This slow burn best-friend-platonic-romance was... not really to my taste. Perhaps it was a cultural mismatch? There's a lot of Britishisms that don't necessarily translate cleanly, including slang like "hen parties" etc. but it was more the attitudes that I had an issue with. In many ways the cultural attitudes of the leads around issues of sexuality and queerness feel a bit regressive, shallow, and even self-shaming (Beth's demisexuality gets a bow put on it that feels very convenient for what seemed like a more complex issue, and Serena's issues seem much more deep seated than they're given the space for) but I'm not sure if that's the characters or the culture, or both.

With a title like "That's What She Said", I was really expecting something along the lines of Bottoms or Booksmart in terms of being insouciant to cultural expectations around female sexuality. This is a book that will absolutely have it's readers, but it didn't manage to be either comically transgressive enough, or genuinely introspective enough, to really catch my attention.

I enjoyed the book. It’s about 2 best friends

Serena and Beth are best friends who couldn’t be more different—Beth is an avowed demisexual, who lacks confidence in her career and in her chances at a happy relationship due to her sexual orientation. Serena is a free spirit who oozes with confidence, both in her job and her sexual proclivities. And yet, since the moment they met, they knew they were platonic soulmates.

So, when Beth decides that she officially wants to take charge of her sex life and explore the things that scare her the most, Serena is more than happy to help. Speed-dating, sex therapy, tantra, a perplexed but ultimately very nice escort—it’s all on Beth’s Sexual Odyssey List.

But when Beth’s crush from her old job comes back and Serena’s favorite friend-with-benefits pushes for more than just sex, it throws their whole world into a tailspin. And suddenly, this sexual odyssey is more than a fun gag. It’ll set them down a course that’ll make them so much closer—or end their friendship for good.

his witty, heartfelt novel explores the complexities of friendship, identity, and sexual self-discovery through the lens of two best friends navigating very different approaches to intimacy. Beth and Serena’s dynamic is both endearing and refreshingly honest—offering a nuanced look at what it means to be a demisexual woman in a hypersexual world, and what it means to truly support a friend’s growth, even when it complicates your own path.

The novel is strongest when it's deep in the rhythm of their friendship—funny, awkward, vulnerable, and real. Beth’s “Sexual Odyssey List” is both hilarious and touching, and Serena’s own emotional arc offers depth to what could have easily been a one-note sidekick role.

While some of the plot turns feel a bit forced or formulaic, the emotional beats largely land, especially in the final act. It’s a smart, sex-positive, character-driven story that values friendship as much as romance—and that’s a rare and welcome thing.

This is on the light hearted scale of Sally Rooney-esque books....however it just fell flat. Our main characters were terrible friends to each other and I didn't really believe their redemption arcs by the end...friendship is work and they did not really work for it, only suffered.

I had such high hopes for this one, but this sadly did not work well for me! I appreciate a lot of what this book did right - the discussions around demisexuality felt nuanced, and I loved the therapy aspect. That said, this all felt a little...sillier? Than I wanted from it. There were hijinks and it all felt over the top, and maybe I just had difference expectations for it.

For the most part, I liked Beth and how open she was to trying new things, but everything about Serena's storyline was excruciating. She treated Beth and everyone in her life so terribly, and I hated how long it took Beth to see that. I think she needed therapy more than Beth did, and I have a hard time seeing anything she did as being easily forgivable.

I feel like I would have enjoyed this more if it were just Beth's storyline and her navigating her sexuality. There was a lot about that had potential, but the execution just fell flat for me.

Cute story about friendship and finding ourselves. Their co-dependency was a little annoying and childish for their age but I’m content that I continued and finished the book.

I was really excited when I got this book — from what I had heard, it sounded really interesting and like something I was going to enjoy. After reading it, I can say I really liked it!

At first, it took me a little while to get hooked, so I didn’t read this book as quickly as I thought I would. Still, I was invested in the characters’ journey, even though I couldn’t connect with them 100%. We have two best friends who view intimacy very differently, but at the same time, they complement each other and help each other grow and become better people.

One of the things I loved about this book was how good and respectful the representation of asexuality and bisexuality was. The book shows and talks about both the healthiest ways to navigate sexuality and emotions, as well as the more toxic and unhealthy ways.

I loved the exploration of sexuality, and I found everything so realistic. Even though the book had a rough start for me, it ended up being something I truly enjoyed, and I think it’s definitely worth giving it a try!

Amazing! I knew this was going be amazing going into it but blew me away! The deep complex exploration of friendship and how we see not only ourselves but also each other! Incredible

It had its funny moments but, overall, it wasn’t for me. I can see other people liking it though.

Thank you, NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Eleanor Pilcher for this eARC.

I loved the demisexual representation in this book. It felt fresh, authentic, and offered a really thoughtful look at a part of the sexuality spectrum that isn’t often explored.

Best friends Beth and Serena, total opposites in love and life, are put to the test when Beth, a demisexual lacking confidence in both her career and relationships, decides to tackle her fears and explore her sexuality with Serena’s help. From speed-dating to sex therapy to encounters with an escort, Beth’s “Sexual Odyssey List” pushes them both out of their comfort zones. But when old and new romantic entanglements complicate things, their unbreakable bond faces a reckoning that could either bring them closer than ever or break their friendship apart for good.

The escort scene was completely hilarious and over-the-top in the best way. I also really connected with the scenes where Beth processed her friendship with Serena during therapy; some of the reflections on friendship really hit home for me.

It was also great to watch Serena confront her feelings about her parents and how that shaped her views on love and relationships. And I completely adored Evan! This book had so much heart, humor, and depth, and I’m glad I picked it up.

I fear I was a victim of my own expectations with this one. Eleanor Pilcher’s That’s What She Said is narrated in alternating POVs from two best friends, Serena and Beth. Beth is demisexual and a virgin, and currently hyperfixating on all her curiosities and uncertainties about sex. Serena is bisexual and perpetually hyperfixating on, well, having sex. As the more experienced of the two, Serena is more than happy to facilitate Beth’s sexual exploration.

For anyone interpreting that the way I did… no, Serena does not take Beth’s education into her own hands, if you catch my drift. These besties remain just besties. And that’s wonderful! I’m all for books that center female friendships while still exploring relationships and sex. But alas, based on the synopsis, that’s not what I thought I was getting into. 3.5*.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley, for providing this e-arc.

Long-time best friends Beth and Serena are polar opposites, so when shy Beth decides she wants to explore her demisexuality, outgoing and confident (but committment-averse) Serena is game to create a bucket list for her "sexual odyssey" in this debut about friendship, sexuality, and late coming of age.

I did think this was going to be friends-to-lovers based off of my quick scan of the summary, which is very much not the case. This is not a romance - it definitely reads more as a coming of age novel centered around friendship, since I would argue that there is still coming of age to be done even in your late twenties. Beth and Serena navigating their friendship and figuring out how to set boundaries and grow individually was the heart of this book.

I appreciated the exploration of demisexuality, because asexuality isn't often discussed in novels, and I feel like Pilcher really honored Beth's journey and that is was more about accepting herself as she was than changing her.

3.75 stars for me.

That's What She Said is described as a "platonic comedy of errors," which is just perfect. It's a coming of age between two close friends and roommates. Serena, the queer, sex-positive, outspoken of the two works as a journalist and often takes Beth along for adventures for her stories. Beth, a 28-year-old demisexual virgin, starts to become more urgently curious about sex. This prompts Serena to "support" Beth's "sexual odyssey" by having her try a variety of new things (dilators, sex therapy, Pap smear, etc.) and writing about it.
The way Beth's curiosity and sexuality are explored in this book are explored deeply and with care. As a reader who identifies with the demisexual label, my experience is quite different from Beth's- and I throughly appreciate the insight into the variety of how this can be experienced, the nuance of sexuality, and what sexual exploration might look like for some.
All LGBTQ+ people (and most straight cis people as well) have gone through some sort of questioning and exploration. I am delighted by the story that Pilcher created to explore Beth's.
On top of that, we get to see a very special kind of friendship. The (platonic) love between Beth and Serena is palpable. Their escapades often reminded me of Broad City. The closeness between them; the love, care, and understanding; as well as the neglect and conflict that spirals (and is eventually resolved) are all portrayed beautifully.

The chapters are short, which made this go by faster. It was a quick, engaging read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC !

I liked this book. I can’t think of a piece of content including a character who identified as demisexual, so it was interesting to hear about from the MCs perspective. I also enjoyed the perspective changes in the book. I learned something new and hope others will do the same!

That being said, i felt it included about 50 or so pages of wasted space. I found both characters a bit unlikable, and don’t believe that was necessarily the intention of the author. The book was fine, i don’t think it was poorly written, just a bit lackluster and predictable in my humble opinion. I hope others enjoy it more than me. 3 stars.

This was a quick and entertaining read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
They were all realistic and very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.
Such a witty, funny, and heartfelt women’s fiction debut.

that’s what she said by eleanor pilcher follows i separable platonic soulmate best friends beth and serena as they begin to navigate their equally complex relationships with their respective sexualities: serena with her avoidance of her real feelings and beth with her demisexuality.

i was on the fence going into this one since i find that demisexual characters are hard to find and are rarely handled with as much as care as they deserve, but beth’s relationship with her demisexuality was very well done.

both characters were funny and loveable, but also flawed and multifaceted. the supporting cast was fantastic as well.

loved the explorations of complicated family dynamics, queerness, aspec identity, love, codependent friendships, and navigating young adulthood!!!!

thank you so much to avon and to new galley for the arc of this book! beyond grateful!

ARC Review: That’s What She Said by Eleanor Pilcher

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

That’s What She Said is an okay read, if you’re comfortable with the plot following a very predictable ARC. I felt that I have seen this type of story many times before. Beth and Serena felt very trope-y, as did the side characters. It felt like reading an ABC Family movie made for teens in the early 2010s, but with plenty of pop culture references to remind you it is set in present day.

The best part of this story was the representation of Beth being demisexual, I really enjoyed this extra element to give her more depth and provide representation for the ace community. It highlighted how some people are insensitive to this identification, but also how touching it is when people in your life are accepting and want to learn more about how you identify.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I overall enjoyed this book and the characters. Fun coming of age story, good character friendships and a fast read.

This book was such an easy read and felt like such an interesting ride from start to finish. As it’s a women’s fiction novel, romance was a mere subplot (which I loved). Serena and Beth’s friendship felt so authentic to the parallel of messy, nearly co-dependent friendships that are pretty much sisterhoods. I didn’t know much about demisexuality before going into this book and I feel like I learned so much, alongside Beth, on her journey. The two FMCs were both flawed, imperfect humans but you could tell that both of them had big hearts and loved each other fiercely - I couldn’t help but root for them and their happy endings! I thoroughly enjoyed my read and am excited to read more from this author!

This was such a fun and wholesome read! It was funny and relatable and has fantastic Asexual rep! I loved the characters and their banter, they felt realistic and I loved that!