Muraco studies friendships between straight women and gay men and straight men and lesbians to consider how their relationships both challenge and reinforce conventional notions of sexuality and gender. Based on in-depth interviews with over 25 pairs of friends, the book considers how people experience gender and sex roles differently within these intersectional relationships. At the beginning of each chapter Muraco provides a short vignette that profiles one of the friendships. The chapters then touch on the ways that these intersectional friendships differ from same-sex and common sexual orientation relationships, on how issues of family, sex and romantic tension, and gender roles are played out in these friendships. The book expands upon sociological studies of friendship and family and will be useful for undergraduate teaching.

Odd Couples examines friendships between gay men and straight women, and also between lesbians and straight men, and shows how these "intersectional" friendships serve as a barometer for shifting social norms, particularly regarding gender and sexual orientation. Based on author Anna Muraco's interviews, the work challenges two widespread assumptions: that men and women are fundamentally different and that men and women can only forge significant bonds within romantic relationships. Intersectional friendships challenge a variety of social norms, Muraco says, including the limited roles that men and women are expected to play in one another's lives. Each chapter uses these boundary-crossing relationships to highlight how key social constructs such as family, politics, gender, and sexuality shape everyday interactions. Friendship itself—whether intersectional or not—becomes the center of the analysis, taking its place as an important influence on the social behavior of adults.

"“Odd Couples explores the untraditional ‘chosen’ families that many in the gay and lesbian community have turned to whether out of necessity in the face of rejection from biological families or out of preference for constructing a community with shared values. These explorations are especially relevant in a time when more people-inside or outside the gay and lesbian community-are claiming their own kin. . . . [I]f you're invested in a timely exploration of shifting friendship paradigms in relation to sex, gender, and family, it starts a conversation you should join.”" - Bitch

"“Odd Couples presents a wealth of information on the initiation, development, and sustenance of intersectional friendships. . . . People in gay-straight friendships living outside of urban areas with large LGBT communities would especially appreciate this book. They need confirmation that they are not alone, and that their friendships are probably stronger than others.”" - Lambda Literary Review

"“Social research like this breathes life into queer theory by grounding it in the mire of human proficiency. All of these best buddies demonstrate the skills required to maintain affection across sex/gender binaries in scenarios that are largely unscripted by dominant culture. Muraco selects vignettes that illustrate some of the delicate negotiations that transpire between lesbians and their straight male mates, and straight women and their gay chums.”" - Times Higher Education

"“Overall, Odd Couples is well organized and enjoyable to read...[Muraco’s] study offers scholars a perceptive investigation into the complicated dynamics of gender and sexuality in friendships.”" - American Journal of Sociology

"“Odd Couples is therefore a significant analysis of how people negotiate the vicissitudes of sex, gender, and sexual orientation in everyday life as well as a much-needed contribution to the sociology of friendship. It should be read by anyone interested in the complexities of contemporary intimacy.”" - Contemporary Sociology