The Ten Year Affair is a wry, acerbic novel with observations on the anodyne aspects of aging, relationships, and fulfillment. I’m particularly partial to this style of writing, and I had a few chuckle out loud moments. The portrayals in the novel are a bit limited—the central characters are ostensibly white, middle class, and straight. Not a criticism, just an observation. I’d be curious to see what the author could do with broader characterizations.

I received a copy for review. All opinions are my own. An absolutely beautiful book….I could not pull myself away. So comical at times and very relatable, I really enjoyed the “dueling timelines”. This is one of those books that at the very basic level, is about people being…. Well…. People… and their choices and their repercussions or lack thereof. I fell totally in love with pretty much every character. I couldn’t pick a favorite even if I tried. For anyone that loves books about the complexities of an affair… this book is absolutely for you!

Cora and Sam meet at a baby group and find they have a lot in common. Both parents of two young children, both working for mildly unfulfilling jobs, and both happily married to other people. But from the moment of their meeting, they feel a powerful connection with each other. The story splits into timelines: one in which they have an affair and another in which they resist acting on their attraction for each other. We see the timelines develop over ten years, with each of the alternative paths shedding light on how their life unfolds in other — on their respective marriages, children, jobs, and happiness.

This was a creative and insightful exploration of marriage and the transition from early adulthood, free from much responsibility and with the hope and excitement of the future all promising, to middle age, when the realities of day-to-day life and seeming constraints imposed by choices one has already made. The author deftly portrays Cora’s inner life, showing how she is both deeply perceptive but also frequently oblivious to her own feelings and those of the other people closest to her.

Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book a lot! I thought it had great insight into the life of a young mother without making it only about that. Minus one star for the ending, which I found a bit confusing and ultimately slightly unsatisfying.

When I first started reading this, I didn't know if I would be sold on the writing, but when I couldn't put it down (I finished it in 4 hours), I realized it in fact was Somer's voice that kept me glued. It's blunt, it's witty, and the story she tells is complex and gives such an honest insight into young motherhood, female desire, and identity. I'm not sure this would be first on my recommendation list, but I'm glad to have read it and I'll definitely read more from her in the future.

I really tried to love this novel but it just didn't work out for me. While it was well written, I didn't connect with any of the character's to actually be invested in the conflict of this story.

Cora loves her husband and her two children and she also is attracted to Sam. Sam loves his wife and his two children and he is also attracted to Cora. Over the course of a decade, we see how their bond develops in the real world and an imagined world where they are freer to indulge in their feelings for one another.

I was drawn in by the intriguing premise and appreciated the author’s writing and the wry humor and observations sprinkled throughout. What stood out to me most was how unremarkable and, at times, how unlikeable Sam was. I guess that’s the power of undeniable chemistry! In any case, I think readers interested in a sharp relationship drama will enjoy this. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

This was a great novel. Like nothing I’ve read before. It’s basically about a friendship between two couples. Couple ones wife is the narrator and she meets couple two’s husband at a baby group (both have 2 kids, 3 year olds and infants, so roughly the same age) the pair form a fast and close friendship while the other two in the couples are also included most of the time. It’s. Really hard to describe the timeline of this book without giving the story away, but it basically takes place over 10 years (duh) around 2015 to the present. Both couples are NYC transplants to an undisclosed city north about an hour away. All are pretty young parents and millennials, if that tells you anything. There are aspects of the story where there are two story lines, but honestly you really need to read it to understand. And you should read it. It’s a very well thought out book, well developed story, characters and setting. I really enjoyed it.

3.5 stars for me. This was an intense read. We follow the story of a young mother who meets a young father at a baby group, and they instantly form an attachment outside their marriages. The other world of the affair continues over the span of ten years, and there is a stark feeling of bleakness and loss of identity woven throughout the novel. It's beautifully written and emotionally overwrought, but I'm not sure I can fully recommend it outside those who prefer more intense literary novels with a twist of the adulterous.

The thing that makes this book outstanding is the writing. Due to Somers's wit and shrewd characterizations, a fairly typical story becomes intriguing and complex. The story starts with one narrative being the real one and the other the fantasy -- but partway through the novel, the narratives switch as to which is real and which is imagined, which resonated with me, as to how affairs work. The last few sentences of the book give heft to the story with insight that seems well earned. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

#TheTenYearAffair

It begins in a baby play group. Cora, new to the suburbs, brings her son to the meeting held at the back of a store, There she meets Sam who is the only man in the group. Both are on leave after the births of their children and both are bored. This is not a good situation. Although they don’t immediately realize it, they are ready for an affair. Sam’s wife Jules is a driven lawyer, on track to make partner while he has a creative position at a failing start-up. Cora has a bleak, tedious marketing job. Her husband Eliot works in publishing and seems to have more free time than Cora. He spends most of it at the gym or listening to podcasts. She is lonely.

This is the set up for The Ten Year Affair, an imaginative and unique family drama about marriage, parenthood, responsibilities, friendship and, yes, an affair. Cora imagines her affair with Sam in alternate reality. Drudgery in one world is balanced by excitement in the other. In her parallel existence, she acts out fantasies and imagines life with a different family. Occasionally worlds collide. That does not go well.

The Ten Year Affair provides a very real look at the reality of marriage, illustrated by the otherworldly affair, that shows that while passion doesn’t last, love and commitment do. This is a book that will stay with you long after you finish the final pages. 5 stars.

Thank you ton NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Erin Somers for this ARC.

I haven't found a title that captured my attention quite like this one did in so long. The story flows effortlessly, and the writing is expertly crafted. The characters are authentic, and the storyline is believable. It's a refreshing look at motherhood, marriage, and much more. I hope Somers writes additional titles. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Great novel!

It focuses on two couples who've relocated from the city to upstate New York as they grow older, parent, and consider and/or implement adultery. Read it enthusiastically in a day.

What makes this book great is its excellent style and tone: the sentences are straightforward, bitingly dry and darkly funny, and the precision in the observations and details give it real depth, even as the novel zooms through the years. Lots of people (Cora, who the novel follows most closely, the narrative voice, and several other characters) have a sense of humor, which was such a boon!

cw: infidelity, COVID-19

A story of the messy and the mundane and how the grass is not always greener.

The weaving of the two timelines and Cora’s acknowledgement of their existence at the end reveals just how real they were to her, which really finished the book on a strong note for me. At least to some degree, Cora truly believed that she played out and experienced those realities on some level.

I really loved Erin Somers’ writing style - it really enriched the story.

Thank you so much to Erin Somers and Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC!