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kendrastetson's review against another edition
2.0
Really didn’t love. I expected a lighter book—this one turned heavier than I’d hoped.
lvrdurden's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kaitlinstojak's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
ryleespaxton's review against another edition
2.0
This book was hard to rate. I was definitely intrigued by the overall premise and thought it would be an interesting read but it was not a perfect novel.
I really enjoyed the character of Daphne, I love how the Freedom Clause opened up her life and how she took charge and gained confidence. I loved her Substack column and the creative way that she told her stories through her recipes.
But I didn't like how we got to the Freedom Clause. Which ultimately comes down to the character of Dominic for me. I found him pretty insufferable and I just wasn't emotionally invested in him from the beginning. I got the sense that he was putting all of his unrealistic expectations on Daphne without truly knowing who she was in reality. I just found myself groaning every time it switched to his POV. He was not for me.
I also think the POV switched back and forth too much to keep me engrossed in the story, I don't mind a book changes POV with each chapter, but this was after every few paragraphs. But this is just my own personal preference.
I really enjoyed the character of Daphne, I love how the Freedom Clause opened up her life and how she took charge and gained confidence. I loved her Substack column and the creative way that she told her stories through her recipes.
But I didn't like how we got to the Freedom Clause. Which ultimately comes down to the character of Dominic for me. I found him pretty insufferable and I just wasn't emotionally invested in him from the beginning. I got the sense that he was putting all of his unrealistic expectations on Daphne without truly knowing who she was in reality. I just found myself groaning every time it switched to his POV. He was not for me.
I also think the POV switched back and forth too much to keep me engrossed in the story, I don't mind a book changes POV with each chapter, but this was after every few paragraphs. But this is just my own personal preference.
allisonstrekal's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hisparks23's review against another edition
4.0
3.5, but I’m rounding up because something about this one really clicked for me—
I flew through this and really enjoyed it, although it was definitely predictable in some ways with an almost omnipresent narrator in the back of my mind, waiting for the shoe to drop after the “freedom clause” began. Still, that’s not a bad thing because even so, this was entertaining and fun. I was very quickly and easily immersed into Daphne and Dominic’s world. Although to be honest, now that I am reflecting on it and reviewing it is kind of strange because all I can think of about it is that it was impossible not to root for Daphne and I’m so proud of the way she ended the story, but I honestly felt sorry for Dominic. Don’t get me wrong, he DEFINITELY fucked up, but I don’t think he was an evil malicious person. I guess that’s how the reality of situations like this sometimes look.
Either way, it was really fun to witness Daphne’s journey of self acceptance and love. Certain aspects of her story were undoubtedly all too relatable for not only me, but womanhood as a whole, and I loved how she took control and learned to find her voice, both in the bedroom and the way that translated to the rest of her life.
The structure of this book was also interesting and unique in a way that I wasn’t sure I liked at first, but ended up flowing well and made the story even more bingable. When I wasn’t reading, I was looking forward to picking it back up. I can definitely see this translating to a super fun HBO (or is it Max now?) show—with the way book adaptations are flying onto the screen, it’s not an impossible idea!
I flew through this and really enjoyed it, although it was definitely predictable in some ways with an almost omnipresent narrator in the back of my mind, waiting for the shoe to drop after the “freedom clause” began. Still, that’s not a bad thing because even so, this was entertaining and fun. I was very quickly and easily immersed into Daphne and Dominic’s world. Although to be honest, now that I am reflecting on it and reviewing it is kind of strange because all I can think of about it is that it was impossible not to root for Daphne and I’m so proud of the way she ended the story, but I honestly felt sorry for Dominic. Don’t get me wrong, he DEFINITELY fucked up, but I don’t think he was an evil malicious person. I guess that’s how the reality of situations like this sometimes look.
Either way, it was really fun to witness Daphne’s journey of self acceptance and love. Certain aspects of her story were undoubtedly all too relatable for not only me, but womanhood as a whole, and I loved how she took control and learned to find her voice, both in the bedroom and the way that translated to the rest of her life.
The structure of this book was also interesting and unique in a way that I wasn’t sure I liked at first, but ended up flowing well and made the story even more bingable. When I wasn’t reading, I was looking forward to picking it back up. I can definitely see this translating to a super fun HBO (or is it Max now?) show—with the way book adaptations are flying onto the screen, it’s not an impossible idea!
jables460's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely not a book I would gravitate to, but I’m so happy with how this story evolved for Daphne.
melissadelongcox's review against another edition
3.0
*Thanks to Random House Publishing Group (Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback) and NetGalley for the ARC!*
Oh boy. Where to start. Dominic is absolutely insufferable. From the very first pages, I was certain I wouldn't like him, and that feeling stayed consistent (with cause!) throughout the entirety of the book. He's just terrible, and makes bad choice after bad choice. Daphne, on the other hand, felt very real – a lot of what she was feeling was very relatable, like her relationship with her body and forming new relationships as an adult. I also thought that over the course of the years we spend with these characters, her transformation was the best part of the story. Dominic, however, sucks.
Overall, I did end up enjoying this books, but it was physically painful at times to get through Dominic's sections. Solid 3.5!
Oh boy. Where to start. Dominic is absolutely insufferable. From the very first pages, I was certain I wouldn't like him, and that feeling stayed consistent (with cause!) throughout the entirety of the book. He's just terrible, and makes bad choice after bad choice. Daphne, on the other hand, felt very real – a lot of what she was feeling was very relatable, like her relationship with her body and forming new relationships as an adult. I also thought that over the course of the years we spend with these characters, her transformation was the best part of the story. Dominic, however, sucks.
Spoiler
The fact that he felt justified in sleeping with her sister? Just unbelievable. Even if Daphne were having some relationship behind his back, that wouldn't make it acceptable for him to begin a relationship with HER SISTER. Unreal.Overall, I did end up enjoying this books, but it was physically painful at times to get through Dominic's sections. Solid 3.5!
bookofcinz's review against another edition
3.0
Here’s the Freedom Clause, every year for five years you get to sleep with one person and you cannot tell anyone else about it…
In The Freedom Clause we meet married couple Dominic and Daphne they met when they were in college and got married after. They were each other’s firsts and have been married for three years. During a conversation they talked about the fact that they haven’t had sex in months, that their marriage has hit a roadblock. To remedy the situation, Dominic suggests the Freedom Clause.
What is the Freedom Clause? Well both Dominica and Daphne gets one night off every year for five years to sleep with someone. Yes, there are rules:
It cannot be the same person, you know they don’t want to have an affair.
They can’t tell each other about it.
They can’t tell their friends about it.
After the five years, they will come back together and decide if they want to continue or see how it changed or improved their marriage.
Of course, when Dominic suggests this, Daphne was taken aback and did not know if she agreed but she slowly warms up to the idea with the rules in place. The first freedom happens with and both Dominic and Daphne did not expect it to be so hard and eventful. Daphne, not being able to tell her friends about the clause starts a blog that details everything that does down, the blog goes viral. We see how the Freedowm Clause changes both Dominic and Daphne for better and for worse… while the Freedom Clause make or break their marriage?
I love a book with a great premise and I loved this one because it is absolutely ridiculous. Yes, I’ve never been married but if you decide to do a Freedom Clause you are absolutely asking for trouble and trouble is what this couple got! Did I love this book? No. Did I enjoy reading this book? There were some enjoyable parts. Would I recommend this book? I think so. What I enjoyed was seeing how the Freedom Clause pans out because there will be drama and drama there was.
I think the author was very heavy handed and wanted Daphne to “win” from the start. I felt that the author’s writing of Dominic was one-dimensional, we literally see him starting out as a great boyfriend and husband to becoming a villain and it just felt like she wanted to highlight Daphne’s character arc more. Yes, I enjoyed Daphne coming into her own but I think it could have been done without making Dominic a villain.
Either, way, a get exploration of the Freedom Clause.
In The Freedom Clause we meet married couple Dominic and Daphne they met when they were in college and got married after. They were each other’s firsts and have been married for three years. During a conversation they talked about the fact that they haven’t had sex in months, that their marriage has hit a roadblock. To remedy the situation, Dominic suggests the Freedom Clause.
What is the Freedom Clause? Well both Dominica and Daphne gets one night off every year for five years to sleep with someone. Yes, there are rules:
It cannot be the same person, you know they don’t want to have an affair.
They can’t tell each other about it.
They can’t tell their friends about it.
After the five years, they will come back together and decide if they want to continue or see how it changed or improved their marriage.
Of course, when Dominic suggests this, Daphne was taken aback and did not know if she agreed but she slowly warms up to the idea with the rules in place. The first freedom happens with and both Dominic and Daphne did not expect it to be so hard and eventful. Daphne, not being able to tell her friends about the clause starts a blog that details everything that does down, the blog goes viral. We see how the Freedowm Clause changes both Dominic and Daphne for better and for worse… while the Freedom Clause make or break their marriage?
I love a book with a great premise and I loved this one because it is absolutely ridiculous. Yes, I’ve never been married but if you decide to do a Freedom Clause you are absolutely asking for trouble and trouble is what this couple got! Did I love this book? No. Did I enjoy reading this book? There were some enjoyable parts. Would I recommend this book? I think so. What I enjoyed was seeing how the Freedom Clause pans out because there will be drama and drama there was.
I think the author was very heavy handed and wanted Daphne to “win” from the start. I felt that the author’s writing of Dominic was one-dimensional, we literally see him starting out as a great boyfriend and husband to becoming a villain and it just felt like she wanted to highlight Daphne’s character arc more. Yes, I enjoyed Daphne coming into her own but I think it could have been done without making Dominic a villain.
Either, way, a get exploration of the Freedom Clause.
happyeverabigail's review
5.0
This was a beautiful read. It is truly a journey of self discovery for our heroine Daphne and one she has to work for. I loved the nuance of her relationship with her husband and that not everything was so straightforward. A personal concern I have when I read fiction vs romance is having to read insecure men and while Dominic does fit that archetype he leans more redeemable which makes all the difference. This is especially because this is written with dual point of view and I did not want to get stuck in someone's head who can't admit their own mistakes. I do think at times Daphne is a bit "perfect" in comparison and maybe I would have liked to have more equity if it was truly going to be a story from equally both sides.
This is written in short snippets that took me a bit to follow the cadence. In my opinion it did shift from perspectives a bit too quickly at times. The written out recipes were unnecessary for me and I found myself skimming over them, but I did love the excerpts from Daphne's substack. Overall, absolutely worth the read. I had a hard time putting this one down and I know it will leave me thinking for awhile. This is one I think would be perfect to discuss over a book club. Thank you to NetGalley and random house/Dial Press for this ARC
This is written in short snippets that took me a bit to follow the cadence. In my opinion it did shift from perspectives a bit too quickly at times. The written out recipes were unnecessary for me and I found myself skimming over them, but I did love the excerpts from Daphne's substack. Overall, absolutely worth the read. I had a hard time putting this one down and I know it will leave me thinking for awhile. This is one I think would be perfect to discuss over a book club. Thank you to NetGalley and random house/Dial Press for this ARC