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Modogamous
Kate Adams has it all figured out. Five years out of college, she’s got a steady job, a home she loves in the big city, and good friends who always keep her her stylish but nosy roommate Evette, happily-married Cecie, and of course, good old Mitch, her seriously cute co-worker who’s been stuck in the Friend Zone since the day they met. Everything is going just fine—until the night Kate crosses the line with Mitch, and the boundaries between friendship and love begin to blur. Things get even more complicated when hunky JP enters the scene. What’s a girl to do? Add to the mix a spunky little pug Kate never expected to fall for, and her neatly-ordered life is starting to look more like a dog’s dinner. Maybe her roommate has the right idea after forget the men, and stick with a canine companion instead. It’s time for Kate to figure out what she really wants in life. But can she dig her way out of the mess she’s created before she ends up permanently in the doghouse? Please This book contains adult language and mild sexual content.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2013
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 18, 2013
This book was written like a blog or an online journal except it was awesome! Seriously if blogs were actually written like this I might actually read them :) It was a completely unique writing style from anything I had ever read before and I really enjoyed it(that totally shocked me btw). There were times when the action was real time (not clearly demarcated) and not purely reflection on events past but the story flowed nicely.
I would classify this as a misadventure romantic comedy about finding yourself and what you really want. There wasn't any suspense or mystery so if you are not into romance or stories about finding yourself walk away. Nothing is more annoying than someone complaining about something being missing from a book that clearly states "this is what I am". The title says it all...this book is about dogs and how they affect people's lives so I think animal enthusiasts would enjoy it also :) I can't wait to read whatever this author writes next!
**This book is suitable for mature young adult through adult readers
I would classify this as a misadventure romantic comedy about finding yourself and what you really want. There wasn't any suspense or mystery so if you are not into romance or stories about finding yourself walk away. Nothing is more annoying than someone complaining about something being missing from a book that clearly states "this is what I am". The title says it all...this book is about dogs and how they affect people's lives so I think animal enthusiasts would enjoy it also :) I can't wait to read whatever this author writes next!
**This book is suitable for mature young adult through adult readers
January 12, 2014
OK. ..my original thought when I started reading was not a good one. That being said I kept reading and it didn't turn out as bad as I originally thought it would be. The characters I liked. .. The plot was typical but sweet and fun. The writing I wasn't a fan of. I didn't like the way it was written. It went from sounding very very young to cussing. it just felt off to me. However. .I am very glad I read it and kept reading because the ending made it worth it. And the writing got better as the book went on. Overall it wasn't my thing but I did enjoy it.
January 3, 2014
If you're in the mood for a lighthearted read - this is the book for you. It's fun, it's sassy and Kate, the female lead is someone we can all relate to. A story of young love and how to recognise it. Mitch - the leading male character is divine and you'll find yourself rooting for him from early on. The dialogue between the two characters is sparky and full of wit with some real laugh out loud moments. A good debut novel that'll have you looking out for the sequel.
January 27, 2014
Under the weather so in front of the fire with a good book was my plan. Chose Modogamous to keep me company, and an excellent choice it was. Fun and insightful with likable characters, the novel is an easy read. The main character, Kate, puts herself into some interesting situations and the reader can't help but turn the page to see what will happen next. An excellent first novel. I look forward to Martin's future releases.
February 1, 2014
The original review is posted here:
http://chicklibrarycat.blogspot.com/2...
Kate has always lived by the rules. Steady job after college, sharing a flat with her friend Evette, boyfriend here and there. When Evette comes back in the flat after broken marriage, she decides that there will be no more boyfriends any more. Monogamous. With a dog. Modogamous, just me, myself and a dog. So small pug named Drama enters in their life. Even if it is Evette's dog, somehow Kate is the one who has to clean after it, walk it outside on the cold, feed it, curl with it on the sofa. Instead of Evette, Kate is the one who ends up being modogamous.
The friendship with Mitch is something that Kate really apreciates in her life. Mitch is always there, BFF since college. After his father's death, Mitch feels really depressed. One night, Kate and Mitch end up together in bed. They crossed the lines of their friendship.
The things get complicated when in Kate's life enters JP, Mitch's friend from highschool. In the very same time, Mitch meets Darcy. Can Mitch and Kate move on with their lives like that night never happened, or maybe they'll realize that they are meant to be together?
I loved Kate as a main character. She lives by the rules, but things always get out of control. When you don't like something, that thing is constantly there all around you. She hates dogs, and every single boyfriend she meets has a dog. Even her flatmate Evette gets a dog. It seems that dogs are everywhere. But there are many things that you can learn from a dog, and maybe that's what Kate needs. You don't have to live always by the rules, rules are there to be broken.
Another character is Mitch. Great, sensitive guy, always there when you need him. But some guys need to be smacked on the head with a stick just to see what's already right in front of their eyes. That's the case with Mitch. Little bit slow, but I totally fell in love with him.
The different points of view in book confused me a little bit at the beginning. Reading on and on I figured it all out. So, overall I enjoyed the book that made me laugh so many times. If you are in a search for light and humorous read, and little bit Drama in it, than I recommend you to read this book. Modogamous is non-typical romcom that I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I know I did.
http://chicklibrarycat.blogspot.com/2...
Kate has always lived by the rules. Steady job after college, sharing a flat with her friend Evette, boyfriend here and there. When Evette comes back in the flat after broken marriage, she decides that there will be no more boyfriends any more. Monogamous. With a dog. Modogamous, just me, myself and a dog. So small pug named Drama enters in their life. Even if it is Evette's dog, somehow Kate is the one who has to clean after it, walk it outside on the cold, feed it, curl with it on the sofa. Instead of Evette, Kate is the one who ends up being modogamous.
The friendship with Mitch is something that Kate really apreciates in her life. Mitch is always there, BFF since college. After his father's death, Mitch feels really depressed. One night, Kate and Mitch end up together in bed. They crossed the lines of their friendship.
The things get complicated when in Kate's life enters JP, Mitch's friend from highschool. In the very same time, Mitch meets Darcy. Can Mitch and Kate move on with their lives like that night never happened, or maybe they'll realize that they are meant to be together?
I loved Kate as a main character. She lives by the rules, but things always get out of control. When you don't like something, that thing is constantly there all around you. She hates dogs, and every single boyfriend she meets has a dog. Even her flatmate Evette gets a dog. It seems that dogs are everywhere. But there are many things that you can learn from a dog, and maybe that's what Kate needs. You don't have to live always by the rules, rules are there to be broken.
Another character is Mitch. Great, sensitive guy, always there when you need him. But some guys need to be smacked on the head with a stick just to see what's already right in front of their eyes. That's the case with Mitch. Little bit slow, but I totally fell in love with him.
The different points of view in book confused me a little bit at the beginning. Reading on and on I figured it all out. So, overall I enjoyed the book that made me laugh so many times. If you are in a search for light and humorous read, and little bit Drama in it, than I recommend you to read this book. Modogamous is non-typical romcom that I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I know I did.
August 10, 2016
This sort of book normally isn't my go-to book. I usually favor paranormal/paranormal romance books. Surprisingly, I really rather enjoyed this book! It was funny, witty, cute, quick but not too quick of a read. I caught myself laughing out loud a few times throughout the book. Kate (the female lead) was a college graduate, unsure what to do with herself. She finds a job to pay the bills and ends up staying with it for several years. Throughout the book, we see her date/interact with a couple of guys and her friends. I liked that Karen gave a little bit of the history to help us understand Kate and her friends. Karen starts off the book with the present day in Kate's POV, then the next chapter 5 years previously, and each chapter after that slowly getting back to the setting of Chapter 1. You learn where the term "Modogamous" comes from pretty early on and continually see the interaction between Kate and Drama, the dog (which I totally can relate to the interactions since I love and have 3 dogs of my own!). Karen had me talking to my Kindle, technically to Mitch, and shaking my head at him and what he would do, or more accurately wouldn't do. LOL
The only thing I didn't really care for was the POV stuff. Karen would start the chapter in one perspective (which I'm totally fine with), then the next page or so she may go back to the main character's perspective. At times it could get a little confusing, but since it didn't happen too often, it didn't deter from the book too badly.
Overall, I would recommend this book to my friends.
The only thing I didn't really care for was the POV stuff. Karen would start the chapter in one perspective (which I'm totally fine with), then the next page or so she may go back to the main character's perspective. At times it could get a little confusing, but since it didn't happen too often, it didn't deter from the book too badly.
Overall, I would recommend this book to my friends.
December 23, 2013
Why is it that every guy Kate dates has more time for his dog that for her? And Kate can’t stand dogs. Especially when she works in the call centre for The Pup Is Up – certainly not what she thought she’d be using her degree for. Luckily Kate is surrounded by wonderful friends – none more so than handsome Mitch who has always been there for her and Evette, who moves in with Kate when her husband leaves her.
But life turns on its head when Evette buys a pug dog and swears off men becoming modogamous and Kate has to cope with being a dog owner. Oh yeah, and then there’s the fact that she slept with Mitch after his dad died and, scared of complicating their friendship, bolted out the door in the morning…because that won’t make things murky. Luckily she meets sexy JP to take her mind off things.
Karen E Martin has written a fantastic account of one young woman trying to find herself in the post university years. I found the different narrative stances, for example Kate’s blog, a little confusing and unnecessary, but Kate is a warm, loveable heroine and I think every woman will come away wanting a friend like Mitch in their lives. Not to mention a cute little pug.
Read it to warm your cynical cockles.
Reviewed by Nikki Mason on behalf of BestChickLit.com
But life turns on its head when Evette buys a pug dog and swears off men becoming modogamous and Kate has to cope with being a dog owner. Oh yeah, and then there’s the fact that she slept with Mitch after his dad died and, scared of complicating their friendship, bolted out the door in the morning…because that won’t make things murky. Luckily she meets sexy JP to take her mind off things.
Karen E Martin has written a fantastic account of one young woman trying to find herself in the post university years. I found the different narrative stances, for example Kate’s blog, a little confusing and unnecessary, but Kate is a warm, loveable heroine and I think every woman will come away wanting a friend like Mitch in their lives. Not to mention a cute little pug.
Read it to warm your cynical cockles.
Reviewed by Nikki Mason on behalf of BestChickLit.com
March 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this book from start to finish! It was sassy, fresh and fast paced; all things i like in a book. Kate thinks she has her life all thought out. She is working, out of college, lives in a nice home, has really good friends. She just has the worst luck with men. She has kept Mitch, her best guy friend, in the friend zone since soon after meeting him. He is also one of her co-workers. Mitch has a personal crisis, and Kate does her best to help him through it since they have been such good friends for 8 years. Things go from the friend zone to the "love" zone pretty quickly, and neither one knows how they should handle it. JP and Darcy come back into the picture for the 2 friends as they are trying to figure out what to do. After a horrible experience in her marriage, Kate's roommate decides she wants to me modogamous, and live her life with no men, just a dog. So the spirited little pug moves into her condo & life. Kate needs to understand what she really wants. She needs to dig herself out of the chaos that has been created with Mitch as well as JP. She needs to figure out what and whom she really desires in life.
January 26, 2014
I cannot say enough good things about this book. It's like Bridget Jones meets Shopaholic, but smarter and more relatable. Kate is a great heroine, who is oblivious to the fact that her life and her job is stagnant and she is just going through the day to day motions of what she expects her life to be. She doesn't stop to think about if she is happy or if it is how she wants to life to be. Sometimes as a reader I wanted to smack some sense into her just like she were my friend making bad life choices when all I can do is stand there and watch.
Mitch, in my opinion, is the true star of the book. He's the sensitive best friend that every girl is looking for, but not so over the top that he couldn't possibly exist. He too deserved more than one smack on the side of the head from the reader at his stupidity, however all of the miscommunication and bad timing was done well and didn't feel like a plot device, but rather exactly like it happens in real life.
I laughed throughout the entire book and look forward to reading more by the author.
Mitch, in my opinion, is the true star of the book. He's the sensitive best friend that every girl is looking for, but not so over the top that he couldn't possibly exist. He too deserved more than one smack on the side of the head from the reader at his stupidity, however all of the miscommunication and bad timing was done well and didn't feel like a plot device, but rather exactly like it happens in real life.
I laughed throughout the entire book and look forward to reading more by the author.
December 20, 2013
This is a light hearted romantic romp of a book. It is fast paced, well written and laugh out loud funny. It is a very cute, little contemporary romance. Kate and Mitch are friends and then things heat up. Kate has a roomie and a funny little dog that annoys her, funny friends and an unsatisfying career. “Earlier this year, Roomie said she was giving up on men and becoming modogamous—in other words, monogamous with a dog.” This book is a very fun and entertaining rom com. It does have a standard romance novel plot (boy and girl are friends and boy loves girl but can't seem to get her) but the humor and cleverness of the writing kept my interest. 4 stars.
August 25, 2016
This is a book I won in a giveaway. The book was a bit unusual in the way it skipped PoV's, but once I got the hang of it, it was a smoother read. While I enjoyed the story, I never really felt a connection to the main character Katie- but I loved Mitch, and even JP/John who was unabashedly a man-ho. Good story line, and good writing. Although I never connected with the main protagonist, I loved all the other characters.
January 14, 2014
OMG I fell in love with this book! The Author had you from the first page all the way to the very last. It was written in first person so you had a great feel to the story like you were the character herself. At certain points you actually felt the frustration of the characters. I do look forward to more of her work and I give her five angels for this!
October 12, 2014
I was totally swept away as soon as I read the first chapter of this book. Karen Martin has a lovely, graceful writing style that draws you in and makes you feel all mushy inside. It helps that her hero in this novel is so gorgeous and steadfast, and her heroine just flawed enough you can imagine her as one of your friends. Great story, funny scenes. A winner all round.
January 16, 2014
This was a awesome book !! loved the Characters Loved the scenes!! Even the sad parts of Figuring out everything!! If you want something that is cute, Funny and With a Happy Ending this book is the one!!
September 30, 2016
(I deleted my profile for awhile so updating wth my reviews and reviews from my blog)
*Disclaimer - I was given a free copy from the author in exchange for a honest review*
This type of book is not one that I would often read. In the spirit of my readaloutions for the year, I thought why not. I was not disappointed the book didn't hook me the way I normally look for a book to do so. However I did find myself wanting to read more and more of this charming,funny, cozy and easy read. I have to say that anyone who has known the love of a dog will love this book, it just has you nodding along in agreement, as not even the greatest love can beat that feeling you get when you get the excited yapping, jumping and chase of a tail your furry friend gives you over the littlest things. If you like a cozy easy romance to escape to on a rainy or cold afternoon then do consider this adorable relatable read.
There was a lot I liked about this book I liked the unique way of story telling through occasional blog posts from Kate. The story was not to slow paced and had quite a few chuckle out load moments. Although I have to say I was not a huge fan of Kate (which is frustrating as I cannot put my finger on why she did not appeal to me as others in the book. I just could not connect with her) though I did like how she has a huge heart and was not perfect just your average young woman finding herself stuck in a place where she did not imagine herself and looking for her true path in the world making mistakes a long the way. Mitch on the other hand was a delight I loved the moments when we got into his head and he is such a loveable character even if he tends to doubt himself and be a little flaky at times. The friendship they share is so genuine and full of wit you become endeared to them easily. The dynamics of the many friendships within the book are believable, varied and interesting. Which I find is not always the case between main characters and their lesser focused on friends and family. This I feel added to the charm.
The book is well written with a style that to me just oozes fun and cosy comfy feels. Although at times it was hard to follow the p.o.v as you would start off as Kate and suddenly find yourself in Mitch's head for example. This was confusing at times but I found myself quickly coming to terms with it and figuring it out on the few occasions it happened. It did not detract from the story at all.
Lastly I just wanted to mention that some of my favourite bits were when Kate was comparing past dating disasters to their pet pooch's so funny especially the red-neck lol.
Overall Modogamous is worthwhile read and I really did enjoy it.
*Disclaimer - I was given a free copy from the author in exchange for a honest review*
This type of book is not one that I would often read. In the spirit of my readaloutions for the year, I thought why not. I was not disappointed the book didn't hook me the way I normally look for a book to do so. However I did find myself wanting to read more and more of this charming,funny, cozy and easy read. I have to say that anyone who has known the love of a dog will love this book, it just has you nodding along in agreement, as not even the greatest love can beat that feeling you get when you get the excited yapping, jumping and chase of a tail your furry friend gives you over the littlest things. If you like a cozy easy romance to escape to on a rainy or cold afternoon then do consider this adorable relatable read.
There was a lot I liked about this book I liked the unique way of story telling through occasional blog posts from Kate. The story was not to slow paced and had quite a few chuckle out load moments. Although I have to say I was not a huge fan of Kate (which is frustrating as I cannot put my finger on why she did not appeal to me as others in the book. I just could not connect with her) though I did like how she has a huge heart and was not perfect just your average young woman finding herself stuck in a place where she did not imagine herself and looking for her true path in the world making mistakes a long the way. Mitch on the other hand was a delight I loved the moments when we got into his head and he is such a loveable character even if he tends to doubt himself and be a little flaky at times. The friendship they share is so genuine and full of wit you become endeared to them easily. The dynamics of the many friendships within the book are believable, varied and interesting. Which I find is not always the case between main characters and their lesser focused on friends and family. This I feel added to the charm.
The book is well written with a style that to me just oozes fun and cosy comfy feels. Although at times it was hard to follow the p.o.v as you would start off as Kate and suddenly find yourself in Mitch's head for example. This was confusing at times but I found myself quickly coming to terms with it and figuring it out on the few occasions it happened. It did not detract from the story at all.
Lastly I just wanted to mention that some of my favourite bits were when Kate was comparing past dating disasters to their pet pooch's so funny especially the red-neck lol.
Overall Modogamous is worthwhile read and I really did enjoy it.
March 20, 2014
3.5 Stars
I have to agree with another reviewer on this point...the start of the book was a little rocky. The style of the writing and format were a little off for me. Perhaps because it felt like a teenager was writing the blog or because it was a blog and it was moving us through time, not sure, but it took a few chapters before I really started getting into the book. I would have rated this higher, but I'm on the fence with Kate. On the one hand, I really liked her. She seemed so loyal to her friends and was even there for Mitch when his dad passed, but then she was just so annoying after sleeping with him. I can say that I applauded him calling her out on her behavior at the end. I seriously could not understand why she got pissed at him...he was spot on. Perhaps the venue wasn't the greatest, but hey, I can understand how he could snap after all the times he was relegated to "just a good friend". I was so feeling him and seriously disappointed in her. She wanted him to "step up" and be more forthright like JP, but she didn't give him the chance. I could even understand her panicking the morning after, but her subsequent behavior just pissed me off.
That may not bother other people as much, so I can see why they would love this. I'm sure everyone has gone through or contemplated the age old question on "should I take a chance on ruining a good friendship by getting involved with my friend?" In this one, neither one wants to risk their friendship if the other person just didn't feel the same way...and one-sided feelings are always hard to swallow. You'd rather pretend that there is nothing going on vs. risking getting hurt, but dang...both of them made mistakes in dealing with the situation...she automatically slated it as a mistake that should not have happened and he reacted to the vibes she was giving off. I sided with him only because she didn't even give him a chance, even with her friends telling her to consider whether it could be more. She is looking for the right guy, but pushes aside the one that she already likes and gets along with? I could understand if he wasn't attractive, she wasn't attracted to him, the sex sucked, and they just didn't click in any way. However, that was not the case. She was just plain dense about his feelings, and then blamed him for not being more aggressive.
I did like where it ended...aside from her personal relationships, she wasn't happy and was just settling...losing her job finally pushed her into changing direction career-wise.
I have to agree with another reviewer on this point...the start of the book was a little rocky. The style of the writing and format were a little off for me. Perhaps because it felt like a teenager was writing the blog or because it was a blog and it was moving us through time, not sure, but it took a few chapters before I really started getting into the book. I would have rated this higher, but I'm on the fence with Kate. On the one hand, I really liked her. She seemed so loyal to her friends and was even there for Mitch when his dad passed, but then she was just so annoying after sleeping with him. I can say that I applauded him calling her out on her behavior at the end. I seriously could not understand why she got pissed at him...he was spot on. Perhaps the venue wasn't the greatest, but hey, I can understand how he could snap after all the times he was relegated to "just a good friend". I was so feeling him and seriously disappointed in her. She wanted him to "step up" and be more forthright like JP, but she didn't give him the chance. I could even understand her panicking the morning after, but her subsequent behavior just pissed me off.
That may not bother other people as much, so I can see why they would love this. I'm sure everyone has gone through or contemplated the age old question on "should I take a chance on ruining a good friendship by getting involved with my friend?" In this one, neither one wants to risk their friendship if the other person just didn't feel the same way...and one-sided feelings are always hard to swallow. You'd rather pretend that there is nothing going on vs. risking getting hurt, but dang...both of them made mistakes in dealing with the situation...she automatically slated it as a mistake that should not have happened and he reacted to the vibes she was giving off. I sided with him only because she didn't even give him a chance, even with her friends telling her to consider whether it could be more. She is looking for the right guy, but pushes aside the one that she already likes and gets along with? I could understand if he wasn't attractive, she wasn't attracted to him, the sex sucked, and they just didn't click in any way. However, that was not the case. She was just plain dense about his feelings, and then blamed him for not being more aggressive.
I did like where it ended...aside from her personal relationships, she wasn't happy and was just settling...losing her job finally pushed her into changing direction career-wise.
September 7, 2014
This story is about a young woman who makes all the wrong choices when it comes to men. She’s really in love with her best friend but thinks he doesn’t like her that way so makes him believe she doesn’t like him that way. It’s all very middle school-ish. He loves her but is afraid, she loves him but is afraid; she dates another guy and throws him in Mitch’s face. It’s all very overly dramatic. Her choices in the end show that she has grown up and the quasi happy ending for Mitch made the last few chapters worth reading. I am glad I decided to finish it.
I would give this book 3.5 stars but half stars are not the norm so I rounded up. I thought the writing in this book was superb. The characters were very well developed and written. As for the story it really wasn’t my favorite. However, I don’t feel I should give this book a bad review simply because it’s not my thing. Here are my thoughts, I felt like I could read the first and last few chapters and get just as much out of the story. The lead character, Kate, was boring and seemed very self-obsessed. I struggled to get through this book. I generally read a book this size in a few hours and this one took me two weeks. I had to put it down often as Kate got on my last nerve. If I were into the high school dramatics I most likely would have loved this book. The author was great and I might try a different story by her but I was not a fan of this one.
I would give this book 3.5 stars but half stars are not the norm so I rounded up. I thought the writing in this book was superb. The characters were very well developed and written. As for the story it really wasn’t my favorite. However, I don’t feel I should give this book a bad review simply because it’s not my thing. Here are my thoughts, I felt like I could read the first and last few chapters and get just as much out of the story. The lead character, Kate, was boring and seemed very self-obsessed. I struggled to get through this book. I generally read a book this size in a few hours and this one took me two weeks. I had to put it down often as Kate got on my last nerve. If I were into the high school dramatics I most likely would have loved this book. The author was great and I might try a different story by her but I was not a fan of this one.
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