This is a cute and cosy sapphic romance that is easy to read, has a tiny bit of spice and some fun moments.

While it's a bit too insta-love for me overall, I thought the relationship between Charlie and Mack was really well done. Both characters have a lot going on and this explained well thanks to the dual POVs.

For a quick and easy romance, the story touched on a lot of issues in a thoughtful way, which I found to be a welcome surprise. Most importantly, neither main character is perfect and they aren't expected to be at any point.

I also appreciated that while there's a happy ending, not all the relationships within the book are tied up with a bow, as this makes it more realistic.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Not In The Plan. This was my first book by Dana Hawkins and it certainly won’t be my last! This was such a wonderfully written sapphic read about 2 main characters, Charlie a coffee shop owner in Seattle and Mack an uptight writer from New York City. I loved watching the character development and the chemistry between both characters. There was some issues that they tackled that were tough but the story still felt warm and happy. This was the perfect winter read and I look forward to more books by this author and would always recommend this, it was great!

This was a very cute sapphic love story set in a cozy cafe on the outskirts of Seattle. The characters were mostly lovable with well flushed out backgrounds, and the supporting characters (parents and best friend) were great additions.

A lot of the conversations between the two characters felt very one sided. Rather than sharing details about themselves in a balanced conversation, one character would talk for pages and then the other would go, which lead to a very clinical, therapy-esque feel. I would have loved to see small tidbits be shared over time, with more banter.

This is not an open door romance. At times it felt like we were headed there, with very detailed and intimate buildup and foreplay, but then the door would close. Also, consent is great, and it’s so important to show healthy consent in a novel, but during a couple of the steamer scenes there would be consent asked just about every other paragraph for an entire chapter, which was a lot.

**Spoiler** My final thought was that a central point for one of the characters was their previous dependency issues with their last long-term partner, and ensuring this coupling was a heathy balance. However, the characters said I love you after their second date and only a couple weeks of knowing each other, saw and slept over daily for their entire first month of dating, and when they went a couple days without seeing each other it was a defined Thing. This was tried to be walked back at the end of the book, but I found it off-putting and made it a little had to root for this pairing, even though I liked both character individually.

I was provided a complimentary ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Coffee shops and queer romance, it’s every Seattleites’ dream!

Mack, an uninspired writer from New York meets Charlie, a nearly bankrupt coffee shop owner. Sparks fly, but their different lifestyles clash, leaving a romantic whirlwind only a warm cup of coffee can calm.

I recently moved to Seattle, so I thought a nice romance set in the city would be a perfect fit. I will admit, contemporary romances are always a hit or miss, and this one missed me a bit. I found Mack’s use of Charlie’s personal life for her book very off putting. I’m glad it got resolved towards the end, but it still made the reading experience uncomfortable. The romance was still cute, and worth a read for any rom-com fans!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

Not in the Plan by Dana Hawkins is a sweet yet poignant romcom that I very much enjoyed. It’s well written and easy to read, and the author does a great job of making you feel like you’re in Seattle sipping a coffee along with them.

One of my favorite parts of this book, besides the dazzling chemistry and sweet moments between Charlie and Mack, is the journey each character takes. They are both flawed women, and when the inevitable third act break-up happens, it makes sense within the story, as does the resolution and ending of the book.

This book is perfect for anyone looking for a well written and sweet love story and likes a little angst thrown in at the end to make that HEA even sweeter. Bonus points for Mack’s adorable parents and the fun chapter titles. Dana Hawkins has officially been added to my authors list!

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I LOVED this sapphic romance book. The chemistry between Mack and Charlie was so good. They worked so well together and I enjoyed the setting too, which was mainly at Charlie's coffee shop in Seattle. Mack being a famous author was so fun to read about. Everything in this book felt so real. I was sucked into this book and couldn't wait to find out how it ended. Highly recommend!

Thank you to @NetGalley for letting me read this ebook in advance in exchange for my honest review.

Well I was excited for this book! Debut book and a LGBTQIA representation.

I enjoyed the story about Mack and Charlie! The friends and family in the novel were funny and heart warming. I loved that each chapter title was a different drink with a hint of whats to come. The bonding and quality time they made for each other was authentic and had me hooked.The characters were cute and they made me laugh out loud especially Macks parents. This was a quick read and had me entraced throughout, but always wanted more.

However my 3 star rating was because the book was too short to fit all the background and missing connections. Without enough chapters, the love story just seemed to rushed in my opinion. The lack of spice as well, I would have like either none at all, or more, not the middle ground that was delivered. With as much focus of Mack and her family, I wish they had did same with Charlie and her support system like Ben.

Overall a cute book, just needed more depth, spice and supporting information.

This book was my second sapphic romance and continued my love for this genre. These two beautiful, and a bitty bit broken, characters wove themselves through each other's lives in the most captivating way. The burn was low and slow, but I fell into their story and grumbled each time “real life” made me set it aside.

WHAT I LOVED MOST:

The stakes felt real, and high, and had me worried the entire time. Sometimes romance can be predictable, and that’s what we love about them, right? But this story had me contemplating how they’d make it work and biting my fingernails, waiting for the “eep!” moment. Well done with the “eep-ness” Dana Hawksins!

The chapters had the most deliciously foreshadowing names. My favorite…
CHARLIE’S DRINK SPECIAL: RAINBOW LOVE LATTE WITH EXTRA SPRINKLES
starbucks, please create this drink!

The mental health representation was done well. I felt jitters and ickies each time Mack had to “people” too hard. My stomach sank each time Charlie reflected moments with her father and how it affected her marriage.

I WANT TO WORK/LIVE AT SUGAR MUGS! Charlie, don’t worry. When Ben moves on, I got you girl! The ambiance… the way the space is described… It would be my happy place.

FAVORITE QUOTES:
“You trying to make me feel guilty?” “Honey. I’m trying to make you feel loved.”

“Along with it, she felt the all-too-familiar sensation of family relationships being a spectator sport.”

“Tattoos are this, I guess, dichotomy. That’s the word, right? It’s like, Look at me! But also, I’m covering myself up so you can’t see all of me.”

Mack’s voice was husky now, her rasp layered like sugared cream.



So, if you love to watch loooove unfold, and you appreciate characters conquering their fear of love (in a truly believable way), then this is a must read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dana Hawkins for the e-ARC. I appreciated the opportunity to read this book and give an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Dana Hawkins first Sapphic Romance “Not in the Plan”. 2024 is shaping up to be THE year of swoon worthy sapphic romances. I love books about books, and I love a good coffee. Charlie is the owner of Sugar Mugs- a community coffee space in Seattle that is struggling. Mack is an author who stops by Sugar Mugs to work on her next novel, and Charlie becomes her muse. The romance between our main characters had me kicking my feet, it was so sweet and how the author wrote them falling for each other, I could feel the attraction between the characters, I was in their mind experiencing the feelings. I loved everything about this book, Macks relationship with her parents, how her anxiety was written. Charlie and her fierce independence, her navigation through childhood trauma. It was truly a perfect read. 4.5/5

Sweet wlw romance about a novelist who finds inspiration in her new big crush and has to navigate how much information to mine to meet her book deadline and how to respect the privacy of her burgeoning love interest. I really liked the Seattle setting and the extreme difference between the two central characters.

"not in the plan" is a fun and heartwarming romance novel about charlie and mack, two very different women who have an instant connection when mack steps into charlie's coffee shop. mack, who's a writer, is looking for a new place to work on her next novel and finds both the perfect space and a surprising muse in charlie. i loved this novel and i had a great time reading it! it's the perfect lighthearted romance to read on a quiet afternoon at home. i found charlie and mack to be very compelling main characters with interesting backstories and great chemistry. their connection and their journey to falling in love felt very natural and believable and i found myself swooning along with them as their romance progressed. really, the only issue (and issue is putting it lightly) that i have with this book is that they both felt way older than their ages (25 and 26, if i recall correctly). i think being in their early 30s would've made a lot more sense for where they both were in life. but that was a very minor blip in the grand scheme of things and i still had a great time! thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this queer romance from Dana Hawkins. The characters were well-developed with intriguing backstories that led naturally to the conflict in this novel. However, I will argue that I struggled to "forgive" Mack, and thought Charlie let her off the hook a bit too easily. Solid 4 stars.

This sapphic rom-com explores the feelings of self-doubt, healing, and growing in your mid-20s.

Everything starts with Mack, 25 years old and allergic to anything resembling a relationship, and her decision to run away from New York to Seattle to escape a looming deadline. Charlie is drowning in self-doubt and hiding truths from her only person, her childhood best friend, Ben. After opening her coffee shop, Sugar Mugs, six months prior, debt collectors started ringing, and every lost coffee counted against her. When Mack stumbles into Sugar Mugs, she finds her muse and the missing piece to help her write her second novel but doesn't tell Charlie.

The pressure on Macks's shoulders isn't only from the success of her first book. This thriller made the New York Times best-seller list and is loved by thousands, but the financial pressure of the second book advance is already being used to help her parents out without their knowledge.

Andrew and Kellie, Mack's parents, are high school sweethearts who moved from the West Coast to the East Coast to raise Mack but moved back to Seattle to take over the family construction business. Just when everything is going right, as Mack begins to write her first book, Kellie is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Bills pile up as they often do with the American medical and insurance systems. Instead of allowing her parents to stress and chance the possibility of her mother not getting better, Mack has cleared all of it away without their knowledge. But if Mack doesn't deliver this second book, the advance will be called back, and the money is no longer there.

Charlie is the piece that Mack was missing in more ways than one. After two years of healing from her divorce, Charlie finally feels like herself, but all the work and love she put into her business isn't enough to keep all the confusing notices away. She converted her late aunt's home into a cozy coffee shop where all are welcome. She did her best, but contracts are confusing, especially when timelines are extended. Charlie expects someone with red tape and a frown to shut Sugar Mugs down. But Mack might be Charlie's missing piece as well.

Dana Hawkins built Charlie, Mack, and the gang so that they felt real. The balance between humor and real-life problems that everyday humans encounter is palpable to the reader. All of the emotions expressed anxiety, the mix of nervousness and excitement, and the all-consuming feeling of falling entirely in love while being afraid to trust or commit fully were all felt through Hawkins's language. It was utterly beautiful. Was it the funniest rom-com book I have ever read? No, but a few times, I did catch a laugh escaping me as I read, but it was delightful.

Another compliment towards Hawkins' writing is that the setting was never far from my mind, and in this sense, the atmospheres surrounding the settings and characters were always visible to the mind's eye. The coffee shop, Mack's parent's condo, the guest room where half of her second book was written, the parade, the market and restaurant scenes, and Charlie's loft were all written so that the reader was watching all the events unfold.

The pacing of a romance book is a critical detail that can often be overlooked and become a plot hole. While the first week or two of Mack and Charlie meeting and knowing one another made up approximately 75% of the book, the last 25% of the book happened over a one to two-month period, where both characters focused on the individual endeavors of their careers while also focusing on their relationship.

Unfortunately, Ben, Charlie's best friend and co-worker, felt like a joke. It was disheartening to see yet another pansexual character being used as comedic relief. Although there was depth to him, Charlie's memories of Ben were shallow. This character trope is problematic for many reasons and needs to be put to bed once and for all.

If you want a sapphic romance book that will make you swoon, check out *Not in the Plan* by Dana Hawkins. It's funny, yet the characters could jump off the page, and it didn't feel like reading. It's a relatively quick read, which would be an excellent choice for a "pick me up" read.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Not in the Plan is scheduled to be released on January 31, 2023.

reasonably cute but I hated how Mack used Charlie, i didn't like that part at all. so i don't think i can give it more than a 3-3.5. thanks for the arc

This was a fun romance novel with well-written steamy scenes. It's the perfect light read for fans of One Last Stop and Satisfaction Guaranteed.

*4.5

Love it so much! I was intrigued by the plot, because I’m an inspiring writer and I’m under a writer’s block. So I was curious, I wanted to know how the story unraveled. I was not disappointed at all! The story is brilliant and funny. I was aspecting a little more angst, if I have to be honest (and this is the reason I don’t give the five stars to this book, something in the climax seems a little off). But I love it, really. I love the story and I love the characters. Charlie is my favorite, she’s my book girlfriend! She’s so sunshine, I love her so much! I usually love the grumpy one, but Charlie is so a complex and lovely character, so I fell in love with her.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the arc!

In Dana Hawkins' charming and witty novel, "Not in the Plan," we follow the story of Mack, a writer struggling with a looming deadline and a stubborn case of writer's block, as she flees New York for the picturesque city of Seattle. There, she stumbles upon Charlie, a captivating and openhearted coffee shop owner grappling with heartbreak and financial woes. As Mack finds solace and inspiration in Charlie's presence, she begins to weave Charlie's personal experiences into her novel, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Mack's decision to use Charlie's private stories as fodder for her novel sets the stage for a whirlwind of emotions and complicated dynamics. The chemistry between Mack and Charlie is undeniable, yet the stark contrast in their personalities and life philosophies threatens to keep them apart. Mack, a meticulous planner, struggles to understand Charlie's optimistic outlook and unconventional lifestyle. Charlie, on the other hand, finds Mack's regimented and anxious nature difficult to comprehend. As a storm traps Mack and Charlie in the cozy confines of the coffee shop, their connection deepens through a passionate and mind-boggling kiss. However, the revelation of Mack's literary transgression—the incorporation of Charlie's intimate secrets into her novel—looms large, threatening to shatter their fragile bond. Hawkins skillfully explores the complexities of love, friendship, and the creative process in "Not in the Plan." Through Mack and Charlie's journey, she delves into the ethics of using personal experiences as artistic inspiration and the fine line between inspiration and exploitation. The characters are well-developed and relatable, their flaws and vulnerabilities making them endearing and authentic. Hawkins' writing is sharp and engaging, capturing the essence of Seattle's vibrant coffee culture and the quirky charm of its inhabitants. The narrative is peppered with humor and heartwarming moments, but it also delves into deeper themes of identity, self-discovery, and the pursuit of dreams. Overall, "Not in the Plan" is a delightful and thought-provoking read that offers a unique perspective on the creative process, the complexities of relationships, and the unpredictable nature of life. Hawkins' ability to craft a compelling story with relatable characters and poignant insights makes this novel a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction and lovers of a good romantic comedy.

A bohemian coffee shop owner crosses paths with a rigid coffee addict. Is there a magnetic pull between opposites, brewing a connection or igniting a fiery clash?

This delightful romance unfolds as attraction steadily intensifies, reaching a point where denying their feelings becomes impossible. Filled with charming characters, the story radiates a fun and sparkly vibe.

Whether you're at the beach, on holiday, or just looking for a anytime read, this feel-good romance fits the bill perfectly. Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying this book more than expected.

Special thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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

Not in the plan is a sweet story about two girls; an author and a barista, who meet each other and fall in love.

Charlie and Mack are both struggling with some personal problems which makes it hard for them to communicate with each other. I totally love the character development both go through, especially Charlie! I loved Charlie so much. Her vibes were everything.

This story was honestly so wholesome and I enjoyed every second of it! The writing was fun which made this book so easy to read. BONUS POINTS: the fun titles each chapter gets!!!!

☆☆☆☆/5

This romcom was cute and filled with real emotions. Not just the lovey dovey kind- the traumatic kind. This story goes to show that love can be found in a dark space.