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Clean Slate
If you both cheat, does that cancel the infidelity out altogether? Can you just wipe the slate clean?
Cam and Holly have a picture-perfect marriage and life: a beautiful house in the suburbs and two adorable little boys. Cam has sold his successful marketing agency to look after the boys while Holly goes full throttle on her career post-maternity leave, and everything’s peachy.
‘Til Cam discovers Holly has been having an affair with a colleague.
Heartbroken but pragmatic, Cam sees the situation as an opportunity to confess his own infidelity with his 21-year-old assistant. His thinking being a dual-infidelity situation means they cancel each other out...and their marriage will simply bounce back, and they’ll fall in love all over again. But a tangled web of lies and buried resentments makes starting over harder than he thought.
Zoë Foster Blake has written a provocative novella that rips off the glossy cling-wrap of being successful and married with young children. Clean Slate is narrated from the husband’s perspective and will invite listeners to rethink infidelity and how it can creep into a marriage.
Cam and Holly have a picture-perfect marriage and life: a beautiful house in the suburbs and two adorable little boys. Cam has sold his successful marketing agency to look after the boys while Holly goes full throttle on her career post-maternity leave, and everything’s peachy.
‘Til Cam discovers Holly has been having an affair with a colleague.
Heartbroken but pragmatic, Cam sees the situation as an opportunity to confess his own infidelity with his 21-year-old assistant. His thinking being a dual-infidelity situation means they cancel each other out...and their marriage will simply bounce back, and they’ll fall in love all over again. But a tangled web of lies and buried resentments makes starting over harder than he thought.
Zoë Foster Blake has written a provocative novella that rips off the glossy cling-wrap of being successful and married with young children. Clean Slate is narrated from the husband’s perspective and will invite listeners to rethink infidelity and how it can creep into a marriage.
Audible Audio
First published October 26, 2020
About the author
Zoë Foster Blake
24 books558 followersZoë Foster Blake is an Australian author, columnist, editor, and cosmetics entrepreneur.
She took off her WAG sash in 2009 after almost a decade in the world of football, and far too many pies and beers in the grandstands. She was the Beauty and Lifestyle Editor at Cosmopolitan magazine before becoming Beauty Director at Harper's BAZAAR. Zoë is currently the Editor in Chief of online beauty destination www.primped.com.au, and could really go some nachos. Her first novel, Air Kisses, was published in 2008; and her dating book, Textbook Romance (written in conjunction with her husband, Hamish Blake) was published in 2009.
She took off her WAG sash in 2009 after almost a decade in the world of football, and far too many pies and beers in the grandstands. She was the Beauty and Lifestyle Editor at Cosmopolitan magazine before becoming Beauty Director at Harper's BAZAAR. Zoë is currently the Editor in Chief of online beauty destination www.primped.com.au, and could really go some nachos. Her first novel, Air Kisses, was published in 2008; and her dating book, Textbook Romance (written in conjunction with her husband, Hamish Blake) was published in 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
October 15, 2022
3.5 Stars — Australian author Zoe Foster Blake has written a solid drama here that is centred around Husband whom stumbles on to his wife’s betrayal through perusing her secret Instagram accounts DM’s after she carelessly remains logged-in post a session on the family computer.
This audible exclusive Novella is extremely well read by Aussie actor Stephen Curry — whose pacing, annunciation and sharp-rounded witt very much aids this efforts end result and polish. A strongly written piece that holds its own by steering away from over-dramatising events and focusing — largely — on the thoughts of its protagonists as they move through this modern family drama. An arc that’s as old as time — but never tires — this won’t rock worlds but it will entertain and engage it’s audience and provide a nice little bit of escapism for a couple of hours.
The end result is an interesting perspective on how things often go when selfish, ego-driven people have children before realising they probably neither ever should’ve been parents due to the aforementioned personality traits they share, and the fact they’re both potentially sociopaths!
This audible exclusive Novella is extremely well read by Aussie actor Stephen Curry — whose pacing, annunciation and sharp-rounded witt very much aids this efforts end result and polish. A strongly written piece that holds its own by steering away from over-dramatising events and focusing — largely — on the thoughts of its protagonists as they move through this modern family drama. An arc that’s as old as time — but never tires — this won’t rock worlds but it will entertain and engage it’s audience and provide a nice little bit of escapism for a couple of hours.
The end result is an interesting perspective on how things often go when selfish, ego-driven people have children before realising they probably neither ever should’ve been parents due to the aforementioned personality traits they share, and the fact they’re both potentially sociopaths!
August 16, 2022
This book wasn’t interesting at all.
November 12, 2020
This is 2 and a half hours of a very average, boring couple fighting. There is nothing interesting about them or the fight. The woman is continually described as beautiful, like that's some sort of a virtue. She's in marketing, he's is advertising, they no longer like each other very much.
If you are on the fence about having children, listening to this might help you decide. If you are a like to listen to privileged middle class capitalists bicker, this might be the book for you. I DNFd it with less than an hour to go because I did not care what happened to these boring, whiney, tedious people. The book was free, but no-one can give me that hour and a half of my life back.
If you are on the fence about having children, listening to this might help you decide. If you are a like to listen to privileged middle class capitalists bicker, this might be the book for you. I DNFd it with less than an hour to go because I did not care what happened to these boring, whiney, tedious people. The book was free, but no-one can give me that hour and a half of my life back.
November 20, 2020
Clean Slate is an audiobook novella available free from Audible Australia about a marriage in crisis. It could alternatively be titled “Why narcissists shouldn’t have children”. It’s just over two hours long and I listened while weeding - I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it, but there were some thinking points and it did make me appreciate not being married to an a***h*** so there’s that.
Stay-at-home Dad Cam is devastated to discover that his wife has been having an affair. He reflects back on how he and Holly had It all - great careers, a mutually passionate relationship, travel and a great social life. Then they had children and everything changed. When confronted, Holly is initially defensive, then remorseful until Cam makes a foolish mistake - can they repair the cracks in their once-Perfect marriage?
This was all told from Cam’s point of view - and the author does a good job in shifting our sympathies back and forth as we discover more about what’s been going on: you feel sorry for him until he reveals how thoughtless and selfish he is, then she behaves like a complete cow and you wonder how they can call this love. The narrator does a good job with the different voices but being party to a couple’s verbal sparring is not exactly a good time. I wasn’t sure which way this was heading but did think the ending was realistic, if not happy.
Stay-at-home Dad Cam is devastated to discover that his wife has been having an affair. He reflects back on how he and Holly had It all - great careers, a mutually passionate relationship, travel and a great social life. Then they had children and everything changed. When confronted, Holly is initially defensive, then remorseful until Cam makes a foolish mistake - can they repair the cracks in their once-Perfect marriage?
This was all told from Cam’s point of view - and the author does a good job in shifting our sympathies back and forth as we discover more about what’s been going on: you feel sorry for him until he reveals how thoughtless and selfish he is, then she behaves like a complete cow and you wonder how they can call this love. The narrator does a good job with the different voices but being party to a couple’s verbal sparring is not exactly a good time. I wasn’t sure which way this was heading but did think the ending was realistic, if not happy.
October 30, 2020
Poorly written and unrealistic dialogue. I understand why it's free on Audible.
November 1, 2020
Loved Stephen Curry as the narrator. I didn’t like the story, but the depiction and portrayal of characters was excellent. However, I disliked the adult characters immensely. It was a quick story to listen to during Sunday housework.
February 4, 2022
Really interesting story told in the POV about the breakdown of a marriage. What happens when you catch your spouse cheating and how it impacts on the relationship.
More than though, it highlights how over the years couples can drift apart, especially when you are starting a family and someone gives up their career to stay home and care for the children. The resentment that sometimes arises from the parent left at home to care for the kids etc. The feelings of not being appreciated.
I thought it done really well, I enjoyed the narrator and how real the feelings were for them all :)
More than though, it highlights how over the years couples can drift apart, especially when you are starting a family and someone gives up their career to stay home and care for the children. The resentment that sometimes arises from the parent left at home to care for the kids etc. The feelings of not being appreciated.
I thought it done really well, I enjoyed the narrator and how real the feelings were for them all :)
December 29, 2020
I thought this novella was great. Not necessarily an 'easy' listen - it makes you twitch listening to how destructive relationships can be. It's a brutal dissection of an unhealthy relationship and how they can unravel despite the intentions (at least occasionally) to fix it. Stephen Curry was an excellent narrator choice. You can really tell the difference in having an actor rather than a narrator - much more of a performance.
October 28, 2020
I listened to this novella on Audible. Stephen Curry is the perfect narrator for this short and steamy story.
September 23, 2021
If you are both horrible, self-absorbed characters, will any reader/listener care about what happens?
I love Stephen Curry and could listen to him tell any story, but struggled to finish this one.
I love Stephen Curry and could listen to him tell any story, but struggled to finish this one.
November 19, 2020
After having a productive year listening to audio books I was keen to listen to Zoe's new book made especially for audible!
Here are my thoughts as I read:
-Enjoying Steven Curry's narration. Good to listen to a male's perspective this way.
-Felt strange that Cam waited so long to confront Holly about her infidelity. (N.B this makes sense later on as to why)
-Exploration of female guilt for not being at home with the kids and projecting that on to a partner. In addition, birth trauma and PND, so hard to be on Cam's side when he reflects on not being there for Holly.
-The complication of children becomes clear and the different opinions of staying together for the children or separating for them.
-Genuinely believed that both characters wanted to make it work as the story seems to take a positive shift.
-Dramatic reveal by Cam that unravels all the happiness of a week.
-There was an incredibly shock filled ending. I wanted to believe that Holly had ended it with Wayne, just like I thought Cam had done in the past. I was disappointed that there was really a resolution after it all but thought it was so clever how quickly a happy ending can be snatched away in a sentence.
Here are my thoughts as I read:
-Enjoying Steven Curry's narration. Good to listen to a male's perspective this way.
-Felt strange that Cam waited so long to confront Holly about her infidelity. (N.B this makes sense later on as to why)
-Exploration of female guilt for not being at home with the kids and projecting that on to a partner. In addition, birth trauma and PND, so hard to be on Cam's side when he reflects on not being there for Holly.
-The complication of children becomes clear and the different opinions of staying together for the children or separating for them.
-Genuinely believed that both characters wanted to make it work as the story seems to take a positive shift.
-Dramatic reveal by Cam that unravels all the happiness of a week.
-There was an incredibly shock filled ending. I wanted to believe that Holly had ended it with Wayne, just like I thought Cam had done in the past. I was disappointed that there was really a resolution after it all but thought it was so clever how quickly a happy ending can be snatched away in a sentence.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2021
I downloaded this book for free in Audible. Zoë has put out some good books and I liked the idea of a novella: short and sweet. Except this wasn’t so sweet. I enjoyed the writing of this book and the narration. But that’s about it. The characters were aggravating and though they were continually presented with opportunities to redeem themselves they didn’t. Empty promises, misplaced “righteous” anger. I think my low rating honestly comes down to the fact that I could not give two hoots about the characters.
December 18, 2020
DNF - not my cup of tea
November 27, 2022
i honestly don’t dnf very often and especially not before getting to the 50% mark but my god this was awful.
i genuinely hated everything about this and i don’t have anything nice to say about the 30 minutes i wasted on this.
i hated hearing from Cam’s POV as i found him insufferable and his internal monologue just made me so uncomfortable.
i only got 30 minutes into it but i genuinely felt like i spent 3 hours listening to this because it was so excruciating to get through. i’ve been looking at other reviews and it seems the book doesn’t get better so i’m glad i gave up now rather than wasting more of my time on this.
i genuinely hated everything about this and i don’t have anything nice to say about the 30 minutes i wasted on this.
i hated hearing from Cam’s POV as i found him insufferable and his internal monologue just made me so uncomfortable.
i only got 30 minutes into it but i genuinely felt like i spent 3 hours listening to this because it was so excruciating to get through. i’ve been looking at other reviews and it seems the book doesn’t get better so i’m glad i gave up now rather than wasting more of my time on this.
June 8, 2022
I was not expecting this to be that thought provoking and have me so invested! WOAH.
July 19, 2022
2.5 stars
A quick listen over a Saturday. The narration was great. The couple however, should cut their losses and call it quits
A quick listen over a Saturday. The narration was great. The couple however, should cut their losses and call it quits
November 1, 2020
I really disliked this, I listened on Audible because it was free, I wish I hadn't wasted my time. It was like being in the kids primary school playground, listening to the gossip about one of the yummy couples in the clique group. Not being surprised by the infidelity and the drama that follows. They're just too yummy and self absorbed to be keeping it all to themselves. What a complete waste of time, I keep listening thinking it was going to get better, and it didn't. In all fairness it was true to form of this type of couple, I just didn't want to be reading about it and being involved in some selfish couple and their arguments. Sorry Zoe Foster Blake, I do normally enjoy your books.
March 24, 2021
This should have been called "why narcissists shouldn't breed".
Holly and Cam are horrible people, and there was nothing to like about this short. I only kept listening to see if things got better. They had to get better, right?
Wrong. So, so wrong!
Kudos to Stephen Curry for his narration, the one good thing I have to say.
I am just glad that this was a freebie and didn't spend my hard earned on it - and I NEVER say that
Holly and Cam are horrible people, and there was nothing to like about this short. I only kept listening to see if things got better. They had to get better, right?
Wrong. So, so wrong!
Kudos to Stephen Curry for his narration, the one good thing I have to say.
I am just glad that this was a freebie and didn't spend my hard earned on it - and I NEVER say that
November 14, 2020
Just as frustrating listening to other peoples fights as it is being in your own fights!
December 27, 2021
Really not great - no sophistication to the characters, no growth, depressing storyline - ick.
August 1, 2022
Honestly, this was so boring. The character just went into a spiral of non-communication and payback. Ugh, it was infuriating to listen to.
January 23, 2023
Brilliant narration by Stephen Curry, he does an amazing job bringing it to life. Both characters are frustrating people - I found it hard to identify enough with either to want them to succeed. But there were still poignant moments. The story is simple but has interesting things to say about it’s theme.
March 2, 2024
Well this was fucking depressing
May 4, 2023
2.5 Did the job to cure my boredom on my flight.
June 17, 2022
Dislike.
October 12, 2022
This was genuinely terrible. I’m glad Foster-Blake found her calling as a skin care mogul because her writing is boring, shallow and unoriginal.
January 10, 2021
My first book of 2021, this is a short novella about a couple that have discovered that they have both been unfaithful in their relationship, they decide that this gives them both a clean slate and this story follows the husband before the discovery, during the discovery and how they handle it after the discovery.
March 19, 2021
Four stars for being two hours of realistic writing of a fighting, cheating couple who don't really like each other and both suck. One star for enjoyability.
July 21, 2021
(Audiobook) Probably only finished this because it was such a quick audiobook and because you could zone out while walking and not miss much. I liked the ending.
February 11, 2021
I can see why this book was free on audible. The only part I enjoyed was Stephen Currys narration, the rest of the story was painful trash.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews