The Seven Year Slip has been on my tbr for a while now, probably over a year at this point, so to finally cross it off my list is a great feeling. What’s more, my reading experience with yet another magnificent Ashley Poston book has been a genuine pleasure on one of my favourite kids of days – a rainy one. After all, what’s better that cosying up on the couch on a rainy day with a book and drink in hand?

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.

This magical apartment is such a lovely, precious, heartbreaking setting within the book, especially as the novel progresses. There is already an atmosphere within the building given all the backstory and relationships between the characters, and the mounting on of more emotional attachment and conflicts had my heart in a chokehold from beginning to end. Outside of the apartment is just as glorious, and I love the little piece of the world Clementine and her friends live in. Sure, some of you are probably thinking another book about books, but that’s not what is at the heart of the story (or any of these kinds of stories, really). It is about purpose, passion, and what drives you. It is about the people you surround yourself with, the people you let in, and the memories you make. It is about chasing the moon and making your life mean something to you.

I love characters who are passionate about what they do, are not afraid of showing that passion, and will light up when they talk about their passions to others. It is one of my favourite things because you can see the purpose in their lives, the motivation that keeps hem going, and the love for what they learn and do. Iwan is one of those characters that I know, if I met him in real life, I would listen to him talk for hours at a time and wouldn’t be bored. Cooking is an art, something many people and communities know given it is also tied to family and life. Anything that is an art form is a gift, a treasure, and something worth of not only teaching to others, but letting into your life.

Speaking of characters, there are so many incredible and driven characters in The Seven Year Slip, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole novel given it allowed me to learn about and witness these characters living and breathing on paper. From Clementine and the girls to Iwan and his friends, not to mention the family members we meet directly and indirectly along the way. And yes, shout out to Benji Andor from The Dead Romantics – the cameo was a brilliant addition to the story. So many character with passions and dreams to follow bring so much energy and emotion into a book, making the ups and downs of the novel ll the more enjoyable to read. No, I’m not a cynic, but you can’t tell me the plot points that hit you the most in a book are always positive – I know many moments in recent reads where the saddest or most emotional part of the book was a tear-jerker and an absolute joy to read.

Did I expect a lot of the detail and connection – yeah, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t looking forward to it. A well plotted story doesn’t need to be hiding details or have a uncertain trajectory to be good. Something predictable or easy to follow can be just as enjoyable, if not more so because our emotions and wants filter into the read. I loved reading The Seven Year Slip and I highly recommend it to romance readers, contemporary or otherwise.