The Intimacy Experiment

By: Rosie Danan

Narrated by: Alex McKenna, Kaleo Griffith

“Danan is becoming a go-to author.”—New York Times Book Review

Naomi and Ethan will test the boundaries of love in this provocative romance from the author of the ground-breaking debut, The Roommate.

Naomi Grant has built her life around going against the grain. After the sex-positive start-up she cofounded becomes an international sensation, she wants to extend her educational platform to live lecturing. Unfortunately, despite her long list of qualifications, higher ed won't hire her.

Ethan Cohen has recently received two honors: LA Mag nominated him as one of the city's hottest bachelors and he became rabbi of his own synagogue. Low on both funds and congregants, the executive board of Ethan's new shul hired him with the hopes that his nontraditional background will attract more millennials to the faith. They've given him three months to turn things around or else they'll close the doors of his synagogue for good.

Naomi and Ethan join forces to host a buzzy seminar series on Modern Intimacy, the perfect solution to their problems--until they discover a new one--their growing attraction to each other. They've built the syllabus for love's latest experiment, but neither of them expected they'd be the ones putting it to the test.

Critic reviews

Alma's Best Jewish Romance of the Year

“Danan’s book is at its very best when it’s connecting faith, trust, strength and desire in complex ways...an ambitious and rewarding story.”—New York Times Book Review

"This follow-up to Danan’s steamy 2020 debut The Roommate is filled with humor, healing, and heady good times (and, yes, that is a naughty pun)."—Vulture

“Rosie Danan has a staggering gift for subverting expectations . . . The Intimacy Experiment on the whole, is a blessing of a book —tender, bruising, sexy, and transcendent.”—Entertainment Weekly

“I could cry about how much I love Naomi and Ethan. Rosie Danan’s writing brims with compassion and wit, and there’s a tenderness that runs underneath everything—even when her characters are positive they’re not falling for each other. A stunning, subversive romance that made me proud to be Jewish.”—Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of The Ex Talk

"The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan is effervescent. It is the perfect combination of endearing vulnerability, swoon-worthy romance, and scorching chemistry. Rosie Danan brings us a charming exploration of the intersections of sex, love, faith, and identity in a fiercely feminist novel that will leave you breathless."—Denise Williams, author of How to Fail at Flirting

"The Intimacy Experiment delivers on every promise: humor, steam, and an 'unlikely' couple that readers will not only fight for, but admire."—Felicia Grossman, author of Dalliances and Devotion

“Focusing on prejudices and preconceived notions people may have about both sex workers and Jewish folks, this book brings patience, love, understanding, and high heat to the budding relationship between two apparent opposites who find themselves extremely attracted to each other.”—Book & Film Globe

Great story line. Poor narrator's.

Narrators were too stoic. Sometimes it was even hard to tell apart the male or female character.

Cute read!

Loved it! I found it refreshing and cute! Different from what I normally read, maybe that's why I like it so much!

Loved the feminist themes

But I just needed more romance for this to be a five star for me. In terms of character development it was a definite five but a 3 on the romance. The lead heroine was a sex positive heroine and smart and the hero was sweet and protective. They were a good pair!

Get to know who Naomi really is

I enjoyed this book, it didn't make me laugh as much as the first book in the series, but it still kept my attention and had me smiling. Naomi was not a character I liked much or related with much in the first book, but getting to know the real her in this second book made me understand her so much more. I like her approach to her new series and how she was able to reach out to her audiences. If you enjoyed book 1, you will like the continuation in this book.

Nice spicy romance

I really liked Naomi and Ethan. I liked the contrast between them. He's a rabbi, and she's a former star of sexy movies. It's fun watching them finally get to starting a relationship. There were lots of good descriptions and, especially, plenty of snappy dialogue. I enjoyed and identified with descriptions of Jewish life and customs.