Open Monogamy: A Guide to Co-Creating Your Ideal Relationship Agreement

This is by far the very best book I have ever read on anything relationship related. It let me know quickly that my unique situation is not at all that unique. Other people are married to people very opposite of them on the stance of open relationships. One may want a more free-style and open deal allowing sex only outside the relationship, while the other just wants their spouse and/or a second partner for sexual experiences. This book helps you to understand how to make that work. It's not easy, ever, but when you love the person it's worth taking the time to understand them better. I added one page from the book the really resonated with me in particular. If it resonates with you too.... this book may be a very good buy for you. Felt like Dr. Nelson wrote this section about me specifically, ha!

What an honest, eloquent book about relationships. It’s a keeper !It has lots of good homework for you and your partner to work on even if you are not looking into opening your relationship.

There’s two kinds of ENM books: the circumspect and the sensational. This is the latter. And that warrants caution.This book primarily deals with opening relationships that were closer to strict monogamy than they are ENM or poly. It also makes it look easy. Long term mono relationships are hard to convert. This makes it sound like everyone naturally wants their partner to explore their suppressed sexualities and kinks when the reality is that this is a domain fraught with anxiety and betrayal. It can be done right, but that usually means choosing the right partner from the beginning, hence the difficulty of LTR conversion.You will see older established couples interested in swinging and monogamish arrangements. This is a great book to read if everyone is on board and curious about spicing up their monogamy. If you’re reading this alone and wishing for your partner to bridge the gap to meet you, it may be a triggering experience. Best read WITH a partner who is already curious themselves.That said, there’s a lot of good material here, but if you follow it, be ready to heal from mistakes and be resilient in the face of adversity. Good luck.