Book Review: Something Borrowed (Darcy and Rachel #1) by Emily Giffin

Summary: 

Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself.

Release Date: June 1, 2004

Age Group: Adult

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Source:  Library

Review:

I decided to read Something Borrowed after seeing the previews for the movie that just came out.  I thought the premise sounded interesting and I was wondering how the story would end just based on the teaser I saw in the preview.  I love to read the book before seeing the movie so I was excited to see that my local library had a copy of Something Borrowed.

I liked Something Borrowed from the start.  Like Rachel, I have been the sidekick friend, so I really identified with her.  There are some people who shine so brightly that they leave everyone around them in shadow.  Darcy is one of those people, and Rachel has spent the last twenty or so years in Darcy's shadow.

I felt so badly for Rachel and wanted her story to end well.  I did not like Darcy at all.  I found her to be self-centered, bratty and childish.  I confess that I was secretly hoping for Rachel to "win" and Darcy to "lose."

There were several things that really stuck out for me when I think about Something Borrowed.  The first is that I loved the way the story is written.  Not all of the dialogue is written out specifically.  What I mean is that some of the tedious back and forth between characters is just summarized (example: ...Dex agreed....).  I like it when authors do this, because it makes the story flow well.  Another thing I liked is that Something Borrowed is an adult novel without a lot of bedroom scenes.  I like having those kinds of details left unspecified.  It makes things more romantic, in my opinion.  The last thing I loved was the real-world ending.  Not everything was tied up neatly, which made the ending very realistic.

I really enjoyed Something Borrowed.  The story moved quickly and I just couldn't put it down!  I'll definitely be reading the sequel, Something Blue, and looking for more from Emily Giffin.