“If you want to be a better lover and have an amazing relationship (now or in the future), Cupid's Poisoned Arrow is a must-read.” —real reader review

Eyes met, sparks flew—all fireworks and passion. In the beginning, it felt like magic…but somewhere along the way, the flame burnt out. That cute quirk you used to love doesn’t seem so cute anymore. The connection and fire that brought you together are lost—and you may feel hurt, unsure, or disconnected. You might be trying in vain to change your partner. You may even resign yourself to a passionless fate.

Ancient sages recognized the lull in intimacy, passion, and connection that happens in even the most solid relationships—and hinted at the ways we can overcome it. With an entertaining blend of personal experiences, neuroscientific research, and amorous insights from around the world, Cupid’s Poisoned Arrow shows that we can use lovemaking to balance one another—and let harmony arise naturally.

Here, you’ll discover the twenty-one Exchanges, a series of intimacy-building activities that can help you and your partner connect on a deeper level. These exchanges speak directly to the part of your brain that can fall in love—and stay in love—and are based on touch, eye contact, and attentiveness.

By focusing on generous pampering rather than self-stimulation, you can create a nourishing cocoon of comfort and safety…and deepen your connection through bonding-based intimacy. Incorporating the principles of yin and yang, the Exchanges offer a balanced approach that emphasizes giving and receiving to spark a fulfilling sexual connection between you and your partner.

Discover why real readers are saying “It works!” and “I wish I had read this book 10 years ago.” You’ll never look back.

Zing! Cupid's arrow skewers a primitive part of the brain. Obediently, we fall in love amid showers of passionate fireworks, bond for a time … and then often get fed up with each other and grow irritable or numb. Perhaps we try to remodel our mate, seek solace online, or pursue a new love interest. Ancient sages recognized this biological snare and hinted at a way to dodge it: use lovemaking to balance one another and harmony arises naturally.

With an entertaining blend of personal experiences, the latest neuroscience, and forgotten insights from around the globe, Cupid's Poisoned Arrow confronts current assumptions about sex and love and offers a refreshing, practical approach to sexuality.

“[This book] seriously challenges conventional ‘wisdom’ about human sexual interactions. It is as antithetical to modern cultural beliefs about sexual behavior as Galileo’s treatise was to astronomy. In Galileo’s time the earth (like the orgasm) was thought to be the incontestable center of the universe. Marnia Robinson’s hypothesis might result in much needed navigational improvements for modern family relationships.”
—A.J. Reid Finlayson, MD, Division of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

“Marnia Robinson brings neuroscience into the bedroom, revealing how biology creates projection and separation. She provides a solution that will not only pleasantly surprise you, but will profoundly change your life. This is a must-read for anyone wanting to know love.”
—Kali Wendorf, founder of Australia’s Kindred magazine and contributing editor of the anthology Belonging

“I can honestly say that I have never read a more accessible and well laid out description of the brain’s reward circuitry. Combine that with the experiential, practical, and spiritual dimensions of Cupid’s Poisoned Arrow, and it is virtually impossible to walk away from it without the feeling that Marnia Robinson really is on to something significant in the field of human relationships and sexual behavior.”
—Russell Razzaque, MD, psychiatrist, London, England

“Cupid’s Poisoned Arrow is a skillful blend of understandable science, informative personal reports and light-hearted humor, which make for enjoyable, thought-provoking reading. Between its chapters, curious readers will also find intriguing essays about various traditions (Taoism, Christianity, Buddhism, cortezia, karezza, etc.). These reveal little known, and often remarkable, clues about the hidden potential that lies in our sexual relationships.”
—HopeDance

“In Cupid's Poisoned Arrow: From Habit to Harmony in Sexual Relationships, author Marnia Robinson explains how neuroscience can help us understand and change our relationships. Robinson challenges often-held assumptions about the role of sexuality in an accessible way, including personal experiences, science, and insights from around the world.”
—MiddlesexMD

“Cupid’s Poisoned Arrow blends personal experiences with the latest neuroscience and various cultural insights to build a survey of popular notions about human sexual interactions and their realities, blending history with cultural and social observation.”
—Midwest Book Review