Hot Relationships: How to Know What You Want, Get What You Want, and Keep it Red Hot! (Paperback)

by Tracey Cox (Author) "I'm getting ready to go out..." (more)
Key Phrases: commitment phobes, spending styles, love habits, Hot Relationships, John Gottman, Julia Roberts (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Relationships expert Tracey Cox, author of Hot Sex, admits that she is not currently "snuggled up on the couch with Mr. Perfect." Never mind--she sure knows relationships: good ones, lousy ones, flings, live-ins, and "first date fizzles." She's knowledgeable, reassuring, and very funny. First, Cox discusses the advantages of being single (yeah, yeah) and helps you figure out what kind of partner/relationship you're seeking and where to find him or her. Then she takes you through getting that first date.

As she explores falling in love, evaluating your relationship, and getting closer to commitment, Cox is feisty and irreverent. One chapter's subtitle is "Getting from Bonking-Each-Other-Senseless to Couplesville (Without Losing the Urge)." She discusses sex directly and wittily, explaining, for example, why you might have been hungry for sex when you weren't getting any but you're indifferent when it's available in an ongoing relationship: "It's a bit like Thanksgiving. You can smell that turkey cooking and you're practically drooling. Come the day after, you'd rather eat mashed up grasshoppers than face another slice." Keeping sex alive in a relationship is linked with keeping communication alive, and Cox gives you tips for accomplishing this, too. Other topics include jealousy, sex after marriage, infidelity, destructive relationships, and how to get over a break-up. --Joan Price

From Library Journal
Cox, an Australian sex and relationships journalist and the author of Hot Sex (LJ 4/15/99), targets all stages of every erotosexual relationship: looking for a partner, dating, living together, and being married-with-kids, whether heterosexual, lesbian/ gay, young, or older. Surprisingly, she succeed reasonably well, delivering supportive and commonsense advice about finding a partner; dealing with disagreements; avoiding "love landmines," jealousy, and infidelity; recognizing bad choices in partners; and dealing with breakups. Her "twenty- to thirtysomething" writing style may put off some older or more conservative readers: in Cox's world, nearly everyone is into parties, nightlife, alcohol, and casual sex and becomes emotionally devastated and histrionic when dealing with infidelity and breakups. Despite the limited appeal of the styleDand the misleadingly oversexy titleDthe book's advice does hold up well for a broad readership. The main flaw is the lack of a list of recommended readings and resources. For larger public libraries, especially those with collections targeted to the earlier decades of adulthood.DMartha Cornog, Philadelphia
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (July 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553380338
• ISBN-13: 978-0553380330
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #152,561 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining book, very insightful, January 7, 2004

By A Customer

I found this book to be very witty and real. I bought it to help me through a break up (it did) but have read it 3 times. I read another review here where the lady didn't like some of Tracey's advice. Well, sure any book you read will have some things in it that you don't agree with. This book overall does an excellent job of "keeping it real". I laughed while reading it, but was also able to use the practical advice given. I highly recommend this book to anyone. There is something in it for all!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hmm, this is rather good actually, July 11, 2000

By	"unprinted" (London, Great Britain) - See all my reviews

The follow-up to her 'Hot Sex' (qv) this concentrates on finding a partner, developing into a Relationship and keeping happy throughout it all. Plus advice on what to do if it all goes wrogn.

Done in a fun and readable style (significant sections were originally published in women's magazines) it covers a lot of ground in a sensible and inclusive manner. Just about everyone could learn something from this one. There's the usual comment about "although the book talks about male-female relationships a lot, it does apply to same-sex ones too" but she does include a chapter especially for lesbians/gay men. Unfortunately, she's not quite there with some of the realities of LGBT life, but it's a good attempt.

My main complaints are that most of the sex tips have been left in Hot Sex (is this good, in that if you have the earlier work, you don't feel you've bought the same book twice, or bad in that you need to buy two books?).

It would be good to have something on telling (or not) the sort of secrets you're scared would affect the relationship -- you know, the sort of thing that could get you on the Jerry Springer show. The nearest I can find is a substantial section on affairs ('leave' is her basic advice).

Yep, she doesn't really believe anyone can have more than one meaningful Relationship at the same time. Even if you are honest and talk about it first.

The index could be better too -- this is a long book. Indeed, at around 600 pages, if it does end badly, you can throw the book at the ex with the sure and confident knowledge that it'll do some damage... (But that does mean you've ignored the advice that being this nasty is Not a Good Thing!)

Overall, it's certainly worth the money.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rational, sensible, and useful information and advice, August 31, 2000

By	Eileen Galen (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Between the screaming chartreuse and hot pink covers of this book are several hundred pages of utterly calm and good advice on love relationships. The title is misleading, but it does take advantage of the success of Cox's first book, "Hot Sex." In fact, a more apt title would be "Rational Relationships" - not very catchy.

Cox is respectful of both sides of every story, and her advice is middle-of-the-road, and very reasonable. She takes partnership seriously, but includes a wonderful chapter on what's great about being on one's own, too.

For adults, much of what she promotes and explains has perhaps been seen elsewhere - in my case, in the many advice columns, magazine articles, and self-help books that have come my way over the years.

But for teenagers and young adults, I would recommend this book without reservation. In fact it's a book that a really good high school "Health" class might include as recommended reading. All kids would benefit from its wisdom.