3.5/5 (Rounded up to 4)

'I had been so desperate for my idea of true love that I couldn’t even see it when it was right in front of my face.'

This book was very easy to read and the writing flowed very well.

This was my first experience reading a book where the main character is asexual / aromantic and I really enjoyed Georgia's journey of self discovery and acceptance, although Georgia herself could occasionally come across as whiny and selfish.

At its core, this book is a story about friendship and acceptance, and it's extremely cute and fluffy, which I love.

I absolutely adored Georgia's friends and I really liked the message that true love can be found in friendship and doesn't have to be in a romantic partner. I thought this was a very hopeful and positive message.

The book also shows the good and bad ways that people can react when someone comes out to them and tries to explain why certain comments are problematic.

I loved Sunhil's wisdom and his speech at the Pride Society event really stuck with me.

I know this book is about sexual discovery but I felt like it might have been trying to make Georgia as oblivious as possible so that readers who were potentially in the same situation wouldn't feel as bad for not knowing about the terms asexual / aromantic. That's not necessarily a bad thing but as an 18 year old in 2020, I felt that Georgia would have been more aware of the term asexual and as her best friend is a lesbian she would most likely be more aware of the different spectrums within the pride community. She also mentions reading fanfiction where some characters are asexual so it seemed a bit confusing that she didn't seem to be aware of it when Sunhil explained the term.

Again, I think it's trying to show you that certain actions can be problematic and things to try and avoid doing, and obviously it's a journey of self discovery but I really didn't appreciate how she treated Jason, he was a very sweet character and deserved better.
To its credit though, the book does explain in depth why what Georgia does is wrong and she does actually take that on board and learn from it which I found refreshing. Georgia was a bit of a contradiction because in some ways she seemed very wise and old before her time and in other ways she was so naive.

I definitely had to check myself a few times as I was projecting my desire for her to find a love interest in the first half of the book and that's not what this book is about.

Even though it was a bit convenient, I liked that her cousin had also gone through the same thing with her sexuality and that they could give each other advice on the subject and find an ally within the family.

There was also an excessive amount of clothing descriptions but I think that maybe comes from the author being an artist and also writing comics. And to be fair, it gave me very clear and vivid images of the characters and a bit more of an insight into their personalities.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. It was very sweet and funny and informative and I think the author has done a lot of research on the subject.

Both "Radio Silence" and "I Was Born For This" were very strong 5-star reads for me and I couldn't wait to get my hands on Alice Oseman's next novel, especially after hearing about the aro-ace MC and the premise of this book.

As always, Alice Oseman managed to create amazing, believable characters that behave and talk like real people you wanna hang out with (like Rooney, Jason, and Sunil). But there was something about Georgia that fell flat in comparison to Angel, Jimmy, Aled, or Frances, not because of the character that Georgia is, but because of the story construction of "Loveless".

Georgia loves love and is disappointed when she begins to realise it might not happen for her in the way that she'd always imagined. But there's not enough of her loving love shown and instead there is way too much emphasis put on her sexual 'encounters' to the point when the 'kissing attempts' feel repetitive and don't really add much more to the story, except what we already know - I could see how Georgia didn't feel right about 'the physical stuff' from the bonfire scene at the beginning and I understand that it was a different situation both other times she attempted it, but those scenes felt dragged out, unnecessary and created predictable drama this story shouldn't have to need.

I found myself bored with Georgia's journey and the more pages I passed, I kept thinking Sunil would have been a more interesting MC.

I am not asexual or aromantic, so I can't relate to Georgia's experiences with coming to terms with her sexuality, I can only relate as a gay guy who came out in Poland when I was 16. But as far as coming-out stories in YA literature go, this one felt very predictable. As I was reading, it kept reminding me of very similar moments from other queer YA books. Georgia makes very Simon-like mistakes mistreating her friends and using them to explore her own feelings. The side-character of Georgia's older cousin and her scenes with Georgia reminded me of Art and Steven from "Like a Love Story" where the generational difference is explored to prove certain points. I wish we could see a time-jump into Georgia's future even if only in an epilogue to get a glimpse of her life after university or on her second year. Or more about her relationship with her family.

Nothing in "Loveless" surprised me and the endgame was way too predictable, but it doesn't change the fact that it is a book that's very needed and important. Considering how popular Alice Oseman is and that this is an OwnVoices book gives this even more weight and I'm glad I've read it. It's not my fave novel by Alice Oseman, but I will definitely remember it for a long time, even if it's mainly for the fact that it features an aro-ace MC.

The real strength of this book is the creation of believable and 3-dimensional characters, who you end up feeling like you know and love. There could have been a whole book from any of their POV, but Georgia's is an important one to focus on.
Alice Oseman has always written teenagers incredibly well, making YA readers feel seen, and reminding us older folk what it felt like back then (and also how much doesn't change just because your age does!). She manages to tap into what makes each person unique, as well as all those universal thoughts/feelings that we maybe don't realise we share.
In the case of "Loveless", we're taken on a journey through the inevitable fears of "being different", of never being accepted, and of never finding love. Georgia's self discovery is obviously incredibly important for aro and ace representation, and offers a great insight to help understanding for those who are not aro/ace too. However, the book really works so well because it goes beyond this. Georgia's struggles with her own identity (along with the struggles her friends face along the way too) are personal, but they are not "other" - I'm sure every reader will connect to the worries, the self-doubts, the fluctuating emotions, and the willing yourself to just be "normal".
It's a wonderful book, with many positive messages at its core, but none are treated simplistically. Self-acceptance (never easy or straightforward, decidedly not linear), friendship (takes effort, doesn't always look how you expected), and - of course - the true and varied meanings of "love".
A fantastic read for older teenagers, I don't think I'll have any problems finding readers in our library!!

I did a little bit of research after reading this. The commonly accepted figure for asexuals is one percent of the global population, although most people accept that the actual number is higher. That's about 78 million people. That's somewhere between Thailand and Germany, based on current population numbers. And yet almost no one has heard of it. It's that tiny little A in the middle of the acronym. Part of the problem may be that it's a spectrum, not an absolute, and not very easily explained.

That's the problem for Georgia, anyway. She's never even heard of asexuality, has no idea what it means or even that it's a thing. She just thinks she's wrong. Broken, somehow. Because the world is set up for people to fall in love, and if she can't do that, what's the point of anything?

I'm making this sound very grim, and it's genuinely not! It's funny and life affirming and sweet. I'd love to see this on Netflix or Disney+. Again; 78 million people. That's a heck of a potential audience.

I adored the friendships, both the long lasting ones and the new ones Georgia develops over the year. Those are the kinds of relationships I want to have, and I absolutely agree that they shouldn't be considered so far below romance.

Alice Oseman had a knack for taking a difficult, sensitive subject, and making it easy for anyone to follow without talking down or patronizing. I have no idea how she does it, but I hope she'll keep doing it for a long time. I'll keep reading as long as she's writing.



Please note, in case it is not your bag; there is sex in this book, including a character who has numerous one night stands. There is also some homophobic language and behaviour.

I love when a book forces me to think about people who think/feel differently to myself and this definitely did that! Asexuality/Aromance are identities I knew existed but had no real knowledge of. Loveless educated me on these in such a fun and intriguing story and kept me gripped throughout. I just wanted everything to turn out okay for Georgia and was so proud of her as a character for learning to accept herself how she is. I think it is so brave of Alice to put such personal thoughts and feelings into her character and I wouldn’t hesitate now to go back and read other novels written by Alice. I loved her humour, I loved her writing style and I loved the celebration of love!

I was drawn to this book because of the potential for a storyline about being asexual. It's not something covered very often, but we certainly need to see variety and diversity in stories. It was a challenge at first to read - as an adult it felt like it was aimed at the younger end of young adult, compared to a lot of young adult fiction which is very readable for adults. That being said, I do think the story settled into itself after a while and became more suited to a book that can be enjoyed by all. I found it a little wordy at times, and feel it maybe could have been tightened up at various points. I found Georgia's character a little frustrating at first, it felt like she had a one track mind and didn't seem to think about much else. That can happen when people are struggling, but in fiction it can feel quite repetitive. I was glad when she settled down and the story started to change. I found the second half of the book far more enjoyable than the first half, and I really liked all of the main characters (which doesn't always happen) - so I'm glad that I did persevere. For anyone who wants to read books with diverse characters, and stories, I feel like this is a great example. Not just representing different sexual orientations, including the less commonly talked about asexual, it also had characters with different heritage (Latinx/Indian). I have been seeking out more diverse stories generally, and this one didn't disappoint on the diversity front.

The laughter, love, triumphs, and tears of Georgia Warr's life. This book is a coming out story about love in all its forms as Georgia moves to university and learns more about herself than she ever expected.

Loveless is beautifully written and beautifully informative. Amongst the main characters there is representation of many different LGBTQ+ and BIPOC identities. There is an aro-ace character, a pansexual character, lesbian, gay-ace, latinx, Indian, and others. Each of these characters were brilliant and beautiful and messy and I loved them all. They are the friendship group we all need.

This was a story about coming out and accepting yourself and your place in the world. It was also funny and heartwarming and featured a band of misfits perfectly fitting together with each other and with the Bard.

I loved Loveless and all it taught me about love; romantic, platonic, and everything besides.

Reading this book has been not just a complete joy, but a complete validation of how I spent most of my teenage years. Aromantic/Asexual representation in YA literature is not just lacking, it feels none existent. Or it was when I was at school. I felt out of place, a freak, like I was defunct in some way. Reading Georgia's story in Loveless made me spill joyful tears for how wonderful life can be when you are able to accept who you are. I define my favourite books by how much impact they have. This book made me stop, think, and it's actually helped me make peace with the struggles I had. The power of the writing, the depth of the characters - I wanted to leap into the book and hug them all. I hope people of all identities and sexualities read this book, celebrate how okay it is to be whoever you are, and understand that Alice Oseman is one of the most important authors writing books today.
And if you are reading this, PLEASE put Loveless to the top of you TBR pile. NOW! Can I put in a preorder for whatever Alice writes next please?!

I was provided with this digital copy in exchange for an honest review! Thanks, HarperCollins Children’s Books.

I still can’t believe that I got to read this book before it’s release, and lord knows I’ll be picking up a hard copy anyway, but this book was absolutely fabulous so enjoy this love letter to Loveless.

Alice Oseman is just incredible at writing the teenage voice, and the fact that she consistently uses that voice to amplify the LGBTQA+ community makes it even better. I said in my review of I Was Born for This that I loved the way she writes and that has definitely not changed. The confusion and anxiety surrounding Georgia as she tries to understand herself, it’s something that really resonated with me, and I cried like a baby as she slowly began to accept her own identity.

Loveless is definitely a character-driven book, and what characters they are! Georgia is a wonderful protagonist and I have never seen aro ace written on the page so many times, it was fabulous. The emphasis on platonic love and Georgia’s friendships resonated with me immensely, a central character with no romantic interest is so rare, and this book felt like a hidden gem. Georgia’s group of friends are also rather excellent, each one bringing something different to the story and making her better. Rooney quickly became my fast favourite in her small group of friends, and no spoilers but I was very happy with the ending she got. All the characters grow throughout their first year in university at Durham, there are mistakes from all sides, but each character rises to the challenge and overcomes.

The book also frankly deals with issues within the LGBTQA+ community, and the acceptance of asexual and aromantic identities as part of it. The conflict is dealt with at Pride Soc, and is a great example of how toxicity can exist even in the most accepting communities. It also discusses peoples common attitudes towards love and sex, the book advocates for acceptance throughout, lots of sex, no sex, it doesn’t matter you’re still valid. Acceptance, for me, was the central theme, accepting yourself, accepting others and it was like catnip to me.

Loveless is a wonderful look at both the ace aro spectrum and the value of our platonic relationships. It’s a joy to read Georgia’s journey, and I hope this book encourages more ace aro rep in many more books to come.

Recommend: Definitely, the queer rep alone is reason enough to pick this up, but it’s a truly heart-warming coming of age story and well worth a read.

Loveless is my third Alice Oseman book. The first one I read, Radio Silence I adored and gave five stars. The second, Solitaire, I very much did not enjoy, and gave it a single star. So I suppose it is reasonable that the third one I read should be given three stars.

Disclaimer: I am asexual and have considered myself so for about nine years. I also went to a British university, though not the one in this book!

On with the review! Georgia is just about to go to Durham University and she is in love with the idea of being in love. But when the chance arises to have her first kiss with her crush, it doesn't quite go to plan. Suddenly thrown into university life with her two best friends from school - Pip and Jason - and her new uni roommate Rooney, Loveless is a story about sexuality and the value of friendship.

First off, I think Oseman did a great job of writing a relatable asexual character. Georgia has all these thoughts like, what does this mean for me? How do I navigate every day convos where sex crops up? What is my life going to look like now I realise I don't want sex and this basically means no "typical" relationship and no kids and did I even want these things anyway or did I just want them because that's what society says you should want? Bang up job.

I also liked all the big dramatic friendship moments where they get drunk and talk about meaningless deep stuff until three a.m. I assume Oseman went to a British uni (maybe even Durham?) because she absolutely nailed that feeling of Fresher's week where you have fun but it's also really awkward and everyone is very desperate to make friends and you meet all these people you'll never talk to again.

There were two key points I didn't like so much: (1) how dramatic all of the characters were! So much crying and shouting and hating each other over misunderstandings. It felt like a very contrived fanfic at some points. I have never been in a single situation like these characters - if something goes wrong in a friendship I give it a day or so to call off and then I go and apologise or talk it out in person. Like a normal adult/young adult in university.

(2) At times Loveless felt like a mashup of reading a dictionary definition of asexual over and over, and being too preachy. It's a hard line to walk when writing a book about discovering your sexuality, and I think Oseman did a great job with all the inner thoughts and doubts Georgia has. But when it came to the conversations with other characters it was just so cringey? Lots of asexual people are uncomfortable talking about sex. But the appropriate response is "oh I'd rather not talk about it" not to go "ewww sex ha ha ha guess that's an asexual thing ha ha ew am i right guys??". Georgia is supposed to be nineteen, not fourteen! It was either that or a page long monologue about the definition of asexuality and how some people don't think it's a real thing and how they're wrong because LGBT+ is supposed to be very inclusive.

Despite this, it was simply lovely to read a book featuring an asexual character that also had lots else going on in the book. Georgia and her friends are trying to revive the Shakespeare society by putting on a play, and there's college proposals, and people trying out new stuff and making new friends.

I simply can't express how meaningful this book is to me. For the first time in my entire life, I feel well and truly seen.

This was a really sweet book, about old friends and new friends starting at university, discovering their sexualities and different types of love. I actually welled up at one particular part (involving a boat, for those who have read it). I am near double the age of the main characters, but it still took me back to being at university, the Freshers Fair particularly! I know I would have loved this book as a teenager too. I particularly loved the emphasis of the importance and depths of friendship, as well as the non-judgement of sex and sexual activity. The only criticism I would say is that I found the first third or so of the book a bit slow and repetitive, but it picked up and was easy to read. This is the first book I've read by Alice Oseman, but I will be reading more from them in the future!
I will add a link to an Amazon review once I can post one :)

Loveless is a young adult contemporary that follows the main character Georgia as she begins her new life at Durham University with her two best friends, Pip and Jason. Georgia has alway felt like she was different to everyone else her age, she has never been kissed, never been in love and never even had a crush on someone. Georgia goes into her first year at University believing that this will be the place where she finally falls in love, but after a disastrous attempt at dating her best friend Jason, Georgia begins to question her sexuality. But when her college parent Sunil introduces her to the terms asexual and aromantic, could she be finally realising herself?

I’m not going to lie, I really struggled to get into this book at first. I found quite a few of the characters very unlikeable (more specifically Rooney, but bare with me on that cause my opinion definitely changed), and the story just seemed a little slow at the beginning. But once the story picked up, I couldn’t put the book down. As I’ve just said, I really didn’t like Rooney at the beginning of the book, she was very unlikeable and I really didn’t like how she was pushing Georgia into finding a boy to kiss when it was very obvious that Georgia was really uncomfortable with the idea. However, as the story developed developed I began to understand why Rooney acted the way she did, and the more of her backstory we got the more likeable she became. I absolutely adored some of the secondary characters such as Jason and Sunil, but the friendship between Georgia and Rooney just made the whole book for me.

When it come to representation within this book, specifically asexual and aromantic representation, Alice Oseman gets 5 stars as it I just spot on! Whilst there are a variety of sexualities represented, the main focus of the book is Georgia’s struggle with her asexuality and Whilst I’ve heard of asexuality, my knowledge of the aspects of the sexuality was pretty basic and I’d never actually heard of the term aromantic. Oseman does a brilliant job of not only informing and educating readers on asexuality, but also doing it without taking us out of story. As a reader we get to go on a journey with Georgia whilst also being educated on a sexuality that isn’t spoken or written about enough, which is just absolutely brilliant.

Overall I think this book is an absolutely brilliant read and is definitely one of my favourites from Alice Oseman. I would definitely recommend picking it up and giving it a read!

“I didn’t want to be loveless”

A whole array of LGBT representation!

I found the start abit slow for me, I felt like I was slightly too old to relate to the college party scene and my university isn’t as prestige as Durham so I couldn’t relate to how things worked.
But after that small slump it was like a breath of fresh air. Finally a main character I could relate to. I found myself crying at multiple parts at the shear validation of asexuality and I understood her annoyance at ‘you just haven’t found the right person yet’ (my personal favourite is being told I have a low sex drive)
I absolute adore how it discusses how important being in love with your friends is, even if it’s platonic & how it’s bullshit that people seem to forget their friendships when they get into a relationship

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book could have been written about an 18 year old me, confused about my sexuality yet desperate to be in love. So many things about this book rang true for me and it was really nice to see some thoroughly good asexual and aromantic representation, something often lacking in books.

The characters felt real, like people I'd met myself at university, and the situations, while unusual, didn't feel made up. I was rooting for all the characters through all their misunderstandings, disagreements and reconciliations.

This was a book that I stayed up late to finish, that I haven't stopped thinking about since I put it down and that I am now recommending to everyone I know. A thoroughly good read.

Great own voices book about an asexual student. This is the authors 4th book, and I just love the writing style. Can't wait for more!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5* rounded up to 5

Loveless is a particularly difficult book to write about. It's a very personal book, as an ownvoices aroace book when there are very few of those currently published, and it's very clear how much it draws from Alice Oseman's own experiences. This is part of what makes it such a powerful book, and such a moving one.

Georgia was both a very relatable character and a slightly annoying character. She's going on what will be one of the greatest journeys in her life: heading off to university and independence for the first time. It's a time of self-discovery for her, in ways that she didn't expect. Now, I'm going to say upfront that I don't speak for all people on the ace- and aro-spectra, but as someone who discovered their sexuality through fandom and fanfic, I found it really hard to connect with how she interacted with her sexuality and had never come across this concept in fanfic even though she professes to have read a huge amount. On the other hand, the majority of her journey was incredibly relatable, notably how she projected a crush onto an unattainable boy and how she felt when coming to the realisation that she didn't feel attraction. The rep was really well written in terms of how she looked at her sexuality, and though I didn't relate to all of it, I commend Alice Oseman for doing such a bang-up job.

Aside from the aroace rep, Georgia was a fairly relatable character, in a fairly standard YA contemporary way. She's kind of your classic British uni student, learning how to manage classes and living away from home and peer pressure, as well as trying to find someone to date. What I liked in particular about her was her passion for theatre, and her growth in terms of acting and her self-confidence on stage. She's a little bit awkward and a little bit get-on-nervesey, but to be fair, everyone at this point in life is, and that's part of what made her such a good main character.

Now, Loveless also has one of my favourite characters in contemporary YA: Sunil. Sunil has the role of mentor to Georgia, in a way, but he wasn't solely reduced to this. He's comfortable with who he is and what he stands for, and he made things feel safe, in a way. He's also a cellist and I have a soft spot for cellists. Other notable characters include Rooney (who was very likeable but also a character you want to wrap up in a blanket with a cup of tea), Pip (who was also very loveable and had a huge amount of UST with Rooney) and Jason (yet another loveable character, and I'm starting to sense a theme), who really helped complete the story.

The main driver in Loveless is Georgia's quest for self-awareness, but there's a multitude of other elements that are very common in this stage of life: friend issues, figuring uni out, socialising. The main conflict is interpersonal, between Georgia and her friends, and in many ways everyone is at fault, but Alice Oseman deftly brings it all together in the end. I'm not usually a fan of this type of conflict because of how often it plays out, but it was really well resolved, and also very accurate to what friendship can be like at such a tumultuous time. When things went wrong, they weren't just fixed in the blink of an eye and completely forgotten, there were actual apologies and they worked things through. The relationships in general were very well written, especially given the role they played in the story. There were some really strong platonic bonds, especially between Georgia and Rooney, which was so nice to see in YA fiction.

There's also a slightly (more than slightly) chaotic Shakespeare group, some very strong platonic relationships, very strong feelings about the live action Scooby Doo movie, dreary uni dorms and all that jazz. Loveless is very clearly a work from the heart on the part of Alice Oseman, and a very necessary novel to many people. It's also good fun while being an arrow (pun intended) in many ways, and I was very glad to read it.

Review will be posted on my blog tomorrow.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced readers copy!
All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I love Alice Osemans writing its always so easy to get absorbed in and really understand her characters.
This book was interesting to me, I dont think I've really read many books with aro-ace rep in them. I learnt alot about what aro-ace is and what that means in for both romantic and sexual relationships. I felt like by the end of the book I really understood Georgia & her friends in so many ways.
This book has alot of queer rep and I loved it!
We follow multiple characters who are coming to terms with their sexuality and going through various hardships along the way. I think my favourite part of this book was definitely the friendships - you could feel the love and happiness in the friend group coming off the page. I definitely had a smile on my face while reading about them!
Another great book, by an incredible writer, I love reading Alice's books. I've learnt so much about people with different sexualities from myself and they always make you feel warm and happy following the characters journeys of self-discovery.

This book was absolutely wonderful! I loved the focus on friendship and I definitely feel like I learnt something about asexuality! I'm really excited for this book to be out in the world.

I also loved the university setting of this one. I definitely found some aspects relatable from my own university experience.

Alice Oseman's writing is wonderful. She really captures the characters emotions and friendships so beautifully, I cried at the end<3.

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone! It is truly a fantastic read and I think it is really important to have more asexual representation, especially in YA<3.

thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for sending me an eARC of this beautiful book.

Loveless follows 18 year old Georgia on a journey of self discovery at Durham University with her best friends Pip and Jason.

Forever feeling that she's behind everybody else because she's still not kissed a boy yet, or anyone for that matter, Georgia almost ends up on a self destructive path whilst trying to figure out who she is and what she wants.

A truly beautiful #OwnVoices and coming of age story that had me in tears for a good portion of the book. Alice has put her heart and soul into this book and you can feel it pouring from the pages. The writing is stunning and the story is breathtakingly beautiful. As someone who is just finding their feet within the Queer community, this book really hit home for me on several occasions.

A huge 5 stars from me. Absolutely amazing 🌟