This book had its ups and downs for me. I enjoyed a lot of aspects of Frankie and Morgan's relationship, but the lack of communication was frustrating. I also think I would have appreciated the characters more if their previous relationship had progressed further beyond high school. The idea that Frankie and Morgan were still holding on to things almost fifteen years later was not romantic to me. I also didn't love that they actively chose not to talk about difficulties in their current relationship until the last possible second. The relationship felt a little bit like putting their head in the sand and hoping things would get better eventually. Overall, this was a little underwhelming, while the end made up for some of it, it was a solid three stars..

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

A book that makes me feel is a book I enjoy, even if it’s not all positive emotions. The Ex Effect made me mad. I was pissed off for a bit of time, but I enjoyed reading Morgan and Frankie’s story.

Frankie and Morgan got on my nerves, but mostly Frankie. I could relate to Morgan with her anxiety and the wound left by Frankie's leaving. I also could relate to Frankie’s hyperfocus and how her ADHD manifests. However, while both are self-centered, Frankie’s lack of understanding and her attitude towards Morgan were less than bearable. Her using ADHD as an excuse for everything was just cowardice.
Frankie and Morgan obviously still have feelings for each other, and they work well when they make an effort to meet each other in the middle. I wouldn’t mind if the book ended at chapter 30. Sometimes, loving someone means letting them go even more, if it’s to follow their dream.
I was not quite sure if they would be able to make their relationship work, but the epilogue proved me otherwise.

The Ex Effect is by and so far my favorite Dana Hawkins book. If you’re looking for a second-chance ex-best friend to enemies to lovers, and you’re prepared to yell after the characters, I definitely would recommend this book.

Representation: sapphic main couple

Summary:
Morgan Rose is a whiz at planning weddings. She's been Type A since she was a child, which lends itself to the sort of planning and preparation needed for making weddings goes smoothly. Her state of her planning business, however, is not going smoothly - if Morgan doesn't book another wedding soon, she'll be forced to close her business. So when a young woman and her fiance need to be married in 90 days (a tight timeline for any wedding, let alone the only one that can save Morgan's business), she can't say no. When it turns out the photographer is her ex, Frankie, whom she hasn't seen since they broke up at their high school graduation, it seems like a sign. But is it a sign of doom, or is it possible a sign that Morgan and Frankie are meant to be in each other's lives?

Review:
I loved this book. It was so easy and fun and I found myself devouring many chapters in one sitting. The thing I maybe loved the most was how often Morgan and Frankie apologized to each other. They fought, like exes and grown people in general do, but they were both open about their roles in the fight, and neither was afraid to say sorry, which was really refreshing in a contemporary romance. I also felt like the miscommunication and secret-keeping that are rampant in contemporary romance were delightfully minimal here - secrets usually came out within a few chapters of characters learning them, and it meant the book wasn't hung up on this one singular plot point in a way I really enjoyed. I also felt that because they'd had time apart, we could see how they'd grown, and with all of the stuff I mentioned above, they felt like real adults, which I really enjoyed. This book was a fun and fast read, and I am definitely on the lookout for book 2 - I hope we get a sapphic romance with Frankie's little sister Quinn, at some point!

people aren't perfect/ pasts are perfect. and neither can be peoples choices or the way they "see" those choices. i think this book did a really great job of showing that. alongside that we show two woman who do indeed have a few more deeper issues some hanging on from shared pasts and some all of their own. but does that mean you can move on, heal and even be happy. no it does not.
Morgan keeps her world controlled. she has to, its the only way she feels in control. but lately her and her carefully ordered life seems to be going a bit bleh. on her latest wedding planning job she is about to get a big "no no, not this" moment.
Frankie who once upon a time love, is back in town after the loss of her grandmother. it hit her hard so shes back home to keep going with her photography work.
Morgan then is shocked,surprised and not at all happy by seeing Frankie. they loved each other so much. but it all went wrong. and it hurt, it hurt Morgan in too many ways. its been years but Frankie broke her heart and she hasn't gotten over that. but she seems to not have gotten over the woman herself either.
but now isn't the time for feelings. because this wedding is what Morgan NEEDS to go right. and working with Frankie is her only option.
i really enjoyed this book. i liked especially how the different things going on in the womans life weren't just for show or tick boxes. instead we see that a very common issue that Frankie has regarding her time keeping and other behaviours are actually completely explainable. and how woman mask or people are ignorant or wrongly dont know what conditions people suffer with therefore call them lazy, not hard working or dont focus, or do focus. whereas when we find out Frankie and her ND we completely see why and how she does and did the way she did. but again, it never felt pushed on them or us. it just was, but was equally important.
i liked how we all knew these two were meant to be. and watching wishing it might happen for them both. which would take work on both sides but also alot of fun.

I went in really wanting to like this book - I enjoyed the Single in Seattle series, and was excited to get more!

Unfortunately, this book fell a little flat for me. I found myself not super invested in the characters.

My biggest issue was the way the timeline seemed to jump around - the two main characters were feuding, and then suddenly one chapter was a couple weeks later and they were super lovey dovey. The same thing happened towards the end - there was a conflict, then suddenly it was pushed aside.

cute, fun, and well done romance, though some of the unusual turns of phrase occasionally took me out of it. still a solid read. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This one was more like 3.5 stars. I liked it, but there were times I found the main characters' personality conflicts were taken just a little too far. It made those moments a little distracting to the story itself. Overall, good concept and good storytelling. I am interested in reading more of Hawkins work.

We follow Morgan and Frankie. They were friends during childhood, then they were girlfriends as teenagers. It's been 15 years since they've seen each other.
Now in their thirties, they have to work together to organise a wedding.

Both characters were going through personal issues and I was interested in knowing how they could get past those. Throughout the weeks spent together they learnt to communicate and get to know each other again.

At first I did not really like Morgan. She seemed entitled, and stubborn. She was also controlling and a perfectionist in her work, but in an annoying way.
I preferred Frankie, I could relate to her more with her ADHD.

This is usually the type of romance I like to read but I struggled a bit to get through 40% of the book. Nothing much was happening and I didn't really get attached to the characters.
It was so frustrating when at 50% of the book they would not manage to communicate properly.
But I kept reading and there was an evolution in their way of thinking, communicating and understanding each other!!!
The intimacy scene was full of consent and communication, it was pleasant to read and not too long!
It was a nice read and I really liked the ending

Dana Hawkins has again delivered a wonderful sapphic romance that keeps you wondering how things can work out, right up until the very end. In The Ex Effect we meet Morgan, a struggling wedding planner who is on the edge of having to close her business due to the cheaper generic wedding planning company that has set up nearby and is taking all the business. On the other hand, we meet Frankie, a talented photographer who has returned to her hometown for a few months to help clear out her deceased grandmother’s house and prepare it for sale. While there she agrees to help her friend with his weeding by serving as the photographer. The two women had dated many years ago while at school but had a heartbreaking break-up due to competing career and life dreams. Now they find themselves having to work together to ensure the wedding can be pulled off with a ridiculously short timeframe. With so much angst and pain from their history, this is no easy feat.

One of the things I really liked about The Ex Effect was Dana Hawkin’s use of alternative perspective to tell the story. This enables the reader to understand the pain on both sides of the relationship and the reasonings behind the MC’s past and current decisions. I also loved the way she relates Frankie’s challenges arising from her ADHD and the resulting lack of organisation and timeliness, traits that drive the rigidly controlled and punctual Morgan crazy. The tension between the two women due to these changes helps to keep the story rolling along.

Right up until the very end of the book I was still trying to work out how things could ever work out given that Frankie was in the running for securing her dream job in New York while there was pretty much nothing on earth that could draw Morgan away from her family and hometown. In the end I did kind of predict how things would go down, but I had to wait until the epilogue to confirm that my theory was right. Nothing like keeping a girl in suspense!!!!!!

All in all, I really enjoyed the Ex Effect and am very grateful to Dana Hawkins, Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book gives all the feels. You’ll fall in love with these characters and won’t be able to put the book down. Very well written.

Another one sitting summer romance to round off July!

I didn't mind the dual PoV, both voices were pretty distinct. The second chances story was exactly what you'd expect it to be.

I did get annoyed with the overuse of names? I'm reading and it's Morgan thinking about Frankie, and every single thought about Frankie is accompanied by Frankie's name, to the point of semantic satiation around the name Frankie. Which kind of sucks bc my cat's name is Frankie. :/

I did enjoy the setting and the story, and will probably continue with the series.

(These are my thoughts upon immediately finishing the book! I will update with a longer review when I've had time to sort my thoughts better!)

The writing, the plotting, the chemistry, the small town charm, and the tension were all really good, but the whole book is weird about Frankie's ADHD.

Morgan's toxic mindset around work is never addressed and is instead sometimes even treated like a good thing—even though it's clearly caused her massive stress and warped her perception of self-worth. Meanwhile Frankie is so careful to adhere to Morgan's rigid schedule and is quick to address anything she does wrong and apologize.

Moreover, Morgan constantly thinks awful things about Frankie and treated her horribly in the past when they were teenagers when Frankie was suffering from undiagnosed ADHD, and it's never addressed. The narrative treats Frankie rolling her eyes when Morgan stresses that if "you aren't early you're late" like a cardinal sin, but the emotional trauma Morgan inflicted on Frankie and the way she ignored Frankie's clear communication when they were teens is never acknowledged.

3.75 stars.

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.