Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

Summary:
From the author of the smash hits Something Borrowed and Something Blue comes a novel that explores the question: is there ever a deal-breaker when it comes to true love?

First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes . . . a baby carriage? Isn't that what all women want?

Not so for Claudia Parr. And just as she gives up on finding a man who feels the same way, she meets warm, wonderful Ben. Things seem too good to be true when they fall in love and agree to buck tradition with a satisfying, child-free marriage. Then the unexpected occurs: one of them has a change of heart. One of them wants children after all.

This is the witty, heartfelt story about what happens to the perfect couple when they suddenly want different things. It's about feeling that your life is set and then realizing that nothing is as you thought it was--and that there is no possible compromise. It's about deciding what is most important in life, and taking chances to get it. But most of all, it's about the things we will do--and won't do--for love. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I love Emily Giffin's books, not because they're amazing literature, but they're so easy to read and really draw you in. Baby Proof is nowhere near my favorite of Giffin's novels, but I sped through the pages so quickly that I read the book in about a day. I haven't done that in so long!

Many women might be drawn to Claudia because she says she doesn't want kids and that's still somewhat rare in today's society. There are definitely a lot more childless women now but I know there is still a lot of pressure from traditional family members to have kids. So it's neat that Claudia represents that segment of women. I'd probably be good with or without kids so I can definitely understand Claudia's mindset and she makes a lot of good points for a childlike existence. I also enjoyed reading about Claudia because she's pretty snarky, which is hilarious. For example, when her husband suggests forgoing birth control to see what happens, she responds with "How about we hold hands, jump out the window and see if we're meant to die?" Maybe I have a weird sense of humor but I thought that was hysterical.

There is more I want to say about Claudia's decisions, but that will give away too much of what happens! Regardless, I really like Emily Giffin's books and can't wait to read more from her.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: library.

2006/St. Martin's Press/340 pages

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

Summary:
The New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Baby Proof delivers another captivating novel about women and the choices that define them. This is the story for anyone who has ever wondered: How can I truly love the one I'm with when I can't forget the one who got away?

Ellen and Andy's first year of marriage doesn't just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she's living is the one she's meant to live.

Love the One You're With is a powerful story about one woman at the crossroads of true love and real life. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I really like Emily Giffin as a writer and I've read three of her books that I enjoyed immensely. However, I wasn't as enthralled by Love the One You're With as I wanted to be. It wasn't horrible, but Giffin's other novels have been much better.

It was hard for me to get into this book at first, but as I kept reading I liked it a little better. Giffin's books are all very similar: they're romance and so far have been about adultery. Now that's a topic that most people aren't interested in but she does a really good job of portraying the complex feelings that are often involved in these situations. For example, most people consider physical cheating to be the worst betrayal, but my AP English Lit class determined that emotional cheating was actually worse (we were reading Ethan Frome). That's sort of the theme of Love the One You're With: Ellen feels a connection with her ex-boyfriend Leo. She loves talking to him on the phone and emailing him and even though there's not much physical contact it feels like she's cheating.

The reason I didn't really enjoy Love the One You're With as much as I wish I did is because I didn't feel the connection between Ellen and Leo. I liked her husband Andy and I didn't like seeing her move away from him. Ellen was an infuriating character especially when Andy wants to move to Atlanta. She shies away from sharing her feelings and then it causes conflict in her marriage. I just didn't like the characters in this book as much as I did in Emily Giffin's other books.

Now Love the One You're With wasn't awful. I liked the relationship between Ellen and her sister. And Emily Giffin is a good writer so there were no complaints there. If you're looking for a romance novel, however, I would head for her other books first.

Rating: 7 out of 10.
FTC: purchased.

2008/St. Martin's Press/342 pages.

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Summary:
Following the smash-hit Something Borrowed comes story of betrayal, redemption, and forgiveness

Darcy Rhone has always been able to rely on a few things: Her beauty and charm.  Her fiance, Dex. Her lifelong best friend, Rachel.  She never needed anything else. Or so she thinks until Dex calls off their dream wedding and she uncovers the ultimate betrayal. Blaming everyone but herself, Darcy flees to London and attempts to re-create her glamorous life on a new continent. But to her dismay, she discovers that her tried-and-true tricks no longer apply--and that her luck has finally expired. It is only then that she can begin her journey toward redemption, forgiveness, and true love. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I just loved Something Borrowed when I read it (and the movie was great too) so I had to read the sequel! I'm so glad I finally got around to it because Something Blue was such a fun read!

The book picks off where the first one ended, with Darcy and Dex broken up. However, this book is from Darcy's point-of-view. You really get to see how selfish and materialistic she is, which is made even more apparent. I totally understand why she's a difficult person to get along with. But it makes it so much sweeter when Darcy changes. She becomes a nicer and more caring person throughout the novel with the help of an old friend. Even though her personality development alters on miraculous (she really does a 180), it was still fun to read about.

Ethan was introduced in the first book and he's played by John Krasinski in the film (though his character is much different in both books than the movie) and was a wonderful addition to the cast. He's just a sweet guy and it was so nice seeing him and Darcy get closer.

Overall, if you enjoyed the first novel make sure you get the sequel! I can't wait to check out Emily Giffin's other work too!

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from the library

2006/St. Martin's Griffin/338 pages

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

Summary:
Tessa Russo is the mother of two young children and the wife of a renowned pediatric surgeon. Despite her own mother's warnings, Tessa has recently given up her career to focus on her family and the pursuit of domestic happiness. From the outside, she seems destined to live a charmed life.

Valerie Anderson is an attorney and single mother to six-year-old Charlie--a boy who has never known his father. After too many disappointments, she has given up on romance--and even to some degree, friendships--believing that it is always safer not to expect too much.

Although both women live in the same Boston suburb, the two have relatively little in common aside from a fierce love for their children. But one night, a tragic accident causes their lives to converge in ways no one could have imagined.

In alternating, pitch-perfect points of view, Emily Giffin creates a moving, luminous story of good people caught in untenable circumstances. Each being tested in ways they never thought possible. Each questioning everything they once believed. And each ultimately discovering what truly matters most. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I absolutely adored Something Borrowed (also written by Emily Giffin) and the movie, so I was super excited to read something else by this author. Heart of the Matter wasn't quite as good, but I still enjoyed it a lot.

I didn't realize that Heart of the Matter was going to be about cheating again, but I find this to be an interesting topic. For many people it's a deal-breaker, but on the other hand so many people take back their significant other after they've cheated. Another dimension to this is the type of cheating. Most people consider cheating to be doing something physical with another person. But what about emotional cheating? Which is worse? We talked about this in my English class after reading Ethan Frome, which deals with emotional cheating.

Heart of the Matter switches point-of-view between Tessa and Valerie. Tessa is the wife of Nick, a pediatric surgeon, who is having an affair with Valerie. Getting both sides made it tough to pick which was "right" because I sympathized with both Tessa and Valerie. In Something Borrowed, we only get Rachel's perspective and it is colored by the fact that Darcy is not a nice person most of the book. In Something Borrowed, the cheating seemed more acceptable because no one was married or had any kids yet. It kind of made it easier to stomach.

The only person I didn't like was Nick. He had to be one of the most selfish people I've ever read about. If you want to cheat on your wife, that's one thing, but he would forgo spending time with his kids to be with Valerie. He spend more time with her and her son than his own family, which I just thought was awful. Also, Valerie's son was Nick's patient, so the affair was extremely unethical in addition to being morally wrong.

I was so excited to see Rachel and Dex return, because they're one of my favorite couples. It just so happens that Tessa and Dex are siblings. Rachel and Dex have the perfect marriage, which is commented on by every person. It's almost sickeningly sweet. It would have been better if there was something going on to show that they are not a perfect couple, but since we didn't get their POV, there was no additional information.

Overall I really did enjoy Heart of the Matter, especially that it tried to describe the different aspects and perspectives of cheating. It can be a gray area at times, and I liked seeing that addressed. Emily Giffin is a really good writer and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: bought used.

2010/St. Martin's Press/368 pages.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Summary:
Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows he must make a choice between her heart and her conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself. (from back cover)

Review:
Is it okay that I loved this book?! I know that Something Borrowed is like the epitome of chick lit, but I couldn't help but enjoy it. I even read it in a day (so I think that says something).

I first heard of Something Borrowed when I saw the movie trailer and I immediately wanted to see the movie since it has all my favorite actors in it and the plot looked really good. But then when my friend bought the book I asked if I could borrow it (hehe) before I watched the movie. I'm so glad I did because the book is awesome!

Right off the bat, Something Borrowed hooks you in, and the narrator (Rachel) starts telling you about her and Darcy's relationship. You realize that Darcy kind off walks all over Rachel and Rachel lets her because she is insecure. This is the basis of Rachel's justification for having an affair with Darcy's fiance. And you start to agree with this analysis because Darcy can be a piece of work sometimes. Even though I don't condone cheating, I am open to the possibility that things are not black and white so I liked that Emily Giffin addressed this. The reader can tell that Rachel and Dex are not bad people, just people not making the right decisions.

The ending is half resolved and half cliffhanger and I know there's a sequel called Something Blue from Darcy's point-of-view. I really want to know what happens next but I don't know if I can stand reading a book all about Darcy (yes, she really is that obnoxious). However, I know that I will be seeing the movie as soon as it is released on DVD. I would definitely recommend Something Borrowed if you're looking for good chick lit!

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from a friend.

2004/St. Martin's Griffin/322 pages.