"Open Minded" by Chloe Seager is a refreshing and thought-provoking novel that challenges traditional notions of love and relationships. The story follows two women, Holly and Fliss, who find themselves at a crossroads in their respective relationships and decide to explore the concept of open relationships.

Seager's writing is witty and engaging, drawing readers into the lives of Holly and Fliss as they navigate the complexities of modern romance. The novel's exploration of open relationships is handled with sensitivity and nuance, highlighting both the benefits and challenges of this lifestyle choice.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its well-developed characters, particularly Holly and Fliss, who are both relatable and endearing. As they embark on their journey of self-discovery, they learn valuable lessons about love, friendship, and the importance of staying true to oneself.

"Open Minded" is a compelling and insightful novel that will resonate with readers of all ages. With its engaging storyline, relatable characters, and thought-provoking themes, Chloe Seager has crafted a captivating tale that encourages readers to challenge their preconceived notions about relationships and embrace the idea that love comes in many forms. Dive into this delightful novel and discover the true meaning of open-mindedness.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

This book explores ethical non-monogamy through the perspectives of Fliss, Ash, Holly, and Will. Fliss and Ash are "closing" their relationship, while Holly and Will are opening theirs. Despite enjoying the different viewpoints and the dynamics of Fliss and Holly's friendship, I felt the story lacked depth in character backgrounds, particularly regarding Will's and Ash's motivations. While initially hesitant due to personal reservations about open relationships, I found myself engrossed in the narrative. However, the repetitive nature of the storyline and the absence of the partners' perspectives left me wanting more depth and nuance. Overall, it's a thought-provoking read with lessons about the complexities of love and relationships, though it could benefit from further character development and a more satisfying conclusion. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I love seeing more books being written about ethical non-monogomy! I love how this book views dating from both perspectives. I know it can be hard to accept when it's a completely foreign concept, but that is one thing I love about reading books like this. This is a must read for anyone interested in learning more.

I really enjoyed this read. It felt exciting and new. The characters were really dimensional and I loved exploring their newfound territory with them.

Personally, I didn’t know what to expect reading this book, but the description seemed interesting so I thought “Why not?”. Truth be told, I wasn’t immediately sold, and I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that personally, open relationships are off the table for me. It eventually came to a point where I didn’t want to put it down though and I ended up really enjoying it.

I loved that this book gave different view points, one being Fliss and Ash, who are “closing” their relationship and the other being Holly and Will who are opening theirs. I also really enjoyed Fliss and Holly’s friendship and how it molded the two POV’s together. Truthfully the only thing this book is missing is more background. I wanted to know more of Will and Holly and the why behind him wanting an open relationship. I wanted a little of Will’s POV too. I didn’t really enjoy his character too much and I would have loved to see his suffering through dates when he’s the one that wanted to do it! Same with Ash, though I loved his character, I would have enjoyed seeing some of his side through it.

All in all, great story and lessons to be learned about how vast love can be.

This was beautifully written and pushed on bias I have around relationships and the binary, in some ways. I appreciated the tone and arc of this story.

Thank you to the publisher William Morrow and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall 4/5 star read for me.

Open Minded by Chloe Seager is a book with gumption and heart. Two women, Holly and Fliss, find themselves in each other’s position at the start of the book and bond over their role reversal as they navigate their new relationship status. Holly finds herself begrudgingly beginning an open relationship after her boyfriend of almost a decade says this is how they can move forward, and Fliss finds herself in a newly exclusive relationship after three years in an open relationship. What ensues is a delightful exploration of what constitutes a good relationship and how do we find out what we need for ourselves.

I enjoyed both Holly and Fliss as characters and thought the author did a good job helping them grow throughout the story. These are not perfect women; they are messy and stubborn and kind and anxious which make them feel well rounded and interesting to read about. The romantic leads were intriguing and fulfilled their intended purposes well. I loved the other pieces of both of these women’s lives, like their friends, families, and professional lives that contributed to each of their stories.

The biggest reason this is not a five star read for me is there were a few points throughout the book, especially with Holly’s arc, that felt a bit too obvious. I personally would have enjoyed a bit more unraveling to discover certain truths/reveals. This is truly a personal preference as a reader for an already enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced e-arc and an Honest review. This was an unconventional story that was unexpected as from the synopsis, immediately drew me in. Holly and Fliss decide to be amenable to their partners and give them what they want by engaging in an open relationship (Holly) and a monogamous relationship (Fliss). Holly, having come from a 10 year monogamous relationship becomes the “coach” of Fliss after meeting her one night after her first failed date, which prompts Fliss to be Holly’s “coach” since she has been in an open relationship with her partner Ash for several years. The books focuses on the trials and tribulations of the two as they navigate what it means to be in these new versions of their relationships. For most of the book, the story felt incredibly flat and repetitive and I think what could have really given it some depth was the added perspective of their partners—Will and Ash. It wasn’t really clear why they wanted to change their relationship status, so instead, we got this one-sided narration from both women that left me feeling pretty bored and annoyed for most of the book as you watched them continuously compare the new men to their previous/current partners and make the same mistakes. The ending also felt rushed and while I guess there was a resolution, it still felt pretty flat overall.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this early review ARC of Open Minded by Chloe Seager. Overall, this was a fun read that explored the nitty-gritty of open relationships. Both main characters were likable and both showed lots of growth! There were several times I so wished it would have gone just a little deeper or had a little more of an explanation / backstory. Overall, an easy and relatable read.

This is such a beautiful story of two relationships going through huge changes at the same time. It explores the complexity of relationships, and delves into open relationships. One relationship has someone who wants to open their relationship and try new things, while the other wants to close theirs and move on to the next step in their lives. The two main women meet and realize that they are in parallel situations, so they decide to work together and mentor each other on how to manage different relationship dynamics. This is such a beautiful story and I think it's a must read for everyone. It explores platonic and romantic relationships so well and sends a powerful message. Absolutely loved it.

I enjoyed this e-arc (from NetGalley and HarperCollins) of Open Minded by Chloe Seager!! It’s easy to put differences in relationships out of your mind when it isn’t something you’re necessarily going through. I liked seeing both sides, and reading about both women gaining a better sense of self.

This book is built on an obviously interesting premise but felt so shallow. Like a few clichéd relationship ideas were thrown together to constitute main and supporting characters.
I do think this will be an easy NYT best seller type read that people wanting to read without any depth will enjoy. But it wasn't for me.

Even though the title is with respect as to what relationships a person wants in terms of emotional and physical satisfaction, I really felt that this book was more about the relationship that Holly and Flies had with themselves. Holly had pictured her relationship with Will to be simply perfect but as she stepped aside and through self reflection, realized it was anything but. He made her feel smaller and smaller and constantly apologized for whom she was. As a reader, I applauded her strength and confidence and her approaching Amber on stage was pure genius. Fliss felt she needed to defend why she enjoyed so thoroughly in being in an open relationship but there is a difference between enjoying meeting new people versus enjoying the company of the person she loves which is Ash. I always enjoy books told from different characters perspective and this one didn't disappoint. Highly recommend.

While I liked this book, I did have a hard time keeping track of both storylines. Usually I don’t have a problem with multiple storylines, however I think there was just too much going on.

Overall this was a cute book and I’m happy I read it though.

Love this book. The novel follows two new friends who need to consider changing their relationships in drastic ways to try to make them work. The friends of these ladies are such relatable characters. Such a fun read, yet insightful to learn about open relationships, and thought provoking on monogamy.

The premise of this book quickly made me want to read it. I didn't like that Holly had been roped into an open relationship as is such the case with a ton of novels with this premise-it's always the guy suggesting the open relationship as the women acquiesces. Then there's Fliss who we meet well within her poly lifestyle and although her inner dialogue was well written, the plot didn't exactly do her any favors. I found myself more interested in Fliss' friends than her as a character. Overall, I thought this was a good read, I liked Holly's journey into self sufficiency.

Well written, laugh out loud funny, relatable (even if you've never been in an open relationship), interesting and informative. Open Minded is about two women: Holly, whose long term boyfriend suggests an open relationship before getting married and Fliss, who is in a successful long-term open relationship -- until her boyfriend suggests closing their relationship. They meet in a restaurant bathroom and become friends and advisors to each other as they navigate circumstances neither wants to be in.

The book switches perspectives from Holly to Fliss, and the cast of characters are well developed and feel real. You do get a sense of where the book is going with Holly and Fliss, but it doesn't take away from the story. Written with heart and (British!) humor, I recommend this book.

Thank you William Morrow Books and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Open Minded — Holly and Fliss were the meet-cute of the book, and I loved the way they supported each other through their relationship journeys. I appreciated how open Fliss was about what most people see as a very non traditional arrangement; exactly the opposite of how Holly approached the same thing.

I thought the book did a great job of exploring relationships and our feelings about them — what we actually think and what we believe we’re SUPPOSED to think … and how terrifying it can be to figure all that out and be honest with ourselves.

Overall, I thought it was a lovely and surprisingly emotional read.

Thank you to William Morrow for the ARC, provided in exchange for an honest review.

This book is definitely a different kind of romance, and I rather enjoyed the convoluted way that the characters made their way to an unconventional HEA.

As someone who isn't in an open relationship, I find it fascinating to hear more about the reasoning and functionality of successfully handling one. This kind of touches on those topics but weaves them into a really fun storyline about how you can mess it up as well. I enjoyed it very much and think everyone should be open-minded.

Open Minded is an interesting story that explores the dynamics of polyamorous and also monogamous dating. This felt like a very real representation of how daily life would look like in these various relationships and all the complicated emotions that could come from both. It doesn't feel like the story defines what is the best way to date. This wasn't a romance story to me, more like a women's fiction novel, which is not a bad thing. Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC to review.