Kait's Reviews > Not in the Plan

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.