When rugged and sexy Finn Cohen moves into the apartment across the hall, he and Sadie share an immediate spark. Finn reveals dreams for a different life. Sadie wants to save her marriage. Their secrets should keep them apart, not ignite a blistering affair. But while Sadie’s marriage runs colder by the day, she and Finn burn hotter.
Her husband doesn’t want her anymore.
The man next door would give up everything to have her.
OUR REVIEW:
Shel: I should just go ahead and admit that I knew the minute we requested to read this that Court might (probably would) want to kill me for it. Why? Court is not a huge fan of cheating and as you can see there's a definite suggestion of cheating in the blurb...and since I don't think it's a spoiler, I'll tell you that there is cheating and if that bugs you, you may not want to read it or this review. If it doesn't bother you, read on! Court: I am. And I was afraid. VERY afraid. And very angst-ridden the entire time wondering how it all would play out. And omg. You can't even know unless you read it how great the writing is of this book. The conversations, the dialogue, and the plot are incredible and I really enjoyed it...even if infidelity gives me hives!
Shel: First, can we talk about this cover? The cover is gorgeous and had everything to do with snagging my interest. Then I read the blurb and I thought, hmmmm this is not our usual read and though Court will kill me for it, let's give it a shot. Court: You never steer me wrong, obi wan, and I love you for it! The cover is amazing. As is the title. And the blurb...welllllll, right up our alley even if I'm reluctant to dive in.
Shel: A book is more than it's cover, if it's worth our attention, and this one definitely held my attention. In addition to being very curious about who Sadie would end up with and whether she'd either get caught (there were a few times when the anxiety they caused me was high!) or 'fess up, I was also very entrenched in my conflicted feelings about all of these characters. I kinda loved to hate them all, at various points. Sadie was every bit as self absorbed as Nathan said she was, Nathan was so cold and eager to push her away, and Finn was almost too perfectly understanding and that's just annoying, right? Court: It was written so real, and no one was inherently good (remember too, that Sadie's outlook on things are quite flawed...and she has a lot to learn about herself) and not really inherently bad either. I was STRESSED to the max, and begged Shelley to just tell me certain details so the suspense wouldn't give me a heart attack. She wouldn't, and she and Vivian were correct that I would be grateful for it later, but while I was reading...wowza. I was a mess. I find that as each day passed, and each scene unfolded...I loved Jessica Hawkins all the more. I am glad to say too that we don't find out one way or the other how it'll all turn out until the very end, and the pace is kept strong right up to the end.
Shel: I also felt for them but especially Sadie. She was confused and hurt and lonely and just so uncertain about what to think. Do I ultimately blame her? Sort of. As Jessica Hawkins shows us, relationships are complicated and rarely are they black and white with easily resolved conflicts. Many would point out how more communication would've helped with Nathan and Sadie, and sure it would've but every time she tried, he shut her down. At the same time, the trust that he thought he implicitly had earned over the years wasn't as strong as he thought when she was suspicious at his cold shoulder. And then, of course, Finn was all too eager to insert himself into the situation and while I didn't like that he did that and I thought it was a little smarmy, I feel that many other readers may see him as ultimately a romantic dreamer at heart. Court: Nothing hurts more than the truth, so it is definitely human nature to do exactly what these two did. Avoid. Avoid, and avoid some more. I found myself thinking after we were done that minus the infidelity, I am the main character. And that has been a hard thing to admit to myself, but seeing it in this story really points out how Shelley said relationships are hard. Marriage is hard. And what you think and feel and just know that the other person is thinking and feeling isn't always correct. And Nathan and Sadie had an epic love story. And they both glamorized each other. I loved how the whole book played out, and I have renewed hope that I will stop being a baby and just READ when Shel tells me to read it already, damn it! lol
Shel: So where does all of this leave me? I thought Slip of the Tongue was a fair representation of how complicated marriage can be. I'm sure that many readers will relate to Sadie and Nathan and Finn; others will have very strong reactions against them or the way their stories end, but I believe that has a lot to do with personal experiences and expectations for relationships. If you're looking for something different, pick it up and let us know what you think. Court: I think that'll be a beautiful thing about this book though...it'll definitely start a conversation. And no matter whose side you end up on...you will feel strongly about it. I really enjoyed it, and it flew by. One of those I wish I could go back and re-read for the first time.
Great review. It's always interesting to me to hear from people who stumble across the book and aren't fans of love triangles (basically, most people). Your review is spot on. So much gray area in these relationships. Thanks for posting :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading our review and writing the novel!
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