Bette gets dumped-but-not-dumped in truly shitty fashion by her girlfriend, who suggests she just needs more experience since she’s newly out as a lesbian. Commence a sex odyssey through the wilds of Bristol, aided by her first failed date of the odyssey, the kind and thoughtful Ruth. Rarely does a romcom navigate the joys and pitfalls of queer relationships—and just relationships in general—with such aplomb. Every character feels 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.
Very tender, very steamy, very messy, very British, very queer, very thoughtful. I enjoyed myself immensely.