Just Sex [Paperback]

Susan Kay Law (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2007

Ellen just got handed the dream of half of the wives in America-her husband told her to have an affair.

With her CEO husband, her kids, and her house keeping her busy, passion was never Ellen's first priority. But somehow her husband managed to make time in his schedule for it-with other women. Now he wants Ellen to believe that his reckless liaisons were nothing more than "just sex." In fact, he's so desperate to prove his point that he's challenged her to find out for herself.

After so many years, Ellen is hauling out her rusty flirting skills and following her free-spirited best friend into a world she thought she'd left behind at the altar. She might not have any more faith in this marriage, but she's about to find some in herself-and what starts out as "just sex" might end up being a second chance to find something better.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As Law's latest opens, Ellen Markham, a Minnesota housewife who considers Diet Coke her only vice, is having her hands pulled off her philandering husband Tom's neck by an extremely expensive marriage counselor. After the disastrous session, Tom throws down the gauntlet and tells Ellen that she should have an affair to even the score and realize that sometimes a relationship can be just sex. Hyperbolic comedy drives this not-quite romance from veteran Law (One Lonely Night, etc.), as Ellen, with help from best friend Jill, warily embarks on the challenge to meet Mr. Right Now. The madcap plot awkwardly juxtaposes with the complex feelings Ellen faces as her marriage erodes (the couple have two children), and everyone around her, including Ellen's 15-year-old daughter and Jill, harbors debilitating secrets. There's a surprisingly bitter aftertaste to the novel's often sugary sweet setups.
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About the Author

Susan Kay Law is the author of over a dozen novels and has won several awards. This is her first contemporary novel. She lives with her husband and three sons in Minnesota.

Product Details

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (June 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425215237
• ISBN-13: 978-0425215234
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #421,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Summer Read for the 40ish Crowd, June 23, 2007

By 

Kirstaine A. Smith "library_diva" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just Sex (Paperback)

I took a day of holiday to just read and relax... I bought this because the premise intrigued me. I started reading it in the late afternoon and found myself still up and reading at midnight. I couldn't put it down! It was sad, funny, and enjoyable. It's a good summer read. No, it's not for everyone, but it was worth the cover price to me! That's high praise from a librarian who is a cheapie and rarely buys books. Also, the Joe character is a bit like the Joe Morelli from the Stephanie Plum books. I wanted him to be a bigger character, but the glimpse was good! :)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a sweet journey of powerful self-discovery., September 10, 2007

By 

Rendezvousbooks.com "Australia's romance bkstore" (all over Oz) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Just Sex (Paperback)

It's been a long time since we heard from this fabulous author, and she's gone contemporary on us! But, wow! Just Sex begins during an explosive scene with Ellen and her husband Tom in counseling, where he airily declares the sex she caught him doing with someone else `had nothing to do with you... It was just sex.' I still can't believe Tom actually lived past the first page! With a nudge from the counselor, Tom (!), and her effervescent and fiercely loyal friend Jill, Ellen's prodded to have `just sex' too, and discover the freedom for herself. But who with? And when? Where? How? She's got two teenage kids at home and she's been out of the game for her twenty year marriage. Plus, she's over 40. The idea of getting naked with someone new is terrifying! Then she meets Joe, an old school mate, now a cop; and Bobby, a fellow plane passenger when she goes on an all-expenses paid holiday to Sizzle, a resort island. Then there's Jake, the younger, enigmatic bartender, who helps Ellen sort out possible sex partners from the Sizzle crowd, and they `pick' Mark. Then Tom wants back in her bed. Who to choose? Discover for yourself how triumphant it is to be a woman, with the ability to choose and to love, and to do it well.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Bad chick lit, February 4, 2009

By 

Jeanette L. Ko "retropolitan" (Los Angeles Ca.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just Sex (Paperback)

This book is definitely chick lit of the boring overly angst-y variety. Its like a white version of "Stella gets her groove back" And frankly Im sort of sad I bought this book new.