Stuck in a failing marriage, A Life Less Monogamous follows the lives of one couple, Ryan and Jennifer, who are jumping in to the world of swinging in an effort to save their relationship.
“Sometimes you feel the same for so long, you think that is just the way that life feels. A yearning can feel visceral, almost physical. She found herself caught off guard by the intensity of the new emotion, by the intensity of something different.” (64)
It is a fictional novel loosely based on true stories, and it feels real. Cooper S. Beckett’s book doesn’t simply display swinging under rose-coloured glasses like many books on non-monogamy do. Discovering swinging wasn’t an instant miracle-cure for Ryan and Jennifer; there are some major ups and downs to their story. A Life Less Monogamous deals with feelings of betrayal, “us and them” mentalities, and struggling to make things work. The couple knows they are in trouble but still love each other very much and are prepared to do the work necessary to fix things – however unconventional the solution may be – and I think this is a familiar feeling for far too many people.
As someone who has practiced non-monogamy for many years (though never swinging), Ryan and Jennifer’s lives were very relatable to me, even if I didn’t always like them or the life choices they were making.
The world of swinging is a fairly cisgender, heterosexual one. Beckett’s book explores bisexuality more than I’ve heard is standard for swingers and is definitely set up for more queerness happening if there is a sequel released.
A Life Less Monogamous was a quick read, but a very good one. I’m very much looking forward to a potential sequel and more of Beckett’s work in general.
For more information or to purchase, check out alifelessmonogamous.com. A Life Less Monogamous is available as an ebook, paperback, or audiobook!
Want more Cooper and/or swinging in your life? Check out the podcast Life on the Swingset!