The Intimacy Experiment is the second Los Angeles based romcom by rising romance star and Ripped Bodice award winner Rosie Danan (The Roommate, 2020), and it's lovely though a little rough around the edges in places. At first, the premise sounded like the setup for a joke: A rabbi and a pornstar walk into a classroom. But it’s actually the unlikely meet cute that becomes a launching pad for a beautiful friendship that is of course destined to be something more.

Naomi and Ethan Cohen operate in radically different worlds, but their paths converge at a conference on teaching. To the hot young rabbi with a failing synagogue, the spectacular Naomi looks like a gift that he can't ignore. She's got charm and a huge following, especially among the young and disaffected Angelenos he'd like to attract to his flock. Naomi, on the other hand, is not convinced. Though boldness is both Naomi’s brand and survival strategy—her sexual edutainment company is called Shameless— her bravado masks lingering hurts. She's been burned by religion and traditional institutions in the past, and she's loathe to open herself up to that kind of criticism and social sanction once more. Nonetheless, she's at this educational conference for a reason. She's looking for an opportunity to put her Masters in Social Psychology to good use. Ethan proposes that they collaborate on a course to help single people navigate intimacy in the modern world (and lure them to his synagogue). After much hesitation on her part, they team up, but the resistance from the elders in Ethan's community is a drag on their professional and personal relationship. The logic of how Naomi's trauma got channeled into becoming a performer seems at times a bit cliched, but the warmth of both main characters mostly saves the day.

As soon as I finished reading Rosie Danan's debut The Roommate, I was like, "So help me GOD if Naomi doesn't get her own book..."

And not only did Rosie Danan bless us with this novel, but she made impenetrable (and apparently Jewish!) Naomi's love interest an adorable and sexy cinnamon roll rabbi. L'chaim indeed.

The Intimacy Experiment keeps up much of the tension we saw in The Roommate but with a more introspective and spiritual twist. Even if you're not Jewish or remotely religious, Danan does an excellent job walking the fine line of being thoughtful with the Jewish interludes but not preachy. There were a couple of sections where I wanted a little more of Ethan family, and the ending may seem a tad rushed for some people who don't love rom-com hijinks, but I really, really enjoyed this one. I have no choice but to stan.

And we need more Jewish protagonists and love interests all up in this genre!

The highly anticipated companion to last year's smash success The Roommate doesn't miss a beat! Examining a relationship between ball-buster and former porn star Naomi and a Jewish rabbi seems unexpected, but as Danan examines the lines between religion and modern-day intimacy, she uncovers a truly beautiful and meaningful relationship.

This reminds me of Helen Hoang's books. They are such cute romances but also unique and fresh. I loved the disk POV and really seeing inside both heads.

I read The Intimacy Experiment immediately after reading The Roommate, so the characters were still fresh in my mind. However, this can be read as a standalone. Naomi, the main character in The Intimacy Experiment, is in The Roommate, but this book is all about her. Clara and Josh, from The Roommate, are mentioned a couple of times in this one, but not enough to say that you need to read the first one before this.

Naomi is an interesting character, as she's built up a tough facade and has a hard time letting people in. She meets Ethan at a seminar about teaching and she's drawn to him. He confronts her after the seminar and asks if she would be willing to teach at his synagogue. He's a rabbi and looking to expand his congregation and wants a little nontraditional help. She is to put together a weekly session on intimacy. She agrees, but is hesitant because of her feelings toward Ethan.

The book consists of both of them hiding their affection for each other (communication would have helped here!) and then getting together, but that comes with another set of problems. Naomi's seminars are successful, but the Board of Directors at the synagogue is not thrilled. She has a reputation and this isn't exactly what they had in mind. Ethan has to deal with choosing between his job and his girlfriend. This is a very real example of conflict, which I did appreciate. The book did a good job of weighing the options for Ethan and Naomi and seeing how they would deal with it.

Everything comes together in a satisfying conclusion and I did enjoy it. This book has a lot less steam than The Roommate. Ethan and Naomi have sparks, but it's more of a slow burn and this book actually focuses more on building a relationship instead of just sex. It's very sex-positive, like The Roommate, which is refreshing. It was interesting to get the background on the Jewish faith (although not too much) and a different scenario than other romances.

This dual POV stole my heart. I knew I was going to love Naomi's story, but what I enjoyed was how much I got to know her. The Intimacy Experiment is about, you guessed it, intimacy. Being vulnerable with someone, sharing the flaws and jagged edges. Naomi, who is used to getting naked with people, but needs to figure out how to be comfortable with her own vulnerability. The chemistry between Naomi and Ethan was steaming. The ways someone can see the truths, our mistakes, and our fears so plainly.

Our bisexual queen, Naomi skyrockets The Intimacy Experiment above The Roommate for me. Her strength, power, and compassion as she deals with the sexism from men and in her professional life. She reminded me of "Peace" by Taylor Swift, the ways her past has strings attached that she doesn't have control over. Even if we don't believe in the lies and the expectations of others, the sexism and double standards have insidous ways.

The Intimacy Experiment is another sexy and smash-the-patriarchy romance from the amazing Rosie Danan (out 4/6)! I’m so excited to chat today about this book with my girls from the #smuttynarniabookclub! Thank you @talielovesbooks for organizing our buddy read!

Naomi Grant has spent the last few years building her educational and sex-positive internet platform, Shameless, with her best friends, but Naomi still has to guard herself from the world. She dreams of continuing to educate through live lectures, but no one wants to hire her until she meets Ethan Cohen. Ethan is the rabbi of a struggling synagogue and needs to find a way to attract the younger generation. He’s never met anyone like Naomi and he’s hoping she can help him save his synagogue.

Naomi was such an intriguing character in The Roommate so I loved learning more about her and what made her into such a fiercely independent and strong woman. Her tough bravado hides so much pain from her past and her career as a sex performer and I really enjoyed seeing her bloom and soften around the edges. I am not Jewish, but I also loved that the book features Jewish representation. I was so intrigued and I learned so much about Judaism and I felt like it really enhanced the story.

This book felt very different from The Roommate with more angst than steam (there is still some steam though), but I still loved it! If you enjoyed The Roommate, I think you would love this one, but even if The Roommate wasn’t for you I still recommend you give The Intimacy Experiment a try.

Steam: 3 flames
4/5 stars!
{Thank you to Berkley Romance for my gifted eARC!}

The Roommate by Rosie Danan was easily one of my favorite contemporary romances of last year. Since the moment I finished it all I wanted was for Naomi to get her own love story, and boy did The Intimacy Experiment deliver! A romance between a former adult entertainer and a rabbi? Say less.

I don’t even know if I can express how much I loved this book. Sure it’s a total slow burn, but it’s SO GOOD. The slow burn was necessary to fully fall in love with these characters. This is one of the few romances I’ve read that does a deep dive into Jewish faith and I loved how Danan accomplished it.

I was already a huge fan of Naomi from the first book, and I would have been very disappointed if she didn’t get the delicious HEA she deserves. Ethan is the soft, cinnamon roll she needs in her life. Listen, I love cinnamon roll heroes. There’s nothing better than seeing how sweet they are and how much they pine for the heroine, Ethan easily just became one of my favorites I’ve read so far.

The chemistry and friendship that builds between the Naomi and Ethan is perfect. You wouldn’t think a book about a former porn star, turned sex educator, and a rabbi would be a slow burn. But it is, and it is perfection But don’t worry, like in The Roommate once they get there, it is steam city! I loved this one so so much.

If you’re looking for a great feminist romance with steam, bi-representation, and Jewish representation, The Intimacy Experiment should be on your TBR! Five stars!

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the arc of this title in exchange for an honest review.

One sentence review:  I loved this intimate and heartfelt exploration of love between two people who make their relationship work despite the many obstacles in their path.

I really loved The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan.  The Roommate, also by Danan, is one of my favorite romances for ts sex positive messages and one of the sweetest heroes out there. So needless to say I came into the reading of this book with high expectations.  For me this novel delivered a complementary novel that in many ways surpassed The Roommate for me. 

The Intimacy Experiment really is one of the most appropriately named books out there.   The book centers around Naomi, a former porn star turned media entrepreneur, and Ethan, a rabbi.  Ethan approaches Naomi about the possibility of putting on a seminar about dating and intimacy for his congregation.  And so The Intimacy Experiment is born.  

But this experiment doesn't just exist in the classroom.  As Naomi and Ethan get closer, they start their own Intimacy Experiment.   I loved getting to know these two.  Learning about their innermost motivations and the events that occurred in their lives to get them to where they are today.  The internal dialogue and depth of emotion of this novel just gave me all the feels. I'm not a religious person, but I found the religious discussions to be fascinating and almost philosophical in nature.   I also appreciated that Danan didn't downplay the very real obstacles that stood in the path of these two and their relationship.

If you are someone who loves character driven romances, I highly recommend this one.  While it doesn't have quite the fun factor of The Roommate, it has a depth of character that really hit home for me.  I'll also say that while sex is an ever present topic in this book, and there are a couple of steamy scenes, this book overall hits in the middle of range for steam.

Final note: while The Roommate and The Intimacy Experiment share characters, both books easily stand alone.

*Thank you to NetGalley and to Berkley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was everything I was hoping it would be.

It is hard to put into words how good it felt to read it. I don't mean that it was easy or comfortable. There are challenging things and ideas that are looked into and examined in this story. But I was drawn in from chapter one and I enjoyed the ride, even when I wanted to look away.

While this book reads even more like Women's Fiction than the first one did, if also felt much more mature. The issues that Naomi is facing and the feelings and vulnerability she is feeling after years of hardening herself to handle other people's insecurities and judgement and slowly being unraveled by the perfect gentleman and partner that is Ethan.

Ethan……… Ah, he was so precious. And strong, wise, smart, and KIND. He is complete cinnamon roll but also, he is willing to challenge Naomi and ask her questions she hasn't wanted to look into for a long time. He never felt preachy but was still there to share his thoughts and encourage Naomi to be brave.

I didn't completely know what to expect out of a story about a Rabi and a former Porn Star, but this was not it. It was better. This is not a redux of the book Priest by Sierra Simone. Ethan can date if he wants to, but he also isn't looking to just have a fling. Naomi doesn't just want to have a fling either, but there is a lot on the line for both of them if things go wrong.

Through teaching Modern Intimacy classes and spending time together these two grow attached and I really was rooting for them. There was such a maturity and beauty in the way they interacted with each other. There were moments of tension, but no one jumped to conclusions and they always talked about things.

The only down side to me was the "dark moment" of the book. I knew from the set up of the novel what is was going to be, and while it wasn't as over blown as I was fearing, I was still annoyed that they had such amazing communication for everything… except when it was the most important.

Also… the many many many speeches that are made by both Naomi and Ethan in this book… it got a bit frustrating.

Finally, there is some good steam in this book, but only one full sex scene and I was REALLY hoping we were going to better with that than in The Roommate… but that's the downside of Women's Fiction. The good stuff gets skipped way too much. And these two had explosive chemistry that just gets left on the table. Don't care if that makes me dirty, that what I'm here for.

I would still give this 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Naomi Grant used to be a porn star. She has now started a sex-positive website called "Shameless" and is looking to do in person classes.  She goes to a meeting to try and network and ends up meeting Ethan Cohen. He is a rabbi looking to get more people to his synagogue and wants to hire Naomi to teach classes to try and get more people interested.  At first Naomi says no, but her friend ends up convincing her to give it a try. They both have feelings for each other they are afraid to admit due to their new working relationship, but after Ethan asks Naomi for help finding a girlfriend for him, things take off a bit.  As does their course.

This book got off to a bit of a slow start to me, but in the end I thought it was pretty cute.  Not your typical love story.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review for NetGalley. I was not otherwise compensated.

After reading this author's first book, I was eager to follow Naomi's story in a book of her own. She is such a strong character and I loved getting to see more sides of her in this sequel. I was surprised by Ethan as her love interest because we do not often get male leads like him in romance novels. But they made perfect sense together and it was fun seeing these two figure out their professional careers and each other during this book. They team up to teach a course on modern intimacy meant to be empowering for people to figure out dating, sex, and break ups. The final lectures on breakups were the absolute best part and something I can see returning to in the face of heartbreak when you need reminding about what to do next. I don't think this book had as much of a wow factor as the first (second books always have a lot to live up too) but in no way was I disappointed. If anything I wanted more time with the couple since their dating life felt too rushed to me once it came together. These characters feel so real while also being people I wish I could be friends with in real life. They were the best part of the book, and are why I'll keep reading what this author comes up with next.

I read The Roomate last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, but The Intimacy Experiment was a
complete home run.

The unconventional pairing of a rabbi and a sex worker was so fresh and surprisingly sexy and full of wisdom and honesty.

It was one of those close proximity romance tropes that built on an instant chemistry, these were two seemingly opposite people being whole heartily themselves with one another.

The book wasted no time showing the instant connection between Naomi and Ethan and it explored the taboos of the sex industry, as well as, the hidden facets of faith and connection to something bigger than ourselves.

And if that sounds heavy trust me it’s not because you will laugh a lot throughout this book and you will blush at the sex scenes.

I love a romance that breaks up some of our societal norms and gives us some insight and knowledge into maybe something new or unknown to us, this book really does that, I honestly was just so interested in everything going on and took away some new concepts on intimacy and faith, while enjoying a very steamy and fun romance.

This was a great well rounded romance that I would highly suggest picking up this April.

I did not read The Roommate, so I went into the story blindly in terms of knowing the backstory of the heroine, but I found that it did not take long for me to catch up. I truly enjoyed the glimpse into a religion I am not familiar with though I would not normally select a book that had religious themes or undertones. I thought that the heroine was easy to connect with, though her story is not one that resonated with me, and her journey into the rediscovery of religion was done tactfully and respectfully. The hero was just wonderful and I have absolutely no complaints.

A very good addition to what is a very popular series. People will not be disappointed.

With a company slogan like “equal opportunity orgasms” you know you’re in for something sexy. 🔥

Readers first met Naomi as the porn star ex girlfriend in The Roommate, but we get to know her on a different level as main character, CEO, and her real side, Hannah, in The Intimacy Experiment.

Naomi/Hannah is bringing sex ed and adult entertainment knowledge to *gulp* a synagogue. I know, I know, a religious house of worship doesn’t really sound like a great place to talk about the big O openly, but hear me out. IT IS.

Sex between two consenting responsible adults is natural and not something that should bring shame or discomfort and for whatever reason it tends to. I love that this story addresses society’s awkwardness with pleasure and reframes this as something that should be understood and acknowledged more openly.

Religion and intimacy compliment one another when approaching in the right way. This is the perfect book to get you out of your comfort zone and open your mind a bit when it comes to the bedroom.

I also appreciated that the main characters are Jewish, because this isn’t a representation we see often in romance and it was very enjoyable. The characters are realistic, interesting, and relatable. I adored this story.

I will officially read anything Rosie Danan writes. Thank you for being who you are. I can’t believe this is only her second book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
I loved The Roommate and was excited when I saw there would be another book from Danan. I will admit that at first I wasn't thrilled it was about Naomi because I didn't really connect with her in The Roommate but I was pleasantly surprised. It did take me a little bit to get into that sweet spot where you can't put it down, but it's there I promise! I loved Naomi's growth through the book and I really came to love her and understand why she was so hardened and tough in the previous book. Because Ethan is a rabbi and the Modern Intimacy conversation series does take place at a synagogue, how people relate to religion is obviously a theme. However, as someone who isn't religious, I didn't feel it was preachy/in your face/annoying at all. Ethan and Naomi have chemistry, interesting backstories, and there's great sexual tension throughout the book. Only reason I docked it a star is because I felt the heat in The Roommate was hotter and I felt the same could have happened here. Overall a good read and would recommend!

Great follow up to The Roommate-
Naomi needs a forum to teach and expand her Shameless business. Fact is no one wants to hire a former porn star.
Rabbi Ethan Cohen needs to improve his enrollment and bring in a younger audience.
Solution? Naomi gives a lecture series to young Jews on Modern Intimacy- hoping to bring them back to the faith.
When you bring a hot porn star and even hotter young rabbi together...,sparks fly.
As I appreciate the cultural aspect thrown in this book had me a bit uncomfortable with a rabbi getting busy with a former porn star....may be just a bit far fetched.

The Intimacy Experiment is exquisite in every way. The love and passion that went into this book are palpable, and Naomi and Ethan are rich in life. The depth of these characters, the emotional exploration of faith and spirituality and being consumed by love, the writing, it all makes this story so joyous it's heart-breaking. This is the sex-work-positive romance we deserve, but it's also a celebration of Jewish identity and faith, of family, of true love, of community.

Rosie Danan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! She does hot, steamy romance that will make you blush! Fans of her first book, The Roommate will absolutely love The Intimacy Experiment where a sex worker and rabbi are the unlikeliest of lovers...

Rosie Danan has done it again. I wasn’t sure how she could follow up on the smart, sexy wonder that was The Roommate, but I loved Naomi and Ethan’s romance just as much. It’s everything you could ask for in a romance - relatable, fascinating characters, an addicting plot, and the kind of writing that makes you unable to put the book down.