This is book about a woman, who works at the same law firm as her husband, trying to fix her marriage after she walks in on her husband and another woman in his office. In her quest to fix her marriage she, her husband, and some friends try swinging. I don't think I've ever read a book about swinging before so that was somewhat eye-opening. Overall though, the book was just okay for me - I skimmed through lots of it just to finish it.

I received an ARC of this ebook by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

It's not every day that you come across a book that's marketed as a Jane Austen modern retelling of Emma.... about swingers. I'll be honest, I went in expecting a train wreck, but I was pleasantly surprised. However, I feel like marketing this book as a Jane Austen retelling does it a great disservice. If you go into it expecting a scene-by-scene retelling, you're going to be disappointed. I'd say the main character in The Lifestyle is loosely inspired by Emma Woodhouse.

I think The Lifestyle should've been marketed as its own thing. Sure the main character likes to think she's a master matchmaker, but the book is about so much more than that. It tackles issues that have become very prevalent in our day-to-day lives, such as this need our culture has with presenting a perfect life.

The novel began slowly for me, and it wasn't until halfway through where I found myself drawn into the story. It's also ironic that for a novel that focuses on the swinging lifestyle there wasn't very much smut. I give The Lifestyle 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

2.5 stars. For a book that is centered around couples getting into swinging, this sure did end up being a bit boring. It feels harsh to say that because this was well written and I didn't hate or really even dislike anything specific about the book, but more than once I found myself to be bored during what were supposed to be pretty pivotal scenes. I also felt like this book was a lot more...tame??? than I feel like the synopsis would lead you to believe. I kept waiting for the sex party scenes or the sex club scenes to really pop off but, while not being entirely fade to black, they were just kind of underwhelming and not nearly as dramatic as I was hoping for. With all that being said, I would still try reading more from Taylor Hahn in the future because the writing itself had so much promise! Unfortunately the plot of this one just ended up not quite being the right fit for me and I am pretty bummed about it.

Definitely different and not my kind of usual read. I guess I am old fashion but I am sure this book will appeal too many other readers. Several couples, all friends, are discontent and struggling in their relationships. They all decide to use extreme measures (sex) to find their lost passion in order to "fix" their problems. Are they successful? You will have to read the book to find out.

I ask for two things: don’t judge this book by it’s cover and keep an open mind. I was intrigued by this book but shocked by how much I loved it.

It is like a modern day “Emma” with swinging. Kind of. But also not really. It does have moments of secondary embarrassment which is my main trigger warning for this book.

It also has some lovely friendships, thirty something’s who have troubled marriages, a lot of humor, and some romance.

There were some predictable bits but I enjoyed the journey so very much.

I was looking forward to reading this book based mostly on the “best retelling of Emma since Clueless” claim. This may be an overstatement, but I was pleasantly surprised that while this wasn’t the book I thought I would be reading, it was extremely entertaining.

Georgina is willing to do anything to save her marriage following her husband’s infidelity - which leads her to the lifestyle of swinging. I’m probably the most unbelievable aspect of this book, she’s able to convince her best friends and their partners to give it a go too.

And don’t worry about the spice - there is just the right amount in my humble opinion - there is some kink, but I don’t think anything that would cause you to clutch your pearls and throw the book out the window.

CW/TW: infidelity, swinging, open relationships

Idk how I feel about this one. Obviously it’s about swingers…and trying it to save a marriage on the rocks.

The premise is…unique, the say the least. But the characters were not my fave and the whole resolution of it without much real reflection/discussion felt rushed and premature.

I know some people loved it but it was just not my jam. 🤷🏼‍♀️

A novel premise for an Austen adaptation, which I appreciated. Enjoyed the writing style. Surprisingly chaste (and almost prudish) for a book seemingly all about sex. Never got to know the love interest much, which limited how engaged I was in the romance element.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Anchor Books for an ARC!

Georgina Wingman she is a people pleaser. She believes she has a perfect marriage, job and friends. Little did she know that once she has no control over everything, her life starts to unravel. With the advice of a client, she decides that swinging {The Lifestyle} is the way to get her marriage on track. Only she found it more liberating. Her two best friends went along with it for her. The results were not what she expected. Once she starts down the path of finding when her life went off the rails, she has to figure out how to get it back. Or whether she wants it back the same way. A possibility of changing jobs. A second chance at true love with the man who set her on fire.

To be honest, I was not sure if I would like this book based on the description. I am so happy that I gave it a chance, because it is a fun story that was hard to put down to go to work. Georgina and her husband Nathan are lawyers at the same law firm in NYC. When one of Georgina’s clients raves about how swinging saved her marriage, she is surprised. Shortly after that she catches Nathan in a compromising position and when someone else mentions swinging, Georgina suggests it to Nathan as a way to help them and brings some close friends along with them. They all learn important lessons along the way and figure out what matters to them.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Lifestyle was a fun, fast-paced read with many funny scenes that were not only about swinging but how swinging fit into their everyday Lifestyle.

Georgina Wagman is a star. Not in the Hollywood sense, but, she is a woman who has it all together. Dream job, hot husband, and a circle of friends any woman would wish to have. Everything seems perfect until she walks in on her junior associate learning a few things from her husband not taught in law school...

To keep up her image, Georgina decides not to divorce her husband and is instead open to the idea of a new lifestyle from one of her clients turned friends. She and Nathan will become swingers and they've decided to bring their friends along for the ride.

Everyone is open to the idea of the new lifestyle until they attend their first party. Georgina's old flame is there, and running into him brings up a whole new batch of feelings for them both. Not only that, the new lifestyle brings about problems with others in the group. Will their friendship and marriages survive? Will they come back from this stronger than ever?

Hahn explores the ideas of infidelity, marriage, friendships, and adulthood all in one big package in The Lifestyle.

I wanted to love this book but it just wasn't for me. I really enjoyed the premise and the nods to Jane Austen's Emma. The journeys the characters go on and the way the main character takes control of her life is admirable. I just didn't love the way that she did it. She was extremely difficult to like as were most of the side characters. It was really hard to root for Georgiana at all. That being said, I have seen great reviews for this book out there so I think this is just a personal preference. I would say go into this one with an open mind as it may work for you.

The Lifestyle very much reads like an author's first work. For every event there is one descriptive sentence. Combine that with a slapped together last quarter of the book, you've got a book that just isn't very good.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

I loved this book so much! Told from the point of view of 35-year-old attorney Georgina Wagman, it’s a story of self-discovery and having the courage to discover and go after what you really want. The characters were realistically flawed but generally likable. Even though their lives and choices were very different from mine, I felt like I could relate.

Georgina and her friends were all having trouble in their marriages or committed romantic relationships, and some were unsatisfied in other areas of their life. As a group, they decide to experiment with swinging, with unexpected results. Although I’m not personally familiar with swinging, I thought the descriptions of the lifestyle were informative, and it was refreshing to see this uncommon relationship style handled so respectfully. There are a few steamy scenes, but mostly, the focus is on how people relate and what they learn about themselves and each other.

The book deals with some difficult topics and has some very emotional moments, but I really liked how it resolved. I also appreciated how much Georgina learned and grew over the course of the story, and her determination to support other women. If you enjoy women’s fiction and you’re open-minded about alternative lifestyles, I recommend this.

Thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and Anchor Books for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley, which I volunteered to review.

Unfortunately, Georgina Is No Emma Woodhouse From Jane Austen’s World. She Is 34, Married, & An Attorney. The Things That Make 21-Year-Old Emma So Endearing Are Far Less Forgiving In A Middle-Aged Married Woman. This Is Not Light & Playful In The Manner Of Emma, But Rather A Largely Sad & Depressing Tale (With A Happy Ending).


ABOUT THIS BOOK:

This book is Georgina’s story. It includes a large cast of characters, but it largely revolves around her marriage with Nathan and two other couples – Felix and Alina, and Ari and Norah.

This book is a modern take on Jane Austen’s Emma, a classic and beloved tale. At first glance, I hadn’t known that fact and would not have chosen to read and review this book, but when I glanced at the praise in combination with the Jane Austen angle, I quickly decided to take a chance and changed my mind. Despite the name, it seemed that there was more to this story than a swinging lifestyle – parties for couples where lust and fantasy outside of committed relationships and marital vows take place.

It turns out that this is very much a lifestyle book, though what that means to the different characters in this book varies. At some points, this is a primer on living the lifestyle. There are some explicit and steamy moments, but surprisingly, there are not as many as you might think.

I very quickly regretted my choice, but in accepting a review copy, I felt committed to seeing the book through. I really had to force myself to finish it. I am an Austen fan, and unfortunately, Georgina is no Emma. She is a married thirty-four-year-old attorney. The things that make twenty-one-year-old Emma Woodhouse so endearing are far less forgiving in a middle-aged married woman. In Emma, we know that Mr. Knightly is the perfect match for her if only she opens her eyes. He is already an important part of her life. I kept trying to figure out who Mr. Knightly was in this story – Nathan or Felix – as they were the two men in her life. I won’t spoil things by saying who it is, but this does not follow the same pattern. This story feels much more dependent upon coincidence, luck, and timing than Georgina’s scheming and her ultimate humility. It does paint Georgina as a matchmaker, however, which is Emma’s obsession. That said, Georgina only seems to have two real matches to brag about.

I would not recommend reading this simply because you are an Austen fan. Emma is a light and playful read. Despite Georgina’s somewhat similar personality, this story is not light at all. It is very sad. All of her friends are struggling in their relationships as well. An affair is discovered very early on in the story, which sets the stage for all that follows – and the lifestyle, in particular. Georgina’s wisdom is questionable throughout, and it doesn’t make for an enticing read when so much is at stake. On the contrary, it had me constantly angry with the story. I felt manipulated, unlike when reading Emma. Of course, Georgina is meant to be imperfect, but I must say there were times I was disgusted by her for her gross negligence, blinders, and quick judgment.

The first few pages of the story did lend a Jane Austen vibe, which had me initially thinking I had made the right choice. But the sick feeling in my gut that soon followed spoiled the mood. The cheating was easy to see coming, and unfortunately, that dragged out longer than I would have liked. I had not anticipated this would be a book about cheating and broken marriages, and while there is a place for those books, it is not my cup of tea, particularly if it is a big part of the story. I did expect the broken marriage part, but I anticipated there would be an actual effort put forth to save it instead of just relying upon luck. I was very unsatisfied with Georgina’s reactions. Her reaction to Nathan was not enough and yet too much at times. She was a horrible wife. Yes, he was a horrible husband, too, but she claimed to want to fix her marriage and did almost nothing. She hates him one minute and then has no animosity. It feels off. But it is her behavior with Meredith that really upset me. She wants to be all-in for women, but at what cost? By all accounts, Meredith was a problem. Her character later opens a little, but it feels entirely inauthentic and not inconsistent with all earlier accounts. It is nice to support other women, but not to give them special treatment just because of that fact. There is something to be said for earning respect, and much is lost in its absence.

There were many seemingly important moments that this story skipped entirely. There are conversations and events that seem important but are never referenced. Some are later referenced or explained, but many get no explanation at all. It feels like a void.

It does work out in the end, and I was most happy for Georgina, but it feels rather pathetic and unearned. Again, it is based mostly on good luck and timing. I did shed tears in this story, but none were for Georgina. By my count, there were six teary moments, all with Norah and Ari. I love how that played out (even if I was not a big fan of the lifestyle part). I think I was expecting Georgina’s happy ending to be something more like Norah’s when I agreed to read.

IN THIS BOOK:

Georgina, turning thirty-five, has the perfect life. Her perfect marriage is the envy of all. She works as a litigator; her husband Nathan works at the same firm in structured finance. Both made partner last year. She and Nathan met as first-years, and five years later, they married. They have had seven wonderful years of marriage together, and she is proud that she made a safe choice in him. Seeing her own parents’ passion end in divorce, she had decided that a heated romance only led to heartbreak. Safe is good, even if it is boring. She and Nathan have a routine, and it works perfectly well for her.

With a life so perfect, Georgina has made it her mission to help others find the same happiness that she has. Georgina is proud to have matched her father and Buppha, who have been together for about twelve years now. She is also happy to have matched Norah, one of her two best friends. Her other best friend, Felix, had briefly dated Norah until Georgina intervened and set Norah straight. Norah has now been married to Ari for twelve years and they have three children together, but that marriage is not going well. Ari does not live up to Georgina’s standards, and she feels that Norah allows him to walk all over her. She wants to help her friend learn to stand up for herself, and she regrets her ill-fated match. She hopes to correct her earlier mistake and get Norah and Felix back together.

Georgina had met both Norah and Felix at Fordham Law School, but Norah had dropped out at the end of the first year after getting pregnant and marrying Ari, another student at Fordham. Felix went on to work as an attorney but eventually burned out. He has since drifted from one relationship or idea to another. He has been with Alina for the last year, who is very much a free spirit. The match will never last, but since he is so unsure of his own beliefs, it will take some time for that relationship to fizzle out. Georgina hopes to help him along and get Felix and Norah back together through her machinations.

When she suddenly is faced with the fact that her marriage is not great, Georgina is determined to fix it. Her client had been raving about how the lifestyle had saved her own marriage, so Georgina latches on to that idea as the answer to all her woes – and those of her friends. In no time at all, she manages to get herself, Nathan, Norah, Ari, Felix, and Alina invited to a lifestyle party.

There is much to learn about the lifestyle, which is different things for different people. For some, it saves a marriage; for others, it does not. Much advice is offered to make the experience work, but unfortunately, Georgina fails to take most of the advice. She and her friends break the rules, and soon things get out of control. All their lives and relationships are on the line. As Georgina puts on the blinders to her own problems and inserts herself in the lives of those around her, she is eventually forced to face some hard facts. Her story eventually has a happy ending.

Note that Georgina and Nathan met as first-years and married five years later. They have now been married seven years. That is twelve years together, but that puts her at twenty-three and one year into law school when they met. The timeline thus dictates that she and Nathan began dating in their second year of law school, not as first-year associates. Georgina and Nathan should have met when Norah and Ari married, according to the timeline. It is a little odd that her father and Buppha got together twelve years ago also, and that Norah and Ari have been married twelve years.

Georgina’s story was difficult to read. She acts like a middle-aged teenager, and she makes so many mistakes that it is painful. The writing is excellent and the characters feel real much of the time, but the storytelling did not work for me. The story was not likable. There are many inconsistencies and holes in the story, in addition to odd conclusions that don’t add up. It is a wonder that nobody put the breaks on Georgina, who keeps going like the energizer bunny but without a true sense of her direction. She is most talented at avoidance. She also ignores all of the good advice given to her, which is rather maddening. For someone set on saving her marriage, she does her best to do everything wrong, which seems completely out of character for someone that lives on to-do lists. The plot is fairly simple. The story is told in third person in Georgina’s POV. I rate this book 3.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

THIS BOOK!!! First of all, 5 stars! A new favorite, running to add this to my BOTM box (and you should too!) because it deserves a place on my shelves. It is so funny, witty, and charming! I’ve never read Emma (sorry Jane Austen stans) but this a modern-day retelling (emphasis on the modern, because… swinging 😆) of Emma! With a topic like swinging you *might* expect something raunchy right? But NO, this was funny and cute! So well-executed. It’s like a quarter-life coming of age / quarter-life crisis story in the best way. If you’ve read Evvie Drake Starts Over and enjoyed it, you will without a doubt enjoy this book as well! Definitely a fun book with substance.

I’ll leave you with ONE my favorite lines from the book…
“How did someone who hadn’t once asked herself what she really wanted finally figure it out?”

Please give this book a chance, I beg!! 🤩

Thank you NetGalley, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and Taylor Hahn for the opportunity read and review!

Pub Date: TOMORROW 06.07.22!

The Lifestyle is pure perfection.
Georgina becoming part of "the lifestyle" to help save her marriage and recruiting her friends to join is one of the best ideas for a story I've every read. It is well written and is full of laugh out loud hijinks. But it is also full of realistic complications in relationships and realizations for each couple that lead to some surprising endings.
I loved how sexually empowered Georgina was through her experiences-it just made her journey that much more enjoyable. And the vulnerability these characters display-just when you think I've got you figured out each person shows a side to them you didn't see coming. This book is sexy, funny, realistic, and one of the best debuts I've read in a while.

Thank you NetGalley and Anchor for the chance to read and review this book.

Are you on TikTok? I wholeheartedly admit that I go on it to see what is going on. Somehow a few months ago, I stumbled onto Momtok - the Utah moms with their matching sweatsuits, Swig drinks and Stanley cups. So when the whole swinger story broke last week, I was all over it and now I like to use the phrase soft swinging with authority - like I had any idea what that was until last week.

So imagine my surprise when I started a new book that was about swinging. Weirdest coincidence ever to have The Lifestyle come out next week when swinging is front and center on social media gossip. The gist of the book is that Georgiana, a lawyer, walks in on her husband with a first year associate at their firm and decides to introduce swinging into their life to fix their relationship. Not my normal kind of read but it was highly entertaining with some very funny, outlandish and over the top moments and quirky characters in the swinging world. There were also very heartwarming and sweet messages about second chances, self-reflection, being who you are, following your dreams and finding your own happiness, all mixed in with the 🔥 . As an added bonus, the author is an attorney so the law firm info actually felt realistic and not cringy, though maybe a little too true when they talked about weekends not meaning anything for lawyers….

Georgina seems to have it all. She's a partner in a successful law firm married to another partner in the same firm. He's seemingly the perfect husband....until he isn't...until the night she finds him cheating on her with a first year associate. Georgina's perfect world is rocked and she's completely adrift. One thing she decides is that she doesn't want to divorce Nathan. She also doesn't want to be cheated on again. She definitely wants to fix their marriage but isn't sure how.

Georgina has a client that has touted the joys of "the lifestyle" and she decides it might be what she and Nathan need to fix their relationship. Two of her friends (Norah and Felix) and their partners join them in the experiment with the understanding that none of them will swap with one another.

One thing Georgina didn't expect was to see her college boyfriend...the one that got away...at the first party they go to. Feelings come to the surface that she thought she'd buried long ago.

Georgina has been involved in her friends' relationships since college. It seems she always thought she knew what they needed more than they did. She still has the tendency and is trying to manipulate the relationship between her friend Norah and Felix because she doesn't think Norah's husband Ari is good enough for her. A lot comes out later in the book and Georgina has to eat crow, so to speak.

Georgina's meddlesome ways make her a little difficult to like initially but she does show a great deal of growth over the course of the book, in my opinion. The way she handles the situation with Nathan's former fling is impressive but not realistic. If she can really pull that off, she's pretty much a super human in my opinion.

Even though the book isn't extremely explicit with the lifestyle parties and what happens there, if you're put off by the idea of this at all, I wouldn't recommend the book. I read a great deal and a wide variety, so this doesn't bother me. However, I thought choosing to try the lifestyle was an interesting choice by Georgina when her relationship was struggling already. Personally, I would think you'd want to heal the damage before you venture into this type of activity, but I'm no expert.

I really did love Georgina's college ex, Whitaker. He'd been through his own difficulties and seemed grounded and caring. Their back story and how they broke up in the past was a little heartbreaking.

Georgina definitely goes on a journey of self discovery after Nathan's affair. She takes him and her two friends with her. Along the way, they all discover things about themselves that can either change their lives or improve them. I thought the book had some great messages tucked in. It was a good read and one I couldn't put down.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.