Open to shut, and shut to open. Two women caught in the middle of significant relationship changes presented by their partners, which bonds the two of them on the bathroom floor. Is everyone meant for monogamy, or are there other ways relationships could look?
Seager tackles the subject of open relationships in a very friendly and open-minded away. I know non-monogamy is still very taboo, but she does a great job of sharing the ups and downs of every kind of relationships: jealousy and fear are not limited to open relationships!
For me, the pace was really slow and made it hard to finish, and while I almost DNFd a couple of times, I think it was less due to the writing style and more due to this not being my regular reading genre. I read it because someone I deeply love is in an open relationship and so I wanted to see how the book compared to her experiences, and yes..communication is really the key.
I think if you’re looking for a fun, out of the box kind of romance, this is definitely the book for you :)

For people who are in monogamous or open relationships, it can often be difficult to imagine doing it any other way. This book perfectly encapsulates the challenges that come when navigating a changing relationship dynamic. The author depicts both perspectives convincingly, and the pros and cons of both monogamy and open relationships are explored in an unbiased and convincing manner. The experiences the women have are well written with great banter, and they are portrayed in a genuine and realistic manner.

This book was the perfect example of a light-hearted story that doesn't shy away from the difficulty of dealing with intense and confusing emotions within various types of romantic relationships. Somehow, the author managed to convey these experiences with objectivity but also with a lot of heart, while still producing a well-written and unique storyline. The humor and banter also provide a healthy dose of levity, despite the serious subject matter and emotions at stake.

The story of friends Holly and Fliss, one in an open but closing relationship and the other embarking on a polyamorous one, was interesting and thought provoking. I enjoyed most of the characters and the overall storyline, though I think some plot points seemed a bit too contrived. Overall a good novel.

Thank you Net Galley for a copy of this book for my honest review! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!! This book grabbed me from the very beginning and even had me laughing out loud at some parts! It was such an amazing read!

I just finished this book and I did enjoy it. I liked that it was a new topic for chick lit or romances and I love a story set in London for sure. I ended up feeling not too invested in either main character though and i think that might be because it was a fairly short book and had two main couples featured. I did like learning more about open relationships but also the information seemed fairly generic on the subject. I gave the book 3 stars - sorry I hate to do that!

I think this book was just not the right fit for me. I couldn't relate to the characters or their situations, and therefore it was a slog for me to get through. I didn't understand why the women just went along with that their partners wanted, even when they didn't want to. There were some funny moments and moving moments, but overall this plot just didn't resonate with me.

While I expected this book to focus more on the dynamics of pursuing changes to long-established relationships with a partner, I enjoyed Holly and Fliss' personal growth as they became more confident in what was right for each of them in their respective relationships. I was incredibly frustrated with the complete lack of communication and found the characters to be quite messy in an unlikeable way at times. That said, while the ending was quick, I was happy with the note we left the characters on. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time I have read a romance book with representation of open relationships. I loved the way that the book portrayed two mirrored experiences with open/polyamorous relationships and truly dove into the complexities without making one relationship style seem better than the other. There were definitely times I wanted to yell all all of the main characters for different reasons, the story really drew me in and the internal monologues of the characters kept me reading no matter how much I wanted to say “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER OKAY”. Overall, loved the representation and a really new storyline I haven’t read before in any of my previous reads. Thanks NetGalley and the publishers and author for giving me the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

Fantastic summer read! I was invested in Fliss and Holly’s journeys (and shenanigans) from the beginning, even in moments when I wanted to yell at them for their lack of transparency/honesty. The storyline was entertaining and I loved the choice to make the women the focal point throughout. It might have been tempting to consider a male narrator’s point of view, but I appreciated sticking with Fliss and Holly on their journeys. Gratitude to NetGalley for the advance read!

I enjoyed the parallel stories of one couple jumping into opening a relationship while another jumped into closing it. In both cases the importance of actually communicating with your SO and doing real introspection felt genuine and not just like a life lesson or moral of the story thrown in at the end.

I did struggle getting into the story because for at least the first half of the book Holly and her inner thoughts were lowkey insufferable. I'm sure there are plenty of people who can relate to her but her attempts to convince herself that she had a personality outside of Will before she is prompted to think about her own opinions is painful. I'm glad in the end she (in a more gentle way) realized this about herself.

As someone who has been in both monogamous and polyamorous relationships, this was absolutely realistically messy representation. And it's such important representation to have so I was really excited to read it and have it in my back pocket for people looking for that rep. But, hoo boy, did I get mad at the characters SO MUCH. Don’t get me wrong, the writing was absolutely spot on and all of their decisions made perfect sense for their characters. But it did impact my enjoyment to not be able to just reach into the page and slap them over their heads. At one point, I actually shouted a TikTok meme at my e-Reader in the middle of a crowded airport. Needless to say, many people (including my primary partner) were extremely confused when I shouted “Hit him with your car!” (iykyk) Really super excellent rep, but I was so angry for the whole second half of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Chloe Seager, and William Morrow for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Open Minded. I received an advanced reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book. One couple decides to close their open relationship and the other couple decides to open theirs. All of the different dynamics between both sides are fascinating to explore. All of the main characters are likeable. The only reason for giving it four stars is that it is a lot longer than it needed to be. There is a point where it kind of drags. Overall, it is a great read though.

I love a friendship that starts in a women’s bathroom so of course I love this book that begins just like that! Open minded follows the lives of two women who are facing opposite situations, Holly’s partner wants to enter an open relationship - Fliss’s partner wants to become exclusive. The two begin their journey trying to give guidance and advice to the other as they navigate these relationship changes, but in the end they learn more about themselves and what they want and need out of a relationship! Though this book is fiction, I feel like I learned so much about open relationship and ethical non-monogamy and the different dynamics that play into open relationships. This book was such a fresh and new take on a book centering romance!!!

While I would never personally be open to trying an open relationship, and to be quite honest have definitely judged open relationships in the past, this book opened my mind (see what I did there?) to the idea of this type of relationship working for others.

I would give this book a 3.5/5 stars as I enjoyed the plot and the characters but it felt a little dry, I needed some more twists and variation in the story. I found myself trying to guess the ending, first thinking maybe Fliss and Holly would actually end up falling in love, or that they’d switch partners, and the ending actually turned out to bore me a bit. While I did enjoy the book I think it just wasn’t my cup of tea, but I would definitely be interested in reading other work by Chloe Seager.

Such a well written book about open relationships. It was funny, insightful and engaging. Fliss and Holly were very relatable and adorably charming. I chuckled to myself on so many occasions. Adulting is challenging, dating is challenging and love is challenging. They maneuvered through with candor and thoughtfulness. Very enjoyable read. I highly recommend.

What a beautiful look at relationships - both romantic and platonic. Watching Fliss and Holly discover themselves and seeing how their relationship evolved was beautiful. This was such a fun read and I loved how it showed that even though things may not be the most “typical”, everyone can have their own happy ending.

Fliss and Holly become unlikely friends after meeting in the restroom of a London restaurant. They learn they are in parallel unconventional romantic situations and end up helping each other navigate the new and catastrophic waters. Both women learn more about themselves in the process and go through emotional growth together.

A fun story with several moments where I legitimately laughed out loud. I enjoyed the parallel nature of the stories, the tropes mixed with reality, and I was rooted for them all and eager to see the ending. Without spoilers, I’ll say I’m glad to see an ending with growth and making the right decision, not the most romantic decision!

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

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of Chloe Seager’s “Open Minded!” It’s a fun, clever read, and Chloe Seager effortlessly weaves the two protagonists’ storylines and viewpoints together, while giving supporting characters the chance to shine as well. The themes of female friendship, well-intentioned yet complicated family dynamics and the triumphs and tribulations of navigating relationships will appeal to fans of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes.

Open Minded has a unique premise and like-able characters. I think there is some stereotyping and generalizing in how polyamory and ethnically non monogamous relationships are portrayed, Overall I think Open Minded is a light hearted book with a new spin (perfect for the summer)!

I really enjoyed Open Minded: it was fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny, and endearing. I think this book does a good job of exploring and explaining the broad spectrum of what relationships look like. I'm not the right person to say whether I think the representation of open relationships/polyamory is correct, but I do think it's well-done and understandable to an outsider. I enjoyed and related more with Holly's character, although I thought both of the main characters had interesting plots. I think the whole concept of their parallel love lives is super intriguing to begin with! At first, before Holly and Flissy met, I thought the book would go longer without them meeting. I think that would have been interesting (if they met later at a more pivotal, storylines-finally-interchanging point,) but I like how they become each other's "relationship tutors." Both seemed to be missing a fellow nearly-30 female friend, and I loved seeing their friendship form. Another thing I want to applaud this book for is that, despite being about open relationships and sexual experiences, it wasn't very sexual. That's a personal gripe of mine with modern romance, and I honestly liked that we didn't need to see all the detail. Especially with Flissy's character, who enjoys having emotional/sexual relationships with several people, I was afraid the book would be full of sex-capades. But I appreciate how the author balanced all of those elements. The men in this book fell flat overall for me, since they were all, at the end of the day, mostly understanding and bland. (Tomi, Holly's friend, was the only stand-out to me.) I also felt like what the men did at different points was sort of predictable, and they were really only there to further Holly and Flissy's journeys. Maybe it would be been interesting to have a chapter from the men's perspectives too? Simply because we don't get any insight into Ash or Will until way later. This is particularly evident with Ash, who sort of completely makes up his mind, and I felt that decision was a tad random. I think those gripes are the only reason I wouldn't rate this five stars. I read it in practically one sitting and laughed out loud a ton. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this in the future!