This book felt a little bit like a hug. Cody Daigle-Orians made sure to be as inclusive as possible and I immediately felt understood and welcome.

The book is divided into two parts: a theoretical one and a practical one. The theoretical part introduces a lot of important concepts, such as boundaries, commitment, communication and respect, and gives advice how to incorporate them into our relationships. It was super informative, but unfortunately at the same a little bit boring. It was hard for me to focus during the discussions of the theoretical stuff and it took me forever to get through these chapters. The practical part was a lot more interesting to me. It discusses various types of relationships, from romantic and sexual, to platonic and queerplatonic to those that are non-standard and hard to define. It also deals with topics such as starting and ending a relationship. Each chapter contains questions for the reader to consider and suggests actions that the reader could take to make a step towards the goal that was described in the particular chapter.

What's really great about this book is that it doesn't focus on romantic relationships, but instead it provides tools that are useful in every kind of relationship we may find ourselves in throughout our lives. It gives proper weight to platonic relationships, actively tries to fight with heteronormativity, allonormativity and amatonormativity and offers a different perspecitive on looking at relationships, which I really appreciate.

This is by no means a groundbreaking book and I can't say it completely changed my life or anything like that, but it's written with much love and I sure did learn something new.

This is a great informational guide for those exploring the possibility that they might be under the asexual umbrella or for those learning to understand the identity in general. It does a great job of validating the variety of experiences that comes with being asexual and made me feel not so alone in my own experience as an asexual woman. I'm giving it four stars moreso because sometimes it got a little textbook with the writing style which made a few parts a little boring here and there but the overall messages and organization of the book is great for those new to the Asexual experience.

This would be an amazing book for someone looking to understand the basics of relationships that need help socializing. For me, if you have successful friendships, relationships etc this is not very engaging.

I thought there would be a lot more on Ace experiences but this is just changing the framework of relationships to be inclusive of ace life. I wished there was more Ace specific passages.

This book is a great resource for aspec people trying to understand relationships and dating while identifying as asexual or aromantic. The advice on self-discovery and compromise is helpful, but I was hoping for more on making friends rather than just guidance for people already in relationships.

The writing style didn’t really work for me, but I think it’s a solid introduction for those new to the topic. While the author shares personal experiences, it’s definitely more of a guidebook than a memoir.

Overall, it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, but I can see it being useful for aspec people and those wanting to understand ace/aro relationships better!

I think this book can be an incredibly useful tool for aspec people. It provides a theoretical framework within which one can explore, even just in their own head, whether a certain type of relationship can be a good fit for them. As someone who has questioned if they are asexual, I was hoping to get a bit more on that piece, but I appreciated the two segments for tools for those who are moving forward with dating.

It was hard for me to enjoy the book due to the format on my kindle, but I made it through as much as I could. It's also hard to give an objective opinion on something that is meant to touch the reader on such a personal level.

Thank You NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was really excited to read this because I really wanted to get more into my aro-ace identity. Unfortunately, the writing just felt really stilted to me and it really took me out of the book.

The author offers some really good advice and helps readers to better understand who they are as an Ace/Aro person. The main issue I have with this book is that it can’t solve the major stumbling block in relationships: finding a partner who wants to be with someone who is Ace/Aro. If you can find that person, it makes it so much easier to navigate a relationship. The author gives good advice about compromising and offers insight into helping you better understand yourself. If a partner reads this book and is able to make the relationship work, than that is amazing. This book is something that needs to be read more by the Ace/Aro partner than the person themselves. The better our partners understand us and we understand them, the more successful our relationship will be.

I received an advanced copy of this title for free in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This isn't what I was expecting. I started this and was excited to read it but it wasn't actually helpful. I thought it would help with how to meet people and develop friendships and personal relationships. I didn't get that here. It mostly provided advice for people who already had a relationship of some kind.

I'm sure this will prove helpful to some but not what I was looking for.

2 stars.

Excellent read for any asexuals or aromantics curious about dating (or anyone interested in reading about dating someone who is ace). Probably mostly useful for young readers - some of the information will be familiar to adults who have read any other texts on asexuality.

Daigle-Orians has a very personal approach, and will add elements from his life, however, this is a proper guide book and not a memoir.

I loved this book so much! As someone who is aspec, I found it super helpful and practical. It also made me feel seen and understood in ways that I didn’t know I needed. Definitely recommend this one!!

At times I felt like it was a little dense, but that might be because these are conversations and topics I've been surrounded by for a long time.

Some of the major pros to this book go to the Reflect & Act sections and the way it provides concrete examples for how to have difficult conversations in relationships. This books strength comes from the very thorough and well laid out format that strengthens the points being made. I think this is an excellent book for everyone, not just teenagers, to read.

"The Ace and Aro Relationship Guide: Making It Work in Friendship, Love, and Sex" by Cody Daigle-Orians is a comprehensive resource designed to empower asexual (ace) and aromantic (aro) individuals in navigating and cultivating fulfilling relationships. Drawing from his extensive experience as an asexuality educator and advocate, Daigle-Orians offers practical advice and personal insights tailored to the unique experiences of the ace and aro communities.

(Thank you to NetGalley, Cody Daigle-Orians and Jessica Kingsley Publisher for this ARC)

This book was not only very informative but also a good resource for anyone who’s aspec.

It talks a whole lot about how to set up boundaries and how to be able to have a relationship with other people who aren’t aspec and how to handle rejection and other things that might come up when coming out.

I really liked the way the author also explained that they might have some more specific examples from their own experiences with being ace and have a bit less experience with aro and aroace because of that, but also made sure to include as much as they could for aro and aroace people.

On top of that, I thought all the examples for how to make a relationship work for aspec folks were pretty good and informative. And I can see a lot of people trying them out and having them as guidelines.

I recommend this book for anyone, whether that be for aspec or allo people who want to learn, since it’s a good resource for learning about being in a relationship as a aspec person. And because it might help to explain how anyone can still have a relationship as a aspec person.

I think this book can be an incredibly useful tool for aspec people. It provides a theoretical framework within which one can explore, even just in their own head, whether a certain type of relationship can be a good fit for them. Of course, this isn't a substitute for actual trial and failure, but it can make the inevitable trial (and possible failure) much smoother.

It's hard to give an objective opinion on something that is meant to touch the reader on such a personal level. Despite my neurodivergent need to always over-analyze and theorize much more than I should, I will say that I am happy that this guide exists, and also that, once read, one has to forget some of it, because life will always be more complex than what anyone can put into words.

This book really resonated with me. If I had the means, I'd buy copies for those I love to read. Because of this book, I now know for sure I can identify as demi sexual and romantic. I'd like to read this again one day to make notes and outlines about the book.

What an incredibly helpful and validating guide! This was the first piece of media to make me truly feel like I have a place in the world and I'm not lesser/broken/etc. This should be required reading for everyone.

As an asexual person who has not been in a relationship, I found that many parts of this book were very relatable to me, but the parts about non-platonic relationships (eg romantic or sexual) were not, but I did find it very useful for future reference and also fascinating to find out other opinions and experiences. The author has an excellent way of making everyone feel included and I’d recommend this to anyone looking to form a relationship either AS an ace and/or aro person, or with one.

The Ace and Aro Relationship Guide is a book that should sit on every aspec person's bookshelf, not just for themself but also for their loved ones. It should be in the bookshelves of counsellors, romance authors, and more.

Offering a simple but not dumbed down explanation for aspects of relationships – including autonomy, consent, respect, care, and more – the guide does more than just explain relationships to the reader. It offers actionable advice and support for entering, forming, developing, and ending healthy relationships. It also tackles red flags in relationships, and gives opportunities to reflect on what you want out of any relationship.

Highly recommended!

The synopsis initially drew me in, and I can see the appeal of this book, but I quickly realised I wasn’t the target audience. That said, I think this will be a valuable resource for those seeking answers to their questions and looking for ways to express themselves and establish their boundaries. While it wasn’t my match, I’m sure it will resonate with the right audience.

Note: This ARC was provided for free by NetGalley, Jessica Kingsley Publishers and Cody Daigle-Orians but all opinions are my own.

I found the book well written and easy to follow. I appreciate the kindness Cody Daigle-Orians employs to approach all topics. Given the limited literature on asexuality, any resources, especially ones this caring, are extremely valuable.

I would have liked some of the tools provided to be more specific, as some felt a bit generic. Admittedly I might not be the target audience, as I am both a sex educator and demisexual myself, but this what I would consider the book's limitation.

It will be most appropriate for younger readers or readers who have just started their journey through gender sexuality related fields, and I will certainly include it in the bibliography I share with my students.