This book was so disappointing
It is written very well but the premise just wasn’t for me
It was such a negative book with nothing positive in it at all

This is a slow burner. Not an easy read by any stretch. However if you stick with it it is worth it, certainly an interesting book,

I really struggled to get into this book - I found it too slow and unfortunately not my cup of tea at all. I prefer a book that is faster paced/ grittier and this just didn't offer the interest I had hoped it would.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. Other readers may enjoy it more, but I could not get into it and ultimately did not finish it.

Wouldn't normally have read this but glad i did, can be a hard read. Never read Sue Miller before but monogamy is written with a lot of care and attention to detail.

This book ended up being a DNF for me. It was too predictable and unfortunately rather dull. I forced myself through the first one hundred pages or so before I realised that this one, is not for me.

This is a beautifully written book exploring love and marriage, infidelity and grief.

Annie and Graham have been seemingly happily married for 30 years, a second marriage for both. When Graham dies suddenly in his sleep we follow Annie reflecting on her marriage and coming to terms with her grief and knowledge of Graham’s infidelity.

It is an interesting character study, but was unfortunately a little slow for my liking, however will definitely be to others tastes.

This is a very poetic and beautifully written book that follows Annie and Graham who have been married for over thirty years. In love, insanely so, it seems on the surface but no love is without its pain. Graham, riddled with guilt regarding his affair seems to be untethered from Annie but when he realizes it's always been Annie, he breaks off his affair. Annie and he are set to be just Graham and Annie for the rest of their lives, if only they knew tomorrow isn't promised to everyone, at least not Graham. Much of this book is dedicating to the experience of grief when a spouse dies. When Annie finds Graham dead the next day, following a heart attack in his sleep, she loses her comfort, her security, her closest friend. This book navigates loss poetically, with everything seeming beautiful but dark at the same time. It draws on the strength of family, or its weaknesses and looks at the complexities of being an ex when someone dies, such as Frieda, Graham's first wife with whom he and Annie remained close friends, or an ex-lover, such as Rosemary who mourns the loss of her former lover in private.

I did enjoy this book, but it simply was not for me. It felt a little too flowery in description for me and I have simply concluded that it is just not the book for me. I feel like if you enjoy books that have an aura of romanticism and seem to romanticise the every day mundane experience of marriage, but then also deals with loss, grief and overcoming it with poetry then I feel this book may be the one for you. I found myself zoning out for sections of this book because of this writing style that I feel sat a little over my head. When the characters spoke to one another, it felt strained in some ways as it was incredibly formal but upon reflection after finishing the book, I think this was just to add to the atmosphere the book was attempting to create. Despite it's romatic air, it does have it's raw moments. My heart bled for Annie when she found out Graham had been cheating on her, and when she found out Frieda knew. I don't know how she kept a level head because I certainly wouldn't have. I also found Lucas and Sarah a little unbelievable as characters, both of them seemingly like 50 year olds rather than 30 year olds.

Very slow book. I was expecting more from it, it really seemed to be missing a twist - or have I been ruined by twisty thrillers? Not even an explanation as to why the affair happened. It just did...

Monogamy by Sue Miller is a very poignant and emotive book. It is about long term relationships and partnerships. Everyone who has ever been in a long term relationship will relate to this book. It exemplifies the early anxieties of losing yourself as you become part of a couple, then growing as one half of the partership.

Wasn't really my cup of tea if I'm honest. Well written story exploring relationships, loss of a partner and grief. Just found it a bit slow.

I read many of Sue Miller's novels years ago and loved them , so was very excited to receive this ARC of Monogamy. I love Miller's authentic, warm and emotionally honest writing here. Her characters are vividly drawn and her writing is so insightful. I loved Annie and was so drawn into and moved by her story. If you like Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Strout I'd read Monogamy and then explore the wonderful back catalogue waiting for you ! Highly recommended
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC

The description of this book caught my interest, and although it was in fact an enjoyable enough read, there just seemed to be something missing for me.

The story takes a long, hard look in to marriage, friendship, family and of course grief. Although the storyline itself was had a lot of promise, i struggled to feel anything for the characters, as I found their personalities rather unlikable at times.

It is written well and has the premise of a wonderful story, It unfortunately just wasn't for me.

* Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for my copy of this book in return for my honest review.*

This is a beautifully written book giving a honest and strong voice to an area of our society that doesn't get much focus, the development of a marriage when the children have left home, grief and the impending start of older age. Whilst the subject may be hard for some to read the story is handled with compassion and understanding, the characters evolve gently and the outcome is a beautiful, calm and thoughtful book.

Monogamy by Sue Miller is my sleeper hit of the year. I read it a few months ago and am still thinking about Annie and her life.

Annie, a photographer and Graham, co-owner of a bookstore have been married for almost 30 years. This is a second marriage for both of them.

Graham has always been the more outgoing of the two, yet Annie really enjoys the dinner parties they host in their home following events in the bookstore. Annie has found a way into Graham's life, but how much of her own interests has she given up in the process?

The story is told from alternating points of view, so we know about Graham's affair before Annie does. When he dies, suddenly, we know it is only a matter of time before Annie's grief is accompanied by the complex emotions of discovering that her marriage wasn't what she thought it was. As if grief on its own isn't complicated enough.

Annie and Graham's first wife, Frieda became friends. A friendship that Annie finds herself relying on following Graham's death, until she realises that Frieda isn't being entirely honest with her.

Monogamy is a brilliantly written bittersweet character study of marriage, loss, infidelity, betrayal, the changing nature of relationships, and whether we can ever really know everything about the people we love.

Enthralling tale of love, soul mates, temptation, betrayal & loss. Annie & Graham find each other almost accidentally & neither are what the other wants. And yet they feel they belong together and a happy marriage follows, occasionally interrupted by Graham's ex with whom both are on good terms. The lure of a liasion, the revelation of an affair, grief and heartbreak make for a compelling story of relationships and life.

Miller’s insightfulness into love and grieving in wonderful. That hair’s breadth line between love and hate all couples can feel at some point in a long marriage are beautifully illustrated here.The ‘embarrassment’ Miller’s main character, Annie, feels after a certain meeting (no spoilers here) is hot flushing cheeks real. For the full review go to https://joebloggshere.tumblr.com/post/636970006237822976/monogamy-by-sue-miller-everyone-is-raving-about

Monogamy is certainly a ‘quiet ‘ book, and although I found it a compelling read for the most part, I struggled to put my finger on why and had lost interest a little by the end. I would rate monogamy at 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

While this is a beautifully written book, it is incredibly slow moving with not a great deal happening. It focuses on the marriage of Annie and Graham and the aftermath of Graham's death. There are chapters from the viewpoint of other characters but I don't feel as if they bring a lot to story. While I enjoyed parts of this book, I did not find the characters of Annie and Graham particularly likeable or sympathetic which prevented me from becoming too involved in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a beautiful story of love and marriage, however, it is an extremely slow plot--I struggled to get through it simply because the characters had little motivation and there was minimal tension. If you are okay with slow pacing, it is worth a read, but it was a struggle for me.