Skin Contact

<p><h3>One of BBC Culture's most anticipated books of 2026<br><br>A razor-sharp exploration of intimacy, non-monogamous desire, and motherhood</h3><br>'Sexy and self-assured, <i>Skin Contact</i> is irresistible'<br><b>Ada Calhoun, author of <i>Crush</i></b><br><br><i>'</i>This book is the party of the year and I wanted to join in, opening the next door and the next, getting a bit of gossip, sharing just one more story, stealing one more kiss. An absolute knockout of a debut.'<br><b>Gwen Kirby, author of <i>Shit Cassandra Saw</i></b><br><br>'Elisa Faison's enthralling and unflinching <i>Skin Contact</i> gives us an intimate view of an intricately bound cast of characters, finding the hidden places where the real story lies [. . .] Faison has crafted a story that surprises us with its honesty, its passion, and its intensity.'<br><b>Kevin Wilson, author of <i>Nothing to See Here</i></b><br><br>Unmoored by her mother's sudden death, Frances has never felt so diminished, 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.<br><br>Her 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.<br><br>Over 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.</p>