When Georgina walks in on her husband cheating with someone at the office, she is determined to fix her marriage. But what she doesn’t expect along the way is to be reunited with someone very important from her past who sets the change of everything into motion.

This book came out of nowhere and hit me where it hurt the most - my heart. I wasn’t expecting to get so attached to Georgina, her friends, and this story that I would actually start crying during the last chapter. When a book evokes that type of powerful emotion within me, I can’t help but love it. Georgina’s growth was slow and messy at times, but that made her feel real to me. She was entertaining but also imperfect, and I was so glad to finally see her stand up for herself and fight for who she loved. The Lifestyle was a super fun read with a lot of heartwarming and sad moments in it; it’s not going to be for everyone, but it’s not one I’m going to forget anytime soon.

CW for cheating, divorce, sexual content.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Anchor Books for the ARC of The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn!

A unique romance - trying to save a marriage/romance by joining the swinging lifestyle. It was funny & heartwarming - a nice beach read.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn is her debut novel and I was pretty impressed by it. The storyline started to slow down and I had to power through there for a bit. However, this novel was lighthearted and brought a story not told often. Overall, I would read another Taylor Hahn novel and I look forward to seeing what topic she delves into next.

*ARC courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. I want to thank the valued author, the publisher who took a chance on the author, and Netgalley for providing a copy.*

3.5 stars rounded up. This book was not at all what I expected. I expected a light funny romp about swingers. Instead I got a heartfelt book about a woman finding herself. At times this book felt a little slow but I mostly enjoyed it.

Won a goodreads ARC copy so will be instead be reviewing the physical copy on my Insta (thanks again for the approval)

Georgina has it all - a great marriage and a great job at a prestigious law firm - or so she thinks. And then she walks in on her husband with a junior associate, who also happens to be Georgina's mentee.

This is the second book in a row that I've read with a cheating husband, but unlike the other book, where the wife was mad as hell, Georgina is determined to fix it. How is she going to fix it? By opening up their marriage to the swinging lifestyle...what could possibly go wrong??

The Lifestyle is Taylor Hahn's debut novel, and I absolutely can't wait to read more. I devoured this book in a single day. While the subject matter could be triggering for some, it was really well written without being too explicit.

Well that was a quick and interesting read! I have no real want or need to jump into “the lifestyle” for myself but it sure makes for good reading.

Well done Taylor Hahn you had me truly invested in these couples and where they were going. I was rooting for them but I didn’t know where this would end for them. I was laughing in quite a few parts, Alright alright alright, and really tearing up in others, Nora and Georgina’s conversation toward the end.

Pick this one up today as it was published last week.

After Georgina finds her husband in a compromising position with another woman, she decides the way to save her marriage is to become swingers. Yes, you read that right.
This book was a surprise hit for me. The cover is very off putting so I almost didn't pick this up but was intrigued at where a story like this could go. Although Georgina and her friends embark on this new lifestyle together, the story is mostly about Georgina. She is heartbroken to find her husband is unfaithful, but she is determined to control the situation and find a new way to fix her marriage. 
This story was quite entertaining and fun but still had a deeper side. I loved Georgina's journey to find what she truly wanted. 
This is a debut and I would definitely read more by Hahn.

Quirky and funny. This explores the perks and pitfalls of the swinger lifestyle in a humorous, yet realistic way.

Huge thanks to PRH International, and Taylor Hahn for my E-ARC in exchange for the honest review.

The lifestyle is a modern version of Jane Austen's Emma, which is tremendously entertaining, amusing, and uplifting. Georgina, a high-performing lady who appears to have it all, is the story's protagonist. She has a fantastic career, excellent friends, and what seems to be a perfect marriage. When she discovers her husband is cheating on her, she learns things aren't as great as they look. To improve her marriage, and on the advice of a friend, she decides she and her husband will become swingers. Her pals decide to give it a shot as well.

I enjoyed how everything flowed, the backstories, and how they all matured with their marriages and even within themselves. We watch Georgina through a difficult period in her life and how she is so concerned with making people happy that she tends to forget to do what makes her happy. On the other hand, Georgina angered me because she could not understand how rude and self-centered she was. The book is about swinging, and contrary to popular opinion, there is hardly any steam. Aside from the lack of true romance, I found this novel not funny. It had a lot of potentials but eventually went flat for me.

Overall, it was an intriguing read because it provided a fresh take on a popular classic romcom. I would read more by Taylor Hahn in the future since the writing held so much promise. In my opinion, it is well worth reading. It won't be for everyone, but when you go in with a positive mindset and embrace these individuals for who they are, I think you'll be satisfied.

"For her entire life, she'd convinced herself that she knew better than to make the same mistakes her parents had, but mistakes are necessary. Mistakes make you smarter. Mistakes make you see what you didn't see the first time."

A contemporary Emma retelling, set in the swinging and sex club scene. Definitely a unique premise that I was excited to read.

However, this didn’t quite land all the way for me. For a book about swinging, it was…really tame. Not very spicy at all. The recent Mormon Momtok scandal was more salacious, LOL.

This book is moreso a contemplation about various types of relationships, and I appreciated that it didn’t come down as judgmental on any one side. For some couples, this lifestyle really works. For others...not so much.

Georgina, our meddling matchmaking heroine, was as annoying yet sweet as you hope for in an Emma. But calling this a retelling is a bit of a stretch. The bones of Austen’s plot are there, but then it goes in very different directions. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just wanted to set expectations if people are anticipating a faithful adaptation.

I wanted to love this book so much, I just couldn't get past the fact that Nathan sucks and they should have gotten divorced or gone to couples therapy before thinking that the swinger's lifestyle could be for them.

I found the narrative dry and some of the plot bland, especially since I expected it to be the opposite based on what I had heard about the book before starting. Although the plot fell flat the writing was well done and I'm excited to see what Taylor Hahn has in store for her sophomore novel.

I thought the The Lifestyle started off fun, but it quickly grew old for me. I didn't read 50 Shades, but I suspect 50 Shades fans might also love The Lifestyle. This felt like an increasingly lascivious and voyeuristic look into the swingers lifestyle. If you want to read inane sex scenes, envision your swinger lifestyle, and how open marriage might be able to save a doomed marriage, go for it. While I appreciate the ARC (thanks NetGalley and publisher!), I did not enjoy and will not recommend The Lifestyle.

I had my reservations about requesting an ARC of this story. While I love the description, the use of an illustrated cover had me questioning the actual content. I should have stuck with my gut. The story is not bad. It’s also not at all what is advertised. Quotes from other authors saying it’s hilarious and sexy. Calling it heartwarming and a beach read. I found none of these things to be true. Like I said, it’s not bad. I went into this book expecting a whole other story than what I got.

One of the things that had me interested is the reference to Jane Austen’s Emma. I love Jane Austen. Emma is by no stretch my favorite, but still. Now, I will say there are certainly times that it’s obvious that story was an inspiration for this story. Yet somehow, in this day and age, the way the MFC was written did not work for me. I even thought, at first, I was being too harsh on Georgina. I did the little test with my self whenever she would annoy me asking, “if this was a MMC would I still have issue with her actions?” The answer was always yes.

*This is marketed as a contemporary romance. In my mind it is women’s fiction. I never felt the romance was central to the story. At one point, I wondered who I was supposed to be rooting for to get their HEA or HFN. While it would seem this story would be about Georgina and her marriage, it really wasn’t. Only in a peripheral way.

I love Georgina’s best friends. While I think there are times they should maybe be a bit more blunt with her, they are really what kept me reading this story. At times, I still didn’t know who or what I was rooting for in their situations since we see everything from Georgina’s point of view, but I knew her viewpoint was skewed. (That is not a knock on the storytelling, it is obviously intentional for the reader to see Georgina has her own way of viewing her surroundings.)

Now let me get to the meat of this story…the lifestyle. The swinging lifestyle that is. After what I’ve said so far, it may surprise you that I feel the author did a good job of laying out the “rules”, so to speak. Georgina is told on multiple occasions that in order for the lifestyle to work for a couple they have to be open about what they want and need, they have to be honest about what happens while they are at a party or other lifestyle situation, they have to communicate above all else. At no time in this story do Georgina or her husband actually communicate. While I’m pretty sure that’s intentional, it isn’t ever really addressed by any of the other characters. Not even the old-timers who have been swinging for years and years. While Georgina is crumbling not only her own life and relationship, she’s wreaking havoc on the others in the group they were invited to join. I understand being patient and giving newbies leeway, but it goes beyond that and it was annoying.

There is a distinct lack of intimacy in this book. I’m not just talking about sex, although that was extremely tame. I mean, it barely banged and it’s supposed to be about a woman exploring the swinging lifestyle. But even putting that aside, there were not many moments of intimacy. Not between Georgina and her husband. Not between her and her friends. Not even much between her and her old boyfriend. This story is really about a woman who has to make some discoveries about herself and learn what she really wants in life and what will make her happy. It’s not about romance, her marriage, or the lifestyle. It’s not a funny book at all. In fact, I found it quite depressing.

Although time got a bit wonky in this book (mostly because nobody seemed to talk to one another), it had a decent flow for the most part. I would have loved to see more of a connection between all of the characters. I want to believe they actually care about each other and not just themselves. So much could have been done with this concept and it just fell flat.

This book was an unexpected pleasure to read. While I have never read its inspiration, Emma, I enjoyed this retelling immensely. We follow three couples, tied through college friendships: Georgina and Nathan, perfect biglaw golden couples until Georgina walks in on him en flagrante delicto with a junior associate; Norah and Ari, parents to three kids and a seeming mismatch; and Felix and his girlfriend (whose name escapes me) where Felix seems to be changing himself to fit her mold. For various reasons, all three couples decide to becomes swingers--or enter "the lifestyle," as it is apparently called nowadays. And for all three couples, this decision has different effects--some good, some bad, some immediate, some simmering. Perhaps saying this is a retelling of Emma is, in fact a spoiler, but for those like me who haven't read it, I won't say much more about the conclusion.

I wouldn't quite call this book a romantic comedy or romance, though there are certain romantic elements and a surprising HEA, but fiction seems too broad and does not encapsulate the steamier moments in this read. I think it's best to go into this book with no preconceived notions or box you're attempting to put it into, and just read it for what it is. For me, it was tough to put down and ultimately a nice breather from my sometimes predictable contemporary romance.

Thanks to Anchor Books for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Also, Anchor Books--the cover is terrible. The woman looks SO CREEPY with her big bug eyes I think I may have to burn the paper copy I have. I can't even look at it. Such a poor illustration--I recommend recommissioning a new cover ASAP, or at least for the paperback release.

5 stars - 8/10

Review 3.5 stars.

Georgina Wagman and her husband, Nathan, have it all. Or so she thinks. She gave up the love of her life because he didn't fit her ideals for her future. Nathan fits those plans perfectly. Until he doesn't. After Georgina catches him with a first year lawyer at their office, her life is thrown upside down. While she flounders a bit, a client tells her about "the Lifestyle". Next thing you know Georgina not only has Nathan trying it out but all her friends are roped into doing it. As you can imagine, there are widely varied levels of enthusiasm, mostly less than excited. Georgina isn't bothered by her friend's lack of excitement. She knows they need it. Just like she's always know who should be with whom, who needs what to repair/excite their relationships and what will make her life picture perfect.

That last sentence is why I struggled with this story. I didn't like Georgina. Her holier-than-thou pushiness was too much. I'm shocked her dad and friends hasn't distanced themselves over it but apparently they gave her a pass because they liked her. I never found her endearing or likable. Nathan isn't my kind of man either because he's got no depth. He's just a lost pretty boy. I liked the other characters more. I was pleased that Ari and Norah's answers where not the ones Georgina dreamed up. I found Georgina's dad and his partner fun and their relationship was cute.

I did like Whitaker and was pro Georgina and him getting together. Maybe that's the answer. Maybe I'd have enjoyed the Georgina Whitaker first met and fell in love with. She was much less buttoned up and seemed to enjoy her time with him. Until she decided to let him go. It's a bit of a struggle to win Whitaker back. As it should be.

The Lifestyle never really seemed to fit the characters and it seemed an odd way for them all to find their happiness. It was perhaps realistic that not everyone really participated and that was a good indication of their commitment and love to each other.

I know it may sound like I really didn't like the book but it was an enjoyable way to pass a few hours.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC.

THE LIFESETYLE is Taylor Hahn's debut novel. Hahn is an attorney, as is her protagonist, Georgina and her husband Nathan.
When the "has it all together' Georgina walks in on her husband engaged in a sex act with a first year associate she considered a mentee in his office after hours, she realizes her life isn't that perfect. This leads her and the friend group to explore THE LIFESTYLE, swinging. This is a sexy rom com with charming characters and some hilarious scenarios.

The Lifestyle refers to a swingers club in NYC. Can swinging save marriages - well you are about to find out. Georgina's perfect life has been upended after finding her husband on his desk, intertwined with a junior associate from the firm. Intriguing premise, but it is truly more than that.

This book is sexy, funny and explores the dynamics of friendships and relationships. The characters are relatable, lovable and flawed but each find there way to happiness.

The Lifestyle is a smart, addictive and perfect for #summerreading

The lifestyle is one way to "fix" your marriage. Insanely interesting book where I learned more about the lifestyle then I ever have before. The details about the parties and clubs are so believable, especially in a large area like NYC. But, really I can imagine it in my own small town, as well. As we follow these couples along their journey I was highly entertained. Recommend for an easy read.

Thank you Net Galley for the e-arc!

I rate books solely based on vibes, how much I enjoyed it, and how the story made me feel. I absolutely adored Taylor Hahn’s debut novel, “The Lifestyle”. Never in my life I have read a book like this but I enjoyed it all. Started at midnight and finished reading at 3 a.m.

Georgina‘s life is perfect. She has the perfect job, the perfect husband, the best friends, and lives in one of the greatest cities on Earth. Everything comes to a stop when she walks in on her perfect husband, Nathan and her mentee, Meredith in a very comfortable position in his office. However, divorce isn’t an option for them. So, in an attempt, to make things work she listens to her client’s advice about how swinging (oh so 70s) aka the lifestyle saved her marriage. Walk into the world of friendship, the lifestyle, old lovers, and what happens when you allow yourself to go after what you really want instead of what you think you need.

I loved the characters. I enjoyed this unique story. I can’t wait to read what else Taylor Hahn writes.