Adult Virgins Anonymous

A cute and lovely book, that deserves a place on my for-a-rainy-day shelf on Goodreads. Not only because Adult Virgins Anonymous made me laugh as in this scene below, but mainly because it is about people who want to feel like they belong, regardless of how shitty others treat them, or how hard it is to stand up for oneself. Yup: pick your battles.

And I really liked some of the characters in the background as well, so perhaps there might be a part two to this book? To find out what happens to Hattie with all her projects, what becomes of Steve who disappeared from view... Andy who tries to be an observer, but is often overruled by Hattie. And then there is Kevin of course, are we gonna meet him again. He certainly spiced things up for Freddie:

"'Your charming brother-in-law was just telling me about his girlfriend,' Kevin announced loudly, causing Freddie to sit bolt upright, meekat-like What? What was he saying?"

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

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.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC of this book.

<i> Adult Virgins Anonymous </i> was fantastic! I had the very best time reading it.

It is a well rounded, wonderfully written love story that has a very powerful message: Life is not a race.

Both main characters are not exactly where they should be according to society's standards and while it irks them, it is very clear that it irks them more because other people think they're <i> weird </i>.

The way this book is written and the way it deals with ideals and "normality" is absolutely great. Both Kate and Freddy are highly lovable characters, who just struggle a bit... generally. And that's okay. It's not me saying it's okay, it's the book saying it's okay.

Besides that, the book has amazing LGBTQ rep including asexuality, which is also discussed at the "Adult Virgins Anonymous" meetings. The general idea of this story is that it's okay to be a little different and to have different experiences to other people and having that sentiment in a book is like a whiff of fresh air that this society desperately needs.

I love this book with all my heart and can only recommend it to everyone.

Are you still a virgin? Want to talk about it in a safe space?
Meetings every other Tuesday.
You're not alone.

Kate Mundy's life is not going to plan. Nearing thirty, she's been made redundant from her job, her oldest friends have quietly left her behind, and she can barely admit her biggest secret: she's never even been on a date, let alone taken her underwear off with a member of the opposite sex.

Freddie Weir has spent most of his twenties struggling severe OCD and anxiety, and now his only social interactions consist of comic book signings and fending off intrusive questions from his weird flatmate Damian. There's no way Freddie could ever ask a girl out and now he's wondering if this is the way it might be forever.

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?

Thanks to Netgalley for an early copy of this book.

To be honest the cover and title didn't entice me to the book, maybe a bit plain? They definitely don't do justice to the book, it is funny, sweet, romantic, I really enjoyed it.

The main characters are ones that you instantly love, Admittedly it's fairly obvious how it is going to end but I like books like this!

The idea of adult virginity is one that is rarely looked at without ridicule so this was a nice change. People were treated kindly and not as oddballs as is commonly the way.

It was also nice to read a book where the main female character isn't in a dead end office job. Overall an entertaining read.

A brilliant, funny well written book that is absolutely hilarious. Brilliant bunch of characters and the perfect little storyline.

Adult Virgins Anonymous by Amber Crewe a five-star read that will open your eyes. This wasn’t always a five-star read but I went for it as overall I enjoyed it, I enjoyed the back story and the depth we get into with Kate and Freddie and the original-ness of the story, its one that will make you stop and thing and grab those you hold dear, who get you, it made me desperate to make mine read this. There was a great flow to the story and even though Kate and Freddie are the main players, there are others in this story that bring the detail and they are all well written there isn’t a 2 dimensional character here, that’s so rare to find, especially from a debut. I loved the premise and it made me stop and think would I have looked twice at the add, would I have gone along, would you? Pick up the book and find out.

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.

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!

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.

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.

The book is great. I found it a brilliant journey into social stigma and the criticism. Being an adult virgin is something that is very difficult to discuss in public and there isn't enough fiction with characters as real as Kate and Freddie that can be utterly relatable in the downfall of romantic life. Not just them, the whole support group is full of wonderful and interesting characters who can be a person passing you on the street. I definitely felt that it was a cute story and would like to read a sequel if there ever is one. The message of the story for me was that it is never too late to start living your life and have many 'firsts'.

I really loved this book! A quirky modern love story with a difference, Freddie and Kate are so likeable from the start and you are rooting for them to make it work! Such a lovely story to lose yourself in.

It is hard to not feel good after reading this book, I loved the back and forth conversations of the group, the family dynamic of both characters, the wonderful friendships, and the beautiful awkward moments that got me to roll into intense giggles.