millhousethecat 's review for:

The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan

3.75

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Naomi was a porn star. Now she runs a successful online company, Shameless, but is looking into conducting in person talks about intimacy. But who wants to hire a woman with a checkered past?

Meet Ethan.

The rabbi of a waning synagogue, he’s looking for ways to pull more, and more youthful congregants into the fold. When Ethan happens to hear Naomi rant at a teaching conference, he asks if he can hire her.

The two decide to put together a course on intimacy and religion in today’s world…and its popularity takes off.

And that’s not the only thing taking off.

Ethan is lovely, gorgeous, and warm. He’s patient and open with a reserved Naomi - a woman who is not afraid of sex but maybe afraid of the intimacy she teaches.

I loved the mix of sex positive talk and 

 social commentary in this narrative. Society is so quick to judge and marginalize the things we don’t understand or are afraid of, and here, the exploration takes that to task.

I grabbed this audiobook - fantastic dual narration that hits all the emotional highs and lows of these characters - because I adored Fan Service. While I was initially disappointed that the snark is not Danan’s prevailing voice as an author, she won me over quickly with these two engaging characters, this look at politics, religion, and sex. I found it sweet and thought provoking, something I never expected.

Gives definite Nobody Wants This vibes, if you’re looking for some Seth Cohen as a rabbi filler until season 2.