Okay, so I’m the type of person that loves playing the “what if?” Game with my friends, often making up weird questions about our relationships and friendships and what limits each person has. Then I found this book and it hooked me from that perspective. I love the story idea of a relationship with set rules, which may be totally weird to most people, and how those lines change and the tension it created. Great read!

I appreciated the almost taboo nature of this book, I do love a story that pushes the envelope. While I can't relate to the characters, I can appreciate the story for what it is.

I loved the unique plot and I enjoyed the book so much. And I hope to read more books from this author.

The Freedom clause gives this couple the option to sleep with someone else once a year, with rules. After three years Dominic and Daphne create this for their marriage. What happens when the rules are broken, or when they grow in their own lives. It is an interesting idea for a book. It was also fun to read. It has some emotions in there as well. It is an all over well rounded good book.

This book ended up being much deeper than the fluffy romance I was expecting, but I enjoyed it! The main characters were ones I wanted to befriend and support, and this was an easy and fast paced read. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

What a premise of a story.

A couple who are each others’ firsts in everything end up plateauing too quickly add an amendment to their marriage vows, that one night a year to have their freedom with a stranger.

I enjoyed it but was not very much invested in the characters but still a good read overall.

This was a tough read for me personally - a lot of topics within their marriage hit home for me in regards to my ex-husband. Liked it, but it made me look inward and think about things I'd long forgotten about

It was certainly a good read and an easy one. I finished it in a short time at a very busy time of the year which is to say ‘I couldn’t put it down’. There was a lot about the book that was entertaining but also had a message. However, I thought some of the family complications were unnecessary. I can’t say any more about that without giving away too much information. I was really impressed with the character development. I felt like they were REAL people and I LOVED the recipes that are interspersed throughout the book.

This book was amazing. I loved the premise and honestly, loved the ending. Was not what I was initially expecting but as the book went on it was exactly what I was hoping for.

At first, given the premise of this book along with the very visual and vibrant cover, I thought this would be a steam-filled book filled with spicy situations and adventurous relationships. It was much deeper than that, with a very well developed story line, and characters that grew and developed from start to end in very mature ways. Lessons learned by both Dominic and Daphne about compromises, love, confidence, and self-worth are lessons we all work through ourselves in life as well. I really enjoyed this book a lot and couldn't put the book down! It was modern, funny, sweet, sad, certainly adventurous and steamy at times, and awkward all at the same time. Just how life is. And very happy the story went the route of a strong main female character. The addition of the recipes along the way was a very clever twist to the story as well.

Thank you #dialpress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Can taking one night off of your marriage save it? That’s the question that this book is focused on. As someone who’s been married for twenty years I really had to throw out my personal opinions to enjoy this book. While I don’t agree with their choices I did still enjoy the story.
Thank you #dialpress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

A stale marriage, a Freedom Clause to be with someone else 1 day per year for 5 years, then revisit. At first thought this book might be sexy, silly, funny, romantic. It is all of those but with lots of thought and emotion and consequences. I enjoyed the journey of Dominic and Daphne!

Daphne and Dominic meet cute in university and immediately become a couple, marrying after they both graduate in The Freedom Clause by Hannah Sloane. After a few years, though, their marriage seems a little stale, so Dominic suggests the Freedom Clause, basically a hall pass that allows them both one night per year to have a dalliance with someone else. They'll conduct this experiment for five years and then revisit the clause at that time.

This book surprised me. The vibrant cover hides the intelligence and substance of this book. I thought that this novel from a new author would be your typical romantic comedy, but I felt that there was so much more to the book. It's engaging, humorous, sad, sexy, and entertaining. You really get into the backgrounds and motivations of the two main characters and see them grow and change throughout this book.

I wasn't a fan of the recipes that accompany most of the chapters. After the couple moves forward with their new arrangement, Daphne starts a private, anonymous blog that details her dalliances and Dominic's, and she incorporates a recipe that goes along with whatever currently may be happening with her marriage. They're real cutesy and not just recipes with comments about life thrown in. It just didn't work for me. That's partly why this book isn't five stars for me despite me loving this book.

I also liked how this book examines marriage and the compromises both parties make in keeping a marriage together. It really was eye-opening in many ways. Some truly feminist views come through; some more hard-hitting than others. Sometimes, it intimated that marriage isn't a great institution, but I think that's very subjective. It's ripe for some good conversations for a book club or just between friends. Even if you don't agree with the arrangement or don't approve of it, it's entertaining, and I found it hard to put down the book because you're racing to see what comes next.

As for the ending, I think it will appeal to some readers while others may not like it at all. I wasn't a fan but thought it was the best way to end the book although it felt a little flat. You'll see why, and I feel like it could be an opening for a sequel. In that case, or even if the author doesn't write a sequel, I will be there for the author's next book. I really enjoyed her writing and see a bright future here.

I thought the premise of The Freedom Clause sounded really interesting - a couple taking one day a year to each be with someone else. They agree to it for five years and then reassess. Unfortunately the execution didn’t work for me and I decided to DNF. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free book to review.

3.5 stars
I started out seriously disliking this book. A young couple, married for a few years, feels their marriage lacks oomph, so they decide on a one night per year break from fidelity. Riiight. However, the book actually improved for me as it went on and we saw how this night of freedom affected each of them and how they changed over time. I must say I enjoyed Daphne's story arc more than Dominic's--seems like the author neglected him a bit. Some aspects were still annoying, but not too bad overall.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

The Freedom Clause by Hannah Sloane is a contemporary romance with a twist. I probably should have paid more attention to the blurb before picking this up, and I almost quit when I realized the plot was about adultery. I am generally not a fan of books where people are cheating on their spouses, since I’ve already lived through that, and I don’t need fictional reminders.

However, this seemed to blur the lines a bit with our main characters, Daphne and Dominic agreeing to “The Freedom Clause.” Each year, for the next five years, they each get one night off and can have sex with a stranger.

So. I hated this idea. And I hated Dominic from the beginning, and more and more as the novel went on. What I did enjoy was seeing Daphne grow, mature, and evolve into a better version of herself. It’s ironic that the freedom clause was Dominic’s idea, and while Daphne blossomed into this amazing version of herself, he grew more and more unlikeable.

The novel explores many themes that I did enjoy, once I got over the fact that Daphne’s husband basically forced her into agreeing to the freedom clause because they weren’t having enough sex. Ugh. Some of the themes are sexual (women knowing and asking for what they want in bed), some of them are not (following your heart over money, self-care).

Overall, I felt the author really made the story very one-sided with Daphne growing and evolving, and Dominic in an ever-downward spiral. That’s not to say he didn’t deserve it, but it seems somewhat unbalanced.

I wish we could have had Daphne’s story without the baggage of adultery and Dominic’s character.

Also, I loved the whole writing / cookbook aspect, even if the recipes are not for anything I’d ever cook.

⭐⭐
Rating: 2 out of 5.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy in exchange for sharing my opinions. All opinions in this review are my own.

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What in the realistic relationship is this? i wanted so much more because it was so good. you don't get many mature thinking adults in marriages and this author did it well because the characters communicated

What drew me in most about this book was the cover. I loved the title, the cover had these beautiful colors on it, and I was hooked!

I was somewhat let down by the content of the novel. The story follows Dominic and Daphne, a married couple who have been together since they were 18. They find themselves in a rut, and create The Freedom Clause, allowing them to sleep with one person every five years, with no consequence. Of course, there are rules to this clause: you can't tell anyone about it, it can't be the same person, etc.

I didn't feel connected to either character, really, which is part of what I struggled with when reading the story. Dominic seemed like a villain from the start, being the one to introduce the clause in the first place. Daphne seemed to really figure out who she is and come into her own, which is empowering, but it fell flat for me. I would have loved more dimension to both characters. I struggled getting through this one. Worth it if you have the time on your hands.

I did not finish this. I liked the description but the story itself was boring and I had a lot of trouble getting into it

The premise of this novel is that young married couple Daphne and Dominic have lost the spark in their marriage, and decide to agree to the “freedom clause” - that one time a year only, each of them can sleep with one person outside of their marriage. The book then follows both of them over the course of the next 5 years as we see how this plays out.

I have read a few other books with similar premises, but the difference in those books was that they were about couples in their 30s or 40s with kids. Daphne and Dominic, on the other hand are maybe 25 and have no kids. So at the beginning of the book, all I could think was that these two shouldn’t be experimenting with an open marriage, they should get divorced! But once I accepted the premise, it was definitely an entertaining read, and I really enjoyed seeing Daphne’s journey to find her self-esteem. With its high concept premise and UK setting, combined with a plus size character learning to love herself, it sort of felt a little like a cross between Sophie Kinsella and Jennifer Weiner.