Prude: Lessons I Learned When My Fiancé Filmed Porn

When her fiancé Robbie landed a job filming a reality TV show about porn, Southwood, who had just moved to Los Angeles to live with Robbie, unsurprisingly, had conflicted feelings. Southwood skillfully and calmly shares this time of her life, examining how porn both threatened and strengthened their relationship, and how it brought other issues—insecurity, lack of communication—to light. Southwood also explores her own relationship to porn, placing it in the greater context of today’s society, citing what she’s learned about different types of porn, porn usage, and exposure. The writing is straightforward, comfortable, and just a bit quirky; the memoir reads like a conversation over cocktails with a close girlfriend—possibly because such scenes often recur as Southwood struggles between her desire to be open-minded, and her ingrained moral stance on porn. For those who, like Southwood, are uncomfortable, intimidated, or simply unfamiliar with porn, this book is a fun way to start pushing your own comfort zones. For everyone else, it’s a sweet and original examination of the complications of romantic relationships. (Oct)