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.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this ARC of Adult Virgins Anonymous! I really enjoyed the book.

I admittedly felt like I knew how the book would play out fairly early on, but I equally enjoyed the process of getting there. Kate and Freddie were well fleshed out characters, I liked the secondary characters (well, maybe not Freddie’s brother but he was written well!) and I thought the story flowed well.

Adult virginity is not a theme I can remember ever reading, so making it both serious and light-hearted, which isn’t the easiest to do, was interesting.

I would absolutely recommend this to friends (and already have via my Instagram account).

I found this book slow to get started and a little bit repetitive if I’m honest!
A very lighthearted easy read focusing on a self help group for adult virgins, this book follows Freddie and Kate as they embark on losing their virginity which seems to be no easy feat as they overthink the whole process and put many obstacles in the way! Ultimately they achieve their goal and thus then develops into a proper relationship!
Thank you netgalley for this early read!

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.