What if you could take a vacation from your marriage? A couple decides to give it a shot in this fun, adventurous novel by Lian Dolan, the popular author ofThe Sweeney SistersandLost and Found in Paris.

After twenty-three years of building careers and raising kids together, Jason and Nicole Elswick are ready for a break from their daily lives. Jason has spent years planning his dream sabbaticalditching work for a nine-month-long motorcycle trip through South America. Problem is, thats Jasons dream, not Nicoles. After years working retail and parenting in Portland, Nicole craves the sun of the Southwest and the artistic community in Santa Fe, where she wants to learn jewelry design.

A chance encounter at a dinner party presents a surprisingand intriguingway out of their dilemma. Over a little too much wine, Jason and Nicoles married neighbors sing the praises of the 500 Mile Rule: their policy of enjoying themselves however they wishand with whomever they wishwhen theyre temporarily far apart. It seems like the perfect solution: nine months pursuing their own adventureswith a bit of dont-ask-dont-telland then a return to their shared lives. Itll be a sabbatical from their marriage as well as their day jobs.

As Jason bikes his way across a continent and Nicole reclaims the art shes long neglected, they discover the pleasures and pitfalls of the 500 Mile Rule, confronting temptations of all kinds, uncomfortable truths about themselves, and gaining new perspective on their partnership.

But all sabbaticals come to an endthen what?