if there's one thing i love, it's a good workplace romance, and so not my type delivers with a side of sizzing tension and all the drama you'd expect when opposites attract. set against the backdrop of a fast-paced seattle ad agency, this book dives headfirst into enemies-to-lovers territory, and it's a ride.

first off, the workplace setting is spot on. sophie black's dedication to her job is the kind of competence porn i live for. seeing her thrive in a high-stakes, creative environment while loving what she does felt like a refreshing dose of escapism. enter ella northwood, the ceo's daughter with a trust fund and a high-level job she may or may not have earned. from their first dash, it's clear this isn't going to be a smooth partnership, but watching their dynamic evolve—from mutual disdain to tentative respect to something a whole lot deeper—was a delight.

speaking of the two main characters, while the book is billed as a slow burn, i'd argue it leans more toward "smoldering right from the start." sophie and ella's attraction to each other is undeniable, even when they're bickering. their dates around the city were downright heartwarming, giving me all the feels.

now, let's talk about the drama. the plot twists are perfectly chaotic. one particular moment—when a ghost from both their pasts resurfaces—had me spitting out my drink. it's the kind of delicious, soap-opera-level drama i didn't know i needed. that said, some parts were a bit predictable, like ella's big hero moment near the end. while it served its purpose, it took away some of sophie's well-earned glory, which felt a bit unfair to her journey.

another standout is the chronic illness representation. ella's epilepsy was handled thoughtfully, telling us the challenges she faces daily. but, it sometimes felt like her entire personality revolved around her condition. ella had so much potential with her layered privilege and vulnerability, but her character development took some odd turns, leaving her feeling a little flat by the end.

on a broader level, the book tackles socioeconomic privilege and nepotism in an interesting way, weaving these themes into the characters' development. sophie's frustrations with ella's privilege are incredibly relatable—who wouldn't feel salty if someone waltzed into a position you worked years to achieve?

overall, so not my type is a mix of swoony romance, juicy workplace drama, and thought-provoking themes. while some elements didn't fully land, it's still an engaging read, especially if you're here for some workplace sparks and drama like me.

thank you, @netgalley and @stormbooks_co, for the e-arc. 🩷

rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫

So Not My Type by Dana Hawkins is an adorable and slightly spicy workplace romance about two women who hate each other… or do they. I’ll admit, I the twist coming but I for sure, didn’t hate it or how it played out. I definitely recommend So Not My Type if you’re looking for a fun and well written workplace romance!

I really hoped for a good soft enemies-to-lovers office romance, but instead was a bit disappointed by the childish tone and interactions. I didn’t get at all why they were angry which is my biggest pet peeve with this type of dynamic. If you’re gonna be angry, have a reason?

I also don’t like it when the characters are from the get go like ‘oh she’s such a bitch but why is she so hot?’ In my opinion, that doesn’t make much sense in a contemporary romance setting, it’s different for fantasy. That was very much the case from chapter 1 in this book.

A rivals/ enemies-to-lovers office setting done well is Hotel Queens by Lee Winter (she nailed that rivals genre). Whenever I pick up a new book with that same type of blurb, I always really hope it hits as well as that one. rarely it does.

A few good parts: for reading only queer books, I actually don’t remember reading contemporary where an MC is bald, it’s such a lesbian goth thing to do you know? That was fun to see. Also the disability part was good, it didn’t feel like a ‘oh my character needs something to set her back in life’ moment but it felt real. For the rest it was all just very mid unfortunately.

I loved both of the main characters, I felt like I was reading about real people and felt very strongly about them reaching their goals! I read this book in one sitting, Ella and Sophie's relationship is very endearing, it didn't have any unnecessary drama that you find in other romance books.

It was a very fast paced sapphic romance set in an office with a very charming cast of secondary characters.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was a cute book about Ella and Sophie’s relationship. As someone who has lived in Seattle in the past, I enjoyed reading about the city and locations that I knew. I found the workplace setting to be a bit too wordy, using jargon that is never explained and wasn’t very interesting to befin with. It was nice to have the inclusion/representation of a character with a chronic illness without becoming too preachy about it. I did find both Sophie and Ella to be a bit immature for their supposed ages, but maybe that’s because I’m getting older and crankier?! Regardless, it was a very enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.

This is a well-written and well-constructed novel. I would have enjoyed it if I hadn’t found Ella’s anxiety and Sophie’s resentment so distressing. Too much angst for me. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

So Not My Type is an enjoyable, feel-good romantic comedy with relatable characters, witty dialogue, and a sweet love story. My first but not my last by this author.

This was my first book I've read from Dana Hawkins and I really enjoyed it. I felt involved with the two main characters very early on in the book and I was immediately pulled into the story. I loved their backstories being teased out and the growing attraction between the two. The office setting was done really well and I found the marketing aspect of it particularly interesting.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for any future books from Dana!

Thank you so much to Storm Publishing for the arc via NetGalley and for giving me the opportunity to share my honest thoughts on the book.

The second book from Dana Hawkins I have read and enjoyed. This one deals with female relationships and the effects of epilepsy on people. A well researched book written shortly after the death of the authors father when it was a difficult time to write and time when friends and family help most. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Considering this is a part of the Single in Seattle collection, it's a really good stand alone book.
I ended up not being able to put this book down as I continued to read, and liked the dual point of view. There were not so subtle hints that the two main characters actually had feelings for each other, so I really wouldn't entirely consider it as enemies to lovers. This felt more like a slow burn romance. I would've love to see a bit more of that "enemy" side of it, like a bit more bickering was needed. However, it was still well-paced.

Additionally, I would've loved to see more about Ella's point of view towards the end chapters, just to drive more how the epileptic attack she got made her days look and the fear of Sophie and her relationship not being able to survive that.

Now, something I really enjoyed was the fact that throughout everything we could see how much they loved each other. The fun experiences they both ended up having was great, and the flirting was just so cute.
For spice level, I would say it was a solid 1 out of 5.

I really enjoyed this, and I would probably re-read this again!

3.5 ⭐️

This lighthearted sapphic romance had its moments, with a slow-burn, forced-proximity setup and disability representation. This story was about a budding coworker romance with themes of first impressions and bridging very different upbringings—one sheltered and privileged, the other starting from the bottom. It was refreshing to read about supportive parents and King George was great. I enjoyed the time we spent with Sophia’s friends, though I wish they’d had more page time. While the story was entertaining and had light steam, the pacing was a bit slow until at least midway, and it didn’t pack enough tension to fully hook me.

3.5 stars
There was lots to like about this book: enemies to lovers, forced to work together, an ad agency, working class girl and the boss's daughter, and chronic illness rep. However, it felt a bit uneven to me. At times I was very engaged and at others it felt slow and/or generic.

I'll be recommending it, just with a few caveats.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

I was excited to read this book based on the description as well as the Advanced Oraise. Unfortunately the execution of the story and the writing did not match the Advanced Praise. The characters came off as childish and immature for the work environment and the story seemed to lack depth. 2 stars

I received an ARC from Stor, Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️

I thought this was a really cute romance with a lot of great elements! Sophie and Ella had a great relationship and the slowburn romance felt really organic, with them learning to overcome their poor first impressions of each other, becoming friends, and eventually lovers. I thought the epilepsy rep was good and liked how Ella was shown to be a complex character outside of her chronic illness while still facing realistic struggles because of it. I also liked a lot of the side characters, with George in particular being interesting and funny.

However, I do feel like this lacked anything to make it feel very special. The relationship was quite formulaic and the plot was predictable in a way that was a little too much even for a light-hearted romance. I also think more should have been done to address Ella's privilege and the nepotism in the book as I feel this was sort of ignored after her and Sophie become friends. (view spoiler)

Overall, I thought this was a sweet romance with some good rep and good writing. However, I did have some issues with it and if I was being honest I think there are probably sapphic romances I would recommend more.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this eARC in return for my honest review.

DNF, though I really tried to push through it.
The characters come off as two-dimensional, self-centered, and immature despite working in a professional environment. Their internal dialogue is repetitive, creating a book that's all tell and not nearly enough show. The prose leaves much to be desired, especially since the internal complaining about one another takes up more space than any descriptions. These two are not meant for each other, that much is clear.

I couldn't get into this story, although I tried. I wanted to like this book so badly because the chronic illness aspect really spoke to me, having a chronic illness myself, but it just didn't do it for me.
I didn't like the characters, I thought they were childish, boring and self centered. It was also clear from the start for me that they didn't suit eachother one bit. It also bugged me that the chronic illness seemed to be Ella's entire personality.
That being said, I'm sure that there will be enough people who really liked this book. It just wasn't for me.

Thanks to netgalley and Dana Hawkins for gifting me this e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

thank you to netgalley, author dana hawkins and storm publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
this book and romance wasn’t my favorite. it’s very sweet but also stale at times.

This book was a bit underwhelming, I really had hoped it was going to be amazing because I am all for reading lesbian romance however the pacing was a bit off. The beginning of the relationship was handled really well but the ending felt rushed and was unsatisfying, I also did not enjoy the way the subplot about Ella's relationship with her parents developed - I don't think it made much sense for it to change 180 degrees especially because there was no big change in her parents behavior nor there was a good enough reason for Ella to completely change her mind. On the bright side, it was a very quick read that had given me a break from the outside world and although the ending wasn't what I was hoping for, I really did enjoy the major part of this book.

This is the best queer-focused romance I have ever read! Both characters are so much more than their sexuality and are beyond relatable. Being lesbian is just a small part of that. This enemies to lovers work romance was adorable and I can't recommend it enough!

So Not My Type is a slow-burn workplace romance that sizzles with chemistry, drama, and heartfelt moments. This book delivers a delightful mix of opposites-attract tension and emotional vulnerability, making it a standout in the contemporary queer romance genre.
Sophie’s scrappy determination and guarded demeanor perfectly contrast with Ella’s polished, seemingly effortless confidence. But as the story unfolds, we see the depth behind their exteriors—Sophie’s drive is fueled by her past struggles, and Ella’s privilege hides a longing to be truly seen and understood.
The romance itself is beautifully paced, balancing steamy moments with tender, quiet revelations that deepen their bond. The workplace setting adds ext layers of tension and stakes, as their relationship is tested by professional challenges and personal insecurities.
I loved how insecurities are addressed, both personal and professional making the characters relatable. The story tackles themes of privilege, self-worth, and vulnerability in a way that feels natural and heartfelt. It is also interesting that there is a lot of epilepsy awareness, it has helped me understand more.
5 out of 5 stars – A perfectly crafted love story filled with tension, heart, and joy!