The sound of a belt unbuckling. A quiet moan. A close-up of a thigh, a stomach or a nipple. The mechanics of the best sex scenes have a lot in common, but what sets our favourites apart is what they teach us about ourselves

The actor, the usher and a five-minute break backstage…

When Jess met Kieron, she thought he was the answer to her prayers. Then he trapped her in a nightmare…

During a supermarket shop Jasmin saw a traumatising face from her past. Was now the time to finally speak about what had happened?

IN AN AGE OF COMPARISON CULTURE AND GLOSSY SOCIAL-MEDIA LIVES, IT’S HARD NOT TO QUESTION YOUR OWN PROGRESS. BUT THERE’S NO RIGHT PATH TO LIFE AS THESE WOMEN, WHO ARE TURNING CONVENTION ON ITS HEAD AND SHARING WISDOM AS THEY GO, DEMONSTRATE…

I WOKE up after a vivid dream of Eleanor. I’d had quite a few recently. Eleanor was my half-sister. She was older than me – the daughter of Dad’s first wife, Dorrie. My mum only found out he had a fir