Love the One You're With
by Emily Giffin
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Book Reviews of Love the One You're With
Book Review: You've got to be kidding me...
Summary: 1 Stars
...this is what passes for good chick lit nowadays? This was the first work of Emily Giffin's that I've tried, and it will irrevocably be the last. I was totally *appalled* at the author's justification of her main character's utterly immoral behavior, when we live in a world where too many marriages are ended by just this kind of sleazy, corrupt, "me-searching" approach to life that, sorry to disillusion you, folks, is NOT always like a fairytale. Ellen is a blue-collar girl from Pittsburgh who felt out of her element in college, ended up knitted into a wealthy Atlanta family -- a tad snobby, but, still, really nice to her -- and married to a fantastic (so what that he's a bit dull?), unpretentious, successful guy who really loves her *for* her, and is a terrific, caring, interested husband, who lets his self-absorbed, braindead wife have a high-flying career without feeling challenged or emasculated. WHY ON EARTH does she want to go back to a one-sided, dead-end relationship with a guy that is all these traits I just described in her? My guess is that's where she learned them from, and that she stupidly held onto the teenage angst and bitterness and regret she developed from their time together -- rather than letting the love of her truly Prince Charming husband help shape her into an equally compassionate and selfless person, someone who actually *earned* the love and respect of such a wonderful guy and such a loyal best friend as Margot.
Towards the end, I was really skimming, and pretty anxious to get to the end, just so it would be over. Usually I don't feel that way about chick lit. Especially considering that the last chick lit novel I read was "Remember Me?" by Sophie Kinsella, which was just so funny and heartwarming and a *real* exploration of the self and what one really wants from life.
I am so glad I found this at the library and didn't spend money on it. Nor will I be trying any of this author's previous publications, and certainly not recommending her to anyone else.
Book Review: Another enjoyable book from Emily Giffin
Summary: 4 Stars
Ellen and Andy have been married for 100 days. Andy is Margot's (Ellen's college roommate and best friend) older brother. Walking in NYC, Ellen runs into her ex-boyfriend Leo. It's a fluke meeting - the first time she's seen him since they broke up, but it gets Ellen to thinking about her relationship with Leo. And Ellen finds that she can't stop thinking about Leo. Which causes Ellen to start thinking about her life - is Andy really the love of her life? Or is Leo? Her life seems perfect - is there such a thing? Did she just settle?
This book is written is in the first person, like the author's previous novels. I know that some people don't like reading books in that point of view, but for this book, it really works. From page 1, you're swept into the story and into Ellen's life, and like the author's previous books, the action starts right on page 1. You'll want to just curl up in a chair to read this book.
I enjoyed this book - I think almost everyone can relate to one of the characters in the book - maybe the main character who has someone in her past who "got away" and wonders what if - or maybe Ellen's sister who's watching what's happening and trying to help. But for me, it's not quite a 5-star book. I think the ending seemed a bit rushed - from Ellen's decision about her life to her issue/friendship with Margot. I also found time to be an issue - although Ellen has been only married to Andy for 100 days, they've been together for 6 years and Ellen's relationship to Leo was 8 years ago. It just seemed like a very long time ago for Ellen to still have such strong feelings for Leo - maybe if Ellen hadn't been with Andy that long or it wasn't 8 years ago, but that just didn't work for me.
If you've read the author's other books, you'll enjoy this novel. If you've never read anything by her, this is a good book to start. All in all, Love the One You're With is good reading. I just enjoyed Something Borrowed and Something Blue more.
Book Review: A Huge Disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
Let me state up front that I have enjoyed Emily Giffen's previous three book and was really looking forward to Love the One You're With, her newest offering.
What a huge disappointment. To put it in perspective it took me 6 weeks to read this book and I can generally read 1-2 books per week. I actually read 3 other books in between because I had no desire to pick this one up after I would put it down for the night, it just wasn't a compelling book.
The premise of the story is pretty basic. Ellen and Andy are newly married, just 3 months in fact. One day while crossing street in Manhattan Ellen sees her ex-lover, Leo. A few minutes later her cell phone rings (lucky girl she has the same phone number she had eight years ago- the last time she saw Leo) and who is on the phone- none other than said Leo. Before long Ellen is questioning her marriage, friendships, and career choices, all because she can't seem to stop obsessing over her old flame.
The biggest problem I had with this book was Ellen. She is e-mailing, calling, texting, and meeting with her ex boyfriend all on the sly, without telling her husband. She keeps trying to justify these lapses by finding fault with everything her husband does, just so she can rationalize her behavior; after all she isn't having an affair. She may not be sleeping with Leo, but she is cheating on her husband and her marriage with every lie and omission. Although Andy comes off as a little too perfect, the only reason Ellen seems to want Leo is he's sexy. There doesn't seem to be any other character trait to justify her fixation with Leo. She hasn't seen or spoken to the man in 8 years, yet she still sees him as perfect, despite the fact that she keeps saying she loves her husband. I just wanted her to be honest with herself just once. When her moment of clarity finally comes it is anti-climatic and no surprise. This book was a total let down.
Book Review: Sluggish and Lackluster
Summary: 1 Stars
They say most writers have one great book in them, and I guess this is true of Ms. Giffin. Her first, "Something Borrowed" was a delight, and I looked forward to "Something Blue." It was somewhat of a letdown, and appeared as if she'd injected many of the discarded notes from her first book into her second - resulting in a passable second effort, clothed in designer hand-me-downs ... so to speak. Her third, "Baby Proof" began what I consider a more serious downhill trend in the quality of her work - forgettable the minute the last page is turned and never a book I would voluntarily recommend to a friend.
And now, this fourth, "Love the One You're With", is so incredibly lackluster that it's hard to believe it comes from the same author. The pace is sluggish and the narrative voice comes across in a monotone - as if you are listening to a friend relate some never-ending history of a relationship ("so then he said to me, and then I was like, and after that I told him, but then he ...") as you sit there with your eyes glazing over. The characters are stereotypical and never fully developed, and Giffin manipulates them in sudden spurts in order to move the plot in the direction needed. All of a sudden, the wonderful husband becomes a dull jackass while the best friend becomes a shallow yuppie ... so much easier for the protagonist to shed them in her pursuit of the old flame. I guess Giffin believes that all she has to do is write it, and we shall believe - but it doesn't work that way.
So where does this leave Giffin? In the position of having to come up with an exceptional next novel or let the waters of mediocrity slowly wash over her head, condemning her to the burgeoning ranks of anonymous chick lit writers. People will only continue to shell out the bucks if they think the read will be worth it. Based on the declining impact of her collected works, let's hope she's able to pull it off.
Book Review: A desperate housewife in need of closure...
Summary: 5 Stars
Ellen has married the perfect man. Andy is from a rich, old money family in Georgia, a lawyer who hates confrontations and is considerate in every possible way. His family is just as perfect; they have accepted Ellen into their circle with open arms. Her sister-in-law is her best friend, and that is how she hooked up with Andy. Ellen is a successful photographer in New York. Her life couldn't be better. So is she still thinking about her ex-boyfriend? When she runs into Leo by chance, all of the old memories come flooding back. Why did he break up with her when their relationship had been so wonderful and intense? Was he the one? Did she settle for Andy? Overwhelmed with confusion, Ellen falls into a somewhat reluctant game of flirtation with Leo as she tries to keep guilt at bay by pointing out the problems in her marriage to Andy, especially after they move to Georgia.
Love the One You're With is one of the most wonderfully written chick-lits out there. Emily Giffin doesn't write shallow and silly novels about single women wanting to get married. Her novels have substance, and this effort is very profound, more so than Something Borrowed and Something Blue, and those were very well written as well. This novel spoke to me. I went through something similar to Ellen. Most women have an "unrequited" or "star-crossed" love from the past, and it's wonderful to read something from a heroine who is fleshed out and three-dimensional. Ellen's inner musings and feelings are very real -- things that I have thought about myself -- and it's almost as if you're reading about yourself. Again, I absolutely LOVED Love the One You're With. The rather cutesy cover doesn't do this wonderful work justice, which is why I removed the jacket while I read it. I know I called this a "chick-lit," and I guess it is, but it shouldn't be marketed that way. This is a great piece of women's fiction.