{"product_id":"skin-contact-the-hottest-sluttiest-book-of-the-summer-alice-slater-9781399748605","title":"Skin Contact: 'The hottest, sluttiest book of the summer' Alice Slater","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA razor-sharp exploration of intimacy, non-monogamous desire, and motherhood, for fans\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eof Miranda July's \u003ci\u003eAll Fours\u003c\/i\u003e, Julia May Jonas' \u003ci\u003eVladimir\u003c\/i\u003e, Raven Leilani's \u003ci\u003eLuster\u003c\/i\u003e, and Caroline O'Donoghue's \u003ci\u003eThe Rachel Incident\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Sexy and self-assured, \u003ci\u003eSkin Contact\u003c\/i\u003e is irresistible' \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eAda Calhoun, author of \u003ci\u003eCrush\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eUnmoored 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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eHer 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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eOver 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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781399748605\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 304\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 09 Jun 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Hodder \u0026amp; Stoughton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 21.6(H)x13.4(L)x2.4(W)376\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 376\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003eElisa Faison is a freelance editor living in Carrboro, North Carolina with her partner and two-year-old twins. She has published stories in \u003ci\u003eThe Missouri Review\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eElectric Literature\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSmokelong Quarterly\u003c\/i\u003e, and more. Her story 'Motherlove' was the recipient of the 2024 Peden Prize, awarded by \u003ci\u003eThe Missouri Review\u003c\/i\u003e and judged by Rachel Yoder. Formerly, Elisa worked as a bookseller at Flyleaf Books and the book reviews editor at \u003ci\u003eThe Carolina Quarterly\u003c\/i\u003e. She holds a PhD in English from UNC Chapel Hill.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003eElisa Faison's enthralling and unflinching \u003ci\u003eSkin Contact \u003c\/i\u003egives 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, \u003cb\u003eFaison has crafted a story that surprises us with its honesty, its passion, and its intensity.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Kevin Wilson, author of NOTHING TO SEE HERE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSexy and self-assured\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSkin Contact\u003c\/i\u003e is irresistible. While \u003cb\u003eexploring the boundaries of desire\u003c\/b\u003e and fidelity, Elisa Faison's characters ask \u003cb\u003ebig questions about the choices we make\u003c\/b\u003e and how to negotiate what's beyond our control -- Ada Calhoun, author of CRUSH\u003cbr\u003eA 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. \u003cb\u003eDeeply readable, this will be the hottest sluttiest book of the summer\u003c\/b\u003e -- Alice Slater, author of LET THE BAD TIMES ROLL\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSkin Contact \u003c\/i\u003eis so much more than a sharply observed portrait of a marriage, though it is that too. This novel sharply observes \u003ci\u003eus\u003c\/i\u003e: 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. \u003cb\u003eThis book is the party of the year and I wanted to join in,\u003c\/b\u003e opening the next door and the next, getting a bit more gossip, sharing just one more story, stealing one more kiss. \u003cb\u003eAn absolute knockout of a debut.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Gwen Kirby, author of SHIT CASSANDRA SAW\u003cbr\u003eThe ripple effects of Miranda July's hugely successful \u003ci\u003eAll Fours \u003c\/i\u003ecan be seen in several debuts this year that address sex, desire and monogamy . . . In Elisa Faison's \u003ci\u003eSkin Contact\u003c\/i\u003e, a 30-something couple try out an open marriage -- 40 Most Exciting Books of 2026 * BBC *\u003cbr\u003eElisa Faison's debut novel will captivate you: \u003cb\u003elucid prose, delicious sexual tension, bursts of heartbreaking intimacy\u003c\/b\u003e. I loved these characters, their stories, this book! -- Jean Chen Ho, author of FIONA AND JANE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eFaison'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 \u003cb\u003ean intimate and insightful story of modern romance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e * Publishers Weekly *\u003cbr\u003eA 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 *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fresh take on making marriage work in the modern age\u003c\/b\u003e . . . 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Fates and Furies\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGunk\u003c\/i\u003e or \u003ci\u003ePerfection\u003c\/i\u003e, this multi-narrative is \u003cb\u003eone not to miss\u003c\/b\u003e * Marie Claire *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA smart, involving debut written with an empathy and insight\u003c\/b\u003e 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 *","brand":"Elisa Faison","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48852125253849,"sku":"9781399748605","price":34.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781399748605.jpg?v=1782390737","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/skin-contact-the-hottest-sluttiest-book-of-the-summer-alice-slater-9781399748605","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}