I wanted to read this book because open relationships have become more mainstream in recent years, and I liked the idea of being a fly-on-the-wall while the benefits and consequences of intimacy outside of marriage played out. The author completely delivered on this. She explored the topic with honesty and most importantly, with neutrality.

But really, this book is so much more than a story about an open marriage. It’s an exploration of relationships and gender roles and what it means to be a woman today. It sung to my feminist heart.

Through Daphne, we get to experience what happens when a woman prioritizes what’s right for her instead of what society says she should be happy with. I want to say so much more about her story of personal growth, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers.

While this book delves into heavy topics, the writer’s style is straightforward, making it a surprisingly quick read. The format of the story is so fun – there’s a bunch of sassy recipes thrown in.

I got this book for free in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley and Random House, so my expectations weren’t high (I figured I’d get what I paid for) but I’m shocked to say, this is my new favourite book. I haven’t read anything else that captures many of my experiences, with family, relationships, divorce and at work so well . I also appreciated how positively female sexuality is portrayed.

This was an easy 5 out of 5 stars for me.

What happens to two people who met when they were only 18, being each other's first for everything including commitment, sex, and friendship, and jumping into marriage after the end of college? At the age of 25, they realized their sex life was already dead. Could counseling or special rituals to spice things up save their marriage? Dominic, the devoted husband of Daphne, had a creative idea called the Freedom Clause, which included one night of casual sex with a stranger throughout five years to save their marriage. The rules were simple: they had the freedom for only one night a year for the rest of their marriage with just one person. They could not sleep with people in their close circle, including family and friends. They would choose a different person each year to avoid affairs, practice safe sex, and never ask questions about each other's sexual encounters. They would never talk about this freedom clause with their friends.

Daphne had second thoughts about accepting this freedom clause, even though the excitement of dating someone new and discovering herself tempted her. She reluctantly accepted the offer. But the biggest question still distracted her mind. Would one night out save her marriage or destroy everything they had worked for over the years.

I won't give spoilers, but I can honestly say it was impossible not to root for Daphne - her fears, struggles, evolution, and inner fights. It was so inspiring to see her literally roar, rise from her ashes, sharpen her claws, stand up for herself and her needs. I just fist pumped and screamed, "Go girl!"

Throughout each year, she changed, grew up, and learned what kind of person she wanted to be! The parts of "Confessions of a Highly Emotional Cook" were so honest and direct! She poured out her heart into words. Those were the most poetic, genuine, and inspirational parts of the book.

Mostly, I loved the ending. It was well-executed, realistic, and extremely satisfying.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press Trade Paperback for sharing this powerful book's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book is a wonderful character study. It portrays relationship growth, changes, and choices with an unusual depth of understanding. Daphne is convincing to slip into the head of and grow alongside, and Dominic offers a rare compassionate POV towards what leads to frustrating and frustrated choices. Both of their voices felt very believeable and I ended up wolfing down the book with ease because of it. Ms. Sloane has clearly been through some shit, and I respect what it has lent to her writing.

The only major sin it commits is that it feels a little too close to a wish-fulfillment scenario for one of the characters, which is a bit twisted once you know and consider what happened to them. But the consequences of what trips them always lends itself to their circumstances, and I couldn't help but feel less invested in their side by the end of it. Altogether a very solid debut novel, though, and one I might push as a cautionary tale for couples that should've probably communicated before their engagement.

I really enjoyed The Freedom Clause and it's interesting premise. Daphne and Dominic have been together since their first week of college. They love each other but things have become boring and comfortable. Dominic proposes to open up their marriage and Daphne agrees to one other person, one night a year and the agreement has a 5 yr expiration date. The question is: Can they survive the Freedom Clause and will they even want to?

The novel took an interesting turn with Daphne's empowerment through cooking. I'm a fan of books with recipes, so I liked their inclusion. I also liked that these two flawed characters found what they needed to be happy. Thanks to #Netgalley and #RandomHousePublishing for allowing me the opportunity to read an eARC of #TheFreedomClause in exchange for an honest review.

This was so not what I was expecting when I picked up this book but wow I devoured this like one of Daphne’s recipes. When Daphne and her husband made the decision to open their marriage I expected it to be a world of hurt for her but it was amazing seeing Daphne unfurl for lack of a better world. Highly recommend this book and I have to try her salad

The Freedom Clause is a book about empowerment at its heart. Daphne and Dominic met in college, married young, and barely ever have sex. Daphne’s believes maybe she just isn’t a sexual person, but that turns out not to be the problem at all. Dominic proposes a freedom clause, where each partner can sleep with one person outside of their marriage once each year. Daphne reluctantly agrees, and her first sexual encounter is absolutely terrible, to put it mildly. When she begins to do some work on herself, her confidence grows, and good things begin happening in her life.

I couldn’t stand Dominic, who I felt pressured his wife into the clause in the beginning. He is the definition of a sad boy who screws things up time and again, and I was honestly thrilled watching Daphne grow as he floundered. Daphne’s personal empowerment was inspiring. She found happiness all by herself by learning more about herself and the things she loved.

At the start of the book, I found the writing to be a bit dry. It did improve throughout the book, but my favorite tone by far was the tone of Daphne’s substack writings. She was irreverent, funny, and entertaining. The pacing is great and obviously I loved the main female character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House, Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a very interesting premise! A couple agrees to one night of freedom every year and the book chronicles their journey over the next 5 years. It was a very easy and entertaining read. I appreciated the pacing, the story flowed well and didn't feel like it dwelled on any time period too long. I did appreciate that both characters were flawed however the ending and some of the twists ended up feeling predictable and a little cliche. Some of the descriptions were a little heavy handed, more telling exactly how characters felt explicitly with dialogue versus showing or being more nuanced. If you're looking for a fun read that doesn't go too deep this could be fun!

I absolutely loved this book! I honestly think everyone should read this one, at the very least, every woman. Couldn’t put it down!

I was hooked from the first page. A couple decides to make a pact to be single for one night a year, which they think will make their relationship better. You already know this is going the end terribly. The character development is great. I think the book progressed nicely and I wasn’t able to put it down. I could have done without the recipes but i know it was critical to the story.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc

This book gave me whiplash. I had a sense of dread the whole time I was reading. Dominic was a major Ahole and I hated him SO MUCH… I know this book is gonna be a hit for some other people but it just didn’t work for me.

Thank you netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review !

The. idea of opening their marriage for one night a year has surprising results for this young couple Dominic and Daphne. Together since college starting to get a little bored looking for something to spark their love life.This is well written and involving.#netgalley #randomhouse

I LOVED this book! Daphne's character is the epitome of empowerment. At the beginning of the book, both her and Dominic didn't know who they were or truly wanted. A lot of their neediness stemmed from their rejection from their families and feeling like they never belonged. Daphne was willing to hide in the shadows as she never felt like she was enough especially when UT came to her looks. As the book evolved and they committed to the Freedom Clause, the power in the relationship dramatically shifted. Daphne found her voice and Dominic found his complete dependence on her. Her success as a cookbook writer helped solidify the deterioration of their relationship; however, his choices and whom he choose certainly expedited the decision. Finding your voice takes a lot of work but when you know who you are and what you deserve, it is well worth it.

This was a beautiful read. It is truly a journey of self discovery for our heroine Daphne and one she has to work for. I loved the nuance of her relationship with her husband and that not everything was so straightforward. A personal concern I have when I read fiction vs romance is having to read insecure men and while Dominic does fit that archetype he leans more redeemable which makes all the difference. This is especially because this is written with dual point of view and I did not want to get stuck in someone's head who can't admit their own mistakes. I do think at times Daphne is a bit "perfect" in comparison and maybe I would have liked to have more equity if it was truly going to be a story from equally both sides.

This is written in short snippets that took me a bit to follow the cadence. In my opinion it did shift from perspectives a bit too quickly at times. The written out recipes were unnecessary for me and I found myself skimming over them, but I did love the excerpts from Daphne's substack. Overall, absolutely worth the read. I had a hard time putting this one down and I know it will leave me thinking for awhile. This is one I think would be perfect to discuss over a book club.

This was an intriguing story about personal growth and loyalty. I found the introduction of the main characters and their relationship to be a bit rushed, but overall it was an enjoyable, easy read that kept me interested! I was expecting more of a romantic element but I appreciated the character growth over the course of the story (for Daphne in particular). It's an interesting premise and the author did a great job developing authentic characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this book! It was less of a romance book, which was what I thought it would be, and more of a finding yourself book. I love Daphne and how her story turned out! Dominic... well... Not so much lol.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Dominic and Daphne had been together since their first week of college. They love each other but things are getting boring and too comfortable. Dominic wants to open up their marriage and Daphne agrees to one other person, one night a year and the agreement has a 5 yr expiration date. Can they survie the Freedom Clause and will thy even want to?

Dominic and Daphne had been together since their first week of college. They love each other but things are getting boring and too comfortable. Dominic wants to open up their marriage and Daphne agrees to one other person, one night a year and the agreement has a 5 yr expiration date. Can they survie the Freedom Clause and will thy even want to?

It's an interesting dilemma about marriage and loyalty. I can see why the characters have doubts about others because they were together since they were basically kids. I appreciate that they talk about it albeit somewhat shallowly rather than cheat on each other and trying to hide it. I like the self-growth in the characters... It's an interesting book.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.