More: A Memoir of Open Marriage

By: Molly Roden Winter

Narrated by: Molly Roden Winter

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An intimate memoir of love, desire, and personal growth that follows a happily married mother as she explores sex and relationships outside her marriage • "This book about open marriage is going to blow up your group chat"—The Washington Post

Molly Roden Winter was a mother of small children with a husband, Stewart, who often worked late. One night when Stewart missed the kids’ bedtime—again—she stormed out of the house to clear her head. At a bar, she met Matt, a flirtatious younger man. When Molly told her husband that Matt had asked her out, she was surprised that Stewart encouraged her to accept.

So began Molly’s unexpected open marriage and, with it, a life-changing journey of self-discovery. Molly signs up for dating sites, enters into passionate flings, and has sex in hotels and public places around New York City. For Molly it’s a mystery why she wants what she wants. In therapy sessions, fueled by the discovery that her parents had an open marriage, too, she grapples with her past and what it means to be a mother and a whole person.

Molly and Stewart, who also begins to see other people, set ground rules: Don’t date an ex. Don’t date someone in the neighborhood. Don’t go to anyone’s home. And above all, don’t fall in love. In the years that follow, they break most of their rules, even the most important one. They grapple with jealousy, insecurity, and doubts, all the while wondering: Can they love others and stay true to their love for each other? Can they make the impossible work?

More is an electric debut that offers both steamy fun and poignant reflections on motherhood, daughterhood, marriage, and self-fulfillment. With warmth, humor, and style, Molly Roden Winter delivers an unputdownable journey of a woman becoming her most authentic self.

©2024 Molly Roden Winter (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"This memoir reads like a novel narrated in the first person—impossible to put down...What will really captivate readers, however, is Winter’s journey of introspection, a quest to understand herself and her needs and to find self-love and self-acceptance. Through her easily accessible, quickly devoured narrative, readers become something like confidants to Winter, rather than voyeurs. An honest look at how an open marriage can work, an excellent read for people interested in self-discovery or ethical non-monogamy." —Library Journal

“A brave book… [Winter] frankly takes on sex, jealousy, pleasure, and self-discovery.” —Kirkus Reviews

"An intimate portrait of a woman on an earnest search to reclaim her passion...This story is a balm for those with unmet yearnings and a triumph for those who have made their own first steps toward getting more out of life." —Christie Tate, bestselling author of Group and BFF

Loved it!

Fun, easy to listen to, relatable, and shocking in the best way. Perfect audio listen!

Recommend for anyone considering being open.

I’m in the discovery stage of navigating open relationships. This listen was incredibly insightful. I have added some maneuvers mentioned in book to my bedroom lexicon.

More impactful than expected

I got much more out of this than I expected. Meaningful exploration of different types of relationships. Author did a great job presenting her work.

engaging but contradictory

a well written and courageous memoir on the whole, very engaging and well narrated by the author. but also very contradictory.

while I was never bored listening to the story, and there are plenty of sordid details, I also never once felt that the author enjoys this type of lifestyle and also that she seems constantly pushed into it by her husband. meanwhile her husband has been pushing for this type of relationship since they met but she never seemed to appreciate it or acknowledge it and just went with the flow (or ignored it) to make him happy.

the point of the book is that she learns that she doesn't have to please everyone to feel loved in return but in the end she still sacrifices her feelings to keep her husband happy. only when he gives up a date with his long term mistress at the end of the book does she feel any sense of validation from him - while significant the moment is portrayed a small victory rather than an epiphany, making one feel like the emotional transition depicted hasn't been rightfully earned and that she really still just wants to be monogamous with her husband, which he clearly can't provide and she won't confront him about.

also missing is the extended impact of this lifestyle choice on their children - yes we get a funny scene about when their son found out about what they were doing but we get very little about how this polyarmorous lifestyle impacted them beyond that - how are the kids now, how did they react if/when they met their parents lovers? that would've been great to know?

Wow what a front row seat!

Love her or hate her, the author’s raw description of her thought processes are refreshing and uncomfortable at the same time. Yes there’s great depiction of naughty bits, and a lot of humor, but there’s a lot of introspection that would be remiss to not mention. Especially if you are a woman, and even more especially if you are a married woman. My only complaint is that I sort of wish it was a bit longer??

The Beauty & Complexity if ENM

I identify so much with the author's experience in ENM/polyamory, with perfectionist people pleasing, being a wife and mother, the mommy guilt, societal pressures, all of it. Much of her growth journey mirrored what I have been experiencing through my own therapy sessions in the last 5 years. I felt very seen and heard in reading/listening to this memoir. Thank you!

Not at all what I expected!

This book was so thought provoking! Not erotic or sexual but more sharing Molly’s journey through all the emotions of a committed marriage to one man, while enjoying secondary relationships with others, as her husband is experiencing multiple relationships, as well! Definitely worth a read! It moves quickly! This is such a tabu subject in American culture, I applaud Molly for having the intestinal fortitude to tell her story without fear of reprisal! Excellent book!

Reminder I’m not alone in this journey

I loved this book! If you’re interested at all in non-monogamy this is a great book, it’s her story, which I love!! A lot of the non-monogamy books out there are more like handbooks/workbooks. But this one.. this is just her vulnerable authentic story and it was so nice to hear and know I’m not alone in this journey either.

Experimental,Understanding, Acceptance, Loving others, but most importantly oneself

I loved the entire story line and the way it was presented. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone as it is also a mind opener.

Interesting take

On the whole, I liked it. Molly is a good writer, and I knew nothing about open marriages so I liked reading about it from her perspective and learning about the topic. At times it lost my interest, and I also felt that her husband sometimes was manipulative to her for his own personal benefits (he wanted to sleep with other women, so he pressed her on opening the marriage) and this made me feel icky for her. I hope this is what she truly wants.