Heart of the Matter

I feel conflicted. I would confidently say that Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors. I love her style of writing and the way she toys with your emotions. BUT, I cannot stand the theme of most of her books. I know most authors write about things they've experienced in their own lives and I can't help but think that Ms. Giffin has experienced infidelity in hers.

I absolutely loved her first two novels, Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I also love that one of her characters intertwine with another character in a different book. I always get that "Ah-ha!" moment after I've figured out that this character has already been in another book. I think it's very clever.

Back to this infidelity topic. It hasn't happened in all of her books, but it is definitely a reoccuring theme. She likes to depict a relationship and how crystal it is from the outside, but then slowly picks it apart and shows us that not everything is as perfect as it seems on the outside. Which, I totally agree, nobody is perfect. But, she has this way to make me connect the story to my own relationships, whether they're past or present. And then I end up feeling either grateful or resentful.

Heart of the Matter is definitely a story about infidelity and the way we choose to deal with such occurences. Confused housewife, Tessa Russo, has it all from the outside: the perfect doctor husband, a cute tudor house outside of Boston, two adorable children (with equally adorable names, Ruby and Frank), and the perfect life. Nope, wrong! She's got postpartum depression, hates that she's turning into what her mother has warned her about (she gave up her teaching job to be a stay-at-home mother), and feels her relationship slipping with her husband, Nick. Next, meet Valerie Anderson. Single mother and determined lawyer. She lets her son, Charlie, go to a sleepover and he ends up in a terrible accident that lands him in the hospital and under the care of Dr. Nick Russo. Uh oh!

Don't worry, I won't give away specifics, but I read about three-fourths of the book in two days. I usually can't put down an Emily Giffin novel once I've gotten into it. I definitely have mixed feelings about it, mostly because it made me sad for all parties involved, but overall, I enjoyed it. If you haven't read any of Emily's work, you should for sure read the two mentioned above first. Here's a list, in case you're interested:

Something Borrowed

Something Blue

Baby Proof

Love the One You're With

Heart of the Matter

Just a warning: you will NOT be able to put down the first two books. So, I would suggest to start them when you have a TON of free time on your hands (like a 14-hour flight?).

Happy reading!