I really enjoyed the magical realism aspect of this book- it added an extra layer to the story without going over the top and I thought the premise of it was really interesting. However, I don't think that the execution of it fully lived up to my expectations. I wish that the romance between the two of them had been fleshed out a bit more, I just wasn't able to fully connect with them. Also, I get it, he has gray eyes. Didn't need to be reminded of that on every single page.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced copy of The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston.

Love this author, the way she writes about weaving grief and losing into everyday living is heartbreaking in the best way. The couple definitely had chemistry, even if it was a little too instant-romance for me but the ending was sweet.

I almost let this book slip (pun sort of intended) through the cracks. I am so happy that I read it. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. "The Seven Year Slip" may be one of my favorite books of the year. I should add that I am huge fan of time warp/time travel stories (e.g. think Outlander, Sliding Doors, Chronicles of Narnia). While the book's primary relationship is between Clementine, a publicist for a travel book publisher, and Iwan, a chef; there are other equally important relationships that are woven throughout Clementine's life. Just when you think you have the book and its twists figured out, there is another twist that makes you fall even more in love with this book. I don't want to discuss too much of the plot because I don't want to accidentally give away anything. It is rare that I want to re-read a book immediately after finishing one, but all I want to do right now is grab a blanket, a glass of wine or mug of cocoa, and curl back up on my couch with this book. So instead I am writing this review to tell everyone that you need to read "The Seven Year Slip."

Ashley Poston does it again. I throughly loved this book and the time travel element it had. It talked about heavy things like grief & being complacent with life but also had alot of lightness to it. The romance between Clementine & Iwan felt natural and I loved every second of it.
A beautiful book that will be sure to be one of my favorites for years to come.

I'm not usually one for time travel, but this was such a rock star!

It's one of those books that is hard to put down - extremely tempting to complete in a single sitting, so make sure you plan out your reading time wisely!

magical, perfect, amazing, whimsical, enchanting, ALL THE ADJECTIVES OKAY ashley poston and her writing style will forever be my favorite. the way she writes grief is so delicate yet so heartbreaking and healing at the same and it completely sucks you in. AND im always am such a fan of the magical realism elements in her books which always makes them feel different than just another rom com. the entire story just feels like a really unique take on the idea of right person wrong time and finding your soulmate, and ugh it’s just so beautiful EVERYONE GO READ THIS RN

I think love stories tend to fall in the same pattern of meeting someone, falling in love, a huge reason why we can’t be together, and then the grand gesture that fixes everything. This was slightly different. I loved the idea of time traveling and seeing life 7 years before or after. It definitely gave a different type of heartbreak for sure. Definitely worth the read. It does talk about suicide briefly if that is a trigger for anyone.

I have loved every single book Ashley Poston has ever written and this one joins all the others on my favorites shelf. I didn't think I could love another one quite as much as The Dead Romantics but this one was so unique and unforgettable that it earned another top spot for me. An apartment that defies the laws of time and space, lovers existing simultaneously seven years apart and at the same time, a sexy chef, a driven book publicist, some shared grief, and so much swoony tension. There was so much to fall in love with and I am already impatiently waiting for whatever Poston gifts us with next.

With this book, Poston weaved a story that is sexy, funny, sad, and everything in between, and entirely impossible to put down. I just couldn’t stop. Going to recommend it to almost every romance junkie!!!!

Ashley Poston writes the most delicious slow torture romances. The anticipation! "The Seven Year Slip" is an emotional heartbreaker. It is unique and so easy to sink into. It made me want to quit everything and start over!

After two winners by this author, I am definitely on board for what she comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

4.5 ⭐️ This book was so thoughtful and beautiful. I never wanted it to end.

"Love is nothing if not a matter of timing."

WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ new york setting
✨ magical realism
✨ apartment with a time warp
✨ she’s a workaholic in the publishing world
✨ he’s a tattooed, famous chef publishing a book
✨ second chance-ish romance
✨ insta-love
✨ forced proximity
✨ one bed
✨ 1/5 🌶️ (open door but mild, very PG-13)
✨ grief / healing
✨ HEA
✨ single POV (first person)
✨ TW: suicide and dementia involving family members (past, off page)



My Thoughts:

The Seven Year Slips is hands down one of my favorite reads of 2023. This story is an utter delight and one I will never forget. If you've seen the movie, the Lake House, or are a fan of time-travel/time-warp/destined romances, pick this book up immediately.

There is so much about this story I loved . . .

The romance that blossoms between Iwan and Clementine was enchanting and has irrevocably altered my brain chemistry. Yes, their connection is pretty instantaneous, yet it somehow felt incredibly genuine and real . . . as if they were meant for each other. And the way they admire, encourage, and cherish one another allows both of them to grow and become better versions of themselves. Whenever they were together, you could feel the love and longing radiating off the page as it seeps deep down into your soul.

On the flip side, seeing them interact in the present was always a stab to my heart (but I enjoyed it). While Iwan has met Clementine in his past, she is simultaneously meeting him in both the past and present. During the day, she must deal Iwan - the renowned chef interested in a book deal and opening his fancy new restaurant, but some days when she goes back to her apartment, Clementine is transported seven years ago to a younger Iwan who was just a dishwasher with kind eyes and a zest for life. I enjoyed watching younger Iwan teach Clementine to embrace life and do what makes you happy, whereas in the present Clementine helps Iwan remember where his love for cooking came from in the first place. They ground each other and together, they're able to grow.

The magical realism is subtle and completely believable to the point where I can't help but wonder if perhaps somewhere in the world, there's actually a cozy, little apartment that sits in its own little pocket of time. I really hope so.

There are some heavy topics in this story (death of a loved one, suicide, dementia, grief), yet they were thoughtfully discussed. Ashley Poston crafted a beautiful story that walks us through some dark feelings but she also encourages us to think of the beauty and light. I was reminded that, yes, death of a loved one is incredibly tragic and heartbreaking, but that doesn't take away from all the love you may have felt for them and all the good memories together. You are allowed to feel both sadness for the loss and love/gratitude for the time you shared.

"The things that mattered most never really left. The love stays. The love always stays, and so do we."

And lastly, the writing is simply mesmerizing. Absolutely stunning prose. There were so many sentences I highlighted just because they were beautifully written. Ashley Poston is a gifted writer and I will be reading everything she writes.


Favorite Quotes:

"Always, always chase the moon."
_______

"You are you, and that's a lovely person to be."
_______

Whenever I took a closer look at him, he was disorienting in the kind of way kaleidoscopes were, constantly moving and shifting, full of colors and shapes that shouldn't have gone together but did in a way that made it perfect.
_______

"You can just dance, Lemon. You can take the lead."
"And you'll follow?"
"To the moon and back."
_____

"This - this might be a bad idea."
"You could never be a bad idea, Lemon."
_____

If you want something, you have to go for it. No one else will be more on your side than you."

_______

Being close to him felt like a story I didn't know the ending to. . . He was an adventure. One I suddenly wanted to take.
_______

"Enjoy the rain! You never know when it will be your last."
_______

"It's never a matter of time, but a matter of timing."
_______

That was love, wasn't it? It wasn't just a quick drop - it was falling, over and over again, for your person. It was falling as they became new people. It was learning how to exist with every new breath. It was uncertain and it was undeniably hard, and it wasn't something you could plan for. Love was an invitation into the wild unknown, one step at a time together.
_______

I hated her for leaving, and I loved her for staying as long as she could.
_______

The Dead Romantics was one of my favorite reads of last year, so needless to say when Berkley sent a Netgalley widget for The Seven Year Slip my way, I lost my mind. And, incredibly, it may have beat out The Dead Romantics for being my favorite Ashley Poston book!    
    
This author is just really, really good at striking an amazing balance in her books - there's wit and humor, a good story, and also expert handling of difficult topics like grief. This book made me laugh, swoon, and cry - what more can I ask for?     
    
I really, really enjoyed the time travelling elements of this book - they contributed to the story nicely, adding an element of mystery and a way to contrast the growth and changes in certain time travelling characters. Also - the two leads were so good together - both in the past and in the present as they worked through the changes their years apart had made.    
    
Once again, my list of auto buy authors grows - if you haven't tried her books out yet, I can't recommend them highly enough! If you're looking for a contemporary romance with some serious heart, this is the one to pick up.

An interesting premise that felt like The Lake House set in NYC but instead of Keanu, the main guy is a chef with a southern accent. I enjoyed this somewhat magic romance but not nearly as much as her other book, The Dead Romantics. I keep having too high expectations! .

"It's never a matter of time, but a matter of timing."

After coping with the fact that one of the most important people in her life has left her, Clementine goes home to the magical apartment her aunt left for her. When she arrives she finds a strange man in the living room ... but that isn't the only thing out of sorts. The dates are from seven years ago, her things are nowhere in sight, and those pesky pigeons she hates are back. She's beginning to realize that maybe her aunt's stories were in fact true ... and maybe she needs to consider the two rules she gave her: always take your shoes off at the front door and never fall in love in the apartment.

If you are going to listen to one book rec of mine this year, PLEASE let it be this one!! (i may have cried on my couch for a solid 10 minutes after finishing, but cannot confirm)

Last year I read (and loved) The Dead Romantics, and it was a top contender for one of my favorite books of the year. So when I found out the Seven Year Slip would debut this summer, I knew I had to immediately get my hands on it. I went into this book a bit nervous because of my high expectations after adoring The Dead Romantics, but let me tell you those expectations were far exceeded!

This book is overflowing with love and magic on every single page. The author did such a beautiful job depicting grief, friendship, family dynamics, and of course love in a way that left me hugging my book on multiple occasions.

I truly cannot give this book enough praise and hope you decide to take a chance on it. I understand that it *may* not be for everyone because of the magical realism element and whimsical prose (cries inside), but it is a heartwarming story that I think many readers will connect with.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I don’t think I can properly express how raw and emotional this story was. If you’re looking for a cute time travel romance, you will get that, but you will also get so much more.

Clementine and James Iwan Ashton (otherwise known as my new book boyfriend) are the very definition of soulmates. Their romance was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The writing in this story was so poetic and had so many lovely lines, but this one was by far my favorite.


“Because the things that mattered most never really left. This loves stays. This loves always stays, and so do we.”

Ashley Poston needs to start paying for my boxes of Kleenx at this point. 10 out 5 stars.

I fell in love with author Ashley Poston’s whimsical lush writing last year after reading 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨, and this was one of my most anticipated books of the year. Little did I know just how much I needed this story to help heal. I lost my Father a few years ago to suicide after a lung cancer diagnosis, and haven’t fully processed how hard the grief hit me. I’m so thankful to books like this and the authors that write them, as a way to connect and overcome trauma.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧
🥘a hot chef MMC + delicious food
💘forbidden romance
🥘magical elements
💖insta attraction
✨themes of grief and love after loss

*many thanks to Berkley, PRH Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

I really enjoyed this plot and characters. Clementine and Iwan are adorable; supporting cast wonderful and genuine.
Clementine is lost after the death of her aunt - a source of inspiration and fun in Clementine's routine world.
She moves into her aunt's apartment - which has always been a little strange. As in bubbles in time. Her aunt fell in love with a women living in the apartment seven years before. Clementine of course does the same. While she interacts with Iwan in real time.
I loved the balance of the past and present. I just devoured this book.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

I had such a great time reading this book! I loved her previous paranormal romance, and I was looking forward to reading this one! I had such a fantastic time, I loved these two and watching them fall in love, while also dealing with the fact that there's 7 years between them.

Iwan was invited to stay at her aunt's for a time while her aunt was out. But that was 7 years ago, and now that period of time is connecting to the present, where Clem had no idea about the offer-or the reality of the time slip in the apartment.

While this is mainly a story about them falling in love, there's also a story of her grief for her aunt, who was so dear to her, that she didn't see her aunt's pain. And it was a tough story, espcailly since her aunt's love because of this slip, left, and the connection she had to the rest of the story.

All in all, this was a really cute story, I love how they connected, in both timelines, and how they changed and stayed the same, when she's dealing with both his past and present selves. It was just a big, warm, loving hug of a book!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Ashely Poston!