A surprising, and refreshing, remix of Jane Austen's Emma. I found it incredibly sex-positive and educational about the "swinger" lifestyle, and certainly puts a modern spin on the conceit of a "comedy of manners." The happy-ever-afters are different in this book, as is the matchmaking and the makeovers, but still rewarding and enjoyable to watch unfold. I will be specific in whom I recommend this book to, but I think it will find a passionate audience.

The Lifestyle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 6/7/22
Author: Taylor Hahn
Publisher: Anchor Books
Pages: 336
Goodreads Rating: 3.52

Thank you to NetGalley and Anchor Books for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Georgina Wagman has it all—a great marriage, a great job at a prestigious law firm, and great friends. She walks in on her husband Nathan in a compromising position with a junior associate. She and Nathan are going to become swingers. Her friends Felix and Norah and their respective partners decide to tag along for the ride. Her plan is foolproof, until she runs into a college ex at the first party. When they reconnect, Georgina will find herself torn between her head and her heart, with her very happiness hanging in the balance.

My Thoughts: I have been married for almost 30 years (2025) and we’ve have never ever thought of even contemplating the “The Lifestyle.” However, the synopsis and cover page swooned me in to read. This is categorized as Contemporary Romance, but I believe it would be better served as Womens Fiction as this is less of a Romance and more of Georgina finding herself again. The characters were developed well, had some depth, definitely growth, and were somewhat witty. It was hard to connect to Georgina at first, I felt like she wanted to fix everyone else’s relationship, because hers was out of control, or not up to the “five year plan.” This is the author’s debut novel and a great debut at that. The author’s writing style was complex (homogeneous to swinging??), humorous at points, and creative. Now, I do not think this will be a story for everyone, you have to go in with an open mind and know that this is a work of fiction and can be unrealistic, even far stretched, and still be a good (or okay) read. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would read future novels by Hahn.

Thank you Knopf and Doubleday Publishing for my copy. All thoughts are my own.

Some books end up in my inbox and I immediately want to read them. Some I’m confused why the publisher thought I was the right person to send it too. And some, leave me intrigued. That was the case with The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn. It’s an Emma retelling…with swingers. Yes, you read that right: swingers.

And you know what, I didn’t hate this book. It was entertaining, sexy, but also deeply thought provoking when it came to friendship, marriage, and what happens when we have everything that we want but not what we need.

I read this book in less than 24 hours because it kept me wanting to know how on earth this situation was going to work out. Georgina is flawed and messy but loves so hard. I’ve always felt a kinship with Emma because I used to be a huge meddler when it came to my friends’ love lives. I learned the hard way, like Emma, that you can’t protect everyone.

So I have to say, I think this book is worth the read. It won’t be for everyone, but if you can go in with an open mind and accept these characters for their flaws, I think you’ll find yourself deliciously entertained.

Synopsis:

What I Liked:

The Pacing—This book is perfectly paced. I really just wanted to keep reading it!

The Writing—The writing is accessible but also sophisticated. It reads as an elevated Women’s Fiction with the spunk of a Rom Com.

The Tone + Stakes—It’s bold and irreverent at times but wow are the stakes HIGH. I loved how Georgina went on a journey to discover and own her sexuality and where it brought her.

What Didn’t Work:

While it didn’t bother me, I know there will be readers out there who judge these characters. Perhaps it’s the actor in me but I don’t find that productive. So, if the synopsis turns you off, I would not recommend this book because you really need to just go along for the ride.

Character Authenticity: 4.5/5 Steam Rating: 0.5/5 (Lead up + Fade to Black)

Overall Rating: 4/5

Content Warnings:

Infidelity

did this book make me want to read emma? nope! did i enjoy my reading experience? sure! did i have an active desire to punch georgina in the face during 75% of it? certainly!

even with what turned out to be some meaningful character arcs, this messy beach read was, unfortunately, nothing to write home about.

*thank you to netgalley and vintage anchor books for the advanced copy

I finished The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn last week. I’d originally heard it described as a modern Emma retelling but with swingers. I suppose that’s sort of true but probably a bit light on the Emma part. I will say that the thing that Georgina, the protagonist, had in common with Emma is that I really wasn’t a fan of either lead.
.
This novel didn’t quite work for me. I didn’t love the premise, adultery as a catalyst for a major decision usually isn’t something I enjoy. And I just really didn’t get attached to any of the characters.
.
The premise was creative but the execution fell a bit flat for me. I would, however, try reading this author again.

I wanted so badly to like this book but I just did not. It was…meh. Very slow, surprisingly dull, and I’m honestly glad it’s over. This is not a fun, sexy rom com about swinging. It is a book about a bunch of unhappy marriages and there is some very mild swinging in it. I’d give it a 1 out of 5 on the steam scale. The bad matchmaking didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the plot and I felt like it was just thrown in there so the author could say it was an Emma retelling. The only interesting thing in this book was the relationship between Georgina and Meredith, the woman her husband had an affair with. Instead of firing her, Georgina continued to mentor her and they each learned something about themselves and each other. That would have made a more interesting book than the ‘I don’t love my husband and miss my ex’ trope. 2 stars for a slow, boring and depressing read kind of about swinging.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Georgina Wagman is an attorney with a great job, great friends and a great marriage. Until she finds her husband Nathan having sex with a junior associate. In an attempt to save her marriage, Georgina turns to a client who is part of a swingers group. Georgina manages to talk her best friends, Felix and his partner and Norah and her husband Ari, into joining them.

I liked the idea of this story, but I think I found the actuality of it difficult. The basic story is that a woman finds her husband is having an affair with a co-worker, and then decides that swinging will save her marriage, while also simultaneously trying to make the other woman like her. I don't feel that's a realistic response. Meanwhile, with her marriage in shambles, she continues to believe she knows best for her friends in the love department.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Available June 7, 2022.

I was so looking forward to reading this one. There aren’t many romcom style books with the swinging lifestyle included. It’s what drew me in to this one, but the cheating issue was WAY too triggering for me. I had to DNF this one around 20%

The Lifestyle is smart, heartwarming and lively - a tale of what happens when when you spend so much time trying to do “the right thing” and forget to actually live your life fully.

Georgina thinks she’s leading the charmed life, and she’s rather smug about it. She’s a partner at a big law firm in NYC and her husband Nathan is also a partner at the same firm. She’s rather intense in her mentoring of the junior associates. She considers her marriage to be superior to that of her friends. She likes to take credit where credit is due for essentially arranging everyone’s relationships and lives for them the way that she sees fit. Until she walks into her husband’s office one night to find his head buried between the legs of a junior associate. A client of her’s suggests the join a group of swingers, claiming it salvaged her own marriage. Desperate to reclaim her seemingly perfect life and refusing to even consider divorce, she considers the idea that she needs to do something drastic, and Nathan, in a frantic attempt to win back his wife, agrees. Her friends Norah and Felix, along with their partners, join her for the eye-opening experience. At their first party, she’s shocked to see a familiar face from her past that will have her re-evaluating all the choices that led her to this point.

After the first few rough chapters, I almost gave up. I found Georgina to be shallow and judgmental - she’s a martyr in her marriage and career, and manipulative to boot. She takes credit for setting up her father’s happy relationship with his girlfriend. She manipulated Norah back in college into breaking up with Felix because he was just average and Georgina thought she could date someone better. Even going into their experiment with the lifestyle, she continues to manipulate her friends at parties in order to get them back together, without asking either of them if that’s what they would want. She looks at fixing everyone else’s problems - problems that only she thinks they have - instead of focusing on her own. Luckily I stuck with the book long enough to see her gradually grow up. She starts asking herself the hard questions and gets comfortable with herself instead of glossing it all over and acting superior. I did enjoy seeing Norah and Felix take from the whole experience the wisdom they needed to help themselves get to a happy place. And it was gratifying to see Georgina grow and mature as a person and finally get her happy ending. Finally, I appreciated how sensitively the topic of “the lifestyle” was handled - it was respectful of that community and those who participate in it, and I did not feel like it was at any time handled as a convenient or shameful plot point.

But for the love of all that is holy, this book cover is terrible. Quite terrifying actually, and not at all reflective of the quality story contained within its covers. It doesn’t have to be the cute illustrated covers we all love, as this is not a straight rom-com, but it deserves better than this horror cartoon.

This is Taylor Hahn's debut novel and it was well written. I personally did not enjoy the storyline or characters though. My heart was heavy during this book and never lifted. Maybe it was too real, and I read to escape. Maybe the timing of my reading it was wrong. I really wanted to like this more. I've been known to re-read books, ones I liked and ones I wanted to give a second chance. This one go into the give it a second chance "pile".

Thank you NetGalley and Anchor Publishing for the ARC of this book. This is my voluntary and honest review.

The Lifestyle
by Taylor Hahn
Pub Date: June 7, 2022
Anchor Books
* contemporary
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Definitely an escape novel.
In a desperate attempt to save her marriage with not-so-perfect-anymore husband (and by extension her sham of a perfect life), she suggests they invigorate their mundane lives (sex and in general) by becoming swingers and embracing “the lifestyle.”
Wow! This was not the book for me, but I know it will appeal to others.
3 stars

Georgina thinks her biggest problem at the moment is having inadvertently given food poisoning to the junior associates at her Manhattan law firm—until she walks in on her husband and the one associate not afflicted with food poisoning in a very compromising position.

One of her clients convinces her that exploring the swinging lifestyle (or more simply, “The Lifestyle”) will improve her marriage. To Georgina’s surprise, not only does her husband agree, but two of their couple friends are also intrigued.

The real surprise comes when Georgina’s ex boyfriend shows up at one of the events. Her marriage isn’t improving, but that’s mainly because she can’t help comparing her husband Nathan with Whitaker.

This novel is a fun, entertaining page-turner. If raunchy sex scenes aren’t your thing, no worries. Most of the sex is off-screen. THE LIFESTYLE definitely exposed me to a side of NYC I wasn’t aware of. #TheLifestyle #NetGalley

I gave this book 4 stars out of 5 last month when I read it last month, but I think I have to take away a star. As I'm thinking back, I can barely remember anything that happened. It just wasn't a standout. I think I was hoping for a bit more steam and perhaps a stronger plotline. An okay read, but wouldn't rave about this one.

I picked up this debut because I was admittedly intrigued by the plot. The woman who has it all, until she walks in on her husband? Tale as old as time. But the twist is Georgina turns to swinging to fix their marriage and joined by two best friends navigating their own relationship dynamics.

I thought it was interesting how author Taylor Hahn developed each character's relationship over the course of the book. The book is sexy, but not raunchy at all. It's funny too, I love how she nailed the conversations between Georgina and Norah, with the latter playing double duty as BFF and Mom simultaneously.

The Lifestyle is an easy escape read--I flew through it in under 24 hours! Perfect beach read for your summer reading!

Thank you to NetGalley, Anchor and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced copy and the opportunity to provide my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the e-ARC of The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn.

Synopsis:
Georgina Wagman has it all—a great marriage, a great job at a prestigious law firm, and great friends. She’s living the life she always wanted, and everything is perfect. Until, that is, she walks in on her husband Nathan in a compromising position with a junior associate. Georgina has a moment of crisis. But divorce is not a part of the five-year plan, so she comes up with an idea to save her marriage and recapture the spark. She and Nathan are going to become swingers.

Georgina isn’t going to embark on this adventure alone, though. Her friends Felix and Norah and their respective partners decide to tag along for the ride. They’ve got relationship woes of their own that swinging just might fix. Georgina, convinced Felix and Norah belong together, is thrilled. What better place to reignite romance between two people destined to be together than a swingers’ party? Her plan is foolproof, until she runs into a college ex at the first party. When they reconnect, Georgina will find herself torn between her head and her heart, with her very happiness hanging in the balance. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Weiner and Sophie Kinsella, The Lifestyle is a playful homage to Jane Austen's Emma Woodhouse and an outrageously fun summer read.

First of all, that cover is atrocious. Luckily I didn't have to look at it whatsoever. Anyways! I was super excited to read this one. I don't know much about the 'Lifestyle" but something about seems fascinating-probably because it IS a bit "taboo" if you will. But then sadly, it just became "meh" to me and I was pretty bored with the book. Believe me, I wanted to love it. I just didn't, But do go in with an open mind!

I… adored this book and couldn’t put it down. The creativity that’s needed to do an Emma retelling but with swingers? I’m in awe that Taylor Hahn’s mind came up with that, and she executed it so well. The plot was fairly predictable, but I honestly felt like that made it a simply enjoyable, low stakes read.

I really wanted to enjoy this novel, but the writing was too simplistic and the premise was way too far-fetched for me.

The Lifestyle is Taylor Hahn’s debut novel. It’s a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, which I have never read so I can’t offer a comparison. What I’m assuming makes it modern is that the main character, Georgina, along with her husband and close friends, join the lifestyle (aka swinging) to fix their marriages. There was a lot to like about this book and a few things I didn’t like. I really did not like Georgina. She was constantly in everyone else’s business while ignoring that her own life was falling apart. Another thing is swinging; joining the lifestyle should be based on trust between you & your partner - not done as a result of your husband cheating. If you don’t have trust and communication, the lifestyle will likely destroy your relationship altogether. The ending made my eyes roll, but the book does follow a typical romance recipe, so that makes sense.

I was so excited to read this once I read the description because the lifestyle is so interesting to me. I was ecstatic when I was approved for the ARC! Overall, I did enjoy reading it. Most of the characters were likable and I enjoyed the normalization of the lifestyle!

The Lifestyle comes out on June 7! Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for this ARC.

Selling this as an Emma retelling set me up for the wrong expectations. There *are* some minor parallels, but not much. The characters are vapid without the endearing qualities that made the original work. And I just didn’t feel invested in what should have been a rather subversive story…the writing and characters feel super flat.

I thought this book was entertaining. I struggled with Georgina a lot though because I found her a bit ingratiating. Her attitude that she is perfect & her life is perfect therefore I know what everyone needs in their lives was a bit annoying. I'm not a huge fan of these type of people in real life so it was a bit hard to get past it in this book. I am glad I did thought because I ended up enjoying how it wrapped up. The lifestyle she & her friends embark on is interesting to read about for sure. Not sure it would ever be for me but it definitely made these couples reevaluate what was happening between all of them. Overall a good book that let me escape for a little while.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review