This was definitely a fresh take on the world of adultery. Told by Cora in a constantly shifting fantasy/reality set-up, you wonder the whole time whether she and Sam, who meet in a baby class, are going to take things to the next step as they both try to navigate their own unsatisfactory, unfulfilling marriages. Cora goes back and forth between her actual life, where she works a mediocre job, has a disappointing marriage, and is in the doldrums of motherhood and her fantasy life, where she meets Sam at different locations to do the unspeakable. Neither of their significant others have an inkling of what's going on. This book really brings into question marriage, family life, and the big question of "Is this it? along with questions of morality, infidelity, and relationships--both marital and platonic. I was left a little disappointed with the ending, but that might just be a personal thing. Overall, a solid story that is well-written with an interesting play on timelines.

Cora and Eliot Sam and Jules

Thanks to NetGalley for loan of this book. I haven’t read a book recently that has touched me so deeply. I saw myself so many times in this book and I’m sure this author has captured the essence of a lot of us. I won’t spoil your read but would love to be able to share this book with others. We have two fairly recently married couples the wife of one and the husband of the other attend a baby group on infant care and they are immediately physically attracted to one and other, what happens next is unexpected. I may be in the minority that this book resonates with but I don’t think that’s true. The last sentence blew me away, it’s so true. A few hints; disappointment, self worth, fantasy and grass is greener.

Great book.
Sam and Cora meet at a baby class and their relationship develops from there. The book spans over 10 years and you read how their families grow closer and apart. So much happens.

This novel will surely strike a chord with all those that ever wondered “what if” and were too scared to try. The uniqueness and complexity of our choices will always be a source of fear and inspiration, and this book presents an unusual perspective on the topic of choice.

This clever sliding doors take on suburban temptation had me completely hooked. Cora and Sam's meet-cute at baby group feels painfully real—two exhausted parents finding unexpected connection amid the chaos of toddlers and snack time. The dual timeline structure (one where they pursue it, one where they don't) creates fascinating tension without feeling gimmicky.
What makes this shine is the razor-sharp domestic observation. Cora's soul-crushing marketing job, her daughter's morbid curiosities, her husband's podcast obsessions—these details feel so specific they hurt. The author nails how attraction can suddenly make your ordinary life feel suffocating.
The parallel timelines cleverly explore whether we actually want our fantasies fulfilled or just need them as escape valves from mundane reality. Both scenarios feel equally plausible and devastating in different ways.
Perfect for book clubs and mom friends who appreciate dark humor about marriage's complexities. Smart, funny, and uncomfortably relatable—exactly what you want from contemporary domestic fiction.

This story is told in duel timelines- one where the two main characters Cora and Sam have an affair and the other is when they don't. Interesting premise and was of taking on the story but honestly I got confused several times so its just something to be aware of as a reader. But the writing was very engaging and if you enjoy the stories of "what could have been" this is a great one to add to your TBR. I think this would also be a good book club discussion read! Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved how this book traced both relationships and how desire changes and shifts as you age, thank you netgalley!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC of The Ten Year Affair.

Erin Somers's writing flows quickly and offers often witty, ironic commentary on life outside of the city (in this case, New York). The parallel imaginary story was interesting at times, portraying the imagination of the protagonist and eventually shifting places with reality. Somers touches on the fallout of the pandemic, the struggle of making new friends as adults, and the loneliness of mothers in the first months after childbirth. Despite Somers's writing talent, I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable and they all, including the children, were frustratingly unsatisfied with their lives. I read the novel in an afternoon, driven by the question, "what does she see in him?". A question which was never really answered. Perhaps a 30-something reader would identify with the characters and align more with other reviewers who adored the book.

I chose this because of the "sliding doors" thing but continued to read it because of the narrative voice--Cora is done so well, and each character is painted so clearly. I enjoyed this a lot.

i really liked the world that erin created, and i would definitely read other books by her after reading this one. howeeever, i think that the premise of this novel was a little ambitious and needed to be more carefully executed. i was thoroughly confused by her switching between "the real world" and the "affair world," and i got confused by key details: did they really not have sex until that christmas party? what about the abortion? if the "affair world" was so fantastical, why was she having detailed dialogues with new characters in that world? i gave up trying to figure what was real and what wasn't, which seemingly wasn't what she was going for. i think with consistency in how she talks about the real world vs. affair world (either formal elements like symbolic paragraph breaks, or using italics for fantasy, or even using the same line every time she descends into her imagination) would have made it clear what was happening and what wasn't. i think the collapsing of those worlds is interesting, and i like the idea of the writing allowing both worlds to be experienced with almost equal weight. this works particularly well at the end of the novel as fantasy becomes reality, but i shouldn't still be questioning whether or not she had an abortion or a third baby!

i also think that the time jumps were a little lazy. i liked each section being a year, but i wanted to know more about what changes happened between each section, and it would have been nice to start with a recap. as it stands, she gives a sort of humdrum quality to family life that does...ring true lol. but i didn't believe that she would stay at the job she disliked for ten years, and honestly that she would stay in touch with sam for so long with absolutely nothing happening, even though i think it's a great premise for a book. anyway, i think erin is a great writer and a great world builder, i'd just love to see this all a little tighter :)

I loved the 2021 short story The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers when I read it in Joyland Magazine. I was excited to hear that Somers was adapting the story into a novel. I’m happy to say that the novel lived up to my expectations. This story includes a dual timeline narrative. In one timeline, Cora and Sam pursue their feelings and have an affair, and in another, they remain faithful to their spouses. I appreciated the narrative choices that Somers made in the plot and character development. Cora and Sam’s relationship timeline wasn’t some blissful alternative. It was complex and sometimes made them being together seem like the wrong path. I loved that Somers wrote Cora’s husband as an interesting character and made their relationship interesting. I imagine that in the hands of a lesser author, this relationship would have been flat or portrayed as a sad alternative to Cora and Sam’s fairytale love story. It was also interesting to have Cora be an unlikable character at certain points in the novel.
Everything I loved about the writing in the short story is present in the novel. Somers’ writing can make even Cora’s mundane interactions interesting to read. I have to admit that there were times when I got a little tripped up by the dual timeline of it all, but as I said before, the writing was so engaging that it was always enjoyable to read. I think this book’s exploration of desire and the lives we might have lived was really well done. This would be a great book club pick, or just a book to read along with a friend, because it will stimulate good conversations. Endings can be tricky, especially in a novel like this, but I thought Somers handled it really well.

What can I say? Sometimes you just want to read about other women blowing up their lives.

This book made me uncomfortable in a lot of ways, and I while I don't think the comparison to Big Swiss is entirely wrong, it feels more like 2025's All Fours. Tried to take my time with it, but failed.

Perfect for the ridiculously hot weather we've had this week. Read the majority of it in one sitting while on my porch with a series of v cold, v weak white wine spritzers.

Devoured this over the course of a work day. For fans of Big Swiss, All Fours, etc etc. A comfortable story to slide into but still fresh in its depictions of heterosexuality and marriage.

This started a bit slow but once it took off I didn't want to put it down or see it end. Equal parts funny and thought-provoking, this story taps into the day-to-day banality that leaves you longing for "the other world." I highlighted so many smart and insightful passages. The fact that the characters weren't true heroes or villains worked for me and added to their authenticity. Somers captures the ups and downs of parenting, owning a home, maintaining friendships, and trying to keep a marriage afloat while wondering, "Is this it?" perfectly. This is a novel I'll be buying for friends and recommending.

A quiet but moving book about marriage, life, aging, and wondering what if. Beautifully written and an honest and raw examination of how messy life can be.

Now that I've read this I really don't understand the reviews. To me it seems that in order for true tension to exist in these stories, we need ALL the men involved to not be terrible or there IS no tension. At least for me, this one did not deliver on that count.

Erin Somers has created a bold modern work, using the "sliding doors" structure to explore one of the most complex issues of contemporary life: the tension between family responsibilities and personal aspirations.

What is most striking about the work is the way Somers does not make a clear moral judgment. Instead, she allows the reader to observe two parallel possibilities, each with its own consequences. The use of two timelines is not just a narrative technique, but also a philosophy about the nature of choice that every decision creates different realities.

Somers demonstrates an uncanny ability to capture the mundane details of modern family life from podcasts about the history of rope to children’s curiosity about death that not only lend authenticity, but also become subtle metaphors for the boredom and longing for escapism in marriage.

This novel is a masterclass in emotional tension and narrative innovation. When Cora and Sam meet in the most mundane of places—a baby group—they spark something neither of them was looking for. What follows is not just a love story, but a psychological and philosophical exploration of choice, desire, and identity.

The dual timeline structure is brilliantly executed. In one thread, Cora leans into her feelings; in the other, she pulls away. The split is seamless and haunting, peeling back the layers of Cora’s life and showing how even the most ordinary details—her husband’s rope podcast fixation, her daughter’s questions about death, her soul-sapping job—take on wildly different meanings depending on the path chosen.

What’s most powerful is how the story resists moralizing. It doesn’t ask you to judge, only to imagine. It’s about motherhood, emotional honesty, longing, and the quiet rebellions we sometimes need to feel alive again.

Equal parts funny, poignant, and profoundly thought-provoking, this book lingers in the mind like a question you’re not sure you want answered.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“The Ten Year Affair” by Erin Somers is described as a story about "two young parents, both happily married (just not to each other), which sparks a will-they-won’t-they romance—perfect for fans of "Big Swiss" and "Acts of Service." However, I think this description may not capture the vibe. While it does have a messy protaganist, fans of *Sliding Doors* or Miranda July's *All Fours* might enjoy this modern exploration of married life more accurately.

That said, I may not be the target audience for this novel, as it made me very happy to be childless and queer. While I can understand the journey of self-reflection and pondering the “what-ifs” in life, I feel this story would work better as a short story. In novel form, I struggled with the pacing and found myself put off by what began to feel like the privileged whining about the choices they made. Much like their persistent bathroom fungus that they never deal with, the couples keep avoiding their issues instead of confronting their malaise.

I appreciated the snark in this book and would have liked even more of it. Overall, I would recommend this novel to those looking to vent about the challenges of adulthood, particularly those expressing the heteronormative complaints of well-educated, white, upper-middle-class individuals.

I enjoyed the writing style and the creative take on the contrast between current reality and the sliding doors concept. I believe others may appreciate this story more than I did. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars

Just what I was in the mood for - entertaining and sometimes laugh out loud funny. Cora lives with her husband and two young children in the Hudson Valley and meets Sam at a parents' group -there is attraction and cracking chemistry. Do they have an affair? The timeline splits, sometimes on the same page, so we get to see the reality vs. the "other" and it really worked for me. The 10 chapters take us through 10 years in Cora's life and I loved the day to day details of raising young children in suburbia. This was a treat to read as an advance copy from NetGalley and the publisher.