This novel was highly entertaining and kept me turning pages long into the night! Dominic and Daphne get married right out of college and seem happy enough. She's a great cook and he's (sometimes) working on a novel that never goes anywhere. But to spice up their marriage, he offers up the idea of a Freedom Clause where once a year they can each engage in a sexual relationship with someone else. No questions asked or answered. Sounds like a good idea...until it isn't.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this e-arc.*

What a unique, though-provoking book! This went in a totally different direction than I thought it would, but that made me appreciate it even more. I don’t think it will be for everyone since it is messy but I couldn’t put it down and Daphne was one of my favorite characters I’ve read about this year! I have found myself really enjoying Dial Press books recently and I appreciate that they’re publishing stories that put character first and challenge conventional genres. Thanks to Dial Press and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very creative premise for a story. What if your husband came to you with a plan to give you a "night off" of your marriage for one day every year, no questions asked. Would this freedom clause make your marriage stronger, or would it lead to a hurtful demise?

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel.

3.5 stars rounded up. Super interesting premise- the husband suggests that they get one day “off” from their marriage each year, and the wife begrudgingly accepts. That one day changes the trajectory of their lives. This is not a rom-com! Definitely more in the drama category. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I knew after reading the first paragraph I was going to love this book!! I finished it in one day! It has so much character, self love and growth. I needed to have this today and will think on it daily.

Dominic and Daphne are a young couple that seem to get along terrifically. But their sex love is becoming less and less active. Dominic suggests a “ one night a year freedom clause wherein each could have a sexual encounter with a stranger…..they even make rules. They agree to try this for five years…
The novel is not about sex as much as it is about how this decision changes their lives as they grow five years older.
Wonderful read.
I highly recommend.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC.

I was originally enticed by this book simply because it was different from anything else I've read previously. This book takes place over the span of five years. Which I enjoyed, each year being a chapter and ending with a recipe written by Daphne.

After starting their relationship and getting married at a young age, Daphne and Dominic agree to have 'one night off' a year for five years. Dominic's choices throughout made me cringe so much. I felt like this book ended quite abruptly as well. I would've liked a couple more chapters to show the future.

Daphne and Dominic, young marrieds in a supportive but sexually stale relationship, agree to allow each other one night each year with another partner. Despite her initial reservations, Daphne's annual explorations catalyze a revolution, first in her own sexuality and then in her confidence and her career. Meanwhile, Dominic's dalliances lead to a series of professional and personal setbacks and ultimately endanger the couple's relationship. How much growth - and how much betrayal - can one marriage take?

This was a fun, absorbing read. I loved seeing the changes that took place in the characters and their lives, especially their relationships with their parents, over the five-year span of the book. The dual points of view provided some humor, especially early on, as events in the characters' lives and marriage were shown from both partners' perspective.

Daphne was a great character to read, and I loved watching her discover what she wanted in life and how to pursue it. Dominic was a bit harder to sympathize with, especially toward the end, and I think his point of view could have been deployed more effectively here to show the rationalization behind (or at least the emotion leading to) some of his actions. But I liked the story's conclusion, which felt satisfying for characters and reader alike.

4.5 stars.

This book gets to the heart of what if everything you think you want isn't really what you need. Dom and Daphne fall in love young and are each others first everything. In an effort to spice things up, Dom suggests a Freedom Clause where for 1 night every year they are allowed to step out of their marriage. Daphne is horrified but goes along in an effort to keep Dom happy. As the years go on, Dom becomes more unsure of himself while Daphne starts to flourish. Dom finds himself jealous and mistrustful while Daphne is finding her groove, making new friends and starting a new dream career. Can their marriage overcome the Freedom Clause? Or will it break them for good?

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.

I was immediately drawn to this book and it had me hooked right at the beginning. A couple decides to open up their marriage, once a year. What can go wrong? A whole lot! A whole lot of good can come from it too. Highly recommend! Thank you, NetGalley!

What happens when you meet the love of your life at 18 years old and are each others first....everything.

Well, by the time Daphne and her husband reach 25, they have settled into an easy routine...where Daphne makes herself smaller so that Dominic can be the 'star'. This is a good story of relationships and how easy it is to lose yourself.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

An interesting premise that falls so flat there is no coming back from it. I expected so much more from this book- it was a huge disappointment.

What an interesting story. When a marriage is good, but the sex is okay… you create the Freedom Clause. What can one night a year do to a marriage?
I love the glow up of Daphne from meek and mild to assertive and wild!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I guess I would call this a beach read with heart and soul. Daphne and Dominic marry so young that by the time they are in their mid twenties, their marriage is a bit old and stale. Dominic suggests a freedom clause where they can each have one night with another person, no guilt or questions asked. Daphne is very uncomfortable with this, but says yes to it. As the story goes on, I came to love Daphne more and more and totally dislike Dominic. It was great fun to watch Daphne blossom and become the strong, independent woman she was meant to be. It’s a quick fun read that I was totally in the mood for after my previous almost thousand page book!

Dominic and Daphne met in college and have been happily married for three years. Apparently, Dominic believes their sex life needs a boost, although Daphne is content. On New Year's Eve, Dominic proposes The Freedom Clause which will allow each of them to sleep with someone one night during the year, but it must be a different person every year. Daphne is uncertain about all of this because she believes in their wedding vows. She finally agrees but with a five year expiration of the Clause. With the Clause in place, Daphne is uncertain about their marriage but forges ahead. Her dream is to be a food editor, but she starts a blog chronicling her events and relates them with a recipe. Dominic loses his corporate job and takes a job watching two young boys for a husband and wife with careers that consume them. Dominic's dream has always been to be a writer, but he is unable to write very much. As the years progress, the dynamic of Dominic and Daphne's marriage changes possibly due to the Clause. Daphne's confidence soars as she begins to stand up and advocate for herself. Dominic, on the other hand, struggles to write his book. The Freedom Clause is an interesting twist on marriage that brings up many questions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Freedom Clause.

i was so intrigued by this book when i read the synopsis and excited to read it but was quickly deflated after the first two chapters or so. it wasn't what i thought it was going to be or what i initially wanted out of this book. the writing style was fine if not jarring as the character pov changes pretty quickly within chapters. i understand you are supposed to be rooting for one of the characters and i am glad and happy with their arc and journey. but it was a wrong time situation for me and this book. a bit of a let down sadly.

I mostly enjoyed the Freedom Clause. It is about a couple in London, Daphne and Dominic, who meet in college and immediately fall in love. They get married and everyone thinks they are the perfect couple. Then at 25 years old, they decide to open up their marriage, but each of them is only allowed to sleep with one other person a year, with a lot of rules and stipulations. Both of them grow and change from this experiment, apart and together. The book is quick and enjoyable, kind of reads like a romance but is not really one. And in the end, it is more about family than sex.

⭐️: 4/5

After meeting their first week of college and getting married right after graduation, by 25, Daphne and Dominic are in a rut. That New Year’s Day, Dominic suggests that to keep their marriage alive, they open it up, and Daphne agrees, with some stipulations: they each can sleep with one other person a year, no mutual friends or family, and never the same person twice, for the next five years, at which time they’ll re-evaluate. It’s not long before both of them find themselves and their marriage altered in unexpected ways.

I think this book requires a fairly large suspension of judgement on the reader’s part. If open marriages are your jam, and you went into that marriage with your partner with that communicated and agreed-upon, then no judgement. But changing the terms of a marriage on the fly like this…it gives me the ick. Not to mention that the main characters are literally only 25. Yes, they’ve been together for approximately 7 years at the point the book starts, but still, 25 is so young! So that was a little bit of a mindfuck for me too. As the book went on, split into extra long chapters for each of the 5 years of the agreement, I did end up becoming more invested in the plot, and especially the character of Daphne, who turned out to be a very relatable character. I kind of made an assumption that this one would be a fairly stereotypical rom-com with a predictable structure, but I was wrong. I really liked the direction that this one went, and also the observations about relationships, gender roles, and how people can really change throughout their 20s. I also really liked how recipes were included in the book, as Daphne blogs about her experiences. I would definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for something kind of unexpected to break up a string of otherwise formulaic contemporary romances.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Daphne and Dominic both have less than desirable childhoods. When they meet during college, it seems as though they've met their mate for life. But pairing up so early in life limits their experiences. Dominic suggests The Freedom Clause, allowing them to have sex with one other person a year, As you can imagine, things do not go smoothly for either of them. How they are changed by The Freedom Clause takes a very circuitous, unexpected path. And as the readers, we are along for the ride.

As an avid reader, I'm starting to realize I don't enjoy this type of genre anymore. This is the story of a bored married couple who decide to open up their marriage once a year. These books are becoming increasingly predictable. You know halfway through the book how the story will conclude. As a 41 year old, I guess I need a little more depth and substance in my novels. It's not a badly written book, but now that I'm getting older, this genre is not doing it for me anymore. The cover art is amazing though.