The late twentieth century has seen a fantastic expansion of personal, sexual, and domestic liberties in the United States. In Not Just Roommates, Elizabeth H. Pleck explores the rise of cohabitation, and the changing social norms that have allowed cohabitation to become the chosen lifestyle of more than fifteen million Americans. Despite this growing social acceptance, Pleck contends that when it comes to the law, cohabitors have been, and continue to be, treated as second-class citizens, subjected to discriminatory laws, limited privacy, a lack of political representation, and little hope for change. Because cohabitation is not a sexual identity, Pleck argues, cohabitors face the legal discrimination of a population with no group identity, no civil rights movement, no legal defense organizations, and, often, no consciousness of being discriminated against. Through in-depth research in written sources and interviews, Pleck shines a light on the emergence of cohabitation in American culture, its complex history, and its unpleasant realities in the present day.

In 1998 Lanette and I married at 18 years old. We knew we loved one another but had no clue how to be married. Because of our immaturity, we learned things the hard way and almost divorced a few years into our marriage. Through our commitment to God and the love we shared for our children, we chose to fight for our marriage. With my wife, I wrote Not Just Roommates to educate couples on how to deal with the major issues they will face. The book offers practical, relevant, and effective solutions to strengthen marriages and develop healthy relationships. Combining what we learned in 18 years of marriage and 12 years of counseling experience, Lanette and I will show couples how to build unity, communication skills, sexual intimacy, and ways overcome marital adversity. Not Just Roommates is a 145 page step-by-step blueprint for marriage success. If you want strategies for healthy communication, easy-to-implement exercises, and practical tips for romance and intimacy, Not Just Roommates is the answer.

Are You Married to Your Roommate . . . or Your Lover? Whether you’ve been married for six years or six decades, you may wake up one day to discover that the person sleeping next to you has become a stranger. Between work, kids, financial woes, and the busyness of everyday living, your marriage may feel like it’s on life support. You and your spouse love each other, but you’re both barely hanging on. How do you find your way back? How do you reconnect with your spouse and capture all that marriage is intended to be? Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley understand. Despite being hailed as marriage experts, they found themselves living more like roommates than lovers. Through intentional work, they fought their way back, and you can too. In Reconnected, they’ll walk alongside you and your spouse as you learn to reconnect by: Sharing life-giving communicationDreaming together about your futureRekindling romance and passionEmbracing your individuality while coming together as a coupleTransforming your life from one of busyness to one of connection Take your marriage from surviving to thriving. Reconnect with your first love.

Are You Married but Living Like Roommates? Do you sleep back-to-back or even separately? Do you feel lonely, bored, and sexually frustrated in your marriage? Have you, in fact, become just roommates? Millions of couples live empty parallel lives and wonder, “Is this all there is?” Talia and Allen Wagner, marriage and family therapists, have illuminated this sadly familiar, silent epidemic of Married Roommates. They give couples a new way to bring back the spark in their marriage with tools and strategies to learn how to talk to and with your spouse, not to mention how to get away from the tit for tats and the constant feeling of walking and talking on eggshells. This book helps you reclaim your marriage by learning how to: - Communicate effectively without assumptions and misinterpretations - Resolve conflict by avoiding fighting or escalation - Maintain attraction, intimacy, and sex - Prioritize one another and work as a team - Gain the tools to stop the fighting, disrespect, jabs, and low blows - Create new routines and reinvigorate the stale parts of your relationship

Daria My ex taking our daughters to Disneyland is his latest way to prove Dad Rules and Mom Sucks. While they're riding roller coasters, I'm taking a trip of my own—a long deserved island getaway for one. And I'm letting my eldest's swim coaches stay at my place while we're all gone, and their apartment is fumigated. Except a last minute work emergency means I'm stuck at home, rather than lying on a beach enjoying the view. First time I see Colin wandering around the house shirtless, I realize the view has come to me. First time Tanner offers me an entirely different type of vacation—the no-clothes-horizontal-grind kind—I almost cave. But I can't hook up with a man almost a decade younger than me, and definitely not two of them. Can I?

Growing up, I had one rule: stay away from my brother’s best friend. It was easy to follow. I spent my years avoiding the boys on the baseball team, studying hard, and saving every dime I could. When I was accepted to transfer into UC Berkeley, I needed a place to live, and my brother had a free room off-campus. Win-win, right? Except that best friend I was determined to stay away from is now my new roommate. My very naughty, very rebellious roommate, Wesley Knight. The boy who was once the bane of my existence with his constant teasing is now a drop-dead gorgeous athlete. He’s the life of the party, but I can’t have fun. According to Wes, no guys are allowed to talk to me. Well, two can play at this game. If I can’t date, then neither can he. It starts off as innocent fun. Some half-naked yoga or a little flirting until an interrupted moment of self-gratification turns things dangerous … for my body and my heart. Living with my brother and his best friend has me breaking all the rules. I just have to decide if the consequences are worth the reward.