If you are a lover of literary romance, queer women, and food-centric fiction, Kate Young’s debut novel needs to jump to the top of your TBR.

Experienced is a lovely contemporary romance that follows Bette, a recently-out millennial lesbian, as she comes into her identity and navigates the trials and tribulations of dating in its many forms. At the beginning of the novel, we meet Bette right as her girlfriend suggests they take a break from their relationship, more or less forcing Bette into dating around and exploring her sexuality before settling down. What follows is a funny, touching, at times cringeworthy (but always endearing!) lesbian bildungsroman with an S-tier cast of characters.

Possibly my favorite part of this book is that while it’s undeniably a romance, it also breaks from romance genre conventions in really satisfying ways. It’s very much a book about sex and romance and intimacy, but more than that it’s a book about what it means to understand your identity and how you relate to others, about queerness and finding community, and about friendship and love in all of the many forms it can be felt. The character evolution was wonderfully executed, the dialogue excellent, and the way that Young portrays that feeling of realizing and then growing into your own queerness is so so dear to me. I cannot explain how much I wish I could have had this book when I was 16, but I will absolutely settle for having it now at 23.

There were moments here and there where Experienced started to feel just a touch overlong, particularly in the middle. While I applaud Young’s fresh take on the romance genre, there is a pretty lengthy stretch between when it becomes clear who the love interest is and when Bette even realizes her feelings for her (let alone acts on them!), and I do feel this could have been tightened up a bit. But this was overall such a lovely experience, and a novel that I absolutely recommend to the intersection of the Sally Rooney/Emily Henry fan clubs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

What a great book. Bette has recently come out as lesbian and is lucky enough to already find her ideal partner, Mei. Bette feels their relationship can only get better until one morning Mei suggests they take a break, so Bette can get more "experience" before they settle down. Bette is of course appalled, but as a people pleaser, didn't say no. She sees the 3 month break as a meaning to go back to Mei in the end. So she embarks into a "sex odyssey", as her friends call it. Back into the dating apps looking for casual sex, Bette finds out it's not as easy as she thought it would be. She struggles to put boundaries and be clear about her intentions, trying not to feel like she's using women just to hook up, which she indeed is. This book was very entertaining and heartwarming, Bette has a great support system that are there for her on her lowest moments. Experienced is full of love, including self-love, friendship, and yes, spicy scenes. Very very well written, I had so much fun reading this.

I love a sapphic romcom and this slow burn friends to lovers by Kate Young didn't disappoint. It was sweet and funny and I really enjoyed the friendship circles that were central to the story. Thanks to NetGalley!

Bette’s girlfriend Mei decides they need a “break,” pre-established time apart so that Bette can sow her wild queer oats. Bette has been with men prior to her relationship, and Mei wants to make sure she has the opportunity to have casual relationships with other women. Bette dutifully complies and learns about herself in the process.

It made me think about how our insecurities can affect our relationships. It drives me mad when a friend/loved one pines away after someone who clearly doesn’t want them nor trust them right. I want to tattoo on all of their arms, “he’s not special.”

I like exploring the concept of the insecurity queer folks feel when they are their partner’s first gay relationship. The anxiety and negative voices in your head that want you to believe you aren’t enough. I liked Bette’s character and how the story progressed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC.

Sweet, enjoyable romcom! The romcom style was a really interesting way to frame this story of queer self-discovery that highlighted some of the more nuanced, difficult parts of coming out/coming to terms with your sexuality "later" (as in, mid-20s, not teens). True to romcom form, some of the "twists" are predictable but that is what I love about romcoms -- the plot isn't what matters, it's how delightful it is to watch these characters move through the world!

I grew with Bette in this story! I loved how it wasn’t your typical romance story! 30 was the age when everything changed for Bette. She realized that she was into women her last 30 years but she had been lying to herself. That is when she fell hard for Mei. They were perfect together or atleast that is what Bette thought. Mei was worried that being her first relationship with a woman would cause issues down the line with their relationship. Mei sent her off on a quest to date other women for three months while Mei went home for a bit. Would Bette succeed at her quest? Would she come back to Mei after her dates?

3.5 rounded up

This was a heartfelt, raw, honest and relatable story about discovering your sexuality later in life and the struggles of being in a meaningful relationship where the two people have different end goals. Encouraged to go out and experience more queer and Sapphic love hook-ups, newly out, Bette embarks on a life changing adventure that sees her losing her first real girlfriend and discovering more of what makes her truly happy. Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of The L word tv series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I found this book entirely too relatable. The imagery painted by the author was very beautiful. I could almost feel the intimacy and emotional connections made by Bette. I was really rooting for her. I enjoyed the journey and ride as she explored her sexuality. The friendships were endearing and the connections were spicy! There were cringy and funny moments sprinkled in. It felt like real life. I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I gave this book a 3/5 stars.

Bette is in the relationship of her dreams after finally coming out-until she isn’t. Her girlfriend encourages their relationship to take a break so Bette can have more experiences with other women. The casual dating and sex journey that follows is filled with humor, friendship, cringe, heartbreak, and self-discovery.

The friendships Bette has and starts to cultivate were my favorite parts of the book. I loved Ash and her group of friends, and I loved Ruth’s group of friends as well. How each group of friends interacted and took care of each other was where I felt like Young’s writing shined the most, letting the nuances of interpersonal relationships shine with each encounter.

The premise of figuring out what she wanted was an interesting concept, but felt like it dragged on too long for me. I feel like Bette’s development plateaued after a few of the dates/hookups and then suddenly jumped again towards the end of the book. There were one too many repetitive encounters and thoughts from Bette that one of the big reveals toward the end of the book felt like a sudden shift instead of an arc. There were wonderful moments throughout Bette’s journey, but I felt like since this was the main plot of the book the lacking weighed more for me than the promise and the good moments.

Still an enjoyable book, and I feel like folks who enjoy an adult romance that still feels like a coming-of-age story will enjoy this book more than I did.

The way I sped through this in two days because I had such a crush on Ruth. 😍

I’m not sure it broke my contemporary romance slump, but it certainly jostled it out of its comfort zone. There’s enough alcohol and socializing on page that I started to feel exhausted by proxy, and the ending was slightly rushed—again, possibly because I was rushing through it so happily, wanting more.

That’s the only negative I can think of. Everything else—no notes, full marks.

Rarely does a romcom navigate the joys and pitfalls of queer relationships with such aplomb. Every character felt fully realized and faceted. Friendships are central to the story, just the way I like it—especially Bette and Ash, but also the larger friend group, and the burgeoning friendship with Ruth that matters more than the crush for 80% of the book. There are tropes galore, all of them navigated skillfully, many of them skillfully subverted, without seeming twee, tiresome, or implausible.

(Sidenote: a few contemporary authors [ahem, Ashley Herring Blake, among others], could take notes on how to introduce various orientations and ethnicities in a non-obnoxious way. The rep felt effortless, which I know means Young put a lot of thought and effort into it, not just rattling off a list of identity markers every time a character walks in a room. Well done.)

Very tender, very steamy, very messy, very British, very queer, very thoughtful. I enjoyed myself immensely.

I LOVED this debut novel by Kate Young. The book was refreshingly creative, unique and loaded with excitement that was fun to read because I didn’t know what was going to happen next. I knew what I hoped for, yet I didn’t know for sure and was kept on the edge, wondering.

This story was focused on 29 year old Bette who had always dated men, but realizing she was into women, quickly found the beginnings of a very good thing with a very out and experienced Mei, but just as she was pronouncing her love, Mei became frightened, as she’d been deeply hurt in the past and suggested they take a three month break, telling Bette she needed to have the experience of dating other lesbians and should sow her wild oats before they made a commitment.

The fun began when friends guided Bette to a dating app. Ruth was her first match and wasn’t interested in the one-night romp that Bette wanted, but taught her the first lesson, that she needed to re-design her dating profile to let people know up front. Ruth had been badly hurt in the past and was now only interested in taking things slow with anyone she dated . She became close friends with Bette, her roommate, Ash and their other friends. All the while Bette longed for the time to pass so she could be together again with Mei.

The author did a great job of introducing fun and interesting characters that were necessary to Bette’s sexual attempts at gaining the experiences that Mei wanted her to have. Included were some sexual encounters and very nice scenes of intimacy, and those she managed to escape.

I’ll omit the particular other love interest Bette had, except to say that a common thing stifled Bette, falling for someone who’d been badly hurt in the past. How do you overcome that hurdle, to convince someone to love you; to be willing to jump off the cliff, metaphorically.

Kate Young did a marvelous job with this book. I enjoyed it so much and can’t wait for what’s next from her. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you like:
🛣️ Ultimatums
⏳ Breaks with a timeline
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 Lesbian Love Stories
🛌 Hookups
🔥 Sexual Experiences

What would you do if your partner that you see a future with gave you an a clear plan to go get more sexual experience for three months before you could come back together, because they need you to be ‘sure’ by having more sexual experiences with other people?

Well, that’s exactly what happens to Bette when her girlfriend of 3 months that she is obsessed with tells her this is what needs to happen for their relationship because Mei is her first girlfriend after coming out and only woman she has been with sexually.

This story follows Bette after Mei drops this bomb and plan on Bette’s lap and it is messy, funny, emotional, happy, sad, sexy, and just all the emotions you would expect with trying to have a lot of sexual experiences over three months while only wanting to be back together with your partner.

I truly loved the friendship developed between Bette and Ruth throughout her journey and loved how her bestie also kept her grounded and didn’t let her get lost in her shit without acknowledging her impact on what was happening in her life.

I highly encourage others to read this one and since it comes out in June, it will be a perfect Pride Month read to add to your TBR, but also remember to read diversely year round!

Thanks so much to Penguin Books for my ARC and to PRHA for my gifted ALC.

Experienced by Kate Young was an overall an enjoyable coming of age story. It was well-written with a cast of characters that felt like real people. It was funny, entertaining and a quick read. I look forward to reading more from Kate Young.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. It was quite entertaining, intense and gut-wrenching at times. But it’s also funny, and witty enough to keep you enthralled through and through.

Charming! Bette is in love with her girlfriend, Mei. Mei however wants Bette to be absolutely sure she is ready to settle down and suggests a three month hiatus, encouraging Bette to date around. Bette is devastated but she takes on the challenge, making friends and learning lessons along the way.

Bette is an endearing character, a bit awkward but sincerely kind and well intentioned. It was fun to read about her escapades and self-discovery, and the Bette’s friends are lovely. All in all, an entertaining and heartwarming read.

Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

The writing flows well, the premise is great, and the characters and their dynamics are interesting. This should be a solid 3-4 stars for the target with 5 for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

Thanks to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

Yet again, I almost abandoned this book because it was too "literary fiction" (and if we're being totally honest, too British). However, somewhere around the 55% mark I was totally sucked in to the messy-British-lesbian-drama. This book was pretty slow at several points, but the drama made it worth it. Let me be clear: I don't mean Love Island lesbian drama. The book is centered around a late in life lesbian who is (sorry!) pretty boring but still manages to get herself tangled up in some pretty crazy shit. I found the plot and characters to be compelling and realistic - I could imagine these things happening in real life, which I think helped me stay in it. I don't think I'll find myself reaching for this title again, but I don't regret giving it a read. Solidly average 3 star book.

In her debut novel, Experienced, Kate Young takes readers on a journey of self-discovery and love with protagonist Bette, a woman in her late twenties who comes to terms with her sexuality and embarks on a mission to explore the queer dating scene. Bette's realization that she is attracted to women sets her on a path of exploration and self-acceptance. She falls for Mei, who seems perfect until she suggests they take a break so that Bette can experience the queer dating scene and be certain about their future together. Bette reluctantly embarks on a mission to date hot women and have casual sex before returning to her loving girlfriend. Along the way, she meets Ruth, a gorgeous and self-assured woman who becomes her queer dating guide. Young's writing is honest and relatable, capturing the complexities of Bette's emotions and experiences as she navigates her new reality. Bette's odyssey takes her to unexpected places, both physically and emotionally, as she learns about herself and the world around her. While the novel is often heady and thrilling, there are also moments of cringe as Bette makes mistakes and learns from them. But through it all, she is supported by her friends, including Ruth, who helps her to navigate the queer dating scene and come to terms with her own desires. Experienced is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of love, sexuality, and self-discovery. Young's characters are well-developed and relatable, and her writing is both insightful and entertaining. This novel is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary fiction or stories about LGBTQ+ experiences.

I was very fortunate to receive an advanced reader copy from NetGalley but all thoughts are unbiased and my own!

When the book opened with lyrics from “What I Want” by MUNA I said ALRIGHT NOW! But this was a fun and very enjoyable read with diverse perspectives and characters.

The novel covers the feeling of being left out and almost in a way “othered” by Queer people which I thought was interesting and it’s not talked about enough! Like even when you come out and you identify as Queer, there’s almost a feeling of sometimes having to prove yourself. It was really interesting reading that perspective!

Beyond how the author covered some experiences of the LGBTQ+ community not often talked about enough, the book had many universal themes that will stick with everyone. It was written about how the main character Bette just struggled with dating and just wanted the search for the right someone to be over, which I think almost everyone can relate to.

Loved this read A LOT!

Kate Young is a voice to look out for! Her first novel, Experienced, keeps readers on their toes with her electric cast of characters and a nuanced, contemporary queer romance.