Something Borrowed

by Emily Giffin

book data

19,142 ratings, 3.77 average rating, 3,062 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		27%
4		36%
3		24%
2		6%
1		4%

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published

April 1st 2005 (first published 2004) by St. Martin's Griffin

binding

Paperback, 323 pages

setting

The United States

isbn

0312321198 (isbn13: 9780312321192)

description

The New York Times bestselling novel about a woman who falls in love with a man she shouldn't - "You don't have to lust after your best friend's ...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 26,135)

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08/15/07

Bonnie rated it:

Read in October, 2006

recommends it for: all my gal pals

I loved this book and have passed it on to other friends! Thanks to Kristi for turning me on to this author.

This is one of the best chick-lit books ever. The follow-up "Something Blue" was almost as good. The story focuses on two lifelong best friends, Rachel and Darcy. The first installment is told from Rachel's perspective; the second book is told from Darcy's perspective. Very clever.

Rachel is the single, plain, thirtysomething, always a responsible good gir...more

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02/15/08

Sarah rated it:

recommends it for: Women on vacation who want a quick, predictable read

So here's my take on Something Borrowed, and "Chic-lit" in general - it's satisfying in the way watching an episode of The Hills is satisfying. You know EXACTLY what's going to happen from the first lines of the first chapter (which i guess can be nice since it makes you feel smart and gives a general sense of superiority); the characters are predictable, with a "heroine" that's just likable enough to continue reading but who you generally dislike/never fully sympathize with;...more

Like this review? yes (9 people liked it)

2 comments

12/24/07

Winna rated it:

bookshelves: chicklits

Read in December, 2007

I read this book in two sittings. I know it is a little controversial: some people adore Rachel for 'stealing' her best friend Darcy's fiance. And some others think it is just immoral.

Here goes my opinion. Rachel, who is a passive thirty years old woman, has lived in Darcy's shadow all her life. Darcy stole her first love Ethan (who now becomes Rach's best friend), her Notre Dame acceptance, her pride and even Rachel's own mother's sympathy. Darcy is not that evil, actually, she is s...more

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10/20/07

Alison rated it:

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in January, 2008

recommended to Alison by: Ladi

Well, this was my first, and now probably last, foray into "chick-lit." I found the characters to be totally unbelieveable. A "consummate good-girl" would never have an affair with her best friend's fiancee, despite Darcy's shortcomings as a friend. Some feel Rachel's behavior was justified because of Darcy's litany of slights, pulled from as far back as 5th grade. However that Rachel remained Darcy's friend in spite of her bitchiness, just proves Rachel's own weakness of c...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

3 comments

05/27/08

Kelly rated it:

bookshelves: chick-lit

Read in May, 2008

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

Like this review? yes (5 people liked it)

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07/02/07

katie rated it:

bookshelves: chicklit, read_07

Read in July, 2007

It wasn't bad as chicklit goes, but I don't know how sympathetic I can be to characters who are betraying their fiancees and best friends. Plus, in order to make the cheating something "okay," a lot of energy is put into making Darcy really off-putting and Rachel really kind of pathetic. I liked Hilary and Ethan a lot (though in all other chick lit books Ethan would have been either gay or the guy Rachel actually ended up with), but the central relationships just left me cold.

...more

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06/12/07

Kimmydeedoo rated it:

(review of isbn 031232118X)

bookshelves: chick_lit

Read in April, 2005

recommends it for: chick lit with heart lovers

This is my absolute favourite in chick lit. The characters are very well written and real. And you can't help but to feel for the main girl. She may be sleeping with her best friend's fiancé. But that doesn't mean that she's completely cruel and doesn't deserve the other girl's friendship. Or your own. The way the author retells the girl's background. How they interacted as they grew up. And how one always used the other as a measuring stick for everything she did back then and still does. You ...more

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05/20/09

S. rated it:

Read in May, 2009

This is a predictable read. I probably would have liked it more when I was younger. I have less patience for the characters behavior now. It's a quick read.

Rachel lives in the shadow of her best friend Darcy and has a pretty weak personality so far. She seems to resent her friend and yet, they both take each other for granted. Rachel doesn't seem to have confidence in herself and reacts to situations instead of acting on what she wants. Dex, Mr. Perfect, is also pretty weak. Why did...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

3 comments

09/09/07

Bree rated it:

bookshelves: 2000-2005, chick-lit

Read in July, 2008

Unlike a lot of "chick-lit", this one was semi-believable and I actually liked the main character (Rachel). She was a smart girl, not all obsessed with shopping and spending money...she just seemed like a normal person, someone I might hang out with. Darcy, on the other hand...irritated me SO bad (probably because the story was written from Rachel's point-of-view and you could see as the story went on how badly she was treated by Darcy). I liked that it got into the plot immediately...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

2 comments

06/05/09

Brownie rated it:

Read in June, 2009

Let me start by saying that I will always remember this book, because I won it on goodreads. Yeah!

This book starts out with a story of a ten year old girl name Rachel, who moves to a cul de sac and becomes best friends with Darcy, the girl next door. Their friendship is built on sleepovers,phone calls, boys, and all the things that girls do together. One day while looking at a perpetual calendar, Rachel wondered what day her thirtieth birthday would fall on. She was happy that it fe...more Let me start by saying that I will always remember this book, because I won it on goodreads. Yeah!

This book starts out with a story of a ten year old girl name Rachel, who moves to a cul de sac and becomes best friends with Darcy, the girl next door. Their friendship is built on sleepovers,phone calls, boys, and all the things that girls do together. One day while looking at a perpetual calendar, Rachel wondered what day her thirtieth birthday would fall on. She was happy that it fell on a Sunday. She told Darcy of her dream of being a lawyer, having a husband and two children. And being swept away by her husband on Saturday night for her birthday getaway. Darcy's who birthday fell on a Monday, just said " You know Rachel, who cares what day of the week we turn thirty on, we'll both be old by then. and birthdays don't matter when you get old." At the time Rachel just brushed it off and agreed with Darcy. Why? Because Darcy was the status quo. Darcy was always the lucky one. Her tan was always better,she didn't need braces,her hair was beautiful,and she always had the expensive,trendy clothes. With all of that going on, she didn't have problems getting the boys either. This is the state of their friendship for many years. Now Rachel is about to turn thiry and she remembers her fantasy. She is a lawyer, she has no children and no husband. But Darcy, who is throwing her a birthday party is engaged to Dex. Rachel meets Dex while she's in law school. He is everything she wants in a guy, but thinks that she isn't special enough so she introduces Dex to Darcy and now after seven years they are getting married in a couple of months. After a night of partying and drinking Darcy gets really wasted and Dex takes her home. Darcy forgets her purse at the party and Dex goes back to get it. Seeing everyone still having a good time he stays. Next thing you know he is in the elevator with Rachel going up to her apartment alone.
After her birthday night with Dex, Rachel has alot of decisions to make. Who is worthy of her love and friendship Darcy or Dex?
I love the twist and turns that e.giffin took me on emotionally. This is a great book to read at the beach or a car ride out to the Hamptons!(less)

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09/06/07

Allison rated it:

recommends it for: Chick Lit Lovers

You WANT to hate the main character - I mean, she's not only hooking up with an engaged man, but it's her best friend's fiance - but, Griffin did an amazing job of making Rachel someone you rooted for. So, congrats on that!

This was a great beach read. Quick and quirky.

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

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06/18/08

Maren rated it:

Read in June, 2008

Ok, so this book was EXTREMELY out of character for me to read. I'm usually such a jerk about "chick lit" books - I even find the genre's title to be insulting to women somehow - and I almost never read them. But there's something about just having graduated and having spent the whole year reading 17th Century drama and political tracts that just makes me much more open minded to reading something fun and easy and enjoyable. (You don't even want to know what kind of TV this attitude ha...more Ok, so this book was EXTREMELY out of character for me to read. I'm usually such a jerk about "chick lit" books - I even find the genre's title to be insulting to women somehow - and I almost never read them. But there's something about just having graduated and having spent the whole year reading 17th Century drama and political tracts that just makes me much more open minded to reading something fun and easy and enjoyable. (You don't even want to know what kind of TV this attitude has me watching).

So I picked up "Something Borrowed" because it seemed like a lot of people were enjoying it and it's sort of a big deal right now but honestly was really let down, even with low expectations. The story is basically about a lawyer in New York City (who still lives in a studio, albeit on the Upper West Side, which is definitely surprising considering the average salary of most NYC lawyers) who falls for her best girl friend's fiancé (whom she knew first at law school). The story basically follows their initial drunken night together and how they deal with it and whether they get together or not.

So this is basic "chick lit" stuff but it definitely fell flat. It's a super quick read mostly because not much happens. There are no other plotlines other than their "affair" and I spent the entire book rooting for the protagonist and wishing she would just forget her awful best friend and run away with her fiancé sooner rather than later. The best friend is described as self-involved, shallow and generally manipulative and obnoxious so you have absolutely no sympathy for her (other than some half-hearted attempts on the part of the author to make all those terrible traits seem like an understandable result of the friend's insecurities).

Since the book is now part of a trilogy, it makes sense that the ending is as unresolved as it is, but if you're not planning on reading the others, it only makes the book feel unresolved and uninteresting. The writing was intelligent enough but not snappy or compelling and I mostly felt like I knew everything that was going to happen next and wasn't even enjoying the ride.

So, it's "ok" but I was really struggling to give it that second star. (less)

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

1 comment

04/27/08

Brina rated it:

bookshelves: recently-read

Read in April, 2008

This is borderline chick lit. The writing is almost bland, quite traditional. The texture so commonly used in chick lit is not applied here, and the heroine, at the ripe old age of thirty, is older than most chick lit protagonists.

Still, it's a book about a young urban career woman who is looking for love. Which, in modern times, means it's chick lit (unless there is an egregious mention of throbbing appendages).

Griffin is a decent writer, and she crafts a heart-wrenching...more

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01/31/08

Lily added it

I would seriously have to give this book 0 stars. I am fan of light-hearted chick lit as much as the next person...but for real, their 'song' in the book is 'thunder road.'

i found this book aggravating, the character pathetic and way way too passive - she does even make a move for the guy she wants, she waits for him to come to her, and the plot dull. the only exciting part was her shallow friend. and if you dislike a person that much why are you hanging around with them for 25 year...more

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11/18/07

liz rated it:

bookshelves: fun-slash-junk

Read in January, 2008

Chick-lit, but I loved it! I really, really loved it! I couldn't put it down! (which was perfect when I had my sick brain). Rachel and Darcy have been best friends since elementary school, and now as successful adults they live on opposite sides of Central Park. The book starts at the beginning of the summer; at the end of the summer, Darcy will be getting married to Dex, Rachel's closest friend from law school (she introduced the two). For all of their lives, Darcy has been beautiful and t...more

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07/27/07

Bonnie Gayle rated it:

(review of isbn 031232118X)

bookshelves: girlie-fiction, library-books, reviewed, series-in-progress

Read in September, 2007

recommends it for: fans of modern, Sex in the City style romances

I read this book because it had good blurbs from Meg Cabot, and the author of The Devil Wears Prada. It ended up being a good read, but I very much disagreed with several of the things the main character says and does.
Within the first 15 pages, Rachel sleeps with the fiance of her best friend since High School, Darcy. Things get more complicated when the 2 of them start falling in love with each other.
Darcy and Rachel have had what you would call a toxic friendship. No matter what R...more I read this book because it had good blurbs from Meg Cabot, and the author of The Devil Wears Prada. It ended up being a good read, but I very much disagreed with several of the things the main character says and does.
Within the first 15 pages, Rachel sleeps with the fiance of her best friend since High School, Darcy. Things get more complicated when the 2 of them start falling in love with each other.
Darcy and Rachel have had what you would call a toxic friendship. No matter what Rachel does, Darcy has to one-up her. This is the reason she uses to justify sleeping with Dex, Darcy's fiance. I mean she brings up slights Darcy had done to her in junior high. Sure, Darcy is a bad friend, but stop being friends with her, don't use it as a justification to sleep with her fiance.
There's a line in the book that particulary bugged me (very paraphrased): "With the exception of Kristi, the rare perky cheerleader who was also good in math and science, none of the women at the party had done well in high school, but their mediocrity didn't matter now that they were just wives and mothers." I read that and was like, 'excuse me?!?'
My library's copy also had not been edited well, and was missing many commas.
Also, books told in present tense usually really bug me, but I didn't even notice this book was in present tense until chapter 21!
I have a hard time giving a book with a main character that I can't see eye-to-eye with a great rating, even though, really, it doesn't make the book a bad book. Still, I wish I could give the book 3.5 stars, because as a piece of escapist modern romantic fiction, it was an enjoyable read, in a way that made it akin to Sex in the City. There was some good humor in it, especially the way she justifies her choices to an imaginary jury throughout the book, because she is a lawyer. Also, all of the characters were very believably written, and you could see these characters being real people, flaws and all.
In time, I'll probably bump the score up to a 4, but right now I feel like my enjoyment of it was dampened by a main character who I couldn't identify with her choices.
There is a sequel to this book, called Something Blue, and Darcy is the main character. I found her highly unlikable in this book (more even than Rachel) but I think I'll at least give it a try.(less)

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05/10/08

Traci rated it:

bookshelves: guilty-pleasures

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in June, 2007

I only acknowledge that I read this book so I can say how much I hated it. The two main characters are completely unlikable, one for being completely self-absorbed and selfish, and the other for being so spineless and whiny. So spineless, in fact, that the action of her sleeping with her friend's fiancé wasn't even a credible one. The further I got into it, the more I was disgusted with it. I also found it very difficult to believe that at 30, the two characters would continue to be friends. Us...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

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07/15/08

Caitlin rated it:

Read in July, 2008

This is a book about a girl who sleeps with her best friend's fiance. And - I am not kidding - I was given this book as an engagement gift by my best friend... who claims she didn't know what it was about when she gave it to me (likely story!).
Anyway, I really liked this book. I found myself flying through the pages - desperate to find out what would happen next!
I really liked the narrator and found myself rooting for her, even though I know its probably wrong too (what kind of a...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

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07/19/07

Megan rated it:

Read in June, 2007

recommends it for: people obsessed with their bestfriend's significant other.

I read this book for my bookclub, which is comprised of a group of courthouse ladies and mostly focuses on margaritas and baby photos. I love it. We don't often actually read books and it's even more seldom that we discuss them. However, this book I wanted to discuss. It's disturbing! I thought it would be refreshingly vapid mainstream chick lit, but the whole book is centered around the heroine having an affair with her bestfriend's fiancee. And the book is written in such a manner that you are...more

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07/28/07

Amy rated it:

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in June, 2007

recommends it for: my girlfriends

Although not something that would win me any props with my former academic book hounds, it was fairly good as far as chic lit goes. I have to say, though, that Darcy is one of the worst specimens of woman-hood that I've ever run across...and that is saying a lot. Rachel is the typical hero in a chic lit book--the girl you are cheering for because she is a lot like the average woman. Darcy, on the other hand, is a raging wench that reminds you of that one untouchable that you knew or thought y...more

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"It's like Brad Pitt for us. You might not like blond men with pretty features, but c'mon, it's Brad. You're not going to kick him out of bed for eating crackers." More quotes...