The Marriage Slip written by Laura Barrow, a newfound author for me, is a heartfelt and emotionally charged drama that captures the quiet unraveling of a marriage after children enter the picture. The story centers on a couple on the brink of divorce, emotionally distant, no longer speaking, and struggling to co-parent. The tension and silence between them are palpable, painted in raw, realistic strokes that was painfully relatable.

What makes this story stand out is the creative twist: the main character takes a mysterious "slip" and finds herself transported five years into the past. Living through the early days of their relationship again, she is forced to remember the love, laughter, and connection that once made their marriage whole. Through this journey, readers get a moving window into how time, parenting, and miscommunication can chip away at a once-solid bond—and how memory can serve as a powerful mirror. The characters are deeply human and well-developed. I felt the wife's longing, the husband's confusion, and the ache of what’s been lost. The emotional depth is authentic, and the portrayal of marital hardship is honest without being hopeless. What’s most compelling is how the couple, through this surreal journey, come to recognize where things went wrong and how they truly miss each other—not just in presence but in heart.

The Marriage Slip is not just a story about regret or nostalgia. It’s a story about rediscovery, accountability, and the power of remembering why you fell in love in the first place. A great read for anyone interested in relationship dynamics, personal growth, or emotional storytelling with a touch of magic realism.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and was prepared for another Liars or All Fours but luckily, that’s not where this book went. Audrey is tired - tired of the emotional labor, of being the enforcing parent, of being the cook, cleaner, and caretaker for her two girls and her husband. After asking for a trial separation, she falls down the stairs and ends up five years in the past - right before her second daughter was born. With the wisdom of five years, Audrey looks at her life in a different way and learns not everything - or everyone - was what she thought.

It’s a quick read with female friendships, professional women, and motherhood woven in and steeped in the reality that none of those are easy to maintain, especially all at once. It’s an easy book to recommend to my female friendships but honestly, men could benefit from a read to help understand all the invisible work that happens to make life work.

I love both women’s fiction and romance, and this one feels like the perfect blend of the two, with some magical realism à la Sophie Cousens and Ashley Poston.

Audrey is frustrated by her husband’s lack of help with household and child-raising tasks, but she’s also shocked when Travis agrees easily to a trial separation. While the two of them are dealing with the challenges of sharing custody, she experiences a bizarre slip back in time to five years earlier, and she’s delivering their younger daughter.

The strange phenomenon doesn’t just go away after a few hours or days, and Audrey must learn to live in her five-years-ago life with a newborn and a four-year-old. Now she gets the chance to see what her life was like before she began to resent her husband, and starts to wonder whether she’s made a mistake. (Plus, she gets to relive the newborn days, in all of their exhausting but drenched-in-love sweetness!) Perhaps she’ll even be able to right the wrong that happened five years earlier.

This story is beautifully written and shows how differently two people can perceive the events of their relationship. I love a book that offers a touch of magical realism that’s just a little wild. This book made me consider the what-ifs. What if you could have a do-over, and would your choices make a difference in the end?

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this novel!

Audrey is a working mom with a failing marriage who, after an accident, wakes up five years in the past allowing her to revisit decisions and perspectives. A mix of fantasy and dream sequence. Audrey is a bit insufferable but in the end redeems herself.

Recent Read: The Marriage Slip @laura.barrow.writer (advanced arc @netgalley, copies still available!)
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Publish date: 10/7/25
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Its no secret I love magical realism and books with time jumps, so when I read the premise of this one I got really excited. The story opens with Audrey, tired mom of two, who's at her wits end. Her happily ever after is looking more like a never ending laundry list of chores, play dates, permission slips, and literal laundry, while her husband seems oblivious to the mental load she is carrying. Not to mention the physical side of their relationship has fizzled. After initiating a break from their marriage, Audrey finds herself alone, only to fall down the stairs of their home.

When she wakes up she is 5 years in the past giving birth all over again to her second daughter. She realizes she is at a pivitol point in her life where things started falling off the rails, but she may have an opportunity to fix everything and change her future for the better.

Things I loved about this story: How raw and real it felt, even with the time jumps. I think every mom can relate to trying to do it all, only to realize we can't and honestly we dont want to. The comparisons to other moms, social media expectations, making every moment count, while also being trim in a pristine home. Its too much and the weight we put on ourselves can lead to resentment in others. I felt like the FMC could have easily been me. I also loved her relationship with her dog. It was so beautiful.

In the end the overriding theme is marriage and your happily ever after takes work, communication, and lowering your expectations without settling. The hard days are also the ones you'll miss and you can't go back (or can you?). I highly recommend this read! Snag your arc now or pick up a copy in October!

QOD: Do you love stories that explore what happens after the HEA? I love them. TJR After I Do is another great one.

Thank you @netgalley and @laura.barrow.writer for an ARC. These honest opinions are my own in exchange for a free electronic copy.

#recentreads #bookreview #themarriageslip #laurabarrow #netgalleyreviewer #thefutureisfemale

Audrey is struggling in life with her kids, her job and her marriage. In anger, she asks her husband for a break. During this time, she falls down the stairs and slips back to her past life. However knowing what happens she can see the situations differently, and realizes that her life is the result of her narrow perspective.
Barrow creates a relatable protagonist in Audrey. She is struggling with the mental load that most women face. Her exhaustion is real and frustrating. I particularly enjoyed the slip portion of her life and her awareness that some of the problems she encountered were of her own making. These experiences allowed her to open up and accept accountability in her current life. Barrow must be a dog person because her scene with Willow, Audrey’s beloved dog, were touching.

I really enjoyed this book. It made me reflect on my own marriage and the wonderful things I love about my husband…and also the things he does behind the scenes to help our family function and thrive. Communication and gratitude go a long way—this book reminds me of that very important lesson.

I just finished a good book. The Marriage Slip by Laura Barrow is available soon and is one you should put on your list.

A sudden accident leads to self-discovery in Laura Barrow’s The Marriage Slip. The novel explores the challenges of balancing marriage, work, parenthood, and friendships.

Audrey’s bad day at work escalates when she comes home to find dirty dishes and her kids still awake while her carefree husband, Travis, plays his guitar. She’s exhausted from managing everything from childcare to household chores, all while working full-time with little help from Travis. She decides that she wants a separation.

Relying on her friend Lexy for advice proves troublesome, though Audrey doesn’t realize it yet. However, after a misstep that propels her into the past, she comes to understand how her life could have been and who her true friends are. Her life takes a different turn after she wakes up from being unconscious for two days and realizes how much Travis and her children need her.

I enjoyed Barrow’s smooth segue from Audrey’s present life to five years in the past, revealing changes in her perspective and life. Barrows discusses the ups and downs of marriage with insight and empathy. Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review The Marriage Slip. #NetGalley #TheMarriageSlip #womensfiction

Oh I wanted to like this but audrey aubrey whatever her name was, was insufferable. Lets start with how she goes from picking up her 5 year old then reminiscing on how she loves how small she is, then goes into talk about disappointing her when she asks to download social media apps? LOL I cant. What 5 and possibly 7/8 year old are on social media apps? Bye. If youre going to write women's fiction it needs to have some realism, and this was just dumb. Don’t write women so insufferably anymore.

I absolutely loved diving into The Marriage Slip! The premise—a broken marriage getting a second chance through a time-travel twist—immediately pulled me in. Who hasn’t thought about what they’d do differently if given the chance to rewind with a bit of perspective?

What really stuck with me, though, was how thoughtfully the book explores deeper themes like motherhood, the balancing act of partnership, and rediscovering the beauty in everyday life. Audrey and Travis felt incredibly real to me—imperfect, layered, and so relatable that I found myself rooting for them both, even during the messier moments.

And I can’t forget the dog! Such a lovable presence, and surprisingly meaningful to the story in all the right ways. This book was heartfelt, insightful, and had just the right touch of magic.

What would you do if you could go back 5 years into the past and get a redo?
Thats exactly what happens for Audrey and after a fall down the stairs, she wakes up and gets to redo the prior 5 years of her life. She is given a new outlook on life and can figure out what went wrong in her relationship.
Audrey's story involves the ups and downs of motherhood, relationships, forgiveness and more.
This story makes you think about all the small things thst may seem like they don't matter.

The Marriage Slip" by Laura Barrow offers a fresh perspective on love and family. The novel uses a time-bending twist to explore the consequences of choices and the power of second chances. Audrey's journey is both relatable and extraordinary as she navigates marriage, parenthood, and friendship. The realistic portrayal of these relationships is appreciated. I highly recommend this read.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley!
I like books that take people back in time to explore choices and start over. This was pretty good about a marriage in trouble. I kind of expected something else, but I was pleasantly surprised by the story.

I thought this would just be a cute little read but not only was it that, it was also thought provoking! A great read!

In The Marriage Slip, Laura Barrow introduces us to a busy mom on the brink—juggling the chaos of everyday life while facing the weighty decision of divorce. When she unexpectedly slips back five years in time, she’s given a rare chance to reevaluate everything: her marriage, her choices, and her relationship with her daughters. With this second chance, can she change the future she’s been hurtling toward?

Heartfelt, thought-provoking, and laced with emotional insight, The Marriage Slip explores the what-ifs we all carry. If you loved The Midnight Library by Matt Haig or Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, this one’s for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Laura Barrow for the advance review copy!

eARC Review: The Marriage Slip by Laura Barrow

The Marriage Slip by Laura Barrow is a heartfelt story about love, second chances, and figuring out what really matters. Audrey’s a busy mom who’s feeling stuck in her marriage, and then she literally falls down the stairs and wakes up five years in the past. Now she’s got a chance to see her life (and her husband) with fresh eyes and maybe fix what went wrong.

This book does such a great job of capturing all the ups and downs of relationships: the misunderstandings, the forgiveness, and the little moments that matter most. It’s got just enough magical realism to make it fun without feeling over the top. The middle part slowed down a bit, but I loved how real and relatable the characters felt.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read this early!

I love books that give me nostalgic 'sliding door" feels. I often ponder "What would happen if I did this instead of that". So, reading the book blurb I knew this was going to be my weekend read. This book took me through many emotions , so be prepared for this! I mourned moments, became frustrated at the MC actions, sympathised, and cried! My husband had to say ask if I was OK. When I told him why I cried (let's just say Marley and me feels), he rolled his eyes and said its just a book. Well, if girls just a book, then why did it make me feel powerful emotions?
Unexpectedly, this book is one of my favourite reads this year. I'll be keeping an eye out for future work from this author.

The seven year slip is my favourite book ever, so the title of this itself immediately captivated me. It was reminiscent in its magical realism/second chance romance elements, which I loved! I also enjoyed that this book explored difficult themes and portrayed the messy and imperfect in different stages of life (including raising kids, marriage etc) so well. I loved both Audrey and Travis and their dual POVs.
Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me the opportunity to read this!!

If you could slip back in time to five years in the past, what would you do differently?

The Marriage Slip is the story of Audrey, a married working mom, who is overwhelmed with everyday life and the anxiety of being the bread-winner of the family. Audrey feels as though she has to do everything herself at home, so she decides enough is enough and that she should separate from her lazy, unambitious husband, she feels that is the only answer. But when Audrey slips on a broken stair and falls down the stairs of her home, she wakes up in the hospital. To her surprise when wakes up, she discovers it is five years in the past and she is giving birth all over again!

This book was not only a highly entertaining adventure of Audrey and her family, but it was thought provoking to watch Audrey see her life from an entirely new perspective. This story made me stop and think, what can I do differently in my own life to see problems and events from other peoples views. I loved this book and I keep thinking about the morals that it brought to light. The writer made this feel like a fun romantic comedy, but also with deep feelings that made me tear up at the end. It was a great book that I will recommend to several of my reading friends when this book is released on October 6, 2025.

Thank you Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy in return for an honest review. #NetGalley #TheMarriageSlip @LakeUnionPublishing