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!