What do you think?
Rate this book
Scientific Method Universe
Less Ordinary
One moment, the future is wide open. In the next, everything goes dark.
When Beccs loses a pregnancy, everything freezes. The past is irrelevant. The future has vanished. All she can do is go numb, even if it means she can’t make any decisions about where to go from here, even if she can barely look at her best friend.
Adam has no idea what to do. Is he supposed to pretend he isn’t wrecked by the miscarriage? Because he is. Is he supposed to pretend Beccs’ silence isn’t destroying him? Because it definitely is.
Eleven years of friendship, intimacy, shared lives, but tragedy threatens to break both of their hearts. How can they find their way back to the life they thought they’d lead? And does it still exist?
When Beccs loses a pregnancy, everything freezes. The past is irrelevant. The future has vanished. All she can do is go numb, even if it means she can’t make any decisions about where to go from here, even if she can barely look at her best friend.
Adam has no idea what to do. Is he supposed to pretend he isn’t wrecked by the miscarriage? Because he is. Is he supposed to pretend Beccs’ silence isn’t destroying him? Because it definitely is.
Eleven years of friendship, intimacy, shared lives, but tragedy threatens to break both of their hearts. How can they find their way back to the life they thought they’d lead? And does it still exist?
231 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2018
4 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Kris Ripper
89 books402 followersKris Ripper lives in the great state of California and zir pronouns are ze/zir. Kris shares a converted garage with a kid, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 21, 2024
Contemporary fiction to cry to.
This was really sad, really moving. I’ve had it on my tbr for a while and I was suddenly in the exact right mood to read it - and I read it in pretty much one sitting.
This was really sad, really moving. I’ve had it on my tbr for a while and I was suddenly in the exact right mood to read it - and I read it in pretty much one sitting.
Read
June 7, 2023I've been thinking about this book ever since I read it, and tried to write a review a few times to no avail. It feels strange to say I loved a book that's such a difficult read, but I did love this one, in the way that you can appreciate and be transformed by a tough experience.
Content warning for the book and the rest of this review: pregnancy loss.
"Less Ordinary" is a gutting and gutsy book. I admire the hell out of Kris Ripper for being brave enough to write it.
I should note that I came to this book as someone with personal experience in the subject matter (which is statistically more the rule than the exception among those who have tried to conceive). But the fact that pregnancy loss is so common doesn't make it any less devastating, and the ways in which it can impact a couple separately and together is explored with such care and nuance here. I especially appreciated the chapters from Adam's point of view--I read broadly and can't recall many male characters going through grief like this on page.
"Less Ordinary" doesn't pull any punches. We see the worst of these characters as well as the best of them. We see how unsexy it can all be...cycles and ovulation and odds and percentages and blood, sweat and tears. But we also see how a family can rally around those experiencing loss. I've always like the quote, "family is joy multiplied and grief divided," and that doesn't have to mean one's family of origin. The found family of Ripper's Scientific Method Universe series each has a part to play in Adam and Beccs surviving what feels unsurvivable to them. It's such a loving, tender story and it was, for me, a healing and cathartic reading experience.
(I also want to note that this book's publication precedes the Dodd SCOTUS ruling by a number of years, but I couldn't help thinking that the medical care Beccs receives would not be available to many in the US today).
Content warning for the book and the rest of this review: pregnancy loss.
"Less Ordinary" is a gutting and gutsy book. I admire the hell out of Kris Ripper for being brave enough to write it.
I should note that I came to this book as someone with personal experience in the subject matter (which is statistically more the rule than the exception among those who have tried to conceive). But the fact that pregnancy loss is so common doesn't make it any less devastating, and the ways in which it can impact a couple separately and together is explored with such care and nuance here. I especially appreciated the chapters from Adam's point of view--I read broadly and can't recall many male characters going through grief like this on page.
"Less Ordinary" doesn't pull any punches. We see the worst of these characters as well as the best of them. We see how unsexy it can all be...cycles and ovulation and odds and percentages and blood, sweat and tears. But we also see how a family can rally around those experiencing loss. I've always like the quote, "family is joy multiplied and grief divided," and that doesn't have to mean one's family of origin. The found family of Ripper's Scientific Method Universe series each has a part to play in Adam and Beccs surviving what feels unsurvivable to them. It's such a loving, tender story and it was, for me, a healing and cathartic reading experience.
(I also want to note that this book's publication precedes the Dodd SCOTUS ruling by a number of years, but I couldn't help thinking that the medical care Beccs receives would not be available to many in the US today).
January 17, 2024
CW: miscarriage
What a heartbreaker for Ads and Beccs. I typically avoid books that have anything to do with pregnancy but there was no way I wasn’t going to read this, since it’s part of the SMU world. I’ve been curious about Adam and Becca too and wanted to get to know them better, particularly Beccs who has always seemed more remote and closed-off. (I should also note she frequently comes across as the kind of self-righteous feminist I really struggle with and was glad that a couple of characters called her out on some of her more questionable ideas.)
In any case, shortly after the book begins, they have a miscarriage and this deals with their immense grief and the way they eventually come back to each other. It’s a really expansive exploration of grief, from the way Beccs distances herself from everyone to the the lack of resources for men in this position and the way it acknowledges other people impacted by loss beyond the couple. Adam notes the differences in his personality before and after the loss, referring to himself as Adam 2.0 who can’t be the jokester he was before. Lucy forces Beccs to let her help, whether it’s meeting her at the marina or telling her to go to her house for lunch or demanding she and Ads go to therapy.
Because Beccs ices everyone out, including Ads, they both have to make sense of loneliness in a relationship, something they haven’t dealt with before. Once Beccs finally is able to take a step back to him, they’re able to discuss what queerness and found family means for them starting a family…or not. Beccs is diagnosed with PCOS and it might not be a straightforward road for them if they want to try again, which opens up a host of issues for her. At the end,
My favorite part is the way their friends surrounded them and loved them through this time of loss. Hugh gives them a green stone with “Tadpole” etched on it—while Beccs is initially resistant to the stone, Ads finds a lot of comfort in it. Later, their therapist encourages them to hold a memorial. The friends give them a rock/succulent garden (since they’re renters and can therefore take it with them wherever they go) and they all contributed stones or sand from their homes. Then they shared the role they thought they’d play in Tadpole’s life as aunts/uncles. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen this in grief fiction before and I found it to be incredibly moving.
I just love these characters and this world so much.
Characters: Adam is a 28 year old white massage therapist and submissive. Beccs is a 28 year old queer white nonprofit supervisor and Domme. This is set in Richmond, CA.
Content notes: suicidal ideation/concern, depression, pregnancy and miscarriage at 11 weeks, D & C off page, Vicodin (post-miscarriage, throws it out after realizing she could become dependent on it), cough syrup as drug use (one time), past abortion, PCOS diagnosis, YouTube videos about infertility, family planning discussion, MMC’s coworker kisses him without consent (he backs away and tells FMC after), past emotional neglect (FMC’s parents), internalized fatphobia (secondary characters), secondary character wants to lose weight before her wedding, fatphobia (countered), overexercising (to point of throwing up), diet to build muscle, ADHD, secondary character with spinal cord injury, vomit, on page sex, D/s, impact play, sensation play, alcohol, diet culture, gendered pejoratives, ableist language
What a heartbreaker for Ads and Beccs. I typically avoid books that have anything to do with pregnancy but there was no way I wasn’t going to read this, since it’s part of the SMU world. I’ve been curious about Adam and Becca too and wanted to get to know them better, particularly Beccs who has always seemed more remote and closed-off. (I should also note she frequently comes across as the kind of self-righteous feminist I really struggle with and was glad that a couple of characters called her out on some of her more questionable ideas.)
In any case, shortly after the book begins, they have a miscarriage and this deals with their immense grief and the way they eventually come back to each other. It’s a really expansive exploration of grief, from the way Beccs distances herself from everyone to the the lack of resources for men in this position and the way it acknowledges other people impacted by loss beyond the couple. Adam notes the differences in his personality before and after the loss, referring to himself as Adam 2.0 who can’t be the jokester he was before. Lucy forces Beccs to let her help, whether it’s meeting her at the marina or telling her to go to her house for lunch or demanding she and Ads go to therapy.
Because Beccs ices everyone out, including Ads, they both have to make sense of loneliness in a relationship, something they haven’t dealt with before. Once Beccs finally is able to take a step back to him, they’re able to discuss what queerness and found family means for them starting a family…or not. Beccs is diagnosed with PCOS and it might not be a straightforward road for them if they want to try again, which opens up a host of issues for her. At the end,
My favorite part is the way their friends surrounded them and loved them through this time of loss. Hugh gives them a green stone with “Tadpole” etched on it—while Beccs is initially resistant to the stone, Ads finds a lot of comfort in it. Later, their therapist encourages them to hold a memorial. The friends give them a rock/succulent garden (since they’re renters and can therefore take it with them wherever they go) and they all contributed stones or sand from their homes. Then they shared the role they thought they’d play in Tadpole’s life as aunts/uncles. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen this in grief fiction before and I found it to be incredibly moving.
I just love these characters and this world so much.
Characters: Adam is a 28 year old white massage therapist and submissive. Beccs is a 28 year old queer white nonprofit supervisor and Domme. This is set in Richmond, CA.
Content notes: suicidal ideation/concern, depression, pregnancy and miscarriage at 11 weeks, D & C off page, Vicodin (post-miscarriage, throws it out after realizing she could become dependent on it), cough syrup as drug use (one time), past abortion, PCOS diagnosis, YouTube videos about infertility, family planning discussion, MMC’s coworker kisses him without consent (he backs away and tells FMC after), past emotional neglect (FMC’s parents), internalized fatphobia (secondary characters), secondary character wants to lose weight before her wedding, fatphobia (countered), overexercising (to point of throwing up), diet to build muscle, ADHD, secondary character with spinal cord injury, vomit, on page sex, D/s, impact play, sensation play, alcohol, diet culture, gendered pejoratives, ableist language
April 28, 2018
It’s no secret that I adore this book universe. Especially the books involving Will, Hugh & Truman. Adam & Beccs have been part of things from the beginning but their story reached into my stone cold heart and made me feel things. This story is how a couple deals with their grief that is so consuming that it overtakes everything But that final scene with their chosen family might just be my favorite scene in the whole series.
January 22, 2024
The way a miscarriage changes you and your partnership are impossible to prepare for. Kris captures it all in such a deep and relatable way.
The hormones. The procedure. The need to hide curl in on oneself. The distance and loss of intimacy in a relationship. The way you become someone else while still being yourself (even the partner who wasn't pregnant). The way your body betrayed you, the blame you put on yourself or assign someone else. The grief. The grief. Oh the grief.
I have been holding back on reading this one for years. I waited until I felt ready. I am glad I did, but I wish it hadn't taken so long to get here.
The hormones. The procedure. The need to hide curl in on oneself. The distance and loss of intimacy in a relationship. The way you become someone else while still being yourself (even the partner who wasn't pregnant). The way your body betrayed you, the blame you put on yourself or assign someone else. The grief. The grief. Oh the grief.
I have been holding back on reading this one for years. I waited until I felt ready. I am glad I did, but I wish it hadn't taken so long to get here.
July 28, 2020
What does a fun, sexy series need to be thrown right in the middle of it? A painful, heart-wrenching story of loss. Adam and Rebecca didn’t deserve this experience, and part of me wishes this hadn’t been the plot Ripper chose to focus on them for. On the other hand, Ripper develops a fantastic, profound tale of pain and recovery. Yes, I cried through most of it.
Pregnancy loss affects every person and couple differently, and as someone who is childfree, I’ve never been even close to the position Ads and Beccs find themselves in. However, I could still empathize with their pain and their journeys through it.
This book is not necessary to read in the greater scope of the Scientific Method universe, so those who might be negatively affected by the content can easily skip this one. However, if the theme of pregnancy loss is not a trigger for you, I encourage all fans of this series to read this book despite how different it is from the rest of the series. Ripper more than proves their ability to write moving storylines that have nothing to do with romance and sex.
Pregnancy loss affects every person and couple differently, and as someone who is childfree, I’ve never been even close to the position Ads and Beccs find themselves in. However, I could still empathize with their pain and their journeys through it.
This book is not necessary to read in the greater scope of the Scientific Method universe, so those who might be negatively affected by the content can easily skip this one. However, if the theme of pregnancy loss is not a trigger for you, I encourage all fans of this series to read this book despite how different it is from the rest of the series. Ripper more than proves their ability to write moving storylines that have nothing to do with romance and sex.
May 14, 2018
Before you start reading, have your favorite brand of tissues handy. Also: usually SU novels go quickly for me, but I had to take a lot of breaks while reading this one. CW: miscarriage, grief. But it is devastatingly good.
Ripper doesn't shy away from the emotional trauma loss causes. Over the past sixteen (?) books we've seen Becs and Ads but usually from a distance. This is a deep dive into their worst experience and how each of them reacts, resists, and slowly return, changed. It is by far the most emotionally loaded novel I've ever read, about how badly grief will twist you up. I appreciated how Ads reacts to how little help or support there is for a man whose dreams of a baby end in miscarriage.
As always in Scientific Universe stories, family is there, ready when needed. ...And I teared up again remembering the end. This is so good, so well done. Just know you may need to schedule in some recovery time. <3
Ripper doesn't shy away from the emotional trauma loss causes. Over the past sixteen (?) books we've seen Becs and Ads but usually from a distance. This is a deep dive into their worst experience and how each of them reacts, resists, and slowly return, changed. It is by far the most emotionally loaded novel I've ever read, about how badly grief will twist you up. I appreciated how Ads reacts to how little help or support there is for a man whose dreams of a baby end in miscarriage.
As always in Scientific Universe stories, family is there, ready when needed. ...And I teared up again remembering the end. This is so good, so well done. Just know you may need to schedule in some recovery time. <3
August 29, 2018
Man, this one got me in the solar plexus, and I knew it would, which is why I put off reading it for a bit. But stars it was so worth the experience. Because of course it was, this is the SMU, my legit obsession of the last twelve months.
This won't be the easiest re-read, but it will be a necessary one, to see how Ads and Beccs change and grow and watch the family come together in grief. It really did take their POVs to articulate some beautiful realities about their chosen family, which just deepened the novel further.
This won't be the easiest re-read, but it will be a necessary one, to see how Ads and Beccs change and grow and watch the family come together in grief. It really did take their POVs to articulate some beautiful realities about their chosen family, which just deepened the novel further.
April 14, 2022
"books that you likely can't relate to at all...except you do anyway".
At first glance all this series of books could be said to be "irrelevant" to my experience but Kris Ripper keeps making these characters and situations relevant, enlightening and thought changing. This was a beautiful exploration of one couple and family's loss and grief, that touched on so many personal and 'political' experiences and concerns.
At first glance all this series of books could be said to be "irrelevant" to my experience but Kris Ripper keeps making these characters and situations relevant, enlightening and thought changing. This was a beautiful exploration of one couple and family's loss and grief, that touched on so many personal and 'political' experiences and concerns.
November 6, 2023
This is a beautifully tender book about a couple grieving differently and how they find their way back to each other. I loved how emotional this book was and how much space they both had to feel their own (different things). We see Adam in a new light in this book and I really appreciate it. After seeing him as the comedic relief for 9 books it was lovely to see how he's come to play that role and what else is going on underneath the surface.
November 29, 2019
I cried so many times reading this, and I haven't even been pregnant (or wanted to). Ads and Beccs's book is phenomenal, and so, so hard to read. To be sure, if I weren't obsessed with the SMU right now, I probably wouldn't have read it, but I'm so glad I did, because it was stark and devastating and beautiful.
Damn you, Ripper.
Damn you, Ripper.
May 7, 2020
Grief
I knew this was going to be brutal going into it. I was already attached to these characters and I needed to see them through this. But this story is one that needed to be told. It’s something so many go through and for some reason talking about it is taboo. This story is as important as it was real. It had so much heart and grief and hope.
I knew this was going to be brutal going into it. I was already attached to these characters and I needed to see them through this. But this story is one that needed to be told. It’s something so many go through and for some reason talking about it is taboo. This story is as important as it was real. It had so much heart and grief and hope.
October 25, 2019
Again KR rips my heart out. Kris is one of a kind! If you dont want to cry and have your faith in human relationships renewed don’t read this book. Relationships are their special, magical territory, all else is icing on the kinky cake. (No kink in this one, though. Just love.)
April 4, 2022
Oof. Big ouch. This one was for the angst lovers. Massive miscarriage cw. A really beautiful examination of grief and all the different ways that people can support each other through it. I really love this extended universe!
July 1, 2021
A truly special and cathartic read, this must have been so difficult to write but oh my the result is such a healing blessing ❤️
December 28, 2022
Oh wow, this book was a lot. It made me tear up and actually cry multiple times.
This is about two of the side characters in the SMU, and it's about how they deal with the loss of a pregnancy. This isn't something that I've experienced, and I don't really know that there can be a right or wrong way to write this kind of story, because it's so personal.
Very good story, very sad and heavy and definitely be prepared for the content if you read this one.
This is about two of the side characters in the SMU, and it's about how they deal with the loss of a pregnancy. This isn't something that I've experienced, and I don't really know that there can be a right or wrong way to write this kind of story, because it's so personal.
Very good story, very sad and heavy and definitely be prepared for the content if you read this one.
March 23, 2024
I love the Scientific Method Universe books. I love the characters, the adventures they have and what they teach me about the world I don't really know much about.
This book was not that. I still love Ads and Beccs. But this story struck very close to home in so many ways. It made me cry and cringe and sob and laugh and re-examine a lot of the stuff I'd been told all my life about what people expected of me as a partnered, cis-hetero woman.
I don't really feel comfortable writing reviews and so I don't do it often unless there's a good reason. But it's not very often a book speaks directly to me or challenges me to examine my truths.
Thank you Kris Ripper for this gift.
I want to give this book 8 stars. Just for the personal therapy alone.
This book was not that. I still love Ads and Beccs. But this story struck very close to home in so many ways. It made me cry and cringe and sob and laugh and re-examine a lot of the stuff I'd been told all my life about what people expected of me as a partnered, cis-hetero woman.
I don't really feel comfortable writing reviews and so I don't do it often unless there's a good reason. But it's not very often a book speaks directly to me or challenges me to examine my truths.
Thank you Kris Ripper for this gift.
I want to give this book 8 stars. Just for the personal therapy alone.
Read
April 2, 2019Ooof, this was a little heavy and sad.
Miscarriage, pregnancy, issues conceiving, etc, are not topics which have affected me personally (being single and happily childless) but important ones to cover. Nice to see so much attention paid to Ads's emotions as well as Becs's.
Miscarriage, pregnancy, issues conceiving, etc, are not topics which have affected me personally (being single and happily childless) but important ones to cover. Nice to see so much attention paid to Ads's emotions as well as Becs's.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews