Customer Reviews

Heart of the Matter

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I like Emily Giffin's newest book HEART OF THE MATTER because it explores something fundamental, basic and easy to understand about human nature, that we rarely if ever see ourselves as the villain when we tell the story of our lives. For every mistake we make, we can justify it by telling ourselves the reasons we did it. For every choice that we decide that affects other people, we know what led us to them. And when every small choice we make suddenly puts us square in the middle of some disaster and we're the "bad guy" in the situation, it's not like we didn't have good intentions at the start. And it's that sort of disaster that leads HEART OF THE MATTER's two narrators, Tessa and Valerie, to find themselves at odds with one another. And because each of them gets to tell their version of events to us, there's not really a villain in this story of injured children, gossipy private school moms, broken families and, more than anything, infidelity. Tessa and Val are just two women who've made mistakes and bad choices for very good reasons. And, under different circumstances, they'd probably be really close friends.

Tessa and Val's story begins with an accident. Valerie Anderson is a strong, determined, stubborn single mom to Charlie, a very sweet, sensitive little boy who's a student at a private school in Boston. She reluctantly allows Charlie to go to a friend's birthday party, even though she finds the parents involved to be rich and snotty. At the party, Charlie is seriously injured in a campfire and rushed to the hospital. Val beats herself up over these choices, not trusting her instincts, massively upset over her hurt little boy. Her twin brother Jason tries to comfort her. But no one is able to reassure her until her son's excellent, attractive pediatric plastic surgeon, Dr. Nick Russo, arrives and tells her that Charlie is a beautiful child and would continue to be. It's just what she needs to hear at a very tough time.

Nick, though, had to rush to the hospital from his seventh wedding anniversary dinner with Tessa, his loving, fun wife who's struggling to redefine her identity after she's given up her job as a professor to be a stay-at-home mom to her two little kids, Ruby and Frank. Tessa's mom advised her not to quit her job because she was afraid that Tessa might lose herself or become resentful of her frequently busy, often absent genius husband. Tessa feels inferior to all of the other private school moms around her, even her friend April, a cold perfectionist, and Romy, a rich woman who's panicked because the campfire accident that burned Charlie happened at her house.

So Tessa and Val are connected by community, by mutual acquaintances and now through Nick, whom they both come to care for and have issues with.

Giffin's writing style and the alternating points-of-view allow us to care about both women, building suspense as we wonder just how far their lives will become entwined and just how far the love triangle that eventually becomes central to the novel will go.

HEART OF THE MATTER is arguably Giffin's best book. Like her other novels, it's occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. But, in her fifth book, Giffin allows herself to explore the deeper, darker mistakes and the minutae that can harm well-meaning people trying to find themselves while coping with marriage.

HEART OF THE MATTER is deep and serious, occasionally incredibly sad and moving. She lets us get to know Tessa and Val and care for them in the way that her readers came to love her SOMETHING BORROWED/SOMETHING BLUE heroines Rachel and Darcy. And she mines new territory by criticizing the privileged, gossipy culture of moms that the two women live in.

HEART OF THE MATTER is occasionally as funny, tangled and bitterly insightful as Tom Perrotta's LITTLE CHILDREN, another great book that I found myself thinking of often as I read this. But the voice of HEART OF THE MATTER is distinctly Giffin's, and fans - in particular fans of SOMETHING BORROWED - will not be disappointed by HEART OF THE MATTER.

There is much to love in this new book.

Something Borrowed is my favorite modern novel. Period. I love how it shows a balanced, thoughtful, emotional account of infidelity, friendship, and the complexities of turning 30 with unrealized expectations...with flawed characters whose voices and backgrounds are varied and ring true.

It seems, though, that in each subsequent release, the narrators of Giffin's stories become more cookie-cutter, more self-absorbed, more whiny. In fact, the first few chapters of Heart of the Matter were boring...too much exposition, to much 'tell,' flashback, character descriptions. What happened to letting us know the characters by their behaviors and actions? Honestly, I was thrown back to Sweet Valley High when Jessica and Elizabeth's physical appearances, down to their aquamarine eyes, were described in detail around page 6 of Every. Single. Book.

Also: female novelists: PLEASE stop giving every mommy-protagonist a single BFF who is longing to have what the mommy has. Is it possible that some single women are happy with their lives? Is it possible some married mothers are best friends with... other married mothers? You don't need that cliche character in order to cultivate a random bar/hi-jinks plot excursion. Cate was unnecessary. Completely. (And don't get me started on Romy. People DO have layers...even rich, entitled ones).

That said, this story did get better as time went along, although I found the character Val, because of what she exposed her child to, to be not nearly as sympathetic as she should have been. I found Tessa to be fairly bland. I found the re-appearance of two of my favorite characters from Giffin's original storyline (I won't name and spoil it) to be very exciting at first...but also... a little vanilla.

I am worried that Giffin has shown us all her tricks, kind of like Danielle Steel did with her first 2 or 3 of 8 million novels. We have a lawyer...we have a competitiveness among well-to-do women...we have infidelity of some kind...we have a female character who basically has it all but is inexplicably unsatisfied over conditions she could change if she tried... oh, and we have twins. (It's not a bothersome recurring happenstance, but again, we get it. Giffin has twins...)

The relationship between Tessa's parents and the culmination of their past was my favorite moment in the book. I also appreciate that The Conflict was handled with sensitivity toward all parties involved. For once, though, I would appreciate a mommy story in which the mommies are not too busy trying to one-up each other and make their kids into organic-Stepford-moppets to actually support and advocate for one another. There was a great passage in the book in which Tessa describes all the things the mommies compare in each other... their husbands, their houses, their problems. What I loved most about the passage was that the things listed were all things I discuss with my mommy friends...in a NON-critical or competitive way.

Why is it so hard for female novelists to give females credit?

I will continue to read Giffin, because she created Dex and Rachel and Darcy and Marcus and Hilary...but when the next novel comes out, I might be on the library's waiting list instead of on the Amazon pre-order...

So, a while back, my girlfriend (now my ex, but that's another story) convinced me to read Emily Giffin's books with her. Subsequently, though I'm probably not the target audience for these books, I've become hooked on them - Giffin has an easy, fluid writing style and a real knack for getting at the emotional core of complicated personal issues and relationships. Reading her books is like having a conversation with a trusted friend and it's easy to appreciate these stories on a number of levels.

Heart of the Matter is a notch above all of Giffin's other books. As good as those books were, this one has a depth of emotion that seems richer in comparison, and Giffin does a fantastic job of mining that depth for some powerful and compelling storytelling. Maybe it's because these characters are established "adults," living married lives with children. Maybe it's just because you get to see the story unfold in dueling perspectives. Maybe it's just because it's just a really good book. Whatever it is, this one really hits home and I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Speaking for the male faction, I just want to say how much I enjoyed this book, and will look forward to Giffin's next. Definitely not just "chick lit." Go get it.

I usually love Giffin's books, and this one was no exception. She draws you in with three-dimensional characters and engaging situations. This story is told from two points of view: Tessa, a stay-at-home mom married to a pediatric surgeon, Nick; and Valerie, a single mother whose child is badly burned at a slumber party. Valerie's child, Charlie, is under the care of Nick, and Valerie finds herself drawn to Nick, who is compassionate and skillful. Soon, Nick and Valerie's friendship turns into more, and Tessa is suspicious.

I read this book in less than 24 hours, and was able to relate to both mothers. I thought the story was wonderful. My only objection was the ending; I would have ended it differently. Still, I recommend this book to all Emily Giffin fans.

This is a wonderful story that is absolute torture to read because you identify so strongly with ALL the characters. As with her earlier novels, I couldn't decide how I wanted it to end because I didn't want any of the characters to end with a broken heart. Emily Giffin takes a subject that seems black and white and shows all the dozens of shades of gray that actually exist. Tessa and Nick and Valerie are all characters worth rooting for, even with their obvious flaws. I could feel the anger, the sadness, the yearning, the denial, the agony of indecision and knowing that no matter what happens, someone is going to get hurt.

The supporting characters are, as usual for Giffin, brilliantly fleshed out so you can see their motivations and reasoning. It was also thrilling to see what Dex and Rachel have been up to.

The worst part of Emily Giffin's book? The fact that is was so riveting that I stayed up til 2 a.m. to finish it, and now it's over and I have a torturous wait until she publishes a new book!

This is my first book by Emily Giffin. Listening to it on CD over a period of 2 weeks gave me a chance to think about the characters, their actions and the unfolding story. I found myself totally engrossed by the story and moved by the circumstances linking Tessa, Nick and Valerie. It's one of those books that you don't just put down and forget, but ponder for days after.

First and foremost, this is a book of subtleties. Tess and Nick appear to have a good marriage, but Tess's thoughts and passive-aggressive behavior during daily routines reveal her underlying resentment toward Nick. And Nick often replies in kind with his own little digs and swipes. Their uneasiness is a transparent veil over the fiction of a contented relationship. It's as though they are playing house and going through the motions.

Tess can barely admit to herself that her stay-at-home Mommyhood is not the ideal existence that she envisioned when leaving her profession behind. She has exchanged her career pursuits for gossipy Mommy cliques and her friendships are more the result of child-friendly playgroup relationships rather than surrounding herself with people she would choose as friends. While confident as a teacher, Tess's self-esteem is tested by the challenges of Motherhood - feeling inadequate as she compares herself to other mothers who seem to make it all look effortless, feeling overwhelmed by the 24/7 demands of children. And often she blames her husband - for not being at home, being the good cop to her bad cop, showing up late to family functions, and leaving early when they are out on the town because of the demands of his job.

The cracks along the fault lines of their marriage are nuanced. No knock down, drag out fights. No chilling put-downs or crying jags. Instead there is benign neglect, careless selfishness, small digs, a thousand tiny cuts. Nick mocks Tess's shallow relationships within the Mommy cliques and her quest to impress them. Tess marginalizes and mentally scorns Nick as well, retreating from intimacy, baiting, controlling and nagging. All of this is a subtle drip, drip, drip into the pool of their discontent.

As other reviewers have noted, Nick is a bit of an enigma since he is not given a narrative in the book. Nick is described as good-looking, confidant and a gifted surgeon. The rest of his personality must be pieced together. He is hardworking and successful in medicine, but probably uses his job to escape his unhappiness. He is likeable and his peers respect him, but he seems to have few friends of his own. He is sensitive, kind and funny when relating to little Charlie, but perhaps he needs to feel valued and heroic.

***WARNING -- SPOILERS****
Nick risks everything--his professional code of ethics and his vows to his wife because of some undefined need in his life. In essence, he appears disconnected from Tessa and seems to need the emotional and sexual connection that he seeks from Valerie. And yet, when confronted, Nick shows real remorse for his actions. It's almost as if he needed to go to the abyss and stumble, before he could pull himself together and put his personal choices, marriage and family life into perspective.

Giffin skillfully weaves different perceptions about infidelity into the storyline. It's Tessa's mother, embittered by her cheating husband and still punishing him decades after their divorce, who states, "every marriage is different." Dex and Rachel are gloriously happy even though their relationship was a result of Dex cheating on his fiancé; Tess's best friend Kate is single, but seems to have an unrealistic view of marital bliss, and Tess's pal April seems to have an idyllic life - but we learn differently later in the book.

I think some who have read the book wanted more explicit intentions and viewpoints and less subtlety. In other words, they want villains and victims. But I especially like the fact the Giffin allows us to look at these relationships through a prism - examining the characters' thoughts and the underlying motives, contemplating their unexpressed feelings and desires. She shows us very human, flawed, but good people with seesawing emotions -- decent people who make mistakes and have regrets. And it is at a time of crisis, spurred by emotional upheaval into self-reflection that they begin to communicate and try to regain something they once cherished. Grace is a powerful concept.

The consequences of infidelity prove the old adage: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." My personal conclusions are that Nick, Tessa and Valerie are going to emerge as better people, more circumspect, more aware of their own responsibilities in ensuring healthy and fulfilling relationships in their future. Though heartbreaking in some ways, for me, it was a story that was profoundly thoughtful.

Heart of the Matter has supplanted Something Borrowed as my favorite of Emily Giffin's books. Both books deliver a very exacting emotional experience, but in different ways. While Something Borrowed seemed lighter (perhaps because of the relative youth of the main characters), Heart of the Matter seems weightier, especially when you consider everything at stake through the story.

There are of course a lot of differences in the stories...while Something Borrowed revolved around the relationship between best friends Rachel and Darcy (even more than the whole Dex thing), Heart of the Matter revolves around two fully-formed families and how a single moment can alter them forever. Told in the perspectives of both the two main women, the book digs really deeply into the makeup of each family and marriage (in the case of Tessa) to find out what makes them so resilient and what makes them so vulnerable. If you are married or have ever been in a situation similar to the one described in the book, there are parts of this story that are very difficult to read because Emily Giffin forces you to consider all aspects of the characters' dilemmas. Giffin has a real talent for making you see things from multiple angles and to understand the motivations and thoughts of people you would normally not root for, and that is the real strength of this book.

This might make the book sound like a real downer, but it's not. If you've ever read any of Giffin's books before, you know she has a highly entertaining writing style and the same holds true with this book. However, I would recommend keeping some tissues handy - there is a lot of really powerful stuff in this story.

It's also fitting that this one is comparable to (and in my opinion better than) Something Borrowed because you will see the return of some of the characters in that book as a subplot to Tessa's story. If you are a fan of Giffin's books, this is an absolute must-read. If you are new to her, this is a great place to start to see what all the hype is about (though, you will be exposed to spoilers for Something Borrowed, which is the other book I'd recommend you start with).

Simply put, this is a great book. Go get it.

Heart of the Matter was a book I pre-ordered. I very rarely look forward to novels, but when it comes to Emily Giffin, I respected her work in Something Blue, Baby Proof and Love The One You're With.

I didn't read any of the descriptions of the book nor any reviews prior to reading Heart of the Matter because I didn't want to go into it with any presumptions.

Basically the book was about forgiveness. It was similar to Love The One You're With, except I really felt like LTOYW was filled with a better plot with much more dynamic characters.

Being curious about whether or not your life is the best that it can be is normal. Trying to improve yourself is good. Keeping your lovelife interesting is fantastic.

I "liked" Tessa, but had a really hard time relating to her. Other than being a mom, who was she? I understood that she left a man that she spent a long time with a few days before her wedding to go on a date with Nick and a "possibility" of falling in love with him. That takes balls. That takes hope, and wonder, and strength to be able to do that. Where was that woman? Why was she such a pushover just because she had two kids? I don't even see that type of woman becoming friends with the "uppity" women that she did. But, maybe that was Giffin's point. Maybe that was what she was trying to show that Nick did not approve of the type of woman that Tessa became, once they settled into the rich neighborhood. I'm questioning whose idea it was to move there in the first place.

Valerie was a weak character. I almost put the book down for good when she drove by Nick's house in the middle of the night. I tried to see if I could picture myself doing something like that... and I couldn't. I don't understand Valerie's character or her state of mind. It's understood that she was in a vulnerable position, worrying over her child and knowing that Nick was a capable surgeon who could put her child's face back together. But, I can't understand why she would fall in love with him? I didn't see that part forming. I deal with nice doctors all the time. I have never looked at any of my doctors, even though some have helped me a great deal, in the light of "maybe we could fall in love some day". And it's my opinion that only the weakest women would fall for a married man, in the hopes that he will leave his wife for them some day. For a powerful lawyer who raised her child on her own, she sure was stupid.

Nick baffled me the most. One minute Tessa was his world, and the very next Valerie batted her eyelashes at him and he was spending more and more time with her instead of being at home with his family. I didn't understand his character at all. I didn't "see" the moment when they fell out of love with each other. It was unbelievable to me. I tried to reason it out, but couldn't. Then the fact that Nick had two beautiful children at home, but he'd rather sneak away to spend hours with Valerie's child? He was trying to father her child, at the expense of NOT fathering his own children. Even on the weekend when Tessa escaped to gather her thoughts, Nick couldn't even spend the weekend simply loving his kids. He had to sneak away. Nick's character disgusted me. It's not a matter of him cheating. I've seen people cheat and I've seen people forgive the cheating and things worked out fine in the end. But, Nick's reasons and the things, the PEOPLE, that he neglected for his own ego boost was unforgivable.

The strong woman who left her fiance at the beginning of the story at the off chance that she would fall in love with Dr Nick some day... THAT woman would not have tried to reconcile with him after what he did.

I was thoroughly PISSED OFF at the end of the novel. It didn't make sense, and it wasn't a deserved ending for any one of the characters. Not ONE of the characters had any sense of worth at the ending.

Not to mention the roles that Dex and Rachel played. I liked Darcy's character way better than Rachel's. Rachel was mousy and introverted and, frankly, annoying. I like when Giffin cameos her own characters in follow up books, but Rachel was not a pleasant surprise for me.

If there's another novel, I'd be pleased to have Tessa and Nick make a cameo just long enough for them to do the right thing and divorce. I'm not a big fan of divorce, but once something as selfish and absurd as what Nick did happens, there is no longer going to be any sense of trust in the relationship. And that is what is going to affect their children in the end.

Emily Giffin chose to tell this story in alternating viewpoints of the 2 women involved. Neither one is bad but both are swept into a situation they never expected when an accident happens to one of their children. One of the women is Charlie's mother and the other is the wife of the doctor who treats Charlie for very serious injuries. He begins to bond with Charlie and even more with his mother. Valerie is a single mom and eventually finds herself depending on Nick Russo for herself as well.

The 2 women are so finely drawn that at one point I even thought they should both dump Nick and become friends. The author went a different direction tho and as always she didn't go for the easy answers.

Emily Giffin takes difficult situations, humanizes the characters and gives us a good read. I enjoyed every word.

Emily Giffin's books are chick-lit plus in my book. The "plus" is for the fact that they are almost a bit painful in that the characters are incredibly realistic. In so many of the chick-lit novels the characters are so exaggerated that they run the risk of exhausting the reader.

But Giffin's players are all incredibly normal. You know people like this. And that makes it almost uncomfortable when you are reading it and realize that these situations occur every single day, perhaps to you or to someone you know.

Although this book contains characters from Giffin's other books, you won't be lost, as all relationships are explained enough to get you through.

This is a tough book to read in some respects, as it deals with infidelity. Where really, no one is wrong - it's the chance you take with any serious relationship that lasts longer than a year. After that, the mystery is gone and if you are not careful, if you don't pay attention to each other, you can allow your curiosity to be sparked by someone who does find you fascinating now.

I have seen it over and over again. When I was single, I was approached by married men all of the time. I turned them down, but always asked what they were looking for that they weren't getting at home. Was it sex? Sometimes. Was it love? Not really. It was attention. It was being made to feel as if he was the only person in your world.

You gave that to him when you first started dating. And maybe even through the beginning of your marriage. But then when kids or your career took over, that changed and he became just an afterthought. You can't imagine your life without him, because you don't really see him. It becomes no different than expecting the toilet to be there when you want to use it.

It works both ways, too. Women can feel that same way - that they are a fixture, rather than an appreciated part of the team.

I enjoyed the book, but I warn you that it's not an easy-breezy summer read in the end.