A review by me_alley
Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers

funny reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Cora and Sam meet at a baby class; there is an instant connection as they both hate the same mom.  They begin having an affair that lasts ten years.  At the same time, they don’t, and Cora stays faithful to her husband Eliot.  And so this narrative intertwines two scenarios.  

I was expecting this to be like The Names, where each chapter described each scenario and they were all cohesive stories.  But this is different, the narrative switches within the paragraph at times, showing the reader what was happening.   This definitely is confusing, but also creative.  They aren’t that different, no butterfly effect here.  I was so invested in Cora and Sam’s romance, although it was destined to end badly.  

Who among us hasn’t looked back and wondered what could have been? 

For fans of;
Sally Rooney, Claire Lombardo
Sliding Doors- metaverse type stories 
Unlikable characters
Messy everyday life

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.  Book to be published 10/20/25.