Book Review: Beyond Any Experience
Beyond Any Experience. Anne Terpstra, NineStar Press, 31 May 2022, Paperback and eBook, 387 pages.
Reviewed by Denise Roma.
This novel is definitely beyond any experience of the lesbian romances I’ve read previously. I was impressed by the quality of the writing, the dialogue between the characters. They were so real that I felt as though I was making new friends more so than reading a novel.
Beyond Any Experience is about women navigating a new relationship amidst loss and grieving, plus the demands of raising an autistic son who functions as a much younger child. These challenges make you root for this couple even more. They are big-hearted, lovable people. You’ll want them to make it.
The love scenes in and of themselves make this story very exciting. The kissing, touching, and lovemaking is sensual and emotionally engaging. Cultural differences are also a theme, as we have a Midwestern girl, Olivia, and Hispanic Ellie, as well as older generation immigrants and friends from various backgrounds.
Terpstra is great at character development, bringing to life characters who are multi-layered and complicated. The character of the autistic son is both very challenging while being sweet and endearing all at once. The two female protagonists are also portrayed with light and dark qualities so that the story comes alive with fully drawn characters.
At no point did I feel like, “No way could that happen,” or “this situation is inconsistent with who this character has been in the past.” I admire the consistency and thoroughness the author shows while tying up all loose ends by the end of the story and resolving all angles realistically. I won’t spoil this by telling the ending, but I will say that it’s complete and satisfying.
Beyond Any Experience is a great read for Chicago natives, as the city and its diversity are represented well. Terpstra’s descriptions of the L train and the city’s neighborhoods are familiar and spot on. This is a fun, heartfelt story that would be good for a summer read, a book club, or a nightstand companion.