Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "According To Plan" by Christen Randall This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)
"From USA TODAY bestselling author Christen Randall comes a cozy, feel - good queer romance about self - discovery, finding your person, and carving out a space for yourself in unexpected places - perfect for fans of Heartstopper, Felix Ever After, and Julie Murphy.
As editor in chief of their school's literary magazine, Mal Flowers expected senior year fall to be full of cozzy sweaters, good coffee, and copyediting. They just want to stick to The Plan to graduate and get out of their small Midwestern town - a place where, as a broke, fat, queer person with ADHD, they've never really fit in. But when budget cuts result in the lit mag's cancellation, Mal is suddenly scrambling to fill the hole in their college application.
That is, until Emerson Pike - who also has ADHD but is loud, confident, and Mal's complete opposite - suggests the staff go rogue and create a zine instead. Which would be cool, except that making and selling contraband isn't exactly what Mal envisioned as the extracurricular activity on their college application. A zine would be unofficial, unapproved, and definitely not in The Plan.
But a zine is also a good way to spend more time with Emerson, whose playful banter and bad jokes Mal can't seem to get enough of. And maybe, with a group of new friends, the back of the charming coffee shop where Emerson works could be somewhere Mal does belong. Because breaking the rules with Emerson - and flirting with her over coffee - is fun.
Maybe The Plan isn't the only way to find happiness, but can Mal let go of something they've depended on for so long?"
I received this book as an ARC on Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.
So the reason I wanted to read this is because as you all know, "The No - Girlfriend Rule", my favourite book, the book that initially was my gateway into reading queer stories, is by the same author. So the moment I saw that they were writing a new book I knew I had to get my hands on it. Friends, I really enjoyed every single minute of reading this book. The one thing that Christen does well is make sure that almost everyone has someone they can relate to in their books. The diversity in their stories is honestly something all authors should aspire to. I feel like every time I'm reading a story by them I'm included and spending time within the friendship groups that has been formed. I love that they seem to use their own experiences and emotions to write from, and it makes it so much easier to empathise with each and every one of their characters. I love that their characters prove you can be loveable and flawed at the same time, and it doesn't have to be one way or another. If Christen keeps writing this way they're forever going to be on my auto - buy list. I definitely would recommend this to anyone and everyone who just wants a cute, cozy, queer romance.
I gave this a 4/5 star rating on Goodreads!
This book comes out on the 12th February 2026!
What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!
Have a wonderful day!
Love, Doe!
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