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by Renzo Ortega (Author), Monica Ortega (Author), Emily Stimpson Chapman (Foreword by)
Sex in marriage can be beautiful--but also new, confusing, awkward, and even frustrating. How do you talk openly about lovemaking without feeling embarrassed? How do you ask for what you need? What if something feels off, or worse--what if it hurts? For many couples, Catholic marriage preparation touches on the basics but leaves them with real, unanswered questions like: Am I doing this right? Can I really ask that? Why does it sometimes feel so fast . . . or so slow?
Lovemaking: How to Talk about Sex with Your Spouse is the candid, practical guide you've been waiting for. Bold, playful, and full of real-talk, Renzo and Monica Ortega--hosts of the Two Become Family podcast--offer couples the tools they need to communicate more openly, connect more deeply, and transform their sexual intimacy.
Drawing from their own experience as well as the wisdom of Catholic teaching, including St. John Paul II's theology of the body, Renzo and Monica tackle the tough questions couples are often afraid to ask:
- How do we talk candidly about frequency and foreplay?
- Do men really only "want one thing"? Why do women get "headaches"?
- Why is the female orgasm so elusive?
- Why are there so many rules around sex? Does the Church expect us to have a hundred babies?
- How does sex change after kids come into the picture?
This isn't a steamy how-to manual, nor is it a dry theological explanation. It's an honest, approachable conversation about the realities of marital intimacy, grounded in Catholic faith and real-life experience. Each chapter includes conversation starters designed to help couples talk about their needs, desires, and boundaries. "You need connection before connecting," they write, "Our spouse can only really learn the language of our bodies--what we like, what we love, what we dislike, and what gives us the heebie-jeebies--if we communicate in spoken language as well."
Renzo and Monica's relatable, down-to-earth wisdom will resonate with couples navigating both the joys and struggles of married life. Lovemaking will help wives feel understood, husbands feel challenged, and both spouses feel closer than ever. Read it together, talk it out, and discover a path to a more fulfilling sex life and a deeper marital union.
Author Biography
Renzo and Monica Ortega are Catholic ministry leaders, podcast hosts, authors, and national speakers. They host the popular marriage podcast Two Become Family and speak nationally for the St. John Paul II Foundation's Together in Holiness conference series.
Their testimonies of faith, marriage, and parenting have been featured on EWTN's Life on the Rock, in the National Catholic Register, the Knights of Columbus documentary St. Joseph: Our Spiritual Father, and Catholic Market, the Augustine Institute's online store. They are coauthors of the children's devotional Go to Joseph for Children, and Renzo is also the author of the men's devotional Go to Joseph: 10 Day Preparation for Consecration to St. Joseph.
Renzo earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Southern Connecticut State University and a master's degree in theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary. Monica holds a bachelor's degree in math and education from Western Connecticut State University and a master of education degree in educational leadership from the American College of Education.
The Ortegas live with their five children in Connecticut, where they facilitate youth ministry and marriage prep ministry.
Emily Stimpson Chapman is a Catholic wife, mother, and bestselling author.
