Sex and the Married Girl

July 7, 2003
Norwood's voice—vivacious, friendly, sometimes giggly, with a lovely British accent—is perfect for the frank "girl talk" of her self-help guide to marriage. Having extensively interviewed 100 married women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, Norwood (How to Be Number One in Your Own World) dishes the inside dirt on modern matrimony. True to the title, there's plenty of titillating sex talk: how often married women do it, their favorite sexual positions (with handy tips on making them even better), their thoughts on pornography and sex toys and even an explicit lesson for husbands on how to give oral sex correctly. On the more serious side is a look at factors that can affect one's sex life (career stress, depression, medication, repressed anger, etc.). But this highly entertaining and useful audiobook goes beyond sex to cover all relevant marital issues: deciding whether to keep one's maiden name, balancing career and family, handling marital money conflicts, wills and prenuptial agreements and dealing with a difficult mother-in-law. With plenty of direct quotes on each topic from the interviewees, along with Norwood's own opinionated commentary, the audiobook feels like a group of close girlfriends advising their soon-to-be-wed pal from their own experiences. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's hardcover.