The One & Only - Emily Giffin

Well I don't know what to really say about this book other than I was really into it, and then all of a sudden I wasn't. I cannot review this book without including spoilers to accurately describe why I almost wanted to puke toward the end. Lets start with the basic plot line and go from there...

Shea, main character, lives in a small Texas town where Football is religion. You eat, breathe, and sleep, Walker Football. Her best friend, Lucy, is the daughter of infamous Coach Clive Carr, for Walker's team. Lucy's mother dies in the very beginning of the book and set the mood for the teams year that they need to win all the games and championship in her honor. Shea is a reporter that covers Walker Universities sports teams for the Post. She is dating an ex-football player, Miller, who is now a gym teacher. She is essentially in a rut going no where because she is too loyal to her football team to pursue anything else.

Now onto the story...

With the death of Connie, Lucy's mom, Lucy and Shea's mom push Shea to break up with dead beat Miller and move on in life. Coach Carr, who Shea has always looked up to and seen as a father figure, agrees with them. Taking Coach's advice she does break up with Miller and in turn Coach gives her the phone number of a guy in Dallas to offer her a better reporting job so that she can actually do what she wants. Through this job Shea means Dallas Cowboys Quarterback, Ryan James, who she went to college with at Walker and was home visiting to watch the game. Ryan asks Shea out and from there they become a couple.

Things get serious fast and Shea starts to notice Ryan is a little possessive. At first she sees it as just jealousy, but she also thinks it is her mind playing tricks on her because she is starting to get a crush on Coach Carr. Grosssssss. I was really hoping that was just going to be a glance over that she would get over and move on.

*Disclaimer - I am a huge Cowboys fan*

So me being the fan I am, I want Shea and Ryan to work because that would be amazing. But Shea starts talking to Coach more and more and they get closer. While her and Ryan's relationship is still growing Ryan often becomes angry at her if she is found to be talking to other guys. At the end of the book Ryan grabs her arm and belittles her in the bar in front of her friends. Ryan storms out of the bar and Shea goes home. Coach calls to check on her and she asks him to come over and keep her company. By the time Shea is done showering Ryan is in her apartment waiting for her and starts apologizing. Shea asks him to leave and things start to escalate. Low and behold, Coach Carr, arrives just in time to save the day. With Ryan gone Shea and Coach admit they have feelings for each other. *vomit* They end up meeting up later and kissing in his office.

Here is another part I was not happy with. Lucy saw Ryan get hands on with Shea and saw the marks on her arm. Yet, Lucy still asked if there is any way that Shea and Ryan can work it out. What kind of friend is that? No kind of abuse is acceptable. But, lets continue on. Lucy and Shea have been slightly on the outs because Lucy is jealous of the relationship Shea and Coach have.

Christmas Time is upon us and the Carr family plus Shea are over Lucy's house decorating. Lucy leaves the room and Shea and Coach have an intimate moment. Unsurprisingly, Lucy walks back in the room and catches this moment causing a blow out. Shea and Coach go back to his house where she asks him to 'make love to her' because it may be the only chance. They don't, thank god, and they leave. The next day Shea is called by her mother stating Lucy is making Shea choose between their life long friendship or her love for her father, Coach Carr. Shea goes to Lucy and tells her she chooses Lucy which Lucy is of course elated over. Shea then goes to her job and tells her boss she quits/gets fired because she cannot be impartial due to her love for Coach Carr and Walker Football.

Now in my opinion Lucy is 100% right. I mean her mother hasn't even been dead for a year yet in the book... and Coach has been like Shea's dad growing up. What a sick and twisted line to cross. He is an old man and she is in her 30's. How can he do that to his own daughter let alone a young woman who looks to him for advice on life. And how can Shea even be mad at Lucy or her mother for being upset about the whole situation. Shea and Coach break it off and Shea runs off to New York to stay with her dad and get over her 'broken heart'. Lucy continues to call her and act like life is just perfect these days. Shea eventually comes home for the final Walker Football game where they win the championship for Connie.

What is disgusting is that Lucy tells Shea she finally is ok with her and her dad being together. Coach Carr gives this nice speech about how they did it all with Connie's help (you remember his dead wife) and then kisses Shea right there in front of everyone. HOW THE HELL DO YOU THANK YOUR DEAD WIFE AND KISS YOUR SORTA DAUGHTER.

The book ends there where you don't know what happens next and I really hope she doesn't write a sequel to this because I was appalled with the gross love triangle. To me it was like she was hitting on her step-dad.... You may not agree but this is my opinion... again I was skeeved out by this book and felt dirty after reading it.

Emily Giffin

So I have a new favorite Author, Emily Giffin. The movie Something Borrowed was on at work before I went out for surgery and I have always been meaning to read the book the movie was based ok. I have never read an "Adult" type book before and I am so happy the first one I read was by Emily Giffin. Something Borrowed was the most realistic book I have read that wasn't overly done or at all silly. I could not put this book down, and I know I probably say that about almost every book I read. If you haven't seen the movie the book is about a girl, Rachel, who is in love with her friend Dex. Dex is engaged to her best friend Darcy. Long of the short, Rachel and Dex have an affair and the whole issue comes to a head. There is a big twist at the end and wow I loved it.

The follow up book Something Blue was just as addicting! I hated Darcy all through Something Borrowed and she actually grows on you through this sequel. You fall in love with every character, even the miniscule ones. Something Blue made me want to pack up and move to England! I can't say too much without giving away the ending to Something Borrowed, so if you haven't read it do not read ahead! Darcy is pregnant with Marcus' baby and surprise surprise, Marcus doesn't want squat to do with her. Darcy's mother disapproves so alone and pregnant Darcy runs away to live with Ethan in England. Darcy finds love in England and then realizes who she is actually in love with. Lots of surprises!

Next up is Baby Proof. WOW. Now this is a new set of character who struggle with a change of heart. Claire does not want to have children and her husband Ben has a change of heart and wants a child. I don't want to spoil anything but all I wanted to do while reading this was fast forward to the end. This was more suspenseful than most young adult books I have read. The cute part about this book is about two sentences toward the end they mention Ethan! They give you a cute little update about him and Darcy. There was actually a part in this book near the end that i teared up reading because you think, oh no this really is it, it's too late.

Then I read Love the One You're With. This book was honestly a struggle. Corey told me to push through it because he knows how I get when I don't finish a series I am reading. I am happy he told me to push through it because about 3/4 of the way through I couldn't stop reading. It was a shame it took me that long to really get into it but the ending was worth it. Having personally been in a crappy relationship myself for 5 years (who hasn't) Ellen made me so angry. She has the perfect husband, Andy, who loves her to death. She chooses to flirt along the line of cheating with her scummy ex, Leo, just because she isn't sure what she wants. Maybe I just couldn't get into the book because I after getting out of that relationship I couldn't ever imagine risking what I have now to go back to being miserable.

Heart of the Matter. Now it is 5/30/2014 and I have completely forgotten about my blog that quickly. So I will finish this post. This book was a fast read for me because the story line was just that good. Valerie is a single mom who has no dating life what-so-ever because she devotes her life to work and her son Charlie. Tessa Russo is a stay at home mom of two married to a surgeon, Nick Russo. I can't give too much away but Tessa and Valerie's lives cross in a way that has you feeling for both characters. You can't seem to pick which one you want to 'win'. This is a great book for someone who has been in an unfaithful relationship because you really see both sides of the story here. In the end you are happy even though it isn't exactly a happy ending. The ending is real though and that is what I love about these books.

Now on to, Where We Belong. Unfortunately this book was another struggle for me. It is about a girl, Kirby, who goes in search of her birth mother, Marian. I loved all of her other books and even towards the end I still could not really get into it. It was too unrealistic in comparison to her other novels. It does have a somewhat real ending, in that they all stay in touch. Kirby is just your typical annoying teenager which is what I was trying to get away from by reading Emily Griffin books. Marian was a good character to read and you could really feel her struggle with wanting to be involved and also wanting to keep everything that she had worked so hard to obtain. My heart really breaks for Kirby's parents because they try so hard to make her happy but she is just a typical know-it-all teenager. Honestly this is a book you can probably skip...