The Life Revamp by Kris Ripper
The Love Study #3

Polyamory is not everyone’s preference and not something that Mason has ever considered. His dream has been to find the perfect person, marry, start a family, and live into old age together. He thinks he might have that with the physician he has been dating but then is set up on a blind date with Diego by…Diego’s wife, Claris. Diego is everything that Tim is not and yet…Diego is already married so…how can they be a couple? Or, can they?

What I liked:
* The exploration of a different kind of relationship
* Mason: works in a bank, has a nucleus of good friends, forgiving, kind, loves his mother, wants to settle down, feels there must be more, able to be flexible…sometimes – feels something for Diego
* Diego: polyamorous, married to Claris, fashion designer, mentor, romantic, feels deeply, open to new relationships – feels something special for Mason
* Claris: fundraiser, money person, outgoing, dynamic, wants what is best for Diego and Mason, polyamorous, a good friend.
* That the story took me out of my comfort zone and made me think about what a polyamorous relationship might be like – did look it up and read a bit polyamory
* The fun that Diego and Mason had together
* The deep bond that Mason had with his college friend nucleus
* Thinking about a Gentlemen’s Fashion Week and what it might entail
* Wondering what the future has in store for Diego, Mason, Claris, and also Mason’s friend group

What I didn’t like:
* Not really a dislike BUT realizing that there are a lot of people out in the world that are different than I am and realizing that I don’t know enough about them, how they live, and what challenges they might face.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

This is was fun, and fast-paced. Ultimately, I thought it ended abruptly. I would have liked more detail about how the relationships were going to play out. On the other hand, epilogues have been done to death, yeah?

Mason is a truly well developed character. His self-awareness is on point, and his internal voice tries hard to keep pick himself up after what he decides are disasters or failures. They aren't. Lucky he is surrounded by snarky friends who support him and know him and love him.

Diego is a doll, and Claris is amazing. I am like Mason, as in I don't have much knowledge about poly relationships, so I was interested in finding out, just as Mason is. I would like to think I would be open more and more communicative than him, however. His breakdown is unsurprising but as I say, quickly wrapped up.

I do like this author's voice. I will keep an eye out for more. Thanks to Netgalley and Carina Press for providing an advanced copy. The Life Revamp will be out on November 30.

This was a first for me, a romance featuring a polyamorous relationship, but one I had been looking for. Kris Ritter's The Life Revamp tells the story of Mason, who wants to fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. You know, live the fairytale a little. His luck has been less than stellar, including being left at the alter as a younger man, and the hunt is beginning to wear him down, to the point of settling for Mr. Checks All the Boxes. That is, until he meets up and coming local fashion designer Diego. Everything sparks between them—the banter, the sex, the fiery eye contact across a crowded room. There's just one thing: Diego is already married, which includes outside courtships. In fact, Diego’s wife Claris, who is also friends with Mason, sets them up – she’s sure they are what the other is looking for. Mason thought he knew what would make him happy, but it turns out the traditional life he'd expected has some surprises in store.

The thematic thrust of this book is expectations, what they are, how we come by them, and what they might prevent us from seeing. We are experiencing the story from Mason’s point of view, and we are therefore treated (burdened?) with his hopes, fears, and insecurities about finding the person who will choose him and allowing the possibility that Diego might be able to choose him equally to Claris. While much of this book focuses on Mason’s romantic expectations (and falling for the delightful Diego), Ripper doesn’t sideline the other areas of Mason’s life, and their incumbent expectations. We see how Mason navigates his found family, the wonderfully named Motherfuckers, his relationship with his mother – and by extension his faith. The story climaxes as Mason realizes he's been coasting both romantically and professionally and does something about it, and the doing something about it worked for me in a big way.

There are a few things that I wished were fleshed out in order to balance the story, both from an arc structure perspective, but also from telling a balanced story about an open relationship such as Diego and Claris have. While we spend a good amount of time with the various components of the Gentleman’s Fashion week, we never hear from the POV of the pair in the existing relationship, but we also don’t see Mason and Claris have a conversation, really, about what it means to be metamours especially as that relationship would be based on their existing friendship. But by and large I felt that Ritter wrote a believable and entertaining romance with characters that I was happy to spend time with.

Heat Factor: Things really get going...and the door closes

Character Chemistry: They have a very playful relationship

Plot: Mason has a vision for his future that includes a lot of “traditional” life moments, which is all thrown into turmoil when he falls for polyamorous - and married - Diego

Overall: This book did exactly what I was hoping it would do, so success! As for the rest - at the end of the day it comes down to: Is choosing the person or the living situation more important?

I absolutely picked up this book because it includes a romance in a polyamorous V relationship, and the main character who was not previously polyamorous had a vision for his future that included marriage, kids, and a house in the suburbs. So my goal going into this read is to feel like there’s a satisfying conclusion to this romantic story when one partner started out really wanting marriage, etc., while the other partner is already happily married. Tell me a happy story, Kris Ripper!

Most of the time, as I was reading, I had a number of questions floating around in my head. What is really important to Mason? What does he want because that’s the story he’s been telling himself vs. what will truly make him happy and satisfied with his life? There is a metric ton of stuff to unpack here, and I’m not going to unpack it all right now. But it was extremely engaging.

In terms of the romance, it’s a gentle, lifelike portrayal of, uh, responsible dating. Both Mason and Diego have a lot of big feels early on, but they both navigate their feelings in the context of a new relationship and what’s reasonable after only a couple months. No fast-paced, whirlwind courtship here. Their flirting, while probably extremely similar to the way I would flirt in real life (let’s be honest), was playful and silly and totally worked for them, but I didn’t click with it, so it wasn’t a swoony relationship for me.

In terms of the substance of the book and the hero’s journey, this book is a thoughtful exploration of what a polyamorous V relationship might be. Here, we can ask, “Was my reading goal met?” And I can say that it was. I wouldn’t say this was an emotionally thrilling book, but it did exactly what I was hoping it would do, and that was a positive reading experience for me. It interrogates a number of common social assumptions and makes not only Mason but also the reader consider what is important in the happiness a person seeks and why we believe certain things to be important. It’s not very messy. Everyone has really good skills with addressing boundaries and owning their feelings and actions and just generally being responsible.

In terms of the text, the story is told from Mason’s 1st POV and it’s a thoughtful, even-keeled narrative voice. BUT the thing I really enjoyed about it was Mason’s propensity for describing things in title case. It’s delightfully evocative and unique and gives playful little moments to an otherwise earnest text. I’ll also say that Mason is a historical romance reader and a huge Georgette Heyer fan, which I found interesting on account of everything else in the book being SO CAREFUL but then no caveat about Georgette Heyer being horribly anti-semitic (among other things). This book is also gamer friendly - Mason and his friends love their video games.

It was a struggle for me to get into The Life Revamp. I just did not get into the characters or the plot. Sorry about that, as I usually have no trouble.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

The Love Study series is my first time reading Ripper and I am so glad ze have an extensive backlist for me to dive into! The Life Revamp is a great end to the series, and maybe the sweetest book of the three.

The good:

- I dissolved into giggles three times in the first five percent of the book. Diego has old world charm coupled with modern silliness and it's the perfect combination with Mason.

- The relationship is a polyamorous V - Diego and Claris have an open marriage, and while Claris likes playdates Diego is looking for something a little more solid.

- Mason has zero experience with polyamory and has a hard time imagining lasting relationships outside of marriage, so the reader gets to follow along in his head and learn about Diego and Claris' particular brand of polyam.

- We have care and consideration, the return of the lovely found family this series is built around, and fun. Lots of fun. I had a hard time putting the book down.

- After reading the full series I can see that Ripper is showing three very different people finding their way into adulthood and lasting relationships. In book one Declan goes back on the dating scene after avoiding it for years, in book two Oscar overcomes anxiety and being fired from his job while finding love along the way, and in this book Mason realizes he's been coasting both romantically and professionally and does something about it.


The not-so-good:

- I would have loved a convo between Claris and Mason going over particulars, throwing ideas around of how this relationship could work. We see this kind of work being down between Mason and Diego, but some details involving Claris are ignored.

- There's a third act breakup. It feels reasonable if sudden to me, but even so it brought my reading momentum to a halt.

All in all The Life Revamp was a burst of queer joy just when I needed it. Fun with a side of soul searching, it ties as my favorite book in the series.

This book really challenged my perception on how a relationship should work. Polyamory isn’t something I have experienced in my own life and isn’t something that has been explored in many of the books I’ve read. This book addresses it in a really fascinating way that feels honest and imperfect. Because we are experiencing this situation along with Mason, who himself is questioning how he feels about it, we are learning the complexities of this kind of relationship along with him. Many of the questions we might have as as a reader are also being asked by Mason, which creates a really strong connection to the character.

The dynamic between Mason and Diego is very cute, although I will say the dialog sometimes felt a little drawn out and overplayed, but I did enjoy their banter. They had chemistry.

I also really loved Mason’s friend group. They have a very special dynamic that I found really refreshing. You could tell they had his best interest at heart, even if they came across kind of pushy sometimes.

There was such an emphasis on exploring your creativity and finding what you love in this book and I really appreciated it. What you do for “work” doesn’t have to be who you are or what makes you happy.

This is the first book I have read in this series and I can definitely see myself reading the others after having finished this one.

I couldn’t get into the characters motives for this book. It felt very flighty and just not too grabbing. The scene setting was nice and very nice description used.

What do you do when what you want more than anything is to get married, but your perfect man is married to the woman who set the two of you up on a blind date? Mason has been dating a man who seems perfect, but they keep not taking the step from casual to serious. Meanwhile, his friend Claris has finally nagged him into agreeing to a date with her husband, a fashion designer named Diego. They are in an open relationship. While Mason is ok with one date before locking down his forever with Dr. Tim No-Last-Name, he can’t take Diego seriously, because Diego is already married. Without the burden of expectations, Mason and Diego have a wonderful time, and then another wonderful time. They click so beautifully, but Mason can’t see how he would ever be anything else but the guy on the side.

The Life Revamp is a lovely romance about expectations and connections. Most polyamory romances are about 3 or 4 people in a closed romantic group all having sexy times together. The open V relationship, where one person is in a romantic or sexual relationship with two people who are not romantically or sexually involved, is less represented, but very common in reality. I loved that Mason’s questions and insecurities are dealt with realistically. Mason is friends with Claris, but he is uncomfortable with her being the wife of the man he loves. It takes him a long time to believe that he could have the kind of life and love he wants with Diego. Diego is amazing. Diego and Claris are great together, and Diego and Mason are great together. Mason has wonderful friends and a pretty great life, once he gets out of his own way.

The Life Revamp is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year, and I’ve read some fantastic books this year. It’s funny and heartbreaking and cathartic. I want to spend more time with the Motherf*ckers, so I will be going back to read Kris Ripper’s The Love Study and The Hate Project. This hug of a book will be out in time to sooth your soul between Thanksgiving and the Winter Holidays.

I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley and Carina Adores. My opinions are my own.

The Life Revamp is my third Kris Ripper book (I have read the first two books in this series already, The Love Study and The Hate Project). I will admit that I was skeptical about reading a romance that takes place within an open marriage, but I ended up really loving this book. Ripper does an amazing job explaining polyamory and the fact that Mason is also very skeptical of it at first I think really sold the book to me. Diego is a perfect match for Mason: they want the same life, they are quirky in their own ways that complement each other, and their chemistry is off the charts. I highly recommend this book if you have read any of Ripper’s other books or if you are looking to read an unusual romance book!

Thank you to Netgalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure, before this, I had never read a romance novel where navigating polyamory/open relationships is the actual plot, and I was a little concerned that it would just be love-triangle-jealous-stress-and-fighting all the time… it is not that. At all. (Thank god.)

Instead, it’s a truly lovely, respectful and positive representation that I could not recommend more.

It’s a romcom, most definitely, with a range of diverse characters—none of whom are cookie-cutter, which I think could have been an easy to fall into trap here. Each character is given time and depth—not just the MCs—and they’re all fleshed out well. Sometimes I find in romcoms that I forget who someone is and it literally doesn’t matter because there are at least 3 side characters who’re basically just the same person. This book is not that. And it was delightful.

The love interest is the sweetest man on earth in all honesty. I’m not usually a fan of pure earnest sweetness 24/7, but I was never bored of him. Or of their interactions with each other. Their banter is a delight, the awkwardly flustered and incredibly endearing interactions are so wonderfully human, and it’s very clear that they <I>fit</I> together, so it was a joy to read them muddling through dates and trying to figure it out.

I would have liked more communication from/with Claris though, on page. I assumed Diego had had conversations with her off screen but we don’t get to see Mason and Claris discuss/negotiate boundaries and desires etc, and I think it would have been good to see that, as well as the lovely support she gives.

The sex is mostly fade to black, except for once. And, whilst I know the romance novel banter is entirely the point here, it still took the hotness out of that scene for me, because old school erotica staples of “yes, take me. Oh, please take me!” etc. make me cringe even when they’re done in pseudo-role play. BUT, this is a personal taste thing, because it does feel right for them as characters.

Also some of the conversations (in general, not the sex) were a little too… overly verbose? to be believable in parts. I sometimes found myself thinking “people don’t actually talk in this way out loud” and it hindered my reading experience enough that I dropped it down a star solely for that. The rest I could have looked past, I think.

I’ve heard a lot about Kris Ripper and just hadn’t gotten around to reading any of zirs famed books before, but I bought 3 of zirs other books the second I finished this one so you could say I’m definitely now a fan.

The Life Revamp was a slightly difficult read for me. I very much enjoyed the first installment of this series (The Love Study) so I was ready to have a fun time reading this but instead I'm left a bit torn. Rippers way of writing gives me a bit of whiplash. In many instances I'm cringe-ing through the juvenile elder millennial meme speak or getting lost in the overly verbose and unnatural dialogue. Some times I'm enjoying the well written and deeply metaphorical nuance of the characters and their inner monologues. It's FRUSTRATING! The story, in which Mason deals with his feelings about wanting a white picket fence life while embarking on dating the polyamorous fashion designer Diego, is BRILLIANT! The story is there, but the dialogue and lack of natural conversation keeps it from reaching it's potential.

The themes about polyamory, found family, forgiveness, and expectations vs. reality really shine towards the end of the book. Like in the first installment, the group is a great group of queer friends who really care for each other and I'm happy that there are more stories about these kinds of lives. The premise and themes, as well as the decently conceptualized cast of characters takes my rating from a 2 to a 3.

Thank you to Carina Press for providing me with an ARC of The Life Revamp!

Mason has always been a romantic. He wants all of it: wedding bells, and a house in the suburbs, and the white picket fence. His dating history has been less than stellar, but he finally has a perfectly respectable guy. A doctor who is kind and good-looking and successful. But when Mason agrees to go on a blind date with a friend's husband just to get her off his back, he finds himself drawn to the charismatic and polyamorous Diego, a fashion designer who wears his emotion on his sleeve. Is it possible that his happily ever after might look completely different than how he imagined it?

I'm a big fan of this series, so I jumped on the chance to read Mason's story! After Declan left him at the alter and him just generally being incredibly good-looking and mopey, I was excited to read his HEA.

This is a great book on how happiness looks different for everyone. Throughout the books we see how Mason has had this one idea of what he wanted a relationship to look like, and when he finds everything he wants in a guy that's already married, it's a hard pill to swallow. There's a lot of really great commentary here on polyamory, in particular, that loving one person doesn't diminish love for another person. Mason has to decide if not being the one person his partner chooses above anyone else is okay for him, and what that might look like.

I loved Diego and Mason together. The chemistry was fantastic, and I love being able to see Mason's silly side! You could really feel the connection between them, and Diego was just so incredibly sweet and earnest.

Overall, great read!

This was such a lovely warm hug of a book. I loved its gentleness. I loved the characters’ care for each other. I’ve really really loved this series overall — the characters and tone of each title are distinctive and yet they complement each other across the constellation of the central friend group.

The Life Revamp is a total gem! It's full of heart, love and charm. I loved this book so much! I haven't read any of the other stories from the Love Study series but I will be getting them now! I had no issues reading this without reading the other first. I loved Mason! He was so much fun to get to know. I also loved Diego! I really enjoyed reading about a different type of relationship. It's rare to read a story about polyamory. It's even rarer to read one that's written in such a delightful positive way. I loved watching Mason and Diegos relationship flourish. Also, I enjoyed the theme of chosen family in this story. I really couldn't have loved The Life Revamp anymore!

Loved this much more than I initially thought I would. What I like about this series is that it focuses on different types of romances. The first book focuses on a romance between a guy and a non-binary person, the second on two guys, one of them anxious and big-boned, and this book focuses on a polyamorous relationship. They can be read separately from each other.

Diego and Claris are married and have an open relationship at the same time. When Mason meets Diego, he falls hard. Head over heels. But Diego is married and Mason wants to get married some day too.

Diego mentions somewhere in the story that Mason is able to look at things from different angles. And that’s precisely what this story is about. Most people start judging and have prejudices when they hear you’re falling in love with someone who’s married. An open marriage in this case. You’re in love with each other? He’s in love with you, too? And he’s married? So, they’re getting a divorce? No? So, you’re having a secret affair? No? They’re still together, and you’re together with that guy, too? Huh? HUH? That’s not normal! And there it is. The word I have a love-hate relationship with.

NORMAL

We all are different and still can be normal. But many of us think that when someone is different or when someone’s relationship is different, they’re abnormal. And I have to admit, when I started reading The Love Revamp. I frowned multiple times. Falling in love with a guy who’s part of a happily married couple? Mmm. But like I once read:
‘There’s no such thing as weird, worthless, or abnormal, as long as you’re true to yourself.’
So, if Mason is true to himself, and Diego and Claris are too, and there’s consent from the three of them, who am I to judge?

I liked the writing, I liked Mason, and I loved, loved Diego with his future playdates, the Manicuregate, and his courtship cake. The Life Revamp is funny without being over the top (like The Love Study was, in my opinion). I liked Mason’s internal discussions about how it would even work if his partner had more than one partner. Switch days like divorced people with kids do? This story is sweet and funny, and I loved how it got me thinking and pushing my limits at the same time. After finishing the story, questions kept popping up in my head. A lot of what if’s. But again, if Mason and Diego are happy, and Claris is too, why should I question their way of living? Isn’t it important we all live our lives the way we chose?

Pick up this book if you want to read a story that explores a relationship that may seem beyond our human comfort zones. It’s cosy and sweet, and puts a smile on your face. Definitely worth a read!

Glad to finally see Mason find some happiness, ever since reading Declan's account of Mason being left at the alter back in ‘The Love Study.’ Their group has grown since then, and it was fun to see Declan, Sydney, Oscar, Jack, Ronnie and Mia make appearances here, as Mason becomes part of a polyamory relationship which is wholly new to him.

The cast of characters are all in their mid- to upper-twenties and use adult language accordingly. Though the actual romance is fade-to-black, the characters are sex-positive and openly discuss various aspects of queer life, both in and out of the bedroom.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me review this hilarious, soft and uplifting novel. When I first read the synopsis I was worried about what the story would entail, but it changed my mind. Through the story we follow our main character Mason, whose an adult transitioning from party college life to work and form lasting relationships life. Thankfully, what he's looking for comes in the form of his best friend's husband. I was thinking, 'how is this going to work'? I'll be honest, I don't know much about polyamory, and I hardly know anyone who is or practices it. This book however, was a gentle nudge in the direction of knowledge that is perfect for anyone ignorant of it.

This was such an adorable novel. Mason is an entirely relatable narrator with wit, who knows his life is what others assume should be perfect, but is missing 'something'. He finds it in the arms of our love interest, who tugs us into a wirl-wind romance that knocked me off my feet.

The relationships in this novel were important, blush-worthy, often steamy, and real. I was so enchanted by the writing and characters, so enriched by their lives that I fell in love.

This was better than I expected. A wonderful romance full of respect, consent, and a gush-worthy tale of love, friendship and everything else unimaginable. I absolutely love this book so much.

Carina Adores thank you so much for this eARC!.
I loved The Hate Project!
When I seen book three I knew The Life Revamp was going to be stellar and it was!

Kris Ripper never fails to blow me away with the uniqueness of his writing.
The characters, and the situations in which they find themselves, are thought provoking and endlessly entertaining.
This was so much fun! It was hilarious, yet it evokes all the feels. I laughed, I cried, I empathized with all the awkwardness. I absolutely loved it, and I completely adored Mason!
This book was a delight, and a very fun, light read that brought me much joy.
Wonderful! Enjoyable! Lovely book!.

Oh I loved this book. Yeah, the polyamorous relationship shown really sidelined the character of Claris in the name of keeping the two boys falling in love front and centre, but given the line I suppose I can forgive it.

Reading polyamorous novels by Kris Ripper these days is about the closest one can get to reading a new Xan West novel. It's amazing how similar some of the turns of phrases between the two novelists are.

In this novel, we meet Mason as the main character. For those who have read Love Study, they may remember him as the person that Declan jilted at the alter when they were much younger. Although Mason seemed more or less together and over it up till now, we see a lot more of his baggage in this single point of view novel. We also got to see his mother again, who I remember adoring when we met her previously too.

Mason is currently dating a man who ticks all his boxes. He is a doctor, he is successful, he is stable and sufficiently adult. At first, I actually thought this was going to be one of the polyamorous characters in the novel and assumed the conversation they were setting up to have at the beginning of the book was about just that topic. I was wrong, however, and I soon see why. This character is painted as pretty boring and the chemistry between him and Mason is at a zero, despite him being exactly what Mason is looking for.

And then Mason allows his sometimes co-worker Claris to set him up with her husband. From the start, we know that they are polyamorous, which is obviously great. And chemistry is immediately ramped up to 100, which we find out through Mason's texts and Snapchats with Declan. This narratively also goes to show us through the rest of their friendship group how much more they are invested in Diego than the more boring Tim-with-no-lastname.

I said at the beginning of this review that Claris was very sidelined. Yes, she does appear multiple times to share her enthusiastic encouragement of the relationship forming between Mason and Diego. But I would have liked to see more detail, I guess, in her thought process. I would have loved seeing anything where the two of them negotiated directly times when they might see Diego so that no one misses out. I would have liked to see Mason talking about his concerns about the fact that he will never get to marry her husband because, of course, he is already married. Seeing Claris taking a serious moment to actually talk through that with someone who is meant to be her friend as well as co-worker would have been wonderful.

But polyamory in books is still new and we don't get the complexity of these relationships in every novel.

Without that, though, I felt as though there were missed opportunities and the characters coming across as more two dimensionally trope-y than they needed to.