The Ex Effect by Dana Hawkins

A farm-renovating, wedding-planning queer romance. What's not to love?

Frankie is a big-city photographer trying to get a job with her dream magazine company. Morgan is a small-town wedding planner struggling to keep her business afloat. Before graduating high school, they had been best friends and girlfriends with plans for a future, but that fell apart when Frankie chose to go to New York and Morgan opted to stay.

This book is set fifteen years or so after their high school fallout, and they are reconnecting in planning a wedding for Frankie's family friends. The romance is slow burn until the bonfire catches at the halfway point, and wow, it's excellent.

I was captivated by this book, and especially after that halfway point, I couldn't put it down. At first, I was rolling my eyes at "another small-town high school sweethearts reconnecting" trope, but after the predictable (re)meet cute, I finally got into it.

The small town vibes were amazingly incorporated throughout the story, and I almost want to move to a small town for the community that this book imagines. Well-written, beautiful, and captivating prose alongside a slow burn queer romance made this book one of my top books for July 2025.

Can the next book please be about Quinn (Frankie's sister)...?

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Dana Hawkins for this ARC!

4.25 stars

loved this rom com soooo much. the perfect quick little feel good type book. very entertaining!!! would def recommend :)

Such a beautiful slow burn story told at just the perfect pace. I fell in love with Morgan and in lust with Frankie so was definitely rooting for them both.
I got all the emotions from this book I laughed and I also really cried and had such a big lump in my throat. It had me second guessing what was going to happen next but I always got it wrong and it was just so much better than I could have predicted. This is the first book I have read of Dana Hawkins and I will be seeking out more.

Listen, I love a good ex's to lovers/second chance vibes romance, but I genuinely hated this lol Morgan irritated me so much, and Frankie wasn't much better. & don't even get me started on their inability to communicate with each other.

Exs to lovers has got to be one of my favourite sapphic romance tropes. While completely predictable this was a fun ride. The ending fell a little flat for me me and I wished for more in the story in general but for a chill read it hit the spot. Highlight was definitely the town. It gave that perfect small town cozy vibes, it'll definitely be a great setting for the rest of the series.

Oh my god, this book. I'm not even sure where to start. I had so many problems with it and wanted to DNF so many times. But since I'm trying to keep my NetGalley ratio high, I powered through. But I think this will be my last Dana Hawkins book. Unless someone I really, really trust reads a future release and tells me I have to try it.

Okay, let's get to it. In no real order, because they all drove me crazy, we have an insane level of non-communication, clunky prose, almost solid telling instead of showing, ridiculous choices, and two main characters who sound exactly alike.

The non-communication was awful. So many mentions of something along the lines of "I know I should tell (Morgan or Frankie) this super important thing but... nah." It was seriously maddening. The writing itself was rough. How the hell does someone "fold her eyes"? That's just one example of insanity. Then we have every instance of Frankie and Morgan together erupting in a snarky, mean, nasty fight but after "a few weeks," they're falling in love again. But of course they don't actually talk about any of that. Sometimes we got a few lines of dialogue and then paragraphs of prose that tells us all the things that should be being said.

To be fair, I didn't love Not in the Plan but usually later books are better. I had high hopes. But I've got another book down for my annual goal and get to keep my NetGalley ratio close to where it should be.

So thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for helping me to determine that this author just isn't for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of The Ex-Effect.

I read The Ex-Effect a few days ago and have already started forgetting what it was about, so there’s that.

It took me a hot minute to start remembering what happened in this book, but “it’s all coming back to me now” – the second-chance storyline and wedding planner/wedding photographer premise is a good one in general, but the execution was off.

Morgan comes across as unlikable from the beginning and so does Frankie when it comes down to it. Their past is wrapped up in the high school break up of it all, and they’re how old now? Too old to not be able to set boundaries for themselves and talk through the issues they’re having in the present, which are mixed up with issues they had in the past. Too old to not know that words matter and how you frame something is going to make a difference – I’m looking at Frankie with that weird bombshell of information about her current love life that she springs on Morgan (and readers to be honest) without giving the full context.

The writing, overall, isn’t terrible by any means; however, the immaturity of the characters is something. Both Morgan and Frankie needed to just get over themselves a bit and start talking about things. Morgan is especially frustrating since she makes so many assumptions about Frankie based on hurt feelings from the past. During these moments, I wondered if either MC even liked each other when they were teenagers. It seems as though they didn’t really understand each other at all.

There’s also a horrible scene where Morgan and Frankie go meet with a former classmate who is also a DJ. Morgan needs to find a DJ for the wedding, but this guy wasn’t it by a long shot, and this scene was totally unnecessary because the potential DJ was a terrible, abusive man. And, of course, Morgan is left alone with this guy because why exactly? Why? Sure, Frankie comes back in time to interrupt what might have happened here, but why put that kind of scene in this romance novel? It didn’t need to be there at all. Just no. Absolutely not.

Now that I remembered what was happening in The Ex-Effect, I’m going to go back to forgetting about it because it’s certainly not a book that I want to think that much about let alone read again. Girl. Bye.

Sometimes a second chance romance really hits for me but this one just didn’t, unfortunately. Hawkins does a lot of work making us understand and empathize with both characters and what went wrong initially when they were teens but this meant that between that and their behavior as adults i wasn’t really rooting for them to get back together at all. I think one of my biggest issues is that Morgan is SO critical of Frankie for so long but we as readers know and understand that Frankie has ADHD that she’s taking actionable steps to deal with. Meanwhile Morgan has almost debilitating anxiety and isn’t doing anything about it except expecting everyone in her life to make sure everything goes exactly as she planned all the time. And here’s the thing i don’t need manic pixie dream FMC, i like a woman with some bite but i think the bite went on too long maybe for me. It takes the two characters far too long to finally have an adult conversation about their past and spend that first chunk of the book admiring one another’s bodies while refusing to acknowledge there may have been any growth over the last 15 years.
This was my first book by Dana Hawkins but there was enough here that i’ll definitely pick up another, the premise of this one just wasn’t for me.

3.5⭐

Morgan es una organizadora de bodas perfeccionista cuya empresa está al borde de la ruina. Su única esperanza es Olivia, una clienta con una boda enorme que debe organizarse en tan solo noventa días. Lo último que espera Morgan es reencontrarse con Frankie, la fotógrafa del evento… y su exnovia de la adolescencia, quien la dejó hace quince años sin mirar atrás. Frankie, que ahora vive en Nueva York y ha construido una nueva vida con un nuevo nombre y una nueva imagen, ha regresado temporalmente al pueblo para resolver asuntos familiares. Lo que parecía un trabajo más se convierte en una montaña rusa de emociones cuando ambas deben colaborar profesionalmente, obligadas a revivir heridas del pasado mientras se enfrentan a una fuerte atracción que nunca se apagó.


---


Siento que al final le faltó algo. Durante todo el libro, Frankie es clara sobre lo que quiere, y sus decisiones, incluso la penúltima es crucial para su carrera están alineadas con su crecimiento profesional. Por eso, el cambio repentino que toma hacia el cierre no encaja del todo con su evolución como personaje. Se siente apresurado, como si se necesitara una resolución feliz, pero sin el desarrollo suficiente para justificarla del todo.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

I enjoyed this novel, and I think that it is the authors best novel to date. I have gotten to enjoy each of the authors novels as an ARC (wow actually, kind of cool) and I can say that I definitely think they are getting better and better with each novel published. Hawkins is a reliable and consistent writer of enjoyable stories that has never left me disappointed. This isn’t quite a favorite novel (it’s a lower-five-stars for me), but I would recommend it as a nice and easy read.

Highlights:
-GREAT ADHD representation. The depiction of ADHD in this novel was very well done and felt incredibly true to life (from my experiences). A lot of people get ADHD wrong or present it like a cartoon stereotype version of the real thing. I don’t know if it was the authors intention or not, but this was a very informative novel as well as entertaining. I could see some readers finding the ADHD content repetitive as it seems to come up constantly and with regards to every aspect of Frankies life, but that is honestly and objectively what ADHD is like so kudos from me.
-Both protagonists were very human, and real-feeling characters. They were flawed but those flaws were reasonable. You could tell that they were working on their personal flaws and issues, but not quite there yet. They were not overly perfect or a disaster caricature, and this made them feel a lot more relatable and accessible for me as a reader.
-Both characters had some very annoying personality traits, however I was able to fully understand and embrace where they were coming from. These were real people. Their history tainted their early interactions in a very understandable way.
-The second-chance element of this novel was handled very well (it often isn’t IMO!). The author struck a good balance between past troubles and present resolutions. It wasn’t perfectly what I wanted, but I have surprisingly specific and demanding standards for second-chance romance apparently, hah!
-Goats as a yard cleanup tool. I follow three such accounts on Instagram and I love this random detail being included in this novel.

Gripes:
-I don’t really love it when the plot dictates that one character will have to give up on their dream in order to be with the other. I understand that its realistic and that in real life there isn’t always a convenient solution where everything works out perfectly, but sometimes that does happen. I understand that life takes a winding road and giving up on one dream doesn’t mean you can’t find another. I understand! I just don’t like it, hah. The messaging that you should sacrifice your life goals to be with your partner and support theirs just never sits quite right with me. Note: this bullet point isn’t suggesting anything specific about the full plot of this novel and isn’t a (quite) a spoiler.
-“On time is late” people annoy me. I’m not holding this against the novel, but I just wanted to complain about Morgan. I am a very punctual person who completely agrees with her that punctuality is a component of respect. That said, I also believe in clear communication and establishment of expectations; if you want someone at a location at a specific time then tell them that time, don’t tell them a different time and then secretly expect them to read your mind about how much you expect them to adjust it to meet your silent expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

Sometimes you start a book and can just tell it’s not going to work for you. This book was that for me. From the characters, who I just genuinely didn’t care about, to the writing itself, which was primarily telling without enough showing, I just couldn’t find it in me to care. I typically love a second chance but even at 20% I could tell that these two were not going to end up charming me and that I would continue to feel that they were not a good fit for each other, present or past. Pretty disappointed that this one was a flop for me because the premise was such a draw. If I had to rate the percentage I read it would probably be 2-2.5 stars.

What a sweet story! The Ex Effect by Dana Hawkins was emotional. I wanted exactly what Frankie and Morgan wanted... but I had to wait to see if they would do it! I recommend this as a sweet, engaging love story with humor and that extra something that tugs at your heart strings.

‘The Ex Effect’ by Dana Hawkins is a second-chance sapphic romance that beautifully captures the idea of “right person, wrong time.”

Morgan’s life revolves around precision and control. Her wedding planning business is her entire world, and she’s 90 days away from either saving it or losing everything she’s worked so hard for. But when chosen photographer for her most important wedding turns out to be Frankie, her first love and the woman who left her heartbroken 15 years ago, her perfectly organized life starts to unravel.

Frankie, back in town after the loss of her grandmother, wasn’t exactly thrilled to face her ex either, though she had a bit more warning of the meeting than Morgan. What starts as animosity and strictly professional dynamic, quickly catches them both off guard, as old feelings begin to resurface.

It took me a while to really get invested in the story, but once I did, I loved it. The book is filled with emotional depth and sensitivity. It explores mental health, heartbreak, choices and growth. With both MC’s struggles, the book captured exceptionally well, that sometimes even when the person is right, the timing isn’t. Their break-up felt necessary - they both needed time to grow and understand themselves individually. Not only were the characters strong, but the way Morgan’s anxiety and Frankie’s (then undiagnosed) ADHD clashed made their past relationship toxic. The space and time between them was fundamental.

The only downside for me was how long it took me to get into the story. The characters were frustrating at times, especially with their constant back-and-forth that never led anywhere. It took them a while to start communicating, but once that finally happened, I truly started to enjoy it and couldn’t put the book down.

Definitely recommend. The plot was engaging, the pacing was great and never felt forced. Overall, the book ended up being an amazing read.

Great thank you, NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Dana Hawkins for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I’m sometimes skeptical of second chance romances, but this one completely won me over. From the first chapters, I was invested in Morgan and Frankie’s stories. Both characters felt so real, and I found myself relating to each of them in different ways. The miscommunication and circumstances that led to their original breakup actually made sense, which made their reunion feel all the more emotional. Watching them reconnect and truly get to know each other as adults and to see how they supported each other and their careers was both heartwarming and heartbreaking; their tenderness had me crying more than once. I also loved the Midwest small-town setting! This book was such a lovely surprise!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a fee ARC of the novel via NetGalley.


4.25 stars. This is the 4th novel I've read by Dana Hawkins and it's my favorite. The quality of writing and plotting gets better and better by each book.

I was waiting for The Ex Effect to be released once its blurb was announced. Second chance and childhood friends to lovers are one of my favorite tropes and this sapphic romance combines them. And the book was worth the wait.

There are some serious topics but overall The Ex Effect is light read. Its really well written and I enjoyed reading it. MCs' pasts are revealed slowly and it keeps the interest alive. Why they broke up? What has happened in the past 15 years?

The main characters broke up at 18 after graduating from high school. It becomes clear that both were really immature and selfish in the past. Now they are 33 with more life experience. But it takes them the summer they are forced to work together to understand and reflect. They are ready to appreciate and understand each other and also realize their own hopes and dreams.

The romance is quite spicy, spiciest of the author's books in my opinion. The tension and buildup towards the intimacy is really well written.

The setting is classic small town with one MC returning temporarily home from the big city. What happens if they get together? Who will move or are they ready to have long distance relationship?

The Ex Effect had a fun premise, and there were definitely some moments I enjoyed. The banter was witty, and the tension between the main characters had potential. I liked the idea of exes being thrown back together, and the second-chance angle had its sweet spots.

That said, I struggled a bit to fully connect with the characters or feel the depth of their chemistry.

Overall, it was a decent read with some charm, just not one that completely swept me away. I’d still try more from Dana Hawkins!

Would I recommend this book to you? Yes

Expected Release Date: 08/19/2025

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the early access. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This book is a great second chance, slow burn Wlw romance. For me, it was a little too slow burn and I stopped enjoying the book 75% of the way through. I enjoyed the character development, Frankie and Morgan had a complicated past to work through and the book is a dual POV. The book itself is quite an easy read, I just personally found it a little too slow!

The Ex Effect is the second book I’ve read by this author. My first one wasn’t a great experience, I blamed a book hangover. However, my experience with this book was much the same, without a book hangover. It’s possible this author’s style just isn’t for me.

This is a second chance romance, our mains split after high school. They are meeting again in their mid-thirties in their hometown. The reason for their split isn’t revealed until fairly late in the story, for a second chance romance way too late. There seems to be no resolution to their story even though they do end up together. Of course this is a spoiler but what do you expect from a second chance romance? Them not ending up together? There is too much reference to the past and how one character hurt the other, from both sides, and it’s all in their own minds. Which is very annoying. There isn’t a lot of talking and actually “adulting” going on. The characters are very one dimensional, the story rather boring and not developing beyond a surface level.

Not a great read for me, but anyone else might like it.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc! This was my first Dana Hawkins book and I couldn't put it down.

It felt like there was so much more in this book than just a second chance. Their past wasn't just brushed over or ignored which I loved and I really liked reading about Morgan's journey understanding her ADHD and how it affected her life. There was so much emotional growth between these two and their chemistry was incredible. I loved every moment of it!

I am woefully behind on Hawkins’ Single in Seattle series, but I loved Not in the Plan. When I saw that her next series is Meet Cute in Minnesota, I screamed. A series of sapphic novels set in my beloved home state?!
TAKE MY MONEY!!

Though the premise is interesting and the story is well written, I really struggled with liking both of the FMCs in The Ex Effect. Frankie and Morgan dated as teenagers, then broke up abruptly at their high school graduation, both feeling like the other abandoned them as they moved on to their post-high school dreams. Now they’re stuck working together to pull off a client/friend’s wedding in 90 days.

Given that Frankie and Morgan are total opposites, it wasn’t clear what drew them together in the first place. They were both so intolerant of each other... I couldn’t picture them actually happy together as (even more) emotionally-charged teenagers, and didn’t find much to like about them together as adults either. I enjoyed the plot overall, but these two characters just don’t make a strong couple as far as I can see.

I’m looking forward to reading the next books in this series with some different, hopefully better-suited FMCs.