I just finished reading this novel by emily giffin,the first book of hers I have ever read.I have to say that I found it hard to put the book down,maybe because I got a kick from reading that Leo is from my hometown,maybe because I could relate to Ellen and her choices in life.Even though the characters are sterotypical,that did not take away from the story in my opinion.I look forward to reading her previous books as well

~Ellen has been married a little over six months to the “perfect” man. Rich, handsome, considerate, passionate, and every fairy tale prince all rolled into one. One day she has a chance encounter with Leo, who had broken her heart 8 years earlier. Ellen soon finds herself at a crossroad in life. ~

What did I think about this book. Hmmm… if you had asked me after the first chapter I would have said that I definitely wasn’t thrilled, but once I finished it, I realized it wasn’t as bad as I had thought. I ended up even saving one paragraph with other quotes that I have around that I love.

Did I really like it? Well, it’s not my usual genre, but I try to keep my mind pretty open about what I read. It seemed a bit predictable to me at first, but having never read Emily Giffin, I wasn’t sure if she liked happy endings, tragic ones, or even if her happy ending would be the same point as mine, so I continued to read.

What I did like, was how Giffin seemed to take a direct approach to a serious subject. What would happen if the “one that got away” showed back up once you’re married to someone else? It’s kind of like everybody’s answer would be, “Oh, I’d never do that!” But who really knows what a person would do until they are faced with a situation? I mean, come one, at least be honest with yourself. Ellen asks herself the really tough questions and tries to answer them, and Giffin doesn’t hold back in delving into her character’s heart and mind.

So what does Ellen do? What paragraph about love inspired me enough to take the time to copy it down to keep? Best to get the book and find out for yourself, and see what just might inspire you!

This is another book by Emily Giffin, author of Something Borrowed, Something Blue and Baby Proof. The description on amazon.ca sums it up perfectly, so I will paraphrase it here:

A chance encounter with an old flame causes Ellen Dempsey to consider what could have been. Shortly after marrying Andy, Ellen runs into Leo, her intense first love. Leo, a moody writer, has secretly preoccupied Ellen ever since he broke her heart, so after seeing him again, Ellen wonders if her perfect life is truly what she wants or simply what she was expected to want. Andy's career takes the newlyweds from Ellen's beloved New York City to suburban Atlanta. As Ellen's feelings of inadequacy and resentment grow, her marriage begins to crumble. The novel is sometimes bogged down by characters so rooted in type that they, and the story line, can only move in the most obvious trajectory. However, Giffin's self-aware narrator and focus on troubled relationships will satisfy those looking for a light women's lit fix.

This description alluded to my feelings about this book. It is definitely my least favourite of Giffin’s novels, and I have to say I found it a little predictable. I agree that some of the characters are very rigidity typecast (for lack of a better word) so they are not as easily relatable as some of Giffin’s other characters. They are somewhat stereotypical in their roles, which leads the story to become somewhat predictable. In my opinion it loses Giffin’s ability to write convincing relatable characters and everyday yet interesting and unexpected plots.

I can’t say I recommend this book highly but I didn’t dislike it either. It was an entertaining enough story, but I think I was more compelled to finish it at the end more by my need to finish every book I start than for my burning desire to find out how it ends. It is not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination, but if you are expecting it to be as fantastic as her other books, you are in for a big disappointment in my opinion.

Below is the review I wrote for this book when it first came out. I figured I might as well copy and paste. This is such a great book.

I've been a fan of author Emily Giffin from the day I absentmindedly picked up her first book Something Borrowed a couple of years back. I loved it and made sure to pick up her next book Something Blue when it came out the next year. And Baby Proof the year after.

Love the One You're With is her latest book release. I picked it up earlier this week and just finished it at around 8:30 this morning.

A quick synopsis: the book is about a woman who's with the perfect man leading her perfect life. Until the guy - the one that got away - comes back into her life and turns things upside down. Sounds like fluff and it definitely is, but it's got a lot of intelligence behind it too. Great for summer reading, as are all of her books.

I find Giffiin's books to be smarter chicklit than your regular Shopaholic series. She delves into some pretty honest and sometimes hard questions about life. If anything, I'd place her next to Marian Keyes, author of great books such as Sushi for Beginners and Anybody Out There? in the chick lit genre.

I picked up this book the moment I saw it on the bookshelf at the store and I have to say that I thouroughly enjoyed this book. Emily Giffin is an author I like to read when I am looking for a light witty read. This book is exactly that. Love the One You're With is the story of Ellen who has the perfect marriage and then one day she runs into that infamous 'one who got away' from her past. If you are looking for a light summer read or a beach book, check out Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin!