This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Mona Chollet, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.

I often prefer to listen to books read by the author, but I really liked the narrator, Alix Dunmore. She has a British accent but it is pretty light, and she had to pronounce a lot of French names, which to my uncultured American ears, she did with great skill and aplomb.

This is an English translation of a French language feminist book focusing on heterosexual relationships and the inherent inequality in such relationships under the current established patriarchal systems we live within. It is a dense text and a lot to take in, but very well researched, and she did have many points that I relayed to very strongly as a pretty straight woman, albeit one who is in a quite unusual relationship dynamic for a heterosexual relationship in that my husband does most of the work around the house and most of the cleaning. We both work, but my job is quite demanding compared to his, and also better compensated, but I am also disabled, placing him firmly in a caregiving role. In fact, I got one of the fabled good ones we have all heard so much about. But even with this being very very true, he and I are often unpacking our differing expectations of intimacy, emotional openness, etc., as well as reframing and giving perspective to each other when things occur while we are out and about or online. This book also gave voice to a lot of the issues I faced in past relationships that were perhaps a bit more traditional in terms of the power disparity.

The book contains some really interesting ideas - what if all couples lived separately? Personally I think I would most like to continue living with my husband but I would love for us to have more of our own personal space within our home. I also think it is just important to share ideas like this in order to normalize the fact that different arrangements will work best for different couples and as long as it works for them, it’s really not any of my business!

I also found it interesting to think about the ideas around making heterosexual relationships more like lesbian relationships - making one’s love of and appreciation for women/a specific woman bigger, more open, more about loving them as individuals rather than loving the idealized images of women that it seems like so many men are not able to move past. Shaved or unshaved, on your period or not, made up or not, wearing a dress or wearing sweats, long or short hair… these are all things that do not change the attractiveness of a person, really, as well as acknowledging that we all poop!

I would love to get Mona Chollet’s thoughts on the constant misogyny faced by Taylor Swift and all of her fans!

Of course the very dark topics of domestic violence, sexual assault, femicide, and harassment of women are covered at length, as these are the things that threaten the lives of so many women across the globe year after year.

Thank you to Mona Chollet, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Mona Chollet, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.

The narrator is Alix Dunmore. Her voice is rich, full and cultured. Her accent is light and her pronunciation of French & English perfect.

This is an English translation of a French language feminist text focusing on romantic relationships between heterosexual men and women. This touches on inequality in straight relationships in regards to the orgasm gap, household tasks physically and mentally gap, child care gap, etc. I agree with the author that isn't addressed often enough in gender studies/feminism.
This fully includes women of color, their differing experiences and how this is often ignored by mainstream feminism. Exceptionally well done.

I'm not straight myself but both my current and previous husband are straight men. I admit that I'm frustrated with the division of equality in both relationships. I mean comparatively I have quite a bit of power and independence in my current marriage but we ain't equals. My current husband is much better than my first husband but that's kind of a given. I agree with the author that women, and marginalized genders in general, married to men would be freer in a society not structured around families. I've even read sci fi novels dealing with what that would look like and how it could function. I also agree with the author that heterosexual couples who have the means for their own living space would be ideal.

This is a feminist text and as such covers domestic violence, sexual assault and femicide in depth. These subjects are discussed in the context of romantic relationships between straight men and women. This is important because these issues are crisis's for women all over the globe.
This includes anecdotes about classic Western literature as well as more contemporary films, plays, novels, feminist leaders and television shows. This also serves as almost a love letter to bell hooks and her book, 'All About Love'. Which the author acknowledges as the first feminist tome on love in heterosexual relationships.

Thank you to Mona Chollet, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.