What is that? A romance review from me? Yes is it! I recently listened to the audiobook of The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston after hearing nothing but great things about it. So today I wanted to share my thoughts on the story. Let’s jump in!
An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate…only to discover he lives seven years in the past, in this witty and wise new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics.
Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.
So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.
And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.
Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.
Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.
After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.
I’ve read a couple of Ashley Poston’s YA novels before and I enjoyed them a lot. This is my first adult novel by Ashley Poston and the premise is for sure what sold it to me. We get a magical apartment where you sometimes suddenly find yourself seven years in the past. As a fantasy girlie, I love a little magical twist in my romance! (Hit me with your recommendations haha).
Like I mentioned, people really loved this novel. I get some of the praise, but I also think this one is a little bit overhyped. Don’t get me wrong, I still gave this 4 stars and I liked it a lot. But with how much everyone seemed to love it, I was expecting just a little bit more. I was expecting maybe another twist, or a real gut-punch, or I don’t know just something more. In the end I felt it was a but rushed maybe and I remember thinking; this was it?
“Universal truths in butter. Secrets folded into the dough. Poetry in the spices. Romance in a chocolate. Love in a lemon pie.”
I think the hype is what made it a little bit disappointing in the end for me. If it wasn’t for the hype I might’ve enjoyed it more. At the same time, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if it wasn’t for the hype haha. I really liked the characters and the overall story. It was more than just a romance, we also deal with grief and questions about what path to take in your life and career. And as someone in her thirties I really appreciated those storylines.
I loved the initial falling in love part, it was incredibly cute and I love the characters together. But I have to say I thought the end was rushed. It all happens so fast in the end and I wanted to read more about it to make it feel more realistic I guess. I feel like I can’t explain it properly haha, so I hope my point comes across. Since this was still a very enjoyable read, I hope to pick up another book by Ashley Poston in the future. Have you read this one? What did you think? Let me know down below!
