I’ve never read “Emma” so I didn’t know what that comparison was. Basically I requested blind. To be completely transparent, I regretted requesting this book at first because of reviews I read on NetGalley BUT I was so glad I actually stuck with it and read all the way through.

The swinging “lifestyle” would never be something I’d personally want for my marriage or think of in terms of trying to “save” it BUT when I remove myself from the book and just read it for the story it was, I actually really enjoyed it! Georgina irritated me because she couldn’t see just how obnoxious and self centered she was. People that have a personality like hers where they try to “fix” people get under my skin. Thankfully she had characters around her to balance that all out. The book had so much self growth and discovery for every character, parts that were funny even when uncomfortable and I am always happy with a well rounded ending.

This only works as an Emma retelling in that the main character is fairly oblivious to the emotional lives of everyone around her. Beyond that we're just looking at someone too immature to know what she wants in a relationship going around trying to wreck everyone else's.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the chance to read and share a review of The Lifestyle. I was intrigued by the premise of the book but I felt that some of the characters didn't have a mind of their own at times (early on). That gets cleared up near the end. Overall it was a fun read but I'll not forget the crazy experience she had at the first party.....WHAT?!

What I didn't like was, well a lot. I think we can judge a book by the cover, which was awful. This trend of cartoon type characters on a cover is completely lost to me. Why? It is not appealing. Almost immediately, I like Georgina, a lawyer who is married and they both work at the same firm. Climbing the ladder and billable hours gives me the background. Then the friends, who I liked a lot., have been around since college, keeping close contact, all superficial. All of the friendships she has are surface. She even tries to sabotage her friends marriage, because she always wanted them together.

Georgina meets with a client and bam, I want to be a swinger. The reasons given, the story lines and me questioning "what the hell am I reading?" It would seem to me that highly educated people can not fix a marriage based on sex with other people. If you are in a relationship or married like Georgina, and you are not fulfilled, it seems like like something to address way before you chose this activity.

I didn't give it a chance to get explicit or into details. I gave up when the characters are SO easily swayed into this type of activity. The fact that one couple thinks over night and texts the next morning that they are in, is mind blowing.

I labeled it a DNF by 42% and could care any less what happens to Georgina.. I wasn't invested in it at all.

This fun romp is a sassy Emma retelling, this time following Georgina as she leaves her comfortable life with her husband and takes up a swinging lifestyle.
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Georgina has her life planned carefully. Walking in on her husband with another woman is not part of the plan and neither is a divorce. To save her marriage she decides to try out the lifestyle and encourages her friends.
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This book in the long run is little about the lifestyle and a lot about these relationships, while some of these couples are not necessarily worth rooting for it’s definitely an interesting look at relationships.
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Thank you #knopf and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit that I’m not the biggest fan of Emma, but I do love Jane Austen and I do love a retelling. I didn’t hate THE LIFESTYLE but I also didn't love it. My biggest issue was that I didn’t fully fall in love with Georgina. There were definitely parts of her character I loved (the whole bit with Meredith was fantastic), but I ultimately found her to be annoying, and not in an endearing way. Again, this may have to do with the fact that she’s based off of Austen’s Emma.
I definitely recommend this to people if they’re intrigued by the synopsis. It was highly bingeable and a fast-paced read. It’s just not a story that will stay with me.

I really enjoyed this! The lifestyle aspect of the plot gave it a twist not often seen in romcoms. This part of the plot is not going to be for all readers but if you are open to it, it is a very enjoyable book.

Now this book is one of a kind and I absolutely know it's going to garner lots of attention. I guess it's still left up to readers where they fall in loving it or it not being their cup of tea. Just be aware that this novel is sexually explicit - which makes sense based on the synopsis! Thank you to Doubleday for the opportunity to read an e-ARC copy!

I didn’t finish this as I hadn’t read the description and realized it was about swinging and knew it would have to much sexual content for my personal preference.

I loved this story! I do have to say, for a rom com with characters participating in "the lifestyle," it is pretty tame compared to most erotic romance novels I've read. I kind of get the Emma inspiration but this would be better served promoting it as a polyamorous rom com. I will be recommending this one to all my romance fan patrons. I look forward to any and all of Taylor Hahn's future novels!

One of those stories that I wanted to like more than I actually did. I really liked Georgina as a character and appreciated how she lifted up other women in her life. However, she was certainly flawed, and I can't believe one meeting with someone readers barely get any warning on changes things. I would have liked to see more development with the many relationships with people in her life. I think that would have made this book more enjoyable for me. I'm stuck between a 2 and a 3. I did appreciate how the focus was more on the characters than the physical acts between them though!

Thank you to Knopf Doubleday for our ARC copy of The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn.

Rating: 4 star
Genre: Fiction/Romance

This book is a really unique, challenging one for me to review. I'm going to start by saying that this book will not be for everyone. I would encourage you to read the synopsis or message me with questions! All of that being said I would suggest you go into it with an open mind. I enjoy books that open my mind to other lifestyles (you will see the pun I did there if you read it!). This book was well written and really made me think about how love and relationships can look different for everyone.

I would encourage you to review the synopsis on this one; however, keep an open mind. I believe that this is a book that a lot of people are going to talk about! I'm also really impressed with Taylor Hahn, as this is her debut book. I'm excited to see what she writes going forward!

3.25 stars

Georgina Wagman is a 30-something partner at a law firm who catches her seemingly perfect husband, Nathan screwing a first year associate/mentee. In a desperate attempt to save her marriage with not-so-perfect-anymore husband (and by extension her sham of perfect life), she suggests they broaden their mundane lives (sex and in general) by becoming swingers and embracing “the lifestyle.”

At her first such party, she randomly runs into an ex boyfriend, Whitaker Nolan, her first love in college and whom she left to go to law school. As this is a book based on Jane Austen’s Emma, Georgina rather unhelpfully tries to matchmake, fix and meddles in all of her friends’ business. Frankly, I found Georgina annoying AF, even with the best of intentions, and she realises (thank fuck) after many, many chapters that she should really mind her own beeswax.

Overall, this was an interesting read because it offered a unique retelling of a beloved classic romcom. However, I would not rush to shelf this book in the romance section, rather Women’s Fiction with a romantic subplot. The focus of this book was Georgina’s evolving sense of self and the confidence she eventually finds in being messy, taking risks and ultimately happiness based on her own rules.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. I loved this book! This debut has it all: romance, heartache, friendship, and totally flawed characters. The story is laugh-out-loud funny and the situations are unbeatable. I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy a spicy rom-com and love to experience a poignant yet funny story.

This modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma combined with a behind-the-scenes peek at the lives of New York swingers is wildly entertaining, hilarious and heartwarming.

Georgina, like Emma, doesn’t know how to mind her own business. Her endless meddling in her friends’ relationships and belief that she knows best is rather annoying, but at the same time her love for her friends and her desire for their happiness is endearing. She is a complex character like all of us, which makes her relatable even when her decisions or circumstances are not.

My favorite part of this story was seeing how the different characters approached and responded to the swinging lifestyle, and how they eventually each used the experiences to make more empowered decisions and communicate their desires more effectively.

Totally recommend to anyone looking for a quick, entertaining read with humor and heart.

This book was one of a kind and took me for a ride that I did not expect! I LOVED ever second of it.

The Lifestyle is about exactly what you may think that it is-the swinging lifestyle. However, it's a fictional story that also pays homage to Jane Austen's Emma. I was in for the ride when I heard that description lol.
Georgina has the perfect marriage with Nathan-or so she thinks. She finds him cheating with a younger associate at their law firm and is inspired be some advice from a client to pursue a swinging lifestyle to make her husband happy. Since Georgina, like Emma, likes to fix all of her friends' romantic relationships, she invites their friend group to join them as well. I really cared about all of her friends and how they would solve their individual issues, if any. Georgina was exasperating, just like Emma. Emma has never been one of my favorite literary characters just because she assumed to know what was best for everyone.
As to the swinging scenes in the story, they are both steamy and funny, depending on the moment.
Georgina is forced to confront her impressions of her friends and ultimately herself to decide what makes someone happy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

“The Lifestyle” by Tyalor Hahn, new author to this reader. Did I like it? Can’t say that I enjoyed as some readers but it did have its laughable moments. I got a kick out of each character unfolding on the pages. I don’t believe this is a modern day “Emma” re-telling…quite far from it in fact. A quick read and not what I anticipated of the heroine, Georgina, as she chose to include swinging as a form to fix her marriage. That was just unrealistic for me, however anything can happen. Not big into the swinging lifestyle and fell short of its mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Anchor Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of The Lifestyle, scheduled for release in June 2022. A re-telling of the classic novel Emma, the novel focuses on Georgina Wagman, a woman who has it all. A high-paying, fulfilling career at a prestigious law firm. Wonderful, close friends that she's known for ages. A happy marriage to her husband. She prides herself on living life with good intentions, convinced that her actions are helping the people around her. Eventually, one of her well-meaning objectives backfires when she walks in on her mentee having sex with her husband. With divorce not part of her five-year plan, she sets off to breathe new life into her marriage. She's decided that her and Nathan will become swingers and not only that, she's convinced some friends to come along for the ride. Georgina believes her plan is full-proof until an ex walks back into her life. When they re-connect, is saving her marriage still something she wants?

I've never read Emma so I'm not sure how the retelling would compare but there was certainly a lot to enjoy about this debut novel. I very much enjoyed the writing and felt that the writer did a good job showing the benefits and consequences about the swinging lifestyle, how each couple was able to use it to make empowering choices. The supporting characters were also enjoyable to spend time with. My quibble is with Georgina. She struck me as insufferable some of her time, mostly due to her alleged do-gooder attitude. It was clear she cared deeply about the individuals in her life but just the way she talked about them and/or described them at some instances was a little off-putting. Finally, some people could view her emotional affair with her ex as worse than Nathan's brief fling with the junior associate.

All in all, a good escapist read for the moment.

Wait, what? This is billed as an Emma re-telling? I think that is a very far stretch. Yes the book was funny at times but I did not really care for the characters. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Sorry I did not like it more.