Emily Giffin’s Books: A Master of Modern Love Stories

As you may have guessed, the novel’s title borrows from a popular nursery rhyme about what the bride should wear for good luck on her big day. 

Something Borrowed introduces readers to Rachel White, who definitely isn’t up for marriage—but discovers love all the same. She and Darcy are childhood besties, but then she ends up sleeping with Darcy’s fiancé and embarks on an affair. 

With flawed characters and a riveting plot, Something Borrowed explores the conflict between following ethics and following one’s heart, especially when they’re at odds. 

It was even adapted into a film in 2021, directed by Luke Greenfield and starring Ginnifer Goodwin in the lead.

This is the follow-up novel to Something Borrowed—focusing on the events from Darcy’s POV. 

While the first book paints Darcy as somewhat off-putting, Something Blue focuses on the character learning from her past, going through a pregnancy, and slowly becoming a better person. 

It’s a quick and heartwarming read, and if you really like it, you should also check out the short ebook, The Diary of Darcy J. Rhone, that follows Rachel and Darcy through their high school adventures.

If you’ve ever faced the dilemma of whether to have kids, Baby Proof is a novel that gracefully explores that conundrum. 

It follows the lives of a seemingly perfect couple who slowly begin to want different things—one wants children, and the other does not. 

Giffin has that rare gift for making you sympathize with both of her main characters, and the result is an unputdownable, heartwarming novel that will make you believe in love again.

Almost all of Giffin’s works focus on characters grappling with one romantic dilemma or another, and Love the One You’re With is about reconciling the present with the past. 

It’s about what to do when The One Who Got Away suddenly returns to your life, and your near-perfect marriage is about to break. 

Overall, a smart book about choosing and loving well, and it also vividly paints a portrait of life in New York.

Many women give up on their careers or a chance at romance to focus exclusively on their family and children. 

Emily Giffin’s Heart of the Matter follows two such women, Tessa and Valerie, whose lives converge after a tragic accident. 

Both these characters have been severely tested by fate, yet it’s the choices they make that define them. 

From dealing with infidelity to making peace with the past, Heart of the Matter is truly a memorable novel full of heart. 

Another bestseller, Where We Belong, explores the story of Marian, a television producer with a thriving career and relationship, who’s suddenly reunited with the child she put up for adoption eighteen years ago. 

Except Kirby Rose isn’t a child anymore, but a teenager on the verge of adulthood. As both women embark on a remarkable journey to find themselves and each other, Where We Belong promises an enchanting storyline with a well-deserved happy ending. 

It’s also slightly different from her other books in that it features a teenager’s unique POV alongside the perspectives of Giffin’s usual 30-something protagonists. Compelling and charming, Where We Belong has also been optioned for film.