The Sex Lives of Married Women
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  • Published: 1 April 2025
  • ISBN: 9781761345999
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 320
  • RRP: $34.99
Categories:

The Sex Lives of Married Women

Formats & editions
Tr. Paperback
1 Apr 2025
EBook
1 Apr 2025
Audiobook
1 Apr 2025
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Marriage, motherhood, sex: excellent!
Madeleine Gray
A sexy, funny, surprising tale of female friendship, bedrooms and marriage.

Escaping her ‘model migrant’ family life in Australia, Meena flourished in London. After falling pregnant, she and her boyfriend, Owen, fall in love with baby Sasha and bravely head to Sydney. But now Owen barely looks at Meena.

On a backpacking holiday, Sophie meets Todd. After a whirlwind romance she throws in her rising career in New York and follows Todd to Sydney, where she has committed to being the perfect wife, mother, and BFF to Meena. But now Todd’s talking about a treechange, and Sophie’s not sure if the life she built is the one she wants.

Rani came to Australia as an international student and met her husband Daniyal. But raising her son Ali while navigating her husband’s late nights has left her lonely. A simple act of rebellion threatens to upend her marriage, but could it also set her free?

When their paths collide, Meena, Sophie, and Rani form an unlikely alliance. Over coffee, cocktails, and confessions, they share the messy, hilarious truths about marriage, motherhood, and what they really want.

Raw, funny, and heartbreakingly relatable, The Sex Lives of Married Women is an unflinching exploration of the secret lives we all lead and the friendships that keep us going.
  • Published: 1 April 2025
  • ISBN: 9781761345999
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 320
  • RRP: $34.99
Categories:

About the author

Saman Shad

Saman Shad is a writer, editor, journalist and teller of stories. Much of her work is inspired by her experiences as a third culture kid, growing up and living in Pakistan, the Middle East, the UK and Australia. Her writing credits span mediums, including radio scriptwriting for the BBC in the UK and the ABC in Australia, and playwriting, with works commissioned by theatres across London and Sydney. She is a regular writer for several publications, including the Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald and SBS. She has also worked on screen projects, including developing the feature film One of Us with funding from Screen Australia. She is currently working as a screenwriter on a number of upcoming projects. Saman is a proud mum of three children and lives with them and her husband in Sydney.

portrait photo of Saman Shad

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Praise for The Sex Lives of Married Women

The Sex Lives of Married Women feels like the kind of book that will be quietly passed around the SUVs at school pickup. Come for the risque title, stay for the deep and intersectional exploration of friendship, marriage, parenting and privilege. Saman Shad expertly pivots to darker, deeper territory in this compelling novel about desire, secrets and shame.

Clare Fletcher

Marriage, motherhood, sex: excellent. Congratulations!

Madeleine Gray

Funny and pognant. It reveals the interior lives of women who seem to have their shit together but who, behind closed doors, grapple with more than you might expect.

Katharine Pollock

Readers at a crossroads in life, those who enjoy stories about female friendship, and fans of Marian Keyes or novels about contemporary womanhood will find much to appreciate.

Marina Sano, Bookseller + Publisher

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The Sex Lives of Married Women book club questions

A sexy, funny, surprising tale of female friendship to read with your book club.