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Start giftingNot Exactly What I Had in Mind
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Learn moreAn irresistible, funny, sharply observed debut novel in which two roommates, and two sisters, will learn that sometimes family--and love—find you in the most unexpected places
Hazel and Alfie have just moved in together as roommates. They've also just slept together, which was either a catastrophic mistake or the best decision of their lives--they aren't quite sure yet. Whatever happens, they need to find a way to keep living together without too much drama or awkwardness, since neither of them can afford to move out of the apartment.
Then Hazel's sister, Emily, and her wife, Daria, come for a visit, and Hazel's and Alfie’s feelings about each other are pushed to the side in the whirlwind of their arrival. Recently returned from abroad, Emily and Daria are excited for a new life in a new town, and ready to start a family of their own.
As the lives of Hazel, Alfie, Emily, and Daria collide, a complicated chain of events begins to bind them all together, bringing joy and heartache, hope and anxiety, and reshaping their relationships in ways that no one quite predicted. Warm, clever, and devastatingly relatable, Not Exactly What I Had in Mind is by turns funny, heartbreaking, and a painfully true-to-life story about family, friends, and everything in between.
Kate Brook lives and works in London. She has a PhD in French Literature and Visual Art from King’s College London, and a master's in European Literature and Culture from the University of Cambridge. Her short-form writing has been published in The Fiction Pool and The Real Story. Not Exactly What I Had in Mind is her debut novel.
Reviews
“I adored this book―fresh, funny and thought provoking, I fell in love with the characters and did not want it to end.” ―Sophie Cousens, New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year and Just Haven’t Met You Yet“Brook’s enjoyable debut tackles the messiness of love and family… Heartfelt and entertaining.”―Publishers Weekly
“A charming peek inside the messy world of modern dating, blending hard-hitting realities with frivolous fun. Fans of Jamie Brenner and Hannah McKinnon will appreciate Brook's celebration of the chosen family of roommates, coworkers, and friends who provide steady footing in an unstable world.” ―Booklist
"Brook’s ability to balance humor with explorations of heartbreak, anxiety, and betrayal is admirable....an entertaining tale from start to finish, with characters you’ll miss right after finishing the epilogue."―Kirkus
“A clever and insightful take on what love and family mean in the twenty-first century.” ―Nicola Gill, author of We Are Family and The Neighbors
“Captures the intricacies of modern relationships with undeniable skill, heaps of humour and a style that fans of Sally Rooney will love. Captivating and addictively complex, this novel is full of an unshakable tension that is a delight to get entangled in.” ―Ashley Hickson-Lovence, author of Your Show Expand reviews