I really really wanted to love The Intimacy Experiment as much as I loved The Roommate but I didn't. However, I did appreciate the exploration it took in religion, identity, finding oneself, I loved the supporting characters and would appreciate finding out what happened with Ethan's sister.

All the radical sex positivity of The Roommate with authentic religious experience thrown in - I feel like this book was written for me?

For real, I was really blown away. I had some issues with pacing things in the last quarter of the book, but they were minor and I’m reading an uncorrected proof anyway. Everything else is ON POINT. Naomi and Ethan are brilliantly written characters, each raw and real and driven by complicated desires and beliefs.

Rosie Danon is officially on my will-read-forever list.

After reading "The Roommate" I was so excited to see what Rosie Danan did next! And when I found out that it was Naomi's story?! YES! I was so intrigued by Naomi in the first book.

I was very hesitant when I read that the love interest was a......rabbi. I thought, how is Rosie Danan going to pull this one off?

BUT. SHE. DID.

This book is so good! I mean, it all just works. It's so hard for me to write good reviews without spoiling things but if you're unsure if you want to read this book, and you enjoyed "The Roommate" just do it! If you regret it I'll...I dunno, eat an onion! (I hate onions)

Or heck, even if you haven't read Rosie Danan's debut novel, still read this one! You don't HAVE to have read the first book to read this one, which I do enjoy because that puts less pressure on me as a reader, but it does enhance your experience if you have read the other book because you're already attached to Naomi, Clara, and Josh. :)

The religious elements are so poetically written, and not in an overdone, pushy sort of way. Ethan is just to lyrical when he talks about things that he is passionate about and it was so refreshing to read a story with a male protagonist who isn't stereotypically macho, but rather is quite understanding and puts up with a lot on the road to gain Naomi's trust.

I loved Clara and Josh, but I would almost say that Naomi + Ethan is even better. I finished this book feeling like I'd petted a unicorn or something equally magical. Ugh, I love love!!!

I didn't think Rosie Danan could do better than The Roommate, but she did! Not only is this book sexy and fun, it's so beautifully written. The way she weaves together intimacy and religion is so brilliant and inspiring. I can't wait to recommend this to everyone I know!

I wasn't sure I'd ever find a romance I liked as much as the Roommate - luckily, Rosie Danan wrote yet another stellar book! The Intimacy Experiment, like the Roommate, follows an unlikely couple - in this case, a rabbi and sex worker-turned-entrepreneur/teacher, but Danan's smart writing makes it all feel very organic and natural. Her characters are fully-formed people, with believable anxieties and insecurities, but she infuses their stories with so much humor and fun. I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Stars: 4.5

All. The. Feeeeelz. This is the romance I didn’t know I needed after reading The Roommate (which I also thoroughly enjoyed). And darn it, Rosie, if you didn’t make me fall in love with these characters. This romance has a refreshingly wholesome quality given the fact it is about a red hot relationship between a former porn star and a rabbi. This isn’t to say it doesn’t have it’s fair share of smut, but it is really more about all the ways intimacy is more than just sex. This book also tackles a lot of the social issues touched upon in The Roommate, and shows them from another angle.

Well done, Rosie. A truly exhilarating romance all around. I hope to read more from you.

I loved this book. Rosie Danan is one of my favourite romance authors. Her characters are always so loveable and real.

Naomi Grant, former sex worker and current CEO of Shameless, an online sex ed platform, really wants to teach but finds breaking down barriers of academia to be difficult.

Enter Ethan Cohen, a rabbi trying to boost membership to his synagogue and make religion relevant to young people. He offers Naomi a position teaching a Modern Intimacy seminar through the synagogue. What begins as a purely professional relationship soon grows into something deeper as the two begin to work closer together.

I absolutely adored this book. Ethan and Naomi were amazing individually and together. I love how fierce Naomi is but how she was able to be learn to be vulnerable. I really enjoyed Ethan’s dorky jokes and bookish nature.

Amazing read, and highly anticipated follow-up to The Roommate. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley*

I didn't love this book, but I liked it. The situation definitely created a commentary on "modern intimacy". I found some parts a little unrealistic, but mostly the situation was very interesting.

SO GOOD!!

I really liked The Roommate Agreement, but I LOVED The Intimacy Experiment! The first book is fast paced and exciting, whereas this one is much more slow, and personal. You see a little bit of Naomi in the first story, but here you really get to know her. This book is genuine, and vulnerable in the best ways. Both Naomi and Ethan are so likeable, even though they’re complete opposites, you’re rooting for them to be together.

Naomi is a go getter, she’s smart and witty, and has a career as a sex educator. She runs a website with her best friends called Shameless, focused on promoting intimacy through instructive videos, and tutorials. While their business is insanely popular, she’s hoping to branch out and teach classes in person.

Ethan is an all-around good guy. He’s a bookworm who is passionate about religion and his beliefs. Once a high school teacher, now he’s a Rabbi at Beth Elohim.

In order to bring younger people, and fresh ideas to the synagogue, Ethan hires Naomi to host a 7 week seminar series on Modern Intimacy; a look at love and relationships through the eyes of an expert. While the board does not approve, the two work together challenging the rules, and learn how to be truly intimate with another person.

You can read this book as a standalone, though I would recommend reading The Roommate Agreement first, because the characters overlap. A special thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sending me an advanced copy!

I had very mixed feelings on this book. I liked the positive look at intimacy and sex, but I just felt it was a little jumbled in the things that were happening to the characters..
I liked the relationship between Naomi and Ethan I liked. I really liked the look at the Jewish faith background and how it made each of these characters who they are.
But I wanted more of Naomi's backstory/decision to enter the adult entertainment industry.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

"One of the best things about love, real love, is that it doesn't demand perfection. It simply invites us to live up to our potential"

Rosie Danan is quickly becoming one of my favourite romance authors. She writes such well rounded, inherently flawed and incredibly beautiful characters. She talks about love and life in very real and messy ways and censors nothing. Her characters have these incredible revelations and poignant moments but she still manages to keep it light hearted, funny and sweet.

So sweet. I adored this and I adore Naomi. Ethan is great too, but Naomi. She's a queen in every sense, I honestly believe we can all learn a lot from Naomi.

Much like in the first novel, I love the way the author talks about the sex industry and sex work. How for many people it can be empowering, and for this character specifically, an incredible way for her to overcome trauma and turn a negative into something she was proud of. "I've been a social pariah for many years now, and I can tell you that it's worth it to not spend a second of your precious time on earth worrying about what other people believe you should do, believe you should be." "Your life is yours alone". Pure magic, I tell ya.

I also really loved the was Danan attacked the concept of Ethan and his faith. At no point does the book feel preachy or biased. She really looked at Judaism from all angles, pointed out the good and the bad and made her character someone who is inherently good, but never above anyone else.

I loved this book, I hope Danan keeps finding inspiration and giving us incredible characters to connect with and look up to.

Such an amazing follow up to The Roommate, just as raw and real as we all want. I absolutely loved the hot rabbi and ex porn star turned co CEO relationship it ripped my heart open and healed it all in a couple pages. The tension between the couple was to die for and I’ll never stop talking about how progressive this author and her books are! Phenomenal job, can’t wait for the next one!

Loved this book. Main characters were not typical romance novel characters. I loved reading a book that took place within my culture. Would love to revisit with this couple when they are older.

I had very mixed feelings on this book, but on the whole a positive continuation of the series that began with The Roommate.
The relationship between Naomi and Ethan is great and slowly built over the course of the book. Their work building their faith community through a variety of activities was interesting and thoughtfully done. I also enjoyed revisiting Clara and Josh.
However, the trip to Naomi's high school felt like an absolute waste with the build up of of the betrayal she suffered at that school and then instead of talking about something specific to the youth/her own experience there Naomi continued on the series that she was delivering at the Jewish community center. I wish a bit more focus was put on Naomi's backstory/decision to enter the adult entertainment industry.
I look forward to whatever Rosie Danan writes next.
Thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a copy for review

I was excited to read this book because I loved The Roommate so much. This book was even better! Rosie Danan does such an amazing job of writing books with so much more depth than you're expecting. If I had any criticism it would be the book covers, they don't do the books justice!

Naomi Grant is one fierce woman. She is one of the founders of Shameless, a former sex worker, and is not trying to break into teaching about sex and sex education. At a conference, she gets asked by Ethan to come to teach a modern intimacy class for a failing synagogue, and the rabbi aka Ethan who asked her is the most perfect man she has ever met, and the man she cannot touch because well he's a rabbi. Little does Naomi know Ethan feels the same way about her. One steaming kiss in a sports shed is all that it takes for them to break down the barriers of their romance.

This feels a little like Fleabag, but with a happier ending for both people. I loved this so much. It was smart and the religion major in me really loved the weaving in of Judaism.

Alright Rosie. I think I love you.

This book was so true to its title. It really was a discussion of intimacy and what that looks like. It's not even strictly sexual intimacy either which I felt was important to the book.

I related a lot to Naomi, not the sex worker part but the defenses up part. Being vulnerable is hard for me, and I get how hard it is to be the one that has to get mushy.

Ethan also was a wonderful compliment to Naomi, a sweet as hell loving man who is genuinely supportive. Dan writes excellent male leads.

The deeper conversation of religion and romance was not off putting at all, and I liked learning more about Judaism.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone. It's a slower burn, and not quite as explicit as The Roommate. It is not lacking though because of that.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley for the ARC

I usually don’t write reviews in this format but for Rosie Danan’s The Intimacy Experiment I just have these thoughts.

What I liked:

Ethan. I loved this character, what a wonderfully open, understanding man.

The positive representation of physical intimacy.

The authentic development of the relationship between Naomi and Ethan.

The bridging the gap between ancient Jewish teachings and the modern dating scene.

The supportive community that Ethan and Naomi build.

Ethan’s sister and the relationship Naomi has with her friends/business partners.

The idea behind the Shameless app.


What I didn’t like:

For such a sex positive book and the open discussions about sex and intimacy, there was surprisingly little sex in this book. Just one sex/love scene. One.

I needed more about Naomi’s decision making concerning her transition from a betrayal in high school to becoming a sex performer.

Naomi’s return to her high school seemed like a missed opportunity. When so many people have had their personal images unwittingly exposed on social media and the internet, it could have been a teachable moment on how to survive and thrive from this type of betrayal.

I did like this book, but I wanted to love it.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked The Roommate a lot, but I loved The Intimacy Experiment. I texted my friend Cat "I LOVE NAOMI!" uhhh maybe 20 times while reading. I definitely relate to her (and Ethan) way more as a character. She's prickly and funny and self-possessed -- all things I absolutely love in a character and in myself (on my best days). She reminds me of that Paul Simon lyric, "Why am I soft in the middle? The rest of my life is so hard." Naomi was definitely one of my favorite parts of The Roommate, because Clara was just so... nice. With Naomi you get what you get and you don't get upset (and if you do get upset that's your problem not hers). I also like Ethan so much. He's not smooth and he's not cool, but he's interesting and sincere. I was raised Catholic and for a long time I wanted to become a nun, not because I had any love for the church but because a life of service really appealed to me. I eventually became a public librarian; and Ethan became a teacher, then a rabbi.

I really liked the cultural setting for this novel, because it felt like a much more lived-in version of LA than you see in the first book. While the plot is ostensibly about Naomi and Ethan both navigating different parts of their Jewish identities, it's also about community. I really wish I could be part of that (initially) small community taking their Modern Intimacy lectures.

Overall I really enjoyed the writing too. Naomi shares my sense of humor and I love the opportunity to get behind her tough exterior.