Customer Reviews

Something Borrowed

5 star:		(422)
4 star:		(159)
3 star:		(66)
2 star:		(49)
1 star:		(83)

 

 

OK, I normally HATE chick-lit books, and that was what I was expecting when I picked this up, but actually, I loved it! I read all the reviews before starting this, and seeing as how everyone raved about it, I gave it a shot. So glad I did.

Rachel and Darcy have been best friends since their childhood in Indiana. Now they are both living in NYC and Rachel has just turned 30...and also just slept with Darcy's fiance. When I first started reading peoples reviews, I couldn't believe how they all rooted for Rachel and Dex...but after getting deeper and deeper into the book, I was doing the same thing! I actually grew to despise Darcy. She was so incredibly immature for a woman of 29 yrs. How Rachel managed to stay friends with her all that time was beyond me, but I loved the character of Rachel.

She's so down-to-earth, and I found myself saying a bunch of times, 'I know EXACTLY what she means!!', or, 'I've been there, and that's just what I was thinking to'. The ending was also really good. Half of it was a complete surprise, and I was very satisfied with the other half. I'm really looking forward to 'Something Blue' coming out this summer. Hopefully it will continue the saga of this very entertaining group of people. I definitely recommend!!

*SPOILERS*

I knew that I was getting into a book about disloyalty and infidelity when I decided to read it. However, I found the author trying to pass off Dexter as a romantic hero with Rachel and her friends gushing at how courageous he was when he broke off his engagement with the best friend of the girl he's sleeping with as an obvious misnomer and a little manipulative on the author's behalf. Because really, their reaction should have been "Finally!"

I know that cheating happens, and their immorality was not the problem I had with the book. However, let's just call things as they are. It's one thing for Rachel to think of Dex as courageous, but her level-headed friends realistically would have said "Thank goodness he came to his senses" rather than being impressed. I hate it when authors throw little things like that in to get the reader to still like and side with the main characters. I thought this book was supposed to be about there being a gray area.

But to make matters worse, in case the reader had any remorse for Darcy - Rachel's best friend of 25 years and Dexter's fiance - the author made sure to rid the guilt completely by having Darcy admit that not only is she also having an affair, but with Mark, Dexter's friend from college and Darcy's two-time substitute for when she needed someone to take Dexter off her mind. But because Darcy & Mark's affair happened a month into Dexter and Rachel's relationship, when they were already exchanging I Love Yous, the author decides that maybe she allowed too much gray area for the audience to still feel sorry for Darcy...after all, Darcy's affair happened around the time she felt insecure because Dexter had been distant and not having sex with her anymore. So just in case the readers turn on her, the author revealed that not only has Darcy been sleeping with Mark, but she's pregnant with his child!

I was a little offended that the author felt the need to go that far...and though some may say it was her need to please the audience, I felt like it was more her way of trying to fool us into siding with Rachel and Dexter. It would have been a much more interesting book if Darcy had found out the truth and Rachel just had to deal with the fact that she hurt her best friend. Despite all the built up jealousy and resentment Rachel has towards Darcy for always being self-centered and the prettier and more confident of the two, she still had no right to sleep with Darcy's fiance. I found the "Oh well! Darcy not only did what I did, but she's worse because she's pregnant!" ending sloppy and shallow. I especially hated that Rachel felt Darcy's infidelity was harsher because Rachel had only deceived Darcy...whereas Darcy deceived both Rachel and Dexter. Oh please! Rachel's nothing relationship with Mark is HARDLY comparable to the ten year relationship Darcy had with her fiance Dexter.

And to all the reviewers who said it's a realistic portrayal of infidelity are merely mistaken. If everyone who cheated with their best friend's fiance was "rewarded" with the fact that their best friend was doing the same and pregnant...well, then these same reviewers wouldn't have complimented the author's "great" twist ending.

By the way, was I the only one rooting for Rachel to be with Ethan? I found his sense of humor charming and his friendship with Rachel endearing. Dexter, on the other hand, I found positively boring. His descriptions were always surrounded by narrations of how he handsome he was. Are the readers supposed to be impressed by that? Oh well.

There were many aspects of this book I did not like, and I agree with most of the negative reviews. Rachel is not a heroine in any sense of the word. She was an incredibly unsympathetic character, as was Dexter. Cheating on his fiance, with her best friend, made me dislike him from the very beginning. The fact that he continues the relationship with Rachel, and got jealous when she was just kissing other people (never mind he's engaged to someone else!) made him seem very immature and manipulative. Rachel was a heroine that the reader never really gets to know. If anything, you feel pity for her because she is so pathetic.

The ending was not only predictable, but I felt cheated after reading it. I would have much preferred Rachel and Dexter ending up together and having to deal with the fact that their affair made them not-so-nice people and having Rachel realize that maybe she is the bad friend, not Darcy. I did not like that the author tried to prevent you from feeling any empathy for Darcy by making her the "worst" of the bunch with her own cheating. However, I did not feel bad for Rachel or Dexter after Darcy's revelation. Rachel seems very holier-than-thou since Darcy deceived her and Dexter, but I did not see any blameless party in the situation.

The only "bright spot" in the book that I found remotely realistic was the portrayal of toxic friendships that are so common in women today. I could relate to their high school days and even later in their friendship when it was always an unspoken competition. That aspect of the story was something I found real and interesting. However, that never excuses one for stealing someone's fiance. That proves that Rachel is the real frenemy, not Darcy.

So this is the first review I'm writing. I don't have my own Amazon account, this is my father's. So this is coming from a girl in her late teens. If I could give this book zero stars, I would. I think my problem is that I came in with my expectations waaaay too high. I saw the trailer for the movie and REALLY wanted to see it, but I'm the kind of person who has to read the book before I see the movie. Or if I see the movie before I realize it's a book, I read the book right away. I was expecting a lot out of this book, but got nothing. If you're not looking for spoilers, then don't read because I'm going to give a lot away. It appeared to me in the film that Ethan (John Krasinski) would have a major part in the book, but his character Ethan was just sort of there. Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin), the main character, calls him a couple of times and visits him in London, but that's about it. Clearly he has a bigger role in the movie. I think based on the trailer that he's secretly in love with Rachel and I was hoping, hoping, PRAYING that she'd end up with him because I'm a SUCKER for the guy best friend in love with the girl best friend and at the last minute she realizes he's the guy for her. Even as I kept reading, I knew it wouldn't happen. I wanted to stop reading, but I read it in a day DYING that something interesting would happen. Nothing.

I found it VERY hard to root for Rachel and I thought Dex was a jackass. Darcy was ridiculous, but I actually hated Rachel more. Giffin wanted you to hate Darcy, but I didn't. I didn't feel sorry for Rachel at all, which I know Giffin wanted. Rachel played second fiddle to Darcy all her life, but if she should have stood up to Darcy or stopped being friends with her all together. I don't blame Darcy for a second for doing the things she did. She's self-centered and continues to be that way because the people around her allowed her to be that way. Rachel just feeds Darcy's ego and allows Darcy to be the way that she is.

This book was just boring, boring, boring. The entire book is just about Rachel and Dex having an affair. Rachel is the weakest character ever. She starts off by saying, it's over. It's over. It's over. But of course she's so freaking weak that Dex just looks at her and she falls at his feet. Or should I say her clothes fall at her feet. I didn't buy them being in love. At all. Giffin wanted me to believe they were, but I didn't. It seemed that all they did was "talk for hours" and "make love."

And then when Darcy confesses to Rachel at the end that she was pregnant with Marcus's child, I wanted to be excited about this scandalous news, but I wasn't. I saw something dramatic with Darcy coming so that Rachel could be with Dex. My reaction was "meh." I thought Dex was a complete jackass and was hoping that Rachel would dump his ass at the end. Ugh. Rachel was just such a whiny, two-faced bitch. She was pretending to be Darcy's friend while screwing Darcy's fiance. Now I know you're all thinking that Darcy was doing the exact same thing, but you weren't supposed to like Darcy. You WERE supposed to like Rachel, but I didn't. All she did was whine and complain about how awesome Darcy was and how she wanted to be with Dex and blah blah blah blah blah. I thought this book was awful. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I spent the whole day reading it hoping something good would happen. Waste of a day. I was going to spoil it and read the last couple of pages. Should have. I would have known to stop reading.

I will, however, see the movie. No matter how horrible it might be (for once I'm hoping the movie ISN'T like the book), I will still enjoy it simply because I am head over heels for the lovely John Krasinski.

That's exactly what reading this book was like. You can't put it down, devour it all in a sitting or two, then end up completely unsatisfied when it's all over. The writing was interesting and I particularly liked the many insights, but Rachel got off too easy - far too easy for a fictional character, anyway. Darcy, typecast as the 'evil' friend, tied up the ends altogeter too nicely. I was waiting to see how Rachel would have to pay the piper, but apparently she didn't have to get her hands dirty. In the end, the reader is the one left covered in dollar-store chocolate.

Like so many other current novels, Something Borrowed focuses on good looking, successful, fun, and somewhat outrageous women in Manhattan looking for true love. The similarity to these other books ends there, as Something Borrowed explores an illicit relationship from the perspective of the woman having an affair with her best friend's fiance.

Rachel is a transplant from Indiana, unhappily employed in NYC as an associate at a law firm. Her best friend, Darcy, is engaged to marry one of Rachel's friends from law school. Darcy is the perfect girl--pretty, vivacious, always gets what she wants, although somewhat petulant and demanding. Just a few months before the wedding, Rachel has a one night stand with Darcy's fiance that develops into a full fledged love affiar.

Emily Giffin treats what could be an awkward topic with respect and empathy for all the characters. Although Darcy is at times portrayed as a stereotype, most likely to be a better foil for Rachel's good girl persona, the reader is also treated to Darcy's sense of fun and loyalty. This is a remarkably well written first novel, and one that I highly recommend.

Something Borrowed is about a woman who on her 30th Birthday gets drunk, does the unthinkable and sleeps with her best friend's fiance'. Oops, you mean that doesn't happen all the time? As if that is not bad enough, she and the friend's fiance' decide they have feelings for each other (while sober) and start an affair behind the best friend's back.

Now, with that mentioned I must say I really disliked this book. I truly do not consider myself prudish in any way, but I strongly disagree with the reviewers who state you find yourself rooting for the deceptive couple. They are having an affair behind her best friend's back! It really doesn't matter if the best friend is an awful, selfish jerk. That is the great thing about friends, YOU CHOOSE THEM! If she is that bad why continue to be friends with her? The basis for this is the "heroine" in Something Borrowed is somewhat of a pushover and a supposed good person who can't be mean to her best friend and tell her where to go. But it's ok to sleep with her fiance'? I just don't get it.

Again, I don't think myself close mined or prudish but the author just did not create a sympathetic enough heroine for me to say it was alright for her to cheat with her best friend's fiance'. And if it is true love (which of course the author had to spin it as if they were completely in love with each other), CALL OFF THE WEDDING! Dex (Mr. Cheater - the hero) takes forever to make the decision to call off the wedding.

There were so many different ways this book could have been plotted to make a more agreeable and acceptable situation. Make the fiance' that of her worst enemy (which I guess Darcy would have fallen under the category of frenemy). At least then when describing the horrible things that were done to the heroine I would have formed a bit of sympathy, not something she would put up with because she is weak.

Bad heroine, bad hero, bad secondary characters make for a bad book I do not recommend to anyone.

Rachel is a bored attorney at a crossroads in her life. She is not happy with her job, has not had a significant romance in quite awhile, and her best friend Darcy (who has always been somewhat of a nemesis), is about to get married to her former classmate, Dex. After a drunken 30th birthday fiesta, Dex and Rachel sleep together.

Thinking it was just a one night stand, Rachel tries to pretend that it did not happen. But Dex won't let it rest and soon, they are in the throws of a passionate affair, stealing every moment they can to be together (including time at their Hamptons time-share), all the while assisting Darcy with planning her wedding.

It is hard at first to sympathize with what Rachel and Dex are doing, but since Darcy is not exactly the nicest gal (she even stole Rachel's first crush, Ethan, in the fifth grade), but soon the reader is caught up in the relationship and hoping it will turn out in the end. Rachel, who tends to be more of a doormat, is presented as the polar opposite of Darcy in both looks, drive, and personality, and her struggles with her guilt and fear of ruining her friendship with Darcy are drawn so well.

It is a rollicking trip through the past and present and Rachel tries to decide her future, with or without Dex and Darcy, and author Giffin keeps us guessing until the end. I particularly loved the pop culture from the 80's. I thought the end was a bit abrupt - not enough of a catfight and in a sense we were left guessing. Perhaps we will get some closure in the sequel, "Something Blue."

Something Borrowed is a welcome departure from the staid format of unrealistic, over-the-top chick lit. While the title would suggest a wedding book, this novel delves into the complexity of female friendship - the frequent mixed emotions one has toward a close friend. Beyond her attraction to her best friend's fiancé, everybody can relate to the position of Rachael, the protagonist. Rachael has existed in the shadow of her flamboyant best friend, Darcy, for years and is faced with the dilemma of remaining loyal to her friend or following her heart. What ensues is a storyline that leaves you engrossed in the novel up to the final page. This book was a great find and introduces a new contender in a field of amateurs. I hope that we can look forward to many more great reads from Ms. Giffin.

One of the reasons I bought this book was because of the outstanding reviews. However, I was disappointed. I know I am supposed to sympathize with Rachel, but I don't. She paints her best friend Darcy as this horrible person. Certainly, their friendship isn't perfect. Darcy is selfish and competitive. However, Rachel never speaks up! Besides, how dare she criticize Darcy when all the while she is the one sleeping with her fiance. I found her behavior disgusting. I can't believe that Rachel would have been loveless for the rest of her life without Dex. Why couldn't she mourn her loss and find someone who was NOT engaged to her best friend?

Secondly, Rachel is a wimp with Dex. She is supposed to be in love with him, but for the longest time accepts that fact that he will marry Darcy. Then, when she does decide she wants him, she does absolutely nothing about it and carries on their disgusting affair, pathetically hoping that Dex will eventually decide to break things off with Darcy.

Thirdly, I am supposed to think that Dex is a dreamboat, but I hated him. The deception of sneaking around and carrying on an affair with your fiance's best friend all the while giving no hint that he was planning to break up with the fiance or mistress makes his pond scum no matter how much the author couches it in the "but they were in love" scenario. Whatever happened to breaking ties with a bad relationship BEFORE venturing on another? What is wrong with our society that this kind of thing has almost become acceptable? Sorry, I just couldn't get over that one. I never bought that Darcy was really all that horrible to begin with anyway. And if she was horrible, why on earth was he with her for seven years?

In summary, I found the book to be contrived and the characters to be unsympathetic. The only positive thing I can say about it is that it was an entertaining read. I certainly flew through it.