favorite!

Honestly, I don't feel that connected with the characters. Yes, there were some funny, sweet, and cute moments but they pass for me really quickly and don't stick with me that much. 
 
Mack
Hmmm, I don't really know what to feel about her. Undercut, white shirt, jeans...lol, that's my type. But still, I find her character a bit... uninteresting in a way. I don't feel like she really understands the depth of her mistake, that level of betrayal. Using someone else's pain for their own benefit is just a huge no no. I just hate the way she thinks. 
 
Charlie
I love her character development but she forgave Mack too easily, in my opinion. She was betrayed by a person she loves. It took her years to forgive her father and move on from her ex wife (both betrayed her) but it only took 2 days for Mack and they've only known each other for like...a month? She literally used her personal life in a story. 
 
Nonetheless, I still liked both of them. The characters are interesting in their own way (if I look beyond the areas that I didn't like about them). I think, as a reader, I was meant to feel disappointed with Mack for doing that so I could sympathize with Charlie (I did, somehow...until she forgave her waaaaaay to quickly). Mack should have begged. 🙄 Anyway, characters are a 6/10 for me. 
 
Pacing of the story
The beginning was okay... that's about 1/3 of the book
Then around 2/3 it felt a bit slow
On the last part, it felt really rushed. Even the chapters got shorter. Usually, I have no problem with that but here, it felt like chapters were instantly cut just so the story would move forward at a quicker pace and get on to the next point. This is the part where the main idea of the story was just coming in: Charlie discovering that Mack used her life in a novel. Then running away then being sad then forgiveness; really really squeezed in the last (I think) 15%-20% of the book. 
 
Overall, it was okay. Maybe a 3.5? I won't say it's terrible, because it's not, but definitely could have been improved. I was just really turned off at the last part because it really felt rushed. Otherwise, it would have been more than okay.

This is a pretty solid debut with characters I resonated with in different ways. I have been the person in money struggles who does everything they can to avoid the realties of life. I've also been the anxious overachiever who puts so much pressure on herself to succeed that she almost breaks. Both characters were so well fleshed out and I knew exactly who was who when the chapters switched perspectives.

My main issue was with the plot. I didn't like that Mac had SO MANY opportunities to talk things through with Charlie and didn't, even one moment where it was literally RIGHT THERE. I also felt like things resolved a little too easily and conveniently for Charlie, and the most powerful moment for her when she finally stands up for herself lasted a sentence. I really wanted more of her moment to finally say what she needed to!

All in all, I did have a great time, and this is absolutely an author I would read from again. Her characters were multi-layered and the love she has for Seattle, coffee, and writing in general is very clear throughout her writing. She brings the city to life and invocates the senses in many ways. Definitely one for future reading!

I had great expectations coming into this book and I have to say it didn't disappoint.

I connected really hard to the characters, Charlie and her optimistic view on things, that try to hide her own insecurities and short comings to protect who she loves, and Mack the anxioust introvert that rathers observe people instead of actually interacting with them.
It might sound ironic given the setting of this book but it felt completely like being wrapped up in a fluffy blanket while drinking hot chocolate, I seriously couldn't put it down, Charlie and Mack have such a sweet story and I think I'll take a bit of them with me.

My favorite parts were for sure getting some slips into Mack's writing, both of them screaming internally for each other, and Mack's parents relationship towards each other and to Mack herself, and the way they treated Charlie melted me completely.
I could only ask for a bit more of Ben he's such a fun character.

I can't stretch how much I recommend this book, it was amazing

Coffee, books, and sapphic connection? Okay, I'm listening. :)

Not in the Plan is a cute, highly caffeinated love story between a free spirit(-ish) coffee shop owner and an anxiety-ridden author. When Mack has to return home to Seattle in hopes of curing her very pervasive writer's block, she finds the perfect coffee shop to cure what ails her.

I'm at a solid 3.5-star rating for this book. Overall, I enjoyed it and found the characters to be likable, but I had a hard time feeling connected to them. The writing was heavily dependent on internal dialogue, and what we ended up with was a bit of telling me who the characters were VS showing me who they were in action. That being said the story was endearing and I did care about them/the outcome in the end.

If you like coffee and stressed-out lesbians, this book is for you... and to be real... that's a lot of us.

"Not in the Plan" is the queer romcom I wish I had during my late teens. It's adorable, sweet, dramatic, and delightfully over-the-top. Even though I'm not typically drawn to lengthy, detailed descriptions, Dana Hawkins' approach to even the most minor details never failed to make me giggle or roll my eyes. Ultimately, that's what entertainment is all about—bringing joy and amusement. I definitely recommend the book if you want a feel-good story, and I hope it becomes available in more languages soon.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy!

I was very excited to read this, the description of a coffee shop owner and uptight coffee lover sounded like the perfect romcom! The characters were very likeable and overall this was such a sweet story, I loved every moment of it

The biggest strength of this book is the character development. I enjoy a dual POV book where you really get the sense that you know the characters. The reader can also expect to understand why the characters made the decisions that they made. The romance portion of this book was a slow burn to pretty instant love with very minimal spice. I would say that I wish the author had given more in the spice department, but I also feel like women typically experience emotional love. There was no lack of emotional love! I think the LGBTQ community needs to be better represented in romance books and this book is a great contribution to that. I also appreciated the cute chapter titles. That was really creative! Overall, this was a quick and easy read that I would recommend!

'Not In the Plan', is my first book by this author, and I must say it was a delightful read.

The sweet romance between Mack and Charlie was portrayed realistically, and by the end of the book, I felt like I had made two new friends. Although they are complete opposites, their connection is executed beautifully.

However, the book could have been a little faster-paced, as it sometimes felt frustratingly slow. Additionally, it doesn't offer anything particularly unique from other books in the genre.

Despite these minor flaws, I still found it to be an entertaining read and finished it within 24 hours.
I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light and sweet romance. 'Not In the Plan' will be available from January 31st, 2024.

Not in the plan - @d.hawkinsauthor ☺️. This wonderful ARC copy ( thanks @netgalley ) was wonderful. Charlie and Mack are such wonderfully thought out characters that I was hooked from the first chapter. I’m unsure if I want to be Charlie or be her friend 😅 I think the author does a fantastic job for people who are over thinkers and quick reactors because some of the situations - trying super hard not to post spoilers here fyi - I know I would have reacted the same. One in particular I actually felt my heart hurt. This was a sweet debut novel from an author that I will absolutely be hoping and praying writes more wonderful books!

This book has some incredibly sweet, vulnerable, and honest parts to it. Overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it though I don’t know if the “mine her trauma for my book” needed to happen. It was very clearly the wrong call and it felt the author kept it up for much longer than she should have. It was hard to empathize with her in those moments because the coffee shop owner was so clearly being more vulnerable and open than she was usually comfortable with. It felt almost predatory and made me root for the author less.
I loved how celebrated and appreciated they each were even though they were very different and it made me really hope it would work out.