Diana and Oliver are wonderful parents but Diana has lost her passion for her art and her husband. We visit the past where Diana has a passionate love affair with photographer Jasper and starts to come into her own skin as an artist. Present day, life seems to be missing something. Diana tries to rekindle a passion for a project she shelved long ago and find the spark she desperately misses.
I loved reading the story of Diana and Jasper and the early days of Diana and Oliver but couldn’t really relate to current day Diana.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review. I loved this book a solid four stars but probably close to 4.5. A well written easy read Dianas marriage has hit a slump in the bedroom. She recalls her younger life and how she ended up with Oliver the safe choice. Diana is an artist and she does interviews with women about their sex lives. Will Diana find her way back to her marriage or have to move on?

Enjoyed this quick, spicy romance! It’s a (short) commentary on marriage and love. Left us on a cliffhanger!

Although predictable, I’ll be picking up book #2.

I really appreciated how real this felt. The staleness of her marriage mixed with the fire of her first big love. The writing style was super descriptive and easy to enjoy. I was entertained the whole time and am excited to continue the series. I have never listened to the author’s podcast that this book is based off of and now I am interested in trying it out!

Thank you to Netgalley and The Dial Press for the ARC <3

Dirty Diana by Jen Besser and Shana Feste delivers some well-written, steamy scenes and an intriguing setup that immediately grabs your attention. The writing is engaging, and the chemistry between the characters sizzles on the page.

However, even knowing this is part of a series, I was disappointed by how incomplete the story felt. A book should still have a satisfying arc, and this one left me feeling like I only got the start of the story. If you’re okay with cliffhangers and waiting for more, you might enjoy it, but be prepared for an ending that doesn’t quite tie things up.

This debut has been getting lots of hype and while I did laugh and relate to several parts of the book, especially the exhaustion of parenting and the realities of marriage and sex with children, I also found a lot of the sexual content a bit gratuitous for my personal tastes. Just an okay read for me if I'm honest but I'm sure fans of authors like BB Easton will enjoy it. I probably won't be reading the next two books in the series written by this author duo who are real life friends and have written a book based on their popular podcast. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

The premise of this book was good - a woman in a stable marriage longs for the passion she had in relationships before she met her husband. However, the execution felt bumpy and disconnected. I am not familiar with the podcast that this book is based on so perhaps for fans, this might be a good choice. This is definitely a racy read.

I did love this novel a lot. I like Diana and what she’s doing and I loved the flip flops of who she once was to who she is now.

I DID not, however, like how Oliver treated her. I do think she checked out because she was bored and that’s understandable, but he made her feel bad about everything as if he didn’t play a part in it. How he went to strip clubs and got mad at her for suggesting to go with him to do the things he likes? And then sleeping with Raleigh, the girl she offered a house to. Like I don’t want this marriage to be salvaged.

I also didn’t like how hard she was pining to get him back when he put in no effort or chase. Like they should have been divorced forever ago.

I did like Jasper but she’s with all these shitty men and for what?

Well thank goodness there will be 2 more books because for it to end that way is too much of a cliffhanger!
Diana Wood is wife and mother who once had a fun artistic life. She strives to get that back w/ her husband, but everything she tries seems to fail. Short enough and sensual enough to hold interest. Glad there will be 2 more.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Dial PRess for this e-arc.*

This is possibly one of the most sensual, definitely the sexiest book I’ve read. Diana reflects on a burning desire for a man other than her husband as she takes us back to the time when she and her lover met, their bodies so in synch, they reached a plane so high, they didn’t know it was possible to feel that good.

A former artist missing her creative side, Diana had a unique approach to her art. She didn’t simply sketch the women who were her subjects she captured them by learning their most intimate details through audio recordings, which became part of her work, using their words to guide her drawings. After finding some of her unfinished work years later, hoping to put a spark back into her marriage, it prompted her to get back into her art, but the process led her elsewhere. In another timeline of intensely erotic scenes, we meet her lover, who simply by looking at each other, were turned on and could satisfy the other with slow, methodical, controlled touch. Young and not yet focused on where she was taking her career, change was whirling by. Lifted up by a like-a-sister best friend and their second job cater waiter boss who served as a brother/uncle/mentor with the biggest heart rolled into one. He is one of those characters your heart just melts for.

An in-depth character study, an encore sensory performance, a magnifying glass glare into an exposed heart with a strong visual vibe that you’ll come away feeling like you did more than just read it. With a doozy of a cliffhanger. I can’t wait to read what’s next in the trilogy.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had no idea what this book was about when I started reading it. It was a lukewarm experience for me. While I liked the description of the failing marriage, I didn't really connect with the storyline of her past. The writing wasn't bad. Yet I don't think this book will stay with me. Thank you , #netgalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dirty Diana by Jen Besser and Shana Feste wasn’t a book on my radar until last week. I didn’t even know the backstory. I went into the story blind, which was a good thing. Diana has a decent enough job and a husband, Oliver, whom she loves. They have a daughter named Emmy and they both cherish her. Their life seems good on paper. However, they have begun to live as best friends, partners, and roommates. Diana wonders if there’s something more, or if they can get back what they once had. Diana also used to paint and draw and has not done so in years, adding to her discontent.

The book flips back and forth between the past and the present. On a trip to a local market with her girlfriends, Diana sees a framed photo by an old boyfriend named Jasper and spontaneously buys it. She remembers the intense relationship they shared. She can’t help but compare that relationship to her marriage now. Both Diana and Oliver’s characters seem frustrating, selfish, and one-dimensional. It was a difficult read for me as sometimes it seemed the story wasn’t going anywhere. On the flip side, I feel that is also a positive because when you’re going through marital struggles or divorce, you do feel like you aren’t going anywhere.

Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. I am curious about the second book but still uncertain if I will read it. Thank you to Random House for providing this book for review consideration via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

I am not OK after reading this book, and I am not sure if that means I recommend it or not. There's a lot of sex of all kinds in the book, and I appreciated the way it honored people's different desires. I also appreciated the way the author portrayed the complexities of marriage. Sometimes the main character, Diana, seems unnecessarily cruel to her husband Oliver. The author makes it seem like he's trying so hard to connect with her, and she just never tells him what she wants. There's a lot of unspoken anger and resentment between the two of them. And there's also a backstory with one of Diana's previous lover's before Oliver: Jaspar. Jaspar and Diana have a hot and heavy affair, but it's clear from the beginning that she loves him more and is more committed to him than he is to her. There's a whole other subplot of Diana collecting women's erotic stories for her art project. And their stories weave into Diana's own life. There is A LOT going on here. And then the ending, which is not an ending at all. I can see that the author wants this book to seem like real life, and nothing is neat and tied up in a bow, but the ending is REALLY jarring, and I care too much about these characters to be left hanging like that.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did! It sucked me in for hours, and the cliffhanger... let's just say, I went right back to NetGalley to request the sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free advanced copy of this ebook to review. All opinions are my own.

Dirty Diana isn't what I was expecting it to be, at all. I had never heard of the podcast, but will definitely be listening, and looking forward to future installments of this book.

4.5 stars!

I read the synopsis when I first got this book, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did!

There was just something about this book that really stuck with me. The difficulties of marriage and keeping it exciting, staying true to yourself and having your own place in the world apart from “the wife” label. I just really felt for Diana. I was impressed with her growth throughout the book and her push to become the person she wanted to be when she was younger. Her struggle with her sexual identity in her marriage too. This book was just so real on so many levels.

Another great thing about this book is the view of Diana’s life both past & present. You really get a feel of how and why she became the wife and mother she is in her present state.

Overall I devoured this book. I read it as quickly as I possibly could picking it up whenever I had the chance! I absolutely cannot wait for the next two books, because that ending was…something!

DNF. Started to read this book and right away I noticed this wasn't my cup of tea. I usually read literary fiction.

I like to think of this book as female empowerment. Diana has from the outside the perfect marriage and family, but from the inside her marriage to Oliver is crumbling. When a trip to Santa Fe sparks memories of younger Diana, she returns home inspired with art once again. She begins painting the portraits of women and while painting she asks them to share their deepest secrets about love and sex. When a friend calls her “Dirty Diana” she doesn’t shy away as she becomes more torn between her marriage and a life of her own.

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3.5⭐️

I’ll be honest — I requested this ARC for the cover (it is stunning), and I really didn’t know what I was getting into. The dual timeline was well done, going from present to past and then back to present. The characters are deeply unlikable (except perhaps Alicia), but I still enjoyed the book. Something about the writing style felt unfinished to me — unrefined, rough. The ending was fabulous and I can see myself reading the sequel!

WOW! What a debut novel! And this is only book 1 of 3 of Diana’s journey?! I am loving it! I wish more books expanded on characters so we can get the full stories!
And the ending?!?! You’re going to leave me on THAT?!!?


I was hesitant to start this book after getting accepted for the ARC but I am so mad at myself for waiting! This was so good!

Diana is a middle aged wife and mother to one 6 year old daughter, living in a comfortable marriage that is lacking any sexual spark. It felt so visceral to me because I could see her point of view and relate to it on some levels. In an effort to bring her marriage back from the dead, she tries to open up sexually with her husband and is rebuffed. They end up in couples therapy and these sessions were so interesting to hear. I felt like a fly on the wall with their raw and emotional moments.

Oliver, Diana’s husband, in my eyes did things a bit wrong. He claims to be an innocent guy with a wife who doesn’t feel attracted to him but he goes to a strip club most nights and engages in an intimate relationship with a stripper? NO! And their friend Raleigh, who is a divorcee due to cheating, becomes his companion!? NO! Ugh, I wanted to strangle him honestly. IDK how these two are going to come back from this!

The most intriguing part of this story was the flash backs to Diana and her life in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a struggling artist she is working a cater-waiter job along with being an apprentice to a local famous artist. She meets a gorgeous photographer named Jasper and the two have a passionate romance until he decides to leave for Europe and leave Diana behind after telling her he wanted to move away with her. She quits her job, sells her possession, and jumps at the chance to be with Jasper and explore her art with him. He instantly turned into a classic shady guy by telling her he didn’t mean right now…when he in fact did. It made my blood boil for her and her hurt.

I am so intrigued to see how this story progresses. Diana’s best friends L’Wren and Alicia were such amazing characters. They are the perfect blend of her past life and current life, each giving her the support and confidence she needs to take back control of her life. SO excited for the next one!