Review “Giffin's talent lies in taking relatable situations and injecting enough wit and suspense to make them feel fresh. The cat-and-mouse game between Ellen and Leo lights up these pages, their flirtation as dangerously addictive as a high-speed car chase.” ―People“Giffin is a dependably down-to-earth, girlfriendly storyteller.” ―New York Times“Giffin excels at creating complex characters and stories that ask us to explore what we really want from our lives. LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH skillfully explores the secret workings of a young woman's heart, and the often painful consequences of one's actions.” ―The Atlanta Journal-Constitution“Giffin's fluid storytelling and appealing characters give her novels a warm, inviting air, and her fourth is no exception. Giffin's snappy prose makes Ellen's dilemma compelling, once again proving she's at the top of the pack.” ―Booklist“Though it's easy to resent Ellen for taking her ideal life for granted, Giffin's vivid depictions of Ellen's steamy past with Leo help you commiserate with this realistically insecure woman.” ―Entertainment Weekly“Giffin's books are funny, sensitive and truthful depictions of female friendships and the complexities of marriage and motherhood.” ―Atlanta Peach“Ellen's conflicting thoughts and emotions ring true from page one through the book's teary (well, at least for this reader) conclusion.” ―Ft. Worth Star-Telegram“Giffin's book is instantly relatable. Few don't wonder how their lives would be different if they had turned left rather than right at life's big forks. Her writing is realistic and entertaining.” ―Charlotte Observer“I so loved Emily Giffin's last three books that I almost didn't want to crack her latest effort, for fear it would be the Superman IV of the author's literary opus. Mercifully, the new book not only lives up to its elegantly constructed predecessors, it arguably surpasses them in style, maturity, emotion and overall relatability. An achingly honest look at the notion of love as the sum of our choices as opposed to the contents of our vows.” ―Edmonton Journal“Giffin's books are smart, sad and witty . . . Giffin is bold enough to allow a mainstream heroine to be happily married while still maintaining her curiosity about the road (or the guy) not taken, let alone considering infidelity. And she's able to show the strains that these considerations take on family, friends and husband . . . It's the difference between appealing to a mass audience and a reader who wants her ideals challenged rather than affirmed, often intentionally ending in ambiguity and compromise.” ―National Post“Who hasn't fantasized about what might have happened if? Giffin does an excellent job of letting us live that one out vicariously while telling us a story that is so modern, multi-layered and moving that you'll feel a little sad when it comes to a close.” ―Gentry magazine“Giffin is a masterful storyteller and manages to infuse energy, freshness and suspense into what could have been yet another predictable 'woman-at-a-crossroads' story. (Giffin could, in fact, teach some literary authors a few things about how to write compelling plots with strong motors.) The best thing about this book is Giffin doesn't play it safe or shy away from allowing her heroine to explore lust, infidelity and the road not taken.” ―The Globe and Mail“This sweet tale satisfies through well-drawn characters who are forced to make some tough real-life decisions.” ―Star“Love that's clouded by the memory of an old romantic relationship is the subject of Emily Giffin's aptly titled LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH. Readers will follow Ellen with fascination and trepidation as she enters the dangerous waters of what might have been--or still could be.” ―Hartford Courant“LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH is a delicious novel for anyone ever caught between what is right and what is irresistible.” ―Bookpage“Giffin delivers another relatable and multifaceted heroine who may behave unexpectedly but will ultimately find her true path.” ―Library Journal“Giffin's fourth novel demonstrate much depth as she explores the conflicts that arise between passion and common sense.” ―Kansas City Star“For anyone who has wondered about the path not taken. Thought-provoking . . . and perfect for an afternoon in the sun.” ―New York Resident“Giffin has a remarkable gift for taking banal relationship issues and infusing them with life through her characters. LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH is Giffin's most moving book yet. The romantic tension hangs off the pages like webs, trapping the characters as they attempt to live conventional lives. As always, Giffin's writing will leave you fully satiated.” ―Woodbury magazine“Emily Giffin delivers the characters and stories we love in her fourth novel.” ―OK! magazine“Giffin's characters are all quite likable, and this book is full of fun New York details and musings on the human condition that are more insightful than many books.” ―Minneapolis Star-Tribune Read more About the Author Emily Giffin is the author of several New York Times bestselling novels, including Something Borrowed, which has been adapted as a major motion picture. A graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law, she lives in Atlanta with her family. Read more
J**.
This book had a lot of good points. It was a well written easy read ...
This book had a lot of good points. It was a well written easy read that explored the main characters conflicting feelings between an old love and her husband. That element felt genuine. What I didn't like was that many of the charachters felt exagerreted to the point of seeming unreal and unrelatable. The rich Souhtherners with endless streams of money they are willing to shower the main charachter with or the trashy blue collar Pittsburgh tough sister. Everyone from the South was glamourous and wealthy and everyone mentioned from Pittsburgh was lower class. There was no real shades of grey besides Ellen. I wish the supporting cast had more realistic and layered personalities.
D**N
My favorite Giffin novel!
When I hear the phrase "love the one you're with," I automatically think "settling." I wasn't sure what to expect with the plot of this book, but once again, Giffin didn't disappoint me. In fact, out her four books I've read, Love the One You're With is my favorite.Not long after her wedding, Ellen has a chance encounter with a past love, Leo, and afterward, she's left wondering whether her life with her husband Andy is truly what she wants or if it's what she has decided to settle with. When Ellen and Andy move from New York City to the suburbs of Atlanta for Andy's career, her internal battle intensifies with resentment. As Ellen's marriage begins to fall apart, she's forced to choose between the life she has with Andy and the life she thought she lost long ago with Leo.What I loved most about this book even more so than the other three books I read by Emily Giffin, was how real it was. Whether or not you've been in the same situation as Ellen or not, I think most readers will be able to identify with her internal battle. We all know what's "right," but sometimes we can't help but wonder "what if." The "what if" may not be better and we know that, but yet we still wonder. As Giffin so poignantly says "it's simply human nature to have an occasional, fleeting interest in someone whom you once loved." But is pure human curiosity enough to take a leap of faith?Love isn't straightforward. "Things are seldom as neat and tidy as that starry-eyed anecdote" shared with family and friends. Love isn't a constant fairy tale painted with romance day in and day out; it's a "choice to commit to something, someone, no matter what the obstacles or temptations stand in the way." Giffin illustrates this so well with her innate ability to characterize raw human emotion as she tempts her heroine and poses the age old ethical question: do you stray or do you love the one you're with?
C**N
I've fallen in love with Emily Giffin's work
I just discovered Emily's work. I wanted to read Something Borrowed and picked up this box set because I heard Something Blue was really good. I am so glad I did.My favorite of the three books was love the one your with and I have already downloaded the next box set.I felt like she was writing about me or a friend of mine. I got to the point I didn't want to step away from the book. I can not wait to read the next three books.
B**D
I love Emily Giffin, but...
I really enjoyed Something Borrowed and loved Something Blue, but Love the One You're With started off very strong and then waned in the middle. I was hooked after reading the first few pages and eagerly devoured the next several chapters. However, towards the middle of the book, I felt the plot slowing a bit and then rushing at the end. Stick through it during the slower chapters though because this is definitely a book work reading for Giffin fans. I think Giffin's character development in Love the One You're With is very strong- you get to know all the main characters (even if they do seem a little stereotyped) and the storyline moves at a good pace. What I like about this story is that you can really relate to the emotions of the main character who is tore between an old, intense love and her current relationship. Every girl has felt this way at one point in time or another and Giffin does an excellent job of examining the varied emotions of everyone involved from the main character, to her current spouse, to the old boyfriend. You can easily relate to the situation and feel the emotions. Like some of Giffin's other books, the story wraps up way too quickly I thought. I feel almost as if she had to rush to an ending. This was somewhat disappointing but overall, I would say this is a great read for fans of Chick Lit and Emily Giffin. If you are not a fan of chick lit or you are looking for a more serious book, this will probably not be your favorite book. This is a book best read for fun during a vacation, on a long airplane trip, or when you need to "zone out." Although I would say there are dramatic moments in the book, I would characterize this more as a romantic drama versus a somber one.
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