Goodreads Synopsis: Rachel has always been the good girl- until her thirtieth birthday, when her longtime friend Darcy throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancée. Rachel is completely horrified. She pretends it didn't happen, maybe it will all go away-and so will her feelings for this guy.
She prays for fate to intervene, but when she makes a choice she discovers that the lines between right and wrong are blurry, endings aren't always neat, and you have to risk all to win true happiness.
My Confession: I'm sure there have been plenty of books written about lifelong friendships, cheating, and romance. I've read quite a few of them. And let me tell you, none of them captivate me the way Something Borrowed does. Maybe it's because I've been the Rachel to far too many Darcys in my life. Maybe it's because I believe in that special connection, the one that causes you to throw all caution and convention to the wind and lead with your heart. But it's most likely because these characters feel like your best friends, and you're left wishing that more men were like Dex, who despite most rom-com conventions, is not--and does not turn out to be (thank God)--an asshole. The relationship between Rachel and Darcy is nicely depicted and picked away at as the story goes on. As the girls' history was unraveled, I became more and more sympathetic toward Rachel, despite the fact that she is her best friend's fiancée's "other woman." You become invested in this story, so much so that you'll find yourself picking sides. I'm on Team Rachel, but reading Giffin's sequel, Something Blue, may change your mind.
The Hollywood Factor: Yes, someone was smart enough (or stupid enough, depending on how you feel about books becoming movies) to scoop up the film rights to this novel. Something Borrowed, starring Kate Hudson as Darcy (evidently the filmmakers didn't get the memo that Darcy is a brunette) and Ginnifer Goodwin (I think I'm good with this...I think) as Rachel. The trailer, just released last week, looks hopeful. I'm guilty of watching it a few times, lingering on the casting choice for Dex (Colin Egglesfield) and wondering if he can live up to the stud of my imagination. The addition of John Krasinski as Ethan, Rachel's friend who plays a small but significant part in the book, but seems to play a much larger role in the movie, looks like a positive move. I'm usually cautious about scripts adapted from books. They're just never as good. But I'm holding out hope that when Something Borrowed hits theaters on May 6, it's going to do the phenomenal book justice.
Recommendation: Read it. Then see the movie with your girlfriends. Then read it again. And when you're ready (even though you'll probably balk, seeing as how most people hate Darcy by the end), pick up Something Blue. Trust me, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Stay tuned for that review.
Rating: 4.5/5
322 pages, published by St. Martin's Press (June 1, 2004)
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