Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me this Advanced Readers Copy of The Freedom Claus by Hannah Sloane!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read the life behind one of those food bloggers who trauma dumps on their readers before they even post the recipe that you came looking for off Google? Do you like watching the dissolution of relationships? Do you want to read the sexual empowerment and self-love journey of a girlypop in her twenties?

Pre-reading:
I was so excited to read this book when I first stumbled across it, was ever so kindly given it as an ARC, and then promptly forgot about it, and now, the fact that it’s “overdue” in my dumb little brain has made me not want to pick it up. God, I hope it’s good.

Thick of it:
She’s appealing because she’s quiet? Fuck right off, sir. This is doomed from the start.

What a shitty professor.

We don’t have time for insecure men. We don’t. Ugh, he’s gross.

How did she know? It’s obvious, my dude. That’s not a normal answer.

Alexa, play Labour by Paris Paloma.

Your partner should make you feel beautiful always, but you have to fix your insecurities and sense of self for yourself.

Just say Brita.

I mean, it’s bad news for the book, but it’s been one chapter, and I already don’t want them together.

As an attention-starved mildly neglected girlie, I would much rather random interaction than no interaction.

She told you to go do something. Go do it, you fuckhead.

Yeah, I feel like it’s every insecure girly’s dream to be wanted by many.

Oh fuck, a Capricorn bitch. It’s a me. (And she does give Capricorn.)

So here’s the thing, I don’t like him, but my type is black haired blue eyed fucks and people calling me Capricorn like it’s my fucking identity.

So, buy some socks, loser.

Dude, what the fuck? This is terrible advice. They had incompatible sex drives that’s all. Probably because he sucks at it.

Yeah, literally where did three-way come from, dude?

I would be so beyond pissed if my husband said this to me.
I mean, this type of man would never be my husband in the first place, but how dare you?

There’s absolutely room for jealousy. I’m already jealous. I’m already like you’re not obsessed with me? Goodbye. Oh, you want someone else? Goodbye.

Why are you bringing up the sweater that makes her insecure when she’s already insecure? God, I hate this man.

You don’t need to go practice on other people to get better, sir. Watch a fucking YouTube video.

I couldn’t handle not knowing.

ONLY!

I repeat, I hate this man.

Break up with him. Break up with him. Divorce him immediately.

You don’t want children, he does. Divorce him. (Better yet, have these conversations before you agree to marry someone!)

I want so much more for her. She seems so wonderful.

No birthday sex? Awful.

I lean towards him being an Aries, but where is the anger?

Caps and Aries have brilliant hate sex, just sayin’

This is cheating on your wife. Like this just is.

Honey, you’re a Capricorn. You’re smarter than this.

I don’t think that was the time or place to have that conversation.
Also, make the money. Money makes people happy. It just does.

She knows you’re married, and she’s doing this shit? She’s not a good person, either.

She did not just call him that.

Is this some dream fantasy?

Oop, it’s a nightmare. To be fair, I did not see that coming, so good on you, book.

The cover really does a disservice because she looks thin and beautiful on the cover. It’s like Margot Robbie saying she’s not pretty anymore in Barbie.

Y’all are going to catch something.

I mean, this book is very honest and real. It has a bit of an immature voice, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing because its characters are so young.

What an asshole.

But like she’s got cum in her hair. Don’t you have to wash that out? You can’t just walk on the street with cum in your hair?

Wait a second, did all this happen over the course of one night?

I thought she and the bartender had been friends for a while now and were like seeing each other every week. They bonded FAST.

That salad sounds delicious.

Oh my god, he did just send her around town with cum in her hair. Let a bitch use the bathroom!

You can say he wasn’t an asshole, but he was a giant asshole.

She really said I’m gonna tell the story about the girlies who write their deeply personal food blogs. Like girlies, I just want the recipe. Save it for your therapist.

It’s giving Confessions of a Shopaholic.

It’s a little homoerotic to me, sir.

I would be pissed. This is a very backhanded compliment. My birthday gift is not you telling me that I need to work out and be more active in bed and supply lube because men don’t turn me on. How about she seeks out men who actually turn her on?

His dad is an ass.

Reading the slush pile is my dream job.

She works in books. She loves a story. Of course, your trauma turns her on. Stories are intimate.

Sadie seems lovely.

I like Lucinda. The women in this book of fundamentally likable. The men, not so much, but such is life.

I hate Dominic. I understand why he’s the way that he is, but she deserves so much better.

Call me a prude, but I think it’s weird to be topless around your nanny or in see-through shirts around your children, and even weirder for your children to be swimming naked with the nanny. I get that she’s trying to seduce him, but do you have to scar your children to do it?

It reminds me of Conversations with Friends.

I’m really enjoying this book. I don’t think it’s five stars. I think it’s four, but I am really liking it.

I just realized that I’ve been so caught up in this and enjoying this book so much that I’ve forgotten to summarize it as I went. I’ve been fucking myself over every time I go to write my unhinged summaries like I’ll just remember. Bitch, no you won’t.

I don’t think unhinged summaries work for lit fic though.

I like Daphne so much.

No, she didn’t enjoy it, you twat. It was her hair.

Oh, just play together, you idiots.

Leave him bestie. He’s dogshit.

You promised, you fuckhead. Leave. Him.

Oh my god, Dominic’s mommy issues are exhausting. Go to therapy, you loser.

I thought she was fat. How would she fit in her model-thin mother’s clothes?

Oh yikes, that is familiar dialogue.

Please don’t put the horny in funerals. Actually, do. It’ll be messy and delicious.

The writing is getting more mature as the book goes on, and I think that mirrors the characters well, and I find that because it’s maturing, I don’t mind how immature the writing was at the beginning of the book anymore.

insouciantly

He’s gonna fuck her sister.

Oh my god, I hate Dominic so much.

My jaw dropped. He went down on her sister while she’s on her period, and his wife caught him from seeing the blood on his mouth. There are no words.

I want more to this ending or a sequel.

Post-reading:
A very, very high four stars. I honestly toyed around with 5, but I’m a stingy girl with those.

It’s a fun book. It’s a drama-filled romp. It’s just sexy enough without being salacious.

The relationship feels real and honest. The characters all feel real and concrete. The fights and relationship red flags are pointed and weighty. The writing voice grows and matures with the characters.

I think my only criticism for it is that I think it could go darker and angrier if it wanted to settle more firmly into lit fic with some teeth, but as it is, it’s girly and young and a self-love journey. Not quite an angry sad girl book, but definitely a book for the girlies in their twenties. Highly recommend.

Who should read this:
Girlies in their twenties
Character studies of doomed relationships

Do I want to reread this:
Maybe? I want to try that salad recipe for sure haha.

Similar books:
* Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella-rom com of an article writer who learns life lessons
* Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney-married people cheating on each other character study
* Social Engagement by Avery Carpenter Forrey-doomed relationship, character study
* We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard-angry, sad girl book about the dissolution of a marriage, unique construction
* Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler-dad girl book about mental health, doomed relationship
* Sam by Allegra Goodman-angry sad girl book, character study
* The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn-woman realizes she settled in her relationship
* Corinne by Rebecca Morrow-bittersweet, realistic romance
* Book Lovers by Emily Henry-sharky woman and family drama, romantic sub plot
* Happy Place by Emily Henry-miscommunication ruined relationship, second chance romance, family drama

The Freedom Clause by Hannah Sloane is a wonderful, liberating, interesting novel! Excellent depiction of self-growth, exploration, and drifting, despite efforts in a marriage. Creative concept blended with fun and quirky experiences, as well as lots of recipes. I very much enjoyed it! Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Not horrible but also not my cup of tea. This story is just a bad idea all around but well written. I would give this author another chance though.

The Freedom Clause is about a young couple's pact to give each other one night a year for an extra marital fling, but it's really about Daphne's sexual awakening. Daphne and Dominic met at university, and while you can feel their attraction, what you mostly sense is they should have had a college romance and moved on. As twenty something newlyweds they only have sex a handful of times a year and lack the maturity to realize this is a major problem that one night every 365 days won't solve .The Freedom Clause is graphic but not excessively, and the sexual nature fits the plot perfectly. While Dominic is an aspiring writer, it's Daphne who forges a career as a social media influencer, focusing on her cooking skills-Daphne needs no education in the kitchen!! Sprinkled throughout The Freedom Clause are Daphne's recipes along with her observations as to what she and Dominic learn about themselves and each other through their agreement. The recipes sound delicious-you'll want to make them all. The Freedom Clause is is fun and feisty, but also sad as we watch Dominic and Daphne blow their marriage up while trying to convince themselves they belong together. The Freedom Clause is Hannah Sloane's debut novel, and it's a good one-but she has a very promising future as a cookbook author!

Could one night off a year save a marriage--or destroy it? In this bold and sexy debut, a young couple agrees to open their marriage, but they soon discover that a little freedom has surprising consequences.

Hannah Sloane does a great job of writing characters you can root for. Even if the actions are adverse to their best interest, you want to see where they go and follow them until the end!

This book includes recipes. I love love love when a book utilizes multiple formats, but it doesn't always fit the narrative. Here - it was executed perfectly. It is definitely a book you can finish in one sitting/day.

I thought the story may take on the cheesy quality of the movie Hall Pass, but it was actually realistic and satisfying.

The Freedom Clause is an unexpected gem. It felt unique and fresh! Two people meet and get married at a very young age...but wonder if they have settled down too young. Could opening their marriage make it...or break it? I love the concept and the writing kept me intrigued throughout. The recipes were an added bonus! Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 4 stars.

Dominic and Daphne have only been married for three years, but he feels that something is missing from their marriage. In an effort to spice up their relationship he proposes an open marriage. Once each year they can have a night off from their spouse and have relations with someone else. While Daphne opposes the idea, she finally agrees with certain provisions. It can only be one night, not an affair. It can not be with someone they know. They can not reveal the details of the encounter and it is limited to five years. Their stories are revealed one year at a time.

The years bring big changes to both Dominic and Daphne. Dominic was on track to become a managing director in his firm until he misread the signals from one of the women on his team. Rather than having his first experience he lost his job. Daphne’s first encounter was also a disaster. With the advice from Ash, a bartender that she befriended, she turns it into a positive experience. She has a passion for food and with Ash’s help she begins an anonymous on-line journal called Confessions of a Highly Emotional Cook. . As Dominic struggles and watch’s his dreams all apart, Daphne grows and becomes stronger.. The clause was supposed to cement their relationship but jealousy, lies and secrets may destroy what they hoped to build if they can not find a way forward. The Freedom Clause explores relationships and growth accompanied by some mouth watering recipes that I can not wait to try. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House - Dial Press for providing a copy of this book for my review.

Dominic and Daphne met in college, fell in love and married. After three years, their sex life seemed stale so Dominic suggested a very brief open marriage - one night a year they could sleep with someone else. The freedom clause came with a plethora of rules - they can't tell the other one when they do this - no questions asked - don't share their plan with any friends or family, etc. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty!

I'll let you read the novel and find out for yourself how each of them tackles this attempt at an open marriage. But I do recommend the book.

The theme of the story seems to be how the freedom clause affects so many other aspects of their lives including their careers. It appears Sloane had some fun with this title. She managed to work in a cookbook and social media without either of them seeming abrupt.

My reason for 4 stars instead of five had to do with my confusion with all the names of their friends and relatives. I could not keep them all straight. Otherwise, it is well written, contains humor and flows smoothly.

The cover design is terrible and doesn’t give a good preview of anything in the book. At. All.

The novel itself is ok. There were things in it that I liked. The Daphne writing pieces were really enjoyable. The rest was just okay. I did not like Dominic, I did not like the Freedom Clause, and while I did like Daphne, I did not like many of the things the author put her through. Ditto for Dominic as well; that guy went through a LOT of childhood stuff.

No more details so as not to give spoilers.

Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy of the ebook. All opinions are mine.

I'm going to be a bit of an outlier on this book. I really had trouble liking both main characters at times and I really, really could not stand Dominic at all. Feeling this way made it hard to keep reading- I put it down a number of times in frustration. It did pull together toward the end for me, at least as far as Daphne's character goes, but by and large it was just not for me.

This book wasn't for me. I did enjoy the self-empowering journey that Daphne experiences and I love the new BFF that The Freedom Clause brought her, but otherwise, I found myself more frustrated than anything and absolutely hating Dominic's character.

What an interesting plot. After several years into a marriage, each partner gets one night to have sex with anyone not in their close circle. They would choose a different person each year to avoid affairs, practice safe sex, and never ask each other questions about their sexual encounters. Also, the clause was never discussed with friends.

It shows how the characters grow and mature with each year and for Daphne, to put her needs first.

A very very good read. Highly recommend.

Book Description:
The Freedom Clause by Hannah Sloane is a dual POV story about Dominic and Daphne. They met early on in college, and they seemed to be a perfect fit. Now after just a few years of marriage, both have gotten comfortable, and the sex is almost nonexistent.

Introduce "the Freedom Clause" - one sexual encounter per year with a stranger, no questions asked. Daphne is hesitant, but of course, Dominic thinks this is just the thing to save their marriage. Since the rules state they aren't allowed to talk about the Freedom Clause to any friends or family, Daphne turns to the anonymity of the internet to express her feelings.

My Thoughts:
I have to admit, I was taken aback by the idea of a "freedom clause," but I was intrigued by the idea and wanted to see how it played out. Hannah Sloane does a great job dissecting their marriage and exploring Dominic's and Daphne's motivations. Sloane offers commentary on the modern day marriage and society's expectations. I loved seeing the changes and Daphne's growth, and I was delightfully surprised by Daphne's recipes! I can't wait to make some "Life Is Messy and So Is This Chocolate Lava Cake." If you're in the mood for one last summer read, add The Freedom Clause to your list!

Read this if you like:
• Sexually empowering stories
• Books with recipes
• Women's fiction

A book with a strong premise - and so much more! The premise sounded intriguing but a bit gimmicky when I read about it on NetGalley and I was grateful to receive an advance copy. A married couple gives each other an annual day off from their marriage for 5 years since they met when they were so young and inexperienced. Sounds frothy, right? Actually this book is the story of a relationship and of how this experiment changed their lives. What a joy to see Daphne, the wife, blossom - I love when characters change and grow. So happy to have read this. And as an added surprise, the book has recipes!

The description of this novel didn’t grab my attention at first. Then I read it’s a debut by Hannah Sloan, and I’m a sucker for debut novels. They’re a fresh voice, a new perspective, uncharted territory, so to speak.
From the first page, Sloan builds her two main characters, Daphne and Dominic. They’re bored in their marriage, and even though it crushes Daphne’s soul to do it, she agrees to a Freedom Clause. This allows each partner one night a year with someone else.
What develops from this clause is an eye-opening series of events for each of them. But the paths they’re taken down are completely different. One makes a major job-affecting error, the other is offered a ladder to success. One develops a new level of self-respect, the other is amazed at how hard it is to get someone to sleep with them. There’s so much more to know.
I absolutely love the characters in this book, and I snickered at various places due to how their newfound freedom affects each. This is a glorious story of finding oneself, rising above anger, and finally realizing what a wonderful person you’ve always been.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is July 25, 2023.

What if you are happily married, but don't find everything fulfilling? A bold statement made on New Year's gives a couple something to think about. What about a one night a year pass to sleep with someone else? This book takes a daring look at what that might look like. What surprises lay in store for this couple?

When I read the synopsis of this book it intrigued me so much. When I finally started reading it I neglected all my other books! What a powerful story, loved how Daphne found herself and her voice throughout the story.

And the recipes in this book! Love how they were presented and I need to try a few (the salad!!).

If you are reading this review because you are not sure about this book, stop thinking about it and read it!

The Freedom Clause is a book that is hard to rate. The overall writing was really good but I really hated the main character, Dominic. Like really, really hated him. I found him to be extremely childish and selfish and I did not want to see how his story ended. However, I stuck it out and I was really proud to see the other main character, Daphne’s growth throughout the book and I was really rooting for her happiness. Overall, I think this was a unique read and I am glad I stuck it out! I look forward to reading more from this author!

Daphne and Dominic have been married for three years when things start to fizzle out, so they agree to a free pass one night a year for five years. Little did they know the impact that one little night would have on the rest of their lives.

This book really makes you look inward and think about what is truly fulfilling to you as well as your relationship. I’ve read countless marriage-on-the-brink-esque books but loved how this one played out.

Can’t wait to read more from this author!