Member Reviews
Because I am so in love with The Seven Year Slip, I finished the book and then immediately started reading the novel again, just to make sure my feelings were real. And they are SO REAL. Clementine and Iwan's story swept me up in the magic of love across time, of finding the right person when you need them.
As Clementine's beloved aunt Analea says, "You know the moment you fall," And I fell hard for the story of apartment B4 on the Upper East Side where you unlock the door and you could be in the present time or seven years behind. But the person you find on the other side is meant to show you who you are and who you could be.
Clementine's aunt passed away and left her an apartment she's slowly moving into, but isn't really making the space her own. her career in publishing is where she's putting her focus, but with so much emphasis on one area of her life, other parts aren't making much movement. After a tough day at the office, she comes home to find a strange and alluring man in her apartment. But he's supposed to be there - Clementine's aunt has allowed him to stay at her place while she's away. Iwan wants to be a chef in New York City, but he has to pay his dues. Starting as a dishwasher at a famed restaurant, he wants more and is willing to work for it. And here at the crossroads of their lives, two people meet. They share meals and memories: Conversations, confessions, and conceding to the magnetic force drawing them together. But since they are from different times, will they find a way to be together on the same timeline?
I am a fan of The Dead Romantics and the Geekerella series, so this is Ashley Poston doing what she does best - blending a bit of 'what if' with enduring sentiments of life's big moments.
Poston's prose is just as delightful as it was last summer. Her characters are heartwarming and real in a way that make this book a cozy escape with a touch of nostalgia sprinkled heavily throughout. The paranormal element in this one is more heartwarming and adds a fun new twist to the story as it moves along.
I was really intrigued by the premise of this book: Clementine, a workaholic book publicist, moves into her late aunt Analea's apartment, an apartment her aunt has always sworn has a little bit of magic in it. Clementine suddenly discovers the truth of her aunt's stories when she arrives home one evening to find Iwan, an aspiring chef, cooking dinner in her kitchen--only Iwan exists seven years in the past. The apartment sporadically brings Clementine, who is still deeply grieving her aunt's death, back to the past where she slowly gets to know Iwan and tries to prevent herself from falling for him. Things get complicated when worlds collide in the present.
The book touches on some interesting concepts of how people change over time and how the person we were seven years ago could be very different than who we are today. The exploration of grief and dealing with loss also added some depth here. However, the book was pretty predictable, and I saw most of the plot twists coming pretty early on. It also felt a bit repetitive and the ending felt very rushed. I do tend to prefer dual POV in my romance books, and I think it would have been really interesting to hear Iwan's side of the story as well.
“If you don’t fit in, fool everyone until you do-Keep your passport renewed-and Always, Always Chase the Moon!” 🌝
These are the words of wisdom that Aunt Analea imparted to her niece, Clementine, when she was just eight years old.
She also shared with her a SECRET- that the Apartment she owned at the Monroe, B4, sometimes slipped through time-sometimes seven years forward and sometimes seven years back. One minute you are in the present, in the hallway, but when you unlock the door, you slip through time into the past.
The two pigeons, M and F (😉) will still be living on the AC unit, but the furnishings inside would be different, selected by the unit’s former occupant who lived there seven years ago.
In Annalea’s case, that occupant would be Vera-a beautiful woman who would invite her to share some wine, and Fettuccine, a meal that NEVER quite tasted the same way twice. And, when Clementine turned twelve, her Aunt shared with her that she had wanted to marry Vera-but it wasn’t meant to be…
For this reason, she added two more rules- which applied only to the apartment-
Always take your shoes off at the door, and NEVER fall in love with anyone you ever met here-because they could never stay. 🌜🌛
Now, Analea is gone, and Clementine, a publicist for Strauss & Adder Publishers, has inherited the Apartment from her Aunt. But, the first time, she experiences the “MAGIC” it won’t be Vera that she meets, it will be a young man named Iwan, who once subletted the apartment from her Analea while she was traveling.
He is a man with kind gray eyes, an endearing crooked smile, and a penchant for cooking perfect meals, and extraordinary lemon pies- The exact kind of guy that Clementine could FALL IN LOVE with, despite knowing the rules-but of course, he lives seven years in the past.
What’s a struggling Publicist to do?
Just like with “The Dead Romantics”, the author has penned a wonderfully, entertaining novel incorporating Magical Realism and Time Travel, with likable characters to root for!
My only small criticism-Ewan’s nickname for Clementine (Lemon) was overused and became a bit annoying!
Escape into this story on June 27th, 2023!
Thank You to Berkley for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
Amazing. It’s amazing and moving and funny and sad. The grief in the book happens to match my own at the moment - it was both heartbreaking and cathartic. I thought Poston’s The Dead Romantics was incredible, but The Seven Year Slip was breathtaking.
Let me tell you, this book had absolutely everything I was looking for… Time travel, romance, a hot North Carolinian love interest, an adorably-named heroine with the type of job that realistically wouldn’t pay her enough to live comfortably in NYC… I love it all.
When we first meet Clementine, she’s grieving the loss of her beloved aunt, whose apartment she has inherited. (Proof that Ashley Poston was thinking about the cost of living thing…) Or, well, Clementine should be grieving. She should be in therapy, honestly. But she’s not. She’s burying herself in work to avoid grieving, and to avoid spending too much time in her late aunt’s apartment. It's no ordinary apartment, though.
The apartment, you see, has the ability to take its occupant back in time exactly seven years.
Will the apartment grant Clementine’s wish to see her aunt one last time? Well, no. At least, not at first.
Instead, Clementine goes home one night to find that she has an unexpected, and unexpectedly hot, new roommate. She’s been transported back to a summer seven years ago, when she was traveling in Europe with her aunt, and there’s a young man subletting the apartment while they’re away. (Clever way around the whole two versions of the same person in the same place at the same time paradox, right?)
But if they fell in love seven years in the past, why hasn’t he found her in the present? Will our time-crossed lovers find a way to make it work?
For anyone who loved The Lake House (2006) or Landline by Rainbow Rowell, this is much more than your average romance novel. It’s about the way love and grief shape your life, about letting go of others’ expectations to find your own way, and about the power of time–and timing.
Huge thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Time travel books are not my thing. I usually actively avoid them. There are a few exceptions for favorite authors and that is how I ended up reading The Seven Year Slip. I adored The Dead Romantics and had to read Poston's next book. To be honest, I didn't love this book as much as that one, but I still got caught up in the writing and enjoyed it.
The Seven Year Slip took me a bit to get into. I was expecting more of a romance than women's fiction. I should have remembered that is not how Poston writes her adult novels. They are women's fiction with a side of romance. Therefore, it takes longer for the main character, Clementine, to meet Iwan. The beginning is more a setup of Clementine's life and where she is in at the moment. It took me a bit to get into this one because Iwan wasn't involved for a bit. I wasn't truly invested in the story until Iwan entered the picture. Then, things started to fly for me.
Clementine is a woman grieving the loss of her aunt and the time they have now lost together. She's moved into her late aunt's apartment and it's stirring up all sorts of memories and things. I liked Clementine's journey of self-discovery in this one. It's subtle, but also has a big impact. There's something to learn from her growth and her relationship (in both times) with Iwan.
This is Clementine's story, so we only get to know Iwan through her eyes and interactions with him. I liked his character and the differences between the past Iwan and the present one. I loved Clementine's moments with Iwan and how I could feel their attraction. It was fun to experience them getting to know each other through food and stories. I know the romance was the side piece to this story about grief and growth, but I really wish I would have gotten more time with them together. Because their times were split between past and present, I had a harder time believing the big L-word when it came up.
I know I said I don't love time travel, but it worked for me in this book. I enjoyed Clementine visiting Iwan in the past more than I expected. Part of that was where Poston put those moments in the story and the other part was the magical apartment. Those two things combined with how fun Clementine and Iwan were together made it more than bearable for me. They made it fun.
Overall, reading The Seven Year Slip was fun. Once I was invested, I was addicted. I loved the characters, and the way food and books played a part in the story. I also thought the author did a nice job in writing a book dealing with grief and moving on. It was interesting to read Poston's author's note at the end about how she used her own grief when writing this book.
The Seven Year Slip had such an facinating premise. It started out a little slow for me, but once it picked up I got really into. The ending felt a little rushed, but I enjoyed so much about this book!
Clementine 'Lemon' is moving in to her recently passed Aunt's apartment and this apartment has some magic. That is where she meets Iwan. Iwan is an aspiring chef and present Clementine meets Iwan from 7 years ago. That's how the apartment works. Then, in the present, things start to collide.
I did enjoy the concept of this one, but I also found it a tad bit predictable and rushed at the end.
The Seven Year Slip was a good book and a well told exploration of grief, and I enjoyed everything but the romance, which just didn’t really work for me. But I loved Clementine and kinda liked the love interest who’s name I have forgotten, although I am exhausted by this awful trend of giving the heroine an unwanted and cringey nickname (or saying her full name when she goes by a shortened version) and using it in every single sentence. It’s giving bad customer service training vibes.
This is a moving portrait of grief and the bond between an aunt and her niece. I loved the concept. I loved Clementine and past Iwan, but I found his change a little confusing and didn't entirely buy it.
This is a heartfelt and sweet romance with a whimsical paranormal concept. After her aunt passes away, Clementine inherits her New York City apartment and the secret that comes with it. Sometimes it slips into the past or present. It’s always seven years, and it’s (nearly) always a shock to the inhabitant. So, when Clementine finds a strange man in her apartment, she’s shaken, but not surprised. It turns out that seven years ago, while her aunt and she were gallivanting around the world, her aunt had sublet the apartment to a young man named Iwan. Clementine is quickly enamored by this carefree, yet ambitious man. But when she bumps into him in the real world–seven years later for him–it turns out that time has changed him quite a bit, and not necessarily for the better…
At first, I wasn’t quite sold on this book. The writing style was a little too flowery for me, in a way where it felt like I was meant to be impressed with the author’s musings about life and love and loss. But, as the book progressed, the plot thickened (so to speak), and I got hooked. As you can see, I ended up loving the book, giving it five stars!
The book is perfection, which is hard to pull off with any book that has time travel as a plot point. I didn’t spot any issues with the storyline and consistencies, which is quite impressive!
This is much more than just a sweet romance. It’s women’s fiction at its finest. Poston deftly explores themes of following your heart, living every day like it’s your last, and letting go of the past. Even those who aren’t a fan of romance stories will enjoy this feel-good, funny and heartwarming story about finding your life’s purpose, even when you’re too “old” to change your ways.
There’s also a little bit of a crossover from The Dead Romantics. No spoilers here, but we get to briefly revisit the couple from that book!
*This review will be posted to my blog, Goodreads, Instagram, and TikTok on May 30, 2023. It will be posted to Amazon after the pubdate.*
Ashley Poston has done it again!! I will absolutely be reading every single magical realism/meditation on grief wrapped up in a romance book that she ever writes. I liked this one even more than The Dead Romantics!
I was a little skeptical about this book once I sat down to read it, but wow- I was pleasantly surprised and so impressed by this book. I quickly flew through this book and became very engrossed in the journey of Clementine, our female main character.
I loved everything about this book! The plot, the writing, the characters and the ending. Many thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC. This will be a hit once it hits shelves.
Ashley Poston is one of my absolute favorites. I have enjoyed everything that I have read from her including this one! She never fails to make me fall in love with her characters and their stories.
I love how Poston puts a magical twist into her romances. This one has a time travel element and I thought it was so well done. I couldn’t wait to go back to the past to see Clementine & Iwan get to know each other. They had amazing chemistry and the banter was chef’s kiss! I adore how supportive they were of each other’s hopes & dreams. I about died every single time he called her Lemon. I thought it was the cutest thing ever!
The Seven Year Slip heavily talks about grief. It’s such a weird and unpredictable thing to have to go through. Clementine’s journey proves that even though you say goodbye, the love and memories will always be with you no matter where you go.
Other random things that I loved:
-Iwan’s passion for food and how he wanted to make his grandpa proud.
-Clementine’s friends Drew & Fiona! They were always there for her and oh my gosh they were funny.
-Clementine’s passion for painting.
-The little cameo from The Dead Romantics characters!
-The whisk tattoo
-The pigeons…if you know you know!
I loved this book! Definitely going to be on my 2023 favorites list!
I really enjoyed this - the characters seemed realistic, and I adored the romance even though it was a quick burn.. And I was ABSOLUTELY expecting it to be sad given the premise , and it was, but it was mostly happy (which was good, I am never in the mood for sad).. I think the most revealing thing is that I immediately put Poston's other book, The Dead Romanitics, on hold (I finished it recently - also good!).
Anyway, fans of Sophie Kinsella and Emily Henry will find a lot to love here. I would 100% recommend to fans of the romantic contemporary fiction. If you are looking for a light read with a lot of heart and romance, this is a great choice. Coming to a beach near you in June - thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC which I received in exchange for an unbiased review.
This is the second book I have read by Ashley Poston and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The way she tells a story is superb; from the first page to the last – I had to read this in one sitting. I have to remind myself to slow down while reading, it was like I couldn’t read fast enough.
Clementine West is a senior publicist at Strauss and Adder but seems to have hit a hurdle that she is finding hard to overcome – the loss of her Aunt Analea. Her aunt would spin tales that the apartment was magical and that you could travel back in time… 7 years. Now inherited the apartment from her Aunt, Clementine is hoping to find that magic and see her aunt one more time. Image her surprise when she wakes up and finds a handsome young man instead. James Ashton, an aspiring chef, is staying at his mother’s good friend’s apartment while he searches for a job in New York City. He quickly bonds with his leaser’s niece, Lemon (aka Clementine).
I loved watching this story unfold between past and present. They way Clementine learns to let go and let people in, to find what makes her happy. And James (aka Iwan) learns to re-embrace his past and live a little. And there was an Easter egg that made me so giddy. You should definitely one-click this now, you will not be disappointed.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I look forward to what Ashley Poston comes out with next.
I just have a huge soft spot for romance with a small supernatural element, reminiscent of 90s romance. Add time travel in particular, and I am sold. And this is a super well written one! It's a perfect read for fans of Emily Henry, and it's such a charming read with so much depth outside of the romance as well.
I wasn't quite sure what to rate this, because I felt like it had the potential to be an even stronger book. Because it did kind of leave me wanting juuust a little more out of the romance, but that's also because I was enjoying this book so much. In the end I decided on 5 stars regardless, because that does match my enjoyment.
A perfect summer read for me has to be romantic comedies but that have some heft to them. The story of The Seven Year Slip really drew me in, and I loved how well it was written. Loved the main character, heavy topics were well-thought out and executed really well. So good.
This was an interesting book with an interesting premise. I was excited to read it, since I wasn't sure how the author would accomplish the love story in the end! I have not read anything by this author and I was pleasantly surprised enough to where I will go looking for more titles by this author. The writing was very well done, and I appreciate good writing on top of good romance. Definitely this one is worth reading!
3.5 stars
My aunt used to say, if you don’t fit, fool everyone until you do.
This was an interesting book with an interesting premise. It’s one of those books that felt like a movie, if you know what I mean. The story as a whole was so predictable. And I don’t mean that the whole story is predictable like you could guess the ending or whatever, nope, I mean that you could guess every scene before it happens. Like every one. The concept was really interesting like with her previous book, the dead romantics, but I guess it just didn’t have that impact on me that I expected. I think I still liked it more than the dead romantics tho. Overall, this was an okay read. I enjoyed most of it, but there were a lot of things missing.
Huge Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy.