Erin Somers, author of ‘Stay Up with Hugo Best’, brilliantly plays with timelines in her second novel, ‘The Ten Year Affair’. It follows Cora, who lives in a small town with a husband she doesn’t desire, two young children, and a strange mushroom that intermittently grows in her bathroom. After meeting and connecting with Sam, a married man, at a baby group, the pair tiptoe towards infidelity but eventually decide to protect their families and opt for friendship instead. However, Cora doesn’t stop there; instead, she imagines the thrilling affair that could have been and so begins a dance between reality and fantasy that lasts for the next ten years of their relationship. When fantasy and reality blur, Cora realises she must choose one timeline. This novel is an intriguing commentary on modern monogamy and the dangers of unbounded imagination. It’s witty, full of comedic PTA politics, and bubbling with drama. IM

Published by Canongate Books