Thank you NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for this #ARC.

I was very excited to read this book because of the premise. I had never read a political romance before, this was my first one.

I loved Isadora and how bright she was. I loved that she had a career she loved and cared about. I love that the character careers were not sacrificed. I love the DUAL point of view stories, those are my favorite.

I loved getting to know the characters. I thought this was a cute, easy read. Would definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author.

I was so excited to dive into this book because it meshed my two favorite genres politics and romance! Boy was I in for a treat with this book. Isadora and Karim work for opposing congressmen but that doesn't stop their chemistry from blooming. I can't even write a more in depth review without giving spoilers just know you should pick up this book. This was my first read by Gia De Cadenet and it most certainly won't be my last!

**Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Gia De Cadenet for this arc in exchange for an honest review**

I should have known this book wouldn’t really be it for me with it being a political romance. It just wasn’t the story i needed it to be. Sadly, not something i would recommend for other.

CW: sexual abuse, blackmail, mental illness, emotionally abusive partner and parent.

This is my first book by Gia De Cadenet, and overall I thought it was decent.

This book is a political romance where the main couple meets on a flight and then again at their place of work. Isadora was focused on her career, so she didn't really make time for her personal life. Until she met the gorgeous Karim, and the immediate attraction was undeniable.

If you're into sappy, HEA romances with a little spice, you may really enjoy this one.

This is a great follow-up to Getting His Game Back. We go from one Sarda brother in a Detroit barbershop to a second brother in California state politics. Both Karim and Isadora carry so much baggage, so it was delightful to watch them learn how to share the load. And the spice was hot, too.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Political rivalry romance.

Just okay for me. The characters were somewhat bland, had a hard time sticking with it.

I thought this was going to be a very different book. But it was still interesting. I also struggled with whether to give it a 3 or a 4. I ended up on the 4 simply because I read it straight through in one sitting, which has to mean something. I didn’t love the writing style, though. I mean, it was fine, just not great. It didn’t give me enough description, I guess. Anyway, glad I remembered it was on my Kindle.

A woman with goals and a man whose eyes are set to the future! Karim and Isadora have a fateful meet up that leaves them both thinking of the other and when they are brought back together they have some choices to make!

I enjoyed meeting Karim in his brothers book (Getting His Game Back) and when I saw this books was Karim’s I just had to read it! Karim is trying to find his future! Trying to find his place and get his world back in order! His attraction to Isadora is a complication but it’s too strong to walk away from!

Both Isadora and Karim have a lot to navigate and overcome but I loved how mature and poised they went about everything! More importantly I love how strong Karim was and how he wanted to be beside Isadora and help her achieve her goals! A very beautiful story and Karim just might be my favorite brother!

Isadora is the Chief of Staff to a US Congressman, who meets a cute guy on a plane but doesn’t get his number. Turns out - Karim was on the plane to move to Isadora’s town to work for her boss’ political rival! I loved that the characters were mature about not sacrificing their careers for their relationship, and they were also smart about discussing past relationships and baggage in a respectful way. This was a smart easy read - I really love this author and look forward to more of her books! This was an especially timely read for me as I just took on a new job as Chief of Staff (though in business, not politics).

this was such an interesting book! i am so thankful to netgalley for letting me read this one early! such an amazing plot and characters!! blew me away!!!

This book had me racing to finish. I absolutely loved this story. I found myself rooting for the characters and smiling from ear to ear. I’m not normally one interested in politics but this love story definitely outweighed that part for me. The author kept me engaged, developed the characters in a loving and believable way and had me rooting for their love up until the very end. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced read.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC of Not the Plan. Much like her debut novel, Getting His Game Back, this was such a fun and easy read. True to form, de Cadenet brings the reader a story with vibrant characters who overcome toxic familial relationships while falling for each other. I love how Karim and Isadora connect with each other and their “blunt, honesty” game gave me total Olivia and Fitz vibes.

Isadora Maris has spent a decade in state politics, and she is excellent at what she does. Battling lobbyists and state senators is nothing for her, as she holds her principles dear and has a plan to ensure her boss has a successful campaign for U.S. representative. With that win under her belt, she’ll finally accomplish her dream job: a congressional aid in Washington, D.C.

Everything is going according to plan until she meets Karim Sarda. Although, he may be gorgeous, he works for the scummiest of all California politicians. Isadora can’t ruin her polished reputation, but some things may be worth fighting for. After a failed marriage, Karim is looking to start over. He’s overwhelmed by Isadora’s presence and equally attracted to her. Karim really needs this fresh start, but he can’t help but wondering Isadora may also be want he needs. If his boss takes control of the California senate, it could ruin everything.

I really enjoyed the dual POVs for this story. They helped gain insight into each character’s mindset and complimented them well. I rarely read stories with the main characters involved in politics, but this one truly caught my eye! The forbidden romance or workplace romance aspect was alluring, and I couldn’t help rooting for Isadora and Karim’s relationship. Although this is a cute romance story, there is some substance to it and potential triggers such as: emotional abuse, divorce, mental health, and domestic abuse. I loved this story, touches on therapy and the conversation about domestic abuse. I do not want to spoil too much, but the aspect about mental health and domestic abuse and how it affects men was one of the largest highlights of this story for me! Also, I think Karim was an excellent match for Isadora and showed how a loving and well-matched partner can help you work through your own trauma and not minimize your feelings. My one downside of this book is I felt it could have been shorter in some areas, but the ending was cute and wrapped up almost all questions I had.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

I think this is a great folllowup to Gia's first book. Perfect for fans of Denise Williams & Jasmine Guillory, it's got a great story to tie in A+ characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC of Not The Plan. I loved this authors debut book and was excited to read the next in the series. I loved the elements that included politics and their jobs but the story line was redundant and not captivating to me. I also found the dialogue to be too saccharine and got to be too much. The endearments both characters used were cloying. Ultimately, this book just wasn’t for me.

I read this during the recent election season, which made this fun, but it was an enjoyable read anyway. I liked the tension between the main characters in the book.

Overall this was a quick read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Now this was such an unexpected win! I'm not a political girlie but suddenly I am running for president. I thought incorporating politics would turn me off of the book but surprisingly made me like it more. It was the perfect added layer of tension between these two and I loved it. I am for sure ordering this into the store.

I actually read this during November in the 2022 election series. It helped to make the sadness in the world around me feel better. I felt this wasn't too spicy and had a great balance of heat and romance.

Couldn't get through this one. I'm not sure why it wasn't my cup of tea, but I could see so easily where it was headed so quickly that it didn't make me want to continue reading.

She’s done it again! I loved her first book and I love this one even more. Karim is so adorable! I love how they were able to bond over their trauma in a healthy way. The relationship had its ups and downs but it never kept them away from each other. Finished in a day. Recommend everyone give this book a shot!