This was an easy read that was emotional and funny and endearing.

I really enjoyed the characters and the story

I would have preferred a different ending, but realistically what happens is the right thing to happen.

I absolutely loved this, even though it's not my usual genre. The character dynamics and how they influence the story unfolding are skilfully mastered and create a really sweet story with plenty of curve balls along the way. It was the perfect piece of escapism I needed at that time.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

A different book to what I thought it would be. Billed for fans of Sally Rooney but this feels heavier somehow. I couldn't really connect to the characters but the lack of events didn't bother me - i just hoped the characters would be more rounded.

With a frustratingly uneventful romance and a similarly tedious plot, I could never properly connect with the characters. Unfortunately, I wasn't very interested in what was going to happen next.

3 people in a flat share and how their lives overlap and combine with extended family and friends. Does a one night stand between two of them complicate things or do they ignore it and move on? When you assume you know what someone is thinking based on your feelings and projections opportunities and confusion reigns. Enjoy the multi faceted relationships in the book.

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝
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So in this book we have 4 main characters. Hazel and her flatmate Alfie. Emily, Hazel's sister and her wife Daria.⁣
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These 4 characters are just soooo deep and vibrant! They all have a good amount of spotlight in the book giving you time to know them better. And the dynamic they take on together is really touching.
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At first I thought this book was very well written and I expected it to be quite predicable. Not in a bad way just your classic guy gets girl feel good book. But boy was I wrong!! Some of the loopholes your thrown through, my goodness did it make for good reading! ⁣
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It takes on the complexities of modern day life but adds a humourous twist. Making it relatable but not too serious.

I struggled with this book from the outset and I think it just wasn’t for me. The blurb is really misleading about the content and the tone of this book, which was incredibly heavy and trauma-filled in so many different areas. It’s not that it’s badly written at all, but it’s doing too much in a way that means it’s perhaps spread too thin. There are a lot of really important topics touched on in the book - climate change, miscarriage, revenge porn, deportation - which is great to see, the author has a lot of passion which is evident in their work. However, throwing them all into one book meant a couple got centre stage (and sometimes seemingly for the sake of it, rather than to give something to the narrative… where did the Extinction Rebellion really play into the plot?) and so it was quite difficult to connect with these topics and fully appreciate them.

I liked the characters, and they were all really interesting and there were a lot of different personalities in there, which developed some investment in the characters. But I didn’t feel like there was a lot of chemistry - especially between Alfie and Hazel. I didn’t sense the longing between them, and they barely even interacted for the entirety of the book, so I would have liked to have seen their relationship a bit more front and centre in the book, so it didn’t seem like a hook to bring in the romance fans but an actual part of the story.

I’m sorry I didn’t enjoy the book more but as I say, I think it wasn’t for me and am sure it will be a hit with other readers!

I really enjoyed this book, I liked the different perspectives in the chapters. I also liked the sun story of Hazel’s sister and partner’s journey of pregnancy. The ending was just what I wanted, not giving anything away and that’s what I liked. There was so much build up of Hazel and Alfie, I was happy with their ending. There were a few difficult topics discussed in this but it was written so well. The author definitely understood the sensitivity needed and explored them well. I will definitely be recommending this book to people who enjoy the modern day dating of ‘does he like me’ or ‘does he not’!

Not Exactly What I Had in Mind is a mixed book for me – I really enjoyed most of it and loved the characters in it: Alfie, Hazel and her sister and sister-in-law, Hazel’s friends, etc. The book starts with flatmates Alfie and Hazel having just slept together, and follows them afterwards as they deal with various personal issues, their feelings for each other (which are constantly thwarted by communication mishaps) and much more.

This book packs a lot in – perhaps a bit too much at times, but I really liked the themes it was addressing which, if I list here, will no doubt make the sound a lot heavier than it was. These include the importance of taking climate action; having kids as a gay couple; the impact of having kids on the environment; being single as you get closer to 30; trying to date in London; genetic risks of health issues; and much more that I don’t want to give away here.

I completely agreed with the messages the book was promoting and I really enjoyed reading about Hazel and Alfie’s lives as they get to know each other better, and as both of them date other people. There are some interesting dynamics between the two characters, and although I found it frustrating at times that the two of them just couldn’t seem to communicate properly, I got that this needed to be drawn out in the book to maintain the tension between them.

I also felt like there were a lot of issues or considerations that people do think about more as they reach the age of 30. The world is very different today than around 30 years ago when we were born, and I was very aware of this while reading it. It made me think!

I have seen a lot of reviews critiquing the epilogue – I also found it a bit jarring/ out of place, to be honest, but it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book – but I’ll say no more as I don’t want to give anything away.

Overall I think this is a solid read. It felt different to other books I’d read in this genre, and the likeable characters made up for the frustration at some parts.

It’s a really good book I just honestly don’t think it’s the book for me sadly.

The author has written it so well..


I found the characters to be okay and the conversation that they some times has did bore me at points in the book.

I didn’t they think they was much of a plot either as this book is mainly character divern which I really like in books.

I love the cover of the book it’s what draw me to want to read this book as it’s so well.

One thing I will say is that I would love to try and read more books by this author and I would recommend it as I think other people will like it.

The authors writing and story telling is done amazingly though out the book.

A lovely, warm hearted story about love, family & friendship.
The story revolves mostly around Hazel and Alfie who are flat mates, and married couple Daria and Emily (Hazel's sister) who long for a baby.
The story touches on sensitive subjects that are handled brilliantly, and the characters are likable, and well written.
The characters experience joy, insecurity, embarrasment, bad choices, tragedy & huge life changing decisions between these pages, and you will find it a thouroughly enjoyable read.

This book follows Hazel and Alfie, flatmates whose lives rapidly begin to intertwine together.

I adored this book, it was nothing like I expected it to be at all. I immediately was engrossed and could not put it down. I loved the layout of the book because I love getting to know characters without having to read a whole 5 chapters of finding out what they are like.

Alfie was the sweetest character known to man and I literally adore him. It was obviously frustrating at times to see them not communicating and missing each other behind closed doors.

I loved the Emily and Daria aspect to the book too, I liked that everything tied in well together.

Overall, I rated this 4 stars!
thank you to the publisher for this e-arc :)

The two main characters were very predictable for this genre of book. It was more of a slow paced summer read. A nice story, but a bit too slow for me.

I like how the book raised several topics, from relationships, donor insemination, revenge porn and environmental issues. They were all dealt with sensitivity.

A good debut for the author, but I felt like it lacked something.

Well the title definitely is what comes to mind after reading this book.
It was slow to start for me and raised many different emotions. I felt parts weren't clearly resolved and this left it feeling unfinished although totally open to your own interpretation. I think this made me sad because one of the big topics of the book is frustrating in the lack of justice. Due to the reader not being told the conclusion, even though we all probably know what it was made me feel so angry for Hazel.

The book is definitely thought provoking and makes you think about if maybe we communicated better and didn't assume things that life might run a little smoother.

The characters were an interesting bunch. Not sure I understood Tony's purpose for being in there. I am also Team Alfie all the way!

A fantastic book.
The cast includes a plethora of wonderful characters, with Hazel front and centre but with everyone else being well rounded, well thought out and thoroughly believable.
The plot touches on some fairly intense topics as interwoven side stories, all of which are dealt with beautifully.
I was rooting for Hazel and Alfie from the word go and it was great to follow their less-than-typical chick lit journey through their fledgling relationship.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.

This was a generally enjoyable read, focused on Hazel and Alfie as flatmates who sleep together then try not to complicate things despite growing feelings.
I felt that the story became a bit complicated with too many things going on. Hazel's sister and wife trying to have a baby, and Hazel's not so nice boyfriend. I felt it all got a bit messy.

Enjoyed this book and found it a good holiday read. Hazel draws cartoons and places them on her Instagram page. To make ends meet she works in a café. Her home life is sharing a flat, One of the flatmates is a school teacher called Alfie. They flit and flirt but do not seem to get it together. Also in the story are Hazel’s sister Emily and her wife Daria. All Emily wants is a family but does not really want to go down the sperm bank route. The story in part revolves around this story and is very sympathetically done. Hazel is looking for a partner and uses the internet. She matches and meets a man called Miles. Their relationship continues but she is not so sure it is the right fit for her. Eventually they separate. As she posts more and more cartoons on line which Miles takes offence to assuming they are about him he puts explicit photos and a video on line which Hazel did not even know he had taken and she obviously feel violated especially as they are seen by her nearest and dearest. His posts are classed as revenge porn and because they go far and wide Hazel goes into a deep decline. Should she take him to Court. Therapy helps her make up her mind. The story also is about Alfie and Hazel. They both feel for each other but things seem to be in the way, One of the main reasons is that Emily and Daria ask Alfie to be their sperm donor. The book progresses in a witty pace as well as the drama that Hazel goes through with the revenge porn issue. Eventually things start to change for the better for Hazel and her sister and Daria get their wish.

Many topics such as same-sex marriages/relationships, donor insemination, revenge porn and environmental issues were tackled with tact and sensitivity. The two lead characters, Hazel and Alfie, both seem initially to come from the standard romance copybook, with a traditional 'will they, won't they' set up going on. Potential is there, specially for a debut, but the overall impression is mostly frustration and some annoyance.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters seemed real and convincing, like the kind of people I have in my life already. I love that the conclusion of the story was set against the backdrop of the pandemic, it made it feel very real and up to date. I felt myself invested in the characters very early on in the book & I wanted to find out what would happen to them and how the story would conclude. Everything about this story felt real & authentic and I’m excited to read other material by this writer.

This book was a different type than I normally like. It's mote of a slow paced summer read. It was a nice story, but a bit to slow for me.