Disclaimer: I DNF’ed this book around the 40% mark. Twice.

I really wanted to enjoy this story because the subject matter is so important and never discussed in literature. But I could not stand being in the main character’s head all of the time. She has understandably some issues that stem from her past relationships and possibly her upbringing, but the relentless self-loathing was impossible for me to read. Rebecca has tied all of her self worth into sex and it hurt to read. But at the same time she and everyone was so full of hate towards other women, it felt weird to claim the book to be “empowering women”.

I did read the author’s note at the beginning and get what she was trying to do, but the execution did not work for me at all.

While I definitely appreciate the earnest conversation regarding female pleasure and empowerment, I found this to be really bland. Couldn’t connect to the characters at all. *I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story’s plot revolves around sex and our main character, Rebecca, quest to learn about her own intimacy and her search for fulfillment in and outside of the bedroom.

I really wanted to like this book. I understand what the author was trying to convey in the story about women taking charge of their own bodies and sexuality (which I was totally on board with). I loved the premise. Unfortunately, I could not get past Rebecca’s horrible friends and her own constant negativity.

This book was a DNF for me. I definitely know there is an audience for this story, but unfortunately, it was not me.

I want to thank NetGalley, Paulette Stout and Media Goddess Inc. for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

This book was a big let down!
The plot was so interesting and quote relevant but somewhere the whole book fell flat.
I wasn't a fan of the main character and her friends who weren't that supportive too!
The romance could have been better too!
It took me a while to finish ..
It just wasn't meant for me
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a chance to read and sharing my honest opinion.

Love, Only Better introduces us to Rebecca. She's in her late 20's, has just broken up with her long-term boyfriend, has many insecurities and has a difficult relationship with her parents. One thing she has never had is an orgasm. Yep, you read it right.

Basically, the majority of this book is her search for "satisfaction." Her inability to climax has been at the heart of many breakups with boyfriends over the years; It is a big reason for her lack of confidence in life in general. However as the story progresses, you find that there is more to it than you initially realize.

I felt like this book had so many opportunities to be a strong message for women about being empowered to take charge of their own bodies and goals. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted for that to play out, it fell short for me.

I appreciate what the author was trying to do so I don't want to be too negative because I did find things I liked about the book. I loved the cover. I liked the basic premise. There was promise for Kyle (even though he was quick to jump to conclusions). Rebecca's mother somewhat redeemed herself towards the end (in my opinion). Sadly, I had a hard time connecting with Rebecca or her friends. In addition, I completely disliked the way the sex study was handled. It felt very intrusive and creepy. That was one of the reasons, Rebecca's friends ended up on my "dislike list"- - I thought they really pushed her to talk about things she was uncomfortable with. True friends would have built her up instead of picking at a wound. It saddened me. Lastly, maybe I missed something in the message but it didn't quite make sense to me that the ability to be satisfied sexually would tie to self confidence to the extent that the storyline suggested. Obviously, I'm not a counselor or doctor of any type, so maybe there is a connection. It just felt odd to tie those two together as much as the author did.

Again, please understand that since I really admired what the author was trying to do. I really wanted to like this book and feel as if I could honestly promote and encourage others to read it. But for me, it just didn't quite meet the mark. Something was missing to pull it together and really make you invest in the characters. Even though the issues were personal and tough topics, it was difficult for me to see true emotion in the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I loved this fresh take on women’s sexuality. It’s so much more than a love story; it explores a woman’s sexual journey in an open, non judging way. Through sex therapy, Rebecca discovers the strong woman hiding under years of self doubt. I loved Kyle and how he supported Rebecca on her journey. He had his own minor issues to work through and I’m glad they got their HEA!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

A cute idea and cute characters. This book had an interesting premise and would probably be well suited to readers in their 20s. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Omg I this just a DNF book for me. Not really my cup of tee. Just couldn't get into it...
Sorry this is one star read for me.

This book was a bit disappointing. The premise sounded interesting and had a lot of potential. The pacing was odd, with lots of detail when it wasn’t needed. A lot of the dialogue was just unrealistic. There were just strange phrases here and there. For example, the main character (a 28 year old woman) talks about essential skincare being “soap, lotion and toner”. What? At that point I wondered if the author was actually a man. What young woman these days wouldn’t say “cleanser and moisturizer”?
The romance between Rebecca and Kyle happened weirdly quickly. He”s passionately kissing her the second time they meet? Who does that?
Rebecca is only a semi-likeable main character. She apparently has such bad self esteem that all she does is whine throughout the first part of the book (and is magically cured after seeing the therapist).
At one point, after Rebecca finds out Kyle had been cheated on, she asks herself “But could she be capable of healing his wounded soul?” Huh? That was weird and came out of nowhere.
Rebecca’s friends for most of the book were just terrible. They literally demanded she tell them private details of her love life she told them explicitly that she wasn’t comfortable sharing. What good friends would act that way? Also, when Rebecca’s best friend meets Kyle, she acts completely inappropriately…asking him about his underwear and calling him a “fine specimen” to his face. It’s just creepy.
Also, when Kyle finds out about the medical study Rebecca’s doing he gets very angry that she didn’t tell him. They barely know each other and have just started dating. The study she’s doing is private and not really his business yet. I find it odd that he takes it so personally. In a real life situation I would consider this a big red flag. If he can’t be understanding about something that’s been traumatic for her, is he really a good guy?
The biggest problem was that for the most part, this book was just boring. It seems hard to believe considering the main theme of the book, but I found myself skimming over parts just to get through it.

DNF

I honestly did not enjoy the negativity that the MC had associated with sex and her sex life. I tried to get into it a bit more before I chose to DNF and give my final review, but I just couldn't seem to continue

I picked this book up thinking that it might be nice to read something a little out of my comfort zone. I enjoy the occasional romcom and thought this book had the potential to be a refreshing take on the female perspective. The plot focuses heavily on the main character’s lack of experience in the orgasm department, despite her previous attempts in relationships. I was intrigued by the concept because I thought it would be a good empowering romance for women that would demonstrate a good example of sex positivity. However, what I read didn’t quite fit my initial expectations. While the main character is very open about her sexual experiences throughout the book, she has an incredibly negative view on all things sex. She believes that her entire worth comes down to whether or not she can “perform” in bed. While her friends occasionally say comments about how this isn’t true and she has many amazing qualities, Rebecca never sees this for herself. At the start of the story, I predicted that there would be a character arc where she would grow to love herself for who she is, and then perhaps the problems in the bedroom would resolve over time. But no. This didn’t happen. Rebecca was so fixated on her lack of ability to orgasm that she had no confidence whatsoever in any area of her life. Although the ending was a happy one, all things considered, it didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped.

I had a few issues with the characters in this book as well. I felt the relationship with the love interest came on way too quickly. One minute they were meeting in the hallway and the next, Rebecca was talking about how they were spending so much time together. While this might have been the case, it wasn’t obvious to the reader. Some of the comments that the characters made felt quite jolting and took me out of the story. I found myself confused at times as a result of a topic change without enough of a transition for it to feel natural. There wasn’t enough character development for me to feel attached to any of them. I liked the inclusion of Rebecca’s two best friends as they provided a bit of comical relief to the constant negativity from the main character’s stream of consciousness. I thought it was a little strange though how they were immediately on board with the dodgy sex study that Rebecca got involved in. I get that the doctors were supposed to be incompetent and unhelpful, but I found myself becoming annoyed with the portrayal of medical professionals. Despite this, I accepted the contribution it made to moving the plot forward.

Overall, this book was a bit of a let down for me personally. I think the plot had the potential to portray an empowering, sex-positive story, but it didn’t quite hit the target. That being said, I think every book has an audience; this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for opportunity to read and review this Arc.

I couldn't finish this one. The characters were unlikeable, the pacing was slow and overly detailed for non-essential things. Some of what was portrayed in the story was offensice, overly negative, or just too out there. I couldn't enjoy this one, sorry.

I wasn’t a lover of this book, the pace of the book was all out of context for me and I couldn’t relate with the main character. I requested this book to read on the premise of what it said it could deliver about women finding their empowerment and I suppose it did to a certain extent, however not a book I could say I enjoyed.

This was so cute. I loved it! The characters were easy to relate too and I fell in love with them. So so cute. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Life is falling apart around Rebecca's ears. First, her boyfriend breaks up with her, calling her frigid and an ice queen. Then, her best friend moves out, leaving her fully alone. And that's not counting her boss steamrolling her at work and her parents alternately ignoring then influencing her life. What Rebecca needs is a change. Something to spice her life up. Something she's never had... an orgasm.

So at the advice of her doctor, she enrolls in a sexual satisfaction study and her life will never be the same.

--

So, you may have noticed from my blurb that there wasn't a lot of focus on the relationship with the guy next door. That's because for a good chunk of the book (and way too much if you ask me) he wasn't really present or important. For the first third of the book, he wasn't an entity at all, which since this book is presenting itself as a romance is way too late.

Second, the romance isn't as important as Rebecca's story. Oh Kyle, the hero, is important and he does matter and is a part of her happy ending. But her real happy ending is dealing with everything that comes with her inability to experience orgasm and coming to terms with her worth. It's the story of one woman's journey and is less about the romance.

This book isn't for everyone. It's not bad, but it will not be everyone's cup of tea. The heroine is hard to like... but that is because in a way she is too relatable. She's got too much self-hatred and self-esteem issues which can be off-putting. It made it difficult for me to read because she hurt too much and that in turn made me hurt. I don't go into fiction to experience pain like this, but I know some readers find it cathartic.

I really did love the open and frank discussions of female sexuality including masturbation, sex toys, and intercourse. I liked that the book acknowledged that women so often focus on a man's pleasure that they lose the ability to find their own. This is Rebecca's story. Everyone else is supporting.

It's good women's fiction. But it's not something that I personally enjoy. It's written well and I loved the honesty about sexual dysfunction. There's some great details... like the fact that the new cantor of her synagogue sings the prayers to a different tune than she's used to so she can't sing along. It's something so very real that I loved.

That said, I liked that Rebecca was an interracial heroine... part Jewish/part Latina. I liked that she had multicultural friends and experiences. I did feel that the author captured the reality of life in New York and the trouble with living in a place so filled with humanity that it can be lonely even if you're never alone.

It's a good book, but it's also a difficult book to love. I'm going to give this:

Four stars.

I initially chose this book because the cover looked cute and the premise sounded interesting and empowering!

Synopsis:
Rebecca is 28 and has never had an orgasm.
It has led to break ups, self doubt and a lack of confidence (despite smashing it in her job, having some amazing friends and an apartment in New York).
Now she is desperate and seeking outside help.
In the meantime, she meets Kyle. The guy who has moved in next door.


What I liked:
- I liked the overall message and the way the book addressed women's pleasure head on. It was an interesting take.
- Some of the imagery of NY and the other settings was cool- I have never been so enjoyed reading about it.


What I didn't like:
- Rebecca's friends were kind of jerks. They are supportive to a point, but also spend a lot of time trying to make her talk and share things she doesnt want to.
- Rebecca's relationship with Kyle felt super shallow. I didn't really care about their relationship to be honest. Honestly, I question whether Rebecca or Kyle were ready for a relationship at all.
- Personally I have never been to a sex therapist, I am curious to know if this book accurately represents them and how they work with new clients?
- As someone doing research with people (Mine doesn't involve talking about sex, but still) the iffiness of consent around the study she participated in and how uncomfortable it made Rebecca felt icky.
- Excessive negative talk from the MC. It got a bit tiring after a while and I lost interest in Rebecca for a while there.


You might enjoy this book if sexual empowerment for women is something you're interested in reading more about from a woman's perspective- I would say though that this book is more of a 'self love/self discovery' book than it is a traditional romance.


Thank you to netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked the concept of this book, but the execution fell a little short for me.

Rebecca is a 28-year-old woman who has never had an orgasm. She has tried alone and with a partner but she just can’t seem to get there. Her ex boyfriend, Ethan, even leaves her because of it. She takes it upon herself to seek professional help and confides in her closest friends in order to figure out what is “wrong” with her.

I liked the message of female empowerment in the story. Rebecca is ready to do what it takes to sort through her issues and resolve them. This issue is common among women and it isn’t talked about enough, so I applaud Paulette Stout for shedding some light and levity on the topic.

I just couldn’t get past Rebecca’s negative self talk and low self esteem. I understand that she was in a dark place, but the negativity became almost boring at points and really took away from the reading experience. I would still read other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc to read and review.

⭐️⭐️💫

I want to fist say thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me the eARC. Me gusto el mensaje mucho del libro pero el libro en sí no me convenció mucho. No me gustaron los amigos de ella, se sintieron bien falsos y no como amigos reales. Yo estoy estudiando para ser psicóloga y este libro es literalmente una alerta roja andante, no me gusto su terapeuta para nada, lo que el la hizo hacer a ella de quitarse y ropa y hacer lo que ya ustedes saben que si leyeron el libro no se sentó bien con mi estomago y este libro es un no para mi lo siento.

I mean this in the nicest way possible but: it’s a no from me dawg.

I probably should have DNF, but mama didn’t raise a quitter. That being said I had zero connection with Rebecca’s character, I found the pacing to be a bit weird, and in all honesty I skimmed a through a good chunk of the book so I could get it over with.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from Netgalley.
Paulette is a new author and this is her first book. I really loved the premise of this book and there was a lot to like. The Characters are decently developed, the story is driven well, and the was a HEA.

But this book just felt like it needed a few more edits, after first reading the free Prologue from Kyle’s POV I was surprised at the less refined feel of this book.
One example, there’s a whole scene in which Rebecca goes into detail about her job with a coworker and we learn a lot about marketing that just didn’t feel necessary to the story.

But like I said that was a lot to like about this book, the topic of female sexual empowerment is one that is still outside of the mainstream and is what drew me to this title in the first place.
Rebecca has a lot of self loathing over what she sees as her sexual inadequacies and they have virtually ruined her self-confidence. But at the same time was very determined and puts herself out there and into some very uncomfortable situations, the scenes with the medical study doctors were particularly disturbing. I was ever so glad when she put a stop to that. When she does finally find the help she wanted so badly and she had her transformative moment it was a relief to finally see her confident in her own skin and happy being with just herself. All women should feel this way.

Kyle has some trust issues and unresolved anxiety about his romantic partners cheating on him. Which he tells Rebecca about early on, after he has patched things up with said cheating ex. This however becomes a main catalyst for their final conflict and it felt forced and out of character for Kyle storm off after an encounter with Rebeccas most recent ex. Only to run to the cheating ex? For the most part Kyle was sensitive of Rebecca’s anxieties but there were a couple of times I felt he could have been a bit more understanding.

The relationship between Rebecca and Kyle seemed to just kind of happen, one page they are in an awkward after first date limbo and the next they were suddenly a couple without much preamble. They are however very cute together and the chemistry is defiantly there, they have some nice steamy scenes.

Over all I did like this book. I will be keeping an out for more from Stout and look forward to hopefully more female empowerment themes from her!