Using a sample collected from Ashley Madison, this book is the result of a yearlong inquiry into women’s extramarital experiences. Ultimately, these women reject the binary proposition of marriage that assumes that either we work on our marriages and remain monogamous within them, or we break up the relationship and take up other relationships. These women conceive of an alternate solution to a marriage that is not wholly working, where their own needs are ignored, unmet, and not prioritized. Thus, the women in this study are engaging in secret defiance of the expectations of marriage and primary partnerships. This book gives voice to women’s experiences and perceptions regarding their participation in infidelity, and glimpses into the interworkings of our most intimate relationships, and the ways women negotiate marriages that fall short of their expectations.
Delve into the minds of several frisky women who are willing to risk it all in the pursuit of pleasure from bestselling author Curtis Bunn. With sensual language and a unique understanding of women, The Secret Lives of Cheating Wives by Curtis Bunn is a gripping novel that reveals the lengths today’s women will go to indulge their deepest desires. The most unlikely of women—God-fearing, child-raising, career-driven, soft-spoken women—are taking risks outside their marriages unlike any time before, a state of affairs that has become an underground movement. They may appear happy and content in their marriages from the outside, but inside they feel something is missing. Refusing to boast about their extramarital affairs like men, these women keep quiet and yet, the more they engage, the more daring they become—and the more at risk their marriages become, too. With relatable and complex characters, The Secret Lives of Cheating Wives, is more than your typical romance: it strives to explore the psyche of these women and challenges you into understanding their actions, all while enjoying a tense, steamy ride filled with edge-of-your-seat drama.
A bestselling, groundbreaking author investigates wives who thrive, sharing their uncensored strategies for staying married. America’s high divorce rate is well known. But little attention has been paid to the flip side: couples who creatively manage to build marriages that are lasting longer than we ever thought possible. What’s the secret? To find out, bestselling journalist Iris Krasnow interviewed more than two hundred wives whose marriages have survived for fifteen to seventy years. In raw, candid, sometimes titillating stories, Krasnow’s cast of wise women give voice to the truth about marriage and the importance of maintaining a strong sense of self apart from the relationship. Some spend summers separately from their partners. Some make time for wine with the girls. One septuagenarian has a recurring date with an old flame from high school. In every case, the marriage operates on many tracks, giving both spouses license to pursue the question “Who am I apart from my marriage?” Krasnow’s goal is to give women permission to create their own marriages at any age. Marital bliss is possible, she says, if each partner is blissful apart from the other. For anyone who wants to stay married and stay sane, this is the book to read!
Some marriages are made in heaven, and others, quite frankly, are not. This anthology collects the private reflections of 25 well-known women writers, some of whom speak under the liberating cloak of anonymity. They reveal the truth about their marriages, their divorces, and sometimes, their decisions to remain single. The essays here chronicle the highs and lows of romantic relationships, the ebb and flow of love and desire, and the many alternatives to traditional matrimony. With topics ranging from infidelity and true love to orgasms, children, career power struggles, race issues, and aging, these are stories that empower women to make sense of their own lives.
"A fresh look at infidelity, broadening the focus from the havoc it wreaks within a committed relationship to consider also why people do it, what it means to them, and why breaking up is the expected response to duplicity — but not necessarily the wisest one.” — LA Review of Books From iconic couples’ therapist and bestselling author of Mating in Captivity comes a provocative and controversial look at infidelity with practical, honest, and empathetic advice for how to move beyond it. An affair: it can rob a couple of their relationship, their happiness, their very identity. And yet, this extremely common human experience is so poorly understood. What are we to make of this time-honored taboo—universally forbidden yet universally practiced? Why do people cheat—even those in happy marriages? Why does an affair hurt so much? When we say infidelity, what exactly do we mean? Do our romantic expectations of marriage set us up for betrayal? Is there such a thing as an affair-proof marriage? Is it possible to love more than one person at once? Can an affair ever help a marriage? Perel weaves real-life case stories with incisive psychological and cultural analysis in this fast-paced and compelling book. For the past ten years, Perel has traveled the globe and worked with hundreds of couples who have grappled with infidelity. Betrayal hurts, she writes, but it can be healed. An affair can even be the doorway to a new marriage—with the same person. With the right approach, couples can grow and learn from these tumultuous experiences, together or apart. Affairs, she argues, have a lot to teach us about modern relationships—what we expect, what we think we want, and what we feel entitled to. They offer a unique window into our personal and cultural attitudes about love, lust, and commitment. Through examining illicit love from multiple angles, Perel invites readers into an honest, enlightened, and entertaining exploration of modern marriage in its many variations. Fiercely intelligent, The State of Affairs provides a daring framework for understanding the intricacies of love and desire. As Perel observes, “Love is messy; infidelity more so. But it is also a window, like no other, into the crevices of the human heart.”
Allan has always tried to do the sensible thing. So when his sister Elsie became pregnant eight years ago and was ditched by her boyfriend, he stepped up to the plate. Since then, he's been his sister's support system and father figure to his niece. Allan's world is turned upside down when Elsie becomes engaged and he meets her fiancé's older brother, Davinder -- a beautiful, brooding artist with a thousand secrets in his eyes. But Davinder is a married man and father of two young boys. From the moment they meet, Allan and Davinder walk along the edge of their secret lives, never allowed to push open the gates. Though their love is a head-on collision, a meeting of the minds, a fusing of two lost souls, both men know that it is also -- and above all -- impossible.
This book analyzes men’s experiences and perceptions regarding their participation in infidelity and offers a glimpse into the inner workings of their most intimate relationships, as well as the ways men negotiate marriages that fall short of their expectations. Using a sample collected from the online dating service Ashley Madison, this book finds that contrary to gendered social scripts, the men in this study described motivations for outside partnerships that were not rooted in the desire for sexual pleasure or variety. Rather, men described those relationships as an outlet to soothe their bruised egos, receive attention and validation from a romantic partner, and to fight their feelings of emasculation. These infidelities thus provide support and praise, and aid in the processing of complex emotions. This in-depth analysis provides a unique insight into men’s experiences of sexuality and masculinity, and will be of keen interest to those seeking to understand male infidelity from a sociological perspective, across gender studies, psychology, counselling, and beyond.
After a whirlwind overseas romance, down-home girl Claire Stark has moved to her new husband’s hometown, Hunting Hills, Ohio, where the men earn seven figures, the women wear size two, and if everything isn’t absolutely perfect, you’re expected to pretend it is.… But Claire’s having trouble pretending. For one thing, John’s previous girlfriend still lives here—and with all the bed-hopping in Hunting Hills, she may not be Claire’s only potential rival. For another, Claire’s constantly hearing vicious gossip—including rumors about herself. And though she also misses her reporting career, John isn’t thrilled with the idea of her working at the local paper. She might just have to be satisfied mingling with the Hunting Hills moms, who like to borrow their daughters’ Seven jeans and their sons’ Ritalin. That is, until scandal threatens to shatter the stylish facade of this exclusive gated community—and behind the salon highlights and sunlamp tans, true colors start shining through.…
Reminiscent of Three Women and The State of Affairs—and based on years of research and in-depth interviews with more than sixty men—this eye-opening and explosive study explores why men cheat, how they do it, and the repercussions that infidelity has on every aspect of life. It is estimated that one in four married men cheat on their wives. Of those, roughly half claim that they are “very happy” in their marriages. So why risk ruining it all? Is it the sex? The affirmation? The danger? Yes, it’s all of that. But it’s also so much more. The author of this book has conducted a series of in-depth interviews with men and women of all ages and backgrounds who have cheated in the past or are currently cheating on their spouses. They talked openly and intimately about details of their affairs, and the emotions that they experience before, during, and after. The book breaks down the five major categories of cheaters, defines the typical cheater personality, and looks at how husbands can cheat while also loving their wives. It reveals the tips and tricks spouses use to get away with secret affairs and examines everything from the influence of cheating parents on their children to the possible outcomes once an affair is discovered. This unfiltered window into the hearts and minds of men explores the psychological roots of cheating and proposes a new vision of masculinity that is more emotionally aware and could significantly change relationships for the better.
"A revealing look at why men cheat, through the lives of two men; one a faithful business mogul and the other a celebrity addicted to infidelity."--Jacket.
