Acts of Desire is a study of theatrical depictions of illicit female sexuality, from seduction and prostitution to bigamy and adultery, from the beginning of the nineteenth century through to the 1930s.

'Crushing...intensely vital' Observer 'It's impossible to tear yourself away' The Times 'Such brilliant writing about female desire...honest and visceral' Marian Keyes She's twenty-three and in love with love. He's older, and the most beautiful man she's ever seen. The affair is quickly consuming. But this relationship is unpredictable, and behind his perfect looks is a mean streak. She's intent on winning him over, but neither is living up to the other's ideals. He keeps emailing his thin, glamorous ex, and she's starting to give in to secret, shameful cravings of her own. The search for a fix is frantic, and taking a dangerous turn... We're all looking to get what we want - but do we know what we need?

A wonderfully romantic and searingly sexy love story to make your heart soar, perfect for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld's Eligible. 'A refreshing love story' - Marie Claire 'A truly unique heroine' - Heat Bernadette knows what she wants. Tim is perfect, and she's always had a feeling that something is about to happen between them. He might have just announced his engagement to the sickeningly wonderful Elizabeth, but the ring's not on his finger yet. And when Elizabeth starts meddling in Bernie's own love life, she knows it's time to act. Yes, Elizabeth's best friend Radley might be charming, charismatic and intelligent. But he's not Tim. And Bernadette's not a woman who takes no for an answer. 'Talulah Riley is an absolute force of nature. Read and revel' - Eva Rice

For the first time a number of key essays by the New York-based architect and critic Mark Rakatansky is brought together in this instalment in the Architecture Words series published by the Architectural Association.