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Where We Belong

by Emily Giffin (Goodreads Author)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 26,728 ratings · 3,061 reviews

The author of five blockbuster novels, Emily Giffin, delivers an unforgettable story of two women, the families that make them who they are, and the longing, loyalty and love that binds them together.

Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has convinced everyo...more

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 372 pages

Published July 24th 2012 by St. Martin's Press (first published January 1st 2012)

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Dec 27, 2012 Dawn rated it 1 of 5 stars

I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I'd seen emily giffin's books are bestsellers. I do not read what is generally called "chick lit" (a term i find rather disconcerting) but wanted to give her books a chance. So this was my opportunity, and i do appreciate receiving this free copy. That being said, Where I Belong was a rather contrived, simplisitic story. I truly felt the story line was something a 9th grader could easily conceive of, and not something a successful author would bother to...more

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Devika Koppikar I agree about this being written for a 9th grader. I mean, on several occasions, I wanted to just skip the "Kirby" part because I could care less abou...more
Apr 14, 2013 08:03pm

Cherene Chick lit is supposed to represent light hearted literature about modern day women. It is, usually, written for escapism and, therefore, has simplisti...more
Apr 30, 2013 10:32pm

Meaghan Although simplistic this book delves into the emotions of all parties involved in adoption. This hit home with myself as I am adopted. I have never me...more
May 15, 2013 12:13pm

Aug 17, 2012 Tamara rated it 5 of 5 stars

More often than not I come across a book I really don't love. When I find a book I love my spinning world stops. Kids, friends, and even dishes are ignored. I find myself glued to my Kindle and forgetting everything else around me. Laying awake in bed at 1:00am not thinking of the fact that i have to be up at 5:00 am to meet with clients. When this rare event does occur I am at my happiest. There are few greater joys for me than finding a book I absolutely can not put down. This recently occurre...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Dana rated it 3 of 5 stars

For the first time, I was NOT blown away by an Emily Giffin novel. I have read every one that she has written, and always eagerly await her newest one, as I did with "Where We Belong." Unfortunately, this time the payoff was a bit disappointing. The novel starts out slowly (I was bored) and did little to make me care about Marion or Peter or their relationship and histories until, about 70 pages into the book, Kirby arrives. Finally, the story took off and I enjoyed a few hundred pages that foll...more For the first time, I was NOT blown away by an Emily Giffin novel. I have read every one that she has written, and always eagerly await her newest one, as I did with "Where We Belong." Unfortunately, this time the payoff was a bit disappointing. The novel starts out slowly (I was bored) and did little to make me care about Marion or Peter or their relationship and histories until, about 70 pages into the book, Kirby arrives. Finally, the story took off and I enjoyed a few hundred pages that followed. Marion was a single girl, madly in love with Conrad when they were 18. Kirby is the result of that love but Conrad never knew she had been conceived, and Marion knew nothing about Kirby, other than she had given birth to her, and relinquished her to be adopted at birth.
Kirby was the best character, a really plucky, spunky, tough on the outside girl trying to figure out her life and where she would fit in. I loved her guidance counselor, Mr. Tully, at her high school. He was someone who had total faith in Kirby and encouraged her to go to college. Kirby and Marion get to know each other, slowly. There are complications (like Peter, grandparents, Conrad) and all of that made for a good read.
Ah, but then came the ending which left me feeling as if someone started to tell me a secret, and then didn't finish the sentence. We don't know how this story ends. I felt betrayed by Emily Giffin for leaving me hanging. All I can think is that a sequel is in the works. If not, her unfinished ending makes me think less of her as a writer. I say this as a former HUGE fan! I hope she is busy writing the sequel. If not, I will give her one more chance in whatever she produces in the next year or two, but I will be fearful that she, like so many young writers lately, is banking on her name, rather than her true talent, to sell her books. She IS talented, but she didn't use her talent as well as in the past in this one. It was ok, but only because the middle to near the end were really fun.(less)

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Jul 01, 2012 Paige PBJ63010 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I won this as an ARC from Goodreads and was so excited to read it. Since you can easily look above to read the description of the book I'm going to skip over telling you all about it to get to what you want, the review.

I have been a fan of Giffin's work since her first book and have read all of them but her last release. This book did not disappoint. I felt that the characters were relatable, though I didn't necessarily agree with all of their decisions. That is what makes Giffin's stories so i...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Sandra rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is the most appalling book I have read in a long time. I read a lot of great reviews on amazon about it, but I had not understood this is the kind of author who apparently has a group of fervent fans who tend to review with exaggerated enthusiasm. The moral side of the story is appalling, the characters are flat, the class-divide is stereotyping and shallow, the men are all strong and reassuring, the girls all die for a good dress, with the supposedly rebel girl who acknowledges that deep d...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Eileen Patterson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was ecstatic to receive an advance copy of this book to review, because I really loved Emily Giffin's other two books I read. Well, I LIKED "Something Borrowed" but I did love "Something Blue," the follow up book...something about getting both sides of a story is satisfying. Also, it's not really both SIDES of a story, just two different perspectives, because whatever Giffin's faults may be, she seems to have a good grasp of empathy and why nothing in love and friendship and human relationship...more I was ecstatic to receive an advance copy of this book to review, because I really loved Emily Giffin's other two books I read. Well, I LIKED "Something Borrowed" but I did love "Something Blue," the follow up book...something about getting both sides of a story is satisfying. Also, it's not really both SIDES of a story, just two different perspectives, because whatever Giffin's faults may be, she seems to have a good grasp of empathy and why nothing in love and friendship and human relationships is as black and white as we sometimes make it out to be. I definitely loved that aspect of her books, but I have to be honest, I couldn't relate to her characters much. I mean, as a human being with struggles I could relate to them on that level, but I come from a dirt-poor background and somehow seeing a character turn up her nose at earrings from Tiffany's because she didn't like the SHAPE of them kind of made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. That's not to say I don't think that upper class people don't deserve books about their lives and struggles, I do, it's just that I saw Giffin's talent and was hoping that someday she'd try her hand at writing a book with characters I could more easily relate to.

I said all that to say this: Giffin fans rejoice, that day has come! While Marian is definitely affluent and doesn't worry about money, Kirby and her family are decidedly on the lower end of middle-class, and there's a great exchange where Kirby, an 18 year old adoptee who seeks out Marian, her birth mother, in hopes of building some kind of relationship, returns a bunch of expensive clothes that Marian buys her not because she doesn't like the clothes, but because accepting them makes her uncomfortable. It's a great moment in the book. It's clear that Marian doesn't know what to do when the baby she gave up for adoption shows up at her door 18 years later. Marian opted to keep her address current with the adoption agency in case the child wanted to contact her someday, so she knew this day might come, but she's still unprepared for the emotions and awkwardness that happen when Kirby, not a child but a young woman, shows up at her apartment one night. Marian kind of freaks out and does what she's done for a long time when problems have shown up: she tries to solve them with money and avoid any deeper contact because she's unsure of how else to express her feelings. Marian isn't a bad person, she's a flawed person who has everything she SHOULD want in life but isn't sure why she feels something is missing. She's a successful writer for a television show, she has a doting boyfriend who is equally affluent (though he seems unsure about committing to marriage) and Marian doesn't really know if these things are what she wants out of life. As a Natasha Josefowitz poem I once read puts it: "I have arrived...is this where I was going?"

For Kirby's part, she hasn't really grown up feeling ostracized because she's adopted. Her parents are clearly very loving, in a stable marriage, and they treat their two daughters (one adopted, one not) as equally as any parent can. If Kirby gets treated differently at all it's not because she's adopted, it's because she's very rebellious and difficult to deal with. She doesn't do drugs or party, but she doesn't apply herself in school even though she could ace most classes if she wanted to, and she rebels against her parents' offer to pay to send her to college because she's not sure what she wants to do in life and she doesn't know if college will help her decide that. Furthermore, she purposely pushes back against her parents at every turn, picking fights and throwing the fact that she's adopted in their faces because she knows that it will upset them to hear her say that they look down on her because she's not "really their kid," even though she knows this isn't true. I really think Kirby does this because she's a teenager. Her parents try to support her, but they don't understand that things like her love for music are more important to her than good grades, and that this could be a viable career for her because she has talent. Her parents don't mean to stifle her, they just don't get it, and likewise, Kirby doesn't mean to really hurt her parents, she's just frustrated and confused about her future. Kirby is on the cusp of a huge life change, graduation from high school, and she doesn't know where to go from there, and she takes her frustration and fear out on her parents. She fantasizes about what her birth parents might be like, if that's where she gets her passion for music, if they would understand her better, if finding her "real parents" might help her life make more sense. In other words, she dreams that the grass might be greener on the other side of the hill because she knows the grass on her side so well and she wonders what else is out there.

These characters are vastly different, but when they come together, their interactions teach them both a lot of lessons about love and life and family. there are a lot of twists and turns in the plot here, including a huge secret surrounding her pregnancy that Marian has kept to herself for over 18 years. Finding out what really happened back then, and what needs to happen now, forms the plot of this novel, and it was fascinating. I couldn't put it down, honestly, except when I passed out to sleep with the book in my hands because I was exhausted but wanted to keep reading. I highly recommend that fans of Emily Giffin's other books seek this one out, and even those who haven't read Giffin's work in the past might want to give this one a chance. I had already planned to buy this book when it came out, and getting an advance copy turned out to be a great gift, because I loved this book even more than I thought I would. Bravo, Emily Giffin. You made my day not just as a fan of YOUR books but as a fan of all books.(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review: Marian's life is seemingly perfect. She is a 36 year old successful television producer in New York and dating the perfect man. But her perfect world is turned upside down when her biggest secret, an unplanned child she gave up for adoption 18 years ago, shows up at her door. As the perfect life Marian created starts to shatter, she gets to know her daughter, Kirby Rose and confronts her past, which she has pushed away for years.

I'm usually a huge fan of alternate points of view, but ro...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Laurel-Rain rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes the accidents in life turn out to be the start of unlikely relationships, old and new.

Marian Caldwell, New York producer of a hit show, thinks that her life is just about perfect. Great boyfriend, great career, and beautiful East Side apartment. And then one day, the past stands before her in the form of Kirby, an eighteen-year-old who holds the key to the secrets she has held tight within.

How will the secrets of the past inform the present? The future? In alternating voices, Marian an...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit-read, favorites, own, 2012-read

Where We Belong was my most anticipated novel this year. Sometimes, anticipated novels don't live up to the expectations you have for a novel you were looking forward to. Where We Belong was most definitely an exception. I think this is probably Emily Giffin's best novel to date. Even though her fifth novel, Heart of the Matter, is my favorite of her's, this is one story, I think everyone can love, and I think it is tied for first because they are such different stories.

I started reading Emily G...more Where We Belong was my most anticipated novel this year. Sometimes, anticipated novels don't live up to the expectations you have for a novel you were looking forward to. Where We Belong was most definitely an exception. I think this is probably Emily Giffin's best novel to date. Even though her fifth novel, Heart of the Matter, is my favorite of her's, this is one story, I think everyone can love, and I think it is tied for first because they are such different stories.

I started reading Emily Giffin's novels a year or so ago. I have always had a soft spot for a good, realistic story, which touches you, even if you can't personally relate. I picked up Giffin's novels because, I have to admit, her color-scheme on her novels caught my eye, and stood out. I resisted because I was in graduate school at the time, and told myself, "Just wait...Summer break will be here soon enough, and you can read them." I think her newest novel, her fifth, Heart of the Matter" had just been released recently, and when I found out she only had five novels, I was immediately bummed, and...a little sad.

I found out earlier this year, Emily Giffin was working on a new novel, which would be titled Where We Belong. I didn't know what to expect, except it was about adoption. I bought this novel the day it was released, and finished the book I was reading first before immersing myself in her latest work. I kept eyeing it on my bookshelf, with it staring at me, and me wondering if it would live up to my expectations of Emily Giffin. It surpassed my expectations, to be honest.

When I finished all five of her novels, (before Where We Belong was ever in the works), I was left impressed. Having read her novels in the order they were published, I have to say, Emily has really grown into her own. Her writing, for me, is pristine. She describes things just enough, so you have an idea of her characters, the setting, and the story, but as I read her stories, I am capable of imagining the story for myself, and it makes me feel as though I am 'really there' watching the stories unfold. Where We Belong really shows how far Emily has come into her writing, and more importantly, how much depth she has as a writer. I was a little skeptical of reading her books because I was afraid they wouldn't have the 'touching story' I long for when I read. She writes stories which make you, or at least they do to me, wonder and think what you would do in that situation. She has a talent for expressing emotions, and making the reader feel the way the characters do.

Where We Belong is such a great story. As my Goodreads friend Veronica told me, it is a feel good story. She was exactly right. This is a story about the secrets we keep, and how much they affect others, but also, how they affect the person who keeps them. But, this is also a story about we are where we are every moment of our lives, even if it is good, bad, pretty, or ugly, because it's, and not to be cliche', where we belong. I will definitely re-read this again. Loved it more than I thought I would! (less)

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Oct 01, 2012 Meridee rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 31, 2012 Leslie Lehr added it

Seems unfair that an author so gorgeous can also write such touching and compelling books...I especially loved the alternating points of view....I am rooting for the 'mom' to have a happy ending.

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Jun 17, 2012 Erin Dempsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have read all of Giffin's books except for Baby Proof and this was my favorite! Such a great storyline and characters you can't help but love. I highly recommend this one.

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Apr 14, 2013 Devika Koppikar rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I came upon the Audiobook of Emily Giffin’s Where We Belong, I had to check it out. I love Giffin’s stories. And, in my long commutes, it’s a nice escape from the frustrations of real life.
I would say that this is my second favorite Giffin book as it shows a humbling or a transformation of the main characters (The first being Baby Proof, whose characters Claudia and Jesse show up as friends of Marian in this book. BTW, Baby Proof fans would be glad to know that Claudia did end up having a c...more When I came upon the Audiobook of Emily Giffin’s Where We Belong, I had to check it out. I love Giffin’s stories. And, in my long commutes, it’s a nice escape from the frustrations of real life.
I would say that this is my second favorite Giffin book as it shows a humbling or a transformation of the main characters (The first being Baby Proof, whose characters Claudia and Jesse show up as friends of Marian in this book. BTW, Baby Proof fans would be glad to know that Claudia did end up having a child with Ben!).

Back to Where We Belong, I was inspired by how Marian faced the truth and “came clean” about her “discreet” pregnancy and childbirth 18 years ago. She’s described as a little bit of a snob, and this is played out well in her behavior toward both Kirby at first and her determination in her early years to never marry or take Conrad seriously. I also liked how Kirby, in the end, decided that the family who adopted her and raised her were her true family – another instance of character growth.

Nevertheless, I still wanted Marian and Peter to get married. She did work hard and deserved a future with someone from her background, after giving her past closure. Perhaps in a future novel, we’ll see that. And, toward the end, when she called off the engagement, I crossed my fingers that she wouldn’t bequeath it all to be with Conrad. While there was nothing blatantly wrong about him, he didn’t seemed as driven and focused as Marian. After Kirby’s graduation, it looked liked she was willing to do this, but it was Conrad that walked away—an ideal end to the story.
Some things I didn’t like about this book: I wasn’t too fond of the “Kirby” chapters, and at times, it went into too much detail or tangents. There were also tangents with the Marian chapters, for example, when she went into detail about some actors quitting her show. Also, some chapters were too sexually graphic, something I wasn’t too fond of.

It’s worth another read, though!
(less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Genevieve rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've always loved Emily Giffin's books since her debut novel Something Borrowed. Her writing style is full of poise and she dares to explore issues that are real and sometimes extremely hard to tackle. I was hesitant when Where We Belong came out. Suddenly, I wasn't sure if I liked the heroine very much - teenage pregnancy and all. But, once I started, I couldn't stop. The book got better and better progressively and the highlight was probably when Marian saw Kirby and Conrad together in the bar...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Edith Ray rated it 5 of 5 stars

A sensitive, beautiful story and the experiences of a young adopted girl. She feels like she is outside of her adopted family. One day she over hears her parents talk about her birth mother that they knew very little about her and perhaps the girls willfulness is a result of the birth mother. Kirby decides that when she turns 18, she is going to find her birth mother. What she finds is a very professional woman in the film making industry.
The mother had never told the boy friend the truth and he...more

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Feb 27, 2013 LaurieH118 rated it 5 of 5 stars

"There ain't no good guy, there ain't no bad guy ..." That's the lyric of an old song I used to hear from a juke box back in the day, and it kept going through my head as I read the story of Marian and Kirby. Each is doing the best she can in a truly momentous situation. Neither mother nor daughter is all good or all bad, just believably overwhelmed and human.I've never known anyone who gave her baby away (at least I don't think I have) and I've never been close to anyone who was adopted. And ye...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Where We Belong entails a mother and her adopted daughter who finds her when she turns 18. Marian, the birth mother, is from a wealthy family and has hid this secret from everyone but her mother for 18 years. She never told the birth father. Marian has a seemingly-perfect life, complete with an upscale New York penthouse apartment, a television producer career, and a rich, older boyfriend. Her only problem is wanting her boyfriend to commit to marriage.

Kirby, the adopted daughter, was raised by...more Where We Belong entails a mother and her adopted daughter who finds her when she turns 18. Marian, the birth mother, is from a wealthy family and has hid this secret from everyone but her mother for 18 years. She never told the birth father. Marian has a seemingly-perfect life, complete with an upscale New York penthouse apartment, a television producer career, and a rich, older boyfriend. Her only problem is wanting her boyfriend to commit to marriage.

Kirby, the adopted daughter, was raised by her middle-class conservative family in St. Louis. Being moody, uninterested in high school or college, and a lover of music and the drums she's played since a child has left her feeling out of place. Her younger sister is the "perfect" child. She sets out to find her birth mother to prove a point to her family.

Along the way, you get the story of Marian and Conrad (the birth father)'s wild, fast, and emotional young love story. Marian and Kirby slowly feel out a relationship. This is pretty realistic. Marian, at first being unsure how Kirby will fit into her life. Kirby, wishing Marian was a little bit less materialistic and less ashamed of her past. Kirby has some resentment towards Marian, especially for never telling her birth father about her.

They eventually find Conrad, and Kirby begins to make her own decisions that will begin the next phase in her life. You get the typical story of adoptive family meeting birth family, and hurt and awkwardness that comes with that. It is obvious throughout Marian's references in the story that she is meant to be with Conrad, or that he was at least her one true love.

My complaints about this book was the dialogue. Kirby is made out to be a tough little girl, who harshly cusses all the time. It didn't offend me, but it was almost awkward to read. It seemed like too much. Her friend, Bellinda, started out seeming like your normal side-kick. However, she randomly changed to a wild and crazy, not to mention provocative friend. Conrad didn't seem developed enough as a character, and his instant bond and calling Kirby "drummer girl" seemed a little awkward or out of place. Marian's constant longing and thoughts for a man from 18 years ago seemed like a bit much as well.

I think overall, it was as if the characters weren't as developed as I would have liked them to be. You saw a lot of what they did, but you didn't always get the background details you would have liked.

Conrad should have been in the story more. You see him at the beginning, and then not again until nearly the last section of the book. My main complaint is that it seems as if his story with Marian and Kirby was just beginning. I would have liked more development in that area, and less dwelling (over and over again) about Marian's work and boyfriend drama. I feel like I didn't get to spend enough time with these characters, even though that seemed to be the whole point of the book. You get way too much of Marian randomly taking Kirby to sight-see all over New York, etc. to prove the point that she avoids the topic of Conrad and conflict. There should have been so much more about meeting Conrad, meeting Marian's parents, and developing a relationship with Marian. And yet there is so much in between all this that those things seem rushed at the end.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was a quick read, Emily Giffin is a good writer, and the emotions were real. I would recommend this for the beach or a day off when you want to get caught up in drama and not think too much. It just truly leaves me hoping for a SEQUEL so I spend more time with these characters again. (less)

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Feb 04, 2013 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I LOVED this novel! It was my first introduction to Emily Griffin and I may read more. I found Kirby to be so relatable. Maybe because I saw myself in her when I was a senior in high school. She marched to the beat of her own drum, had one friend, and she was so good that was all she needed. While she may look put together and know what she wants on the outside, she is stil trying to find out who she is on the inside so (unlike me) she goes in search of her birth mother. Her birth mother is tryi...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Marian appears to have it all together. Living in NYC with her own TV show and a relationship that she is happy with. One evening after a rare fight with her boyfriend she comes home to find Kirby on her door step.
Kirby adopted has never really felt like she fit in with her family. At 18 she takes the opportunity to learn who her birth Mother is. Without telling her family, she leaves to find the family where maybe she belongs. But, things aren't always as easy as they might seem they could be a...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Where We Belong by Emily Giffin was the November book for the FLICKS Book and Movie Club. Sadly, there was a backup of holds on the library system and I did not get it until after Book Club as did half of the other members. Hopefully we’ll be able to have a meaningful discussion in December about it.

I loved this book. Giffin’s work is mostly classified as “chick lit,” and light and fluffy. There was nothing light and fluffy about this novel, which packed an emotional wallop. Marian Caldwell is a...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Emily Giffin’s Where We Belong is a highly entertaining novel whose central theme is the serious question of adoption. When Kirby Rose turns eighteen, she decides to find her birth mother. And she is shocked to discover Marian Caldwell is a highly successful television producer, living in New York. Kirby has been raised by a loving Catholic family in the suburbs of Chicago.

Marian is surprised by Kirby’s visit and full of conflicting emotions. She is happy to see what a charming young woman he...more Emily Giffin’s Where We Belong is a highly entertaining novel whose central theme is the serious question of adoption. When Kirby Rose turns eighteen, she decides to find her birth mother. And she is shocked to discover Marian Caldwell is a highly successful television producer, living in New York. Kirby has been raised by a loving Catholic family in the suburbs of Chicago.

Marian is surprised by Kirby’s visit and full of conflicting emotions. She is happy to see what a charming young woman her daughter has grown up to be and grateful to the Rose family who raised her. Yet she is sad for the years she missed with Kirby and the inevitable differences in their lives that now separate them. And Marian is also upset about the effect of having to tell her highly successful boyfriend, boss, and network executive, Peter Standish, about Kirby.

Ms.Giffin does an excellent job of capturing the positive and negative emotions each character brings to the subject of Kirby’s adoption. There is no black and white here. Kirby is excited to meet Marion, but highly aware of her loyalty to the mother and father who raised her. Her mother Lynn and her father Art Rose understand Kirby’s desire to meet Marion; but because they are only human, they also experience pangs of jealousy over Kirby’s excitement at discovering her roots.

Finally, the novel addresses the important question of Kirby’s birth father, Conrad Knight. Marion lied to Conrad about her pregnancy; and while he is delighted to meet Kirby, who shares his talent and passion for music, he is rightfully angry with Marion, who never told him about the existence of his only child.

The interplay of the families involved - Marion and her mother and father and Peter Standish, Kirby and her mother, father, and sister, and Conrad Knight - is highly entertaining and realistic. And Marion’s transformation by her decision to tell Conrad the truth leaves room for yet another novel about these lovable and interesting families. I would love to read more about them.

I really enjoyed Where We Belong.(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Lindsay rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've really loved the other Emily Giffin books that I've read, but this one I have some issues with. It was still well-written, and parts of it were engaging, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars. I especially enjoyed how the book flipped between Marian and Kirby's perspectives.

First off, it doesn't really have an ending. I hope this is because there's a sequel coming. If not, then it's just weird, and you're left thinking, "Ok...?" when you finish the book.

****SPOILERS AHEAD!****

(view spoiler)...more I've really loved the other Emily Giffin books that I've read, but this one I have some issues with. It was still well-written, and parts of it were engaging, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars. I especially enjoyed how the book flipped between Marian and Kirby's perspectives.

First off, it doesn't really have an ending. I hope this is because there's a sequel coming. If not, then it's just weird, and you're left thinking, "Ok...?" when you finish the book.

****SPOILERS AHEAD!****

(view spoiler)[Second, I had a really hard time relating to Kirby. It's not because she's adopted. It's because I really didn't know how to relate to a character who didn't fit in, who didn't really have any friends, and who really didn't care about school or anything. Even music, which she's good at and has a genuine liking for, wasn't enough to bring her out of her shell. (Perform? Sing when people are around? Never!) It's like she just didn't want to try anything. I guess it was interesting to read about a character like that, because it's so foreign to my makeup, but I really just wanted to shake her and say, "Get over it!" so she would do something with her talent and her passion for music.

Third (and related to #2), I thought it was very trite that it's not until Kirby meets Conrad that she can finally feel good about performing onstage and consider going to college and doing something with her life. It really wasn't presented that she was missing part of herself, but yet it's like she finally finds it, and everything's magically ok. She finally fits in with her family, she finally has a boyfriend, and hey, now she has this awesome birth dad and maybe not such a bad birth mom, etc. Maybe the point of the book is that she wasn't really supposed to know that she was missing something until she found it, but I don't know, I just felt like it either took too long to get there, or it was out of place. And it was way too cliche of an adoption story, that's for sure.

Fourth, Marian's character felt really rather wooden and flat and two-dimensional until she talks with her father in Chicago. The best chapter until you get up to that scene is the flashback to July 1995, again where Conrad is. It's almost like the book doesn't really start being interesting or fun until Conrad makes his appearance, and that took way too long to happen.

Additionally, Marian was 'unreal' to me, because she seems flabbergasted that anyone would criticize her for not telling Conrad about their baby. It's like, you really didn't think anyone would have a problem with that?! I mean, the problem isn't that you had a baby and gave it up for adoption and didn't tell people. That happens all the time. It happened within my own family. (Not to delve too deep into it, but my grandmother gave up my aunt, my mom's full-blooded sister, for adoption in the 50s, and she just found us recently. My grandmother never told us about it, either). But the crazy thing in this story is that Marian doesn't get why people are calling her out for it, but then flips it around and gets "self-righteous" with her own mother for saying Conrad didn't need to know. Again, maybe this is attributable to her delayed development for 18 years, but STILL.

Fifth, there were some really obvious editorial errors that should never have gone to print. One, which Giffin does mention in the forward, is that Kirby can't be 18 yet if she was conceived in July 1995 and born on April 1, 1996. Two, if Kirby's taking precalculus, she wouldn't be learning about derivatives, and so Conrad's whole conversation about second derivatives/fast cars/it's really useless after all doesn't fit. That second point might be nitpicky, but it's an editor's job to be nitpicky, and it's an example of laziness.

Sixth, Marian's breakup with Peter felt kind of out of place with me. Seeing Conrad obviously stirred up issue for Marian, issues she didn't deal with for eighteen years, but it's not until her friend persists in saying that Marian still has a thing for Conrad that it even becomes obvious that Marian would break up with Peter. Instead, for the previous 2/3 of the book, Marian is worried that Peter's going to leave her, and the book even started with Marian wanting to marry Peter when he wasn't pushing the issue. Perhaps this also has to do with the slow pace of the book, but it was just weird overall.
(hide spoiler)]

So, there's my rant. Obviously I have mixed feelings about this book, but I'll still keep reading Emily Giffin, so who knows what it's worth.(less)

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Nov 18, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adoption

Although the book was a page turner, and it explored some important adoption themes, I found other parts of the plot troubling. The author presents several unrealistic aspects of adoption issues that concerned me.

For example, it's far too easy for the adopted child (just turned 18) to find her birth parents. And while the author tries to show some of the complexity in her birth mom's reaction, these issues are resolved too quickly. In addition, the ease with which she connects with her birth da...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Elle Lothlorien rated it 4 of 5 stars

Giffin, the go-to writer for emotional issues that face modern career women, offers kind of a PhD in chick-lit: not the 'finding the right purse to go with these shoes' conundrums, but 'what life really boils down when fate throws you a zinger'. In this case, successful sit-com producer Marian Caldwell gets the kind of shock she usually reserves for her characters, when a late-night knock at the door reveals the child she gave up for adoption eighteen years before.

Watching Marian, who is proud o...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Courtney rated it 1 of 5 stars

Baby Proof was a really good book, so I keep reading Giffin's books hoping that another one will come close. I vowed no more after the last "someone cheated, was going to cheat, was forced to cheat" book, but as this one was not about cheating - I relented.

It truly astounds me when authors make throwaway comments in their books that add no value or context, but offend part of the audience. In my case, I did not need to see the term "Hoosier" being used as derogatory. Just didn't. Even if it is p...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Jennefer rated it 4 of 5 stars

In her latest novel, Where We Belong, Emily Giffin examines how the choices we make in life can & will change us forever. The most important lesson that I took away with me from this novel was no matter what decisions you make in life it is just never too late to make things right. I enjoyed this book very much but found the ending to be completely lacking and a bit disappointing. The only way I will be happy is if the ending is due to a sequel!

The main character, Marian, seems to have it al...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Gail rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not sure I ever would have picked up an Emily Giffin book had it not been for this being the September book club pick for my Muncie book club. Prior to now, her work was lumped on that pastel-hued shelf of chick lit authors I'd pass up in favor of other (what I considered smarter) reads on the bookshelf.

For what it's worth, I DID find myself getting sucked into the story: Marian, a 30-something NYC TV producer who has to deal with a knock on the door one night and the presence of a stranger...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this, ripped through it pretty quickly - it was well-written and entertaining.

Despite my enjoyment I shall now proceed to nitpick, whee!

1. The novel was told in the present tense, but peppered with flashbacks, told in the past tense. This is a bad idea - even if you do get it spot on (and I noticed a few times where it didn't) it always seems jarring. But it was mainly only in issue in about the first third of the book, where most of the flashbacks happened.

2. The author used the word...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Wendy Burks rated it 5 of 5 stars

My friend, daughter and I attended Emily Giffin's Pasadena book signing bringing her personalized cupcakes topped with fondant miniatures of all her books. It was a great time, and EG discussed the book, along with the fact that she wanted to explore secrets, and what keeping them does to them secret's keeper, as well as the people around them, but she didn’t want the secret to be a criminal one, so she chose a young mother putting up her baby for adoption. In the story, the baby grows to be 18...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Cindy Crawford rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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About Emily Giffin

Emily Giffin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After practicing litigation at a Manhattan firm for several years, she moved to London to write full time. The author of six New York Times bestselling novels, she now lives in Atlanta with her husband and three young children.

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