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annevere01's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
sarabookdragon's review against another edition
4.0
3.5☆ honestly. The book is what i needed to be honest. something a bit closer to reality, not YA, not dystopian, and not sci-fi. it was an easy read, simple but consisted on technically one dilemma.. one problem.. babies! want them? need them? dnt like them? someone else having them? how they feel? how they would make your life? i mean. . we got it.. its just so repetitive really, and very melodramatic! i mean, its a book that just is part of my reading experience, but not something i would remember much about lately, nor would i recommend later on!
bwolf16's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sarahanne8382's review against another edition
4.0
While I generally don't do abridged audiobooks, this was what I had access to, but I guess chick lit is one of the few genres I'm almost okay with speeding through. Romance, and the more contemporary chick lit subgenre, are really all about getting a couple back together for me. While the details make the story more interesting, they aren't all absolutely necessary. That doesn't mean that this book wasn't worth every second, though.
I saw this book while wandering around the airport about a month ago & thought about picking it up, but reasoned that I already had more books packed than I was going to get through on the trip & didn't need to add another one to the mix. A few months before that I saw that one of my libraries had acquired Giffin's Something Borrowed and Something Blue and I thought they looked worth a try, but I was in the middle of finals & so definitely didn't have time to digest them.
So it seems I was fated to read this book, and I really wasn't disappointed. While I think this was untraditional for your typical romance,it's not that unusual for chick lit. Our heroine Claudia loves her job and her husband, but when he wants to reneg on their agreement to not have children, their relationship is put to the test. With many couples now waiting to have kids later in life, and some deciding not to have any at all, it's time someone wrote a book about it. While the ending isn't much of a surprise, I have to congratulate Giffin for not making a clear decision for Claudia on the great baby debate. Because while the decision to have kids is discussed throughout the book, it's not really a debate about whether it's okay for a couple to intentionally remain childless, but more about the struggles that even the best couples can go through.
The relationship troubles of the other women in the book are also great companions to Claudia and Ben's pig-headed struggle. This brings me to my one small problem with the story. Several times Claudia blames Ben for their separation that follows both of them digging in their heels on the baby issue. While it may have been Ben's mind that changed, it was Claudia who decided to move out, and Claudia who later decided to draw up divorce papers, yet from then on she's allowed to uncontestedly claim that Ben deserted her. It's really a pretty minor thing, but when the rest of the book was so good at correctly placing blame and admitting when nobody was at fault, the error was all the more obvious.
One thing to warn you before reading this book, if you already know you want to have babies, all the talk of babies subconsciously makes you want to have them right now. I went shopping last night & was surprised when I walked by some cute baby stuff & was suddenly hit by an overwhelming desire to have a baby of my own right now. I managed to come to my senses pretty quickly, but still, most of the women around Claudia want to follow the traditional couple with children pattern & so hearing all their arguments to convince Claudia that she really should have a baby worked a little too well on me.
My overwhelming desire for motherhood aside, this was a thought-provoking, enjoyable, quick read - just enough substance to not consider it purely fluff.
I saw this book while wandering around the airport about a month ago & thought about picking it up, but reasoned that I already had more books packed than I was going to get through on the trip & didn't need to add another one to the mix. A few months before that I saw that one of my libraries had acquired Giffin's Something Borrowed and Something Blue and I thought they looked worth a try, but I was in the middle of finals & so definitely didn't have time to digest them.
So it seems I was fated to read this book, and I really wasn't disappointed. While I think this was untraditional for your typical romance,it's not that unusual for chick lit. Our heroine Claudia loves her job and her husband, but when he wants to reneg on their agreement to not have children, their relationship is put to the test. With many couples now waiting to have kids later in life, and some deciding not to have any at all, it's time someone wrote a book about it. While the ending isn't much of a surprise, I have to congratulate Giffin for not making a clear decision for Claudia on the great baby debate. Because while the decision to have kids is discussed throughout the book, it's not really a debate about whether it's okay for a couple to intentionally remain childless, but more about the struggles that even the best couples can go through.
The relationship troubles of the other women in the book are also great companions to Claudia and Ben's pig-headed struggle. This brings me to my one small problem with the story. Several times Claudia blames Ben for their separation that follows both of them digging in their heels on the baby issue. While it may have been Ben's mind that changed, it was Claudia who decided to move out, and Claudia who later decided to draw up divorce papers, yet from then on she's allowed to uncontestedly claim that Ben deserted her. It's really a pretty minor thing, but when the rest of the book was so good at correctly placing blame and admitting when nobody was at fault, the error was all the more obvious.
One thing to warn you before reading this book, if you already know you want to have babies, all the talk of babies subconsciously makes you want to have them right now. I went shopping last night & was surprised when I walked by some cute baby stuff & was suddenly hit by an overwhelming desire to have a baby of my own right now. I managed to come to my senses pretty quickly, but still, most of the women around Claudia want to follow the traditional couple with children pattern & so hearing all their arguments to convince Claudia that she really should have a baby worked a little too well on me.
My overwhelming desire for motherhood aside, this was a thought-provoking, enjoyable, quick read - just enough substance to not consider it purely fluff.
carrieleaharris's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book. It was likeable, not loveable. Emily Griffin delivers an easy read, with a storyline and characters that are relatively relatable and intriguing. I could see the message she was going with, with the whole "I would do anything for love" but.... the problem for me is that there is such a sudden switch in ideals. A person goes from being willing to leave a marriage over having kids, sleeping with another man, moving on, to all of a sudden... I'll do anything! I take it all back?! It just didnt gel for me. The opportunity was there to take the time to develop how a person could change, one way or the other. I felt like I climbed this huge mountain, slowly and steadily, and then just jumped off a cliff with the ending at breakneck speed. I do look foward to reading more of her books, and seeing if I come out of those with whiplash as well.
gwalt118's review against another edition
3.0
Not one of her best, but a good Winter Break book nontheless
redhdlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
A cute "love conquers all" romance story. Also a bit unpredictable, which was nice.
chandler_0's review against another edition
3.0
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Christine Marshall.
Having listened to, and enjoyed, Something Borrowed and Something Blue by the same author I was a little disappointed with this book. I didn’t have strong feelings either way about the topic but I did find it strange that Ben and Claudia instantly got divorced without any discussion when he changed his mind about having children.
I usually find at least one character that I love or, at the very least, root for but I found myself rather apathetic to the cast of characters in this story. Daphne was probably the most likeable and I did eventually warm a little to Claudia after the incident with her niece but generally I just didn’t particularly like her.
Whether reading or listening to a book if I can’t wait to pick it up and carry on then I know I’ve found a gem. I could take or leave this one and it took me much longer than usual to get through it as a result.
I would never tell anyone not to read a book that I didn’t love because we all have such different tastes but sadly this is not a book I would actively recommend.
Having listened to, and enjoyed, Something Borrowed and Something Blue by the same author I was a little disappointed with this book. I didn’t have strong feelings either way about the topic but I did find it strange that Ben and Claudia instantly got divorced without any discussion when he changed his mind about having children.
I usually find at least one character that I love or, at the very least, root for but I found myself rather apathetic to the cast of characters in this story. Daphne was probably the most likeable and I did eventually warm a little to Claudia after the incident with her niece but generally I just didn’t particularly like her.
Whether reading or listening to a book if I can’t wait to pick it up and carry on then I know I’ve found a gem. I could take or leave this one and it took me much longer than usual to get through it as a result.
I would never tell anyone not to read a book that I didn’t love because we all have such different tastes but sadly this is not a book I would actively recommend.