Making the provocative purposeful, this analysis spotlights the most exciting--or potentially embarrassing--story element: the obligatory sex scene.

This sensibly suggestive guide demonstrates how to advance plots and reveal truths about characters through their romantic tableaus.

Each scene is accompanied by insight into its authors' intentions, how they accomplished them, and their thoughts on romance, love, and sex.

The featured passages include men such as William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck and women from Margaret Mitchell to Toni Morrison and Danielle Steel.