THE ARRANGEMENT

A successful Hollywood producer negotiates a tumultuous relationship built on money, sex, scandal, and love in this memoir.

In 2019, Winkler was 52 years old and a self-described “sugar daddy” seeking “true love’s kiss” ever since his split from his ex-wife. He searched for this fairytale connection through “SeekingArrangement.com, where beautiful young women and successful older men seek ‘mutually beneficial arrangements’ ”; that is, he was looking for the perfect “sugar baby” to shower with money and affection. An avid defender of “ethical nonmonogamy,” Winkler instantly hits it off with Jordan, an Instagram influencer in her early 30s who seemingly shared his outlook on love. After an enthralling first date (and a passionate night, intimately described), the author and Jordan hurtled into an intense, passionate relationship that sometimes caused the author a great deal of frustration. The fiery affair has more twists and turns than a romance novel, complete with shocking revelations, rendered in expert prose. Because it’s a memoir, readers only get to experience Winkler’s reality, and, for the most part, the book portrays him as a handsome prince who’s valiantly trying to save a wounded princess. As such, there are aspects of the story that may give readers pause; though at times the narration is intriguingly reflective, it can also come off as self-absorbed. Still, the author confidently tackles a wide range of complex subjects, such as mental health, addiction, and sex work, while peppering the book with graphic sex scenes and suspenseful drama that reads more like a movie than a memoir. Overall, Winkler crafts an engrossing remembrance that will keep readers turning its pages.

A brutally honest, often fascinating true story about sex and love in Hollywood.