Hazel is in her twenties living with her two roommates. Things get a little weird when she and her roommate Alfie have sex. Actual feelings start to develop after a while though. Alfie is ready to make his move when Hazel's sister Emily and Emily's fiancé Dana come to visit.

All of their lives begin intertwining making them all tp think about their own lives, relationships, and goals for life.

The writing the was funny and interesting to read. I really enjoyed this book.

I wish I went into this book with a more accurate understanding of what it would be about. I had one expectation and was met with something different, and that unfortunately had a negative impact on my opinion.

There were many characters, sub-plots, and themes, and I didn't find any of them to be enough. Hazel and Alfie like each other, but won't admit it to each other leading to a lot of angst on both of their parts. The story line with Hazel's sister trying to get pregnant was awkward. There are also trigger warnings for abuse, revenge, adoption...it just felt like the author was attempting to tackle too many serious subjects while at the same time telling a love story.

Short Review: This book made me laugh, cry, gasp in surprise, and simultaneously want to punch someone in the face. It was absolutely brilliant. A wonderfully poignant take on modern love and family. All the stars.

"But do you know what, Hazel, I reckon this is all the therapy I need. Just sitting here, talking to you."

Long Review: Oh my heart. What else can I say? I am completely smitten with this one. The characters are real and raw and convey exactly what it means to live in the modern 21st century. I loved every single one of them. Most of all, Alfie. Everyone needs an Alfie in their lives.

This book is about modern relationships, loving one another, having hope, healing from loss, and all the messy complications life throws at us. Get it on your must read list.

I am not happy that this book had to end. I want to know more and I need to know what happens in the next chapters of their lives.

I will be honest and tell you to please give this book a chance. I was nervous at first and realized that I needed to read it for myself.

I loved how these characters could very well be everyday people in our lives.

The author touches on racism, sexism, feminism, sex offense, and so much more. That was refreshing because that happens in real life! To our friends and possibly even to our family.

Again, this book hit home for me. Every single character in this story now has a safe place in my soul!

Really good book, an easy but not simplistic read. I really loved the characters except for Miles of course. The story was intellectually cozy (I just made that up I think, but it captures my thoughts nicely I think.) My favorite part of Brook’s writing is how she was able to really inhabit the psyche of so many characters it brought a lot of dimension to them and also served as a mirror in which I could see my own fear and insecurities and strengths and beauty. It was a great book to break a little reading slump I was in.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. As an American who briefly lived in England, I enjoy reading British novels simply for the language alone. The story was swift and engrossing, but I didn't love the vague ending. It also felt a bit rushed at the end. But overall I enjoyed it, and was rooting for all the main characters to get what they most desired.

This debut novel follows Hazel and Alfie as they navigate the aftermath of their one-time hook-up that may or may not mean something more. My main dislike of the plot would be how much it relies on the miscommunication trope. However, they get swept up in Hazel's sister, Emily's, pursuit of pregnancy with her wife, Daria. There is a lot going on in this book, and it sometimes felt overwhelming, though I did enjoy the four main characters as they navigated careers, pregnancy, family, relationships, health, and the climate crisis. I think this is a quirky read that handles some very heavy topics well, including miscarriage and revenge porn. And you've got to love an open-ended happy ending.

Thank you Dutton for my free e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review!

Hazel and Alfie are roommates who hook up once. Immediately, Hazel decides to play it off as a one-nighter to keep herself from getting hurt. Through some miscommunication, she and Alfie decide to stay friends even though neither one wants that. Hazel's sister Emily and her wife Daria come into town looking for a donor so that they can bear a child together. Alfie seems like the perfect person for this duty. This short synopsis sounds like I'm making this out to be a madcap rom com but this book is really not that. Each relationship is deep and enriching and the story is emotional at turns depending on which character is relating their story. I really enjoyed seeing where this went and there were some definite surprises along the way.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I found this book to be cute and quirky, but not one I was overly excited about. I put it down and picked it up multiple times.
Hazel and Allie move into together just as friends. One night turned into more and they slept together. They promised it would change anything and they would keep it casual. Hazel tried really hard not to share her feelings. She even went on dates to prove it.
Hazels sister Emily and wife Daria move closer to Hazel and end up pushing Hazels problems aside. Emily desperately wants a baby, but Daria is not sure it’s the right time. They are just starting their new life and new careers.
Can either party figure out what they truly want?

Not Exactly What I Had in Mind is a meandering look into the lives of two roommates, Alfie and Hazel. Hypochondriac Alfie worries he will never find love in the masses of London. Hazel finds herself slowly falling under the influence of a new beau. Meanwhile, Hazel’s sister and her wife try to find the best way to grow their family. Have Alfie and Hazel missed their chance at a meaningful connection beyond friendship?

This book felt like a slice-of-life tv episode. Each of the characters goes through growth and are relentless in the pursuit of their goals. However, I didn’t feel particularly attached to the characters. Miscommunication is probably my least favorite trope, so I felt frustrated by its use here. I did appreciate the bond between the sisters and enjoyed the depiction of their found family. While this book was light on romance, aspects of Kate Brook’s writing reminded me of Beth O’Leary in terms of sense of humor. I will be curious to see what Kate Brook writes next! Not Exactly What I Had in Mind is available now. Thank you to Kate Brook, Dutton and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like to read about messy, awkward situations. So when this story opens with Hazel having sex with her roommate, Alfie while their other roommate turns up his game as loud as it can go - yeah I was interested -especially given that Hazel and Alfie aren’t a couple.

Their romp was a spur-of-the-moment decision. But now that the deed is done, it can’t be undone. Feelings or no feelings, they need to try to live with each other amicably.

But it gets more complicated. Hazel’s sister, Emily, and her wife come for a visit and announce they want to get pregnant; all they need is a donor. I’m going to leave it right there because if you are perceptive, you may see where this leads and how these four lives all get very intertwined.

I’m a little surprised by some of the ho-hum ratings for this one. I will admit that it is somewhat predictable. But some added depth is sprinkled into each character, such as fears of hereditary disease, anxiety, and ex-lovers posting revenge porn videos.

Overall I enjoyed this chaotic romance and family drama. Sure there were a lot of bad decisions made, but I like the support and care shown by these family members and friends.

And what do you think about the cover art? It reminds me of a painting.

Thank you @penguinrandomhouse for the gifted ebook and @RRHaudio for the gifted audiobook.

Heavy on the social commentary and light on the romance, this was a witty novel reminiscent of Sally Rooney’s writing style when it comes to modern relationships (except this one actually uses quotation marks, thank goodness.)
The epilogue was “not exactly what I had in mind.” It was a bit jarring and disjointed from the rest of the novel.
I enjoyed the wit, but found the relationships rife with miscommunication and the whole venture a bit frustrating to read. I hate when my adult characters don’t feel very adult.

dnf at 30%; just could not get into the characters or plot the way i was hoping to. the writing was strong, but definitely not my style.

I love, love, loved this book!
Full of social commentary, and the twist at the center of the book may not be everyone's taste, but for a debut author, I thought the writing was excellent.
Kaye Brook really spears certain personality types - the oh-so politically correct vegan couple who want everyone to reduce their carbon footprint, but see nothing wrong with going through extreme measures to reproduce themselves /The guy you want to hug and the guy you want to punch /The quirky, lovable protagonist and the well developed characters of her co-workers.
The dialogue was delightful and authentic. Parts of the book were laugh-out-loud funny, parts cringe-worthy, but mostly heartfelt and realistic.
Highly recommended for younger adults, but older people (such as myself) will either love it or hate it.

This was such a fun read! I thought the plot lines were witty and all of the characters were very engaging. I read this book quickly and like the serious topics that were spaces throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

Sadly the title of this book is entirely too apt. It wasn't what I thought it was when I requested it from NetGalley. There are some entertaining parts in Hazel and Alfie's interactions but I just wasn't compelled to keep reading and so scan read to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Hazel and Alfie are roommates with feelings for each other. However, they don’t discuss their feelings with each other which leads to bad decisions on Hazel’s part and heartache for both. Hazel’s sister, Emily and Emily’s wife, Daria think the world of Alfie and even ask him to be the Spermien donor for the child they are trying to have.
Not Exactly What I Had In Mind contains likable characters and would work perfectly as a beach read.

No. I briefly DNFed this at the 40% mark and then skimmed the rest, and however bad I thought it was at that point it gets worse. Frustrating miscommunication throughout that does nothing for the plot, no satisfying resolution. The icky revenge porn plot point (like etc, why is that necessary?!?) Then there’s the epilogue - don’t even get me started on that. Beyond unnecessary and undoes whatever few things the preceding novel had done well. This whole book is like a really badly done Sally Rooney imitation. And the fact that was was marketed as a romance is just beyond confusing and completely misleading.

Complicated Relationships

Hazel and Alfie are attracted to each other and sleep together. The complication is that they share an apartment. Now they don’t know how to behave, and this makes it awkward. Then Emily, Hazel’s sister. and her wife Daria come to visit. This married same-sex couple is deciding whether to have a baby. Emily desperately wants one, but Daria isn’t convinced. Of course, the donor they decide on is Alfie which adds to the already complicated relationships.

On the good side, I liked Hazel and Alfie and the writing has amusing scenes. However, it’s not enough to carry the novel. The relationships are complicated and poor decisions make things more difficult, Hazel linking up with Max, who is an unattractive character, is one example.

The epilogue turned me off the book. Covid19 was a difficult time for many people. Now a lot of us, me included, would like to move on. Using Covid19 as a setting to resolve the issues of the novel seemed a poor choice. It changed the feel of the novel from mildly amusing, to frustrating.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

That was something. Let me start by saying that this is NOT a rom-com in my opinion, which I think lead me to a great deal of my dislike, because I went into it expecting something different. This is contemporary fiction with a bit of wit, a TON of social commentary and about half of a mediocre romance plagued by miscommunication.

This honestly reminded me a great deal of something that could have been written by Sally Rooney. While I think that comparison may work in Kate Brook's favor, being that Rooney is incredibly popular, it did not work for me. I am one of the few who cannot stand Rooney's novels and I could not stop thinking about how much this reminded me of her books, but a tad more witty.

Overall, this was not my cup of tea.