“The Ex Effect” by Dana Hawkins is the first book in her Meet Cute in Minnesota series. This slow-burn romance combines the enemies-to-lovers trope with a forced proximity narrative.

Dana Hawkins’s writing has a cozy, light-hearted, and feel-good vibe. Her books feature strong LGBTQIA+ representation, and this one pays special attention to issues related to anxiety and ADHD.

When the main characters are forced to work together on a crucial project, tensions flare as their conflicting personalities clash. Their shared past complicates their present day interactions.

I enjoyed this cozy read. While I felt that the pacing could be improved, overall, if you’re looking for a fun beach read, this might be just what you need! Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm for the ARC.

Book 1 of Dana Hawkins' Meet Cute in Minnesota series was a pleasant surprise. Sometimes a second chance romance can be repetitive in its dialogue, but Hawkins was able to craft a real relationship between the characters. Although how many wedding/event planners exist in the world. I quite enjoyed this read.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and author Dana Hawkins for providing me with the eARC of “The Ex Effect”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: August 19th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads: July 7th, 2025

This was a great read!
Romantic, suspenseful and fast-paced. This really held my attention, and I was excited every time I got to pick up the book.

This story is perfect if you are interested in:
- Sapphic romance
- Second chance romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Opposites attract

Morgan is a struggling wedding planner, who is one failure away from having to shut down her business.
Frankie is a photographer, who has recently returned to her hometown after the devastating loss of her grandmother.
The problem? They have met before. Over ten years ago, Frankie broke Morgan’s heart, and Morgan still hasn’t forgiven her.
The last thing Morgan want is to be spending time with her ex-girlfriend, but when things don’t go to plan- she is forced to work with Frankie to make this dream wedding happen, and to hopefully save her career.
They rekindle their old romance, but soon realize sacrifices must be made to keep life from pulling them apart again.

There are a lot of things about this story I found really enjoyable.
I like the discussion of Frankie’s ADHD.
In the story, Frankie is known to be disorganized, forgetful, and non-punctual. All of these traits drive Morgan crazy and are some of the things she hates the most about her.
However, this is because Frankie had undiagnosed ADHD in high school- making her and Morgan’s ways of doing things quite different.
After her diagnosis, she makes an active effort to stay on track and improve her focus on tasks.
I think this is a great addition to the story. It added a lot of depth to Frankie’s character and made her very realistic. I also felt like it brought some awareness to the struggles of ADHD, instead of making into quirky and unique character traits.

I also liked Frankie’s story about finding herself after she moved to New York.
Changing her name and cutting her hair, to separate herself from the girl she was in high school. She had to learn how to be her own person, and not just “Morgan’s girlfriend”. I personally just really love reading things like this, and this was no exception.

The romance here was really cute as well. Mostly sweet, a little steamy, and humorous. I love how well these two women go together, despite how different they are.

Overall, I thought this was great and I am happy I got the chance to review it!
I am really looking forward to reading more of Dana Hawkins sapphic romances in the future.