Something Blue [Paperback]

Emily Giffin (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 21, 2006

Following the smash-hit Something Borrowed comes story of betrayal, redemption, and forgiveness.

 

Darcy Rhone has always been able to rely on a few things: Her beauty and charm.  Her fiance, Dex. Her lifelong best friend, Rachel.  She never needed anything else. Or so she thinks until Dex calls off their dream wedding and she uncovers the ultimate betrayal. Blaming everyone but herself, Darcy flees to London and attempts to re-create her glamorous life on a new continent. But to her dismay, she discovers that her tried-and-true tricks no longer apply--and that her luck has finally expired. It is only then that she can begin her journey toward redemption, forgiveness, and true love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Giffin's sophomore effort-which tells the story that her bestselling Something Borrowed did from a different character's point of view-stars such an unsympathetic narrator that it's a little like reading a Cinderella story featuring one of the wicked stepsisters. Perhaps beautiful Darcy Rhone isn't really wicked, but she is one of the most shallow, materialistic, self-centered and naïve 29-year-olds around. Ostensibly a high-powered PR person in Manhattan (though she never seems to work), Darcy spends most of her time shopping, partying and getting ready for her wedding to perfect guy Dex. But an alcohol-fueled Hamptons fling with one of Dex's pals, Marcus, starts to break Darcy's perfect life down; and discovering Dex hiding in her best friend Rachel's closet really shatters it. Pregnant with Marcus's baby, Darcy decamps for London, where she crashes in high school pal Ethan's flat and annoys the heck out of him with her endless shopping and complete disregard for her impending motherhood. But after a good lecture from Ethan, whom Darcy has started to fall for a little, Darcy embarks on a self-improvement plan, thereby demonstrating she can think about someone besides herself. And if readers don't mind the first 200 pages in which she doesn't, they'll enjoy her happy ending and the few surprises along the way. Fans of Something Borrowed, too, may relish the "she said, she said" fun.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Readers who enjoyed Giffin's stellar debut, Something Borrowed (2004), might be surprised to find that the villainess of that novel is the heroine of this one. Selfish but beautiful Darcy is reeling from the betrayal of her best friend, Rachel, and her fiance, Dex, even though she cheated on Dex with his friend Marcus. Darcy is carrying Marcus' child, so she assumes he'll take care of her. After all, she's always gotten everything she's ever wanted. But when Marcus dumps her, she finds herself pregnant and alone. Always the opportunist, Darcy contacts her childhood friend Ethan, now a writer living in London, and gets him to agree to let her visit for awhile. She jets off to the UK envisioning a charmed life where a handsome, rich Englishman will sweep her off her feet. The reality isn't so blissful--Ethan is critical of her selfish behavior and she finds herself incredibly lonely and unprepared for motherhood. After a confrontation with Ethan, she decides it's time for radical change. Making an unsympathetic character likable isn't an easy thing to do, but that's just what Giffin succeeds at in her second outing. Giffin's writing is warm and engaging; readers will find themselves cheering for Darcy as she proves people can change in this captivating tale. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (March 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312323867
• ISBN-13: 978-0312323868
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (583 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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 six New York Times bestselling novels, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love The One You're With, Heart of the Matter, and Where We Belong, she lives in Atlanta with her husband and three young children. Visit www.emilygiffin.com.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#67 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction

#95 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#67 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction

#95 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

272 of 279 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars First, "Something Borrowed." Now, something better. May 30, 2005

By Benjamin

Format:Hardcover

Last year, after meeting author Emily Giffin in my bookstore (where she was buying her first copy of her first book), I read her debut novel SOMETHING BORROWED during a long plane ride. Even though I knew it was better-than-average chick lit. Even though I'm a guy.

Its tale of a nice girl named Rachel - who finds romance while misbehaving with her best friend's fiance in the weeks before his wedding - was very fun. In it, I liked how Rachel came off as sympathetic and interesting, someone you could root for, in spite of the terrible thing she did to her "best" friend, Darcy the bride. In SOMETHING BORROWED, Darcy came off as an entitled, spoiled, superficial, mean girl who always got what she wanted, and watching a villain like that get her comeuppance was part of the book's fun.

Of course, Emily Giffin had a twist in mind for the sequel to SOMETHING BORROWED, and the resulting book is a terrific pageturner that surpasses the first one in pretty much every way.

The heroine of SOMETHING BLUE is the same spoiled, mean, jilted bride Darcy Rhone. And the new book, thankfully, finds her just as mean and spoiled as before. Giffin doesn't make the mistake of "changing" the character's voice from the original book. Darcy's self-centered, delusional, greedy, wicked and ... pregnant with a groomsman's baby at the beginning of SOMETHING BLUE. It's a bad situation that would jar anyone, but her fiance's betrayal with her best friend Rachel is what really throws Darcy for a loop.

As Darcy tries to recapture her fabulous life, she finds that things are more difficult for her. Accustomed to getting any man she wants to fall in love with her, she suddenly has to fend for herself without her friends, with her reputation tarnished and with morning sickness....

At one point, Darcy finds herself robbed of all her usual resources, and, with that, things finally start to turn around for her. But, again, Darcy never changes her voice or changes her methods. If you hated her in SOMETHING BORROWED, you'll still find yourself hating her in this book. But you won't be able to ignore her or turn away.

SOMETHING BORROWED, about basically nice people who find themselves doing bad things, was a fun read. SOMETHING BLUE, about awful, manipulative, lying people who learn that they can't always get things their way, is more of a juicy, guilty pleasure. Darcy's hilariously bitchy, and I found myself laughing out loud, unable to put the book down, especially after Darcy meets her match.

The fact that Giffin was able to establish a layered antagonist in one book - and then dare to tell another whole book from that antagonist's perspective - shows that she's a very smart, very capable and very good writer. I didn't think SOMETHING BLUE could equal the first book. But it topped it.

I bought SOMETHING BLUE on Saturday, and I finished it this afternoon. And I never, ever read things that fast unless they're really, really fun. And the ending, which ties both books up, is terrific and touching.

I only hope to see Emily Giffin again soon so I can tell her how much I loved SOMETHING BLUE. Read more ›

71 of 75 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent follow-Up!!! June 11, 2005

By Mercedes L. Johnmeyer TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Even though I loved 'Something Borrowed', I really hated Darcy Rhone, and when I found out 'Something Blue' was all about her, I was very skeptical. Much to my surprise though, I LOVED this book. I think I may even like it better than the first one!

The book starts out with a couple chapters rehashing the final pages of the first book, when Darcy finds out about Dex and Rachel's affair, and Darcy discovers her own surprise. The following chapters are Darcy being her shallow, manipulative, immature, whiney 'ol self...I still hated her, and thought nothing would change that. But about half-way through the book, when she gets to London friendless, man-less, and at her lowest, she finally starts to grow up and take a mature look at her life and where it's heading.

Figuring she needs to end her obsession with Rachel and Dex, find a job, and not be so judgmental based on shallow observations, she sets about trying to right all the wrongs in her life. With the help of her childhood friend Ethan (the one who lives in London) she slowly starts making progress in becoming a better person overall.

Bottom line...this was a marvelous read. I loved the ending, and even grew to like Darcy herself. Kudos to Ms. Giffin who has given us two very readable story's that are next to impossible to put down. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for her future novels, she really has a great talent for storytelling.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Sequel, A Warm and Lovable Story June 28, 2005

By Book Beauty

Format:Hardcover

I must admit, while reading Emily Giffin's "Something Borrowed," I didn't care very much for Darcy at all (though I did LOVE the book). But after reading "Something Blue," I have come to absolutely love her! "Something Blue" finds Darcy Rhone newly pregnant--and alone. She has lost virtually all of her friends, and her parents do not approve of, nor do they have compassion for, Darcy and her impending motherhood. Desperate for a change in her shallow existence, Darcy makes an impulsive move to London and stays with her childhood friend, Ethan, much to his dismay. She tells Ethan that her stay is "just a short visit," no longer than a month, although she knows in her mind that she plans on staying in London a lot longer than a month. Along the way, the reader will grow to understand Darcy as a person, and appreciate her genuine strive for change in a world where everyone is so focused on societal status and outward appearance. The reader will also fall completely in love with Ethan, someone who is distant with Darcy in the beginning, but grows to genuinely admire her for the good-hearted, nurturing person she truly is inside; and he eventually comes to cherish the sweet, innocent closeness that blossoms between them. This sequel is a winner! It is warm and charming, a story about the true meaning of friendship and love, and the power they have to change us all. I do hope Emily Giffin's admirable, lovable characters pop up again in a new book sometime soon! Highly recommended!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A sequel that lives up to the original August 1, 2005

By Tracy Vest TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Darcy was such a difficult character to like in "Something Borrowed," and I found her just as difficult to like for the first third of "Something Blue."

Darcy is having a difficult time moving on and not wallowing in self pity with the betrayal of her best friend with her fiance, Dex. She is sure that it was a one time only hook up, after all, Darcy is beautiful, and Rachel is plain. Never mind that Darcy is pregnant with a baby fathered by Dex's former college roommate, Marcus. Darcy assumes that she and Marcus will marry, but it does not take a rocket scientist to see that at his first taste of freedom, Marcus will bail. Dumped and heartbroken, Darcy tries to win back Dex, to no avail.

She flees to the home of childhood pal, Ethan - the first man to come between Rachel and Darcy. He now lives in London, and thinks she's staying for a couple weeks; she plans to stay until the baby is born. As she settles in, she's still up to her same old narcissistic tricks - like shopping for herself without a thought to the child she is carrying. After a blow up, she finally gets her comeuppance when Ethan tells it like it is to her, and she finds herself attracted to him, but could it be too late, since both of them are dating others?

Author Giffin manages to make a thoroughly infuriating and self centered character capture your attention and then your heart, making you believe that even someone as nasty as Darcy deserves a happily ever after. "Something Blue" does what few sequels are able to do - continue the quality storytelling while also being able to stand on its own merits.