📖 Overview
Following a devastating breakup, writer Monique Roffey documents her year-long journey of sexual and spiritual exploration. She travels from London to various locations including India, America, and the Caribbean, seeking healing and transformation through encounters with lovers, gurus, and alternative communities.
The memoir details Roffey's experiences with tantric workshops, shamanic rituals, and unconventional relationships as she questions societal norms around sexuality and love. Her quest leads her through both enlightening and challenging situations, from sacred temples to sex clubs, as she attempts to understand herself and human connection.
Through raw, confessional prose, Roffey examines themes of female desire, spiritual awakening, and the intersection of sexuality and healing. The narrative challenges conventional perspectives on relationships while exploring the complex connections between physical intimacy, emotional vulnerability, and personal transformation.
👀 Reviews
Readers describe this memoir as raw and sexually explicit, with detailed accounts of the author's romantic and erotic experiences. Many reviewers note the brave honesty in discussing tantric workshops, dating experiences, and personal transformation.
Readers appreciated:
- The unflinching examination of female sexuality
- Quality of the prose and descriptive writing
- Insights into tantra and alternative spiritual practices
Common criticisms:
- Too much explicit sexual content
- Self-indulgent and narcissistic tone
- Lack of deeper emotional reflection
- Overly long at 480 pages
As one Goodreads reviewer noted: "Like watching someone's therapy sessions in real-time - sometimes fascinating, sometimes uncomfortable."
Ratings across platforms:
Goodreads: 3.5/5 (248 ratings)
Amazon UK: 3.7/5 (31 reviews)
Amazon US: 3.2/5 (12 reviews)
Several readers mentioned abandoning the book partway through, finding the intimate details excessive or the narrative meandering.
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🤔 Interesting facts
🔹 The book follows author Monique Roffey's year-long journey of sexual exploration after a devastating breakup, taking her from London to California and India.
🔹 Roffey wrote the memoir in real-time as she experienced events, maintaining detailed journals and notes throughout her travels and encounters.
🔹 The title "With the Kisses of His Mouth" comes from the biblical Song of Solomon, connecting the spiritual and sexual themes that intertwine throughout the book.
🔹 Prior to writing this intimate memoir, Roffey was already an established novelist who had won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature for her book "The White Woman on the Green Bicycle."
🔹 The book sparked considerable controversy in literary circles for its raw honesty about female sexuality and its blend of tantric spirituality with explicit personal narrative.