Experienced

Starred review from May 15, 2024
This is the sexy, slow-burn queer love story we've been waiting for. Bette is blissed out in bed when her girlfriend, Mei, drops the bomb. She wants them to take a three-month break so Bette can see other women. Newly out just shy of 30, Bette fell hard and fast for Mei. With strong misgivings, she agrees to Mei's terms for a chance at an unfettered gay smorgasbord, counting down the days until they can reunite. Her first attempt at a casual date goes off the rails though. Ruth is looking for a relationship and clocks Bette's need for guidance in the dating-app wilderness. With Ruth's help, Bette starts adding some notches to her sexual history, ranging from great to just okay. But as the days tick closer to her and Mei's reunion, Bette is increasingly drawn to sunny, thoughtful Ruth. Delightful through and through, from Bette's awkward attempts at lesbian cool to the supportive friends who pick her up when the going gets rough, Experienced brings together a winning cast and a series of romcom-worthy setups for a love story as heartfelt as it is fun. It's a no-holds-barred celebration that shows following your heart, despite the risks, offers great reward.

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May 20, 2024
Young’s exuberant debut novel (after The Little Library Cookbook) follows the bumbling erotic adventures of a newly out lesbian. After coming out at 30, nonprofit worker Bette fell into an all-consuming relationship with artist Mei. She believes they’re in it for the long haul and is blindsided when Mei suggests they take a three-month break for Bette to explore sex with other women. Bette hates this plan, but she’s fundamentally a people pleaser so she agrees to try it. Encouraged by her found family of friends, she signs up for a dating app and soon makes brunch plans with sexy and sensitive PhD candidate Ruth, hoping for a casual hookup. Ruth, however, is quick to point out that brunch doesn’t exactly send a no-strings-attached message. Noting that Bette is hopeless at this, she agrees to be a queer shoulder to lean on as Bette undergoes her “sex odyssey.” Hilarity, secondhand embarrassment, and some sensual love scenes follow—and along the way, Bette starts to question who the right woman for her really is. It’s good fun, especially for the first two thirds, which maintain an impressive buoyancy despite Bette’s occasionally oppressive neuroses. Unfortunately, the ending, while swooningly romantic, doesn’t offer the sense of closure that readers will hope for, leaving several subplots unresolved. Still, the path there is such a romp that readers will barely mind.