This one is worth it for the group chat alone.

Excellent portrayal of the kind of "partying" I did in high school absent of parents: sitting around and talking.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

This book was interesting, with multiple points of view I felt like it jumped around a little bit. I also really would have loved an epilogue with some answers. What happens with Leah? The lottery money? Where does Zoe go to college? Is Julia ok? There’s so much that gets left unanswered. Overall a cute story but left me unsatisfied.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

"why have sex when you can make scones" relatable.

So that was my favorite quote from this book and I genuinely had to pause after that scene because I was cracking up because it was so relatable from my asexual perspective. The person who says the quote is not ace and it's totally taken out of context but it was still very funny for me.

There's something about this cover that screams adult fiction but this is actually a YA book. It follows this group of friends on their prom night and they've all made this pact that they're going to have sex that night in their respective couples. But one thing after another goes wrong from hilarious surprise cats to tragedy to chronic illness flare-ups to fighting etc. This book was both very fun and realistic at the same time. There is one sapphic couple and I would have loved to see another queer couple but it's okay. There is chronic illness representation as well which was really well done and a great part of the book.

The author really tackled a way to make a nuanced story about sex and relationships while also showcasing how not everything in your life can be planned and that making decisions without considering all of the facts and factors will only be detrimental to everyone.

The title was pretty misleading and the “prom night sex” is a common cliche in these story’s. I liked that it follows multiple characters, but it didn’t aid in making me interested in them. 2.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This book was ok. It was just a little too YA for me I think. I know other people will love it for sure but it was not my type of book is all. It happens.

I liked this one but didn’t love it. I think it was a little too YA for my taste, so that’s on me. This one has been on my shelf for way too long because I requested it on a whim and then just never felt in the mood for it. I think others will really like it, it just wasn’t for me.

This was cute, quirky, and a good coming of age novel. I found it to be pretty entertaining but ultimately a bit shallow and young for my taste. I did think it was cute and funny though so not a waste of a read, but not one of my favorites either.

This had a lot of potential and I think it lived up and had me valuaing things I normally wouldn’t in a book it still wasn’t a 5. Star. I loved the characters and the friendship but didn’t enjoy

Told through alternating points-of-view, The Night When No One Had Sex is a YA contemporary novel about a group of teenagers who have made a pact to all have sex on their prom night. Unfortunately, fate has alternative plans for them. Amidst tales of being locked in a closet during foreplay, unexpected hospital trips, desperate scone-making during mental breakdowns, lost cats, dead animal heads, and lupus flares, this group of friends is in for a unique, but decidedly unsexy, night of their lives.

When I first started reading this book, I had a really bad feeling that I was going to find myself quickly exasperated by teen foolishness. There seemed to be so much tension before the night even began that I found myself preparing for the absolute worst. Thankfully, that’s not where this book headed for me.

Although many of the characters have infuriating qualities, there was something about them and the way that they were written that made these qualities somewhat endearing. Whenever they made a decision that was a clear mistake, instead of finding myself frustrated, I found myself lovingly shaking my head in an “oh you silly silly kids” type of manner. They all had flaws, but it was clear that every single one of them following misguided attempts to do what they thought was best. Their friendships and inter-relationships were perfectly beautiful at times and tragically beautiful at others.

On top of having great characters, this book had an equally-lovable plot. There were some things that didn’t make any sense (I’m looking at you, Alex-Leah internet sub-plot) but, once again, I found that I wasn’t at all bothered by it. The story is a mixture of serious life lessons and incredibly heartfelt/hilarious interactions between loved ones. It’s a feel-good novel all around, and I think it will be well-loved by many,

This was a fun and lighthearted read, just when I needed it. I loved most of the characters and the plot lines were well done with how they were separate but also managed to weave in and out with each other. I found myself laughing out loud at some points and it was just a fun read. Some characters felt like they could have been expanded on a bit better and at times were a little flat. Most characters were well rounded though. Overall, a fun read

This book is exceedingly readable. The plot is tight and propels the story forward. Not to mention, it is laugh out loud funny with perhaps the most epic group text chain I have ever seen in print. Even though the plot only takes place over one night, the characters and relationships are fully formed. The ending is wholly satisfying but I hope there’s a sequel so I can revisit these young people again. This book is officially geared towards young adult, but you could buy it for any adult in your life who would enjoy a fun romp of a story.

I enjoyed this story. I’m not a fan when there’s a plot with a pact for losing your virginity because it’s always super unrealistic and awkward but I had a feeling this book was going to be different and it was. The whole story is set during one evening/night and there are different point of views during the novel: Julia’s, Zoe’s, Madison’s, Morgan’s and Alex’s point of views. The different point of views helps getting to know them all, and I really like that. We also have ‘access’ to their whatsapp group chat which is so funny and amazing. I loved that!

I remember reading few years ago a book about the same king of pact and it was terrible, and as I said before so unrealistic. It was like one of the girl was losing a virginity just like that and then sending a selfie to her friends to let them no. Awful! So anyway I was a bit scared when I started it but in the end it was very surprising and in a good way. So first of all we have Alex who ends up going to the hospital with his prom date because his grandmother had a heart attack and is going through surgery. We have Zoe and Morgan who are going through… through something, I won’t say more. Madison is Morgan’s twin and she just wants freedom. She’s been diagnosed with Lupus when she was younger and her twin is very very protective. She has a huge flare during the night and … Well I’ll let you read if you want to know more about Madison but I really loved this chronic illness rep, because I felt so close to Madison when she was describing her pain etc. Last but not least, with have Julia – the one who decided to make the pact, she’s with Kevin and she’s definitely ready to lose her virginity but it’s not working. She’s going through a lot of pain when they try and she’s scared and start googling her symptoms (endometriosis is mentioned in the book, as potential diagnosis!). Oh and Bulldog, yeah no Bulldog is not a dog but a cat. He is a demon-cat but if you want to know why you’ll have to read it, (again. I know)

Full review on the blog

TNWNOHS by Kalena Miller defies all expectations that you may have based simply on the name. I went in with a mild dose of trepidation that this would be novel would be a superficial high school romance, but Miller has blended many authentic and raw voices into the stories told here. The story alternates perspectives (one of my favorite elements) and all are grappling with the difficulties and stressors that come with being human and a teenager. I'm glad to see mental health, illness, and family all discussed here, but not in an in-your-face sort of way. All of the characters were charming and believable!

TNWNOHS is one of the most heartwarming reads I have read this year. I truly thought that this book was going to be wholly focused on virginity and the acts of sex, but it was honestly so much more than that. Our cast of characters are each unique in their personalities and the situation that they are in. This book tackled not only sex, but also illness, family troubles, and indecisiveness concerning the future. It wasn’t hard to get to know each of the characters when flipping through the different POVs. The pacing of the book was also really well done and this book could easily be read in one sitting! The text message conversations interwoven into the story were a great addition and a wonderful way to tie all of our characters to each other even though they’re not necessarily in the same place. This is honestly the perfect read for high schoolers and I wish this book had been around when I was in high school.

I received an eARC of this novel from NetGalley and Albert Whitman & Company in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to think when going into this book. This book follows a group of friends as they go to Zoe's uncle's house in the woods after prom. With a sex pact made within the group, equaling 4 different couples, shenanigans are bound to pop up. This novel is told in revolving perspectives between the main friends of the group.

I found this novel to be a refreshing look at teen-hood and the idea of having sex, nothing really goes smoothly and the conversations that are had around sex, how awkward it can be, the main that can come with it, all of it just felt really real and raw. Even moving away from the aspect of the sex pact, this novel also talks about how hard it is to make a decision on college, how it is to feel suffocated by family, this novel seems like it has something for every senior in high school about to graduate.

The story that I liked the most was of Julia and Kevin, it was a really good look at a couple who tried hard to work together to have sex, not ignoring someone's pain or discomfort and really working together to figure it out, it was a really healthy depiction of relationships and sex that I think teens today can really benefit from seeing.

Another amazing element in this is Madison's chronic illness, she suffers with Lupus and you see her have a flare up in the novel while also just talking about her experience and diagnosis, while I don't have a chronic illness so I cannot say if it was good rep, it was very educational and opened my eyes to what those with chronic illness may suffer with.

I think that every teen in high school should read this novel and feel comforted that there are others out there sharing the same awkward and new experiences as they are.

Book Review

Title: The Night When No One Had Sex by Kalena Miller

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Night When No One Had Sex for me was a reverse Cherry by Lindsey Rosin and it was absolutely delightful as it was part romance, part friendship story with some great representation and definitely deserves the hype it has been getting. For a young adult book it was nice to see some older characters planning to go to college as I feel this isn’t really represented especially in the contemporary and romance genres. We are following a group of friend including Julia, and her boyfriend Kevin, Zoe and her girlfriend Morgan, Alex and his date Leah and Madison and her boyfriend Jake. Julia has planned to lose her virginity at prom and manages to convince her friends to join her but nothing is going to go right and that isn’t a bad thing.

I am going to break this review down by the couples as that is easier especially since the book bounces between each couple and their group chat as well. Starting with Julia and Kevin, they manages to get access to Zoe’s uncle’s lake house for the big deed but Julia finds the first attempt to painful and there is also the added complication of Zoe’s uncle leaving behind his cat and Julia is afraid of cats (which I can’t understand as a cat owner myself). Their storyline was hilarious especially when they tried roleplaying for the first time and Julia ends up locked in a closet for several hours while hilarity ensues. Zoe and her girlfriend don’t really need to be part of the pact as they have been having sex for nearly a year but decide to humour their friend. Their story is more about how Zoe is worried about going to Yale where she would be a legacy student and she doesn’t know how to tell Morgan she would be moving across the country especially when she isn’t sure she wants to go to Yale in the first place and this was a storyline I could relate to as I have the same experience when I was moving away to university a few years ago.

Alex isn’t going to take part in the pact either as he only met his date a few hours before and he isn’t that kind of person. However, on their way to the lake house Alex gets a call informing him that his grandmother is in the hospital and he has no choice but to bring Leah along for the ride. His family instantly assume that the pair are dating and during their time at the hospital they are forced to get closer to each other which is a trope I love. However, it is complicated as Leah is the daughter of the family responsible for the developments that destroyed Alex’s grandmother’s favourite park and she is planning on leaving for Vermont soon for college but that isn’t going to stop Alex from falling for her even when she warns him not to. The final couple that was honestly my favourite was Madison and her boyfriend Jake, Madison used to a ballet dancer until she was diagnosed with lupus. Obviously, this was a huge thing for the family considering she is Morgan’s twin sister but Morgan is too protective and Madison longs for some freedom which she is hoping to find in her relationship with Jake.

While the individual storylines were amazing and it really balanced a serious tone with a more light-hearted one I did find myself wanting to see more of the group as a whole outside of the group chat and it would have made this book a real found family. I also really enjoyed the fact that the entire book takes place over a single night making it really easy to fly through and I read it in a single day which really helped me appreciate how quickly things were happening for the characters and how they were struggling with some of these events. The writing style that Miller uses his witty and honest making the book fast paced and enjoyable and I don’t think I’ve seen a more accurate or enjoyable portrayal of teenage characters when I am no longer a teenager myself. There are some unexpected turn but the one thing I loved above everything else was the how sex is so openly discussed when it is often looked over or blacked out especially in young adult books where I think it needs to be talked about more openly and I applaud Miller for doing just that. Overall, for me I didn’t completely gel with the book at first but once I got to know the characters I adore it. It was definitely worth the read and I will be on the lookout for Miller’s future work.

Cute YA book - perfectly captures the pressures put on Prom night and wanting it to be perfect with both your friends and your date. The friendship between Alex, Julia, Morgan, Zoe, Kevin, and Madison made me nostaligic for my high school friends. I love that the book explored different sexual identities and level of comfort in each of their sexual journeys. The high-school sweethearts, the jock and the dancer, the lesbian couple, and the one-night-stand (for lack of better words) perfectly captures the different intricacies of high school (and modern) relationships.

I loved how the book went back and forth between different friends POVs and had their corresponding group text messages - it made you feel like you were living through the night with them.

Super cute - thank you NetGalley for the early look at the book!

4.5/5

I really enjoyed myself reading this book! It’s written in multiple pov’s and is about a group of 8 (4 couples) friends in their senior year of high school that make a “sex pact” for them to all loose their virginity (which is just “a heteronormative construct”) on prom night. This book was the perfect mix of moments that had me laughing out loud in public and also good and serious conversations on multiple important topics, one of those topic (obviously) being teens and sex. This being a YA novel I really appreciated the open and positive discussion on sex and I think it was done in a realistic and healthy way for teenagers. But just to emphasize, there are so many good conversations in this novel on so many different issues.

One of the greatest parts of this book was the cast of characters. I appreciated all the different representation we got in this book. There is a wlw relationship, an Asian (Korean) mc/pov, and a character with a chronic illness (lupus). I can personally speak on all of these different representation groups (LGBTQ specifically sapphic, Asian, and chronic illness) however with the Asian rep and chronic illness rep I cannot specifically speak on the more specific groups of both being Korean and having lupus. That being said I personally think that the representation of these groups was done well and with respect. I loved the dynamics and relationships in our group of 8 friends so much. The characters for the most part were well fleshed out and all had their own unique personalities. One of my favourite parts of this book was that in between the multiple povs we get to see the friends group chat and the hilarious conversations that take place on it.

This book was fun and funny, interesting, fast paced and very easy to get sucked into! This book is out now and if you are interested I would definitely recommend giving it a read. A big thank you to Albert Whitman & Company, Kalena Miller and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4327408471