The Seven Year Slip : A Book Review
I needed to get a new book to keep me company on a much-needed solo beach resort staycation and was particularly craving for something light, whimsical and easy to read beachside. A book I can finish in a day. The blurb immediately caught my attention and I’m so glad that I picked this title for my mini vacation!
The story follows Clementine, a pragmatic book publicist whose late aunt’s apartment mysteriously slips in the past, where she meets a charming aspiring chef named Iwan. The chemistry was palpable between them but the problem is that they are 7 years apart from each other, Clementine in the present while Iwan in the past. The mystical apartment became a place where they learned that falling in love doesn’t always follow a straight line – where the past and present intertwined . The Seven Year Slip is a fascinating tale of fate and perfect (or wrong) timing!
What caught my attention the most?
As a pastry chef, the love affair with food resonated with me the most especially when Clementine remembered Iwan saying that
“you could find romance in a piece of chocolate and love in lemon pie”. Truth be told, I am obsessed with both chocolate and lemon in pastries! In fact, I am currently working on a cookbook about lemons and I also own a bean-to-bar chocolate shop.
Here are a few other quotes about food in the book that I really like!
“About a perfect meal.. the pillowy promises in a golden loaf of brioche. A lemon pie that makes your teeth curl in delight. Or a piece of chocolate at the end of the night, soft and simple. “
Which character stood out the most?
For me, Iwan’s character stood out the most. It would be eventually revealed in the book that Iwan found his way and became a Michelin-starred chef. I love that we got to see him before the accolades – that young, idealistic and hopeful chef who took a job as a dishwasher. Later at his new restaurant, Clementine called him out on the dry ice pasta and stating that this was not the Iwan she knew. To her, it had only been a few weeks but to him, he has grown and changed for 7 years and that dry ice pasta is a representation of his growth.
The other memorable character is Miguel. Although his part is rather short, he exudes such warmth. He truly seemed such a genuine friend to Iwan and has been with him from the start as a dishwasher. Miguel is a friend that we all need to have in our lives.
What theme stood out the most?
Interestingly, the theme that stood out to me the most isn’t central to the love story between the 2 main characters but rather that of Aunt Analea. Clementine has painted her character as whimsical, eccentric, courageous and passionate. Yet despite all that, she was fighting a silent battle to which she eventually succumbed to. Sometimes, the seemingly happiest people are the ones struggling the most. Aunt Analea’s arch has provided so much depth to the storyline.
A swoon-worthy moment!
When Clementine met Iwan for the first time in the present timeline where she gave her presentation and Iwan called her Lemon made me so giddy! He must’ve waited all these 7 years to get to call her Lemon once again.
How would I rate this book?
I would rate this 5 chocolate bars out of 5 purely because it was exactly the type of book I needed for a quick a beachside trip. The story is unpredictably predictable. I knew that Clementine and Iwan will eventually find each other but somewhere along the way, there were unpredictable twists and turns. Ahsley’s writing style felt warm and one would assume that it would fall into a Hallmark-like romcom but this story touched deeper themes about mental health and the complexity of Clementine and Iwan’s love story. She masterfully wove the storyline across different timelines, creating a compelling and utterly unputdownable read.