Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Something Borrowed
by Emily Giffin
Pub. Date: April 2005
Genre: Fiction
352pp

Synopsis from the Publisher:
Rachel has always been a good girl--until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend Darcy throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancé Dex. Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for Dex. She prays for fate to intervene, but when she makes a choice she discovers that the lines between right and wrong are blurry, endings aren't always neat, and you have to risk all to win true happiness.

Why I Picked It:
Emily Giffin. Emily Giffin. Everyone keeps talking about Emily Giffin. I actually have Love the One You're With in my To Be Read pile on my bookshelf which I picked up a few months back on the Barnes & Noble bargain tables, but I haven't found time to read it. This is my latest Audible download. I find that I have more time to "listen" to a book these days, than I do to actually read one myself.

My Review:
It took me about an hour of listening to decide I was going to let myself enjoy the story. Yes, it's simple chick lit, what I think would be a great Sunday afternoon read, if I could find about 6 hours to myself to plow through it.

Why didn't I want to allow myself to enjoy it? I'll tell you. I'm very opposed to books that feel like they are written according to a formula, or with characters that I feel like I've already met before. I find that some books just feel that way. I initially felt this one was written with those same ingredients which make me immediately bristle up, feel superior to, and insist that I already know how it's all going to turn out. Okay, it's late, and before I indulge what feels like serious babbling coming on, let me just explain that this book started off reminding me of Kate from Firefly Lane because Rachel (from Something Borrowed, the book I'm reviewing) is so much like Kate (from Firefly Lane) who was also so passive about her personal life. Kate's best friend Tilly was so flashy, beautiful, controlling, men adored her, and Kate got passed up. And that's so similar to Rachel, I was having a hard time just going with Emily Giffin's story.

Anyway, I allowed Mrs. Giffin to take over. Yes, Rachel has been focused and driven her whole life when it comes to her professional life and career, but her personal life is a whole different matter. Overshadowed and a bit walked over by Darcy, her bff of 20+ years, no man of her own.... add alcohol, and Rachel finds herself in bed with Darcy's fiance Dex, a man she introduced to Darcy, and Dex - what do you know - has always secretly been interested in Rachel. But there is a wedding in 3 months, Rachel is the maid of honor, what's going to happen? What will she do?

Seriously annoying how Rachel so cavalier about how much she actually detests her best friend, and the fact that while they are still engaged, she and Dex are still meeting up, having sex, refusing to discuss "what are we doing?"

I mean, really. Why would Dex, a seemingly intelligent successful man, stay with a woman who, while gorgeous, is a self-centered B? Why would he get engaged to her when, for years, he's been fond of Rachel? Why do people act so passive in their own lives? Aggravating.

So while Emily Giffin pulled her story line along skillfully weaving in the back stories of each character in such a way that I really did want to keep listening, I may have found a fondness for certain characters, but the lack of depth or of morality or anything was driving me crazy for the first half of the book. (Oh but yes, I did finally forget that other novel it was reminding me of.) I became invested in (read: want to throw my ipod across the room because I thought she was an imbecile) how Rachel was going to take charge of her life, despite her betrayal, and had to, once again, get over my snap judgments of what I thought the book was going to be and begin to see why everyone keeps telling me to pick up the next Emily Giffin. It annoyed me into submission. And resolved itself well enough.

A perfect pick for a rainy afternoon like today while I ran errands or a pool/beach read. I'm looking forward to the next one, Something Blue, to see how it all unravels from Darcy's point of view...

2010 Challenge: 5 Read, 45 to go!