Just Sex

This is the fourth book I’ve read in two months, and it was still a bust. Just Sex by Susan Kay Law is a story of a woman, who has an unfaithful husband that dares her to have an affair to prove that an infidelity can be nothing else but “just sex.”

Chapter one started off with a nice bang. I loved the powerful rage Ellen exudes at the therapist’s office as she rants on and on over Tom’s uncontrollable cheating. Who could blame her, right? The interesting part was Tom firmly stating that his infidelity was not out of romantic pursuit or disrespect to his marital vows, but it was more due to curiosity. What would it be like to touch this woman, to kiss her, to be near her, to just have sex with her? Tom had to remedy his aching wonders and find out. And, of course, Ellen did not believe his theory, so he asked her if she ever wondered the same about other men she’s come across. It was in her pondering moment that Tom proposes that the she try it out for herself.

At first, Ellen’s agreement to Tom’s suggestion was purely out vengeance; but then she gives a second thought to the idea as she was never the expert dater. A contrast to her best friend Jill’s wild, boundless persona, Ellen is shy, introverted, and quite content with spending a nice, quiet evening with a good book. But, with Jill’s help, she embarks on a quest to find a lover, once again reverting to the doe-eyed, innocent days when her naïveté ran rampant and her virginity was untouched. And just as Ellen is re-discovering her dormant lust, her teen daughter, Katie, begins to experience the power of the temptation with her own innocence hanging in the balance.

I thought it was admirable how Ellen and Tom wanted to “let go of the anger” and try to get along for the sake of their children, but the whole repartee was just too corny and unrealistic. For god’s sakes, it was like watching a Hallmark movie. Nobody gets a long that well.

Was this a story about getting a family back together?

About half way through the book, I had to wonder why I was even reading this. At times, the writing was so confusing that I had to go back and re-read some parts just to find out who Ellen was even talking to. Bobby, Jake, Tommy—who the hell were these guys? They were just dropping in, trying to squeeze into the scene like jagged pieces in a puzzle. This is where I had to stop reading. Maybe this is my sign to take a break from it.