Jason and Nicole have been married for 23 years. Their two children are in college, and they’ve made quite a life for themselves in Portland through the years. It’s about time they did something for themselves, and they’ve been planning a sabbatical, which includes a 9-month motorcycle trip through South America.
Nicole loves the idea of a sabbatical, but not the motorcycling trip. She’s been dreaming of going to Santa Fe, to study silversmithing, so she might be able to sell her jewelry creations at some point. Of course, she’s not sure how to tell Jason she really doesn’t want to take the trip he’s been planning for a while now.
One night, their neighbors tell them about a key component of their marriage: the 500-mile rule. When they’re more than 500 miles away from one another, they’re free to do as they wish, with whomever they wish to. No questions asked. At first, Nicole and Jason are adamant that they could never live like that, but the more they think on it, they decide that perhaps they can each take a separate sabbatical for nine months, and if they decide to sleep with someone, that’s fine—just no diseases and no pregnancies.
With enthusiasm and a bit of trepidation, they both head out on their journeys. The trips are life-changing and freeing in so many ways, and while chemistry sparks with new people for both, they start to realize what they want from their future—and their relationship.
I’ve become a fan of Lian Dolan after reading her last few books, and this was a fun and sweet read. It alternates between Jason and Nicole’s perspectives, and shifts between the present and retraces their relationship from the start. I can only wonder if the idea of a sabbatical might catch on!
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