Thoughts While Having Sex: A Novel of New York City

by Stephanie Lehmann

THOUGHTS WHILE HAVING SEX is the touching and funny story of Jennifer Ward, a 25-year-old aspiring playwright afraid to take center stage in her own life. Her tortured older sister, Diana, always occupied that space – even after taking her own life by suicide. Jennifer’s plays spring from a battle taking place in her mind as she struggles to come out from under Diana’s shadow. Her thoughts can be heartbreakingly sad or ridiculously comical as she tries to allow herself pleasure, whether this involves enjoying a dessert, trying to have an orgasm, or watching an actress speak lines that express forbidden feelings.

Jennifer’s newest play tackles the love/hate relationship with her sister. When director Peter Heller offers to mount a small Off-Off production, she is both thrilled and terrified by the opportunity, not to mention their mutual attraction. While holding auditions, they agree on casting the dynamic and beautiful Kelly Cavanna as the older sister. Kelly is everything Jennifer saw in Diana but does not see in herself. Life imitates art as tangled emotions grow between writer, director and actress. The huge and sometimes hilarious challenges involved in a low-budget, off-off Broadway production lead to a surprising turn of events. Finally, Jennifer has to choose between the safety of watching from the wings and the danger of putting herself out there to get what she wants.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

My novels are The Art of Undressing, Thoughts While Having Sex, Are you in the Mood?, and You Could Do Better. They aren't as sexy as they sound, which could be good or bad depending on your point of view.

My new novel is Astor Place Vintage, and that will be published by Simon and Schuster in 2013. It's about a woman who works in a department store in 1907 Manhattan and a woman who owns a vintage clothing store on the Lower East Side in 2007.

I'm currently building a website for the book at http://www.AstorPlaceVintage.com with lots of photographs and historical information I wasn't able to use for the novel but loved to learn about.

Reviews

[Bonnie G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun bit of chick-lit, perhaps a touch more serious than most others of the genre. This is the worst most misleading cover art ever (the title is also misleading.) This book is not erotic, or even really about sex in any real way. The story centers on a woman being held back in many aspects of her life by a life spent in the shadow of a beautiful bi-polar sister and by feelings about that sister's death. (That is not a spoiler, you get that info on page 2 or 3.) Watching Jennifer grow is delightful. This is fluff, pure and simple, but sometimes fluff is exactly what you want to read.

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself asking the main character "WHY?!" a lot while reading this book. But maybe that's because I could see some of myself in her and could relate. Don't let the title of the book fool you--it's about a girl finally coming to terms with the fact she's deserving of happiness, and finally starts to go after it!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this about 2010. I don’t remember it but somebody mentioned that I had told them about it.

[Kimlee · Rating 2 out of 5]

i noticed with this book that the author has a theme going. someone/thing is always in the way of the main character getting her man. in the art of undressing it was a sexy fellow culinary student. in thought while having sex it's a sexy actress. the other girl gets them first and then the main character gets him in the end.

is the author trying to make sloppy seconds more uplifting than they really are? i know that this will always happen when you start a relationship because someone has had you and your partner before, but really?

when the other girl gets him first it pisses me off.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first sentence on the back blurb sucked me in right away - "Um, could someone turn my brain off?" I felt like I related to this character (I ask that question all the time!), probably to a fault. I enjoyed this book through all of the narrator's faults; she never speaks her mind, and then kicks herself for giving what she wants to other people she feels derserves what she wants more than she does - I do that all the time. She does get what she wants in the end, which was a nice way to tie up this story in a little bow and call it a day. Nice read!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I "think" I have read this before, but I couldn't be certian, which should say that this book isn't memorable; however, it was entertaining and I wanted to see how it ended. The mental fight between the main charachter was an interesting one and self professed (even if only within her script) wuss, which to be honest, is never someone that I can begin to understand.

Decent beach reader only.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otis like a female Woody Allen book. She is a play write and insecure. When a friend saw the book he said it looked like a chick book. Maybe it is but the theater reference kept my interest and it was reasonably well written. I liked it. I can recommend it as beach reading even if it is not great literature.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty fun chick-lit about evolving friendships and relationships between sisters and lovers. The thing that gets me is that I have no idea how the author came up with the title. From what I remember the heroine doesn't have any sex during the span of the whole book. Just kind of weird.

[Carrie | Boston Book Fanatic]

5/03

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most beautiful chick lit book I've ever read.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review: https://hiplibrariansbookblog.com/202...

[Sherri Bryant]

What a bummer...this book did absolutely nothing for me so I've given up on it...

[Phee Sunantarod · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story seemed to be nothing. Characters were readable. However, it's one from not many books that I couldn't put down. I think the word and the way she wrote that touched me.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this greatly...currently reading again after a few years.

[Lindsey Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This title and cover is completely misleading. It was a fast read and it kept me entertained but I don't think if would be at the top of the list for me to recommend to a friend.

[Melissa (Vacation Mode) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars--Lots about acting, plays. Character learns about her self from a play she wrote. Dealing with suicide of older sister.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, bad title.