My rating: 5 of 5 stars 
Genre: General Fiction
Why is the grass always greener somewhere else?
Lucy and Owen decide on a whim that they will have a 6 month “open” marriage but they immediately begin omitting information, lying to each other, and breaking the rules of their agreement. The entire premise of the story made me uneasy and I was reluctant to read this at first because of the heartbreak and destruction that I expected from this situation. But the high ratings and reviews on Goodreads tempted me, so I dove in.
This book takes a close look at marriage, child-rearing, and the reality of a mature long term relationship through the lens of Lucy and Owen.
It takes a heavy and uncomfortable subject and lightens it up with a lot of humor, entertainment, strong supporting characters and a wonderful suburban New York town called Beekman. The book is very funny and there were many laugh-out-loud moments.
Lucy and Owen even decide to raise chickens, which provides a lot of humor as these city folks turn into chicken farmers.
The plot also involves Lucy and Owen’s autistic son Wyatt, and gives the reader a peek into the challenges of parenting a child on the spectrum. That part is eye-opening and I have the utmost respect for these people.
As anyone might predict, the open marriage arrangement blows up in their faces.
How would this end well when two married people decide to allow others to get close to them, physically and emotionally?
Can you really compartmentalize this, and not allow yourself to have feelings for someone that you have a physical relationship with? Can you avoid feeling jealousy, insecurity, and hurt when you picture your partner with someone else?
Surprisingly, however, the ending gives a very satisfying closure for Lucy and Owen and all of the characters in this book.
The author’s writing style is fabulous and I really enjoyed this book. It’s one of my favorites of 2017.
Read This, Not That 