SEXT and the Small City
Aimee Chan
Suitcases & Strollers Pty Ltd (2025)
ISBN: 978-1764069205
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (10/2025)
Aimee Chan’s SEXT and the Small City takes us into the world of a divorced middle-aged woman entering modern-day dating. Quynh is a 45-year-old Chinese Vietnamese Australian who holds a PhD in Early Childhood and works as a children’s librarian. She is recently divorced from a twenty-five-year marriage to her former high school sweetheart and has begun exploring online dating. Living in a small city makes it difficult to find dates, especially those with her education level and an interest in the arts and culture. It also makes it difficult to maintain privacy when so many people know each other.
Having only been intimate with her husband, the online dating scene opens her up to new and exciting experiences with men of different ages, socio-economic, and educational levels. Quynh has two close girlfriends who follow along on her dating adventures through spirited discussions. The novel is narrated through a series of screenshots of her online conversations with her girlfriends, potential dates, and dates. This unique, yet modern, format sets the scene for a fast-paced, fun read.
Having gone through a divorce at 35, it was eye-opening to explore the dating scene. I briefly tried online dating but did not have the resilience to stick with it, like this main character does. I found it entertaining to watch her evolve as a modern-day, middle-aged single woman. I would have loved to have read this back then. Maybe it would have given me more courage to keep trying-
Despite the brevity of the way the conversations are presented in this format, Chan still manages to make Quynh a multi-dimensional character. Readers will cheer for her as she explores her desire for sex and intimacy. They will also cringe as she has experiences with shady characters like those looking to have sex with Asian women, or potential scammers who present themselves as being in the military. Sadly, there are some who have no problems with ghosting her, either. In addition to being excited to follow her on her adventures, Quynh’s friends also share their concern for her safety and need to be more careful. I felt the same concerns as I read, and I was happy to see this addressed through her friend’s eyes.
Readers will enjoy following along on this fast-paced, laugh-out-loud adventure. While I enjoyed reading it by myself, I highly recommend this for women’s reader groups. I would love to sit in on the lively conversations that are sure to follow. Aimee Chan’s SEXT and the Small City is a must-read!