Something Borrowed: A Tumultuous Tale of Friendship and Betrayal
Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed had long lingered on my Kindle, a relic from an earlier phase of my reading life. Having recently indulged in a binge of true crime narratives, I found myself craving a lighter genre—chick lit seemed like the perfect antidote. But as I delved into this story, I was surprised to find that it challenged my reading sensibilities much more than I anticipated.
At the heart of Something Borrowed is Rachel, a 30-year-old attorney grappling with her life choices. The plot kicks off at her birthday party, courtesy of her seemingly perfect best friend, Darcy. After a night of revelry, Rachel finds herself in an entanglement with Darcy’s fiancé, Dex. From this pivotal moment, the book unfolds with Rachel wrestling between her guilt and her rationalizations—most notably, that Darcy is a “villain” in the love story of the century.
While the premise certainly has a juicy appeal, the execution raises many questions. As I waded through the pages, I felt Rachel’s internal conflict transforming into a tedious justification for her actions that didn’t sit well with me. For me, one of the cardinal rules in romance literature is a firm stance against cheating; it’s hard to root for a character entangled in such morally ambiguous waters. Rachel’s plight left me feeling quite perturbed. After all, Giffin seemed to rely heavily on portraying Darcy as an indisputable "evil incarnate" to somehow absolve Rachel of her glaring missteps.
The pacing, too, felt like it wavered. Halfway through the narrative, I found myself yearning for more dynamic plot developments. I had hoped to see more of Ethan, a mutual friend who not only piqued my interest but also appeared to be a more balanced fit for Rachel. Instead, he often remained more compelling within the sidelines, overshadowed by a lackluster couple whose chemistry fell flat.
Giffin’s writing style, while smooth in places, didn’t deliver the emotional punch I craved. Instead, I felt the narrative plodding along as Rachel continued justifying her actions in ways that only made me more frustrated. An early line in the book that resonated with me was Rachel lamenting, “I always knew there was a chance for us, but is that worth the friendship?” However, it soon devolved into a sigh-inducing cycle of guilt and self-consolation, losing its poignancy.
Interestingly, the book ends on what was clearly intended to be a hopeful note, but I couldn’t shake my lingering sense of discontent. It felt almost jarring, like wrapping a gift in beautiful paper only to find a lump of coal inside.
For anyone enamored with reading about friendship dilemmas or seeking a light read, Something Borrowed might still hold some appeal. However, if you, like me, harbor a distaste for infidelity narratives, you may find yourself disenchanted. Ultimately, this read has prompted me to revisit the importance of character integrity and how much it shapes our connection to a story.
As for me? After finishing Something Borrowed, I couldn’t help but feel propelled into the pages of Something Blue, hoping for a redemptive narrative arc. Whether that quest will pay off remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: the exploration of relationships, loyalty, and emotional turmoil continues to hold a mirror to our lives, reminding us that the most complex tales often arise from the most flawed of characters.
Discover more about Something Borrowed (Darcy & Rachel, #1) on GoodReads >>