Something Borrowed
by Emily Giffin
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Book Reviews of Something Borrowed
Book Review: Complex, moving story.
Summary: 5 Stars
I read an interview with Emily Giffin where she said her first thought was to write this book with a plot of Darcy having an affair with Rachel's fiance. She reworked this to what it came to be, and thank goodness she did. Giffin has masterfully constructed a story where it is possible to root for "the other woman."
Dexter and Rachel have this in common - they are both in relationships with Darcy that probably should have ended long ago. Rachel and Darcy are best friends, because, well, they always have been. Though they obviously have little in common, they thrive on competition with one another, and they do things to each other that don't resemble true friendship - they are still "best friends forever." The truth is, as others point out to Rachel in the book, it is a toxic friendship built more on memories than what they currently have.
Dex and Darcy have been dating for 7 years, and it appears that though they have committed to getting married, they should really be breaking up. They look good together and they can still have fun together - but the foundation for a lasting marriage isn't there. Darcy is still immature, moreso than Dex wants her to be. She wants to have fun and doesn't know if she can handle the idea of never being with anyone else but him, for the rest of her life.
That Dex and Rachel fall in love and proceed to do so despite Darcy, is just more evidence that their relationships with her are faulty. They become more important to each other than Darcy is or has been to them.
I absolutely loved this book. While normally I would not identify or sympathize with the "other woman," I felt swept up in Dexter and Rachel's story... some say they did not like Dex, could not sympathize with Rachel, but I felt Giffin effectively demonstrated the conflicting emotions going on in both characters - Dex's feelings for Rachel realized during the Incident on her birthday, his pull toward her but his sense of responsibility toward Darcy. The desire to be with Rachel but the fear of what kind of person that makes him if he leaves Darcy. And in Rachel, the sense of loyalty to Darcy, because being Darcy's friend is all she's ever known. The desire to have Dex without hurting Darcy.
Some have complained about the cliche or cop-out ending, but Giffin's revelations about Darcy lead to a sequel which brings about a nice resolution for her character. In "Something Blue" we find that Darcy is not a one-dimensional, shallow character. But you have to read more to find that out.
Book Review: Weak, two-dimensional and deeply dishonest
Summary: 1 Stars
As soon as I got to the bit where Rachel betrays her best friend by sleeping with her fiance I knew I was going to have a problem with the ending - I knew I would find it impossible to root for these two people to find happiness (no matter how much in 'luurve' they are) and felt at this point that the only thing that could make the book worse would be for the author to end up with the revelation that Darcy too is having an affair so the cheaters can have their own happy ever after ending! Guess what? Trashy 'romantic' writing at its worst - if you are going to show two people having an affair at least have the guts to take it to its logical conclusion and show the misery it causes instead of going for a cheap copout ending.
I think the female readership is meant to identify so strongly with Rachel that they overlook her behaviour (an attractive woman of 30 who earns a 6 figure salary and for some unaccountable reason thinks of herself as a 'failure' because she isn't married yet) and hate Darcy for being so shallow and dumb. I think we are also supposed to see Dex as the dream catch and believe that he and Rachel are destined to be soul mates because she is the 'deep' one and they have so much in common (they both like Bruce Springstein, Darcy doesn't - and that seems to be about it) . Fact is that Rachel is every bit as shallow and materialistic as Darcy, and Dex (the name alone makes it impossible to take him seriously) has all the 2-dimensionality of a character from Dynasty. In fact he is my pet hate - the male romantic interest who exists nowhere but in the mind of a female novelist. Nowhere does it occur to the supposedly smart Rachel that he is simply having his cake and eating it - engaged to one attractive woman, sleeping with another on the side - seemingly happy to let the situation drag on as long as possible. If he has realised (somewhat belatedly) that Rachel is 'the one' why not do the decent thing and break things off with Darcy before jumping into bed with her friend?
I do feel sorry for young modern young women if they think this trash is romantic and that sleeping with your friend's intended is the path to true happiness. IME anyway, men who sleep with their wife's/girlfriend's friends (or enemies) behind their backs are invariably sleazeballs and the women who fall for their lines get everything they deserve!
Can't recommend this as I found it morally distasteful, the characters shallow and the writing trashy and formulaic.
Book Review: Good writing but characters have major flaws.
Summary: 2 Stars
Rachel and Darcy. Best friends since grade school. Rachel is the average-looking one with good grades; Darcy is the good-looking one with average grades. Rachel has worked hard all her life and is a lawyer at a NY law firm (a very unhappy, overworked lawyer...). Darcy learned early on in life that thanks to her great looks, she doesn't have to work as hard to get what she wants. Therefore she has become a bit shallow and still has a lot of growing up to do. On Rachel's 30th birthday, Darcy throws her a party and Rachel gets drunk and sleeps with Darcy's handsome fiancé, Dex. After sleeping together, Rachel and Dex realize they have loved each other all these 7 years . . . now they are torn. Can they pursue their love and risk loosing Darcy?
I found this book fun to read in the beginning. Giffin is a vivid writer and I chuckled out loud because I could relate to many of the flashbacks of Rachel and Darcy growing up in the Midwest. But as the book progressed I started to loose respect for Rachel. Not only because she was completely betraying her best friend, but also because she lacked character and self esteem. In all aspects of her life (with Darcy, at her job and even with Dex) she was extremely insecure and meek. She lets others dominate her and is unable to stand up for herself. Even though I disagreed with her sleeping with her best friends fiancé I kept wondering why she wouldn't just tell Dex to leave Darcy and be with her (after all Dex kept telling her how much he loved her). I realize not everyone can have great self esteem and be secure in every aspect of his or her life but sleeping with your best friends fiancé is a very slimy way of gaining confidence. I also think Giffin could have done a better job developing Dexter. His character lacked charisma and appeal. He is a lawyer and he's hot. OK. So what else made him so great that Rachel was willing to loose her life-long best friend for?
I read the sequel "Something Blue" to see what happens to Darcy and I liked that one better!!!! I also HIGHLY recommend Giffin's third and best book "Baby Proof" (that one is not about Rachel or Darcy!).
***spoiler ahead****
My biggest gripe is that the author took the easy way out in the end with what happens with Darcy and Marcus. It was a cheap cop-out way to make Darcy the villain so you excuse Rachel and Dex's deceit. Didn't work with me! Two wrongs don't make a right.
Book Review: Unquestionably fantastic!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Good: This book is an absolute page turner. I was hooked within the first chapter and then had trouble putting it down. It usually takes me weeks to read a book (I have a toddler - you do the math), but I read this book in 2 days. The writing is contemporary, engrossing, even tantalizing. Giffin is masterful at stringing the reader along, hanging on her every word and detail to get to the next big moment in the story. The characters are well developed, and Giffin leads your emotions right where she wants them as she progresses through the story. In the end, true to chick lit form, you'll leave the book satisfied with the results.
The Bad: The only thing remotely bad I can say about this book is that the literal ending of the book is a little lackluster. But with a book this good, how can the end possibly trump or even compare with 320 awesome pages of great dialogue, seduction, deception, and romance?
The Summary: Rachel is a Midwestern "good girl" who is a successful lawyer in NY at the pivotal age of 30. Front and center in Rachel's life is her best friend Darcy ... not because she's a great friend but because it's always been that way, since they were kids living on the same street. They grew up together and now both live in the Big Apple. Rachel even introduced Darcy to her fiance Dexter, and is now Darcy's maid of honor. Rachel was attracted to Dexter in law school but immediately assumed the attractive sweetie was out of her league and more appropriate for her knock-out best friend. Now, on her 30th birthday, at her birthday party organized by Darcy, Rachel winds up closing down the bars with Dexter. On the cab ride home, Dexter kisses Rachel. In fact, he kisses her a lot. They wind up back at Rachel's apartment where Rachel winds up "borrowing" Darcy's fiance for the night (although Dexter is the initiator). This indiscretion blossoms into a full-blown deception and the launching point for this riveting story. The amazing thing is that even though what Dexter and Rachel do is wrong, and they both know this, you'll root for them anyway. Darcy is a terrible friend and the kind of girl that is downright annoying. Nothing is black and white in this book, as is so common in real life even among those who like to think "I'd never." You won't be disappointed with this read -- just make sure you set aside a lot of time before you start because you won't be able to put it down.
Book Review: I have never hated a main character more than the one in this book!
Summary: 3 Stars
Let me first say that I really enjoyed reading this book! It is a good story and I couldn't put it down because I was dying to know how it all turned out. That being said I also hated this book for many reasons! This book is about a very low self esteem girl that starts sleeping with her best friend's (of like 20 years) fiance...because she thinks she deserves to win/have something great/get the guy this time.
I hated the character Rachel (the main character who starts sleeping with her best friend Darcy's fiance)! Darcy throws her a huge 30th birthday party...and that is when it happens. Rachel is single and jealous that Darcy is getting married to a wonderful (well thought he was wonderful anyway...any guy who does this isn't a great catch!)
guy an she isn't. Rachel says after it happens quote "I want a husband...or at least a boyfriend" "I don't feel guilty at all" "Darcy has always had the perfect life, the perfect guy, the perfect body, the perfect hair" "Darcy always gets what she wants and that includes the dream fiance Dex" What a bitch is what I say! Rachel proceeds to continue to sleep with the fiance and falls in love with him. She blames Darcy the entire time saying that she isn't good enough for him and that she is the pretty one, the thin one, the one that has all the good luck...so now it is her turn...PLEASE! I cannot stand women like Rachel and I think that if she respected herself she would have never done this to herself or her best friend! This whole time she is also somewhat dating the fiance's best friend (I think I call women that do this sluts in real life)!!!!! Dexter (the fiance) continues to live with Darcy (her best friend) and sleep with Rachel and they both keep it from her. I am sorry, but nothing justifies this. The whole time Rachel goes with Darcy to pick out her wedding dress/shoes/makeup and complains the whole time that Darcy is way too picky...bla bla bla...shouldn't a good best friend be excited to shop for these things with you!
A lot of things happen at the end (which I won't spoil) that are meant to make Darcy look like the bad guy and are meant to make you look at Darcy in a bad light, but they didn't do that with me! I still think what Rachel did to Darcy is disgusting and wrong and I hope Darcy gets some revenge in the second book!
I can't wait to read about Darcy in Something Blue...