Meghan O'Brien

Diana Kelley is a couples sex therapist with a problem: it's her job to convince her clients of the importance of sexual and emotional intimacy, but after surviving a toxic relationship with an abusive ex, she's sworn off love and can't fathom ever making herself vulnerable again. When her best friend Ava is injured the night she is scheduled to assist with a hands-on sexual education workshop, Diana is forced to find a short-term replacement. The last thing she wants is a new lover, even a paid one. After a year of living in the apartment next door, all Jude Monaco knows about her neighbor Diana is that she's a gorgeous older woman and the inspiration for more dirty fantasies than she cares to admit. So when Diana knocks on her door with a shockingly delicious favor to ask, Jude seizes the opportunity to learn more. Their professional relationship is supposed to be a clinical erotic arrangement between a sex therapist and her assistant, but at the intersection of sex and intimacy, anything is possible. Even love.

The Sex Therapist Next Door

Lucia Correa

3 Stars for a Meghan O’Brien erotic romance.

I knew what I was getting when I picked up this book only I was expecting more. Not more sex (frankly it would be difficult to have more) but I wanted to like one of the characters more. Diana is a sex therapist in a bind. She has a group sexual education workshop but her BFF and assistant, Ava is injured. Desperate, Diana asks her neighbor if she would be willing participate in the hands on demonstration. Jude has a crush on her beautiful, older neighbor and agrees. The book starts off great. In fact before I knew it, I read a third of the book, when I had intended to just read the first chapter to see what it was like. 

Diana really needs to see a therapist herself. She was in a long term abusive relationship that she has yet to recover. She is determined not to allow anyone close again. She also has a problem getting over the age difference between her at 39 and 26 yr old Jude. Other than Jude’s promiscuity, she is mature and has been on her own since she was 17. As for her promiscuity, she pretty much stopped seeing anyone after agreeing to assist Diana and she falls hard for Diana. 

I wish Meghan would return to write a book or two with plots that are not centered on sex. I really loved her earlier books such as Wild, Battle Scars and Infinite loop. I haven’t read her novella, Delayed Gratification because of the mixed reviews. But I’m in the minority of her readers who think this. I just think she has the skills to write stories that isn’t about how much sex she can include in a book. I know, I know this isn’t what her fans want or expect in a Meghan O’Brien book.

Michelle Ghavie

Megan Cooper

You'll either love or hate this book - all depending on what you are looking for. If you are looking for extremely well written (and yes ... beyond hot and steamy) erotica - you'll definitely love this one. If you're looking for a intricately plotted romance - you probably shouldn't have picked a book with the title "The Sex Therapist Next Door". Seriously, what would you think this book is about. 

O'Brien is well known for writing some of the best lesbian erotic novels out there - and this one definitely falls in that category. That being said, O'Brien is also a non-erotic author and there's enough of a plot to move things along and the characters do get a bit of a chance to shine outside the bedroom/classroom. The basic plot is simple (sex therapist hires her next door neighbour to fill in as her assistant for a bunch of sex education workshops) with the titular character, Diana, even goes as far as to list out the upcoming workshops so readers know what to expect (or look forward to) as the novel progresses. This may be the kind of book to be read in small doses or the sheer amount of sex occurring (and the length of each of these scenes) may be a bit overwhelming.

Alex (They/Them)

Diana Kelley is a couples sex therapist with a problem: it’s her job to convince her clients of the importance of sexual and emotional intimacy, but after surviving a toxic relationship with an abusive ex, she's sworn off love and can’t fathom ever making herself vulnerable again. When her best friend Ava is injured the night she is scheduled to assist with a hands-on sexual education workshop, Diana is forced to find a short-term replacement. The last thing she wants is a new lover, even a paid one. After a year of living in the apartment next door, all Jude Monaco knows about her neighbor Diana is that she’s a gorgeous older woman and the inspiration for more dirty fantasies than she cares to admit. So when Diana knocks on her door with a shockingly delicious favor to ask, Jude seizes the opportunity to learn more. Their professional relationship is supposed to be a clinical erotic arrangement between a sex therapist and her assistant, but at the intersection of sex and intimacy, anything is possible. Even love.

The Sex Therapist Next Door

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