The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan is absolutely phenomenal. I loved The Roommate, but (gasp) I may love The Intimacy Experiment even more. There. I said it. I mean. Naomi, Josh's ex girlfriend and former co-star, meets a super hot...rabbi? Um, yes. Please and thank you.

When I reviewed The Roommate, I mentioned how I came from a super conservative background, and that adult entertainment wasn't something I'd thought about much. As we get to know Naomi more through this book, I loved how utterly human she is--how we see her owning her decision to star in explicit films but also reckoning with the consequences of that decision. She doesn't accept the shame others try to cover her with.

I loved Naomi and Ethan's story, start to finish. The tender examinations of faith and love, what it means to love, to heal, to hope. I was a melted puddle of goo when I finished reading. I especially loved how Judaism was woven into the fabric of the story. The concept of husa brought tears to my eyes because what are we all if not imperfect, and yet each of us deserves love like that.

Read this book. I give it my whole-hearted approval, 5 million stars. This book, I can't get it out of my head. It's just perfect.

A huge thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for my e-ARC.

I'm struggling with a rating on this book a bit, because while I really enjoy the author's voice and I loved the characters, there were a few things in this book that really didn't work for me.

the pros:
I loved both of the protagonists!! Ethan was charming, self deprecating and so sweet. I loved the way he knew exactly who Naomi was & loved all of her. I also REALLY loved Naomi🥰 God, she was everything I want in a heroine. She's funny, she's smart, she knows exactly what she wants and she's going to get it!! I appreciated her journey of self discover in this book. The banter between these two was really charming, and when they did finally get together & reach their hard-won HEA i was so happy.

the cons:
The pacing felt pretty off to me—there were multiple times that the characters felt like they were at the whim of the story, so it would drag & then suddenly speed up in a way that was a bit jarring. I also felt like considering who Naomi was in The Roommate, she wasn't as sexually confident in this book? That may not be the right wording, but considering she has a threesome with her business partners & best friends before this book takes place, I was kinda shocked by the lack of steam in this book. I definitely came in expecting her to be more like she was in The Roommate, and quite honestly the lack of sex/sensuality felt like an abrupt left turn for her character. And it would be one thing if that change was addressed in the text (ie: she realized she was using sex as an emotional crutch and made a promise that she wouldn't have sex for a while— this would been great bc it would've been another barrier to them dating, which I would've loved as their relational barriers felt flimsy to me) but it never was never mentioned, which was jarring.

There were a couple smaller, personal things that didn't quite land for me (the poor communication between E & N felt exacerbated by their lack of physical intimacy, as often in romance a lack of emotional intimacy can be overcome by physical intimacy) but mostly the disjointed pacing and Naomi's change in characterization were what I really struggled with here. While it was a fun & lighthearted read, I don't think I'd pick it up again

I'm kvelling! A steamy contemporary romance centering around a young rabbi and a Jewish heroine! I loved everything about this book!

It was a joy to read a book where the main protagonists were Jewish. Not to worry, the author doesn't hit you over the head with religion but the mentions of the JCC, synagogue and Shabbat dinners were enough to thrill me. Naomi was first introduced in 'The Roommate' and while I generally don't love sequels or spin-offs. 'The Intimacy Experiment' absolutely stands on its own and is just as wonderful as the first book.

Ethan and Naomi "meet cute" when he approaches her to lead an intimacy workshop at his synagogue. Of course the young rabbi is going to run afoul of the temple leadership and his congregants, but he is determined to bring new and modern programming to his temple. At this point, the book borrows from the adorable rom-com movie 'Keeping the Faith' with the exception that the Jenna Elfman role here is Jewish.

Naomi plans to never get involved in a committed relationship but wow, she is incredibly attracted to Ethan. How can she resist the appeal of a young, smart, dynamic and sexy spiritual leader? She can certainly dish out thoughtful romantic advice, but she has a tough time following her own intimacy playbook.

"Sex was easy. People made it complicated with their expectations and their insecurities. Naomi had never given sex that power."

Ethan, for his part, assumed being a rabbi with all of that responsibility and the public role he was supposed to play would be a turn-off to someone like Naomi. She was stunning, but with somewhat of a tough veneer. She made it very, very hard for Ethan to get close to her.

"Ethan hadn’t been able to get Naomi Grant out of his head. There was something refreshing about her. Grit wasn’t the right word. Everything about her outward appearance was polished to a high shine. She just seemed . . . tough."

I loved the normalization of Jewish main characters in this story. The supporting cast was wonderful and I actually laughed out loud at some parts. I applaud Rosie Danan for writing such a refreshing rom-com with out-of-the-box main characters.

Favorite quotes:

“Love, like faith, asks us to be less selfish. Less greedy. Its asks us to trust. To sit with our doubts. To keep coming back to and proving our commitment."

"The shadow cast by his bearded jawline was ridiculous. She could wait out a summer storm underneath that thing."

“You’re exactly the person you were born to be, and you’re not even afraid of it. Do you know how hard that is? How rare?”

HJ Recommends

Oh my goodness this was just brilliant! I absolutely loved reading the first book in this series but I can safely say The Intimacy Experiment has knocked me right over! I loved that Danan went against the grain and put together two very unlikely candidates, like who would think a former porn star and a rabbi would hit it off?

I have to say from all the female leads that I have read Naomi has come to be one of my all time favorites! I loved that she did not shy away from her past but instead embraced it. I will say that this book did take on a lot of issues related to sex such as; slut shaming, self pleasure and that no means no, however they were all handled very tastefully all while keeping it light enough not to overload the reader. I loved watching Naomi bring down her protective shield and watching her learn that she to is allowed to have that special person in her life.

As for Ethan, gosh was he a hottie! I loved that he was so dedicated to his faith bit still your regular guy. I loved that he was not scared to express his feeling for Naomi but still being a gentleman about it and respecting her boundaries. The chemistry between these two was HOT!! I loved watching these two dancing around their attraction for one another only for it to explode in the best way possible!

This boundary pushing steamy romance is a definite must read! I loved that in The Roommate Danan tackle the sex topic and now in The Intimacy Experiment she has taken on what true intimacy really means in the modern world. Danan is fast becoming a must read author for me, I do hope that Leah gets a book of her own soon!

Thank you Berkley Romance for the gifted copy.

I loved The Roommate, so I was really excited to read The Intimacy Experiment. I'm not sure what to say about it though. I loved the Jewish representation, because not many books offer that to readers. I liked Ethan, and I liked Naomi but something about their relationship didn't work for me. I also expected more steam, at least as much as the previous book, but it just wasn't there.

I was originally going to give this book 3 stars, but I bumped it up to 4 just because I liked the fact that Ethan was a rabbi, and I was happy to see Jewish representation. The plot was good, but it was just not as good as I was hoping.

Sweet, funny and unique.
I loved The Roommate so much and I was nervous to read this one because I wasn’t a big fan of Naomi, and I completely changed my mind about her.
This book was even better than The Roommate, a little less steam, but loved Ethan and Naomi’s journey.

Thank you Netgalley, Edelweiss and Berkley Romance for this ARC.

The Intimacy Experiment releases April 6, 2021.

http://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeepleasemx

I already loved The Roommate and was not disappointed with Naomi's story. Naomi meets a hot Rabbi who offers her a teaching opportunity within the community. I personally loved the way their relationship developed and the way Naomi rediscovered parts of herself through it. She's a very well written character and their relationship was fun to follow but also offered a lot of depth.

Naomi Grant knows what it’s like to be different. The former porn star, now co-founder of the sex-positive start-up Shameless, next wants to add lecturing to her repertoire. While at a seminar, she meets Ethan Cohen, a young rabbi, desperate to save his struggling synagogue. He decides to hire Naomi to create a non-traditional lecture series on modern intimacy to attract younger members to the faith. Naomi reluctantly agrees. She knows that their arrangement is mutually beneficial, she gets lecturing experience, and Ethan gets a buzzy seminar for his synagogue. But as the two begin working together, they can’t deny their attraction for each other. But not everyone is enthused about Naomi’s presence at Beth Elohim or her role in Ethan’s life.

Told in the third-person, The Intimacy Experiment alternates between focusing on Naomi and Josh’s individual perspectives throughout the chapters. I loved how this book approached modern intimacy in a healthy, different way. Instead of being a deeply taboo topic, The Intimacy Experiment treats the topic of intimacy and relationships as something to be discussed and valued. It frequently dips into the subject of Jewish faith and overall culture, and how modern relationships fit in, and I found that fascinating!

This is definitely not as steamy of a book as The Roommate. The Intimacy Experiment focuses more on the nuisances in relationships, and the importance of building trust and feeling safe. Naomi, having always been seen as a sex symbol, has never been in the kind of relationship where she has been willing to commit to settling down. When she meets Ethan, she comes to inherently trust him.

I highly recommend The Intimacy Experiment to other romance fans!

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

Rosie Danan’s steamy debut The Roommate was one of my favorite romance reads of 2020. The plot was original, the characters were unforgettable, and the sexy factor was off the charts. This year Danan has gifted us with The Intimacy Experiment, a companion novel that features one of my favorite characters from The Roommate, former porn star turned businesswoman, Naomi Grant. I knew I would love The Intimacy Experiment, but what I didn’t expect was that I would actually end up loving it even more than the first book!

Naomi and Clara, the protagonist from The Roommate, are co-CEOs of a successful website that educates its subscribers about sexual satisfaction. Naomi has also decided she would like to teach some classes on relationships and intimacy and is looking for a forum where she can make that happen. As always, Naomi is smart, sassy, and determined to get what she wants, but she’s getting frustrated that she can’t get anyone to take her seriously. That is until she meets Rabbi Ethan Cohen at a seminar. Ethan has been trying to figure out a way to attract more younger members to his synagogue and when he hears Naomi’s passionate speech about what she wants to teach, he invites her to design a seminar series on Modern Intimacy. At first Naomi wants no part of this proposal, but then she reconsiders. It also doesn’t hurt that Rabbi Ethan is super sexy and Naomi is finding it hard to resist his charms.

There’s so much I enjoyed about this book but the chemistry between Naomi and Ethan was definitely a high point. I loved watching Naomi and Ethan design the course together. Even though they’re an unlikely pair, they just worked together so perfectly and the more they worked together, the more they became invested in each other. I loved the contrast between Naomi’s feisty independence and Ethan’s loyalty and devotion. Ethan is like a Golden Retriever and I just adored him and wanted Naomi to stop fighting her attraction to him.

If you enjoy romance that is a slow burn, you’ll enjoy Naomi and Ethan’s journey because fighting their attraction to each other is definitely a big part of the story. Also, where The Roommate is filled with sexy, steamy intimate scenes, this book features way fewer scenes of that variety. As much as I enjoyed the romance of Clara and Josh in the first book, I actually preferred the slower pace and the deeper issues involved as Naomi and Ethan were both so conflicted as to whether or not it would be appropriate for them to be together. I also liked that we got a little insight into the Jewish faith as Naomi, who is also Jewish, decides to take some courses to learn more about the faith she hasn’t practiced since she was a child.

One last thing I loved was the Intimacy seminar itself and the way Danan presents it. It’s as if we’re attending all of the courses as well. I loved watching Naomi teach, Ethan sitting in the audience lending his support, and also how enthusiastic the young attendees were as Naomi explores topics such as being honest with yourself and potential dates about what you’re looking for in a relationship, how to meet people in the first place, how to take a relationship to the next level, and how to survive a breakup. I thought the seminar was brilliant and wished I could have taken a course like it back during my single days. It would have made dating life so much easier to navigate!

If you’re looking for an original, sexy romance I highly recommend The Intimacy Experiment. The characters are immensely likable, the storyline is both fun and thought-provoking, and the ending will leave you with a smile on your face. I loved every page of it and look forward to reading more from Rosie Danan. 4.5 stars.

After having liked the Roommate well enough, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the Intimacy Experiment, but I adored this book. The premise of this book was interesting, but definitely not something that I would normally gravitate towards but i’m glad I took a chance on Ethan and Naomi.

Ethan Cohen is the most kind, patient and loving human and Naomi is fierce and wonderful. The maturity between these two is a breath of fresh air and the love between them is breathtaking. The trust that these two have in each other and the partnership between them is heartwarming. I’m not sure I have more warm-fuzzy words in me to describe the love between these two.

I’m simply in love with this book. There is an ache in my heart and the Intimacy Experiment has easily become a favourite book.

What do you get when you mix and former porn star and a cinnamon roll rabbi? This delightfully endearing and fresh love story!
I appreciate a true series stand-alone and this one is just that. If you haven’t read The Roommate, you won’t be confused and can easily pick up The Intimacy Experiment. I love the gender role reversal in this one. Typically in romances you have the leading lady who is “quirky” and awkward with probably low self esteem paired up with a charm-your-pants off hunk with some profession like baseball player or hot shot CEO. In this one we have Naomi who oozes confidence and sex-appeal and has turned it into a lucrative business engaging Ethan the sweet, demure, hot new Rabbi in the “don’t fall in love with me” banter. It was such a fresh and fun approach! I loved seeing these two polar opposites come together and really enjoyed reading this one!

I love a redemption story. A story of a woman, Naomi Grant (Hannah) who took control of her story and body and controlled her narrative. She chose to be a porn star, after pictures were leaked of her in high school and everyone called her a slut and that she deserved it. After she stopped filming she started teaching sex education teaching that sex isn't something to be ashamed of and that everything about what we are taught or not taught is antiquated. 

Ethan is a rabbi that wants Naomi to teach a seminar series at his synagogue to attract a younger congregation. He is a new rabbi deciding this path after the passing of his father. His mother is a high powered agent and was expecting him to follow in her footsteps. Also he's super hot! 

This story was SOO refreshing! Two perfectly imperfect people trying their best after bad things happened to help others and finding love. Even though as usual people judge and decide what is morally best for everyone. Why can't we let people find love where they find it and let them live? 

Love is precious and hard to find and it should be cherished!

OMG I loved Naomi's Breakup Ritual! I hope to never have to use it but man I could have used it in my 20's! Can someone make a promotional bookmark or something with it on it?! I teared up!!

Totally recommend this rabbi and ex-porn star rom-com-agedy! More unlikely pairs for all those not represented out there. 

I also love finding more Jewish books as we have been eating Matzo brei and Brisket the last week for Passover. We still have a 5lb box of Streits. We are inter-faith household so Happy Easter to those who celebrate today as well!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

I enjoyed The Intimacy Experiment, especially getting to see Naomi’s character grow. Especially that she was relatively comfortable in her skin and seemed to be pretty aware of her flaws, this book is extremely sex-positive!
I also did enjoy Naomi and Ethan. As a couple, they made sense to me in an opposites-attract sort of way. This is a sweet slow burn romance that delves into love and acceptance. It is full of heart, great characters, and some wonderful chemistry. I loved this book so much and am excited to see what Rosie Danan writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, there’s only one thing I can say about this book. I absolutely loved it! I heard such great things about The Roommate so of course I couldn’t wait to read that. As soon as I finished it, I knew that I had to pick up The Intimacy Experiment and read Naomi’s story. Even though Naomi was only a side character in The Roommate, she quickly became my favorite of the group. She took no shit and lived on her own terms. I was hoping to see more of that attitude in The Intimacy Experiment and you know what…I did.

The Intimacy Experiment takes place a few years after The Roommate ends. Shameless is more successful than ever. Naomi has retired from the porn industry and has traded in her birthday suit for actual suits (with studs on the sleeves). After completing her advanced degree, she wants to take her sexual education efforts into the classroom, but it seems no one is ready to take her or her expertise seriously. Enter in Ethan. Ethan is a young (hot) rabbi who is doing everything he can to save his shul (synagogue). When he attended an educational conference, the last person he expected to come across was Naomi, who according to his sister is one of the biggest bad asses in the world. After hearing her talk, he approaches her to partner with him on a Modern Intimacy series that he hopes will not only bolster her status in education, but also bring new faces into his shul. Noami’s first instinct is to run in the other direction. She may be Jewish, but she gave up organized religion a long time ago, especially after feeling like an outsider for years both inside and outside of the community. Then of course there’s the matter of her being a retired porn star. The world already acts as if her career and sex positive life are a problem. Does she really want to put up with that from the religious community as well? And finally, and possibly the most important: Ethan Cohen is too damn hot to be a rabbi and there’s no way that she can stay away from him like she knows she should if she has to work with him on a regular basis for the next 7 weeks.

The Intimacy Experiment has so many beautiful elements to it. For one, as someone not completely familiar with the Jewish faith, I loved being able to get a look into its principles and teachings. Ethan is so extremely passionate about his religion. Religion helped him get through the loss of his father and make it through a time where he wasn’t sure what to believe in. It’s his passion that draws Naomi and the reader to him. Throughout the book he can often be found discussing teaching of the Jewish faith and how they can be applied to every day life. Rosie does an amazing job of intertwining traditions with the beauty and romance of the story and I have to say, more times than not it had me completely in my feelings.

Along with a look into Judaism, this book also gives us a look into the sex industry and just how much shit sex workers have to deal with. It has always amazed me how the very people who love to watch porn are the main ones who harass them and act as if they aren’t human. There’s a particular scene where Naomi has to deal with a drunk frat guy in a bar during an event for the shul. She’s literally minding her business when he recognizes he from her videos and proceeds to hit on her, request that she take off her clothes, and when she refuses him, begins to call her a slut and a bitch. This isn’t the only harassment that Naomi faces. Members of the shul aren’t exactly happy to have her in their community and they aren’t shy about letting Ethan know. At one point, despite all of the good she has done, they do extremely cruel and foul things and say some pretty hurtful things. It was great to see Ethan support her through all of this, but the real star of the show is Naomi. Yes she’s a tough bad ass, but what we learn throughout the book and during these moments in that she’s had to develop this persona to protect herself from the cruel sides of humans that she often sees. My heart honestly broke for her, even as I cheered her on because no one deserves to be treated the way that some people treated her. I think this was a marked difference from The Roommate. In The Roommate, we do see an ugly of the sex industry, but we see what it’s like on the inside, not the way the world itself reacts to its members. While Josh faces demons within his career, Naomi is facing ones from her past as well as from the outside world now that she’s no longer an active porn star.

And of course, we have the romance. Ethan and Naomi’s mutual pining is one for the books. They both feel as though they aren’t good enough for the other or that there’s no way the other person could want to be with someone like them. The sexual tension that builds between them is off the charts. What’s wild is, when things finally get steamy, it only gets steamy once. This book isn’t about sex, though the sex that the two have is hot as hell. Their relationship, both professionally and romantically, is centered around intimacy. They become intimate in ways beyond physical touch and that…that makes this book my favorite when I compare the two.

Listen, I’ve already given away as much as I can without completely spoiling the book, but in closing, I think you should absolutely pick up this book when it’s released this week. It’s beautifully written and built upon so many layers that once you’re done, you’ll want to immediately pick it back up again.

4/5 Stars

I had a great time reading this book. I was really happy with the sex positivity and the talk about intimacy that was involved in this book. I totally adore Ethan, he was sweet, considerate, and completely adorable. I'm not religious at all so I can't speak on the portrayal of the Jewish faith representation in this book. This being said I did enjoy the fact that it was discussed alongside of sex and intimacy. Overall I had a super great time reading this book and would highly recommend it!

3.5/5

Last year Rosie Danan’s The Roommate was hands down one of the best romances I read all year. It was funny, fresh, and incredibly sexy and I’ve been waiting for Naomi’s book ever since I finished it. Once again the author wrote another original and sexy romance, I mean a rabbi and an ex porn star?! GIMME

Really quick for those that didn’t love TR because it was too spicy don’t pass this one up thinking it’ll be the same. I was actually expecting more steam than this one had and while it definitely wasn’t closed door, it was nowhere near the level of hotness that TR was.

Ok, while I didn’t love this one as much as the previous book I did like it, I think my expectations were just unrealistic and way too high. Totally on me though, I can still recommend it for sure, I was just really hoping this would be another favorite of the whole year. I did really enjoy the merging of faith and sexuality and liked learning more about Naomi but I still didn’t feel like I truly knew her in the end. I guess I basically wanted more of her past and even how she would take her experiences into a future with Ethan, but I did really like him, so adorable! Overall I flew through this one, so there’s something to be said for that, I just hope that special magic that happened for me in book one will be back again in book three.

I wasn't sure it would be possible to like The Intimacy Experiment more than The Roommate but Rosie Danan proved me wrong. Naomi was my favorite secondary character in The Roommate and I couldn't wait to see Rosie Danan give her a happily ever after. I was even more intrigued when it was announced that her love interest would be a rabbi. In a lot of ways, this book was different than what I was anticipating based on the first book, but in a completely pleasant way. The character arcs and the love story that emerge were inspiring and lovely. Truly, this was a complete joy to read.

As I said, I went in loving Naomi. She's very guarded with her feelings, but she is fierce and unapologetic. Though this is very much a romance novel, The Intimacy Experiment feels like the story of Naomi, post her career in porn. She's built a successful sex-positive business and is now interested in teaching a series of seminars focusing on sex and intimacy (which BTW sounded incredible). In The Intimacy Experiment, she goes on an emotional journey, discovering more about herself and learning to work on her own vulnerabilities, all the while also reconnecting with her faith.

Now, I'm usually not one for religious themes of any kind in my books but the way that Judaism is interwoven in this book is so beautiful. It's actually quite touching to see Naomi grapple with it and it got me to reflect upon my own relationship with faith. I know sometimes it's a concern that books with religion can come across as preachy, but this is far from it. It's just a natural part of Naomi's character and her development. One thing I really appreciate about Naomi and the way she is characterized is that she is never ashamed of her sex worker background even if she has chosen to no longer be in the field. The book does a good job at empowering a sex worker without ever shaming the character, something that I personally think is very much needed in romance.

In a lot of ways, Ethan is the perfect companion to Naomi in her happily-ever-after. I knew I was going to crush on the guy hard, but oof, he snuck into my heart and just settled there from the very beginning. Naomi is a Scorpio like myself so I guess it makes sense that our tastes in men would match up. Anyways, Ethan! I could say so much about him, but I'll just highlight some of his best qualities. He is patient and so understanding. Rosie Danan writes him with this gentleness. He makes these small comments here and there in the book that had me swooning into a puddle. He's a pure soft boi and I loved him with all my heart!

The romance between the two is equally soft. It's very much of a slow-burn with Naomi and Ethan starting out as friends, but the chemistry continues to simmer in the background with every encounter. Naomi is guarded while Ethan wears his heart on his sleeve, so it takes a while for Naomi to completely give in to their attraction. When it does happen, it's satisfying beyond words! The romance is everything that I asked for and more. Naomi and Ethan have their fair share of obstacles that they have to overcome but they are all realistic and only serve to bring them closer together.

As you can tell, I really liked The Intimacy Experiment and it's going to be one of those books that stays with me for a long time. I know a lot of people are eagerly anticipating Naomi's story after liking her in The Roommate and I personally think Rosie Danan did her justice.

When I learned Rosie Danan was writing a sequel to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦, I was so pleased to learn that chic and steely Naomi Grant would be the protagonist.

Shameless, Naomi’s sex-positive educational website continues to grow beyond expectations, and she has completed her Master’s Degree. Now she wants to teach in a classroom, but despite her qualifications, when hiring committees learn she is a former porn star, she’s always disqualified.

After meeting Naomi, Rabbi Ethan Cohen, however, sees an opportunity for programming relevant to potential members—and if he is to keep his synagogue open, he must increase attendance. He convinces her to teach a Modern Intimacy seminar that will help participants navigate dating, sex, relationships, and even breaking up.

When Naomi and Ethan can no longer deny their attraction to each other, they decide to follow the curriculum themselves—not considering the complications inherent in a rabbi and former sex-worker dating. In addition to external challenges, they have to contend with the heavily fortified walls Naomi has built to protect herself.

I found myself laughing out loud several times, especially when Ethan interacted with his sister, Leah. Ethan, of course, was swoonworthy, and while the book isn’t as steamy as 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 it is certainly an open-door romance. It also asks some series questions about love and faith, sacrifices, communication, and vulnerability. I had all the feels and also cried for most of the last 25% of the book.

Even though I’ve read an advance copy, I pre-ordered a physical copy for my personal library.

I’m hoping for a book three with Leah as the main character!

A former porn star and a rabbi walk into a synagogue...

No punchline as this is basically the setup in The Intimacy Experiment, a rom-com with plenty of heat and depth.

Naomi Grant is a former porn star who has taken more control over her career. She now owns a business called Shameless, designed to provide sex education/sex positivity to any and all. Although she’s doing quite well for herself, she wants a platform to discuss her sex-positive advice live in front of an audience.

Ethan Cohen is a rabbi. Given all that his role requires, he doesn’t have time for love...or sex. His synagogue is seriously lacking in the attendee department, and he wants to do something to increase visitors before the board members close the doors for good.

Naomi and Ethan happen to meet, and he offers her the platform she desires: hosting a live lecture at his synagogue called “Modern Intimacy”...a deep look at dating, sexual desires, and more. Ethan thinks this is the perfect and unorthodox solution to increasing attendance at his services.

Although there are immediate sparks, neither of them initially realize how much their feelings for each other will (ahem) grow...and how (ahem) messy that might make things.

This is an unexpectedly original take on a rom-com, throwing in religion and sex and laughs and depth. I enjoyed getting to know Naomi, who is a badass businesswoman who secretly has a heart of gold, and Ethan, who is not as innocent as he appears. Their chemistry is palpable from the start, but I thought it was innocent enough...

...until it wasn’t. There is serious heat in this one! I’m talking hot, sweaty heat!

BUT let me be clear that it doesn’t overpower the rest of the book...or the fact that it’s a fun read! Those scenes are few and far between, but the chemistry is consistent. I also really appreciate how author Rosie Danan tackles themes of religion, differing backgrounds, self-hate, and fluid sexuality...but all with the tone of acceptance.

On top of that, there are some very poignant and inspiring quotes...one being: “Remember, each new day is another chance to heal your sorry, broken heart.”

I recommend this one to the folks that don’t mind blushing while they’re grinning, and want an original rom-com with some emotional punch! I almost shed a tear at one point. I’ll leave it to you to figure out if it was out of happiness or sadness.

Thank you to Berkley for sending me a widget for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 4/6/21.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

I went into The Roommate with really high expectations and I was a little let down. It didn’t quite live up to all the hype. So I probably shouldn’t have overhyped The Intimacy Experiment in my head but going into it I was really excited because I loved Naomi in The Roommate and I thought this storyline sounded really interesting. That being said I was a little let down by this book as well.

It’s important to say that there were parts of The Intimacy Experiment that I did really enjoy but I didn’t get that elated feeling I usually get when I finish a really great book. I’m still giving it a 4 star rating but I was generally a little underwhelmed by it.

This might be a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I felt the same way after I finished reading The Roommate and since these are supposed to be sex positive books I feel the need to mention that while these books are steamy, they are not as steamy as I think they could be and while there are some sexy scenes I felt like they could have been a bit more exciting. Again, I was generally underwhelmed.

However, I still enjoyed this story and I did not expect it to make me cry or rip my heart out and then glue it back together but damn...It was a beautifully written love story. Naomi is such a boss bitch and it’s so much fun to see her break down some of her walls. Both Naomi and Ethan are wonderful characters with so much depth.

I loved the friendship dynamic between Clara and Naomi. And I also really enjoyed Ethan’s sister Leah.

The Intimacy Experiment releases on April 6th.

I received an ARC of this book from Berkley Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.