First Comes Love by Emily Giffin Published by Random House on June 28, 2016
Genres: Women' Fiction, Women's Literature
Format: eARC
Buy the Book • Goodreads
In this dazzling new novel, Emily Giffin, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, Where We Belong, and The One & Only introduces a pair of sisters who find themselves at a crossroads.
Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.
Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.
On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.
As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.
Emotionally honest and utterly enthralling, First Comes Love is a story about family, friendship, and the courage to follow your own heart—wherever that may lead.
A book with lots of baggage is the best way I can describe this one. Baggage that just becomes heavier and heavier as it goes and never becomes lighter until the bag busts open and everything is purged out into the open. How they overcome the break is what is most important.
For the most part, this book was about sisters and the special, yet complicated relationship it is. Meredith and Josie couldn’t be more different, and at times they both were a little hard to swallow. I really liked Josie, I could totally relate to her carefree attitude and nutty ways. Meredith was not my favorite at all. She was such a judgemental shrew. These two suffered a tremendous loss and keep a lot of the grieving and sadness inside until it finally spills onto the surface and they are faced with the ultimate choice to remember that love should come first.
First Comes Love is very well written and filled with complex and dynamic characters. An open and honest book about the sacred bond of siblings, the mystery of sisterhood, the fragility of life, the depth of love and the freeing process of forgiveness. Just the simple fact that she avoided the clique ending for this story (which is what I wanted, sue me, I’m a romantic) proves that Emily Giffin is still at the top of her game.
Perfect Book Club Pick!
