thank u to netgalley & the publisher for this ARC ! this book had me crying so much! i really liked this, and also could not put it down because i just needed to know what happened. only thing ill say is at times i really did feel like she was too obsessed w that dog lol

I really liked this book! I didn't find the husband so likable, but ended up loving him in the end. There were some pieces I did not expect, which made it all the more exciting. It was heartwarming to listen to the main character reflect on her life and watching her kids age.

⏳ One slip, one second chance… but will she rewrite her story? 💍✨

Title: The Marriage Slip
Author: Laura Barrow
Format: eARC 📖
Narration Style: N/A
Tropes: Time-Slip, Second Chance Romance, Marriage in Trouble, Working Mom Juggle, Sliding Doors

Trophy Worthy: 🏆 (sweet but not a total game-changer)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: ❄️ (fade-to-black)

Quote: “Sometimes the gift isn’t starting over—it’s finally seeing what was there all along.”

Author Review
Laura Barrow is a new-to-me author, and I enjoyed how she blended emotional depth with a dash of “what if” magic. Her writing feels warm and relatable, especially for anyone balancing marriage, career, and the chaos of parenting. She captured the bittersweet nostalgia of looking back at earlier chapters of life.

Book Review
Audrey’s life is in full juggle mode—selling real estate, raising two daughters, and trying to keep her marriage afloat. Then one very unexpected tumble down the stairs throws her five years into the past… back when her kids were babies, her marriage felt stronger, and her career was just taking off.

This isn’t a flashy, sci-fi kind of time travel—it’s a heartfelt “do-over” story about noticing where things began to shift and asking yourself if you’d make different choices. I enjoyed watching Audrey slowly re-appreciate her husband and family, and the parenting moments were sweet and relatable.

That said, this is very much Audrey’s journey—heavy on relationships and self-reflection, lighter on the romance arc. At times I wished for more spark between Audrey and Travis earlier on, but I appreciated the way the story came full circle.

If you enjoy books like The Midnight Library or Maybe in Another Life, this one’s a warm, cozy pick that might make you reflect on your own “what if” moments.

Overall Thoughts
💍 Time-slip second chances
👩‍👧‍👧 Relatable mom moments & nostalgia
📚 Emotional, heartfelt pacing over high drama
☕ Perfect for a weekend curled up on the couch

Thank you Laura Barrow, NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Out October 7th, 2025
A heartfelt time-slip tale that blends second chances with emotional depth. Audrey’s tumble into the past gives her a rare shot at rewriting her story—and maybe her marriage. Laura Barrow captures the chaos of motherhood, the ache of regret, and the hope of healing with warmth and honesty. If you love stories like The Midnight Library or Maybe in Another Life, this one will tug at your heartstrings and make you believe in do-overs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC!

This book is a representation of one of my most cherished traumas and desires: imagine being able to analyze the source of what went wrong and, better yet, perhaps change everything? What would the implications be?
Would I be happy?
Would I be a different person?
Films have worked on this theme excellently. I'd only read a few books, but this one was really good.
Thank you NetGalley and the author for the eARC.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t my favorite book. The premise is interesting and it’s what drew me to the book but I felt the execution was lacking. I found the story to be very slow moving and couldn’t connect to the characters .

I love time- loop stories, and this one was no different. Happily ever after- or not? Read it and find out!

What a fantastic book,emotional,little bit magical with HEA.We meet Audrey who struggles with every day challenges, work and feeling that she's all alone in this.Asking her husband for a break from each other,she's actually shocked when he agreed.Sharing custody,learning what she wants it's not easy,and having accident that slip back in time to five years earlier it's just impossible.I could really relate with Audrey going trough motherhood,marriage and balancing work.
I also really like Audrey and Travis,they sound good together but some resentment and lack of comunication pull them apart.

It's a great book for summer,full of emotions,hope and little romance,don't wait pre-order your copy,this is book that I will re-read in the future.

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

Laura Barrow’s *The Marriage Slip* offers a deeply emotional and engaging journey that touches on themes of love, regret, and the hope for second chances—particularly resonant for those who enjoy pondering “what if” scenarios. At the heart of the story is Audrey, a dedicated real estate agent and mother who finds herself at a crossroads in her marriage. After a fall down the stairs, she mysteriously transports five years into the past, presenting her with an unexpected opportunity to reconsider her life choices.

This premise beautifully intertwines the elements of wish-fulfillment with real-life complexities. Barrow skillfully uses the time-slip to delve into profound emotions like trust, forgiveness, and the journey toward self-discovery. As Audrey revisits the joys and challenges of early motherhood, alongside her loving dog Willow, the emotional stakes become even more palpable and relatable.

It’s important to acknowledge that Audrey and Travis, despite their struggles, are portrayed with authenticity. Their communication challenges can be exasperating at times, prompting a desire for them to take a step back and truly understand each other. Yet, this very messiness makes them feel real and relatable. They are flawed and their journey is not always straightforward, but their growth throughout the story is ultimately rewarding. Lexie, with her vibrant personality, brings a chaotic energy that is impossible to overlook and adds another layer to the narrative.

While *The Marriage Slip* may not be without its imperfections, it effectively balances emotional depth with romantic tension. It thoughtfully examines the influence we have over our lives and poses the question of whether we might choose differently if given the chance to rewrite our stories.

Audrey's life involves a lot of juggling, with her real estate career and raising two young daughters, while trying to also save her marriage.
Then a tumble down the stairs changes her life, as she wakes up five years in the past, with the change for a re-do. The kids are babies again, her marriage is in a better place and her career has promise.
I absolutely love a time travel/sliding doors novel and I was drawn into this one immediately. Audrey getting her second chance to change things that she saw coming was a joy to read, thoroughly entertaining but also emotional in places.
The writing was fabulous and I must go back to check out other books by this author.

Romantic, relatable, and packed with surprises 💍✨. The Marriage Slip sounds like a witty, heartwarming exploration of love, mistakes, and the hilarious complications of commitment. Laura Barrow brings humour and heart to a story that promises laugh-out-loud moments and plenty of swoony feels. Perfect for fans of rom-coms with real, messy love.

I just finished reading The Marriage Slip and i loved it.
I did read the book from the perspective of a married woman whose children are growing into teenagers and so this book hit me hard emotionally and i was flooded with nostalgia throughout. I have no idea how the book would hit if i hadn't connected with the story so strongly, but for me it felt very relatable and personal.

I found Audrey likable and her situation definitely resonated with me, whilst i didn't agree with her perspectives on everything, i had a lot of empathy for her. The book really focuses on her and the relationships she has with her husband, children and friends and how a different perspective can make such a huge impact on the success of those relationships.

The book moves along at a great pace and i was intrigued all the way through to see what the outcome would be and it didn't disappoint. There were moments that were extremely emotional and i was overwhelmed at points with my own nostalgia regarding my marriage before our kids were born and also for when our kids were still babies. I found the book to be moving, inspiring and entertaining.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were very relatable and likeable. The storyline/troupe isn't one you see all that often so it was a nice change of pace.

This is a thoughtful, emotionally grounded story about second chances and seeing the past through wiser eyes. The writing is smooth and accessible, with a gentle tone that makes it easy to sink into the world of Audrey—a woman juggling the demands of motherhood, work, and a marriage under strain. When she unexpectedly wakes up five years in the past, she’s offered something many of us have imagined: the chance to do things differently.

The story unfolds with a strong focus on relationships—romantic, parental, and platonic—and explores the idea that growth often comes not just from what changes, but from seeing familiar moments in a new light. Readers who enjoy introspective, character-driven fiction with a dash of speculative what-if will likely find this a comforting and reflective read.

While the pacing is steady and the themes are familiar, the emotional payoff still lands with heart. The author clearly has a gift for capturing the quiet complexities of everyday life, and I’m definitely interested in seeing where her storytelling goes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

This was a cute time slip romance, where the main characters get a second chance to make things work. Balancing marriage, kids and work can be hard but sometimes it just takes a different perspective to see what is really going on! I liked Audrey and Travis and was rooting for them.

I think anyone living the daily grind can appreciate this book. I gave it 3.75 stars.

Audrey and her husband, Travis, have just decided to separate when Audrey falls down the stairs and wakes up 5 years ago. This is a good story of do overs and second chances. She gets to see how and why her marriage unraveled and whether its worth saving. I really enjoyed this book and liked the magical realism. I'd recommend!

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.