Love the One You're with

by Emily Giffin

[Leah]

I love Emily Giffin’s writing and rank Something Borrowed as one of my favourite chick-lit books ever. I also enjoyed Something Blue and Baby Proof and was excited when I finally saw Love the One You’re With at the second-hand bookswop I go to.

I quite liked the idea of the story: Ellen is married but after 100 days of marriage she bumps into her ex-boyfriend Leo. It seems she isn’t over him so the question is: who does she want to be with?

I just think the whole thing could have been explored a bit more. I still don’t think we really found out why Leo and Ellen broke up. It seemed, I don’t know, like a loose end that wasn’t tied up properly.

I also thought Ellen was a bit mean flitting between both men and trying to turn things around to make Andy look bad and justify all her actions to herself. I mean to be that obsessed with an ex after, what was it, 8 years and willing to dump and betray her husband at the first sign of trouble was a bit spiteful. Even at the end of the novel she still wasn’t 100% truthful with her husband even though Andy was a brilliant and nice character.

I loved all the minor characters: Margot, Suzanne and the Graham family kept the story bubbling along. I think it was a shame the relationship between Ellen and her father wasn’t explored as it seemed there were troubles there. It was also a shame the apparent OCD wasn’t explored more, we read of it at the beginning of the novel and once when she was in Atlanta.

I thought Ellen was never really sure of how to approach things. She said yes to Atlanta, got totally fed up with it and then didn’t say a thing until the huge argument with Andy.

Even at the end of the book she didn’t seem totally sure with who she chose. It was as if she chose who she chose because of what her sister said even though she said she was following her heart. I was glad with the ending though and would have been disappointed had it ended the other way.

I can’t really think of anything else to say about it. It wasn’t a book that provoked a lot of different questions, it was mainly who will Ellen choose and that was it. Full stop. End of.

I did, however love that Julian and Hillary (from Something Borrowed) made an appearance. I love how Emily does that, mentions the characters from her other novels or has them appear in some way.

For all that I’ve said for the book I did enjoy it and read it quite quickly it just seemed to lack something that Something Borrowed & Blue had. I loved the cover though, it is a beautiful book cover. I can’t wait for Emily’s next novel which is due out in 2010. I’ve read the first few pages from her publisher and it sounds great.