Skin Contact

“Irresistible.” ―Ada Calhoun, author of Crush

A newly open marriage brings discovery, excitement, and upheaval to a young couple, and to the friends and lovers in their orbit.

Thirty years old and reeling from her mother’s recent death, Frances feels as if she’s lost her sense of purpose, her joy. Her husband, Ben, will do anything to help her. So when she suggests that they open their marriage, he’s willing―and maybe even a little intrigued. 

They invite a young woman into their bedroom, create a joint dating profile, and go on dates with other exploring couples, with mixed but often exciting results. Over the next five years, they explore their sexualities, navigating through jealousy, betrayal, desire, and obsession―and the friends and lovers in their circle find themselves asking new questions about their own lives and relationships. 

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’re forced to confront the consequences of their experiment. 

With warmth, humor, and sharp insight, Elisa Faison explores marriage’s many forms and possibilities―and announces herself as an exciting new voice in fiction.

Elisa Faison is a freelance editor living in Carrboro, North Carolina with her partner and one-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. Her story “Group Sex” was the third most-read story of 2023 in Electric Literature. 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.