Such a smart romance book!
The premise of The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan truly made me intrigued from the get-go.
What I wasn't prepared for was how invested and eye opening this book would be.
You have Naomi Grant former adult film star, now co founder of a sex positive company. She now wants to lecture on intimacy and sex positive attitudes. She wants to expand the outreach of her company and its purpose.

Ethan, a rabbi can help with that cause... really? Um, yes! He is a young (attractive) rabbi in need of growing his congregation. He is forward thinking and pretty darn level headed if you ask me.
After convincing Naomi to come and lecture on intimacy, their paths to growing a congregation also evolve into growing comfortable conversations about relationships, sex, intimacy, and ultimately the growing chemistry between Ethan and Naomi.

I was impressed by the smart conversations happening relating to relationships, to personal inhibitions that limit people to connect with others, the whole aspect of looking internally before jumping into a relationship was so refreshing to read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

After really enjoying The Roommate, I have been highly anticipating this sequel, The Intimacy Experiment. However, after several chapters, I feel a bit let down and cannot compel myself to keep reading this book. The charm and tension that existed in The Roommate seems gone from The Intimacy Experiment. I really, really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, this just was not for me.

This book shouldn't work. You hear a rabbi and a former adult film star are going to get together by the end of this book and you throw your head back and laugh with a "yeah, ok." But then you start to read and find that you can't put this down, and Ethan and Naomi might just be the sexiest couple you've read about in a while.

Ethan is a physics teacher turned Rabbi and comes across Naomi at a teaching conference. He's looking for educators to present at his synagogue to try to get more attendance. Naomi is there trying to get anyone to take her seriously enough to teach live. Her start-up, Shameless, helps people find their orgasms through knowledge and acceptance, but Naomi wants to take her sex ed skills into the classroom. When they meet, Ethan sees an opportunity to reach a younger generation by having Naomi teach a seminar about Modern Intimacy. She gets to teach and he gets a chance to save his synagogue from closing. Win-win...sort of.

But...they're both hot and single and you knew things would get complicated when you hear a rabbi and former porn star are working together. This book deals with acceptance, shame, faith, and so many other issues that surround intimacy and partnership. Rosie Danan has a knack for taking complex subjects and wildly different protagonists and creating a story that is un-put-down-able. I truly can't wait to see what she puts out next.

The Intimacy Experiment is a contemporary romance about a sex educator named Naomi and a rabbi named Ethan. Naomi and Ethan meet at a conference. After Naomi makes a grand entrance with an introduction of herself and her work, Ethan invites Naomi to his synagogue to do a lecture series on modern intimacy. Before I started to read this novel, I found the premise to be intriguing but I really had no idea how Rosie Danan was going to make it all work. I ended up really enjoying these characters and their story.

Naomi is a strong, but stubborn character. She is a sex educator and is also a CEO of an inclusive, online sex education start up called Shameless. Naomi is at the conference in the beginning of the book because she also would like to become a professor, but she is not taken seriously academically. As we learn more about her past, its easy to understand why she has built up a hard exterior. She tends to be very sarcastic and she makes jokes out of everything, but she has a huge heart. I really liked Naomi as she was, but it was also great to see how she develops throughout the novel. With support from Ethan and her friends Josh and Clara, Naomi comes to terms with her past, lowers her defenses, and lets people into her life.

Ethan was such a lovely character. He was so nice and understanding. Like Naomi, Ethan has a past that gets explained throughout the novel, focused mainly on why he becomes a rabbi. I’m not religious, but learning about Judaism and Ethan’s faith was an interesting story line in a romance novel. Ethan’s faith is extremely important to him, but he feels like it's a barrier in his life romantically, but also in terms of his relationship with his family. Danan wrote about this in such an excellent way. Ethan struggles with maintaining religious traditions in a modern world, but instead of condemning anyone, Ethan and the choices he makes show that religion and modernity do not have to equal each other out, religion doesn't have to be stuck in the past, and religion can be a large part of a modern life.

That brings me to the next thing I really enjoyed about this book. It was so sex positive. Naomi’s work is an important aspect of this story. As readers, we get to “attend” each of Naomi’s modern intimacy lectures. This book has so much great relationship advice, while also reflecting that relationships are complicated no matter what. I think this is where this novel really shines. Danan was able to make this romance stand out by making a character an expert on relationships. Of course, Naomi and Ethan still have things they work through, but I found it refreshing to have a character that knew what kind of things she would face as she started a new relationship.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Danan’s writing is so easy to fall into. If you’re looking for a fresh take on romance, or you are interested in a romance that explores large topics like sex education and religion in a thorough and fun way, I would highly recommend this! I will definitely be reading Rosie Danan’s first novel, The Roommate soon. It’ll be fun to go back and see Josh and Clara’s story as well as see Naomi before The Intimacy Experiment. I have a feeling that Rosie Danan could easily become one of my new favorite romance authors!

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

The premise of this book is that a rabbi invites a former sex worker and current sex-ed startup CEO to present a workshop on modern intimacy to improve attendance at his failing synagogue. Unsurprisingly, love and passion soon follows.

The premise of the book seemed fun, but in practice, I didn't love it. It felt like the whole book could have used some editing for clarity and timeline of events. Maybe that's because it was a galley, but I doubt it. Maybe I just need to stop reading romances for a while because these sorts of things probably aren't as important for this genre.

Rosie Danan has been added to my instant preorder list. I loved The Roommate so much. In The Intimacy Experiment, Danan continues to provide warm, funny characters in a compassionate story that asks us to look to the roots of our own insecurities. Also, their chemistry was fire.

This book took me by surprise. I was anticipating the steamy, sexy story that I fell in love with in The Roommate. What I got was something much deeper & richer, but still packed with steam.

The Intimacy Experiment is a journey between two young professionals, one in the sex industry and the other in the religious sector. Their paths could not be more different, yet they still found their way back to each other — perhaps creating their own journey together!

This book was everything I needed at the moment. THE ROOMMATE was one of my favorite reads last year so when I saw that Rosie Danan would come out with Naomi's book I freaked out and I knew it would not disappoint me. And oh boy, I was right.
The author delivered everything with Naomi and Ethan.

Ethan's a sweetheart, I loved him as a character and his background. I loved the way he saw Naomi for who she truly is right from the beginning. Seeing them together was a delight, their chemistry is palpable. Naomi is simply one of my favorite characters, she's such a badass and I love her to death. Her growth is amazing to see.

Another thing I loved seeing in this book was Naomi's friendship with Clara, I couldn't get enough of them together. I wish we had more of that.

If you liked "The Roommate", you should definitely give this one a chance. I truly recommend.

The second I finished Rosie Danan's "The Roommate" I knew I was going to be hooked on this author's books -- and I was right! I also need to say -- these books are STEAMY. You should definitely know that going into it, or else they might catch you off guard! Rosie Danan doesn't write your standard rom-coms -- they're complex, straight to the point, open-minded, inclusive, and HOT. I read this book in a matter of hours and I can't wait for more from Rosie Danan!

Readers who enjoy Hallmark’s romantic comedy dramas will find much to like about Danan’s tale. This is largely a story about building one’s self worth, reconciling the past with the present, developing respect in a relationship, and using this to find the confidence to share one’s personal thoughts and feelings with a significant other, and understanding that it should go both ways.

These are arguably weighty topics for a contemporary romance; however, Danan pairs these discussions with many quirky characters, offbeat moments, and lighthearted, witty banter.

The development of Naomi and Ethan’s relationship does take time, but it’s engaging. Readers like me, though, may wish there more scenes and witty exchanges for these two.

The Roommate was my favorite read of 2020 so it’s no surprise that The Intimacy Experiment was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint.

What a protagonist we have in Naomi Grant. I admire how Naomi feels no shame for who she is, who she’s been, or anything she’s done. She shouldn’t, there’s no reason for it and I’m glad she doesn’t let anyone change her mind about that. Whether it be closed-minded older people stuck in their own perception of what’s “right” or bigoted protesters, Naomi stood her ground and stayed firmly secure in herself and who she is.

I feel like I learned more about Josh Darling in The Roommate than I did of Hot Rabbi Ethan in The Intimacy Experiment and I definitely wanted more of him! I never expected a neutered portrayal of a love interest, especially not for Naomi, but I wasn’t prepared for how soft Ethan made me (and Naomi) feel. I’m not Jewish in any way and all I wanted was for Ethan to keep talking about faith, to relate how he felt or their situation to something from a text he read before. Of course he made Naomi melt! He never asked more of her than she was willing to give and she happily met him where he was.

It was such a joy to read these two fall in love, from instant attraction to a deeper connection. No games, no back and forth - just straight to the point thanks to the Shameless curriculum ;). Ethan knew exactly what he wanted from Naomi even if he knew that acting on his wants could affect his career. He was prepared to make any sacrifice he needed to. He stood in his faith and trusted in love and, ultimately, what more can you ask for?

I really enjoyed this book, and how it follows up on what happened in The Roommate. As a person of faith, it's not often that I find a romance that approaches faith from the perspective of the main character that's done thoughtfully and from a positive perspective. I was raised in a church environment in which God and intimacy/sexuality were sometimes presented as diametrically opposed. This resulted in shame, confusion and frustration as an adult. So, I really appreciated how Judaism was such a central part of Naomi and Ethan's personal growth and relationship. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book!

The Intimacy Experiment - 4⭐

Quick synopsis: Naomi, a former sex worker- turned CEO of a sex education company, partners with Ethan, a young rabbi looking to save his temple, to offer a workshop on intimacy. Ethan's hope is that this will draw more to attend services, but what he doesn't count on is falling for Naomi.

This rom-com was such a sweet read that I binged in a night. While this is absolutely works as a standalone novel, I was happy that Josh and Clara from The Roommate were in so many scenes. To really set the stage for this book, or if you like when you get an update on a couple in a future novel, I'd recommend reading The Roommate first.

While still steamy, this isn't on the same steam level as The Rommate and the title says it all - it really focuses on establishing intimacy and breaking down internal walls to build a lasting relationship. I loved the religious aspect of this book and learned a lot of really interesting things about Judaism. Ethan's and Naomi's journeys to finding faith were both so different but so relatable.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Former sex worker Naomi sits at the helm of a successful online sexual health company and is looking for a way to extend her experience to in-person instruction. Enter Ethan, a rabbi for a struggling synagogue, who invites Naomi to create a modern intimacy series in order to attract new members. This unlikely partnership results in lots of success for the shul and so much more for Naomi and Ethan.

I have to admit, Danan's debut, The Roommate, surprised me. When I think romance, porn stars don't normally come to mind, but I loved the book and its sequel as well. Once again, Danan made me embrace and root for an unlikely pair, and I adored every second of it.

After meeting Naomi in the previous book, I knew I had to get to know her better. There was definitely something simmering below the surface that drove her, and I wanted to know what it was. I was glad her past and how it shaped her was explored in this book. I liked that Naomi was not ashamed of her adult film work and was proud of the work she was doing empowering people to seek healthy sex lives, but hearing about the whys was a bit heartbreaking.

Lucky for us, the universe brought Naomi and Rabbi Ethan together. Being with Ethan dug up parts of Naomi's past she would much rather forget, but it also helped her reconnect with the parts she found comfort in. It was fantastic that Naomi got back in touch with her Jewish roots and sought that spiritual connection. It was something she once felt she had to hide away, and now she was able to reclaim that piece of herself.

I couldn't have picked a better person than Ethan to walk beside Naomi as she worked though her issues. He was interesting, because he has also gone though a big change in his life and was also a different person than he had been in his youth. I didn't dwell much on past Ethan though, because Rabbi Ethan was the wonderful type of soft boy I adore. Extra points for him being a science geek too.

I have to mention all the relationship discussions as well. They were really interesting, and I felt so engaged by them. I appreciated the way Danan worked the ideas into the story and really enjoyed those weekly seminars.

Overall: I fell in love with this couple and was all in on their romance. There were bumps in the road, but so much joy at the end.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Naomi was a brilliant side character in "The Roommate" and I was so pleased to see that she was going to get her own story in "The Intimacy Experiment." This is a great book for anyone looking for a but more plot than the first book and a little less steam. But there's still a lot here -- and I actually think it's a great book to talk about sex and the expectations we have around it and about it from people in our lives.

What's happening: Naomi wants to do a bit more than just work on the wildly successful business she and Clara are running. But when she gets an offer teach a workshop about relationships and intimacy in the modern age, it comes from a super hot dude who is a...rabbi. Despite her initial hesitations, Naomi takes the job and begins to teach all kinds of people about love and sex while connecting with Judaism in a way she hadn't since she was young. And all through it is Ethan, hot rabbi, wonderfully kind soul, great friend. What could go wrong? Well, turns out some people in the world have no respect for sex workers! Surprise!

Here's what I love: it felt like Danan saw all the judgements I didn't know I had about Naomi and told me to check them at the door. Instead, she made me think about the importance of talking about sex and love, not just having sex and falling in love. I really felt like I got into the head of Naomi and realized some of my own misguided opinions about sex work and about people who take control of their bodies in ways that I do not. So that, I really loved. I also loved the conversation about how to involve people who are not on the same page regarding sex into the conversation because in the end it's good for everyone. I also loved Ethan -- he's a sweetheart but he also challenged the ideas I had about religious leaders. So, great work there!

What didn't work so well: I thought this book was a little more all over the place than "The Roommate." The plot threads were there, but sometimes there would be a scene that had little context to me or importance to the plot. I thought a few times that it was just a mistake in the proof, but maybe not! I also would have loved for there to be more conversation about the religion aspect -- a lot of what we got was the people who didn't agree with the workshops. What about people on the fence? I wanted a bit more of that, I think.

Overall, this was 4 stars for me because I really liked how it challenged my expectations, but the pacing was a bit off.

I. Love. Rosie. Danan. Honestly I didn’t think this one could come even close to being as amazing as The Roommate, but I’m happy to say I was wrong! I loved both Naomi and Ethan. They were fiery, passionate, and easy to love. I also liked the religious aspects, which was honestly a huge shock for me. I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again. I’ll read anything Danan writes!

Wow this book is steamy! Gird your loins people because it is hot in here.
Naomi Grant is an ex- sex worker turned entrepreneur who dreams of speaking to live audiences on sex education. Enter Ethan: gorgeous Rabbi who wants to get younger people into his synagogue and wants to hire Naomi to teach an intimacy course.

I loved how this was more than just a romance; I learned about the behind the scenes of the lives of sex workers and their injustices, as well as gained insight into the realm of Judaism. This book is different and I loved that it had a head strong woman meeting a softer man. Naomi is not a woman you mess with and she comes with a ton of baggage. She doesn't rely on Ethan to fix her, but rather uses the blossoming relationship to grow and open her heart on her own terms.

I think this book provided an accurate depiction of Reform Judaism, which I greatly appreciate seeing in books, as Judaism is not often written about. At first, I wondered if Naomi was objectifying Ethan, but I do think they formed a relationship based on mutual like of each other, both inside and outside. Both characters prove to be intelligent and well meaning in terms of helping others. The speech that Naomi gave about how to get through a break up was very well written.

Former adult film star and sex education entrepreneur meets adorkable rabbi to put on a lecture series about modern intimacy. Need I say more?? This achingly sweet book is an incredible exploration of owning who you are not only for yourself but in the face others. Naomi is a realistically powerful and flawed woman and one of the best rom nov characters I think I’ve read. Ethan. Oh, Ethan. Literally the definition of cinnamon roll. Kind, thoughtful, sweet, sexy. He’s the perfect complement to Naomi’s (perceived) hard edges. The steam level is low, so moderate those expectations, but highly recommend this great follow up to The Roommate, it comes out April 6th!

In order to gain more steam for her sex education start-up Shameless, Naomi Grant looks to secure an in-person teaching position. Despite the bad rep as a sex worker, Rabbi Ethan Cohen gives Naomi a chance to lead modern intimacy seminars at his struggling synagogue to attract new followers, in turn saving Beth Elohim. But, perhaps the close proximity poses challenges in both their personal and professional relationships?

Jam-packed with Jewish heritage, modern intimacy, and character depth, this romantic comedy exuded a nominal amount of vulnerability—feeling worthy, bringing down walls, loving oneself. Though I may have struggled a little with the whole hot rabbi angle, Ethan’s wisdom won me over and I respected him as a strong lead. As for Naomi, uncovering the soft heart under her tough exterior was what I expected. I have to hand it to Danan! Both characters were phenomenal public speakers (one chapter in particular shined the most). Their anecdotes and speeches were damn impactful! A+ in the dialogue department.

I could definitely see this portrayed as a TV series!