Charlie is a struggling coffee shop owner and Mack is a writer struggling to finish her next novel and meet an impending deadline. When Mack wanders into Charlie's coffee shop, she is struck with inspiration and keeps coming back every day for a visit with her muse.


This is my first Dana Hawkins book and it's so sweet. It also has one of the cutest intros that I've ever read. It's got a little bit of a grumpy/sunshine vibes but that's not really what this book is. It's about a friendship that evolves into something more. I love the element of Charlie's coworker/bestie Ben. I don't understand the Macklemore obsession. One thing that I did really enjoy was the detailed descriptions of Seattle, you almost feel like you're there. Mack's Dad is a baseball fan, love that. The chapters are coffee drink themed which leaves you craving all sorts of coffee shop delights.



This book also explores complicated relationships with parents and dealing with a divorce. The depth of this story was surprising and made it difficult to put down. It's incredibly well written while still being predictable enough to be a romance. I adore Charlie's character, I feel like she and I would be friends. Highly recommend this book!

Title: Not in the Plan by Dana Hawkins - A Captivating Blend of Romance and Creative Turmoil

Book Description:
Crushed under the weight of writer’s block and a looming deadline, Mack seeks solace in Seattle, where she encounters Charlie, a charming coffee shop owner on the rebound from heartbreak. As Mack draws inspiration from Charlie's personal stories, a mind-bending kiss during a storm sparks a romance that seems destined to unravel. The novel explores whether Mack's creative pursuit could evolve into a real connection between two seemingly incompatible souls. My Review: A romance, a writer, and a coffee shop? This book had my attention immediately. I loved Charlie and Mack and shipped this relationship the moment Mack walked into the coffee shop. The plotline moved along at a decent pace, and readers will enjoy watching Mack and Charlie fall in love. What I didn't like: The lying trope. I hate when a book focuses so much on a lie between the MCs, and you know that it's eventually going to come out. I was angry with the MC for lying, and without giving too much away, I was happy with how it was resolved in the end. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

3.5 stars !

When the coffee shop owner meets the author and lives were changed! Not in the Plan is a cute sapphic romance that fills your heart with joy and has many loveable characters and has amusing chapter titles.


I loved reading the blossoming relationship between Mack and Charlie, to their cute interactions to their steamy sessions. Both characters had interesting personalities and characteristics that you usually don’t see in media such as this, or if it is, it’s often negative, so it’s nice to see it in a light of a romance. However, as I read all I could think about was Charlie finding out about what Mack was doing and it ruined the experience because I was just waiting and expecting for it to happen. I also felt like the ending was rushed and left you wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review

This book is very character-driven and takes place within the same few settings. I often struggle with books that don't have in-depth world-building or plot development, but I enjoyed the growth each character goes through and the relationship they form with each other. By the end of the book, I am so proud of both characters and their journeys. Charlie gives herself the respect she deserves and stands up to those who don't treat her right. Mack realizes that some of her habits can hurt others and develops new ways to create stories for her books. They support and love each other despite their differences and form a beautiful relationship and life with each other that encourages each of them to continue growing and learning from the experiences in their lives. Dana Hawkins writes a beautiful story of personal growth. The characters learn to allow themselves to be vulnerable with those who care about them. This book dives into different family relationships, trials, and traumas of the characters, and as the reader, you follow them as they grow from their pasts.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
This story is about a writer who currently has artblock and a coffe shop owner who has some financial issues, Mack and Charlie, and with that being said, i really enjoyed this book. Mack is a person who doesn't really like other people, she matches my soul HAHAHAHAHA, and Charlie is just a kind person who was wronged by the important people in her life, together they make a real good combination
The book had great pace, like other contemporary books, i never got bored of the story getting to repetitive, it has a great balance of showing you scenes where they are meeting, and knowing eachother, and really building their relationship, the "conflict" had sense and wasn't a lot of misscomunication, overall a fun read!

Awww I absolutely loved this one! I love love loved the representation, and Charlie and Mack's relationship! It was fleshed out well and a beautiful story! Absolutely recommend it!

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this lovely book!

I absolutely loved this book. It definitely gave off similar vibes to the Bright Falls books, which was exactly what I wanted. I was immediately captivated by both Mack and Charlie. Charlie's coffee shop was somewhere I wished I could go in real life, and I wanted to read Mack's book!

I loved the touches of the coffee recipes for chapters. Mack's writing put into the chapters was also very captivating, though at times it would be hard to tell what was writing at first (though that might be in the advance copy formatting and not a long time concern).

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who wants a cute, lighthearted romance!

Immediately adding to my fav RomCom shelf!

Fav bits…
Seattle setting
Coffee shop ☕️
Author ✍🏻
Opposites attract
Games of battleship
PNW rain storms
One hammock 👀
Cherry Italian sodas 🍒

A debut sapphic love story from a local author! Charlie’s outgoing, tattoo loving, quirky personality to Mack’s organized, wrinkle free lifestyle had my heart from the beginning! I loved the time we had getting to know these two as they got to know one another. Charlie’s history has definitely influenced who she is today and can we get a round of applause for Mack’s parents. I love Kelli and Drew 🫶🏻 the best support! This was such a comfort read and I’m excited for Dana to share more stories! I’m hoping within this same world!

Thank you Storm Publishing for this gifted ecopy!
Releases 1/31

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*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

this book was really fun and engaging! i loved the author's style and descriptions, i was really drawn in and engrossed, so read this really quickly. the chemistry between the main characters was amazing as well, i was really rooting for them throughout and it was so wonderful how both of them embraced each others' characters as they are. side characters were also excellent. what took this down from 5 stars was the pacing though - i think the conflict came too late and was resolved too fast, and some of the decisions made by characters because of the conflict were confusing.

I was actually wanted to like this book, I was just not sucked in. I love sapphic romances and this was cute in a lot of moments. I was just bored. I might be reading too much reason back to back.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First, thank you NetGalley for providing me with this eARC!

This was a fun and quick read. The sapphic romance was cute and sweet, although I feel like it wasas a bit rushed. It took a while at first but then it almost turned into instant love...
I also liked the fact that the chapters had coffee-related titles, perfect fit with this book!

I would definitely read more of this author!

Charlie runs a failing coffee shop in Seattle. One day, a new customer walks in, captivating her. But is Mack everything she seems?

Mack is a bestselling author with writer's block. She runs away from New York to her parents' house in Seattle to find some inspiration. The last thing she expected when she walked into Sugar Mugs was to fall in love.

I absolutely loved this book. The chapters alternate between Charlie and Mack, each pushing the story forward. They are so well written that I was absolutely captivated. The story is joyful and filled with love, from Charlie and her best friend Ben; Charlie and her favourite customers; Mack and her parents; and obviously Charlie and Mack.

One small thing bugging me - why did Mack feel like she recognises Rene?!

I can't wait to read more from Dana Hawkins.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the chance to read an eARC of this delightful novel.

Not In The Plan is a charming romance, mostly set in Charlie's cosy and queer café. It's the story of a thriller writer with writer's block who finally finds her much needed inspiration in Charlie and her anecdotes about her life. Two main characters who we get to know really well, thanks to the double POV and their in depth conversations about their past. A funny, heart-warming group of side characters, including Charlie's loving (hilarious) best friend Ben and Mack's parents. A love-story that develops quickly, but not overwhelmingly so, still showing all the emotions involved in these two women finding each other (including lots of overcoming personal obstacles related to dating).

If you love charming love-stories, with all the fuzzy feelings, some spice and realistic, lovable lesbians, then this is definitely for you! I really enjoyed it, and the emotional rollercoaster it took me while following Charlie and Mack's relationship. At first I was a bit confused by the 2POVs, as they felt quite similar and I kept forgetting whose perspective I was reading, but part way through the book I started feeling that difference more and it was fine again. The 2POVs turned out to actually really strengthen the storytelling, giving the reader a much more in-depth portrayal of the two women, both with their past and present emotional baggage to deal with.

Make sure you get a copy when this releases, as it's a great read for romance lovers! I'll for sure be getting a physical copy to add to my bookshelves.

A sapphic romance between a coffee shop owner and an author. A story of second chances and learning to trust others. Dana Hawkins presents a novel that offers a soft opportunity at love. The characters are messy and often scared and trying. It's that trying that works best for the book. For all of that, I knew I should love this book and it's characters. But either I read this at the wrong time, or characters hit just the right combination of personality annoyances that it was hard for me to get through. The pacing on the book was great, the writing moved well and hit the balance between drama and comedy. But I did have trouble connecting to the story and to the cast. A fault I do not think falls on Hawkins and more on myself.

I really enjoyed Not In The Plan. It was quick and even though it was heavy at times it was still a fun read. I enjoyed both Charlie and Mack’s characters but did get a little ick feeling with the way Mack used Charlie for her story. As a coffee addict, I loved the coffee shop setting and the chapter titles! I also loved how relatable and real these characters were. Overall, this was an enjoyable read!

Not in the Plan was overall a good novel and an enjoyable read. It was cute and heartwarming while also taking on some more serious topics at the same time. The greatest strength of this novel was its characters, whereas it fell somewhat short on the plot. I think that different people will have varying responses to it depending on their preferences in a novel, but also that it was overall good enough that I would recommend it to anyone.

Mack: an award-winning novelist with writer’s block, anxiety, and desperate motivation to finish her next novel. Charlie: a hopeless romantic with a lot of heartbreak and a failing coffee shop. Both have family issues, imminent trouble from external sources, and a strong attraction to each other from the second they cross paths. They quickly hit it off and Mack finds her muse; unfortunately, Charlie doesn’t know that her life experiences are being used to fuel Mack’s novel and if she did she wouldn’t be happy.

The Good:
-Characters. This is where this novel stood out for sure, so if you are a character person then you will like this. Each character was well developed and had a rich background, and you could understand their motivations for their actions. They both had solid character arcs individually, as well as their combined arc with the romance plotline. The romance was well done and I liked seeing how both characters supported and helped each other in their own ways.
-Chapter titles. This is an unusual thing for me to compliment but the way each chapter was titled with a specialty beverage that hinted at what the chapter contained was both very fun and effectively used in the novel. A+
-This novel gave great depictions of how parents expectations, issues, and parenting styles can affect their children and the people that they grow up to be. This was especially true with regards to parents with addictions. I think that this was well done; it not only greatly helped to establish and flesh-out the main characters, but also provided some insightful representation for these types of mental health issues/challenges.
-I personally thing this novel did a good job of depicting anxiety from an internal perspective. Anxiety can manifest in numerous ways and this novel was a good representation.

The Not-as-Good-but-it-wasn’t-so-bad:
-The conflicts in this novel were all resolved too easily, particularly with how much focus and angst was put on them leading up to their resolutions. This made for a weaker plot in my opinion. The resolution should be somewhat equivalent to the issue, with how much time and energy was spent on it, and in this case the easy resolutions made the story feel anticlimactic.
-The ending was rushed. It was also too easy as stated above. This wasn’t near enough to ruin the novel but it did fall a little flat.
-If you don’t like a story where one character is keeping a secret/lie from the other, then this novel is not for you. This is a commonly disliked trope so fair warning!


Thank you to NetGallery for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just okay for me. I believe it was Dana Hawkins debut -- and I definitely wouldn't toss the idea of trying a different book from her. The pacing felt off and I just could not (personally) get drug into the story.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

Unfortunately this book wasn't really for me. It was a struggle to get through and when I put it down I honestly didn't think about it or remember much.

Cons:
- Pacing felt off, a weird mix of slow burn and fast pace
- Didn't connect with the characters and actively disliked Mack at times
- Not a fan of the writing style and the dialogue felt awkward at times
- Mack using Charlie's personal stories made me uncomfortable and the resolution felt too easy

Pros:
- I liked that each chapter was a different drink name, cute and unique touch
- I liked that it was fade to black with just some teasers
- Very atmospheric
- I liked the mental health rep


Overall this fell flat for me personally but I think it would be a good book to try if you want a quick, light romance

A cute sapphic romance between an author and owner of a coffee shop.

This was average for me. Something felt like it was missing and I wasn't super invested but it was cute. I felt like I was waiting for the inevitable conflict to happen, and then it wrapped up very quickly. I cant say I understand all of the characters decisions, both during the time the plot takes place and prior. It was a quick and easy read. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

I absolutely adored this debut sapphic love story from Dana Hawkins. Being a former barista and currently living in Seattle, I related to Charlie from the first page. From her love of tattoos to her hatred of complicated, contradictory coffee orders, her personality reminded me of myself. Charlie was a character I was rooting for throughout the whole story.

Mack, on the other hand, was downright adorable, I loved how her chapters were written with a clean writer's touch, her narration poignant and filled with vivid, colourful descriptions. Her creativity showed through the page and it was fascinating to step into her head and see how she viewed the world as a writer desperate for inspiration. From the moment she walked into Charlie's coffee shop, I wanted them to get together thanks to the sheer juxtaposition of their two characters. They complement each other perfectly, which I adored about this book.

Fair warning, this book is a slow burn. At times I was biting my nails waiting for either Mack or Charlie to finally work up the courage to confess their feelings. At other times, I was relishing in the anticipation of them getting together, and savouring the cute moments when their relationship was budding, I adored the way they danced around each other, but I know that type of romance book is not for everybody.

This book also has a third-act breakup that you can see coming from a mile away that honestly the book could have done without. The ephemeral angst felt very inconsequential and rushed to me. As a lover of Ali Hazelwood, I am used to the third-act breakup, but this one could have been written better.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Four out of five stars.