The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure if my heart was going to survive this one. I’ve been excited to read more about Naomi since the moment she was introduced in The Roommate and then! Then to be paired with an adorably awkward and face-fanningly hot rabbi, I mean come on. I couldn’t resist.

And when I tell you that Rosie DELIVERED. Holy guacamole. I said it on Twitter, and I’ll say it again: I literally felt my heart breaking and then being put lovingly back together reading The Intimacy Experiment.

I love love LOVE that we get to see more of Naomi’s badass self while also getting a glimpse of her soft underbelly that really just wants to give and receive love. We discover, as Naomi does herself, that she is both who she was and who she’s made herself to be – she doesn’t have to choose. And Ethan loves her for everything she is, everything she isn’t, and everything she’s going to be. And, just, sobs. 😭

And ETHAN. Oh my god. Ethan. What a soft, awkward, sexy man. A rabbi who’s not afraid to tell his woman he’s going to fuck her. Who goes all in with his heart and can’t lie for shit. Who sees Naomi and says “Wow” instead of “Hi.” Are. You. Kidding. Me. 😩😍

Also the fact that we essentially get a course on modern intimacy ourselves?? On top of an ah-mazing romance?? A reminder that we are all good enough and deserving of love?? What??

I had to physically restrain myself from just highlighting this whole book because so much of it hit me right in the chest. The Intimacy Experiment is an experience y’all. And I loved every second of it.

On Religion:
I think it goes without saying that a romance featuring a rabbi as one of the MCs is going to also heavily feature discussions of religion. I thought Rosie did a wonderful job of incorporating discourse around Judaism, community, and faith…all without hitting you over the head with it. Growing up the daughter of a Christian Methodist pastor, religion has always been a part of my life, whether I necessarily prescribe to it or not. Christianity is so tightly woven into so much of our (the US’s) culture–romance books included–that almost everything is saturated with it. It was wonderful to read a story featuring religion that a) wasn’t Christianity and b) wasn’t doing anything but discussing religion in the way that a rabbi and a woman exploring her connection to Judaism would discuss it. In other words? It felt natural.


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