Thanks to netgalley, Eleanor Pitcher and Harper collins for an arc of this book.

I really enjoyed this book and read through it relatively quickly. I really enjoyed the story line and the development in both Beth and Serena's characters as the book went on. it was nice and refershing to read with alot of the story mostly focusing on the friendship and not all on the romatic themes and story line

i also loved the humour in the book. Def recommend to anyone wanting a light-hearted book to read

Such a cute premise, but not my favorite execution. For an adult novel this read really YA to me, lacking both introspection from the characters and meaningful development in the plot. I feel like there were some pacing problems, the main conflict doesn’t occur until 80 percent of the way through the novel. I enjoyed the insights into sexuality and how people with different sexuality identities navigate the world. I also thought the content of the plot was fun! Just too miscommunication trope for me.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

That's What She Said is a silly, sex-positive account of best friends navigating their sexuality and relationships. I enjoyed the perspective of the main character, Beth, as a demisexual woman who feels like she hasn't gotten her life together and doesn't know how to have a relationship. Contrasted with her best friend and roommate, Serena, she feels like she's behind the curve and might never figure out what she wants romantically. Serena may appear confident and sex-positive, but she has yet to figure out how to have a relationship beyond the physical.

This book reminded me of a Broad City-style friendship, with two quirky women trying to figure out what they want, launch careers, resolve familial wounds, and find love. I would recommend for fans of The L Word: Generation Q (the reboot!), and Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (the book or the tv series!)

DNF at 10%. I love the authors TikTok but this book was not for me. I found the dialogue a bit cringey within the first couple of pages and Serena and Beth annoyed me from the start. I flicked through and saw constant references to sex or getting smashed. I kept trying to go back to it but just really didn’t like it.

4.5⭐️

this book has meant the absolute world to me. while this was slow at some times, the representation of demisexuality on page out weighs any other criticism i could possibly have. seeing myself represented so well in a book really is anything i could ever ask for.

on top of that, the friendship in this book ran so deep and while may be seen as too codependent, it reminded me of my best friend and our relationship at the beginning.

seeing serena discover herself romantically while still being sexually forward was also so nice. while more common in books, i feel like her exploration was extremely well written and flushed out perfectly. however, she felt detrimental to beth’s growth and self discovery.

so even though i’m completely biased, this book was everything i needed.

DNF: 2/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley Avon Books for access to the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I tried to push through, I really did. But this book isn't for me, which is totally okay. I just personally felt there wasn't any real sexual or romantic connection between the two main characters. I get that Beth is demi (I am myself), which requires you to feel a strong emotional connection before sexual attraction, but they didn't have any chemistry at all. Honestly, they weren't the greatest friends to each other either. I'm assuming this changes at some point, but 60% in and I'm just not seeing it sadly.

This was a fun story about sisterhood and friendship. I enjoyed Beth’s journey—even the cringe moments—watching her find her voice and get clear on her boundaries. I appreciated the exploration of identity That said, I really wish the book had gone deeper into Beth’s realization about being demisexual.

Serena’s dating life was presented as sex-positive, it often felt a bit surface-level. Having a “roster” and keeping things casual doesn’t automatically make someone sex-positive—there’s more nuance to that conversation that could’ve added depth to her character.

Still, this was an enjoyable, easy read with a lot of heart.

This book is cute and cozy, but unfortunately I don’t think this novel has staying power. It was not very memorable and there were some slow and sloppy parts. The characters were fun and I enjoyed their backstories. The writing style wasn’t my favorite though, the prose was underwhelming and plain. Decent novel but lacked punch and perseverance.

3.5/5✨
This was such a unique read for me. The beginning started off a little slow, picked up, and then got a bit boring during the retreat, but came out with a happy ending!

The writing style was decent and the plot was unlike any other story I have read in awhile.
Might not be for everyone but glad I got a chance to read this! 😌

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review. And special shoutout to Goodreads for sending me the physical copy!
#thatswhatshesaid #booksonaburger #arc #goodreads

I have to be totally honest and say this really wasn’t the book for me. However, I did find it interesting and entertaining. The story is centred around two best friends Serena and Beth. Serena, is bisexual and has a fairly charmed life, wealthy parents, a job she enjoys and an active social and sexual life. Beth is always hard up, her job doesn’t give her satisfaction, and without Serena her social life would be nothing. Oh, and Beth is demisexual. Embarrassingly I had to look it up!

Briefly, Beth has decided it’s time to explore her sexuality and become more sexually aware and Serena is more than happy to help! She decides that this would make a good news article and with Beth’s agreement they hatch a plan. Starting with a trip for them both to get a smear test! They then progress through various planned events such as therapy, tantra and escort service. But then events take a turn for both women and their friendship is at risk.

There’s a lot of good humour in this, but for me too much of it was based around sex rather than relationships and friendships and I found it hard to connect with either character in a meaningful way. I would have liked a bit more emotional content; Serena is using her outgoing nature to avoid genuine feelings and she was pushing Beth down the same path. I like how inclusive this book was, it did a good job there, and as such there is definitely a place for this. A thoughtful and engaging read.
3.5⭐️

While I enjoyed the premise of this book, I had a hard time getting into the story. I loved the humor, the backstory, and the general vibe of the book. Unfortunately, I had a hard time staying in the story since there were so many side stories happening. This book almost felt like it should be a series to allow each of the characters their own book. In the end, the extra stories made it feel as though some of the main events were rushed to a conclusion.

great representation and highly funny! perfect for fans of media like sex and the city. Would recommend for a fun read that feels like a romcom

That’s What She Said by Eleanor Pilcher
Rating: 3.5/5

Eleanor Pilcher’s That’s What She Said is an engaging novel that explores themes of identity, relationships, and personal growth, with a particular focus on demisexuality. The book does a great job of presenting relatable and realistic scenarios, making it easy for readers to connect with the characters and their experiences.

One of the novel’s strengths is its thoughtful and authentic representation of demisexuality, a topic that isn’t often explored in mainstream fiction. The book also balances humor and sincerity well, keeping the story engaging while addressing deeper themes.

If you’re looking for a novel that offers meaningful representation while staying grounded in everyday experiences, That’s What She Said is a solid choice.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on March 28th, 2025. Links provided.

I really don't like DNF'ing books but in this case I just could not force myself to continue reading after about 35% into the book. I was really looking forward to this book when I read the premise but pretty quickly I realized it was not going to be what I expected nor one I would recommend. While I loved the short chapters and I was looking forward to reading a story where the main character is demisexual, there was just too much I didn't like to keep me reading. For a book about someone who is demisexual, there is constant, and I mean constant, talk about sex. Now, I know this book is supposed to be about Beth's personal sexual journey, but my goodness is there literally nothing else to discuss? Is the fact that Beth is a virgin at 28 (which by the way there is absolutely nothing "wrong" with this!) her entire personality? Between the never-ending topic of sex and the constant drinking to get drunk, I just felt like there was no real heart or substance to this story. Also, I really could not stand Serena's character. So many things about this book just rubbed me the wrong way unfortunately. Hopefully it will find its target audience and be loved by others.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of That's What She Said in return for my honest review.

I DNF at Chapter 6 (15%) because I wasn't really connecting to the characters. Both protagonists seemed kind of mean at times. I also couldn't figure out why getting a smear test would be article-worthy. I think I was expecting something very different based off of the book's description, which may be a "me" thing since I read more romance than general fiction.

I'll refrain from reviewing this on Amazon and Goodreads since I didn't get that far in the book before tapping out.

DNF'ed. I was really looking forward to a story with a demisexual FMC, but the prose is lackluster and the characters are difficult to connect to.

In That's What She Said, author Eleanor Pilcher takes us on a journey of friendship, sexuality, and self identity. The debut novel follows best friends Serena and Beth as they come to terms with themselves and their codependence on each other. In alternating perspectives, we weave around Beth's demisexuality and Serena's fear of any real connection.

The primary perspective in the book is Beth. Although Serena has her own story and perspective, even that is somewhat caught up in Beth's story. The main driver for the narrative is that Beth decides she wants to start exploring sexuality and get more comfortable with it, despite the fact that she is already confident she is demisexual. For those who don't know, demisexuality means that you don't feel sexual connection with people until you know them and have romantic feelings. In Beth's case, she is on the sex-repulsed part of the spectrum, which causes her discomfort in places such as Bachelorette parties. Serena, a highly sexual individual, decides to help Beth on her endeavors.

One of the flaws of the book for me was the strong focus on the medical science behind everything Beth was going through. I am familiar with asexuality and dilators. I do not need a step-by-step walk through, and given that I am not demisexual I didn't feel validated by Beth's story. It felt a bit too clinical for me to develop a strong emotional connection to the story. I think it could be an incredible book for someone on the asexuality spectrum to stumble across and realize there's other people like them, though.

Serena's story was about someone who used sex to detach from her emotions finally finding that emotional connection she was looking for. Serena is bisexual and not afraid to flaunt her sexuality. At times, her brashness about her sexuality is the same way she approaches her friendships, and this causes tension between herself and Beth. This is the heart and soul of the story and I wish it was the primary focus rather than the sexual exploits.

Although the book started out slow, the pacing picked up in the second half. I enjoyed that part far more than the former and I wish it had moved a little faster in the beginning. There were a lot of plot points that came together in the final quarter that definitely could have been stretched out for more of the book, while many of the earlier details could have been compressed.

Despite my complaints, I do think it's fun to see such prominent asexual representation in a book. The fact that it was combined with a bisexual best friend made it extra fun. I appreciate how inclusive the book felt and the way it attempted to normalize kinds of identities that we don't often hear about either in literature or real life. I would recommend this book to people looking for a better understanding of demisexuality or just to read about a character who's like them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

This book was not for me. I can't quite put my finger on what I did not like about this book, but perhaps I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Idk -- I just thought the plot was slightly boring. With that being said, I feel like I would still be open to reading more books by Eleanor in the future.

This story took me a bit by surprise in the best way possible. The writing was easy to read and digest. The plot was also very different from other novels I have read - it was a great outlook into different sexualities and underrepresented communities. The storyline is introduced very quickly, which I greatly enjoyed - you meet Beth, a demisexual and virgin, who wishes to explore her relationship with sex more. You also meet Serena, who is almost the exact opposite of Beth in those ways - confident, carefree, and completely comfortable in her sexual experiences. Truthfully, at first glance, you would assume the friendship dynamic to not really work out, but as the book develops you see how much they comfort and support each other.

As the reader, I thought I knew where this book was headed after the first chapter. That development continues on until about halfway through the book until the main conflict changes to the relationship between the two best friends, or in this case, the main characters - which I genuinely liked in terms of plot development. I really appreciated how this book talks about sex without making it smut, as well as showing a big development in a relationship with people that consider themselves very close. I personally felt like Beth’s personal growth in the book was a lot more gradual than Selena’s - Selena’s growth as a character was there, however seemed more instantaneous, which feel a little flat for me. However, the way these two characters come back together was very endearing and I am so happy that they got their happy endings. They were able to stay best friends and close, even when a few boundaries were put into place.

Overall, I genuinely was surprised about how much this book grew on me while I read it. Thank you so much to HarperCollins for the uncorrected proof!

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc. This book was funny. It's about two best friends with very different personalities and sexual preferences. One helps the other take charge of her life and conquer her fears of dating & etc.