I truly enjoy Michael Vaughn's work, mostly due to the manner in which he winds stories through very unexpected paths. I am very glad, though, I became a fan through The Popcorn Girl, A Painting Called Sylvia, and Gabriella's Voice - they're stories that don't rely on graphic sex scenes to tell the story. Later works - the ones *I* read later - are enjoyable, but more pornographic than I am comfortable reading or recommending to others.
Vaughn definitely has a way with words. His description of scenery is unparalleled, truly bringing the reader to the Pacific Coast (Rhyming Pittsburgh tried to do it with other geographic areas, with a bit less success). He cannot be accused of cliche.
This story relies on the sex. The story is about the main characters' relationship with sexual performance and family life, even to the point of allowing emotional relationships to take a back seat. We're told of the emotional relationship, but we see the sexual.