thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

As soon as I started reading Muay Thai for Monogamists, I could tell it would be one of those very absurd novels in which not everything makes sense, but also the author is very aware of this and isn't worried about it. The main purpose of this book is to entertain, to make the readers laugh, and I think it was accomplished even if there were some nuggets of wisdom and so not-so-funny moments interspersed. Like, there were bits in which Eliana, the main character, reflects about her life and her relationships, and not only is this not funny, but it adds a depth to the novel that I wasn't expecting. I think this is also the reason why it took me a little bit longer to read this book than I'd anticipated.

It is advertised as a romcom, and there is definitely romance, but I don't consider it the main focus on the novel. And yes, as the title suggests, there is some exploration of monogamy, but very superficial and not satisfying in the slightest, especially for someone like me since I challenge it in my own relationships. I think in this novel monogamy and non-monogamy were used as buzzwords rather than issues that can be explored in this day and age. That was sort of disappointing, for sure, but its not like this was meant to be my favorite novel to begin with, so I let it slide.

I could not get into this book. It did not have enough of a plot for me, unfortunately. It was not really a romance; the characters were a mess and all over the place.

A very fun very lighthearted read of a group learning mui Thai late night , becoming friends, helping each other through traumas, and finding love. Fun fun fun.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved all the fun and odd lovable characters in this book. It was so good! This was a fun book and I enjoyed every word of it!
I just reviewed Muay Thai For Monogamists by Genevieve Flint. #MuayThaiForMonogamists #NetGalley
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While I can’t say whether Flint did any research about Muay Thai for this outing, she certainly did none about polyamory. Or possibly human relations. This is revenge fic, clearly written by someone with a bad experience with polyamory or claims of it. The idea that you can love someone out of their values or orientation is truly repugnant. Would she have found a publisher if she’d derided another group so vapidly? Furthermore, if I hadn’t been horrified by the basic premise of the book, then maybe I would have been turned off by the annoying protagonist without a millimeter of depth, or the non-romantic plot of a truly subpar employee baffled by her lack of professional advancement.

Do not read this book. Do not buy this book. Do not reward this schlock.

This was a cute book! I enjoyed the characters for the most part. I do feel like maybe I missed something while reading, or maybe I am so used to multi POV books that when I read the one off book that I occasionally read only in one POV, I feel like I’m always missing something.
Slow burn, miscommunication, people just jumping to conclusions (from all sides). Again, I liked the book, it just had some tropes that I generally try to avoid. If done right, I can still enjoy myself!
The group of characters she meets were cute. Overall, they were an interesting group of quirky, fun people. There was a moment in the middle of the book that I was upset for the FMC because her friends jumped to conclusions and then made it seem like it was her fault. And then it wasn’t really resolved, just ignored and they then move on.
The sequel is needed because something’s are left hanging, so I am excited to see where this story goes!!

Muy Thai for Monogamist is a fun read. I wouldn’t call it a romance novel. It’s more of a finding your family/ people novel. It is very Bridget Jonesish (which I suppose makes it pride and prejudiceish) I did find the FMC a bit of a mess. Almost to the point that I just wanted her to get some therapy and not try for anything romantic with anyone. But the whole cast of characters is a little bit in need of therapy. The writing itself is clever and very British. Overall I enjoyed it. And will probably buy the next one, because as weird as they are, I kinda want to know what happens. (There isn’t a cliffhanger ending but there is a second book with these characters) I was given an ARC.

This book caught my attention and had me snort laughing from the first page. The premise is unique and interesting, but the emotions it brings up are all the familiar ones you want in a rom-com. I felt mushy, giggly, and even a little conspiratorial.

Eliana’s narrative and voice were relatable and I felt really seen in the way she engages with the world, and especially her own thoughts. There were some aspects I didn’t love, and times I struggled to stay in the story, but overall a really enjoyable and entertaining read.

It was good! Very well written with great characters... but I couldn't help but project my own desires on to it, and was disappointed and it didn't do the way that I was hoping. It was still a fantastic read, and I'm sure that convention Romance fans are going to have a lot of fun with it!

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️🌟

Thank you, NetGalley, for the free copy of this book. This is an honest opinion.
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I trully was loving this book, a solid four stars, until i finished it. Then I realized that the cover and the title were not hinting for a polyamorous romcom. It truly is a book for monogamist.

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This is a story that I would love to see as a movie. It really has the vibes of those bad (but good) Romcom movies where the protagonist keeps talking to the audience, making mistakes until she gets her happy ending.

👩‍💼Eliana lives daydreaming all the time. I'm not joking. She lives overthinking and assuming what others may think in a funny way. This makes her an unreliable narrator (especially when talking about her boss).

📖I liked the narration style  because it is a great example of how our mind changes facts in order to sustain our own system belief. With Eliana we can see how "toxic" relationships usually work, how if you belive they are giving you everything, you may not accept something is wrong until someone hits your partner because they think he is abusive. Eliana is also a great example of how we react when or values are questioned, especially in a topic like sexuality. To her, polyamorist is something she is "force" to think about probably for the first time, and her reaction is a common one.

🧡 What I most liked about the book was the friendshis. I wished the story focused more on their group dynamics and personal growth. This would have worked great as a found family trop.

👵 Eileen is another thing i loved. She is funny and loving, even though her "I'm a therapist I can say this..." is not so ethic.

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What I did not like:
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🧘‍♀️They should have included Rita (the instructor) more, I wanted to know about her.

💔 I was hoping Eliana gave Dave a chance to educate her and consider that his beliefs are also valid. That never happens. She had the chance to learn, but she ended up being rude about it.

Dont get me worng, her belief are valid. Not everyone has to be okay with an open relationship, but in reality, she just assumed that was how it was going to be. She never accepts the possibility that someone can be poly and still chose to respect the boundaries of a relationship.

There is a second book, but I'm still questioning if I should read it in hopes that they actually educate about the topic instead of concluding that monogamist is the only correct answer.

First of all, thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
This is a perfect book for a vacation, just chilling at the beach while reading it. Unfortunately, I read it at my home, in October while the weather was around 10 C, but the vibe was definitely beach vibe! The story is emtertaining, realistic like plot and thoughts. I could totally identify myself with the female lead, the way of her thinking and actions as well.
I would recommend this book for everyone, who liked Bridget Jones' Diary and looking for something easy and entertaining to read, while still having meaningful plot and dialoges.
I had to deduct one star from my review but only because sometimes the thoughts and inner conversations of the female lead were too much, it happened I got lost in all of that with so many characters and side stories.

Muay Thai For Monogamists by Genevieve Flint was such a wonderful and enjoyable read.
Its rich storytelling and well-developed characters kept me engaged from start to finish.
I loved everything about this book. From the first chapter, I got sucked into the book and had a hard time putting it down. I loved the well-developed characters, Eliana, Dave, JT and even Rita, who have their own personalities and qualities and who really have a great chemistry together. The banter was amazing. The plot worked well and the setting was great.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Victory Editing for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book - it was a lot more interesting than the usual softer tropes of a rom com. The main character made it; she was witty and engaging, while also having a level of insecurity that became clearer as the book progressed (triggered from an upsetting event in school) and added an 'Eleanor Oliphant' feel, where one both loves and slightly pities the protagonist.
The group of friends were incredibly strong - it reminded me of the group in the Richard Osman novels, only stronger.
Overall, this was a very humorous and easy read. It is very British and would appeal to anyone who would enjoy British humour!

I will admit, I picked this book up because of the eye-catching title but I stayed for the plot. I have this in my cart on order for my bookstore already :)

I… really wanted to like this. I really did. However, the main female character was awful. She’s obsessed with being interesting and “improving her identity capital”. (Meaning her existence outside of work.) Which is also another way of saying you’re obsessed with how other people perceive your life. This entire book she drones on and on about wanting other people to think she’s cool. So she signs up for Muay Thai, where she meets Dave, a guy who is questioning his romantic lifestyle. She proceeds to crap on him the ENTIRE BOOK for asking the question ‘but what if polyamory?’ Going so far as to crap on the concept WHILE AT A POLY EVENT THAT SHE WAS INVITED TO AND THAT DAVE PAID FOR ENTIRELY.
And there were so many pop culture references. If I cared enough I would have counted through out the entire book there probably would have been over 400! That’s basically two per page! That’s outrageous. It got in the way of plot and does nothing to enhance the reader’s understanding if they don’t know the reference.
While the parent intervention scene did make me shed a few tears, I kinda almost don’t understand why it’s there? Yes, it makes the two main characters get close, touch hands, sparks fly- the formula- but that’s it? This book is in a series right? Wouldn’t this scene be better for his book? I guess it demonstrates the power of quickly found family and there’s a need to fill space?
Eliana is also super insecure about being able to keep a partner interested in her enough to not cheat (see “personal capital” fear). (This also kind of feeds into her crapping on Dave all the time, she thinks being poly is cheating.)
This character is also always wearing thongs for some reason. I wonder why she hates herself that much.
As for “ la formule”, it felt like it was completely disregarded here, and that’s where the pacing suffers dramatically. Because in the beginning of the book it’s, Eliana has an interaction with both guys that go poorly, now Tony is here in person and things are still going poorly, now she’s dumped one of the guys, and oh, now she’s kissing her man! The end. The get together is rushed and clumsy.