Eliza's religious upbringing sex-shamed her from the start, but you wouldn't know it based on her early exploits with Jack in the back of his SUV. From their first kiss as horny high school band nerds, Eliza and Jack could sense the sparks and sexual energy between them, but it isn't until they marry young and ride off into the suburban sunset that Eliza believes she'll finally feel free to experience all of life's pleasures.
Not so much. Instead, Eliza finds herself repeatedly pregnant and increasingly burdened with mental health issues from postpartum depression to existential angst, and unable to find satisfaction from sex. But here's proof she eventually unravels her suppressed sexuality and sheds her shame -- this book, in which Eliza unabashedly shares the story of her sexual liberation.
From finding body confidence at a nude beach (Jack's idea) to exploring their personality dynamics through BDSM play (her idea), Eliza begins to awaken her innermost desires. Stumbling across a group of surprisingly sensible swingers, Eliza and Jack realize they can make their own rules when it comes to relationships -- but isn't until Eliza fulfills Jack's exhibitionist fantasies at a sex resort in Jamaica that she envisions how her dreams could be made real, too.
Back home in the Midwest, Jack and Eliza open up their marriage so Eliza can explore her attraction to women, but practicing non-monogamy doesn't go quite as planned. Sure, she lands the gorgeous girlfriend of her dreams and is having her best sex ever with Jack, but Eliza also gets deeply ensnarled in the marriage of a narcissistic co-worker and his endearing wife. As secrets mount and feelings flare, Eliza is finally forced to confront the hard truths of who she is and what she wants out of life.
Pretty Kinky for a Love Story is just that -- a quirky, spicy story of modern relationships and manifestations of love. A raw, soulful, passionate account of an achingly average woman's midlife quest for presence, purpose, and pleasure. And a delight to read.
