"Love the One You're With" Review

 

Love the One You’re With

By Emily Giffin

8/10

My Synopsis:

Love the One You’re With is the story of Ellen.  Ellen is a photographer, a New Yorker, and a newlywed.  She has been married to her husband Andy for about a year now.  Then one day she has a chance encounter with her old flame Leo.  They meet and some old feelings begin to stir.  Leo offers Ellen the chance of a lifetime business opportunity which just leads the two of them to spending more time together through working.  But is it all work and no play?  Can they remain just friends?  Is their tumultuous relationship from the past still just the past?  Will seeing Leo again threated her relationship with Andy?  Is it possible to love the one you are with even if you are secretly passionate about someone else?

 

My Opinion:

Have you ever wondered if the love you lost was the love you were destined to be with after all?  If you have then this is the book for you.  If you haven’t, it’s still a delightful read.  I will admit the first half of the book was really slow for me.  I wanted more action and scandal but if you feel the same as me – just hold on a minute.  Once the book gets going, there is just no stopping it.  One event after another it barrels full steam ahead toward what is sure to be self-destruction for Ellen.  However, making the “safe” choices are not in her character and not who she is.  She tries her best to conform to what everyone feels she should be.  The author does a good job at conveying Ellen’s frustration and passion.   The characterizations were exceptional.  I liked all of the characters when I was supposed to like them and hated them when I was supposed to hate them.  Her descriptions of the south and the southern lifestyle were captivating.  The writing is smooth and easy to read.  This is definitely chick lit but with a little more meat than your typical chick lit.  Some of the references were inaccurate but I only know this from having lived in the Pittsburgh area.  You don’t get a Big Boy sandwich at Eat & Park nor do you get a Coke as it is a Pepsi joint.  These little inconsistencies bothered me quite a bit.  I was very worried that I wouldn’t like the ending but . . . well . . . I didn’t hate it.  It took me some time to realize it but I actually liked the ending.  It wasn’t exactly what I wanted but it works and it wasn’t the let down that I was expecting.  It was a pleasant surprise.  While not a life-changing novel, Love the One You’re With stands out in the chick lit crowd.  This is the second book by Ms. Giffin that I have read – the first being Baby Proof which I also liked.  It wasn’t my favorite book of all time but it was worth the read.  8/10