Four women walk into a Sex Expo. They walk out forever changed. That's the premise of The Taboo Show, the new novel from Dr Trina Read: Canadian sexologist, and author of the award-winning The Sex Course.

Her book is funny. It's sharp. And it pulls the curtain back on the way sex really is: complicated, messy, and sometimes the very thing that brings us closer.  We love how she is bringing her years of experience to an accessible and playful medium.

Why fiction?

Dr Read has spent over twenty years helping couples improve their sex lives. She has a Doctorate of Human Sexuality from the world's premier sex school in San Francisco. She's a member of AASECT, a media expert, a podcast host, an international speaker. She's done the clinical work.

But when Fifty Shades of Grey became a worldwide phenomenon, she noticed something: women were craving sex education through story. Not textbooks. Not worksheets. Fiction.

"After twenty years of developing an easy-to-follow, five-step program on long-term sexual happiness, I wanted to get this program out to as many women as possible"
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"So it had to be written as fiction."
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Dr Trina Read

The Sex Course went to #1 in its Amazon category three days after launch. The Taboo Show is its sequel, and this time the setting is even bolder: an actual sex trade show, where four women confront desire, shame, power, and intimacy in ways they never expected.

Meet the four women

Each character in The Taboo Show represents a different relationship with desire. Which one sounds like you?

Isabella "I'm tired, but I still want to feel like ME again"

Isabella is a part-time sex columnist and full-time mum who writes about pleasure but can't find it in her own marriage. Overwhelmed, exhausted, resentful, and stuck in a sexual rut. Her marriage and libido are running on fumes.

She represents the reality of emotional and domestic labour inequity. The invisible load that leaves nothing for yourself.

Melba epsiode to try: Loving Massage – A gentle, nurturing experience designed to reconnect you with softness and permission when you're running on empty.


Claire "I want to feel something... I'm just not sure what"

Claire is a powerhouse lawyer who dominates in the courtroom but freezes when it's time to surrender in the bedroom. Beautiful, successful, and "put together" on the outside, but disconnected from her pleasure because of her demanding career.

She's transformed by Tantra at the Taboo Show. Finally learning what it means to let go.

If like Claire, you are ready to recconect with pleasure try: Blindfolded – A sensory deprivation experience that forces you out of your head and into pure sensation without visual control.


Jeanette "I've never felt that full-body YES... and I'm ready to find out"

Jeanette is a devout Christian convinced she's "frigid" whose marriage is crumbling under secrets she can no longer pray away. Her journey dismantles shame rooted in religion, age, and marriage.

She faces the truth about her failing marriage while her faith and desire finally awaken.

If this sounds like you press play on: She Rides All the Way – An empowering woman-on-top experience where you control the pace, depth, and pleasure entirely on your terms.
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Amy "I want intense chemistry, not convenience"

Amy is a confident, sex-positive professor who preaches empowerment yet can't stop chasing empty hook-ups to mask heartbreak. She embodies the difference between sexual freedom and emotional avoidance.

She's drawn into the BDSM community at the Taboo Show, where control and vulnerability collide.

If you are game like Amy then you might like... Master Magician / Mistress Magician – An intense power-play experience where you wield sensation tools to tease, edge, and control your partner's pleasure completely.

Why Dr Trina loves Melba

Dr Read is an innovator in making Sexual Education practical and entertaining at the same time.  So we were chuffed when she named Melba her number 1 Sex Trend for 2026. We love collaborating with her to bring fresh approaches to trying new things.

"I've worked with thousands of couples who are ready to explore new dimensions of intimacy ...
but aren't sure where to begin.
Or they don’t know how to communicate desires without it being awkward.
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Melba removes that barrier by guiding couples step-by-step through new experiences.
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That way you both can focus on connection, desire and satisfaction."
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‍Dr Trina Read

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Hot links for your reading pleasure:

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P.S. We are thrilled to offer our Premium Melba Subscribers a chance to meet Dr Read, ask their taboo questions and to celebrate the launch of the book!
Download Melba, free for seven days, to get access to this members only event.