⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars | After reading Rosie Danan's surprisingly delightful debut, The Roommate, I was excited to see where'd take Naomi Grant, who very much stood out from the moment she was introduced, in The Intimacy Experiment. And this shouldn't come as a shock but her second novel was just as good! Danan continued to perfectly blend steamy and humorous moments with important themes regarding faith, accepting one's self, and sex positivity. These aren't easy elements to mix together but she makes it work and I just loved Naomi and Ethan's story so much.
Naomi is still the co-founder of the sex-positive start-up with Clara and Josh, but she wants to try her hand at live lecturing. Unfortunately, higher ed isn't willing to hire her. This is where Ethan Cohen comes in. He's become a (young) rabbi of his own synagogue but its numbers are dwindling fast and if he doesn't turn things around soon, they'll have to close. To attract a younger crowd, he hires Naomi and together they host a seminar series on Modern Intimacy. Not only do people connect with their lectures but naturally, Naomi and Ethan grow closer and soon their attraction to one another is hard to ignore.
I very much shipped these two! On the surface, they seem like complete opposites who wouldn't work. But we really get to see their relationship grow plus how and why they connect. The development of their closeness felt so believable. But it wasn't just the relationship. We also see how they grow as individuals and how their pasts and faith play a role in that too. Like this relationship, the book at the surface level may seem like just sexy, fun times (which were certainly there!), but there's so much more than that. I found the discussions about faith very thought-provoking and like its predecessor, appreciated all the positive themes on sexuality and love.
Do I recommend? I do! If you enjoyed The Roommate, you won't be disappointed with this! And if you haven't read either book, you definitely should.
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