Weaving through a difficult story line of friendships, relationships, family, honesty, and betrayal – Emily Giffin uncovers the rivalry that threatens the foundation in even the best of friendships.
With characters that you can relate to, situations that you are all too familiar with and an upbeat and thoughtful tone throughout the entire novel – you won’t want to put this book down!
In a twist of fate, this page turner has you laughing and crying, and cheering for all the people you shouldn’t be rooting for!
This book is a fantastic read, in my opinion. It begs the answer to where your honesty truly lies – in the name of friendship; or in the name of love?
Giffin paints a childhood past that backs up Rachel and Darcy’s friendship; and it’s a past that doesn’t bode well for Darcy faithfulness in her friendship with Rachel. It proves she has a history of being not so loyal with her best friend, and Giffin gets you to feel as if she deserves what's coming to her.
As the story continues, you get a glimpse into Rachel’s college life and her friendship with Dex – which leaves you with a picture well painted about what possibly might have been…
With the past and present of Darcy and Rachel’s friendship declared, you can forge your own ideas of their future. This is the idea that Rachel gets hope and inspiration from. She struggles with Darcy’s impending future happiness and friendship versus her own life-fulfilling happiness.
What you have here is the age-old feud between best friends – the pretty one and the smart one – and the jealousy that ensues between them. All women know that there is an unspoken line that they should not tamper with when it comes to friend’s boyfriends, fiancés, or husbands; and all women know the repercussions of that moment of cross or even the in-between. Rachel finds herself crossing that line, being the best friend who commits the ultimate act of betrayal – and the other woman.
As the love triangle unfolds, much more hurt and deceit are revealed. Rachel and Dex discover that they aren’t the only ones who’ve broken the trust; and miss perfect Darcy finds herself not so perfect after all.
In Something Borrowed, Emily Giffin surely takes a huge gamble with her characters and the light of which they are being cast. This may be a novel about a friendship and a relationship going comically wrong, painted with humorous memories, and not such good choices – however, deep down this book almost gives affairs and betrayal a positive light.
And for just a moment in time, Giffin fools us into forgetting the truth about cheating on a lover, and a best friend. She conjures a pretty plot, poised with elegant details that make us want a fairytale ending for Rachel and Dex. One that makes us forget our own morals, and just how hurtful and devastating an affair can truly be.
If you can give in to Ms. Giffin and let her wrap you up in her own story and time, and you are able to be nonjudgmental, you will absolutely fall in love with all of her beautifully created characters and their past, present, and even the future.
But be careful – this book will make readers glance into “what-ifs” about their friends and lovers who seem to be a little too close for comfort… : )