Exclusive: Read an Excerpt of ‘The Seven Year Slip’ Author Ashley Poston’s New Romance

If you’ve ever perused a romance book recommendation article, you have inevitably come across people raving about Ashley Poston’s The Seven Year Slip. No matter how casual a reader you are, it’s likely crossed your path via the bestseller display at a bookstore, a “best of” list, or a TikTok of someone screaming into their phone about how much they love the novel. Its slow-burning romance, intricate character development, and magical realism setting have made Ashley Poston an auto-buy author for countless readers. And thankfully, just in time for summer, she’s blessing us again with another stunning, sun-drenched romance to get swept up in: The Someday Garden.

With similar threads of magical realism to The Seven Year Slip and a romance that rivals the greats, The Someday Garden is poised to be one of the books of the summer. And lucky for you, we have an exclusive sneak peek at The Someday Garden from Ashley Poston herself. Below, your first look at the summer romance of 2026.

Ashley Poston

The Someday Garden

The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip.

Buy on Bookshop.org Buy on Amazon Buy on Libro.fm

What is The Someday Garden about?

The Someday Garden follows Sophie Drear, a horticulturist set on never falling in love again. After the loss of her best friend, opening her heart—even to the gorgeous grounds of Lilymoor House, where she’s temporarily employed to revitalize the estate, and its quirky cast of employees—feels impossible. But then, a door appears. Never in the same place twice, it leads her to a secret, unfinished garden and a frustrated, yet shockingly attractive, man trapped inside.

There’s something magical about Lilymoor, but it isn’t stable: The foliage resists Sophie’s careful nurturing, vines threaten to strangle the hedges, and the manor’s owner has wild ideas about who will take over when she retires—including her inconveniently attractive nephew, who also happens to be there just for the summer. Despite her unwillingness to lay down roots of her own, Sophie may be the only one who can bring Lilymoor back to its original glory and free the man trapped inside.

Exclusive excerpt from The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston

“Oliver said you liked strawberries, so I thought I’d treat you,” I said as Rus sat down on the checkered blanket beside me.

“So . . .” He picked a strawberry and twirled the stem between his fingers thoughtfully. “How is Oliver?”

“Good. He’s staying until after the bicentennial. Eula said he can go whenever he wants, but I don’t think he wants to.”

“He’s probably hiding out from work.”

I thought about all the times he disappeared into town. “I don’t think so. He just seems to be worried about Eula and wants to be around to help prepare for the bicentennial.”

He didn’t even hide his scowl. “I’m sure. Is he still dating that doctor?”

“Not that he’s said. And I hope he isn’t, since he’s been flirting with me so much.”

“Of course he has. Let me guess”—and he ate the strawberry, tossing the top into the garden—“he took you to Pinch.”

I eyed him. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Of him?” He scoffed. “No, I’m good. I’m not jealous.”

“Then why do you look like you’ve just sucked on a lemon?”

He poked through the basket of fruit, refusing to meet my gaze. “Why would I be jealous of him?”

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you.”

“I am not jealous,” he reiterated strongly—strong enough that I knew when to stop teasing. We dropped into silence while he picked out another strawberry. He only ate the oddly shaped ones and saved the perfect ones for me.

Which was thoughtful. If I lingered too long on that thought, the butterflies in my stomach would wake up, so I distracted myself. I looked out into the sun-drenched garden, twirling the stem off one of the perfect strawberries. “You know, this garden doesn’t look half bad with you messing around in it. You might have talent.”

“It doesn’t look half good, either.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re the glass-is-half-empty kind of guy, aren’t you.”

“If you want a glass half full, that’s Oliver.”

There it was again. I shook my head. “You don’t have to compare yourself to him.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it again, looking back down at his strawberry. “I… just always have. Even when we were inseparable. And everyone always compared us, too, since I came from Henry’s side and Oliver came from Eula’s—it was kind of just normal for everyone to compare us.”

“I’m sure it was hard growing up like that.”

He gave a one-shouldered shrug, as if to say it didn’t bother him, but I couldn’t see how it wouldn’t. There were enough people who compared me to Harrie that I had a taste for what that felt like. Harrie was always the go-getter, the class rep, the star. She was the one who excelled at everything, much like Rus, I guessed. Gifted in anything she put her mind to, though I was the one who was tenacious enough to see it through to the end. While she was talented, I was stubborn. I had a feeling that Rus was the stubborn one, too, along with being talented, but instead of excelling in life, he seemed to do the opposite—make himself rigid and uncaring, though I could tell he was neither of those things.

He was like a thorny rose in need of a little care and attention, though he was used to not getting either.

“Comparison is the thief of joy,” I said decisively. “Besides, you’re nothing alike.”

“I guess I am too ginger,” he replied with utter seriousness.

I rolled my eyes. “You won’t let me live that down, will you?”

His mouth twitched into a grin. “Never.”

“Well, you are ginger. I won’t take that back.”

“You like it.”

“Oh my god,” I muttered, turning my face away so he didn’t see the blush across my cheeks. “You’re the worst.”

He grinned. “Worse than Oliver?”

“So much worse than Oliver.”

“Tsk, tsk,” he said, shaking his head, “and here you just said that it was silly to compare us.”

Turning my own words against me. How utterly mortifying. I picked up another strawberry. “You’re infuriating.”

“You must like it if you keep coming back,” he teased, leaning toward me.

I met him halfway. “And what if I do?”

What if I liked it very much?

He didn’t expect me to take the bait; I could tell by the silence that followed, and the height of his eyebrows. His mouth fell open, gasping like a fish out of water, but when words wouldn’t come, his gaze dropped to my mouth.

The blush that had crawled over his cheeks was rampant now, reaching his ears. “Goodness, Sophie,” he murmured, “tease me a little less, would you?”

“Tease you?” I blinked innocently and pointed the strawberry at him. “I don’t say things I don’t mean, Cyrus—”

He leaned in closer, his eyes catching mine, and holding them as he bit into the strawberry. Sank his teeth slowly into the red flesh of the fruit, the juices trickling down his chin.

I inhaled sharply. I know he heard.

I know he heard because his eyes darkened considerably.

My middle burned. Kiss me, the thought erupted, visceral and wanting, coming from somewhere so unexpected it made me lightheaded. Please—

He ate the strawberry, easing back a little, closing his eyes.

“I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” he said, cleaning his mouth with his fingers. “It tastes like I remember, but . . . it’s missing something.”

“Sugar or chocolate,” I forced out. Calm down. He was just teasing, too. He wasn’t serious. “My mom eats them with Cool Whip.”

“No, it’s something else,” he said, and he certainly did seem serious, after all. I’d never seen that look before. I felt buoyant and pinned to the spot all at once. He leaned over again, his nose brushing against mine. “May I?”

Pre-order The Someday Garden, releasing June 16, 2026

Ashley Poston

The Someday Garden

The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip.

Buy on Bookshop.org Buy on Amazon Buy on Libro.fm

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren Blue, Assistant Editor

As an Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of must-read books, movies, home tours, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Goodreads for new releases to feature on the site.

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