Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Not in the Plan' by Dana Hawkins.

I'll be honest, I couldn't tell you a singular thing about this book. Which is annoying because the concept and the cover is exciting to me but I just didn't connect to it. Maybe it was my mindset at the time, I don't know. I recommend everyone to try and give this book a shot, but it wasn't a me book.

This book does exactly what it says on the tin - it warms the reader from the inside like the world’s biggest cup of coffee. This sapphic romance explores the difficulty of trusting someone and the spontaneity of love while keeping the reader on their toes in an interesting setting, with interesting people. Not In The Plan is a truly wonderful read for anyone looking to believe in love.

Not In The Plan is an Adult sapphic Romance. The story is dual pov and follows Charlie, a sweet free-spirited coffee shop owner, and Mack, an introverted bestselling author.

Mack is struggling with a severe case of writers block so she leaves NYC to visit her parents in Seattle when she stumbles upon Charlie’s coffee shop. I enjoyed the early interactions between Charlie and Mack and the slow authentic way the characters fell for one another.

Where I struggled is with the way Charlie inspired Mack’s novel. I totally understand pulling from real life experiences and using new settings and people watching as inspiration for your writing. But Mack takes it to an extreme level. I’m going to keep this spoiler free but it’s super invasive. Mack documents Charlie’s traumas, insecurities, her vulnerabilities, and more to use in her book. Mack makes notes for herself to ask Charlie deeply personal questions and attempts to analyze her emotional state at key moments in her life. Even with the way the ending shook out, I couldn’t get behind this and it ruined the romance for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a fan of the Bright Falls series you need to read ‘Not In the Plan’ by Dana Hawkins. I am convinced that right now somewhere out in the sapphic book universe Delilah and Claire are hanging out at Charlie’s coffee shop whilst Mack is tucked away in a corner using them as inspiration for her next book.

Not In the Plan is a fast paced and fun queer romcom featuring Mack, the writer and Charlie, the coffee shop owner. Both Mack and Charlie are working through tricky times and are very much surviving on fumes, the last thing they expect is each other.

Romance is one of my least read genres, so a 4 star romance is no small deal from me. I can’t quite put my finger on what stopped this being a full 5 stars, I just couldn’t help but feel something was missing. I am confident that there is a 5 star book from Dana in my future so you can bet I will be picking up whatever comes next! I can confidently recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves intrigued by the premise.

I really enjoyed my time with Charlie and Mack and with the wider cast of characters. The exploration of both characters’ fears and mental health difficulties was done in just the right way for a romance book and felt truly relevant and realistic rather than merely tokenistic, as it very much could have been.

Thanks to Dana for sharing this beautiful fun story with us. I look forward to whatever comes next.

Not in the Plan is set for publication on January 31st 2024

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

omg i really like this book. I undrestand every thing that charlie gose throught, how she had the truma and how it affect her life. She was my comfort caracter i really like her and we had a lot in common. I am really happy with the ending and im happy for charlie that she tried to change and tried not to let the truma affect her life any more.
I really like this book and i cant wait to buy the physical book.
Sorry if my reviwe has mistake in it, my English it not very good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book!

Blurb: Mack is a novelist with writer’s block and an urgent deadline. She finds inspiration in Charlie, a local coffee shop owner.

Thoughts: The premise of this book was cute. Charlie’s coffee shop is so cute and cozy! I also appreciated that the characters are human and imperfect. However, this book didn’t end up being my cup of tea.
Both Mack and Charlie have complicated backstories (parental neglect, divorce and codependency, a parent with an addiction, a parent with cancer, high expectations since childhood, anxiety, and likely symptoms of other mental illnesses that weren’t explicitly identified). The book was 250 pages long and it didn’t feel like each of those topics got the time they deserved. I think the book would have been better if it were longer and those topics got less superficial treatment.

The conflict referenced on the back of the book (Mack using Charlie’s personal stories as inspiration for her latest novel) doesn’t happen until fairly late into the novel, so it is resolved quickly. I would have liked to see Mack grapple with why what she did to Charlie was wrong for longer. Charlie forgiving Mack seemed rushed and hard to believe.

Mack’s grand gesture to show Charlie how sorry she was involved Mack being rude to a store cashier. Perhaps it was meant to show how passionately she felt, but it made me like her character less.
This is a closed door, fade to black romance.

I really loved the description of this book, but the writing style is not for me. I like fun and fast-paced stories with witty dialogue, and this is not that.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read this on my kindle, which I left somewhere and didn't have access to for 4 days or so and honestly? I didn't think about this book at all, even though I was 70 percent of the way through it, which is usually the point in a romance where I can't put the book down. When I started reading it again, I had to think pretty hard about who the characters were and what they were like. I wanted to like this book but the characters and story were just weird. The one line Charlie says to Mack while at dinner was just so awkward and threw me off for the rest of the book. I just didn't care what happened in the end and it was a struggle to get through the last 20 percent.

DNF'd at 7% - this one just wasn't for me. Maybe it's the genre, although I have enjoyed romance in the past, but the language was so fluffy, the two leads were so quirky, and their avoidant strategies for solving their problems immediately stressed me out. I wanted to enjoy it - coffee shop owners meets type-A author sounded like it was made for me, especially being sapphic. I do hope it finds it's audience!

3.5 ⭐️
Not in the plan started at a tranquil pace but ended with a bang! It’s a cute sapphic romance with good old tropes.
Charlie and Mack meet in Charlie’s coffee shop in Seattle. With the changing perspective you get both their history, fears and hopes. Due to the changing perspective, the descriptions of the characters remained too superficial for me. You see a lot of behavior, but I would like to know why they act like that. Halfway through the book many of my questions were answered and then the story really started to flow. I couldn't put the book down and I even cried at the very last chapter. I rooted for Mack and Charlie and they really came to live at the end.
A special mention for Mack’s dad. This is real dad-material and I wished for a dad like him while reading. I’m so happy they treated Charlie the way she deserves.
Not in the plan was a good read with some fun storylines.
Thank you Netgalley for providing the ARC.

This book is definitely meant to be read sitting in the window of your favorite coffee shop sipping your favorite beverage!

I really enjoyed this meet-cute romance. Very minimal in the spice but made up for in the true emotions you saw from both Mack and Charlie thanks to the dual POV writing style. Very minimal on the spice and a little slow then fast on the romance speed but all together a great read I would recommend!

Thank you again to NetGalley for the ARC!!!

🌟 A Heartfelt Sapphic Journey in Seattle ☕📚

Dana Hawkins paints a charming picture in "Not in the Plan," a tale of love and resilience between Charlie, a charismatic coffee shop owner, and Mack, a grumpy yet successful thriller author. While the plot may seem simple and predictable, the story unfolds with an enjoyable sweetness that leaves a lasting impression.

The narrative centers around two women navigating the challenges of their careers, finding solace and success in each other's company. Charlie and Mack, the main characters, emerge as beautifully flawed individuals with relatable struggles and triumphs. Mack, grappling with writer's block, returns to Seattle, her hometown, seeking inspiration in Charlie's coffee shop and escaping familial pressures.

The connection between Charlie and Mack is immediate, sparking a genuine friendship that blossoms into an extraordinary relationship. Amid Mack's struggles to pen her next novel and the guilt of leaving her parents in a difficult time, Charlie fights to keep her coffee shop afloat, battling trust issues from past disappointments.

The initial introductions may feel stretched but Hawkins employs metaphors and similes liberally, contributing to the story's unique flavor, although some readers may find it heavy-handed. Detailed conversations about psychology and traumatic childhoods add depth to the characters but may feel overly direct sometimes, which for me was a no-ye..s-no.
Despite these quirks, the book offers two authentic main characters with moments that readers can personally relate to. Whether seeing oneself in the cheerful Charlie or understanding Mack's struggles, the characters resonate on a human level.

In conclusion, "Not in the Plan" is a recommendation-worthy read. If you appreciate watching love unfold amidst characters conquering their fears in a believable manner, this book is a must-read.

Shared an honest review for the ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Dana Hawkins 🌟📖

#NotInThePlan #DanaHawkins #SapphicRomance #BookReview

I will totally admit that I asked for this book for its cover and description, and it was totally worth it.

This book is about Charlie, and charming coffee shop owner and Mack, the grumpy writer. I mean, can we can get better main characters in this book? Well yes! All of them. Anyways, this book tell the story of Mack, a very successful thriller author who has problem writing her next novel, so in order to get some work done she travel to her hometown, Seattle, and trying to scape her parents she find Charlies coffee shop!!

The conection between Charlie and Mack is immediately! Both looking to each other for the first moment, which created a great friendship, which leads to a amazing relationship. But, not everything is as pretty as you thing. While Mack is having trouble writing her new novel and trying to cope whith the guilt of leaving her parents alone in the most difficult time, Charlie is trying to keep her coffee shop alive and learning how to trust people after everyone in her live has disappointed her before.

In my opinion, this book has two amazing and real main characters that has theirs good and bad moments, characters that I, personally, can feel like myself in some point of the reading. In some chapters I can totally understand Charlie and say "my god, i am just like her" and then, in the next chapter I am "Mack, I got feel you, my girl!

I think Dana did an amazing job writing this book, which is really light and beautiful. I enjoyed every minute if it and I will totally recommended to anyone who want to read something light and beautiful. Something that, once you are finished, you will feel like everything is right in this world.

Thanks to Dana Hawking, Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this book in exchange of a honest review

A cute sapphic romance, simple and predictable but enjoyable and sweet, although it didn’t entirely resonate with me, I still liked it.
I loved the idea behind it — two women struggling to stay afloat in their careers, yet together able to help each other to succeed. However it was a little slow for my personal taste.
I did immediately love Mack, and Charlie was just so bubbly and full of life it was impossible not to love her too. I am also right there with Charlie in her jealousy of Mack’s awesome Dad, he’s great! Charlie’s best friend was also amazing and hilarious, lots of great funny scenes and relatability.

I love the cover and the chapter headings were a great extra flourish as well.
It took me a minute to get into it and to get past the introductions, which were a little over direct and clunky, but it was worth it in the end. Once I got to around 10% I was invested and enjoying it.
For me I found the tone of writing a little too casual and chatty, as if trying too hard to come across as dynamic and modern. It was also heavy on the metaphors and similes, with a lot of weird ones.
I did find it a little irritating having constant conversations in detail about their psychology and how their traumatic childhoods have affected them. It feels too direct and obvious to be able to feel authentic or make me feel connected.
The pacing is also a little weird, quite slow build up but then a really quick resolution and skip to 9mnths later in the epilogue.

Overall I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend, I’ll be reading more from this author for sure.

*Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book

Trigger warnings— absent/neglectful parents, mentions of dealing with cancer (survived), mentions of alcoholism, references to drugs/dealing and divorce

Mack is a NYT best selling author with her debut book. But now she is suffering writer's block and has a hard deadline to deliver a second novel. Seeking comfort and a change she goes to stay with her parents in Seattle. She meets cheerful, cute, coffee shop owner Charlie, who is curvy, inked and beautiful. Her writing is inspired by Charlie’s funny work stories and harder personal life experiences. Charlie has a few issues of her own, the biggest being her coffee shop is failing.

But the pair go from being friendly to instant feelings very quickly. Using the L word so early is cliche even for a f/f romance. And I thought there was an imbalance in sharing in the relationship. Charlie was opening herself up a lot while the reader knew things about Mack that she didn’t in return share with Charlie. For example Mack is cutting contact with past flings but Charlie isn’t aware of that. I did like Mack’s young parents as side characters and her relationship with them.

This is a cute story with minimal angst. Although I would have preferred a few more dates and getting to know you moments this is easy to read and there are no big negatives. A solid debut novel and I will watch for more from the author. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

Mack leaves New York to visit her parents in Seattle when she has writers block. While in Seattle she stops at a coffee shop and meets Charlie, who is the owner and barely floating by.
Mack uses Charlie as her muse and starts using her real life stories in her book.

This was my first lesbian romcom. I was shocked I enjoyed it as much as I did. Don’t get me wrong sometimes Mack got on my nerves for how she was portrayed in the book. But overall I enjoyed it.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for a copy of this book.

2.75
Sapphic romance , however did i feel things between the characters felt rushed ! I didnt like how charlie was used and made me not like MACK which i think made the book fall flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Not In The Plan

If you're looking for a sapphic romance to add to your Valentine's TBR, go ahead and put Not in the Plan at the top of your list. Full honesty, the book is a little cliche and trope-y, but somehow it's done in a really endearing and delightful way that features really robust characters and celebrates queer joy.

Not in the Plan follows Charlie, a coffee shop owner, and Mack a writer as they both face their own individual challenges while being struck by one another. The Sugar Mug, the coffee shop is the perfect setting for this story and feels reminiscent of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, just with lesbians in Seattle.

I had a great time reading this and will be keeping an eye out for any queer romance from Dana Hawkins in the future! Thanks to #NetGalley and #Storm for access to an ARC!

AHHHHHH I launched out of bed to write this review. Such an amazing book, it made my heart feel like putty. The emotional moments were so strong. I felt every single thing the characters felt. I was stressed, I was relieved, I was sad, and I was blushing along with them. Dana is seriously the wordsmith I did not know I needed in my life. I thought the scenes touching on Charlie’s trauma were so raw and real as someone who has almost the same track record. I loved the dynamics between all of the characters. I have very few critiques, I wish some things that were mentioned were followed through more. I would’ve also liked some more scenes between Ben and Charlie, to me it felt like for her to avoid telling him things so much that she wasn’t as close to him as she let on. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book so much and it definitely cemented it’s spot for top reads of the year.

*3.75*
Overall I enjoyed this book and think there need to be more sapphic romance novels! As a Seattle native, it was cute to see a book based on the city even though it sometimes followed stereotypes but if you aren't from here I doubt it would be noticeable. Pacing it was sort of a slow burn into hot and heavy, I wish there was more of a transition phase from friendship to romance versus a switch just being flipped.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.