The Seven Year Slip

"I loved how a book, a story, a set of words in a sentence organized in the exact right order, made you miss places you’ve never visited, and people you’ve never met." rating: 4.5 🌻 this was a sweet yet touching story about a woman, successful but a bit lost and dealing with grief, meets a man who's at the start of fearlessly chasing his dreams, and how they fall in love. the only problem? they're seven years apart. She only ever had two rules in this apartment—one, always take your shoes off by the door. And two: never fall in love. Because anyone you met here, anyone the apartment let you find, could never stay. No one in this apartment ever stayed. No one ever would. i was vaguely aware of the premise going in so i was very intrigued to see how this would be executed. time travel can sometimes get too heady or conceptually ambitious, but i think the magic in this book is its simplicity in that respect. by focusing on a specific weekend at a time between clementine and iwan, there's an organic build to their relationship and keeping it in the apartment doesn't muddy timelines too badly. their separate timelines also weave together seamlessly at a few points and overall i think it was very well crafted. “New things are scary.” “They don’t have to be.” “How are they not?” “Because some of my favorite things I haven’t even done yet.” “I think,” he finally said, choosing his words carefully, “that nothing lasts forever. Not the good things, not the bad. So just find what makes you happy, and do it for as long as you can.” i loved that the heart of this story was about understanding your own happiness and taking the chance to chase after it. career burnout is a commonality between clementine and iwan at both their present; the way you chip away at yourself to fit what's "successful" or what you think is the "right" choice. but really it's authenticity and honesty in your work and pursuits that's what's going to fulfill and reinvigorate you. "He might have been the most handsome man I’d ever seen. But especially when he blushed." "Here I was, sitting on the floor in front of my coffee table in my aunt’s apartment, furiously clicking on every link about a man who was seven years older, seven years farther away, seven years stranger, than the one who had kissed me over a lemon pie." the romance was ADORABLE. i felt like clementine meeting younger iwan was almost necessary bc of the idealistic beliefs in his younger self. she's able to bring that back to him in his present self, but not in that "girl saves the guy bc she's the manic pixie" trope-y kind of way. i think poston did an excellent job at writing and developing the intimacy between them in past and present scenes so that the idea of falling in love with someone over and over again, with every version of them, really rings true for these two. "Sometimes the people you love don’t leave you with goodbyes—they just leave." "I hated her for leaving, and I loved her for staying as long as she could." this was additionally a touching story about grief. the painful new adjustments of it, the way it slips back in at every turn of a familiar corner, bringing back old memories unbidden. the complicated mix of feelings that comes with knowing someone who died by suicide; the sorrow, the anger, the guilt. while it doesn't go too deep to be overwhelming, it touches on this enough to bring not only sympathy for clementine and analea, but perhaps someone you know irl (i thought a lot about anthony bourdain reading this bc of the cooking theme and his traveling - similar to analea). “I am disrespected! Humiliated! I have to see him in the elevators in my building. I’m going to have to look him in the eyes and know that he thinks Dune is the best sci-fi book of all time.” "The kind of guy who would look at the meme phrase 'she breasted boobily to the stairs' and nod and go, Yes, yes, this is indubitably quality literature." there were some great moments of comedic relief. i think the contemporary cultural references might irk some readers but it felt like a wink and a nod for me personally. i thought both clementine and iwan's friends were fun characters to add to the mix. overall, i definitely recommend this if you're looking for a romance read that's mostly fluffy and sweet but can handle a little tart. kind of like a lemon meringue 🍋✨ "Love was an invitation into the wild unknown, one step at a time together." "Because the things that mattered most never really left. The love stays. The love always stays, and so do we."

I wasn’t expecting this book to hit me as hard as it did. It’s one of those rare stories that quietly sneaks up on you, makes you laugh, ache, and think about your own life all at once. I picked it up because I saw it recommended on Goodreads and other book clubs. What I really appreciated was how Ashley balances heartbreak and hope. The time-slip concept could’ve easily felt gimmicky, but it actually worked perfectly with the emotional weight of the story. The way grief, love, and timing all intertwine, it felt real. I found myself highlighting so many lines because they were so quietly profound. I loved Clementine as a character. She’s flawed and guarded but also deeply human. Her grief felt raw in a way that made me want to hug her, and seeing her open herself up again was really moving. And then there’s Iwan who is a gentle, and thoughtful character. Their connection felt so organic and beautifully slow burn. It’s not a fast-paced story. It gives you space to breathe and to feel everything alongside the characters. By the end, I was sitting there feeling emotional but also oddly hopeful. If you like stories that mix a bit of magical realism with genuine emotional depth. Pick this one up if you want an easy yet playful read. It’s tender, bittersweet, and honestly one of the most touching love stories I’ve read in a while.

I don't even know how to describe the way this book made me feel and has thus impacted my whole week- in the BEST way possible. I am really mad at myself for putting off reading this. I started it and honestly got a little disenfranchised with it- I got distracted. I jumped back in this week determined to get hooked and just wow. I felt such an array of emotions reading this book. I felt awe, happiness, giddiness, grief (so much grief) and saddness but then happiness and inspiration. Having been someone who has lost someone close to me to suicide- I could relate to EVERYTHING that Clementine was feeling. I am not really an underliner or highlighter of books, but I couldn't help myself with this one. The way that Ashley was describing grief and the aftershocks was just too on point for me. I loved everything about this book. I loved both of the main characters. I loved their journeys and how different but alike they were. I liked how they helped each other more than they could admit (at first). I liked the mystical aspect with the magical apartment. I liked the unpredictability. I liked the side characters, but as I said before I loved how this book made me FEEL. I must have told every person I saw this week how much I liked it. I would highly recommend checking out the TW as it does speak heavily of grief and loss specifically around suicide. Clementine is at a low point. Her aunt has just passed away and given her her apartment. The apartment holds soo many memories, and Clementine is having a hard time only focusing on the good ones. She can't help continuing to think about why she has the apartment. The cool thing about this apartment is that at any point, it can travel back in time by 7 years. And what do you know this happens to Clementine. She comes home one day from work, where she is about to land her dream job, to find a man in the kitchen. Not just a man but a handsome man. He is cooking and setup like he owns the place. Come to find out she has gone back in time and this man, Iwan, is her aunt's really good friends son. He is in NY to take a stab at being a chef. She decides to roll with it and has a wonderful night. She finds herself being able to open up to this stranger who knows nothing about what is going on in her life. She finds herself looking forward to tomorrow. They have another great night together and then he is gone. She finds herself sad and wishes they had more time together because she felt something towards him. A connection of sorts. Now that she is back in today's time, her company is working towards nailing down the hottest chef in town because he is coming out with a cookbook. Well it turns out this hot chef happens to be HER Iwan. Except he goes by James and when they see each other, she doesn't know how to act. So she acts like he doesn't know her. They reconnect and she finds herself noticing how different this Iwan is from the one she met 7 years ago. He is more bottled up. Less carefree. She finds herself wondering what happened to him. She wants to dig and in the process finds herself brought back to the past and then back to the present a few times. Her and Iwan have a connection- that she wants him to remember. She wants to remember. She is ready to make some big decisions in her life, and she wants him to be there with her. The question is will he want to do this after everything? Will he support her big decisions? It was really interesting to see the changes in Iwan and how life had affected him. And when he finally opened up to Lemon as he calls her, it was so beautiful. I thought it was cool that even though there was no time difference for Clementine, she truly had an awakening after meeting carefree Iwan. He made her want to do more things and be more. I can't say enough about how much I loved this book!! If you haven't read it- pick it up!! I went ahead and preordered her next release and am hoping it is just as good. The bar has been set LOL.

I may need to preface this by saying I’m not exactly in the target market for this book. It’s not something that would typically be my cup of tea. Even still, the book has issues that would deeply flaw any book in any genre… 1) An apartment that takes someone 7 years back in time seemingly at random is an intriguing concept, but the “time-travelling lovers” idea feels like it’s been done a few times and I’m not sure this book really does anything new with it that’s worth doing. There also may be a massive plot hole in that the “7-year slip” doesn’t seem to happen to the protagonist’s love interest from 7 years’ past. Why would she occasionally be taken 7 years into the apartment’s past, but he never is? 2) There’s a lack of believability in how quickly the two main characters get over the fact there’s a stranger suddenly in their apartment. I know some people can be pretty wild and crazy, but it’s hard to believe two strangers accepting the situation so quickly to the point where they’re sleeping in the same bed. It needs more buildup. 3) Pacing is an issue in general. The previous point is partially about pacing, but it’s not the only pacing issue. There are long stretches where nothing happens. I get that a story should slow down here and there and that there doesn’t need to be nonstop action, but when two people are chatting over a meal for pages and pages on end with aimless blimblamming, the story loses momentum. This happens multiple times, where there are pages and pages of unnecessary chitchat while the story stagnates. 4) The two characters are also just annoying and so is their little push-pull romance, but that may just be me and refer back to the disclaimer this review started with. Many of their interactions are just silly and cheesy. All in all though it’s not a bad book. Just mediocre. Despite some adverbs here and there, the craft is still miles better than some other books I’ve read. It also gets better as it goes on and the protagonist’s overall journey is one that’s easy to appreciate. It’s a decent premise (if a bit overdone) with uneven execution, but a solid emotional core in spite of its flaws.

📚𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖📚 The Seven Year Slip by: Ashley Poston 3.5⭐️ I had to sit on this one for a couple of days. Ashley Poston's books are different. They bring something unique to the table every time- no pun intended. I was a big fan of The Dead Romantics and waited a long time to read this one. I had a very real fear that I wouldn't love her writing a second time. I really liked Clementine and I loved Iwan's character. They both were trying to find the most authentic versions of themselves, but it was tricky for Clementine. She meets Iwan in the magical apartment, but he is seven years in the past. Then, low and behold, the chef-turned-author she's trying to sign is Iwan in present day. And the two versions she gets of him are vastly different, but she falls in love with both of them. Time travel, in general, is super confusing to me. I don't really believe there are other versions of us in other dimensions having different experiences. That's way too deep of a concept for me to wrap my head around. But the author kept the book really streamlined and easy to understand what was going on in different time periods. The magic only lived inside of apartment B4, so there weren't a lot of time & place changes to follow along with. I enjoyed the book and thought it was really sweet, but I don't think I loved it as much as The Dead Romantics. I loved all the revelations along the way, but I didn't get the warm fuzzies from the characters until the very end and it was really only Iwan that I felt it from. I did love seeing Clementine come to terms with what would make her happy and taking steps to achieve it. I loved chatting with friends about this one! I know the author has a new release coming out in 2024 and I will definitely read it. I love the way she writes and tells stories that are so unique to the book world. —𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝: 🕰️right person, right place, wrong time 🏨magical apartment 🧑🏼‍🍳chef x publicist 💔grief & acceptance

The Seven Year Slip was one of those books that completely pulled me in emotionally and stayed with me long after I finished it. The premise is unique without feeling gimmicky, blending romance with a gentle touch of magical realism in a way that feels natural and heartfelt. The time-slip element adds depth to the story rather than overshadowing it, and it’s handled in a thoughtful, emotionally grounded way. What really stood out to me was the emotional resonance of the characters. The main character’s journey through grief, growth, and self-discovery felt very real, and the romance unfolded in a way that felt earned and meaningful. The story explores themes of timing, healing, and learning when to let go versus when to hold on—all without feeling rushed or overly dramatic. The writing style is smooth and engaging, making it easy to get lost in the story. It’s romantic without being overly sweet, emotional without being heavy, and thoughtful without being complicated. I found myself slowing down toward the end because I didn’t want it to be over. This is a perfect book for readers who enjoy romance with depth, emotional storytelling, and a creative twist. If you like love stories that feel sincere and leave an impression, this one is absolutely worth picking up.

“Two thousand five hundred and fifty-five days.” Characters: 5⭐️ Setting: 4⭐️ Plot: 5⭐️ Themes: 4⭐️ Emotional impact: 5⭐️ Enjoyment: 5⭐️ Overall rating: 4.75⭐️ rounded to 5⭐️ The Seven Year Slip is filled with love and laughter, grief and heartbreak alike. Clementine finds herself somewhat begrudgingly moving into her late Aunt Analea’s apartment and finds that Analea’s fairytales about the place may, in fact, be true. We follow Clementine on the precipice of her 30’s. As she makes attempts to bury her grief, she ends up stripping back the parts of her life that no longer serve her and reclaiming her oldest joys she lost along the way. I found the romance in this story to be incredibly well-written. Ashley Poston really makes these characters feel real, both to the reader, as well as to each other on the page. Their banter, bouts of awkwardness, flashes of vulnerability, and almost regrettable moments of honesty, really round out this story fittingly. I look forward to reading more from this author!

I really enjoyed this book! I’ve always been a sucker for time travel stories, and The Seven Year Slip offered a fresh twist on the genre. The story was unique, and it hooked me right from the start. The characters were a standout for me—their interactions were witty, charming, and just plain fun. Underneath the lightness, though, was a thoughtful and moving story of grief. The emotional depth surprised me in the best way—I could really feel the weight of it through Poston’s writing. If I had one complaint, it’s that I wanted more of the "slip" aspect. The transition back to real life came a little too soon for my taste. I loved the grounded parts of the story, don’t get me wrong—but I craved more time in that magical in-between space. That said, I’ll definitely be picking up more of this authors work. The story moved at a great pace and flowed effortlessly. A heartfelt, fun read that left me wanting just a bit more—in the best way.

Witty, light-hearted and relatable.

A very pleasant book. I felt like I needed to read it slowly, and absorb each chapter at my own pace, because it touches upon feeling lost and finding yourself and realizing you were always there but just grew up a little..and it resonated with me a lot in this period of my life. Definitely a recommended read.

One of my favorite books of last year✨

Si sueles comprar libros en inglés y compras libros de Berkley de reciente salida al mercado podrás ver que son unas reimpresiones barateras hechas por Amazon de una calidad muy diferente a lo que tienes en casa, diferente papel, tamaño, calidad, peso!! Nada que ver, como si fueran autopublicados!!es el cuarto que me pasa

Primer libro que leo en inglés y me encantó, muy romcom