Heart of the Matter

One of my favourite Emily Giffin books and up there with some of my favourite ever reads. I love her style as it's so easy to read and engage with the characters but without the cliches and predictable storylines that dominate so much of the chick lit genre. Highly recommend this book and this author.

Really good book. Emily Griffin writes life beautifully. Loved every minute. Actual book size was really tiny so print was quite hard to read.

This is very definitely a relationship book, told from a decidedly female perspective. Whilst I don't think it's a bad thing for a man such as myself to delve into such novels and perhaps to learn a thing or two, this aspect remained at the forefront of my consciousness all the way through. In the end for me it became intrusive. This perspective coupled with some stereotyping tipped things towards the Mills and Boon end of the literary genre. Again, I have to declare personal prejudice here; as a doctor I found the clichéd handsome, tough but caring doctor a bit tiresome. Here the medical man stands as a label which indicates this is someone intelligent, thoughtful, hard working, stable and with an income; in short, a good catch. Sigh! All a bit times past....Having raised the spectre of Mills and Boon, this did rise well above books typical of that mark. The characters of the main female characters were complex and developed; indeed, a major saving grace of the book was the final outcome where the women to an extent are able to learn from adversity and rise above it. Again, the perspective of the novel is obvious as there isn't the same journey for the man in the book. One doesn't get the same sense of an emotional journey, or of learning and development above and beyond realising he's wrong!The quality of the prose was the other saving grace, effortlessly taking us through the tail of a developing relationship; one woman sensing the strains on her marriage and wondering what problems are present, the other developing an attachment she is aware is inappropriate, but feels powerless to arrest.In the end I was left feeling I had read an entertaining and interesting book with a touching conclusion, but it was let down by some tiresome stereotyping; and that it is just so much a women's book it wasn't really for me. At the same time I would guess that there would be those (often women!) who would love this!

Great read and service thank you.

good materialrecd as orderedrecd on a timely mannerexcellent conditionnicely packagedperfect as a gifteasy to use

Very true to life and describes, with heartbreaking accuracy, the feelings both wife and mistress experience when a marriage is torn apart by infidelity.

I devoured this book, gave me anxiety attacks… it was so gripping I couldn’t put it down. I suggest you have a nice spam of time before starting this book, like an eight hours flight or something, because you will not want to put it down.One more thing, I despised Nick so much that if I’ll ever meet him I’ll steal Charlotte’s opening line for Mr. Big in Sex and The City, “I curse the day you were born.”

Have read 2 books previously by Emily Giffin & I really like her style of writing.This was an enjoyable read although perhaps the ending was slightly predictable.I particuarly liked that fact that throughout the book the two main characters were each covered in alternate chapters. This was very effective as it portayed the tale as it developed from both perspectives.Would recommend this & will certainly look for other titles by this author.

Real snapshot about marriage, relationship, trust, forgiveness and family. Life is complex. People are complex. Tessa is an inspiring woman. Valerie very strong herself.

Tessの妻として夫の不実に憤る気持ち、Valの男性運に恵まれない、女性としての気持ち、母親として、子供を守りたい気持ち。この二人が主人公であり、読み手の私たちは、それぞれのこの二人の気持ちに共感をするわけですが、二人は、対立する立場にいて、しかしながらお互いに尊重もしあい、読んでいて切ないです。それにしても、せっかくの能力を持ちながら、専業主婦となり、時間や気持ちを持て余して、本来どうでもいいことにエネルギーを費やしてしまうのは、どこも同じなのね、と思いました。才能ある女性がもっと仕事と子育ての両立がしやすい世の中になればいいのにね。

I think Emily Giffin has done a great job alternating both mother’s point of view, Tessa and Valerie. The betrayal of Tessa’s husband, Nick, should probably make you despise both him and his lover. On the contrary, what it accomplishes is that you feel sympathy and compassion for each one of the characters, even Nick himself. Not a disappointing novel at all. The emotions flowing in each chapter felt absolutely real, so you keep turning the pages wishing the book not to finish so soon.I had previously read “Something Borrowed”, which was also a good surprise for me. Now, having read this one, I know Giffin is worth the time you keep reading. I really wish there were more “chick-lit” authors like her. Highly enjoyable reading!

This is the first book I've read by Emily Giffin, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of her writing. Infidelity is a difficult subject to write about, and this author does so with insight and compassion for both sides of the issue. This is a well-written, thought-provoking story, and it was a book I found difficult to put down. I will certainly recommend it to friends and and I look forward to reading more from this author.

It appears that adultery is the flavor of the month. I have read four books with this theme during the last two months. Here goes:"My wife's affair" is one of the best books I have ever read. I have already reviewed it. To me it was more about how your actions can cause a sunami and that sometimes there are no do-overs in life. The what-if's. I can't understand how this book has not received more attention. 5 plus stars.I felt "Heart of the Matter" was Emily Giffin's best book. It is also about adultery told through the eyes of three very engaging characters. Both women (Tessa/Valerie)alternate chapters. Valerie is a single mother who comes in contact with Nick (Tessa's husband) when her young son is burnt at a child's birthday party. Tessa is the ex-professional who has given up her career to concentrate on her two young children. Nick (the plastic surgeon) does not have his own chapters, but is the man literally in the middle. All three characters are very well written and sympathetic. No villains in this story. After reading all previous books, I'm not surprised that Emily Giffin ended the book the way she did. I also agreed with the ending. For this story was also about a journey and each character has a better understanding of themselves at the end of the book. This was the thinking man/women chick lit, which may have put Emily Giffin at the top of the pack."Love in Mid Air" is a very well written book. Kim Wright certainly has a great deal of insight about this topic. Her main character Elyse Bearden is a powerhouse of a character, not to be forgotten. My only problem was that I did not like her. Like chalk on the blackboard, she grated on my nerves. While there was a page on what Elyse initially saw in her husband Phil, this marriage was over long before she takes Gerry's business card on a flight from Phoenix. I kept wanting to say, enough---just go already. What kept me reading was the interactions between her woman friends, and how Elyse's affair, changes the so called equilibrium in all her other relationships. 3 stars."The swimming pool" is a slow moving book about the ramifications of adultery on ones family. Marcella is a 40ish women who has an affair with an acquaintance and later in the book his son. All the characters felt flat to me, like the air was let out of their tires. This book was also reviewed as a mystery, as Maracella's lovers wife was murdered, and her son and daughter need closure. Was their father a killer? The answer is evident 1/2 way through the book, and adds nothing to the story. A very unemotional/distant story. It added nothing to this subject matter. 2 stars.