Love the One You're With
by Emily Giffin
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Book Reviews of Love the One You're With
Book Review: Better than chick lit
Summary: 5 Stars
Aside from the ending, I don't think it is really accurate to call this book chick lit. Yes, it does explore relationships and focuses on a single woman's "journey" but like all of Emily Giffin's books, those themes are explored at a much deeper level. Ellen's struggle to decide whether Andy is the right guy for her in the long term (and this, by the way, seems to me to be the main point of the story, all that Leo stuff aside) is something that everyone can relate to. We don't make those types of decisions lightly, and Giffin does an amazing job of poking around at the different thoughts and feelings Ellen goes through when trying to make that lifelong decision, some of which are not pretty at all. I thought it was great that she contrasted how much Ellen struggled with that "choice" once Leo came back to how easy everything was with Andy's courtship before then because in real life, fairy tales don't happen without some measure of conflict attached.
My only criticism was that I thought the side issue of Ellen's family (particularly her mother's passing) could have been played up more, though there were some scenes where it was handled really beautifully...especially the scene about her father wanting to buy Ellen's wedding dress and some of the conversations between Ellen and Suzanne.
I love that all of Emily Giffin's books have been so different, and thought this was one of her best.
Book Review: Surprisingly good
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a book that surprised me. Not because I didn't expect it to be good (I have found all of Emily Giffin's novels quite enjoyable), but because of the way in which the story affected me. In some ways, I think the title made me expect a contemporary romance novel, but it actually isn't. What it is is a character study of a woman who is trying to sort through deeply conflicted feelings, both about passionate and familial love, and trying to reconcile the feelings in her heart with what she knows to be the best choice for her life in her head. The majority of the story takes place inside the character's mind (which some have seen as a fault - I see it as a strength) and if you have ever been caught in the position of having two contrasting desires in your life, everything that Ellen thinks throughout this story will be utterly relatable.
In some ways, this book fails as a "chick lit" novel because it forgoes the dramatic fireworks of most of those novels for a more quieter, introspective approach. Yes, there are certainly many elements of the modern-day fairy tale in this story, but if you dig deeper you will find something much more enjoyable and substantive. Make no mistake, it is still a fun beach read type of book, but also a story that reveals a lot of truths about how many people think and feel when they have to make choices with lifelong commitments.
Book Review: Compelling Read
Summary: 5 Stars
This is another solid book from a writer who is able to completely grasp human emotion and then write those emotions into a wonderful story. This is the story of Ellen, Andy, and Leo, and the choices that Ellen made/makes in her life in regards to the two men. Ellen has a fairy-tale romance with Andy, a husband who adores her and treats her like a princess; he has a loving and inclusive family and a substantially rich lifestyle in comparison to Ellen. Leo, by contrast is the brooding artist with a burning passion for Ellen. They separated years ago but, when he makes his way back into her life will he also make his way back into her heart? That is the question posed throughout the book and, while not spoiling anything, I will say that watching Ellen self-destruct her life with Andy is heartbreaking. I really started to hate her and the choices she was making, especially since her life with Andy was perfect. Ellen questions everything in her life, and turns completely ungrateful when Leo returns; she puts her entire life on the line to determine whether it's Andy or Leo who is 'the one.' The story is somewhat familiar because many women, and men, pine for a long-lost love and often wonder 'what if.' It's a compelling story and quality writing, and the type of book that makes you want to cheat and turn to the last page to find out what happens.Book Review: SLOW STARTER...BUT A GOOD READ!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Ellen Graham is leading what many would call a charmed life; she's got a great job doing what she loves in the Big Apple, she's married to a wonderful, successful man with money...who also just happens to be her best friend's brother. And they come from a close-knit, happy and seemingly perfect Southern family. Yes, Ellen's life does seem charmed...until that fateful rainy day in the intersection. We all have one...one who "got away," if you will. That one love in our life where things just didn't seem to work out, that love that leaves a space in our heart that, no matter how full, is only ever occupied by them...and for Ellen, that space was named Leo. So when she runs into Leo in that intersection on that fateful day in Manhattan...her life is forever altered. They catch up over coffee....Leo gives her the professional lead of a lifetime....and soon Ellen is questioning her life, her husband, her marriage. When Leo professes his love, Ellen must make a choice...and decide what space in her heart and life is more important.
With an ending that is the stuff that movies are made of, this slow-starting, rather predictable tale picks up speed leaving the reader engrossed. I found the conclusion its biggest saving grace..and thanks to that, Giffin has once again managed to pen a winner.
DYB
Book Review: Great book!
Summary: 5 Stars
As a busy mother, I don't often have time to devote to reading so I have very little patience for books that are either slow, boring or just pointless. Luckily, this book was none of the above: it was entertaining and had enough depth to make the read more than worthwhile. As a married woman, I was surpised that I could relate so easily to the main character, but I guess we all have those long lost loves that have an unexplainable hold on our hearts. There were many times when I grew frustrated at how easily the main character indulged in those feelings to the detriment of her marriage, but then I remembered back to what it was like being so unsure in a new marriage and a new life and it made more sense. Undertaking a lifelong commitment is not an easy thing for anyone, and it takes a while to get into the swing of it (so to speak). Maybe it is taken to a dramatic extreme in this case, but the issues addressed in this book are intelligently drawn out.
But whether I agreed with what the main character was doing throughout the book or not, I simply could not put the book down. I thought this book was a smart and, for the most part, realistic look at the challenges of marriage and the author certainly pulls no punches in laying bare the sometimes ugly longings of her character's heart.