..beautifully awkward..

This book has a storyline that drew me right in. So after my request was approved, I was overjoyed. It is a plotline that we don't see often or ever in books. The mixture of side characters that attend Virgin Annoynimus meetings is diverse from asexual, gender non-binary, to bisexual. Virginity is not a token or means to mock, but a way to tell a story of many people's life choices and different life journey.

Kate & Freddie are our lead protagonists, which story we follow here. We also got a great back story about how they got here. I loved how Freddie's OCD and anxiety were handled. He is my favorite character. The romance wasn't anything special but I wasn't bothered by it. I was just happy for them being content.

I loved the overall message of this book, finding your group of people where you belong. Being accepted and understood is a strong vibe I got from these wonderful characters.

This is another debut novel I have read this year and liked very much. Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton publishing for the copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. It was an original idea, and I loved that adult virgins weren't mocked. When people around them found out, they were kind.

Kate's story in particular was very relatable. It was easy to understand how she had ended up aged 30 and a virgin. She didn't start off with issues, but had never had sex due to various circumstances. This then affected her self esteem and confidence, perpetuating the cycle making it harder to meet someone .

I really disliked Freddie's family. Even his parents, although the author did try to soften them a little in the last few chapters. I just thought they were selfish, and not nice. They also displayed zero understanding and empathy for OCD and anxiety.

4.5 out of 5. It wasn't quite a 5 for me, but a book I thoroughly enjoyed and would encourage others to read.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review

A cute idea but the chemistry between the lead characters didn't quite do it for me.

Some good representation in the story and am sure some people will love it but not quite a home run for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Adult Virgins Anonymous is a fun, easy and light modern romance. That is great to read in the bath or curled up on the sofa.

I think this is an example of this not being for me.

Objectively, there wasn’t anything wrong with it. I was really invested in the idea. It’s not often you hear of books focusing on late virginity, and it was one that inspired me to read it. However, I found that my issue was a matter of taste. I’m just not into romance, no matter how well it’s written. No matter how much I tried I just couldn’t get into the relationship between Kate and Freddie. They were great characters. I found myself relating to Kate and her backstory a lot, and Freddie’s personal struggles were relatable, but the romance didn’t convince me.

What I really enjoyed was the wide range of characters in the support group and their different reasons to why they are late virgins. It’s interesting to see the obstacles they face, and their own hang ups over it, while with some it’s a choice. However, it did get a bit repetitive after awhile, and it was obvious how certain situations would play out, but it’s still a book I would recommend to lighthearted stories or romance.

Hmm this is a difficult one to review. I can't say there's anything wrong with Adult Virgins Anonymous, and it was a quick read, but I didn't particularly enjoy reading it either. This book was a downer.

Which is odd because, like any contemporary romance (although I'm not sure I'd define this story as a romance), there is, of course, a happy ending. Except that there's no real chemistry between our protagonists.

Kate and Freddie are both in their twenties, they're both still virgins and for both of them it's something they're ashamed of and plays heavily on their minds. This is no surprise when we live in a society that's obsessed with sex.

I was intrigued by this novel because I don't think virginity (I'm going to call it that for lack of a better word, but personally the word 'virginity' leaves a bad taste in my mouth) in adulthood is something we talk about enough. Most coming-of-age stories will see their protagonist have some kind of sexual experience in their teens, but it doesn't happen for everyone that way—for a variety of reasons.

For Kate sex is something she's always equated with love and, despite her best efforts, love is something that just hasn't happened for her yet. For Freddie sex is another part of his life that's been hit hard by his anxiety and OCD and his tendency to overthink almost everything. When the two of them find a group called Adult Virgins Anonymous to discuss their feelings and experiences, the two of them make a deal to 'help each other out'.

Firstly, I'm pleased that I didn't get any acephobia from this novel. Does a part of me wish either Kate or Freddie might have realised sex had never happened because, actually, they just didn't want to have it? Kind of, but I'm not mad that this didn't happen because there is an asexual character in the group they attend who is very vocal about how not wanting sex is perfectly fine.

While I do appreciate the discussion around Freddie's mental health, I did find him a little more frustrating than Kate. It felt like every single progression in their relationship happened because Kate instigated it, which left it all feeling a little one-sided for me; even when the two of them agree to have sex, it never occurs to Freddie that a) foreplay will make sex more comfortable for Kate (she has to tell him this) and b) it'll be a lot more difficult for her to have an orgasm than him, and sex could potentially be painful for her the first time around. I get that the guy has no experience of sex, but if he knows absolutely nothing why doesn't he do a little research?

I don't dislike Freddie at all, there were just times when it felt like Kate was doing a lot of hand-holding and I wanted their relationship to be more equal in that sense. In fact their relationship as a whole didn't really feel like a romance to me - I was genuinely quite surprised when the two of them were talking about loving each other at the end, because I didn't understand why they loved each other - and that's not the end of the world at all, but for me the ending didn't quite suit what the rest of this novel had been.

So Adult Virgins Anonymous is a strange one. It didn't make me angry or uncomfortable, but to be honest a lot of that is because it didn't make me feel much at all except a little down in the dumps.

This was such a light-hearted, breezy read with relatable and engaging characters and a simple yet engaging plot. Well-written, a solid resolution and it left me with such a positive feeling!

I would rate the book 2 stars. For me, the first few chapters were really hard to get into but I persevered and ended up finishing it in a few hours. The 2 main characters were quite nice and I enjoyed their roles together, but there were a lot of peripheral characters that I felt didn’t need to be there. It was quite jumbled to begin with, and I also didn’t expect the plot to be what it was. It’d be a fairly good beach read with an easy to follow plot that you can get through easily.

When Freddie and Kate meet at a self-help group for adult virgins, they think they might just be able to help each other out so they can both get on with finding their real romantic destinies. But might these two have more in common than just their lack of experience?

This was a cute book with great characters and chemistry, I enjoyed it.

Thank you for allowing me to discover such a good new author for my repertoire! Great plot line, interesting characters, I will recommend to friends and family.

I love the storyline of the book and it's such a unique and well deserved subject matter, but sadly as much as I wanted to love it, I just couldn't get into it and didn't finish in the end.

Definite should read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kate and Freddie, two very different people both still virgins, who feel self conscious about this in the current dating world. Facts about themselves that even their friends and family are unaware. Unknown to each other until they each happen upon a poster on a notice board for a Virgins Anonymous group. Each when they first saw them questioned with themselves was it actually true, or a cruel prank. With trepidation they both attend a meeting, and meet for the first time... and the story goes on...

This book is an easy read, flows really well. Lighthearted, great read to lose yourself in. The issues both Kate and Freddie worry about, most people could relate to.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. Recently I've been reading some rom-coms, like Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams and Pretending by Holly Bourne, which I quite enjoyed and found them emotionally moving too, so I've been looking for some more uplifting reads during this pandemic that also touch on emotionally resonating themes. When I saw the title for this I was immediately hooked! Exploring the experience of adults in their late 20s and early 30s who are virgins is a something rarely seen in popular culture, and when it is represented often their lack of sexual experience is put down to mental health reasons such as autism, so it was exciting to see that this book has a protagonist who is normal but just hasn't had sex because her romantic prospects just didn't evolve and came to a dead end, which does happen in real life.
This follows two protagonists:
* Kate is her late 20s and works in an art gallery, where her salary is paid hourly. This is a massive step down for her as for approx six years she worked in PR for retail companies where she was a high flyer. However with the decline of retail and more online shopping her company had to make cuts and she was made redundant. Due to the fact that most of her experience revolved around retail companies, she's finding it difficult to transfer her experience in PR towards other fields and is stuck in a rut. Her redundancy pay is thinning out, and it's been two years she's been in the art gallery. She can't afford the rent on her central London flat anymore and will have to move back home. On top of that her self-esteem is at a low, she's doesn't feel attractive anymore and her love life is in a rut. Then one evening she comes across an ad in pub for an adult virgins anonymous group. Maybe that that will help her...
* Freddie is also in his late 20s and is working as an IT technician which pays okay. He shares a flat with the obnoxious Darren. In university he fell for a girl, but his love remained unrequited. Then in his early 20s he suffered a breakdown and was hospitalised. He struggles with OCD, and due to his lack of romantic and sexual experience he's anxious and shy around women. One day he loses his signed comic books and goes to the pub where he might've left them and spots an advert for an adult virgins anonymous group. First he thinks it's a cosmic joke, until he realises that he's too embarrassed to confide in his family and friends about his virginity and anxieties, and that maybe an anonymous group will be the perfect support to help him move forward in his life...
At the anonymous meeting which is run by a gender studies phd student at UCL, we meet a bunch of characters including a woman in her 50s who is a relapsed nun and ready to confront her queer desires now that it is less taboo; a woman in her 40s, unable to let her first love go; a man in his 20s who is an incel (involuntary celibate even though they desire sex and somewhat angry because of that); and a woman who is asexual. The scenes at this meeting was my favourite ones of the whole novel because I loved the discussion, the dialogues, and the exploration of sex, intimacy and romantic relationship and the many forms love and sex has, which was fascinating to read about.
The first half of the book was setting up the characters and the group, but towards the second half we see plot emerge when one of the members in the group explains to Kate that sex can be transactional and too much romantic emphasis is placed on the first time. Kate then makes a proposal to Freddie: friends with benefits. Losing their virginities to each other, as neither of them are romantically interested in the other so there's no big pressure; just get it over and done with and then the anxiety of still being a virgin will be gone and they can move on with their life and find someone their genuinely like. Predictably, that's not how things goes and the situation becomes complicated. Although the second half was predictable it was still fun, and the dialogues weren't cliched and felt plausible and the tropes were handled well without becoming cliched, so I remained invested in the story.
The character of Freddie was done well. I liked his hangups about his past crushes and unrequited love, and how confused he was. Also his anxiety and mental health problems was interesting to read about especially since a lot of men have mental health problems but don't talk about their problems much. His backstory was heart touching and overall he was such a sweet character.
My only gripe was Kate's backstory regarding her situation. Kate is supposed to be quite tall, she's white, able bodied and blonde. Also it says in her old job as a high flyer she wore expensive clothes, and had regular haircuts and manicures. So it didn't make sense to me that living in London she NEVER got approached or was looked at by men. I just couldn't believe it, especially as I am a WOC and in our society we're been conditioned to believe that white and blonde is at the top of the hierarchy of race and colour. Also in the prologue there was a scene where she approaches a boy in her end of year ball and snogs him, determined to have sex, even though he turns her down because he has a girlfriend, embarrassing as it was nonetheless this show lots of confidence, so I just didn't believe after this is incident she was so scared to approach men again and that men always looked past her. I wished her character had been fleshed out more and that she had a more plausible motivation.
In conclusion this was a different and engaging read about relationships. 4/5

This was a really enjoyable read. I liked Kate and Freddie a lot as individuals and as they found their way to more together. Both were very real and I even liked the awkwardness and bumps along the way. I felt the author was very sensitive with the the premise of adult virgins and the various reasons why they do exist. Both Freddie and Kate and why they were still virgins felt very relatable but on a personal level Kate’s experience spoke to me more. I loved the steps they both took towards each other and the friendship that developed between them as the story progressed.

Kate and Freddie’s journey and growth once they joined the AVA group was handled very well. I liked all of the supporting characters in the group especially Cathryn, Hattie and Andy. I also liked the author’s writing style and found it easy to get immersed in the story. Would definitely recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton to send me a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The theme was more appealed to me than the romance between Kate and Freddie.

I loved the theme; it's so rare to see a subject like that in a book, especially if it's about adult.
I like the characters of the group as they all have a reason to be virgin and be a part of this group. Nevertheless, they aren't accepted by society as they are different. I like them as you can see a wide range of people who share something and can help each other with kindness.

The problem that I had with the story was the romance as I didn't believe in it and I didn't understand the usefulness of the prologue.

Every once in a while, a novel comes along that speaks to your soul. Adult Virgins Anonymous was that novel for me. I lost my virginity as an adult and I could totally, totally relate to Freddie and Kate. The anxiety about it, the wondering if you should just do something silly to get it over with. The idea of a group JUST for adult virgins is an incredible idea. I would have felt so much more less alone about it all, if I had had someone in the same boat as me. Because, it's one thing to KNOW not everyone loses their virginity super young, but when you literally don't know anyone else, you feel like a freak and an outcast and a weirdo. 

There is so much to love about Adult Virgins Anonymous. Andy, the group leader, is non-binary and prefers the they/them pronouns which was absolutely amazing. Hattie, another member of the group, is asexual, although it is never explicitly stated (although Kate does call her that, which I didn't agree with - Hattie didn't say she was asexual therefore, Kate basically outed her, my only sour note with the novel). Freddie and Kate are virgins, along with other members of the group. It made my heart happy to find an adult novel that had lesbians, and a non-binary character, and an asexual character and virgin characters. At the end of the day, everyone probably has something unique about them, so when romance novels are white-washed or have cis & straight characters, it can be frustrating. So this was a very welcome breath of fresh air. 

It took me a good week or so to read this novel. Partly because I'm a slower reader nowadays, where I'm savouring the whole quality over quantity aspect to reading, rather than trying to read 300 books a year. It doesn't work. But, also, I read this book slowly because of how much it spoke to me. It was painful, in parts. Not in a bad way, but it felt like Amber Crewe was in my head. As if Freddie and Kate were ME. Both of them, somehow. Freddie suffers with anxiety and OCD and while I don't have OCD, I totally got the anxiety aspect.

Kate and Freddie are both such awkward characters and it's painful to see yourself reflected back in fictional people. To wonder if that's how you come across; if you're alone because you're too awkward to do anything about it and while I'm getting a lot more confident, there's always going to be that tiny part of myself that finds myself unattractive and unappealing and annoying and all of the other bad things people have said to me over the years. And while I know it's in my head and it's not true, sometimes it's so loud in your head that it's all you can hear.

So this novel was like being stabbed repeatedly, but in a good way? If I'd read it last year, before I had had sex, I probably would have been massively anxious reading this book. But I wasn't, it was just so, so painfully relatable and, usually, you read fiction to get away from that, but I absolutely loved it. It's so hard to explain, but Amber Crewe did SUCH a good job with this novel. We need more novels that aren't just about perfect people with perfect sex lives. We need to read about adult virgins, and lasses with high sex drives, and we definitely need more queer characters. This is a massive step in the right direction, though.

Obviously, Freddie and Kate conveniently have each other to potentially sleep with - they're not unattractive, they're the same age, they get on well and they're both virgins so it's not like there's any pressure because neither of them know what sex feels like. So that's the only contrived part of the novel, where it goes to your typical romance-novel tropes, but I actually thought Freddie and Kate were adorable together. I liked their little moments and sparks. And I suppose the cynic in me just wishes it was that easy in real life to find someone to be with. Whereas, in real life, it's a lot harder. But that does NOT make for a good story now, does it? So I got that, and my little non-cynic heart did love it OBVIOUSLY. I may be like 90% cynical at this stage of my life, but there's 10% of the hopeless romantic still in there. 

I absolutely adored Adult Virgins Anonymous. I wish we had seen more of Andy and Hattie, possible spin-offs for the pair, please Amber? But the concept. The characters. The writing. They were all absolutely fantastic. I loved them. This is one of those books that I could come back to in 5 years and still love it exactly the same. Because I know what it's like to be Freddie and Kate. It is, hands down, the most relatable novel I have ever, ever, ever read. I'm totally getting a finished paperback for my keepers shelf, because I really, really appreciate Amber Crewe for writing this novel. For reminding me that I am indeed normal, and I feel like this novel is going to speak to SO MANY PEOPLE.

Such a wonderful read. It’s awkward. It’s cute. It’s so very relatable. I loved what it had to say about friendship and finding the right friends that suit you. I loved Freddie and Kate and seeing their friendship develop over the course of the book.

I loved the sound of this book. What appealed to me about this book was that it follows adults who are virgins, an experience hardly represented in fiction. This was a raw and honest book following two protagonists:
* Kate - late 20s, Kate was a PR manager for a retail store, a corporate high-flying job. However the closure of retail has resulted in her being made redundant. Since then she's been working an art gallery, where her wages are per hour! She's struggling to pay her bills, and this job that was supposed to last a few months has now turned into two years. Kate isn't happy with how her life has turned out while her friends are getting dream promotions, getting married and buying houses. On top there is Kate's love life - a total disaster, further exacerbated by the fact that she's still a virgin and she's scared it might frighten future dates off.
* Freddie - Freddie works as an IT consultant for a finance company, an okay job. He lives with his flatmate, and is currently single. Freddie has overcome a mental health problem and is recovering; he's OCD. While he's a romantic, his lack of physical intimacy has scared him and he's worried he won't live up to his expectations.
One day Freddie, then late Kate, stumble across an ad in a pub for an Adult Virgins Anonymous club. They decide to attend. This club is run by a gender studies student doing their PhD at UCL in Bloomsbury. Here the group discuss the effects of being a virgin as an adult, their fears of life passing them by, and their emotional and psychological anxieties as well as the many forms intimacy can take...
The first half of this book was character-driven, and a slow-burn, but I didn't mind that. I found these characters quite relatable. I highly Hattie's character and the discussions at the Anonymous meeting. Towards the second half of the book you start to see a romcom plot emerging when Kate realises that sex can be transactional and asks Freddie for a friends-with-benefits type arrangement where the two lose their virginity to each other, which has more of a emotional complication that either characters were expecting. Here the story does become predictable, but the dialogues and writing in this book feels so natural and plausible that it doesn't feel cliched. Overall I highly enjoyed this thoughtful book that explores experiences not represented in contemporary fiction. This is a cute romance book for readers looking for something fresh and original.

I loved this romantic, awkward and honest book.

The book opens with Freddie and Kate in 2011 at their Leavers Ball after finishing university. They start the night with such hope and expectations and find themselves disappointed and a little embarrassed. Flash forward to 2019 and both of them can't help but feel like everyone else is moving on with their lives and they've fallen behind. They meet at a support group, alongside a range of other people who have similar feelings and experiences.

What I loved the most about this book was that it was honest and it was raw. The writing was compelling from the first line and the plot flowed naturally. There is talk of expectations vs reality in the dating world both in person and online and the side characters were really interesting. I really liked Freddie and Kate as individual characters as well as together. The pacing was good too, the book never dragged and it was nice because there were other things going on in the book such as Freddie's OCD, family, friendships and Kate figuring out what she wants to do in her work life.

I loved everything about this book and am grateful that I had the chance to read it before it's release as I definitely think it's worth the read. I'll be keeping an eye out for anything else from this author.

2 stars
Sounded cute, but it just was not for me. A little slow, and the plot was kind of odd. I tired it. But. I did not care for it.