World Without End - reading

Finished "World Without End" by Ken Follett. This takes place in the same setting as "Pillars of the Earth" only 200 years later. I don't remember the first book having quite this much sex in it. It seemed gratuitous. The events of the time were included and made for a nice backdrop. Otherwise, the story didn't seem quite as epic. It was good, but not as good as the first, occasionally bordering on Soap Opera.