First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

Publisher: Ballantine Books, June 2016

Genre: Fiction

Pages: Hardcover, 384 pages

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (from goodreads.com):

Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.

Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.

On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.

As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.

Review:

It's been a hot minute since I've read any of Emily Giffin's book but I was easily reminded just why I like her writing style. The stories that she weaves are so easy to get lost in and always centred around topics that are not only relatable but also real. Things that you would hear about standing around the water cooler at work or watching tv.

When I first added "First Comes Love" to my TBR shelf, I assumed it would be the perfect read for February (Valentines Day) but it actually turned out to be a much different story than I was expecting. While there is a certain love element, as with all chick lit books, it went so far outside of the box that I wouldn't even say this is a 'love story' at all. In fact, it's more about family dynamics and how families deal and move on from tragedy.

All of the characters in this book were very flawed... not necessarily in a bad way but with each and every one of them, there was something beneath the surface that just felt 'off'. I actually appreciated that and felt that it touched on how many of us survive the day-to-day, covering up a secret that lives deep down. My biggest issue of all came with Meredith... I wanted to throat punch her and actually felt that she made her own misery. I mean Nolan seemed like a dreamboat!!

Overall, I enjoyed reading this and, while cheesy and a little predictable, I still feel like there are underlying themes that will hit some harder than others. A definite must for all of Emily Giffin's fans.