Brief

Richard and Beth Anderson, upper middle-class parents in their forties, warily accept a friend's
invitation to visit a swingers' club. Several visits later, they realize they enjoy the lifestyle a bit too
much. Can they get 'happily ever after' back?

What We Liked

The excitement of a hedonistic club where members go to "swing" is an inherently interesting,
“forbidden”, out-of-bounds setting. "The Lifestyle" can also have destructive elements on the
periphery, and it takes discipline and willpower not to be consumed by its perks; but, at the same time,
it looks irresistible to the characters and readers/viewers alike.
The bounds of morality and the discussion about what’s wrong or not will appeal to a wide variety of
people, as the Anderson’s “normalcy” is highly relatable from the start. Think “50 Shades of Grey” in a
much more grounded setting, with more at stake.
Key points: A sex club; attractive people; fantasy lifestyle vs a comfortable, albeit “boring” life; seedy
underbelly; mortal danger.

Synopsis

Richard and Beth have a fairy tale marriage. They have good jobs and two little sons. They do not
realize what is missing in their lives, until they accept an invitation from friends to go to a high class
sex club, “Club Climax”. TOM and ROSA, both 60, take Richard and Beth for a tour. They show them
the 12 “playrooms” with beds, sex swings and other adornments. An open door means people can
come in and watch, and participate if invited. One room has 8 beds next to each other. The orgy room.
Someone brings a fishbowl with names and the owner pulls out Robert’s. He enthusiastically
approaches, sits down, and receives an eroitc lap dance from her. Beth isn’t sure what to make of it,
but TOM caresses her back as she watches her husband. After dinner, some of the younger members
dance, while Beth changes into a negligee. Soon, she’s on the bed engaging in foreplay with KRISTIE.
Beth decides she’s not ready to watch Jack and Cindy having sex yet, and they go out on the patio for
air. They go home, and, still intoxicated from the night, have great sex.
Tepid at first, they soon become regulars and it's what they look forward to more than anything else.
Once there, they find out that people they actually know are avid practitioners, and they start to
experiment. Tom and Rosa quickly proposition the couple. He asks if he could have a three way with
Beth and Richard, and they agree. Beth is excited. Rosa doesn’t mind waiting out because Richard
isn’t her type. Beth and Tom have great sex. Afterwards, already at home, while Richard takes the kids
to the park, she masturbates, reliving her encounter with Tom. She also goes on websites about “the
lifestyle” for advice on various subjects. She and Richard have sex during the week now, which was
something that they were rarely able to do. Beth, however, ends up in an affair with Tom, while
Richard experiments with cocaine.
They think they have it handled until their marriage starts to unravel as they become suspicious of
each other and neglectful of their family unit. Richard has an affair as well, and ends up in debt to
dangerous drug dealers. Before a planned move to another state can give them a fresh start,
Richard's recklessness and overwhelming guilt over the state of his family cause him pain he can't
come back from - and shoots himself.

About The Author

The authors are actually two nurse practitioners who live in Pennsylvania. One day in 2014, the two friends came up with the idea of becoming writing partners. Rosanna and Maggie live about an hour apart, and have completed a trilogy of books about the swingers lifestyle. Arousal is the first one.