Love Matters: A Book of Lesbian Romance »

Sutton, Linda, MA

Love Matters: A Book of Lesbian Romance and Relationships is a collection of advice columns and personal reflections that will help lesbian couples validate and appreciate their unique relationships. With excerpts taken from the author’s “Love Matters” column in the lesbian newspaper New Phazes, this book explores real-life questions and issues that lesbians have about dating, sex, love, and relationship longevity. From Love Matters, you’ll receive honest, informative advice that can help you and your partner share a more open and fulfilling relationship.

Offering support, care, and understanding for lesbian couples, Love Matters seeks to recognize the “new female role” for lesbian women. Using her 15-year long relationship as a basis for many of the responses, the author provides you with suggestions and insight into topics relating to lesbian relationships, such as:

• keeping sex alive in a long-term relationship
• handling finances fairly and successfully
• supporting your partner through the physical, emotional, and spiritual changes caused by menopause
• identifying the difficulties of dating and what lesbians look for on a date
• questioning the purpose of and emotions caused by a long-distance relationship
• realizing how homophobia affects love and relationships

While focusing on the joys and experiences of couples, this book also addresses depression and loneliness felt by single lesbians, break-ups, and the death of a partner. You’ll find that Love Matters offers comfort, hope, and humor that will help you understand the difficulties and rewards of your lesbian relationship.

Booknews

Sutton, psychotherapist and columnist in the Colorado Springs lesbian newspaper , reprints her challenging but humorous advice columns, addressing an array of love-related issues from keeping sex lively in a long-term relationship to handling money issues. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

	Acknowledgments
	The Beginning	3
	Sex Lives	9
	Relationship Polarity	15
	Finances	21
	Breakup Rates	29
	Menopause	35
	Long-Distance Relationships	41
	Dating	47
	Forty Secrets for a Happy Relationship	53
	The Right Person	57
	How to Keep Love Alive	61
	Misery Side of Misery/Bliss Ratio	69
	Bliss Side of Misery/Bliss Ratio	75
	Play	81
	Anniversary Story	87
	Fair Fighting	93
	Death of a Partner	103
	Publication of Love Matters	109
	Good Enough Relationship	115
	Jealousy	123
	Depression	131
	Solitude	139
	Mothering	147
	Singlehood	155
	Busyness	163
	Saying Good-Bye	169
	My Turn	177
	My So-Called Ending	181
	Bibliography	187