Author: Emily Giffin
Publication Date: 6/2/2020
Pages: 315
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Author: Emily Giffin
Publication Date: 6/28/2016
Pages: 382
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Author: Emily Giffin
Publication Date: 5/20/2014
Pages: 433
Publisher: Ballantine Books
THE LIE THAT BINDS
It’s 2 AM on a Saturday night in the spring of 2001, and twenty-eight-year old Cecily Gardner sits alone in a dive bar on New York’s Lower East Side, questioning her life. Feeling lonesome and homesick for the Midwest, she wonders if she’ll ever make it as a reporter in the big city—and whether she made a terrible mistake in breaking up with her longtime boyfriend Matthew.
As Cecily reaches for the phone to call him, she hears a guy on the barstool next to her say, “Don’t do it—you’ll regret it.” Something tells her to listen to him, and over the next several hours—and shots of tequila—the two forge an unlikely connection. That should be it, they both decide the next morning, as Cecily reminds herself of the perils of a rebound relationship. Moreover, the timing couldn’t be worse –Grant is preparing to quit his job and move overseas. Yet despite all their obstacles, they can’t seem to say goodbye, and for the first time in her carefully-constructed life, Cecily follows her heart over her head.
Then Grant disappears in the chaos of 9/11. Fearing the worst, Cecily spots his face on a missing person poster, and realizes she is not the only one searching for him. Her investigative reporting instincts kick into action as she vows to discover the truth. But the questions pile up fast: How well did she really know Grant? Did he ever really love her? And is it possible to love a man who wasn’t who he seemed to be?
The Lies That Bind is a mesmerizing and emotionally resonant exploration of the never-ending search for love and truth—in our relationships, careers, and deep within our own hearts.
FIRST COMES LOVE
Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.
Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.
On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.
As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.
Emotionally honest and utterly enthralling, First Comes Love is a story about family, friendship, and the courage to follow your own heart—wherever that may lead.
THE ONE AND ONLY
Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.
But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.
Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One and Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living.
I have previously read and enjoyed several Emily Giffin novels (Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, All We Ever Wanted) so I searched her on my Libby App and listened to three more that were available as audiobooks! Very handy as I’m trying to get other things done around the house! Anyway, on to my thoughts on each of my most recent Emily Giffin reads.
THE LIE THAT BINDS
This was a page turner for me, or whatever the similar term is for not being able to stop listening to the audiobook! I was captivated by the storyline and though I guessed a few of the plot lines a little bit, but the ending was a surprise. Definitely a lot of twists and turns and a little bit of love along the way. I would definitely recommend this one!
FIRST COMES LOVE
Overall I was intrigued by the storyline of this book the whole time but I wasn’t a huge fan of either of the main characters. Still a good read but missing that connection to the characters.
THE ONE AND ONLY
After I started listening to this, I was pretty sure I had already read it before but I still listened to the whole book again because I couldn’t remember the ending! This is probably my least favorite Emily Giffin novel. It’s hard to explain why without giving away parts of the story so I’ll just say that the relationships between a few of the characters didn’t work for me. I just didn’t buy in like I thought the reader would need to to really enjoy the story.
The Redhead Review 