Emily and Einstein

Mar 05, 2013 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I won this Book through Goodreads First Reads.

I LOVED, LOVED LOVED this book. What took so long to read it is beyond me. Once I started reading I couldn't hardly wait until the next day to read it.
Now on to the book. The book was WONDERFUL. The dog was humorous and I laughed out loud a lot. Before Sandy became a dog he had made a lot of mistakes in his marriage to Emily. That was the sad part of the story.
The book is highly recommended to those that want humor in their life.
Sandy does learn a l...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Cassie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

On his way to meet his wife for dinner and ask for a divorce, Alexander "Sandy" Portman is killed in a car accident. As penance for his snobby, rude, malicious and disdainful personality when he was alive, a higher power places Sandy in the body of a little ugly dog name Einstein. His mission: save his widowed wife, Emily, from herself. If he succeeds, he will get what he always wanted: he will be great. If he fails, he will fade away to nothing. But this task is complicated by the sudden entran...more On his way to meet his wife for dinner and ask for a divorce, Alexander "Sandy" Portman is killed in a car accident. As penance for his snobby, rude, malicious and disdainful personality when he was alive, a higher power places Sandy in the body of a little ugly dog name Einstein. His mission: save his widowed wife, Emily, from herself. If he succeeds, he will get what he always wanted: he will be great. If he fails, he will fade away to nothing. But this task is complicated by the sudden entrance of his unruly and irresponsible sister-in-law, his determined mother trying to evict Emily from their apartment, her job as an editor jeopardized on more than one occasion, and the realization that she is living all his dreams that he never could accomplish. Can Sandy as Einstein overcome his selfish ways and help his grieving wife? Or will his stubborn and childish attitude keep him from seeing the truth? This is a journey into the life of two very different people as they discover who they really are in the wake of a tragedy.

I read this book fairly quickly. It started off a little slow at first then picked up pace and then slowed in the middle before finally finishing strong. Some of the story line and the characters were unrealistic but the story is entertaining nonetheless. I thought that it was a reasonable punishment for Sandy to be forced to help his wife. He had begun to dislike her and it seemed fitting that the very person that he directed much of his unprovoked anger toward, he had to help. Talk about karma. I liked how Sandy's self centered,I'm-STILL-in-charge-even-though-I'm-dead attitude stayed the same at the beginning. But then he has a few epiphanies about his situation that seemed really out of character. It would have made sense if they were gradual realizations. I also liked that Sandy/Einstein was a near perfect foil for Emily's character who was extremely kind and almost had an innocence about her. She is relentless and strong where Sandy was scared and weak. While he tried to hurt her, she lived to love him. She was brave in the face of Sandy's death where he denied it and mourned his new furry face. As for the ending, it wrapped up neatly although I'm not all convinced that Sandy would have done a complete one-eighty. Then again they say tragic events can by life altering. It would have been nice to see some more of Max, that sexy and sweet ex navy SEAL. All in all the story was really cute but lacked comic relief. There wasn't any suspense or action. It was a simple, quiet, easy read.(less)

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Mar 25, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-edition

3 1/2 stars. Sandy, Emily's selfish, rich, and unlikeable husband, get smooshed to death early in the book, the result of a little, ugly, old dog running into the street near him. The rather cranky Old Man gives him a chance to redeem himself by coming back as a dog, Einstein, and making up for his human shortcomings. Softhearted Emily adopts Einstein, thinking he is just an injured stray who needs a home.

Sandy is a really slow learner. Even as a dog, he is selfish and manipulative, and cares fo...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Sue rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals

Finally -- a book for any woman married to a dog of a two-timing husband who just wishes he would turn into ... uh, well ... a dog! Emily is a young widow in New York City who discovers in quick succession that a) she is about to lose her apartment in the famed Dakota building (of John Lennon fame), in part because b) her late husband was a scum-bag, a fact she unfortunately discovers too late, and c)the scruffy pet dog she adopted upon the death of her husband has, at times, surprisingly human...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Doug rated it 4 of 5 stars

Some books, like some people you are instantly drawn to for some inexplicable reason, this was the case with emily & einstein. Maybe it was the mood I was in, or maybe it was the dog on the book jacket that looked like my dog, or perhaps it was the caption under the book title "a book of second chances" that caused me to pick it up, but whatever the reason I bought it. I had no knowledge about the storyline or the author and as I started to read I thought perhaps I had bought a book that had...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Barb Klein rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I started “Emily and Einstein” I was a little apprehensive about reading a dog story. However, after I read the first chapter, I was hooked. This is a story about a marriage more than a story about a dog. It’s the story of a very self-absorbed rich man, Sandy, and a trusting, lovely girl, Emily, who has given her heart to him. They have only been married for four years. On the way to meet Emily for dinner, Sandy is killed in an accident. I thought that this would be the basis of the story,...more

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Feb 28, 2012 K rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, humor, romance

As it says in the front inside cover “He was a man who didn’t deserve a second chance. But he needed one …” Yes, this is a book about second chances, in this case through reincarnation as a dog. Before you decide not to go any further the book does a good job of handling the subject of being given a second chance to do the right thing while throwing in a little romance (which would be expected from the author of The Devil in the Junior League and The Ex-Debutante besides other romance novels).

Wh...more As it says in the front inside cover “He was a man who didn’t deserve a second chance. But he needed one …” Yes, this is a book about second chances, in this case through reincarnation as a dog. Before you decide not to go any further the book does a good job of handling the subject of being given a second chance to do the right thing while throwing in a little romance (which would be expected from the author of The Devil in the Junior League and The Ex-Debutante besides other romance novels).

While there are many characters floating in and out of the book there are really only two main characters. The first one we meet is attractive, rich, charming but also shallow Sandy Portman who works in his father’s NYC law firm. He is from the very old and wealthy Vandermeer Regal Portman family which his mother, Althea Portman, will not let anyone forget. The other main character is 32-year old Emily, the first of two daughters of Lillian Barlow who was a long-ago renowned women’s militant. Sandy and Emily met five years ago and married against his mother’s objections. They moved into the old, large, expensive Portman-owned Dakota apartment (think John Lennon, Judy Garland, Leonard Bernstein, etc.). The first two years went well but then Sandy began to get “bored” with his marriage (as he did of many things) and he had a number of affairs.

We start the story with Sandy traveling in a snow storm to the Upper West Side Animal Clinic to meet Emily (a volunteer at the Clinic), take her to dinner and tell her he wants a divorce after four years of marriage. Getting out of the car he is killed by a sliding taxi that had swerved to miss a small ugly white dog. An old man/angel appears to guide a denying Sandy who just can’t accept all that is happening. Sandy gets the old man to agree to give him a second chance– and the next moment Sandy wakes up as an old small ugly white dog at the Animal Clinic recovering from terrible injuries. And it is Emily, still trying to adjust to her husband’s death, who comes to the dog’s rescue by paying for his medical bills and in the end adopting him and calling him Einstein.

There are several storylines that are entwined throughout the book. First is Emily trying desperately to hold onto the apartment that Althea Portman wants to take back (Sandy, of course, never did what he promised which was to put Emily on the deed). Another storyline involves Emily’s job at Caldecote Press as a senior editor. A book that Emily has been shepherding and believes will be well received (Ruth’s Intention) is “stolen” by Victoria Wentworth, another senior editor at Caldecote. And Tatiana Harriman, the new President of Caldecote Press, feels Emily isn’t stepping up to her job. The third storyline involves Emily’s 23-year old sister, Jordan. A carefree and “wild” Jordan has suddenly shown up on Emily’s doorstep proposing to write a book about their mother that would be titled “My Mother’s Daughter”. Of course this news has Emily trying to understand who their mother really was and how it affected them as they grew up. The last storyline has handsome, smart Max Reager, a 27-year old ex-Navy Seal living in his family’s Dakota apartment, becoming a possible romantic interest.

The chapters alternate between Sandy/Einstein and Emily as he reluctantly tries to assist Emily in saving the apartment, controlling Jordan and keeping her job. Emily’s chapters start with a quote from My Mother’s Daughter. Is this so we get to know Emily through her mother? While many of the characters are stock (Victoria and Althea are as evil as possible, Max is as perfect as possible, Jordan is as irresponsible as possible) the character of Sandy/Einstein comes across as more memorable – swaying between his normal shallowness while blaming everyone but himself for everything that happens, to truly wanting to help Emily save herself. As for Emily there are times she comes across as a bit too idealistic or naïve.

While many of the endings of the storylines become obvious to the reader long before the endings actually happen there are some wonderful surprises, and I do have to say even one storyline ending that I began to hope would not happen …(less)

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Jan 28, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read

Received from Publisher
Actual Rating 4.5

What I Loved: To put it simply and really there is no other way to describe this book. This was a well-written, well-told, and well-delivered story from start to finish. It is different from what I normally read, yet it had all those elements I crave in a story. I haven't read Linda Francis Lee before but after this book I will be checking her out. This wasn't simply a story about a woman (Emily) getting over the loss of her husband. This was more of a sto...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

A perfect light read; different, a little quirky and emotionally satisfying. It’s an uplifting story of love and redemption and undoing wrongs. Linda Francis Lee’s writing style is witty and engaging. She pulls you in and takes you on a journey that effortlessly moves between fantasy and reality. Fantasy because Emily’s husband, killed in an accident returns as a dog, reality because the book does deal with the ups and downs of marriage, cheating husbands, a difficult mother-in-law and putting y...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Romancing the Book rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, romance

Review by Kate: For some reason, I have been putting off reviewing this book that I have given 5 stars! I actually would love to be able to sit down and read it again, it was so good, with a good message, too (see favorite quotes below). However, writing a review for this story would give it away, I think. If you have read any of the other reviews, you will know what happens (but I won’t be the one to tell you!).

I loved Linda Francis Lee’s Devil in the Junior League and found it hilarious! This...more Review by Kate: For some reason, I have been putting off reviewing this book that I have given 5 stars! I actually would love to be able to sit down and read it again, it was so good, with a good message, too (see favorite quotes below). However, writing a review for this story would give it away, I think. If you have read any of the other reviews, you will know what happens (but I won’t be the one to tell you!).

I loved Linda Francis Lee’s Devil in the Junior League and found it hilarious! This story, however, is a little bit different. It is more poignant, a little sadder, but with a happy ending. Emily is widowed only after four years of marriage. She is devastated, as she thought she had the perfect marriage. However, it turned out the night that her husband was killed in a freak accident on the streets of New York, that he was on his way to divorce her. Emily had no idea that the situation was at this point…the separation.

In her grief, she rescues a dog whom she calls Einstein. There are some very funny antics with Einstein (like the box of Lucky Charms), plus Einstein has issues of his own. He is trying to make sure that Emily moves on in her life, but it is rather difficult for him to do as he is in a dog’s body.

Emily works in publishing and has an immediate supervisor who is out only for herself, to include taking credit for Emily’s latest find in the book world. Throw on top of this Emily’s younger, and flighty, sister who comes to stay with Emily after her husband dies. Her sister needs money, so she tries to convince Emily to buy her book that she is writing on their ‘famous’ mother, Lillian Barlow, a feminist.

Emily is doing all she can to hold her life together. She is trying not to get sacked at work when they bring in a new president who is known for turning failing businesses around. She is trying to keep her apartment that her husband promised her, but has to fit his mother and lawyer to try to keep it. Emily is also trying to figure out what to do with her younger sister, who seems to want to do anything but write the book she proposed in the first place. Did I mention the hot Navy SEAL who lives upstairs?

This is a story of loss, finding oneself, helping others, a snobbish dog with weird tastes in music, and running a marathon. It was very well written and beautifully paced. There are several twists to the story, as it is written alternately from Emily’s and Einstein’s view point. Read it, before it’s too late! Read it, and learn their story!

Quote: "It is regret that kills, the ‘if onlys’ that leave the mortal wounds.

In order to live a life truly worth living you had to have strength in the face of adversity, patience when confronted with challenge, and bravery in the face of fear."(less)

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Aug 11, 2011 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Emily and Einstein was sort of a departure from the books I've been reading lately, mainly because of the element of magical realism which you'll see in an upcoming review is not really me. But as I mentioned, the cover absolutely drew me in, and I loved the dog on the cover who sort of reminds me of my dog, Lily. And the premise sounded interesting enough, so I picked it up. (Awesome job, whoever designed the cover!)

I've found some of the plot synopses online to be lacking and deceptively vague...more Emily and Einstein was sort of a departure from the books I've been reading lately, mainly because of the element of magical realism which you'll see in an upcoming review is not really me. But as I mentioned, the cover absolutely drew me in, and I loved the dog on the cover who sort of reminds me of my dog, Lily. And the premise sounded interesting enough, so I picked it up. (Awesome job, whoever designed the cover!)

I've found some of the plot synopses online to be lacking and deceptively vague in the main elements of this novel, so don't think I'm spoiling anything! I promise this is literally the basic premise of the novel. Emily and her husband, Sandy, live at the Dakota, a prestigious building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Emily works as an editor for a publishing house and volunteers at an animal shelter after work. Sandy is successful in his work as a businessman. Unbeknownst to Emily, though, Sandy is the ultimate jerk of a husband who happens to be on his way to meet her to ask for a divorce. (Well, demand, really... Sandy's not the nicest guy). On his way there, Sandy dies in an accident. This is where the magical realism comes in, as Sandy is given a "second chance" to make things right with Emily by re-entering life as a dog. As it happens, a cute, loveable dog (see the cover).

What Sandy, now known as Einstein, is supposed to do to compensate for who he was as a human isn't really ever specified. But Emily and Einstein of course end up together. Einstein witnesses Emily's downward spiral as she grieves her husband while also having to put up with her elitist mother-in-law taking back the family apartment, evicting Emily in the process. As time moves on, Emily also starts learning that Sandy never was this great guy he made her believe he was. As if it's not hard enough to grieve the loss of her husband, Emily now has to deal with the loss of who she thought she knew and the accompanying betrayal.

Emily and Einstein turned out to be a cute and surprisingly thoughtful book that, despite some minor gripes, I really enjoyed. Let me tell you my gripes first..

I found some of the characters either inconsistent or unrealistic. In the beginning, Emily is this smart, almost powerhouse of a woman, who puts even the haughty Alexander Sandy Regal Portman at unease with her surety. Yet, she falls for a no-good guy and never sees through him which I felt like her character should have, at least eventually. Realistically, I suppose this type of thing does happen in real life all the time, but I just felt like the way her character was portrayed in the beginning she would have known better. And I don't feel like her insight as it relates to him improved at all even by the end. Another gripe, I could not STAND Sandy. I think by the end the reader is supposed to like him a little more or at least understand him, but I didn't see any genuine change happen with him. I think whatever change there was happened too last minute for me to believe it. It was so strange that I liked the thought of Einstein the dog, but hated Sandy's character which really was Einstein. One other gripe, there is a romantic interest in the story that I thought happened real suddenly. There lacked, for me, a natural progression. It was just all of a sudden they were acting like they fell in love and it didn't make sense to me.

But I did say I enjoyed this book. Overall the story was fun. The chapters alternate in narration from Emily to Einstein/Sandy and it is separated by font changes (this visual change really did help with the switch of characters in my mind). I liked reading about Emily's job in a publishing house and I bet most readers will enjoy that aspect and seeing her going through the process of buying a book, trying to market it, etc. And while this book wasn't replete with quotable moments, I did find a few relatable ones like the one below.

I don't remember exactly when books became my refuge, but it was in the pages of a world created out of thin air that I began to find pieces I recognized as myself. In books I found characters so real that they were more my friends than the children with whom I went to school. In the stories I loved, I found adults wiser than the ones who laughed and argued in my mother's living room. (pg. 132)

One of the topics that this book brought up was how we make people out to be who we think they are rather than seeing them for who they really are. It also made the point about how we define ourselves. Do we do so by our specific accomplishments or how we treat others? How happy we are with ourselves? There was a side storyline involving Emily's sister and mother that helped contribute to this topic, as did the storyline with Sandy's mother -- I really liked the outcome of that one.

So in all, Emily and Einstein was fun and thoughtful. Some of what I felt were discrepancies in the character development took from the reading, but the storyline overall and the thinking points made this book a good read.

Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com (less)

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May 08, 2011 Samantha Robey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sandy Portman is ready to finally tell his wife Emily that he wants a divorce. Before he gets that chance, he is hit by a car and dies. Sandy is granted a second chance, and his soul now resides in a dog, which is soon adopted by none other than his wife. Emily finds an odd comfort in the little white dog, which she names Einstein. Emily, an editor at a publishing house and volunteer at the animal shelter, needs comfort after her husband’s untimely death. And even more comfort after she is being...more Sandy Portman is ready to finally tell his wife Emily that he wants a divorce. Before he gets that chance, he is hit by a car and dies. Sandy is granted a second chance, and his soul now resides in a dog, which is soon adopted by none other than his wife. Emily finds an odd comfort in the little white dog, which she names Einstein. Emily, an editor at a publishing house and volunteer at the animal shelter, needs comfort after her husband’s untimely death. And even more comfort after she is being evicted from her family home. Sandy’s family comes from old-money wealth, and even though Sandy promised her their home, he never got around to changing his will. As if that betrayal wasn’t enough, as Emily is going through Sandy’s office, she stumbles across numerous affairs her husband had while they married. Emily is devastated, and relies on Einstein to help keep her spirits up. She doesn’t realize that Einstein is now her husband, who is being forced to watch the pain he inflicted upon his wife play out. Can Sandy help Emily move on from the mistakes that he made in his human life? Will it grant him a second chance, or will be destined to stay a dog forever- or simply fade away?

Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee was quite interesting. The book is written both in Emily and Einstein/Sandy’s point of view, which I think was needed to understand both characters fully. While I loved Emily’s character- a hardworking, faithful wife, good spirit, I truly hated Sandy. It was to the point where I almost wanted to stop reading because he turned me off so much. He took no regard for any of the mistakes he made, always blaming someone else- usually Emily- for the actions he took in life. It was disgusting. The ending saved this book for me though. Finally, towards the very last pages, Sandy appears somewhat remorseful for putting Emily through so much pain. If that hadn’t happened, I’m not sure what I would have rated this book. While I disliked Sandy’s character so much, I disliked a lot of other people in the book as well. I wished there would have been more, well, nicer, people being written about. But Sandy, his mom, Emily’s sister, Emily’s co-workers, boss, are all plain mean people. I know there are plenty of terrible people in this world, but to have so many in one book was a little overwhelming. At the same time, Emily and Einstein really made me think, about life, the people we share it with, and how to overcome challenges. If I focus on that, along with what I thought was a great ending to the story, then I did enjoy this book. You can see from my review that I was clearly on the fence, but I would recommend this read. See what you take away from the characters and their journeys, and I hope you enjoy.
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Mar 24, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mainstream

This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com

The other night I was discussing with my boyfriend, a Buddhist, about how being reincarnated as a dog really wouldn’t be so bad. Endless pats, walks, and cheese snuck under the table? Okay, so you’d have to become accustomed to lumpy dog food and bottom sniffing, but those issues are fairly small in the wider schemes of things.

For Sandy Portman, though, a wealthy executive who likes to strut his stuff and splash his wealth before any...more This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com

The other night I was discussing with my boyfriend, a Buddhist, about how being reincarnated as a dog really wouldn’t be so bad. Endless pats, walks, and cheese snuck under the table? Okay, so you’d have to become accustomed to lumpy dog food and bottom sniffing, but those issues are fairly small in the wider schemes of things.

For Sandy Portman, though, a wealthy executive who likes to strut his stuff and splash his wealth before anyone who’ll put up with his obnoxious ways, Pal Meatybites and tail-end investigations are about to become the norm. On his way home to tell his wife Emily that he wants to leave her to pursue various soulless shenanigans, Sandy meets his maker–literally. The upshot? To get into those pearly gates, Sandy has to repent his ways. As a dog.

What follows is an often hilarious, but frequently poignant examination of not only grief and loss, but also of self-reflection and growth. The story is told in alternating perspectives: through Sandy’s newly canine eyes, and through Emily’s rather more human ones. As “Einstein”, his doggy moniker, Sandy finds himself offering far more support to his wife than he ever managed during his two-legged existence, and his newly taciturn company allows Emily the space she needs to overcome the challenges she faces upon Sandy’s death–a home ownership battle, for one, and a rather pressing career advancement issue, as well as a series of recently aired issues relating to her own identity and her relationship with her mother and sister.

My thoughts

I picked up Emily and Einstein expecting a throwaway read heavy on the situational humour and light on content. And while it’s true that the book brims with larger than life characters who make Anna Wintour look mousy, and Sandy/Einstein does partake in rather a good deal of doggy mischief–an unfortunate cereal-bingeing incident and some wilful destruction of property come to mind–the novel for the most part transcends the maudlin midday movie feel into which it could so easily slump.

A good deal of this is due to the fact the author does an admirable job of creating characters with whom it’s so easy to empathise. Admittedly, Sandy is frequently an ill-mannered git who should probably spend a bit more time in the laundry as part of a “time out” punishment than he does, but Linda Francis Lee manages to draw him in such a way that he falls just this side of unconscionable. Part of this can be attributed to her careful delineation of Sandy’s backstory and motivations, all of which paint him in more of a pathetic light than a cruel and selfish one. Sandy may have presented himself as a large and formidable presence, but in reality, he is vanishingly small, with his sense of self-worth frequently under attack by the fact that he was born into wealth–and thus his success has been created for him. Sandy has spent his life feeling impotent and emasculated, and his typical response is to drag down others with him: it seems that this is the only ability he is able to wield with any efficacy. But worse, while Sandy’s success and wealth are the result of someone else’s skills and acumen, we come to find out that the basis for much of this is a lie. Not only is Sandy little more than a puppet in the greater scheme of things, but all of this rests on fraudulent foundations.

Curiously, while Sandy’s reincarnation as Einstein is ostensibly to help him become a better person by acting with largesse rather than as an emotional miser, his actions are heavily shepherded by a guardian angel figure who threatens to have Sandy cross over for good if he doesn’t improve his doggy ways. Sandy is thus effectively powerless throughout his entire existence–in life, in life mark II (where being a dog rather limits his capacity to exercise control over much at all), and no doubt in whatever follows after that blinding white light. Moreover, not only is Sandy’s agency more limited as a result of his reincarnation, but the sphere over which he can exert influence is drastically limited, too: Sandy is confined to Emily’s apartment save for when he behaves himself and is taken out for a walk. This situation, then, only adds to the challenges Sandy faces in his reconciliation, highlighting that one’s actions can result in a slippery slope down into hell, and highlighting the need to act generously and beneficently from the beginning, when our agency is at its greatest. It’s an interesting rumination on agency and predestination, and one that my boyfriend would argue is the cumulative result of Sandy’s past life actions–larger, wider, karmic forces and responses.

In contrast to Sandy’s diminishing efficacy, Emily finds her own sphere of influence massively expanded as a result of Sandy’s death. Pressing external forces–threats of eviction and demotion, as well as a visit from her sister that brings certain personal issues to the fore–force her to act in order to guide her life back on track, and she does so with admirable strength and passion. Sandy’s death becomes a catalyst for self-examination and development, and while Emily suffers from her fair share of setbacks and insecurities, her pragmatism and big-heartedness see her gradually turning her situation into one of opportunities. Admittedly, the explicit contrast between Sandy’s habit of turning opportunities into negatives and Emily’s opposite approach is not especially subtle, and there are moments where the book slumps into a crevasse of didacticism, but the material is generally light-hearted and neatly-written enough that these sections aren’t too painful to read. Interestingly, Emily finds herself acting more and more to help those who can’t help themselves–Einstin and Sandy, for example–but over time becomes less inclined to try to act for those with whose behaviour she disagrees, such as her sister. The author, however, does paint Emily’s grieving process–both that associated with Sandy’s death, and also for her pained relationship with her mother and sister–beautifully, and there are sections that are quite moving in their raw honesty.

Perhaps the main area in which the book doesn’t quite his the mark is in its predictability, and also occasionally in terms of its believability. Sandy of course eventually redeems himself, and the subsequent few scenes are somewhat dull in their paint-by-numbers approach. Emily’s journey towards self-fulfilment results in her every dream coming true, and then some, and the way in which the various threads tie together can be fairly easily predicted from a mere few chapters in. Indeed, there’s a sense of wish-fulfilment going on here, and the way in which Emily’s pleasant nature and series of good deeds results in her getting everything she’d ever desired feels a little icky to me. In terms of believability, my major issues were in terms of Einstein’s ability to communicate so easily with Emily and her family, and also their bizarre predilection to accept his decidedly undoggy actions as quite normal. Einstein’s barking is taken as an effort to communicate; while any meaningful look or gesture on his behalf is treated with an odd sort of reverence. Narrative-wise, there are a few elements that struggle a little to work: the first chapter could be excised without much issue, Emily’s romance with Max could be either cut entirely or properly fleshed out, and some of the Einstein chapters could be guttered without much being lost. Indeed, I’d be curious to see if this book could work without the Einstein chapters at all, although the result would no doubt be a much more challenging, darker read.

Conclusions

Far more than the light and fluffy read I was expecting, Emily and Einstein is a thoughtful and moving read that examines issues of agency, karma, and self-concept and self-efficacy against a backdrop of grief and loss. It’s a charming read, and one that would work well as the subject of a book discussion.(less)

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Mar 16, 2011 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Emily and Einstein
Linda Francis Lee
St. Martin’s Press
369 pages
Emily Barlow lived in the shadow of her feminist mother and against her mother’s beliefs gave love a try. She met and fell in love with handsome Sandy Portman who came complete with wealth and pedigree, then a tragic accident makes her life spiral toward devastation and pretty soon she’s questioning the choices she’s made.
Sandy Portman had it all, a wife who adored him a posh Central Park apartment, a job with his family’s firm, a fam...more Emily and Einstein
Linda Francis Lee
St. Martin’s Press
369 pages
Emily Barlow lived in the shadow of her feminist mother and against her mother’s beliefs gave love a try. She met and fell in love with handsome Sandy Portman who came complete with wealth and pedigree, then a tragic accident makes her life spiral toward devastation and pretty soon she’s questioning the choices she’s made.
Sandy Portman had it all, a wife who adored him a posh Central Park apartment, a job with his family’s firm, a family with prestige and the prosperity that came with it. He comes to find out through divine intervention that he is not all that he thinks, and he finds himself given another chance to make things right but little does he know that this chance will come with complications, complications that he may not be able to overcome.
Linda Francis Lee has this little story to tell, she tells it with humor, with pain and with intense feelings that her readers will experience all of plus a few more as they read this incredibly touching, amazingly thought provoking tale. She tells it with a narrative that mixes whimsy and prose and her plot gives her audience a very It’s A Wonderful Lifesque feel to it complete with angels and consequences. But it’s her characters that steal the show and they run the gamut from wickedness to pure of heart. Her protagonist Emily is a woman that any female can identify with from any walk of life because we’ve all at one time or another experienced a form of her pain. Her other star is Einstein, and what a star he is, you have this complex, complicated and huge personality stuffed inside this small wiry dog. And the magic starts the very first time the author relays the dog’s thoughts and words and how she got into that perspective is just one part of the mystique of this wonderful story. Her co-stars are a booklover’s dream team and they are portrayed in such a way as to really intimate them to you as a reader. It’s a love story on so many different levels, it’s a romance, it’s a coming of age again tale, it’s about new beginnings and restitution and about moving on and leaving the past behind. But most of all it’s about faith and it’s about hope.
I have to admit that this is my first read by Ms. Lee, but let me assure you it’s far from my last. If you love to be entertained but informed at the same time, if you love novels that give life lessons, or if you simply love a story that’s filled with remarkable characters and a plot that literally sings, then sink your teeth into this one. It’s a must read for all ages the only requirement is that you “believe”.
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Mar 31, 2013 Sabrina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Deserves more than 5 stars.

Normally I wouldn't have picked this book to read. After seeing a few posts about it, decided to give it a try. I loved every minute of reading this book.

Emily is at a loss. Her husband had just died in an accident, her in-laws are trying to evict her, her happy marriage was a lie, and her job is in jeopardy if she doesn't get her act together. After getting a call from the shelter she volunteers at saying Einstein was scheduled to be put down since he wasn't adopted,...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Patricia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee

“A week past before I understood the enormity of my situation, a week before I realized I was dead.”

That is the first line of the book Emily and Einstein, spoken by Alexander “Sandy” Portman. He is a man who is wealthy, spoiled, arrogant, and selfish; married to Emily, a woman who loves him and is devoted to him.

Sandy wants a divorce because he is…bored. On his way to tell Emily, he is killed in a car accident.

After Sandy’s funeral Emily learns that their...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

(Description from Goodreads) Emily and her husband Sandy Portman seemed to live a gracious if busy life in an old-world, Upper West Side apartment in the famous Dakota building. But one night on the way to meet Emily, Sandy dies in a tragic accident. The funeral isn't even over before Emily learns she is on the verge of being evicted from their apartment. But worse than the possibility of losing her home, Emily is stunned when she discovers that her marriage was made up of lies.
Suddenly Emily i...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Heather Wilson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Actual rating: 3.75 stars, so I rounded up.

Emily Barlow is a book editor in New York City with high hopes for her latest project and a plan to save her shaky marriage. Then her husband is killed in an accident and everything starts to fall apart. Partially as a reaction to losing her husband, Emily adopts an injured dog she names Einstein, who proves to be more than a just a dog. He seems to know her and the Dakota apartment she lives in intimately, and she finds it easy to interpret his barks...more Actual rating: 3.75 stars, so I rounded up.

Emily Barlow is a book editor in New York City with high hopes for her latest project and a plan to save her shaky marriage. Then her husband is killed in an accident and everything starts to fall apart. Partially as a reaction to losing her husband, Emily adopts an injured dog she names Einstein, who proves to be more than a just a dog. He seems to know her and the Dakota apartment she lives in intimately, and she finds it easy to interpret his barks and reactions. But after learning of her husband’s infidelities, Emily’s stoicism falters. Her work suffers, she’s faced with eviction from the apartment by the mother-in-law who never approved of her and her chaotic sister shows up with her next crazy idea. Emily and Einstein is a story about how a strong woman falters, falls and gets back up again, with the help of her dead husband (Sandy) who is trapped in the body of a dog to serve his penance for his many sins in his life as a man.

Emily and Einstein is a well-written, well-paced, well-characterized book that as a result, is quite easy to read and enjoy. Emily has the potential to be a Mary-Sue type character but she makes enough mistakes and reacts to enough things in fallible ways that she isn’t. She’s sympathetic; I wanted her to succeed and pull through.

The real character star, though, and it’s odd, is Sandy. He is a decidedly unlikable man who cheated on his wife, who is selfish, self-centered and an utter snob. Even as a dog, he retains those characteristics. That might be why it’s easy to read about him and actually enjoyable. We think of dogs as good-hearted, sweet beings, and this dog just isn’t. But as a want-to-be, hope-to-be writer, what Ms. Lee accomplished with Sandy is what impresses me most about the novel. Despite his faults (very MANY fault) I enjoyed reading about him.

The story is about each of their journeys; Emily’s to find the strength to really live again and Sandy to find peace with the life he left behind. It isn’t easy, it goes up and down with triumphs and obstacles for both of them. I found both arcs to be well paced and plotted.

There were things that could have been improved. Emily accepts Sandy’s presence as Einstein far too easily for me to really accept. At the end of the book she talks about it as a miracle, but her entire reaction to it through the book was fairly nonchalant. Her work environment didn’t quite ring true to me, either, especially when it was portrayed as being quite cutthroat. If that is the case, and despite any sympathy her husband’s death would garner her, I have a hard time buying that she’d be able to behave the way she did with no real repercussions.

Another issue I had was that the characters’ self-awareness and realizations were just a bit too heavy-handed and clear cut. I don’t think people are ever that tuned into the The ending was too tidy for a situation that should leave behind lingering questions and emotions. Also, there were no good indicators of how much time had passed, a nit-pick, but I think it would have helped.

In the end, I did enjoy this book a great deal. It is several love stories in one, between Emily and Sandy, Emily and Einstein, Emily and her sister, Emily and a new suitor, Emily and her mother, and most importantly, Emily and herself. And Ms. Lee accomplished this with an ease that I very much appreciated.

Very good book.
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Mar 30, 2012 Dayatara rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4.5 stars. I'd never heard of this book, but read it because Lisa Kleypas said it was a good one.
I love a book that is out of the ordinary. Emily and Einstein is certainly that!

Emily and Sandy are married and are going through a rough spot. Unfortunately for Emily, she isn't aware of the inner turmoil Sandy is living with. She's completely clueless to the fact that she is married to a complete jerk. At any rate, while Sandy is on his way to meet Emily and ask for a divorce, he's killed. He then...more 4.5 stars. I'd never heard of this book, but read it because Lisa Kleypas said it was a good one.
I love a book that is out of the ordinary. Emily and Einstein is certainly that!

Emily and Sandy are married and are going through a rough spot. Unfortunately for Emily, she isn't aware of the inner turmoil Sandy is living with. She's completely clueless to the fact that she is married to a complete jerk. At any rate, while Sandy is on his way to meet Emily and ask for a divorce, he's killed. He then comes in contact with "a higher power" who Sandy can tell is about to send him someplace he won't like. Sandy begs for a 2nd chance and is granted his request. The only thing is, Sandy's spirit is now in a dog's body. Emily ends up adopting the dog and naming him Einstein.

This story was very interesting! This is probably the 1st book where I completely detested one of the main characters yet I still loved the book. This is especially strange considering much of the story is told from Einstein's point of view. Sandy was such a jerk that I found myself kind of hoping he'd fail in his mission so he'd then burn in hell for all of eternity. Just kidding. Sort of.

There were some really cute parts in the book - the scene with the Lucky Charms was hilarious. There were some very sad parts as well - when Emily found Sandy's journal, I felt so badly for her.

I kept waiting for Sandy/Einstein to "get it". I didn't think it would take him as long as it did... I could really feel the frustration of the "higher being" when Sandy kept reverting back to his previous ways of thinking. I was truly astounded by how selfish Sandy/Einstein was. It was really crazy!

Sandy's declaration of love to Emily at the end of the book rang a bit false with me. From Sandy's actions in both his human and dog form, he didn't love Emily. Heck, he didn't even LIKE her! I say that, but at the same time I know he did love Emily "in his fashion". It's really too bad he didn't appreciate her when he was alive.

At any rate, I really liked this book. I think it would make a great movie. (less)

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Aug 11, 2011 Tanya Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, favorites-in-2011, read-in-2011, from-the-library-bag

Alluring title - cute book cover - beautiful story. Emily's husband, Alexander (Sandy) dies in an accident and comes back to life, sort of, in the body of a dog (Einstein). I will say that I almost stopped reading the book after about 30 pages because Sandy was really a scumbag and even given this second chance to life wasn't changing as much as I wanted him too. However, I continued on and so glad I did. Emily is very likable and there are so many characters getting second chances in this story...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Sherri aka SDMomChef rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

This was closer to 3 1/2 stars. This was definitely a light, chick lit read. The main character unexpectedly loses her husband, and after his death, she discovers some not so pleasant facts about her husband.

So, what makes this novel different from any other chick lit book where the main character is struggling with an issue? I think it is how the author advances the story. It is not just the alternating chapters of his story and her story. They are more subtly interconnected in a way that I ca...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, from-publisher-author

Emily finds herself at a loss when her husband gets what he deserves: death. Ok, that was a little harsh, but the story gets better. Sandy (the husband) has lived a life of lies with Emily and on his way to tell her he wants a divorce, a small dog cause him to lose his life. He is offered a chance to redeem himself by returning as a dog. The story is told in alternating chapters by Emily and Einstein (reincarnated Sandy) and is just utterly charming. This is truly a story of redemption and Sandy...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Leah Tripp rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Emily and Einstein, Emily is devastated by the loss of her husband, Sandy, but learns he has been keeping secrets from her. Sandy who is now a spirit inside a dog for another chance must learn to help Emily move on. This book is generally realistic fiction because two charaters try to move on with their lives. I would recommend this book to people who love dogs and mysteries. I rated this book 4 stars because the plot is very heartwarming although the some of actions the charaters take are no...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction, contemporary, humorous, romance

Got an ARC from the publisher. This book doesn't neatly fit into one category - it's not a full on romance, despite having some romantic interludes and it's not quite tragic because the male narrator is so pompous.

Sandy, who is killed in an accident while on the way to tell his wife that he wants a divorce, is given the chance to make things right. The catch is, he is allowed to do so in the form of an ugly dog named Einstein. I liked that he was an unlikeable character - Lee didn't have him und...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Barb rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a great story, the first I have read by Linda Francis Lee. Emily is happy with her life. She has a job as a publishing editor that she loves, she is redecorating her wealthy husband's apartment. He has promised to leave to her if anything happens to him. Then her life falls apart. Her husband is hit by a taxi when he slips on ice trying to shoo a dog away from the front of his Mercedes. He never got around to making sure the apartment was hers in his will and work is going sluggishly si...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Lorraine rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! It was a well-written, funny & unique story. It made me laugh and cry.

The story is told in alternating chapters between Emily and her dog, Einstein (who is really her dead husband, Sandy). The author does a great job of creating memorable characters. Sandy, who is killed in the first chapter comes back as Einstein, the dog. It is his job to help his wife Emily. But Sandy was not always a nice man in life and therefore is not always nice as a dog. I thought he would automa...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Calla Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was so excited when I found out I was selected to read this book pre-release. I was a little nervous I wouldn't like it and have to write an iffy review. My fears were relieved however, this was a really enjoyable book.
I felt the main character was very believable and endearing. I had a love/hate relationship with the snooty little Einstein. In the end I came to like him. I admired Emily's strength and vulnerability. I thought the other characters were well presented and developed and added a...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Mad_Maudie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This wasn't my usual fare in the sense that it is a dog book, but it is certainly not the usual "I found this dog, and first I hated him, but now I love him" book. This one has a real supernatural twist, and lots of romance. If you're into romance and a dog who isn't what he seems, then this is the book for you.

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Dec 21, 2011 Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-choice

I picked this one up while browsing at the library and read it while donating platelets yesterday and finished it on a rainy afternoon today.

As the story starts, Sandy and Emily are an apparently happy couple living in the Dakota in NYC. Sandy is killed in a traffic accident on the way to meeting Emily where he plans to ask her for a divorce. He is given a chance to redeem himself from his shallow ways by helping Emily. The problem is that he has become a scruffy dog named Einstein. Emily is bli...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Pat rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Pat by: Saw it featured as a new book at library where I volunteer

I have read many books that make me cry,and make me laugh. This book made me laugh, cry, and angry at various parts of this story. I very seldom read books about animals, it invariably seems the ending is sad. NOT "Emily and Einstein".
It's about a very sweet [sometimes too sweet] woman who is madly in love with her husband, a multi-millionaire, [I'm trying to find the word here] PIG. Sorry, have to resort to gutter words.Her life is spiraling out of control after his sudden death. She revives...more

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