Beyond any experience-Review 

Author: Anne E. Terpstra 

Genre: Fiction, Romance, LGBTQA+, Contemporary 

Page Count: 391 pages 

Age Rating: Adult (contains content recommend for 16+) 

Representation: neurodivergent characters, LGBTQA+ rep 

I was blowing away from the very start!! 

Thank you @netgalley for providing me with this e ARC before publication 

Review; 

This book was another book much like Yellowface that has now been added to my list of staples in literature. I was rich in representation and written with grace I simply adored this book with my whole being and can only try to describe the joy it brought me. 

I original requested this because I wished to expand my fiction reading tastes and also wanted to read the neurodivergent representation as a person who has only recently discover their a part of the neurodivergent spectrum. 

 

The book was mainly character driven but had an enjoyable plot too. I can honestly say that I have never been so connected to a character than Olivia I felt her grief as if it were my own. It was as if I was one with the character throughout this book. I was astounded that this is Anne E. Terpstra first published book and cannot wait to read every other book she publishes in the hopefully soon future 

 

I will start by saying that Anne does not shy away from lesbian sex, I would say that she is very sex positive and this is something grasped my attention throughout the book. I loved Olivia and Ellies relationship as well as the fact that they were “older” lesbian(30s-40s) though I haven’t read many lesbian books the ones I have were all teen ones, so I was amazing to have a fresh outlook on lesbian relationships. Anne wrote the couple in a sweet while also adding the adult maturity of the women. The way which their romance was develop through conversations, feeling, only added to the beauty and connection of their intimate scenes. This book contains such a realistic way in which many lesbian experience sexes with another woman. 

Another aspect to this book which was a joy to read was the MC just being an adult and looking after their child the best they can. We see Olivia’s emotional battles after the death of her late wife and having to care for her son. 

 

I also adored the neurodivergent representation with my whole heart. It means the world seeing myself in a character. I feel completely privileged to have got this book and be apart of the tour and being able to discover a new favourite book.
 
 

 

Rating; 

5 stars