Love the One You're With

Overview

How do you know if you've found the one? Can you really love the one you're with when you can't forget the one who got away?

Emily Giffin, author of the New York Times bestselling novels Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Baby Proof, poses these questions--and many more--with her highly anticipated, thought-provoking new novel Love the One You're With.

Ellen and Andy's first year of marriage doesn't just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she's living is the one she's meant to live. At once heartbreaking and funny, Love the One You're With is a tale of lost loves and found fortunes--and will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered what if.

Editorial Reviews

A chance encounter with an old flame in Giffin's bittersweet, sometimes mawkish fourth novel causes Ellen Dempsey to consider anew 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. This scenario is complicated by Ellen's past: the early death of her mother and subsequent disintegration of her family have left Ellen insecure and saddled with unresolved feelings of guilt. These feelings intensify when 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. (May)

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Author Information

Bio of Emily Giffin

Emily Giffin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After practicing litigation at a Manhattan firm for several years, she moved to London to write full time. The author of fourNew York Times bestselling novels, she now lives in Atlanta with her husband and three young children. Visit www.emilygiffin.com.

Customer Reviews

• Satisfying read, but not so satisfying ending

  Posted August 18, 2008 by Elle, Los Angeles

  This book was thoroughly real and thought-provoking. The first-person narration was very compelling, and I could totally relate to Ellen's struggle to reconcile the love she chose over the love that got away. The mix of inner monologue, flashbacks and the present made the book an interesting read. However, I couldn't help from feeling that the story was a bit cliche: women saying they want Mr. Right but then again always pining for the Mr. Wrong who couldn't commit. In this case, Mr. Right, Andy was so perfect he was almost boring, and therefore made Leo, the broody Mr. Wrong, seem that much more appealing.
  
  The all-important climax was sort of deflated, and the ending too abrupt. I don't know if Ellen made the right decision. I can't say that I really understand the choice Ellen made, if I know if she will regret her decision, if she will always wonder. Everything felt unresolved for me. No matter if you agree or disagree with the narrator, it's certainly a multi-faceted novel with completely developed characters. I highly recommend it.

• I always enjoy Emily Giffin

  Posted October 02, 2009 by Karla, Woodstock

  I enjoyed this one just as much as "Something Borrowed", both of which I felt compelled to read in one sitting. (So long Saturday!)

Additional Info

Imprint

St. Martin's Press

Filesize

1.27 MB

Number of Pages

352

eBook ISBN

9781429937740