While the text never bores and often surprises, it’s not stimulating in and of itself. Hollenbeck uses socially acceptable terms like "do it," "lunch," and "lifestyle" rather than express herself in more explicit terms. Instead of titillation, the goal of Sex Lives of Wives is to inform and educate women in long-term relationships about options (other than divorce or affairs) for finding the lost passion in their marriages. The author achieves this goal with great success.

Using the metaphor of "passion quest," Hollenbeck describes most of her ideas in figurative terms such as taking emotional and sexual journeys to new places, and occasionally in literal terms including actually traveling to a couples-only resort and visiting a nude beach. This book offers many different ways of reigniting the passion in marriage, and concludes with a glossary of passionate terms, a guide to sexy entertainment, resources on human sexuality, and Passion Seekers coupons.