I can always count on an Emily Giffin book to not only be a great read but to also make me think. She writes amazing, imperfect characters that seem utterly real, who act like people do in real life and always express emotions that I can believe. I really enjoyed reading about Ellen, Leo, Andy, Suzanne, Margot and the gang as they deal with a single relationship in the past that threatens all of them. I loved watch their family fall apart, then rally together as Ellen is forced to make the choice of her life. Great drama and another fun, intelligent book from Giffin. Can't wait until the next one!

I am a follower of Ms. Giffin. Like Theresa Alan, she writes realistically enough that you can picture yourself inside the story. The result is that I feel more involved and compelled to keep reading.

The difference is that Giffin takes things considerably deeper than Alan. Giffin re-visits enough of the childhood and family background of the protaganist so that you can understand what makes her tick.

Giffin has a gift for unraveling the motives and nuances of the human heart. She has written a line or two that I have mentally filed away for future reference.

Bravo Ms. Giffin for offering so much more than typical chick lit, and for giving me stories that I can relate to and sink my teeth into.

I love Emily Giffen's books. I hope she's home right now working on the next. This one didn't take long to get into, because most married women like myself, have at least one ex who is to sexy for their own good. It's great to read about what might happen if you did run into that man that you had to much chemistry with, especially when you are married to a nice practical man. I very much enjoyed the drama of it all, and really couldn't put it down after a while. The Leo character is written well, and you just can't help but feel Ellen's pain. I would reccomend this book to all my girlfriends.

Ellen Graham is married to Andy, the brother of her college roomate and good friend Margot. Ellen is happy in her life, until she sees her former boyfriend about a year after marrying Andy (and eight years after she broke up with her boyfriend). Then all of a sudden she is not so sure about the life she is leading with Andy, especially after they move to Atlanta from New York City to be closer to his family (especially the pregnant Margot.)

For the most part it is a good book, but there are parts of the book that made me not like Ellen because she was being so dense about her husband and her former boyfriend. Near the end it seemed to me that if she still cared for her former boyfriend she should have done something about it eight years before and long before she and Andy got serious. The ending though is very good and neatly ties up the story.

not my favorite by her, but pretty good. the story can be slow at points, and the main character overanalyzes a lot, but it's still worth reading.

im a pretty slow reader. okay, a really slow reader, but i read this book in about five days because it was such a great story. i have been through a situation like ellen's in my own life, so i could really understand what she was feeling. life is really messy and sometimes it can be really hard to figure out what the "right" thing is, especially when it comes to exes. this book does a great job of showing that. i also really enjoyed suzanne as well. she was a great character and was always giving great advice.

I really wanted to love this book, just as much as I loved her previous three. However I found myself dreading my reading time each day. This was such a hard book to get into. And as many before me have said, Ellen, the main character, is just so unlikeable. She really doesn't have any redeeming qualities.

I'm not going to summarize since it's been done here already, many times...but if this is your first time reading an Emily Giffin novel, DO NOT start with this one. Her first three are really entertaining, with characters that are MUCH more appealing.

The thing is, I understand having some questions, and maybe even doubting SOME decisions you've made after running into an old flame...but to do it to the extent Ellen does is just obnoxious! Leo is her ex for a reason. She has a wonderful husband who absolutely adores her...she's really going to risk her practically perfect marriage for an ex who didn't really 'get' her the first time around? I lost patience with her very quickly. Anyhow...if you've read all Ms. Giffins previous books, then you'll probably want to read this, but be forewarned...it's a definite disappointment.

I loved this book. It is the 4th Emily Giffin book I have read and once again, she did not disappoint. I think this book is very easy to relate to and most have been in the same scenario. Ellen had her heart broken by Leo and moved on without closure. She married a dream guy that treated her like a princess. Shortly after she was married, she ran into her ex-boyfriend, Leo walking down the street. He followed her and then started calling her. Ellen tried to convince herself that she was over him and would just be his friend but it was not possible. She risked her marriage to see Leo. She had to make the agonizing decision of staying with her husband or breaking up her marriage and going back to a man that she had so much chemistry and connection with.

I really, really loved Something Borrowed...but Giffin's subsequent books are not as much my taste. I appreciate that they aren't the standard fluff, but I was mostly bored reading this book, and annoyed with the protagonist.

I just love this author, certainly my favorite! This book follows along with the others as great!

Many times throughout reading this book I found myslef relating to the emotions of Ellen, the main character. The author has a great talent for expressing human feelings and thoughts that we all have at one time or another. Relationships are complicated, and this story deals with all the ups and downs and the brief moments when we question our choices.

I like this author's past books and I am enjoying this one too. It took a little longer to get it delivered than other books from Amazon in the past, but not too bad. Thanks.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Griffin, since we went to the same school (go wahoos!) but I must say this isn't her best book. Yet, I still enjoyed it and would still recommend it if you are a Griffin fan. The thing is she starts this one out way too slow. It really got exciting in the last third of the book, and I wish she had brought more of that excitement earlier into the story.

It's not a bad book, at all. It definitely was not as good as her first too books, Something Borrowed and Something Blue, which I really liked. I wanted to give it four start but the slow beginning kind of held me back from that. So I guess what I am trying to say is it kept me interested enough and I enjoyed reading it to the end, so fans of Griffin definitely check it out. If you're new to Griffin though, I'd start with Something Borrowed and go from there.

I docked this book a half-star because I didn't like how they used a pseudonym for Bono (Drake is obviously supposed to be Bono). I feel like if you're going to use a real-life star as a model, might as well use the real person!

That said, it is a minor quibble in an otherwise highly entertaining and enjoyable book. Some have said Ellen is too selfish, but I don't agree. She's legitimately confused by her feelings and every act and thought she expressed, whether good or bad, was believable and real. Who wants to read about someone who makes the right choices all the time anyway? From the very first chapter, when she starts ticking off the reasons she should or shouldn't tell her husband about running into Leo, the book is a clinic in how real people think and respond to emotional conflict and difficult situations. I respect that the author chose to make her so authentic because so many of these types of books don't and I find that insulting to my intelligence.

Since Amazon doesn't let us review with half-stars, I rounded up to 5. It's not quite at that level, but still higher than a 4.

Ellen is the most boring character in the world. There is nothing to like about her - so I'm at a loss as to how this old-money Southern family lets her be part of their life.

Two huge errors....First, I have never in my life met anyone FROM Pittsburgh that doesn't think Pittsburgh is the greatest city in the world. Ellen, apparently, hates Pittsburgh. I could see if she was from Johnstown or Allentown - but Pittsburgh? Please! And I'm not even from there.

Second - and I wonder if the editor was dozing during the reading - Girl Scout cookies are never sold in August. Ever. Shortly after they move to Atlanta, she mentions a girl scout came to her door selling cookies. The have a big cookie fiasco in the winter - never the summer. Errors like this bother me to no end.

BORING!

great book. very interesting subject and pretty thoughtful for such a "light" read. you will definitely be able to finish this in a couple of days. perfect for an escapist read.

Loved Giffin's other 2 books and couldn't wait for her to write another one. I was really disappointed!

I've read her other books and would say this is her best book. Well written with lots of descriptives and twists.

I finished this book in three nights and I couldn't put it down. It's been so long since I read Something Borrowed and Something Blue that I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book but it didn't disappoint. I sympathized with the main character and almost felt like it was me going through her situation. It stayed true to real life and Griffin's comments on life, love, etc. are eerily on point. I think everyone can relate to wondering about the supposed "one that got away." The ending wasn't as great as I'd imagined but it didn't take away from the book. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it!

I have read all four of Emily Giffin's books. I loved Something Borrowed and Something Blue (Blue being the better of the two, IMO). Baby Proof just did not do it for me at all. So I went into this book with some concern (hence why I borrowed it from the library instead of choosing to own it - like I do the others).

In any case, I can honestly say I enjoyed reading about Ellen and the choice she had to make. I think many women can relate to facing the "what-if's" when it comes to their life and their relationships. I felt like I was reading about a friend and her personal struggle with her decision.

My criticism with the book is that I wish as a reader I could have gotten more details about Ellen and Andy's relationship when they were dating. I would have liked to read about Ellen's feelings when she first realized she loved Andy, when they first told each other, etc.... We got all of that with her and Leo, so I felt like Andy was a little bit left out. I also thought the ending was a tad rushed, but then again, maybe there just wasn't much left to be said.

I definitely think she made the right choice though.

this was a very entertaining book. the author writes with a very personable writing style and really gets into the heads of her characters. i felt like the emotions from the romantic triangle were fully fleshed out and realistic and that the lessons delivered through the story were accurate and occasionally profound. i will look forward to more books from this author.

I'm an Emily Giffin fan. I think she's a great writer and seems to really hit the nail on the head when describing her characters - I often feel like I know someone just like them! However, this was not my favorite of Giffin's novels. I was often annoyed with Ellen for jeopardizing her wonderful relationship with her husband Andy to be with Leo who broke her heart many years before.

I was glad the book ended the way that I wanted it to, but if you're new to Giffin's books, I would suggest Something Blue or Something Borrowed instead or wait for the paperback.

Love the One You're With falls a little short of the lofty heights that Giffin achieved with her first three books, but it is still an utterly enjoyable and sneakily thought-provoking book. The story is much simpler than Giffin's first books, all about a woman who is unexpectedly caught between two men. The book is an interesting and often touching look at how and why we decide to be with the people we're with and how love can sometimes support those choices and sometimes work against them. My only complaint with this book is that it ends a bit too neatly, but this is a minor complaint in an otherwise good book.

I'm normally a big fan of Emily Giffin's works but this book just kind of left me wanting more. It wasn't bad and it had an interesting premise but I felt like there wasn't really a lot of action and the story moved along at a slow pace. I was a bit disappointed because I really liked her other three books and couldn't read them fast enough. I just didn't find this book as engrossing as her other works and it took me a while to get through it.

I can see why some people didn't like Ellen in this book. She acts selfishly and impulsively at times, and spends a lot of energy justifying her unjustifiable actions. But you know what? I thought that made her human and a real character. As much as I didn't like what she was doing at times, I felt like I could understand and relate to her actions. She was confused and trying to follow her feelings the best that she could which, really, is what love FEELS like sometimes. Whether it's real or not.

In that sense, I thought this was a smartly written book, though I didn't like it quite as much as the author's previous three. But still a good read and well worth the time.

I love the last three books Emily Giffin wrote, but felt this one was running all over the place before we got the story line. Too much info not related to actual plot.

I waited a few months for this one to become available at my local library, and boy, am I glad I did not pay money for this. I could not even get through the first few chapters and returned it a few days later. What a disappointing bore....

great story and very romantic, despite its decidedly untraditional storyline. you don't normally say a story about a woman thinking about straying from her husband as romantic, but this book does a really good job at showing how love isn't a done deal just because you say "i do." smartly written and featuring a woman who is very real (frustratingly so at times), this is a great story about trying to love the one you're with! easy to say, hard to do (sometimes).

I really loved Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I read both of them cover to cover in two days, hardly looking up from either of them except to eat and shower-- SO I'd have to say this book didn't really impress me. Like in Baby Proof, the character was self-absorbed, and manages to spiral into a web of deceit and confusion, seemingly with very little possibility of redemption as a character. It seemed she was redeemed after all only because the author just got tired of her, like I did, only a few chapters in. She was dimensionless and boring-- please, Emily, stick with Rachel, Dex, Darcy, Ethan, etc...

This is the best book I have read this year (so far)! Okay, so I am a fan of girly books, but this one was such a fun and thought provoking story that I instantly felt a connection to it and the characters. Maybe it is because I am also a newlywed, but I could really feel for Ellen and what she was going through. The lessons that she learns in this book about love and letting go are so universal and so true. I just loved it.

I've got all 4 of these books and have read all of them. While this book is still good, it wasn't as easy or fast of a read as the others. Didn't hold my interest as much. Didn't have any of the characters from the other books like the first 3 did. I liked that the second and thrid in this series, were continuations of the first.

i really enjoyed this book a lot. it says a lot about the good, the bad, and the ugly about love, marriage and commitment. i could really relate to the story and thought the characters were well drawn and true to life. it's nice to read a book in which the main character isn't perfect or rigidly moral. i would definitely recommend it to my friends.

I'm a big fan of chicklit, believe me. I enjoyed Giffin's three previous novels. I never particularly cared for the main characters, but I was interested to see how they evolved and matured, and I wanted to know what happened to them. However, the main character of this book is just too annoying and awful. She is so relentlessly self-absorbed. She puts her nice husband through the ringer so she can "find herself" or some such nonsense. She is over-sensitive about just about everything. Frankly, I really wanted her husband to kick her to the curb. Not recommended. Try Giffin's other novels!

The book's description was listed as "New" and the comments indicated "New copy great gift item buy with confidnece." However, the book did not arrive in a timely fashion and there was water damage to many of the pages.

Easy beach read...I read it after having my daughter. My brain wasn't able to tackle too much, yet I wanted something to do. This book was perfect. Really enjoyable!

This is another winner from Emily Giffin. Ever since reading SOMETHING BORROWED, I have been hooked on her books. This story is not quite as rich as her other books, but I think it is by far the most easy to relate to your own life. Everyone has that "what if" person. The writing is, as usual, very good, with lots of thoughtful and funny sections. I would recommend it without reservation to anyone who has enjoyed Emily Giffin's books in the past.

I didn't love it. I was so excited to read this book after reading Emily Giffin's other works, Something Borrowed and Something Blue which I thoroughly enjoyed, however, Love the One You're With is probably the least of my favorite. The book dragged a bit, especially the details of the lives of other people in Atlanta - who cares! I wish there were more scenes with Leo and Ellen. The book was so predictable. I will still continue to read Giffin's work, but I'm hoping the next one will be better!

In Emily Giffin's fourth novel, LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH, Ellen has a wonderful life with her husband Andy. She has a successful career as a photographer and she truly believes her life to be perfect. But after a chance encounter with her ex, Leo, Ellen's life goes into a tail spin. For Ellen, Leo was "the one who got away," and his reappearance in her life makes Ellen question everything about the life she's chosen.

What makes LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH stand out for me is the writing. Emily's writing never disappoints-- she has a way of infusing so much feeling into every scene. She's not afraid to make her characters unlikeable and is able to make her readers fall in love with them, despite their flaws or bad decisions. Most of all, this book will make you think about your life and the decisions that you've made.

I read LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH in two days (okay, so I've read *all* of Emily's novels in two days!). Whether you like Ellen or not, whether you respect her choices or begin yelling at the book because of what she's done, you'll find this book to be utterly un-put-downable.

Ellen Graham is happy. She's newly married to Andy, a successful photographer and has the love and support of her family. She doesn't question her life or the choices she has made that led her to her current life. That is until, one brief moment, she sees Leo. Just like that her past becomes an unwelcoming invasion in the present.

Ellen quickly finds herself at a crossroad. The "what if" question quickly turns into an obsession as she finds herself constantly comparing her life with Andy to what she think life would be like with Leo. Despite the warnings her head tells her about starting a friendship with Leo, she accepts a photography assignment that he set up for her. Agreeing to the shoot, will force her to finally make a decision about her marriage and the woman she really is.

I really liked this book. I have to admit, I put off reading it because so many people told me how disappointed they were with it because it wasn't as good as Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I have to say, I disagree. The reason I liked Ms. Giffin's early novels was it seemed as though the characters were telling me their stories instead of me reading them. This is how I felt while reading this book. I pictured Ellen and I catching up, over a long lunch, after not seeing each other for awhile and she wanted to inform me about her life. Ms. Giffin is very descriptive in her writing, which I thought only added to the richness of this novel.

It is quite easy to judge Ellen and wonder why she makes the decisions she does. To her, it makes sense. She needed to confirm she made the right choice. She needed to move on. Love the One You're With is about walking down the path of "what if" when it unexpectedly comes your way, however, it's also about feeling secure that the decisions you made in the past were the best decisions for you.

This book is one of my top 3 favorites of all time. Any woman that has had a serious relationship (with a man or woman) will relate with Ellen and her feelings for Leo and Andy.

I brought this book along with me on my late summer vacation and didn't expect much but a light, entertaining read for the pool. What I got was just that, but also something else. The book is a very insightful examination about relationships and why we choose to be with the people we're with. It is a very honest look at how hard it can be to settle into marriage and the challenges of giving up your old life for a new one. The characters are painted so well that you can really feel their struggle against feelings that take them by surprise. The last half of the book is irresistible.

My daughter suggested it and I ordered it for my wife. She enjoyed it very much.

This is story that can make the reader think about "her one that got away." Ellen definitely did well for herself by marrying reliable Andy, but the question is does she love him as much as she did her ex, Leo. In the story Ellen has a chance encounter with Leo which starts her thought process into what her life would have been like if she had been with him. In the end, I think Ellen makes the right choice for herself.
Definitely a story that will provoke all of us to think about the one who got away, if there is one. Also, it can make a person reflect on the one your with now, and why that choice is the best for you at the time.
Read it and let it make you think about the choices you have made in life for the better or worse.

Emily Griffin has this amazing ability to find commonalities with women. I think most women have that one special someone that - (for good reason of course) -"we let get away" or in some instances "gave away." Newly married myself I found this book funny and very easy to relate to. Great summer read. I highly recommend.

In comparison, it sucked. But thats because I am absolutely obsessed with Emily Giffin. Quick read. I finished it in about 3 days. It didnt actually suck, but compared to Baby Proof, Something Borrowed, or Something Blue, it did. I definitely recommend it though! Read before the other 3 books she wrote and you wont be disappointed!

This is such a great book. The story is perfect. I could totally relate to the characters. Just couldn't put it down. Sad that I finished it.

It started out slow for me. As it progresses it gets much better. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue reading it, but the further you get, the better it gets.

Let me say that I love Emily Giffin's novels. Starting with Something Borrowed, and then Something Blue. This one just didn't do it for me. It is completely predictable and the story doesn't really start until midway through. It is definitely a fast read and will keep you busy for a while, however I did skip a lot of unneeded paragraph's. I wish I could give this book a better review.

If you haven't read Something Borrowed, buy it! It won't disappoint!

This was a GREAT book! I strongly disagree with some of the reviews that say it was lacking depth or that the main character was shallow (immature, yes. Shallow, no way). If anything, the story is almost TOO in-depth in its description of the main character's thoughts and feelings, to the point that we see just about all of her flaws throughout the story. The author shows no fear in uncovering the real life challenges of love and monogomy and in discussing how emotions can make good people do things they know are wrong. The main character is hard to like at times because of the choices she makes, but she is almost painfully relatable. Being in her head is like listening to all the stuff that most people would think in that same situation but would never admit or say aloud, especially about the people that they love and/or are married to.

The story, however, is very simple, so if you are looking for something with lots of plot twists, this is not the book for you. It is more like a classic love story, just without the glossing over of the ugly, unhappy sides of the whole love thing and an unusually honest main character telling the story. I thought it was just great.

Save your money. This expensive hardback is not worth the money and certainly not worth your time (a mercifully short read). The characters are so superficial and the plot just down right stupid (and done so many times before). The supposed suspense of whether she would return to her long lost boyfriend vs staying with her devoted husband is totally lost in this book. The people were so poorly developed (especially the main character)that you could care less by the end what she did...