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A Novel
by Chloe Seager
Chloe Seager creates a fun yet thought-provoking novel about two very different women, Holly and Fliss, who are grappling with drastic changes in their relationships after Holly's boyfriend wants to "open" their relationship and Fliss's boyfriend wants to "close" theirs.
After nine years of dating, Holly is sure her boyfriend Will is going to propose. But instead of popping the question, he shocks her by suggesting they open their relationship to date other people.
For the last three years, Fliss and her boyfriend Ash have been in a happily open relationship. But now that they're turning thirty, he wants to close it, throwing Fliss's whole ethos of living life on her terms rather than society's expectations into question.
When Fliss overhears Holly crying in the toilets during her first date in nine years, they decide to ditch their dates and have dinner together. They strike up an instant friendship with Fliss agreeing to teach Holly everything she knows about being in an open relationship, while Holly, who's been with one person for almost a decade, can help Fliss try monogamy.
Fliss is willing to give up dating other people if it means staying with Ash, and Holly is willing to try anything if it means she gets her happy ending with Will. But perhaps both Fliss and Holly will learn that there's no one size fits all when it comes to relationships.
"[A]n effervescent chronicle of two women's inverse dating lives and their illuminating friendship… As the narrative unfolds, both women confront society's expectations for a 'typical' relationship and come to terms with what they need for themselves. Readers will fall in love with this one." —Publishers Weekly
"Told with humor and empathy for each woman's situation, Seager's adult debut features two likeable heroines that readers will root for as the women figure out what they want, not just in their romantic lives, but in their careers, friendships, and familial relationships." —Booklist
"What does and doesn't make relationships ethical and healthy is a critical question posed in this novel.... Holly and Fliss are charming protagonists with impressive force of character. Their stories demonstrate that it's unwise to elevate monogamous romantic relationships over all other forms of connection, including friendships, which can be just as precious. A worthwhile read for those interested in open relationships." —Kirkus Reviews
"I knew nothing about open relationships before this (beyond wondering how anyone had the time), but this was an eye opening, fun and completely engrossing read. I was thinking about Holly and Fliss for a long time after I was done. Truly spectacular." —Rebecca Ryan, author of My Extraordinary Life
"A warm-hearted romcom for all kinds of curious daters...Whether the reader is committed to monogamy, polyamory, or something in between, Open Minded gives a chance to see in broad as well as more nuanced strokes how relatable characters might go about stepping outside of their comfort zones." —Lily Lindon, author of Double Booked
"Refreshingly candid, whip-smart and painfully funny. A perfect exploration of what it's like to navigate the never-ending challenges of love, dating and adulthood." —Hannah Tovey, author of The Education of Ivy Edwards
This information about Open Minded was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Chloe Seager is a literary agent at Madeleine Milburn and a published author. Her debut YA Editing Emma and the sequel Friendship Fails of Emma Nash published with HQ in 2017 and 2018, and she has written several books for Scholastic. Open Minded is her adult debut, which she started writing after noticing a lack of fiction that represented hers and her friends' modern dating experiences. She currently lives in London with her boyfriend, cat and fish.
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