A razor-sharp exploration of intimacy, non-monogamous desire, and motherhood, for fans of Miranda July's All Fours, Julia May Jonas' Vladimir, Raven Leilani's Luster, and Caroline O'Donoghue's The Rachel Incident.

'Sexy and self-assured, Skin Contact is irresistible'

Ada Calhoun, author of Crush

Unmoored by her mother's sudden death, Frances has never felt so diminished, so lost, or so old. She's painfully aware that strangers no longer look at her the same way - and that she's now, at thirty-two, older than the great aunt for whom she was named, who was killed in the seventies under mysterious circumstances involving an extramarital affair.

Her husband, Ben, will do anything to help Frances regain her vivacity and sense of purpose. So when Frances suggests that they open their marriage, Ben complies.

Over the next two years, they explore their sexualities and latent kinks; they navigate jealousy, betrayal, desire, and obsession; they defend their choices - and their new identities - to confused friends. They do all of this together, as a team. But when Ben finds himself falling in love with another woman, just as Frances realizes she's ready to settle down and have a baby, they are forced to confront the consequences of their experiment.

Details

ISBN13: 9781399748605
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 304
Edition:
Publication Date: 09 Jun 2026
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication City, Country: United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 21.6(H)x13.4(L)x2.4(W)376
Weight (gm): 376

Author Biography

Elisa Faison is a freelance editor living in Carrboro, North Carolina with her partner and two-year-old twins. She has published stories in The Missouri Review, Electric Literature, Smokelong Quarterly, and more. Her story 'Motherlove' was the recipient of the 2024 Peden Prize, awarded by The Missouri Review and judged by Rachel Yoder. Formerly, Elisa worked as a bookseller at Flyleaf Books and the book reviews editor at The Carolina Quarterly. She holds a PhD in English from UNC Chapel Hill.

Reviews

Elisa Faison's enthralling and unflinching Skin Contact gives us an intimate view of an intricately bound cast of characters, finding the hidden places where the real story lies. Shifting between the emptiness and uncertainty of loss along with the frightening and enthralling sensation of discovery, Faison has crafted a story that surprises us with its honesty, its passion, and its intensity. -- Kevin Wilson, author of NOTHING TO SEE HERE
Sexy and self-assured, Skin Contact is irresistible. While exploring the boundaries of desire and fidelity, Elisa Faison's characters ask big questions about the choices we make and how to negotiate what's beyond our control -- Ada Calhoun, author of CRUSH
A book that's all hot and bothered, examining intimacy, fidelity, sexuality and motherhood with a backdrop of grief. It explores a network of desire, with peripheral characters intercepting the narrative to take centre stage as they share their own slice of sexy, complicated life in chapters that feel akin to short stories. Deeply readable, this will be the hottest sluttiest book of the summer -- Alice Slater, author of LET THE BAD TIMES ROLL
Skin Contact is so much more than a sharply observed portrait of a marriage, though it is that too. This novel sharply observes us: our petty thoughts and hidden lusts, our late-night fantasies and deepest hopes, all on display, laid loving yet unflinchingly bare. Faison has created a vibrant cast of characters, with each point-of-view richly developed yet effortlessly engaging. This book is the party of the year and I wanted to join in, opening the next door and the next, getting a bit more gossip, sharing just one more story, stealing one more kiss. An absolute knockout of a debut. -- Gwen Kirby, author of SHIT CASSANDRA SAW
The ripple effects of Miranda July's hugely successful All Fours can be seen in several debuts this year that address sex, desire and monogamy . . . In Elisa Faison's Skin Contact, a 30-something couple try out an open marriage -- 40 Most Exciting Books of 2026 * BBC *
Elisa Faison's debut novel will captivate you: lucid prose, delicious sexual tension, bursts of heartbreaking intimacy. I loved these characters, their stories, this book! -- Jean Chen Ho, author of FIONA AND JANE

Faison's assured debut explores the ripple effect of a couple's decision to open their marriage. . . Faison cleverly mirrors the phases of the couple's open relationship with shifts in tone, moving from sexy and exciting to increased emotional intensity and vulnerability. Readers will find it an intimate and insightful story of modern romance

* Publishers Weekly *
A grieving woman opens her marriage after the death of her mother. It goes mostly well - until her husband falls in love with someone else -- Novels Everyone Will Be Reading This Summer * New York Times *
A fresh take on making marriage work in the modern age . . . Told through a variety of perspectives, readers gain a front-row seat to the beginning of Frances and Ben's relationship, while also hearing from some of the lovers they bring into their current dynamic. For fans of The Fates and Furies, Gunk or Perfection, this multi-narrative is one not to miss * Marie Claire *
A smart, involving debut written with an empathy and insight that ensures it never feels passé . . . Faison's narrative moves freely in time, and between perspectives, as she pursues themes including ageing, motherhood and loss, taking in everything from the marital sacrifices made by earlier generations to the sensual deprivation imposed by lockdowns during Covid * Daily Mail *