Forever grateful to Fourth Estate for sending me a proof. I adored this! I knew in my heart of hearts that I was going to love this as I've loved Kate's food writing and her brilliant takes on art and culture whenever she appears as a guest on Sentimental Garbage. In her cook books she brings food to life from the pages of literature, often writing about why this scene from that book became her inspiration and inviting you into the interior lives of characters you've never even met before. I have lost count of the amount of books she has persuaded me to buy through her passion. So it comes as no surprise that I fell in love with the characters she created in Experienced. This is a bold, funny and utterly gorgeous novel about friendship, exploration and navigating life. If Muna and Chappell Roan collaborated on a book it would feel like this! One of my favourite aspects of the novel was the friendship between Ash and Bette that kept her grounded. Bette was seen and understood by her friend in such a beautiful manner that reminded me strongly of one of my own friendships. Their quotidian moves around one another rang so true to life as did their mistakes and foibles. The only thing I will argue against was Ash slandering bourbon biscuits - never on my watch! Though I can forgive her for how kindly she moved around Bette and her figuring out of life. This is a sexy and joyous read! I honestly struggled to tear myself away from the page. It is literature that makes you want to go outside and live your life - a reminder that navigating mistakes is all part of the package and we just need the support around us to get through. I felt it was such a love letter to the city of Bristol as well. Celebrating all that it holds dear to its heart. Please pick this book up when it comes out in May. You will have an excellent time! I know this is a book I will return to over and over in the years to come. I'm already looking forward to my next time spent in the company of Bette.

Romance lovers of the world, I have a new book to recommend to you. Experienced is the first novel by writer and cook Kate Young, and is going to be rightly on everyone’s radars. Firstly, this is a book about sex as much as it is about love and identity and self making it quite possibly one of the horniest romance novels out this year. Young writes sex with all the moreish gousto of her food writing. Impressively, Young balances this with tenderness, heartache, so many feelings Bette refuses to acknowledge. This is a book of sensation and want, just like its opening nod to the MUNA track What I Want. I loved following Bette on her adventures in dating and finding a queer new world for herself, and Ruth! My god Ruth! I feel like there will be so many people around the country falling in love with Ruth this summer. Experienced follows in a great tradition of modern British romances about queer women — Go Lightly by Brydie Lee-Kennedy, Wild Things by Laura Kay, Double Booked by Lily London spring to mind immediately — and I expect to see lots of pictures of people reading it in pubs, and on the beach all summer. Gloriously sexy, deliciously tender, and ultimately about exploring one’s desires — in friendship, love, sex and in life.

For my first impression of an author, this was probably the best book I could've asked for. Having a highly relatable, anxious hot mess for a FMC was so refreshing. I saw so much of myself in Bette. Her growth throughout the book and her changing perspectives was really fun. And all the background characters stood out in their own way. Late bloomer queers are getting so much more representation and it's really nice to see. I would have liked more background on Mei and what happened to her post the break and more into her character and decisions. But aside from that I have no other inputs for the book. Definitely a fun summer read

Oh I loved this - I read it in a day. The characters and the story are so good. Bette is such a compelling main character and Kate Young does such a great job at showing us all of Bette, including her less appealing qualities and make us love her. This is a brilliant, layered and engaging sapphic romance that gave me everything I needed. I am so jealous of Bette’s friend group and this made me want to go to Bristol immediately.

“Some woman you’re in love with has sent you off on, what? A s*x odyssey?” I loved Experienced. It is not built as a romance, more like a woman fiction, centered around Bette’s path to self-discovery during the 3 months breakup imposed by her girl friend. Against her will, she tries online dating, ONS, little daily mishaps and burlesque situations. It made the book something funny and hot, but also a very endearing story, full of discoveries, found family, new friendships, and… maybe even more? It results in a deep feel good story, that was just what I needed when I read the book. There isn’t anything truly “big” between the pages. On the contrary, the story is centered around daily life and challenges, making the characters easy to bond with, as little ups and downs add to each other and draw a beautiful life. A very nice moment!