In this dazzling new novel, Emily Giffin, the #1 New York Timesbestselling author of Something Borrowed, Where We Belong, andThe One & Only introduces a pair of sisters who find themselves at a crossroads.
Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.
Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.
On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired. – Goodreads
So many thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to check this out in exchange for an honest review. I literally squealed when I received my approval email.
Why? Because I’m irrational and felt that Emily Giffin herself saw how many Emily Giffin novels I’ve read and reviewed and approved me herself. I know this isn’t true, but it’s fun to think about!
First things first: I love how Giffin ties all of her characters from her various standalone novels together. It’s not in a big way, but you’ll recognize the name of a random friend or acquaintance and realize, hey! Wasn’t Ellen the MC of Love the One You’re With? And then your mind is blown and you feel like you understand so much about this side character. I digress.
This story focuses on two sisters (and is told in alternating points of view), Josie and Meredith. Josie is the younger sister, who is a little bit crazy and carefree. Meredith is the uptight, older one. The entire story focuses on their brother’s death (car accident) fifteen years prior and how it affected their family.
Throw in a little bit of sibling rivalry and some insane life choices and we’ve got a story, folks.
Josie is sick of dating — she’s in her thirties and wants a baby, stat. So she takes matters into her own hands. Much of the book is focused on this decision and how she will find a donor. I loved how Giffin tied in Pete and Gabe, though I wish Gabe had been less two-dimensional. As her best friend, it would have been nice to see a little more than his lady-loving self.
Meredith was my least favorite character — she had zero empathy and was incredibly hard on her younger sister, constantly calling her selfish and attacking her. Zero patience, this one. Though at times I could understand her difficulties (and I really didn’t mind reading from her point-of-view), her overall personality really irked me.
For the most part, all of the characters were really well built. The two characters that I wish had been more complex were definitely Gabe (Josie’s roommate/best friend) and Nolan (Meredith’s husband), but they did alright how they were.
In all, I enjoyed the story. There were plenty of emotions, lots of tension, and quite a bit of heartbreak and healing. If you’re in the mood for an emotional family read, pick this one up.
Remember how I kind of hated One & Only? This one was much more on point and I’m back to totally loving Giffin. Only chick lit (okay, okay — with the exception of Jennifer Weiner) that I’ll touch.
lifebetweenreads.com 