Reading ‘The Dead Romantics’ last summer was a highlight of my failed attempt to read 30 books in 30 days last summer and it’s stuck with me so firmly that I pre-ordered the paperback and snagged a NetGalley proof of Ashley Poston’s new magical realism romance, ‘The Seven Year Slip’, as soon as I physically could.

Just like ‘The Dead Romantics’, it was a swoon-worthy treat.

Here’s the deal:

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 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.

Six months ago, Clementine West had the worst day of her life. So, she came up with a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, take no risks. And it’s been working.

That is until one day she finds a strange man standing in her kitchen. A man with kind eyes, a crooked smile, and a recipe for the perfect lemon meringue pie. The kind of man that, before everything, she could have fallen for . . .

He’s perfect but for one thing: he lives in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact.

This should be impossible, but Clementine used to love impossible things. And maybe, just maybe, she will again. After all, love is never a matter of time – but a matter of timing.

Ashley Poston does the most wonderful job of blending genres and striking the right balance between magical realism and romance to not only tell the best story possible, but also to make sure fans of either genre can meet in the middle with this book.

I was a little worried at first that it wasn’t quite going to work for me because of the mixing of the ways those things were melded and I think I struggled with projecting how this love story in a time slip could work without the characters getting too sad or too tangled (trauma response to reading ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’ too young, anybody?), but then I looked up, realised I’d already devoured 20% of the book and it was nearly 1am on a work night… Safe to say, it wasn’t an issue in Poston’s capable hands…pen? typing?

Just like in ‘The Dead Romantics’, ‘The Seven Year Slip’ really explored grief and loss with Clementine having lost her beloved aunt six months before we meet her. The apartment she is left has a little bit of magic in it, spontaneously transporting it’s residents to seven years in the past whenever it fancies. Since her aunt died, Clementine has just…stopped. She no longer feels the urge to create or to travel or to advance her career, she’s stuck in a whirl of grief. That time jump aspect really highlights the non-linear aspect of grief - you never know where and when it’s going to hit you over the head with too many feelings. There’s a moment towards the end where the “wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff” made me cry and I wasn’t expecting that to happen at all. It was a moment that I only wish everyone who has lost someone could experience in the real world. Anyway. Before I start crying again…

I really don’t want to say much more about Clementine’s relationship with her aunt, the apartment and the man she meets there as it’s so special to experience it for yourself, but I hope that taunted you into picking it up.

Something else that’s starting to become a pattern in Poston’s novels is books and publishing and I am here. for it. Especially if it means we get a surprise cameo from the one and only Benji Condor like we did here. Most book people love it when books are in books and I’m no exception to that. Clementine lives in NYC and works at a small non-fiction publisher with her two best friends, one of which is vying for a book from an upcoming chef who’s opening a restaurant of his own - but what does that have to do with Clemntine’s love story? Well….

‘The Seven Year Slip’ is a funny, romantic, and touching look at love, loss and trusting in yourself to go after what you want. I already can’t wait for another novel from Ashley Poston.

‘The Seven year Slip’ is release in paperback in the UK today, 7 July 2023, by HQ.

If you want to grab a copy for yourself, using our bookshop.org affiliate link below will help us out and support independent bookshops, without costing you anything extra.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the review copy.

Written by Sophie

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston was one of my favorite reads of last year, so I was ecstatic when I got approved for this ARC. And this book did not disappoint! As usual, her books are never what I expect. So I loved the magical aspect of this book.

I don't want to spoil anything with this book but Clementine and Iwan were the best couple - absolutely adorable and I just loved how this book was presented!

Can't wait to read more by Ashley Poston in the future.

After absolutely loving The Dead Romantics I had high hopes for this and it didn't disappoint! Such a clever concept and great love story, and one that I couldn't put down!

Fantastic fun summer read with romance, baking and everything sweet in between. Lovely love story reminiscent of The Lake House. Would recommend.

I truly do not know where to begin with how much I LOVED this book, and how deeply it impacted me.

I don't think I've ever quite encountered this cross between Magical Realism and Contemporary Romance, but I think I have. anew favorite combo of genres. I feel so deeply in love with these characters, from our main character Clementine (lovingly dubbed as Lemon), to our LI Iwan (who is a complete dream boat, but I'll get back to that), all the way to the complicated and vibrant Aunt Analea. These characters are so real, I felt like I had met them in real life. And the premise of a magical apartment that jumps 7 years into the past or future when you most need it to is SO charming and bittersweet at times, it felt like it was a character all on its own.

And good lord, Iwan. This man had me swooning from his first moment on the page. He is an excitable, kind and curious sunshine boy when we first meet him. He makes poetry out of talking about the things he loves, and he falls so hard for Clementine, SO fast. He falls first is one of my absolute favorite tropes and this was executed so beautifully here. These two had chemistry that was off the charts, I loved every second of it.

Jumping back to the present within the story was a uniquely emotional, bittersweet experience. I felt distress when Clementine did, fear of falling too hard when she did, conflict about how to do the right thing when she did. I found myself on the verge of happy tears at many moments, and brought to overwhelmed grieving tears in a big way come the end. And don't worry: this DOES have a happy ending. It just also examines complicated topics related to grief, suicide, the way time changes people and circumstances. And sometimes, how time can bring people back together, even when so much has changed.

I am so glad I already have The Dead Romantics sitting on my shelf, ready to be devoured. I can see Ashley Poston being an auto-buy for me in the future. I cannot wait to see what magical, romantic story she brings us next. Thank you so much to HQ and NetGalley for the eArc of this title!

This quietly whimsical novel had an intriguing premise but I couldn’t help but feel like it didn’t entirely live up to it. All of its intended surprises were easily predictable. This meant that turning the page was less of a matter of “what’s going to happen next” and more of a “when is it going to happen”. Due to this, the story wasn’t as compelling as I wanted it to be.

I appreciated how both Clementine and Iwan grew over the course of the novel, highlighting how change isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, their romantic relationship wasn’t afforded the same kind of development. Their first weekend together, while admittedly containing some cute moments, was way too insta-lovey for my liking. Even though this was all too sudden, I did like how their relationship was built on talking and sharing the truest parts of themselves.

There was a warmth and sensitivity to the novel, in large part due to Clementine and her endearing set of friends. This meant that when it handled Clementine’s grief over the loss of her Aunt Analea, it didn’t dwell on the end of her life, rather the emboldening effect she had on her niece.

Overall, this whimsical novel focused on the personal development of its main characters, partially sidelining the sweet romantic storyline, yet I appreciated its message of embracing change.

Clementine West is mourning her beloved Aunt, and already going through a terrible time when she is forced to make some decisions about her career earlier than she ideally would have liked. She knows that this is what she has been working for, and doesn't understand her own hesitance, putting it down to nerves and wanting to (always) do the right thing.

When she moves in to her Aunt's apartment for good, she is stunned to find a man there, but even more surprised that he is mentioning her Aunt in the present tense, saying that she has allowed him to stay there. It's only then that Clementine realises that the apartment has sent her seven years back in time... into the arms of a handsome stranger.

Clementine's aunt had always told her the apartment was magic, but clementine had always believed that was just her aunt's way of saying it was special, because she lived in it and loved it so much. Now that she realises that everything she told her was true.

Then she remembers the two rules her aunt had for the apartment:
1. Always take your shoes off at the door
2. Never fall in love in the apartment

Clementine's pretty sure that she's broken rule 1 at least once, so what's the harm in breaking rule 2.?

I don't want to say too much more, as you really need to discover this novel for yourself. One message that the novel carries that will stick with me for a long time is: Love is never a matter of time, but a matter of timing.

It's something that I am holding on to, as this novel encourages us to do what is right for us, follow our dreams, and not give up.

I adored everything about this book, and can't wait to read more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. The balance of a fun romance with a magical twist combined with a more hard hitting story about grief really struck the right balance for me. I loved both of the main characters and their relationship together. The time travel element was handled really well. I loved The Dead Romantics so I had high hopes for this and I was not disappointed.

I think this is officially my favorite book so far this year. Even though I figured out what was going on fairly early, I still really enjoyed this story and couldn't put this book down. This is everything I wanted it to be and more. All the hype around this book is well deserved. 5 stars!

This book was a ROLLERCOASTER OMG, I was going through so much reading this.

This book is about Iwan and Clementine, they meet in Clementines aunts apartment, Iwan being 7 years in the past, Clementine in the present. They fall in love in this apartment but Clementine knows that they can't be together in this situation. They have to find their way back to eachother, seven years later for Iwan and still in the present for Clementine. They meet again when Clementine and Iwan end up working on a book deal together. Overall this book had me STRESSING, I loved it but christ it put me through it!

Anyway I would really recommend this book, I loved the time component intros romance and it made a really compelling and interesting story.

What a wonderfully sweet book about Clementine, who lives in a magical apartment that was her aunt's. Reading about Clementine meeting Iwan, who is 7 years in the past and falling for him - weaving in the present as they cross paths is nothing less than fascinating. Ashley Poston does a fantastic job with details and aligning the past and present so flawlessly. The love story is one that pulls you in and your emotions continue to swell as you learn all the details about Clementine's relationship with her aunt and her aunt's life. Simply put, this is a beautiful story that is full of heart.

I adored ‘The Dead Romantics’ so I was really excited for this book. It didn’t disappoint! Oh my goodness I can’t even put into words how stunning this book is. So beautifully written, I cried my heart out several times! Such a unique and interesting plot, this book really stands out amongst others I’ve read in this genre. Definitely one of my favourite books of the year and I’ll be recommending it to everyone.

Clementine inherits her beloved aunt’s eclectic apartment after her death. When she finally moves in, she discovers that the apartment is more unusual than she originally thought.

The Seven Year Slip is difficult to categorize. While there is romance, it also relies heavily on the FMCs personal journey. The element of time travel can be a tricky addition to any contemporary romance. Although it can sometimes come off as cheesy, the author’s heartfelt storyline and skilled writing blend all of these unique elements into something unexpected and delightful.

The Seven Year Slip is one of those books that will have you yelling “WHAT” at every turn. This is truly one of those incredible reads that I wanted to pick right back up as soon as I finished it. Even knowing how it ends, there is plenty of re-readability in it. I have not yet had a chance to listen to the audiobook but I’m excited to listen to it soon.

If you enjoyed Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantics, do not hesitate to pick up The Seven Year Slip.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is probably my favourite book of the year! I haven’t felt this was reading a book in a long time. This was the most magical, romantic, heart wrenching, beautiful, whimsical read, I am totally and utterly in love. Ashley Poston, thank you for writing this. You do magical realism like no other. The writing is so beautiful - I was IN Aunt Analee’s apartment, at the Monroe on the upper east side, I’ve never felt so immersed in a story. I adore Clementine and Iwan as individual characters and as a couple, which I think is sometimes a tricky thing to get right. This book kept me up at night - I read it over two days but I never stopped thinking about it and I won’t for a long time. Book hangover incoming.

What if you were to fall in love with someone only to discover they literally live seven years in the past.
A contemporary romance with a magical twist.
Clementine inherits her aunts apartment following her death. It’s no ordinary New York apartment.
It sometimes sends you back to seven years earlier which is where she meets Iwan.
Loved the eclectic set of characters and the premise of being in the right place at the wrong time.
“Nothing lasts forever …. So just find what makes you happy and do it for as long as you can”
Thanks @ashposton @HQstories & @netgalley for the eARC

I’ve read most (all?) of Ashley Poston’s books and enjoyed them all for the most part. The Seven Year Slip has an interesting hook with a time travel type of angle. There are bittersweet moments interspersed with joy and sadness as well. I got through this book quite quickly, not my favourite but enjoyable all the same.

Thanks @netgalley and @hqstories for allowing me to read an advanced copy e-book of “The Seven Year Slip” by @heyashposton - the book is due to be published tomorrow.

I loved Ashley Poston’s “The Dead Romantics”, so I was super excited when I was accepted to review “The Seven Year Slip”.

This was such a cute story filled with magical realism and romance. I loved the whole unique premise of the story and I was hooked from the first few pages. The story is written beautifully and is captivating.

Clementine was a brilliant character and I enjoyed seeing her development in the book. She was very lost at the start of the novel but found her way by the end. I also fell for Iwan. He was sweet, kind and passionate and his conversations with Clementine were adorable. Plus, all the talk of food made me very hungry.

Once again, Poston tackles the subject of grief in a realistic and sensitive manner. The book also deals with how we change and develop over time. And I thought this was brilliantly represented in the book.

I enjoyed the friendships in the book. Drew and Fiona were Clementine’s extended family, who loved her and cherished her and were there for her no matter what.

Overall, this was a a lovely romance that I flew through. If you loved “The Dead Romantics” then I’m sure you’ll adore “The Seven Year Slip”.

I am a sucker for a time-travel story. I love the mixture of normal life and magic, and the endless opportunities it brings for a writer. Obviously, as a theme it has been written about a lot...but this felt like a fresh new take on it for me. The apartment that Clementine is bequeathed by her Aunt is a magical place - within its walls, people appear from 7 years in the past. You neve know when they're going to turn up but it's usually when you're at a crossroads in your life, even if you don't realise you are.
Clementine was a very relatable character - disillusioned with work, grieving her adventurous Aunt, trying to live the life Aunt Analea encouraged her to whilst protecting her heart. She doesn't feel comfortable in the apartment, it still feels like it doesn't belong to her and has lots of sad memories woven into it's rooms and furniture. Then he appears - Iwan, in the kitchen but it's the kitchen of 7 years ago and Clementine realises what Analea meant when she said the apartment was a pinch in time.
Iwan becomes just the breath of air and positivity she needs, but he comes and goes. The rest of the book lays out the mission to find Iwan in her time and chase that adventure. Her Aunt had two rules for the flat: no shoes and don't fall in love. One of these becomes much easier to adhere to as Clementine takes a scary leap that lays her heart out there to be hurt...but also to be filled with joy.
The way that the magic and mysticism is written alongside the reality of life in a big city and trying to make grown-up choices was seamless, both felt equally real and plausible. The romance tale running through the book is gorgeous and it's clear that these characters are loved by Ashley Poston, she handles them with such care and attention. A fantastic read.

It’s midnight, and I’ve just finished The Seven Year Slip with a smile on my face that’s been there for hours.

I’ve been looking forward to this book ever since I read The Dead Romantics earlier this year. I still don’t know how Ashley Poston can write books so full of grief and loss and heartbreak but make them feel like a warm, cosy hug, but she’s done it again.

I adored Clementine and Iwan from the moment they stepped onto the page until the very last line, and I saw it all coming early enough to delight in the breadcrumbs that were left for us to follow - I love a book where you can see the trail of clues.

I’m so excited for this book to be out in the world for others to read and adore, because it’s truly wonderful. If you loved The Dead Romantics, you need to read this immediately, and I can’t wait to see what Ashley Poston has in store for us next.

When Clementine’s Aunt passes away and leaves her flat to her, she does not realise it can be a 7-year space between the past and present.

So finding a man in her flat who is seven years in the past, may be tricky when she finds herself falling for him.

This is my first novel by this author and I was really intrigued by how this narrative was going to work. I found this book to be full of emotion and enjoyed the short chapters.

This narrative was really cleverly put together and characters I felt for throughout, which added to the narrative and humour of this novel.