I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but I enjoyed it. The subject was very interesting. It made me laugh at times. I enjoyed all of these characters. Fun read.

This was a unique book about a woman trying to figure out what she wants in life although this was a bit all over the place. This book follows Georgina as she walks in on her husband cheating. In a last ditch effort to save her marriage Georgina and her husband decide to join the lifestyle or become swingers. Through the lifestyle Georgina is learning more about what she truly wants in life.I can honestly say I have not read a book like this before so I was really expecting to enjoy this peak into the swingers lifestyle but this book felt like unnecessary drama without the drama with all the cheating affairs but it was all handled as if no one was angry. Also this book was somehow classified as romance which I guess I get because of some of the scenes in the sex club but this book did not feel romantic at all. I was interested in learning more about swingers lifestyles as I have not encountered that before but I don’t think I would take this as a fair representation. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

The Lifestyle" by Taylor Hahn is a debut novel that explores the complexities of swinging, marriage, and matters of the heart. The story revolves around Georgina Wagman, who seemingly has the perfect life until she catches her husband Nathan in a compromising position. Determined to save her marriage, Georgina proposes the idea of swinging, roping in her friends Felix and Norah and their partners to join her on this adventurous journey.

The novel attempts to infuse the spirit of Jane Austen's "Emma Woodhouse" with a modern twist of partner-swapping. While the book is well-written, it lacks the necessary drama and intensity to fully engage the reader. The storyline, although playful, fails to deliver the expected steaminess one would anticipate from a novel centered around swinging.

Despite these shortcomings, "The Lifestyle" does have its redeeming qualities. Taylor Hahn's writing style is engaging, and the novel manages to capture moments of humor and lightheartedness. Additionally, fans of authors like Jennifer Weiner and Sophie Kinsella may appreciate the book's playful homage to Austen's work.

In conclusion, "The Lifestyle" offers a unique and potentially intriguing premise, but it fails to deliver the desired level of drama, intensity, and emotional depth. It may appeal to readers seeking a light and humorous summer read, but those expecting a captivating exploration of swinging and complex relationships may be left wanting more. Overall, I would rate "The Lifestyle" 3.0 out of 5 stars.

This novel surprised me in so many ways that I don’t really know where to begin. The story focuses on Georgina, a lawyer who prides herself on being a perfectionist in her personal and professional life. She’s never wrong. She made the best decision when she married Nathan, another attorney who works at the same firm. Her matchmaking efforts always work out, with her friends and family. She got everything under control, but she feels that something is a bit off.
Georgina surmises that she should add a little romance to her marriage since things feel a little formulaic. A client of hers suggests swinging to improve her marriage. Shocked by this suggestion, Georgina feels it would be better to do more traditional things, such as surprising her husband with a romantic evening.
There’s just one problem.
She discovers that he’s already occupied.
In his office.
With the young associate she’s mentoring.
Yeah. It goes there.
I’m going to be honest; I really felt her betrayal when she walked in on her husband. This is a man who she never expected would do something like this. First, he never seemed the type to cheat. Second, she didn’t realize he could ever be that kinky. He sure wasn’t kinky with her.
Reading that scene hit me harder than I expected. She goes through the five stages of grief during that one scene. She just can’t believe what she’s seeing, then reality hits her when she looks at her husband. All these thoughts flood her mind about how this could happen, what she did, the relationships at stake, etc.
It gets really messy from there.
Feeling hurt, confused, and angry, she takes some time to reflect on what happened and decides that swinging might save her marriage, after all. If there are sexual needs that aren’t met at home, it might bring them closer together in the end. It worked for her friend. Nothing could go wrong, right?
Georgina’s sexual journey in this book takes some very unexpected turns, and I appreciated that I could not predict what happened next.
I think the most important realization she experiences is self-reflection. Georgina thinks that she has the picture-perfect life in which nothing could go wrong. Until something went very wrong. It throws so many things into question in her life, and I think it’s something she truly needed to wake her up.
I enjoyed the way the author wrote this character. The female lead is very smart, but she lacks self-awareness. She realizes that she’s not as good a wife, friend, mentor, or matchmaker as she thought she was. She realizes that there are things that can’t be planned out, and that’s okay.
I don’t want to spoil it any more than that, but this book does not take the typical route you’d expect. That’s what I really loved about it. I did not anticipate the ending, but I really liked what happened. I really do recommend this book.

I couldn't finish this book. It was just so boring.
Thanks, Netgalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I was not able to finish so won't be leaving a full review at this time.

I appreciate being sent an early release of The Lifestyle in exchange for my honest review and being honest I can say it’s not for me. I felt like it glamorized a lot of things that don’t align with my beliefs so that made me not be able to enjoy it. This author has talent but the subject matter wasn’t my cup of tea.

THE LIFESTYLE is a fun, easy read by Taylor Hahn, described as an Emma retelling.

A few notes - I didn't realize this book had originally been released in the 1980s, although it may explain some of why I didn't connect to the story as well. I enjoyed aspects of this book - I really liked Georgina and found myself rooting for her. On the whole, however, it wasn't my favorite Austen retelling, or story of modern marriage, or open marriage/polyamorous love/attempts to save a marriage/etc. Hahn is a great writer, and I would look for her other work and would likely enjoy it! Some of this story just fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC which I received in exchange for my honest review.

I desperately tried to like this. As someone who is polyamorous, any book dealing with "taboo" things such as ethical non monogamy might bring better understanding to it. Right? WRONG. The book felt boring and the lead character made me want to tear my hair out. I finished it only because it was an ARC and I kept hoping it would someone redeem itself.

This book was boring. The premise is the book sounded different and fresh, plus an Emma retelling. But the execution left much to be desired.

I'm trying to figure out if Georgia is supposed to be unlikable or not. If she's meant to be that way, then great. If not, then there's another disconnect. Like she was Gwyneth Paltrow playing Emma channeling Gwyneth Paltrow - not sure if this makes sense to anyone but me. But very pretentious, wants to be seen doing good and doing her best, but also a bit disconnected from reality?

Well written, so I'll give the author another try.

I'm absolutely lost on the just average reviews! This book was thoroughly funny, heartbreaking, and sexy all wrapped up into one big swinging time! You don't have to be a swinger or apart of "the lifestyle" if you will to enjoy this one! Anyone who's loved and lost or been in a relationship longer than a month will find that they've all had similar feelings to the characters in this book. It was honestly perfectly done, and I read it as quickly as humanly possible. Five huge stars!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Taylor Hahn, NetGalley, and Knopf Doubleday for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This one is… interesting. If you’re into swinging, this one is right up your alley. I had major FOMO not getting this as a BOTM way back when, but saw it was on NetGalley and decided to request. Characters were likable, but this fell a bit flat for me.

This one was just ok. I thought the swinging aspect was interesting, but I felt like there should have been more drama. It was a slow burn and took me a while to get into and the ending fell flat. It's marketed as a romance, but it reads more as a women's fiction book.

Going into this book, I thought it would be a very spicy read, I didn’t even know it was an Emma, inspired retelling. Well it’s not that strong of an Emma retelling and there is very little spice but you know what. This story didn’t even need any of those. It was still a really good read. I loved Georgina and I was rooting for her happy ending no matter how she got there with all her antics. 😂

This story about friendship and the swinger lifestyle, left a rather unsettling impression on me. It had the potential to be so great, and the most important scenes were just blah.

I love Ms. Hahn’s writing and will look into her more in the future.

I think the cover of the book is kind of scary. The story, though, was good.

I liked Georgina a lot. I wanted her to end up happy. The way she got there? The “lifestyle”, not so much. Seems an odd way to solve a marriage problem.

But, this was a good book and I liked it.

I was excited for this one...and while I liked it, I was sort of....bored? I also was expecting more of a romance book and it really was more Women's Fiction.

I enjoyed watching Georgina evolve from having to always be perfect and feeling like she has it all together, to realizing that she didn't actually have it together at all. How often do we all compare ourselves to others and think that we are so much better off? How humbling it is realize that wall isn't as strong as you thought.

So, this book. I am a sucker for any Austen retelling, When I read the synopsis of this being a modern Emma, I was ready to put aside my wariness.

Can swinging be empowering, I believe so. Was it written that way in this book? Not to me. What was branded as being feminist actually felt anti-feminist to me with the MC defying all of the rules of "the lifestyle."

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Can swinging save a troubled marriage?

The unique premise of The Lifestyle drew me in. However, the book didn't quite deliver on its premise. The Lifestyle is a women's fiction book with a romance element, not a romance or rom-com. There were some insightful messages about the benefits of making mistakes and allowing yourself to discover what you want out of life. I liked the book, but it isn't overly memorable. The Lifestyle is an ideal beach read.