One of BBC Culture’s most anticipated books of 2026
A razor-sharp exploration of intimacy, non-monogamous desire, and motherhood
‘Sexy and self-assured, Skin Contact is irresistible’
Ada Calhoun, author of Crush
‘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.’
Gwen Kirby, author of Shit Cassandra Saw
‘Elisa Faison’s enthralling and unflinching Skin Contact 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.’
Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here
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.
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.
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.
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Reviews
Sexy and self-assured, Skin Contact is irresistible. While exploring the boundaries of desire and fidelity, Elisa Faison's characters ask big questions about the choices we make and how to negotiate what's beyond our control
Skin Contact is so much more than a sharply observed portrait of a marriage, though it is that too. This novel sharply observes us: our petty thoughts and hidden lusts, our late-night fantasies and deepest hopes, all on display, laid loving yet unflinchingly bare. Faison has created a vibrant cast of characters, with each point-of-view richly developed yet effortlessly engaging. This book is the party of the year and I wanted to join in, opening the next door and the next, getting a bit more gossip, sharing just one more story, stealing one more kiss. An absolute knockout of a debut.
Elisa Faison's enthralling and unflinching Skin Contact gives us an intimate view of an intricately bound cast of characters, finding the hidden places where the real story lies. Shifting between the emptiness and uncertainty of loss along with the frightening and enthralling sensation of discovery, Faison has crafted a story that surprises us with its honesty, its passion, and its intensity.
The ripple effects of Miranda July's hugely successful All Fours can be seen in several debuts this year that address sex, desire and monogamy . . . In Elisa Faison's Skin Contact, a 30-something couple try out an open marriage
A book that's all hot and bothered, examining intimacy, fidelity, sexuality and motherhood with a backdrop of grief. It explores a network of desire, with peripheral characters intercepting the narrative to take centre stage as they share their own slice of sexy, complicated life in chapters that feel akin to short stories. Deeply readable, this will be the hottest sluttiest book of the summer
Elisa Faison's debut novel will captivate you: lucid prose, delicious sexual tension, bursts of heartbreaking intimacy. I loved these characters, their stories, this book!